A Banner Thrifting Day

It doesn't happen too often that I get to dedicate an afternoon to a second-hand shopping spree sans kiddo. And when I do, it's not very often that I hit the thrifting jackpot back-to-back-to-back. But today was one of those special days...

I was joined by my friend, Jennifer (former Blacklist Vintage owner & current Marigold Vintage proprietor) for a Southeast Des Moines sweep. Before hitting the charity shops, we stopped into the new Funky Finds Vintage & Retro at 515 18th Street.

Not only was it modestly priced, but also beautifully curated (which only made you want to buy EVERYTHING). Do yourself a favor and patronize this gem.

This rainbow Polaroid land camera was one of my "funky finds". I've been wanting one of these for a while now, so you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon it.

I also walked out with this darling little puzzle by Galt Toys (Made in England). I could easily see it adorning a shelf or mantle someday when Ruby (& any other children we may have) outgrow it.

We stopped into Dorothea's Closet next door where I met this little number. It was nestled away in the $4 anniversary sale rack just waiting for me to come rescue it. Doesn't it make a great wall piece too?

New (old) books for the burgeoning vintage library.

I was pretty stoked about this paint-by-numbers masterpiece that I scored for $1.99. It's a bit awkward in places, so I have the option to disassemble it and reframe each painting individually. The Japanese landscape in the middle is my favorite.

Lastly, I found a floral vintage cocktail shift dress which I may have to save for another post. I think I ended up spending less than $30 total for my finds. We were pretty surprised by the array of old dresses & decor we came across today, which gives me hope that not all the good stuff has been picked over yet...xx

A New Leaf

We made it through another week, hallelujah.Our Mondays through Fridays mostly feel like a blur with too little time for rest or reflection.Or blogging.

Today, I treated myself to some Orange Leaf for an afternoon treat, and boy did it hit the spot.It's kind of my latest obsession. Wayde likes to tease me for making concoctions that a 5 year old might put together.

This scoop of yogurt was NOT staged. It actually smiled at me. The bobas (juice-filled balls) are my favorite!

Ruby's treat-of-the-moment are tomatoes!! Believe it or not, our girl picked this one off of the plant herself and went to town on it. SO ADORABLE.

It's crazy that it's already the end of July. This month hasn't been super eventful, but it has certainly flown by.

August has booked up pretty fast with lots of events to look forward to...a couple fun weddings, Jack White in concert, the Iowa State Fair, and a trip to California (tickets = booked) are all on the itinerary. It's been nice having these things on the calendar...but they'll be over before I know it. *Sigh*.....xx

A Day Trip

Ever have those days when you just need a different? Thankfully, Wayde was on board when I suggested we get out of town for the afternoon last Saturday. Destination: Ames, IA. (I know...big deal).

We were hoping to hit the thrifts & satisfy my craving for some Pita Pit, but things didn't turn out as planned. Not only did the Salvation Army close, but the Antique Mall on Main Street also shut down since our last visit. We were left with only one Goodwill & it turned out to be a BUST.

At least Stomping Grounds Cafe didn't let us down. We stopped by for some mid-afternoon drinks. If I hadn't had a full tummy from lunch, I would've indulged in one of their Reuben sandwiches (THE BEST).

You could definitely tell that all the university students were gone for the summer.

Papa could tell I was a little bummed about our little excursion not being as productive as I had hoped. So, he let us stop by the Brass Armadillo Antique Mall on our way home.

There were a few little treasures in store for each of us...a vintage sweater for Ruby (above), a chunky necklace for Mama (below), and some pocket squares for Papa.

All in all, it still turned out to be nice day with the best company...xx

Fabric & Film

Last night, I did a little bit of thrifting with my sisters. This kind of thing doesn't happen too often. They were on a search for clothing to wear to a redneck themed party, while I was looking for actual, everyday clothing.

My youngest sister Amy & I got into it over one top, which was actually pretty funny. Neither of us ended up purchasing in the end. I did buy a skirt though(fabric above) which I'm still trying to decide how I really feel about it...I think I like it...? $3 is a small price to pay to avoid buyer's remorse.

(On a side note, it's been a lot of fun hanging out with my sisters so much lately:)

I also bought this vintage camera. Ok, not really vintage! But shooting on film seems to be a thing of the past. I used to go through disposable cameras like hot cakes back in the day. The film in this camera actually expired in 8/10, so I'm hoping the final product will be a little faded or distorted.

I've still got one from my honeymoon that needs to be processed (starring the VW vans of Catalina Island).

Looking forward to taking some random pics & developing this roll! xx

Home Alone

It doesn't happen too often, but when it does, I almost don't know what to do with myself. Papa is out for a walk with Ruby and I sit here at home. Alone. Oh, the possibilities...

The last few nights I've been alone at home with Ruby. Papa has been busy practicing & playing shows with Parlours, building up to a West Coast tour next month. We girls aren't going to be able to go & the reality of that is finally setting in. The craziness of working full-time while running Ruby to & from "day care"...it'll be tough.

BUT if everything goes according to plan, Ruby & I will hop a plane during that time to join the band in Los Angeles for some fun times with family and friends. A vacation would be nice.

Parlours' full length album will also be dropping next month, so we've been listening to the new recordings. A lot. There's good stuff on the way, folks. Ruby even likes it. She's given her signature head nod of approval! xx

A Perfect Evening for a Patio

The temps have cooled off some since last week's scorchers, but it's still too hot to cook in my opinion. Our little fam tends to eat out a lot during the summer months...

Last night was beautiful, so had dinner on the patio of Woody's Smoke Shack, which one of our favorite BBQ spots. This joint is truly nestled within a residential community, so don't be fooled by other "neighborhood grills".

Baby girl loved the complimentary corn bread.

Think Ruby might be practicing for some outfit photoshoots? This little dress is from Target, actually. I've been truly impressed with their vast & affordable selection of baby clothes. From maxi-dresses to Harujuku Mini, there's a lot of pieces that I would even consider wearing.

Until next time...xx

EIGHTY THIRTY-FIVE, BABY!!

Last year during the 80/35 Music Festival, I was in the hospital having a baby. This year, I got to enjoy it with my beautiful daughter (& husband)! Despite the heat, we all had a great time:) 

There were some challenges with taking a one year old along, but it helped that there were so many spots to refill our water cups and relax in the shade. It also helped that Ruby is such a good-natured little girl and is developing a love for music. She was boppin' her little head and clapping whenever she could. TOO CUTE.

I think it's safe to declare the Avett Brothers show as Ruby's 1st big concert (before she fell asleep). And it was a worthy one, at that! I hadn't listened to a lot of their music before, but I left feeling like I experienced something pretty special.

80/35, Day 2. More bands, more heat to endure...

Leslie & The Ly's.

 

Death Cab for Cutie closed out the festival. It's pretty great to see a band you can associate so many memories with under your own familiar skyline.

Thanks for another great year, 80/35!! xx

Ruby's 1st Birthday Party

 We celebrated baby girl's birthday with a family party this past week. She looked pretty fabulous in her tiny crown & sash. Slightly overboard, but why not?? You only have one 1st birthday;)

Icy pink lemonade with blueberries & lemons. Flowers from Grandma's back yard.

Baby's 1st record player. The Jane Eyre board book was also pretty special. I read Jane Eyre for the first time while I was pregnant with Ruby and loved it.

 Lots of presents, her own cake, surrounded by loved ones...I'd say it was a pretty great 1st birthday xx

Independence Day in DSM

Yankee Doodle Pops, July 3rd. Papa was insistent that we get as near to the music as possible so Ruby could see the instruments in action. We couldn't have got any closer...

In addition to familiar patriotic jams, the Des Moines Symphony also played the music of John Williams (composer for Star Wars, E.T.,the list goes on...). It was pretty great.

There's no better way to watch fireworks than while being underscored by a full orchestra. Des Moines is pretty lucky to have this gem of an annual celebration.

Jump forward to John & Lucy's BBQ, July 4th. We celebrated Ruby's 1st Birthday with a party earlier that day, but I'll be saving pics from that for another blog post;)

We could view fireworks across the city in every direction from the balcony. It was pretty memorable. Good food, good company...a perfect ending to a great holiday! xx