Hello Twenty Twelve! And, A Vintage High Chair

So, there’s always potential that the fresh, clean, new year is full of promise. It is, as was last year. I don’t want to forget or think that it’s time to start over–last year was great. We had a baby, who is amazing. We, well…we had a baby. Really, anything else pales. We had fun, lots of it. Friends getting married, celebrations, holidays, business growing, vintage boothing, markets, shabbats, countless hours spent lolly-gagging and dreaming together. All in all 2011 is and was exactly what I hope every year is: joyful.

That said, there’s always room for improvement. I don’t have a long list of things to change, but things are always moving and shaking around here. Like rearranging furniture, there are certain habits that can use a good dusting, places that could stand a meeting with a vacuum. Our rhythm needs some fine tuning…again.

We are taking deep breaths and thinking about all this. What parts of our daily lives are important to us? What aren’t? What are beneficial to our children and ourselves? What dust bunnies need to come out of hiding and where should we re-settle the furniture in the coming months? It’s all in my mind.

One thing that I’ve determined important to me is this space. This little nook of the web where I deposit thoughts, photos, inspiration, dreams and sometimes even pain. This hidden alcove of intimate Grim moments is a sort of refuge where I know I can share something and come back to it, often I even get feedback. Though it doesn’t encompass the entirety of us, it is a log of where we’ve been and looking over the last 3 years of postings is unspeakably meaningful for me. I thank God for the friends who encouraged me to join this ‘blogging’ world (and out of it), when I scroll through old posts there are bits and bobs that would be forgotten if not documented. A million pictures can’t always express the thoughts that go with them…So, my hope is to be more diligent and focused with this space. Maybe a little more frequent, a little more personal, a little more of the kids…that’s a goal.

I’m not entirely sure how well I mesh my vintage life with this blog, but I sell vintage stuff. It’s a habit that can really help give us some extra money and it’s been growing, particularly these last few months. Well, if you come to my house you’ll see quickly that vintage is more than something I sell, it’s something I’ve surrounded our family in (sometimes we’re bursting at the seams with inventory!). Decor, furniture, clothing…there are a lot of ladies like me out there, filling their homes with goods that aren’t new, but come pre-loved, broken in and somewhat free of the guilt of consumerism.

For example, we needed a new high chair. We bought one for Naomi at Ikea SEVEN! years ago. well, the tray broke, the plastic is grubby, the buckle frayed and fell off–hardly a stand-the-test-of-time article. So, instead of rebuying one from Ikea, I did a little hunting. It was inconvenient and required the compliance of my parents who picked it up for me, and the lady in Raleigh who was willing to take it out of her way…but, we have a superbly adorable high chair that has years on our cheap Ikea one, and will be adorable long beyond Eliza is through. It’s fantastic, (and it was cheap), and I just have to share a picture…

This is most definitely something a little ordinary about our lives, the addition of something vintage that makes me smile. But, it’s a little miraculous. I’ve also set my mind on–coming out of the season of miracles–not to overlook the little things that bring joy into our lives because I’m sure that they are gifts from the One who loves us. Not every miracle needs to be headline-news-worthy. But, the more I open my mind to noticing them, the more I allow myself to realize the many many miracles that fill up our days, the more delightful life is.