DIY Acorn Garland on A Beautiful Mess

If you haven't already jumped the shark and started pulling out the Christmas decor, head over to A Beautiful Mess and find out how to make your own wood grain acorn garland to see you through the rest of fall.

Disclaimer: Your company may keep you laughing with inappropriate nut jokes.

xoxo,
Rachel

This is my 1,000th Post Post

I am not organized enough to ever anticipate a major blog milestone and have a party, or something more...organized. However, I do have some lovely vintage to share from the last few trips around town so they are going to fill in as the exciting cast of the 1,000th post. Without further delay...

Melmac-like dishes with the most fantastic floral design. I snagged all six.

A set of four dinner plates, saucers, and bowls in this lovely vintage pattern.

I also picked up a couple of pant suit hangers for art prints, two vintage sheets, and a soft linen table cloth in a floral print.

This little sweater was cut off at the sleeves but will look adorable over a long-sleeved onesie and paired with skinny jeans and mocs!

This sweet little corduroy coat is a 3T but I couldn't leave it at the store for such a great price. I'm thinking an exchange of some colorful buttons will give it that extra pop to make it even more unique.

The vintage shown above and myself would like to thank you for celebrating our 1,000th post together. We couldn't have done it without you. ;)

xoxo,
Rachel

No seriously, I am so thankful for my loyal readers and the support you've shown Smile And Wave just by checking in often. I appreciate you all, commenters and lurkers alike! This space wouldn't be the same if it weren't shared. You guys are fabulous!

Guest Posting on Under The Sycamore Today

Ashley Campbell of Under The Sycamore has been running posts this month featuring 10 things from some lovely guest bloggers and I was happy to be included. If you'd like to take a peek at 10 new photos from corners of our home head on over and check it out. Then take a peek at Lori Danelle, Meg Duerkson, Julie of Joy's Hope, Jess M., and Emily Anderson.

Have a lovely weekend, folks, and thanks again for always stopping in!
xoxo,
Rachel

For That Age Old Conundrum

I was driving down Glenstone the other day and passed Anton's Coffee, a perfectly charming coffee shop/diner from long ago, and wondered why I'd never aimed our car in their perfectly charming direction. I was thinking this whilst coming back from a trip to FM Store, a surprisingly large interior with bolts upon bolts of upholstery and designer fabric, gorgeous trims, and quilt backing in all kinds of colors. (I didn't even know that you could get quilt backing in pretty colors unless you used a bed sheet!) I had always thought it was one of those stores with stock from the 80's that they'll never get rid of but keep plugging along because it's what they've always done, and thus had never been in there before! Well, they have some perfectly fantastic Amy Butler fabric for about $4/yd and the place was crawling with interior designers and their clients. Shame on me.

Feeling inspired to try a few more new things in this perfectly charming little city, I decided to make a list of some doorways we've never haunted because as soon as anyone asks 'What should we do?' our imaginations shut down and we only remember places we've already been. All of the above places (minus Thai Peppers but it's been about a year) are places we shall try out before the end of the year or as long as we're feeling adventurous. And then we'll brainstorm a few more.

This to-do list is just a piece of smooth, pre-cut lumber from Lowe's that I sanded down and coated with primer and three coats of chalkboard paint. I was planning on anchoring it to the wall in the kids' room but I like it more as a traveling piece. A large tablet. A throwback to caveman days if you will. It's currently propped up in a safe place so it won't land on anyone's head and the list may or may not be transferred to something if we choose to use our 'tablet' for an art project instead. I like making up my own rules.

What are some places you've always wanted to go that you always forget are there?

xoxo,
Rachel

p.s. My old Halloween yarn wreath has finally made it's debut, as well as some white pumpkins and a few wooden acorns from Hobby Lobby. I've added the fawn and birds for a woodsy feel and have some garland ideas that I'll be sharing elsewhere later this month. Have you decorated for Halloween or Autumn in general?

Introducing...The Typewriters

I've been collecting them for about two years. I've come across about six more beauties but sold them when I had PonyParty, my vintage Etsy shop. I still have a hard time saying no.

And it's time to order some more film for the Instax 210.

I think I've got about eleven solid collections, most of them vintage. Typewriters, globes, little girl dresses, chairs, etched glassware, rulers, quilts, clipboards, suitcases, thermoses, and vintage fabrics. I've had to put the kibosh on a few before we turn into an episode of American Pickers, or it's slightly less glamorous predecessor Hoarders! Yikes.

What do you collect?

xoxo,
Rachel

On The Way Home I Stopped To Look

Ruby and I went shopping this morning after an appointment and discovered where all of the etched glassware in town is being sold! If you haven't been to Relics, Missouri's largest antique mall (or it will be when it's actually full of vendors), it's worth a look. There's a lot of big vintage walnut furniture for antique prices but there are plenty of other booths full of vintage eye candy from the 40's, 50's, and 60's. I also picked up a beautiful feed sack bedspread (the floral background), a brass beaded necklace, and wooden spools of thread in beautiful colors.

I'm in the process of decluttering our house so thrifting might seem to be working against that process but I just unloaded a bunch of good vintage at RVA and some regular boring stuff at Red Racks so I'm sticking to my 'one in, one out' guideline pretty well! I'm on a mission to only have things in our home that I'm smitten with when it's an option (portable dishwashers can't be helped, ya'll) and most of those things happen to be vintage. Which makes living in Springfield even better because the selection in town and the Midwest in general is pretty fantastic.

xoxo,
Rachel

Plenty To Wear These Days

I spent some time purging the kids' wardrobes this week since a new season is upon us. I have kept a few special pieces from Ruby's early months but what can't be transitioned into the fall and winter months is going to a friend. With limited space for all of her clothes/socks/shoes/blankets/crib sheets, I have to keep things as easy to look at as possible or it gets overwhelming.

Ruby has more closet space than Brett and I put together. Old houses = Lots of wardrobes.

I have been saving vintage dresses and smocks since before we knew we were having a girl almost a year and a half ago and Ruby is finally big enough to start wearing some of them. I have had some luck recently with a few pieces but most of these were thrifted in Springfield and surrounding areas as well as gifts from sweet readers around the time Ruby was born.

Plus a few more that were in the wash and one that was so delicate it was torn in the dryer. Sad face.

Sebastian, on the other hand...

... has one measly piece of vintage clothing and I only just found it this weekend. Somehow, I don't think he minds. This poor boy does own more clothing but it was sitting in a clean pile in another room that also included a sleeping baby.

If it isn't from Target or Old Navy, it's been thrifted, handmade, or given to use by sweet people. The mailman hat, for instance, was delivered by our favorite mailman after Sebastian told him he wanted to be a mailman someday. The wardrobe is just a billy bookshelf from IKEA that I found for free four years ago, added a curtain rod to, and covered with wood grain contact paper. This is what it looked like two years ago when his shoes were so much smaller!

Ruby wore a vintage red sailor dress and one of the vintage Mexican dresses shown above this weekend while hanging out with the RVA girls. I think the dress shop is her new favorite place!
More on that soon...

xoxo,
Rachel

Rearranging

I did a little presto-chango with the living room this week. The first reason is that it's the start of a new season and mixing things up in my environment helps me appreciate that all the more. A shift in my environment, a shift in the weather, and a shift in my perspective. Aura Joon recently posted something similar that resonated with me about the end of summer feeling a little stale and wanting to welcome fall and all it's newness. Well, she puts it much better here.

The other reason for rearranging besides FINALLY having that useless organ out of my living room was to make room for my favorite new thing! Brett surprised me with the Crosley record player from Urban Outfitters and a few albums by some of our favorite bands on my birthday. He's been keenly aware of my search for a working and affordable vintage record player in a specific style and my lack of finding one for over a year and a half. I've loved the UO record player from afar but have been supremely enjoying it in a corner of my living room these last three days. THANK YOU, BRETT!


He also picked up Arcade Fire's Funeral, one of our long time favorites and an album he claims was made to be listened to on vinyl. He also got The Eraser by Thom Yorke, and The Bends by Radiohead because "Fake Plastic Trees" always reminds me of the year I spent in England. That night Elsie and Emma brought over three more records from bands we love including Devotion by Beach House, Cease to Begin by Band of Horses, and The Suburbs by Arcade Fire. The next day we picked up I'm Having Fun Now by Jenny & Johnny, Dearland by Elvis Perkins, and Forgiveness Rock Record by Broken Social Scene. And in case you thought I was the one with great taste in music, Brett is the only reason I know anything about anything in this department. He has more music knowledge and appreciation for the concept and thoughtfulness that goes into an album than most and I just kind of absorb it as it wafts through our conversations.

I got a few thoughtful cards from various family members, the contents of which will be going towards something fun in the audiovisual department. Why I hadn't heard of this little bugger before RubyEllen posted about hers, I'm not sure. And I'm almost positive that my little brother got me the other thing on my wish list...and we'll find out in 7-10 days. THANKS, FAMILY!

And last but not least, I got a Restaurant.com gift card from The Margot, and an iTunes gift card as well as "Hooray, It's My Birthday" from the new album Do Fun Stuff by Ryan Marshall from Pacing The Panic Room. If you haven't already seen it tweeted, blogged, or discussed it over coffee with friends, and you have kids, you'll want to give it a listen. Best of all 100% of proceeds go toward funding research to better understand Smith Magenis Syndrome. THANKS, MARGOT, and SARA!

Thanks again for the many, many sweet well wishes here and through Twitter and Facebook. Ya'll are the best.

xoxo,
Rachel

Why I Will Always Love Craigslist

I found this listed on Craigslist two days ago and wrote back asking if it was still available. I got a call back and they gave me directions to the furniture warehouse and confirmed the size of it. Then I got a little skeptical. Who in their right mind would post an Ethan Allen Venetian Mirror that retails for $629.00 on Craigslist for $40.00. Was this a scam or was I just about to discover retail heaven? I got there and met one of two Jacks that worked there and he showed me the mirror. I figured it had to be badly damaged to go for that price but was surprised to see it only had two or three minor little cracks in places it wouldn't be noticeable once up on a wall.

Then I pointed out the small piece near the bottom that had a screw through it that had cracked clean in half. He acted as though he hadn't seen that. I played like it was a bummer but I knew I was still getting a monster of a deal and could glue that little guy back on and it would be no worse for wear. I don't mind home interiors with a little history. He sold it to me for $30 and said he had no idea what it retailed or. I still can't figure out if he thought he was getting the better end of the deal or not. I'd call it a win/win. And this huge thing will soon find a home in my studio always reminding me of why it pays to keep an eye on Craigslist.

xoxo,
Rachel

Pretending to Fly Away on Paper Airplanes

I'd love to be with my family on a city exploration vacation this week. I've been craving another summer time road trip to an unfamiliar place. One where we can collect those illustrated post cards with the name of the state in bold, interesting type across the front!

Rather than continuing to dream of one, I decided to channel that restless energy into a paper airplane garland to add some whimsy and fun to our dining room space.

I kept the leftovers out from a drawing party that Sebastian and his new friend, Hope, had last night while her mom, Katie, and I discussed our late night crafting habits and what not.

The string has been up since Sebastian's birthday party because I love the idea of a changing garland in this space that reflects each season/occasion. I folded paper airplanes while Ruby explored the underbellies of the new chairs.

Unfortunately, she's at the same sitting height as the uncomfortably hard lip of the seat.

So, while we wish for Brett to come home and take us on an adventure up Route 66, we'll enjoy our travel themed garland and color our own post cards.

Where do you wish you were today?

xoxo,
Rachel

Abra Cadabra

I've replaced the old chairs with the new ones.

I spray painted a wooden candelabra with Krylon paint in Celery. Three thin coats.

I'm thinking about painting Ruby's high chair white so it'll fit in with the rest of the crowd. The table is from Craigslist, too. It's kind of wonky and needs another coat of white paint to cover up some art projects from months past but it's shape is great.

Sebastian and I have been having some interesting conversations lately. One of the running themes has been how much he loves anything that is 'red all over'. He wants a new house that is all red and has twenty train rooms and a big swimming pool. He thinks we should paint these yellow chairs red.

Don't worry. I don't keep red spray paint in the house.

He also told me in the car today that he wants Daddy to come home. Me, too, son. Me, too.

xoxo,
Rachel