Treasures of The Earthly Kind

If you know me you know that I love to yard sale & thrift shop. It's not uncommon for me to see a random sign on the side of the road & to take a few minutes out of my day to hunt for "treasures". Sometimes I find something little & other times I feel like I have found the proverbial jackpot of vintage goodness. In fact I've gotten so good at this hunting of treasures it's getting harder & harder for me to want to pay full price for anything. I do love a good bargain. I also am willing to wait sometimes months or years until I find that perfect whatever it is I've had on my list before I buy it. This list is in my mind. It's not very long but it is comprised of certain pieces of furniture, books, picture frames, kitschy art & fabric, clothes & toys. Sometimes I find stuff I love but don't really need & I buy it for my vintage Etsy shop. That way others can enjoy the unique vintage goodies I find. This canister set was only $2 & they now sit on my desk & hold all sorts of sewing & paper goodies. They make me smile whenever I see them.

This awesome vintage breadbox is one of those things on my list that I have been trying to find for a few years now. It's hard to tell but it is a really good size & fits several loaves of bread in it. Inside the door is a wooden cutting board (that I don't use) & the color just makes me happy! Dean hated it when I brought it home but I think it's grown on him. My neighbor asked me if I was going to paint it! Lol!!! I explained that the imperfect paint was part of what made it so charming. He laughed & told me he wished he would have know me a few years back when he was cleaning out his mothers house. Evidently she had a ton of vintage items I probably would have loved. Sigh. The icing on the cake for this vintage find was the price. I only paid $5. Can you believe it? It's a total steel. I almost felt guilty when the guy told me the price. Almost ;)

These next set of pictures are from a beautiful vintage quilt my mom & grandma passed on to me. It was made by my great great great grandmother. I had no idea it even existed until a few months ago. When my mom told me about it I was stunned. 

How in the heck have we had something this special in our family & this was the first time I was hearing about it? A few weeks after the first mention of the quilt my mom called to let me know she was sending it to me. I was so excited to be able to have something so special from our family's past.

 When I opened the package & unfolded the quilt I had a hard time taking it all in. There is just so so so much to see. So many beautiful & imperfect stitches made by loving hands all those years ago. Everything about this quilt is hand made. No machine was used. I'm sure every piece of fabric was saved from something that she or her kids used or wore. I realized I was holding a story made of fabric in my arms. And this next part might sound silly but I cried. Like a baby. They were tears of happiness. I felt such a connection to a woman I never knew. It made my heart so happy to know that someone in my past loved making things just as much as I do. That I can hold this quilt & enjoy it for years to come & eventually pass it down to my children. What an honor.

It gave me hope too. Hope that someday maybe, just maybe, someone long after I am buried in the earth will love something I have made as much as I love this quilt. 

It's probably my most beloved earthly treasure. Thank you mom & Grammy for letting me have this beautiful quilt. 

What are your favorite vintage finds & family treasures?