The Old and The New

I'm sorting my bead collection, so that I can make some new pieces for a farmers market! There are beads here I have had for more than a decade and forgotten about. Something about the beautiful colors, the feel of the beads and the act of bringing order to all this loveliness is very relaxing. 

There are pieces of former favorite necklaces, homemade beads, beads salvaged from terrible thrift store necklaces (some of the best). My mind is buzzing with ideas! When I am in a creative rut, sorting things this way seems to help dislodge me. New combinations suggest themselves, and even new beads to create.

I've also been whipping up a few of these daisy chain necklaces for entertainment. I'd love to make a handful that coordinate, to wear at once for a big impact or separately to be more subtle. 

These vintage beauties were my Great Grandmothers, and I've been meaning to re string them for years. A few pearls seem like they would make a nice addition. A few old projects I may have to revisit were even mixed into the chaos!

Hope you have a marvelous day!

P.S. What do you like to do when you are stuck creatively? 

Dressed in Purple

Sometimes thrift shopping is a long chase. Hours of digging can result in treasure (usually) or nothing (not often enough to suit my wallet!). This particular skirt however was just hanging there outside the dressing room, waiting for me! One woman's no go is... well you know the rest.

I absolutely love the trim around the bottom, the lacy petticoat underneath and the beautiful swinging movement of so much fabric. And it was packed with other items in a bag for seven dollars deal at Anchor Thrift Store in Ocean Shores Washington. It is a little store and out of the way, but for my money has better quality items than many larger stores.

I've found a number of gorgeous sixties dresses, and accessories that seem like they came from exotic vacations there. It is in a retirement community, which makes these sort of donations wonderfully likely. Its always fun to look for thrift stores in areas where people are different from you, especially on vacation. Even the things you don't want to buy are fun in an anthropological sense!

So if you pass a tiny, maybe even sketchy looking, secondhand store, give it a look! The shoes and necklace are also thrifted, and the shirt is from Walmart of all places! Have a nice day!

Moon City

Moon City- what a lovely name! And an interesting place. North Springfield, a small town incorporated into Springfield in 1871, went by this enchanting moniker. In ye slightly less olden times (10 years ago) when I lived here, this area was pretty worn down. A few crowded antique stores, and a marvelous restaurant that trained former convicts as chefs were its main attractions.

In the present time the area retains its Aladdin's cave thrift stores. Crowding in a merchandise sense is the glory of a good secondhand store and the bane of a bad one.  Decades was particularly wonderful, with racks and racks of colorful clothes in many sizes and eras, and a charming and ebullient shop girl. 

I wanted to take half the shop home! But settled on a fifties mid length skirt with pink Cadillacs cruising the bottom, and a flowered mandarin collar jacket.

There were even some shoes who's flowery toes match exactly a purse I got on the same road when I lived here! It makes me wonder if they belonged to the same person in a much matchier era.

Unfortunately arrived close to sundown and many shops had closed, but Hakaar's Bazaar, with 60's pottery, shrunken heads and giant metal insects remained. As did a new tattoo shop with an art gallery full of paintings that looked like the inside of a marble, beautiful! 

Everyone was very friendly and chatty, something I noticed about the state as a whole. It takes a bit of getting used to at first! Washingtonians are not less friendly so much as reserved, courtesy amounts to not inconveniencing others more than making connections. 

I loved all the art incorporated into everyday things we found! The timing was perfect if not for shopping than for enjoying the golden light and warm air of the evening.

My brother Ryan swore that the coffee options had improved vastly and he was right! Trust a college student to know these things. Big Momma's had comfortable seating, great lighting, a concert area in the back and most importantly coffee that came in more than black and not black. I had a delicious concoction named "Blair's Brew" with chai, caramel, white chocolate and a banana blended. 

There were many places I wished we had time to see! I would love to sit in this cafe with the breeze blowing and let conversations wind their slow way.

I had the good fortune to be there on the night prom was being held, and have a few lovely girls not mind my paparazzi-ing. The ones without poses, as is often the case, came out best. 

The Jefferson avenue footbridge, largest in America, crossed over these train tracks. It would have been easy to spend hours here exploring! 

Someday I hope to have more time to do so, but in the meantime if you ever get a chance, Moon City/North Springfield is well worth checking out.