Showing posts with label thrift shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thrift shopping. Show all posts

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Beam Me Over Scotty!

I'm going to Scotland in a week.  I'M GOING TO SCOTLAND IN A WEEK!  This is a big deal for me, a homebody who has never even left the country.  It's true.  I'm quite content to stick around home.  Bucket list?  There isn't one.  My greatest travel aspirations might include road trips around the country to see the national parks.  That would be nice.

But my children are very different than me.  Well, at least two of them... so far.  The two oldest.  They get around.  If you have read my blog from the beginning, you know those two boys have lived in Taiwan, Japan, China, (Utah) and now, you guessed it... Scotland.  Glasgow to be specific.  My oldest and his wife (front center and front left in this picture of my family) are living in the West End for a year while he gets a masters in International Politics-China at the University of Glasgow.

And yes, said university looks like Hogwarts to me.
Well, it WAS founded in 1451.



Anyway, something happened last summer and now there's this...
And that's why I'm going to Scotland in a week.
Yes, my first grandchild.

A pale, blond or red headed, freckly baby girl should arrive
about the same time I do... keep your fingers crossed. 
Knock on wood.  Say a prayer.  Whatever works.  

My plans in Scotland are to be a homebody there, too.  
I need to take care of the new mama so she can take care of her new sweetie pie.

No other big plans while I'm there...
well...


Ok... maybe I could sneak out for a little while and see this:
I mean... it's located right on the university grounds.
I'm talking about The Mackintosh House, a reassemblage of interiors
from one of my favorite architects, leader in the art nouveau movement,
and legendary Glaswegian, Charles Rennie Mackintosh!

 Among his gorgeous designs:
The iconic trademark Mackintosh rose,
the 1898 Argyle chairs and the famous 1902 Hill House chair (center)!
I used to have a Mackintosh Rose poster up in my kitchen in Provo
when I attended BYU for Interior Design back when this boy I'm visiting was born.


So, it's meant to be.  I need to sneak over there...
...and maybe on the way I might come across a thrift shop or two...
or a fabric shop here and there.

There's a Cath Kidston in Glasgow.
And not that I've been cruising all over the google map of Glasgow
and obsessed with street view and checking out fabric shops called
Timorous Besties, Mandors, Remnant Kings, or Zum Zum...
or thrift shops with fascinating names like
Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor... but, I digress...

Anyway.
We'll see about all that.

First, I need to concentrate on someone who
I used to think would someday look like this:
An early Victoria magazine picture cropped from an article about something vintage that I loved back in the 90s.  This beautiful little girl, whoever she is, is all grown up now.  I used to think if my son and his wife had a daughter, she might look like this.  But now I think she'll be even more fair and more blond.  We'll see, won't we?

Until then,
Cheerio and Haste Ye Back!

Friday, March 16, 2012

Sometimes You Get Lucky

Thrift shopping can be like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get... I mean... find. And a few weeks ago, strolling through our local Salvation Army, I got the foil-wrapped truffle bon bon from the center of the box! There, by all the other worn out, dated sofas was this brand spankin' new looking mid-century modern couch.


I looked it over.  Lusted after it.  Wondered over it.  Could it be vintage?  It looked so new!  No, after closer inspection, I could tell it was authentic vintage.  And I also knew it would look perfect on my 60s retro turquoise porch.  But (OH NO!) I just got another cute frisé late 40s, early 50s sofa from a friend, so I just couldn't use this darling piece!  Sigh!  And how much did it cost?  There was no price.  Perhaps it had been sold already.  Oh well, couldn't buy it anyway.

Upon returning home, I casually mentioned it to my oldest son who, with his wife, is temporarily living with us in between stints in China and possibly Glasgow.  Anyway, this son enjoys quirky and retro and he's very curious.  So, unbeknownst to me, he went over to the store to check it out.  He also got them to price it.  Would you believe only $20?  YES!  So, he bought it.  And it ended up on my 60s retro turquoise porch anyway... in front of the other couch... for now... or at least until someone returns from Glasgow I guess...  hmmm...

Well, it does match.  Take a look at the weave close up in the sunlight.  
So cute.  Some blue, some olive and some brown.
How perfectly mid-century modern.  

Happy thrift shopping to you and yours and
may you also find the foil-wrapped bon bon of chocolates on occasion!
That's what keeps us going, right?
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