Find Your Marbles

There's something extraordinary about displaying the ordinary in your home. Lots of colorful vintage marbles together in a glass jar make a great conversation piece. These particular marbles have a sad but sentimental history for me. One of my mom's little brothers passed away tragically when he was just 8 years old, in 1955. These were his marbles and I'm sure he received hours and hours of enjoyment playing with them.

My Granny lovingly kept the marbles all these years in a sealed bag in the back of a deep drawer, one she would rarely open. From time to time she would show me the marbles and his other toys, clothes and books. She would tell me sweet stories about each item, even though I now know that it must have greatly pained her to do so. When she passed away a few years ago I brought the marbles home and knew I wanted to give them an important place to live. I put them in a clear glass milk bottle from Homestead Creamery, an old-fashioned but thriving dairy located near our lake house. Glass milk bottles themselves have a vintage feel (I also like to use them for vases) and pairing them with vintage marbles seemed like a good combination.

I wish I could have known my uncle, but having his marbles on my shelf will have to suffice in a small way. Granny would be happy to know that our youngest son resembles her little boy. I'm sure he'll enjoy playing marbles someday too and each time he does I'll be reminded how precious life really is.

Mink Teddy Bear

A few years ago my Granny had an old mink coat she could no longer wear. My mom came up with an ingenious idea...turn the fur into teddy bears! She sent it off to a company that did just that (similar companies can be found through an internet search) and we ended up with four adorable little furries (I added the bow for a finishing touch). One for Granny, one for mom, one for me and one for my aunt.

He's like a giant Steiff bear; his arms, legs and head move to see what I'm doing throughout the day. I love knowing that his arms once kept my Granny warm (here he's perched on her sofa). I hope my daughter will enjoy having him by her bedside for many years.

Create a teddy if you want to turn your heirloom fur into a piece of nostalgia (or if you're just against wearing fur for p.c. reasons). If, on the other hand, you're not so p.c. and think nothing of wearing your fur to the grocery store, you might want to check out this earlier post for another idea.

Rose Bowl Flea Market Finds

One of my very favorite bloggers, Eddie Ross, is leading another fun shopping excursion, this time through the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, California (if you're in the area on March 8, you must go! Check out this post on my recent trip to Scott Antique Market in Atlanta with Eddie). I thought I'd share two fabulous finds I made at the Rose Bowl market a few years ago.

My husband and I were in CA for three weeks, working with the wonderful surrogate who would eventually give birth to our twin baby boys! At this point we were gathering eggs, making embryos and transferring all of the good stuff to her in the hopes of making at least one baby (were we in for a surprise!).

The day finally came to harvest my eggs after many rounds of shots and medications, a procedure which required my being sedated. This also happened to be the only day during our entire stay when I could catch the Rose Bowl market (and it was only minutes from the clinic!). I didn't care if I couldn't stand up or see straight, I was going to the Rose Bowl! After all, it's not like I had to lie down for a specified amount of time to make the procedure take...my eggs were already safely nestled in their new temporary petri dish home, awaiting my husband's swimmer counterparts to be made into embryos.

Despite my condition, I made several great finds that day. Here are my two favorites. The first is a gorgeous vintage rhinestone belt buckle or scarf holder.

I've been sort of admiring it every so often in my jewelry box, waiting for inspiration on exactly what to do with it. A couple of weeks ago I had my Aha! moment. We were going to a black tie dance on Valentine's Day and I was looking for the perfect blingy necklace to wear with my little black dress and thought of this.

I put it on a crystal chain and voila! A very sparkly statement for the evening (and by the way, the vintage rhinestone earrings were scored on ebay).

The second is this vintage clear acrylic evening purse, which has a diamond pattern and rhinestones on front and an oversized rhinestone clasp. When I bought it I failed to notice (perhaps due to my woozy state) that you can't simply carry items loose in it without some type of covering, unless you want everyone to see your lipstick and unmentionables.

So, when I carry the purse (which is quite often), I use a colorful scarf (such as one of these) inside to wrap up my belongings and switch it out to match my outfit. Many of the scarves I use were my grandmother's, so I'm certain they feel right at home in the vintage bag.

You simply must go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market. I highly recommend it, pre- or post-surgery!