Holding A Yoga Pose by Tilly the Cat. Almost April 2025. A little Vintage and a little Life thrown in too...

Tilly (yes, a cat) not only knows the word Yoga but how to do Yoga and hold a pose. This talent was acquired during the infamous pandemic lock down. She was thrilled when I would do Downward Dog, and turned it into an attention getting exercise. Here you can see her in action. The more you say "Yoga," the more she does it. Clapping also helps.

I find that these vintage ceramic soup spoons are popular. One of them is marked Berkeley, Calif so it doubles as a souvenir. Enter memory lane. I remember when there were so many Mom & Pop Chinese restaurants. Cozy and made-to-order. You could hear the food you ordered sizzling in the wok while you sipped tea at one of the booths. These spoons are in good condition. If you find ones that are not, they are great for crafters in bead or button tins. Spoons coming soon to my Etsy shop.

Vintage tin from Tacoma, Washington. I can't find another one exactly like this currently on the web. Brown & Haley. Candy tins used to be a pound then 15 oz and this one is 12 oz. Tins in general are popular. Good for storage as long as you remember what is in them. Coming soon to my Etsy shop.

Blog Confession: For those of you who are new or have forgotten, this is my quirky blog giving me a chance to ramble and jump subjects.  Enjoy my Amateur Hour. I do.

Leaving you with this thought:

Paraphrasing. Not sure exactly who is credited with saying this?!

If someone calls you a horse, just ignore them. If 2 people call you a horse, look in the mirror. If 3 or more people call you a horse, buy a saddle. 

Trying to Practice the 80/20 Rule. Sorting through my boxes of Vintage to see What I Find.

Found...

Shower Invites

Pair of Angels

Old Gift Cards

All Vintage, of course. Inquire Within or Coming Soon to My Etsy Shop.

What's the 80/20 Rule? How am I applying it to vintage or to life?

Nothing high brow here. This is how an engineer I know cleans his apartment. He knows what to do (20%) to make it look like (80%) results. Sometimes, you have to do more but not every time. It's a great time saving technique, and it helps me to break the "procrastinate and avoid" cycle. Now you know my Achilles Heel. 

The thought this time is a Buddha teaching: Fear is not a reality.



 

January 2025: Allow Yourself to Go Forward. Life and some Vintage too...

LIFE SITUATION 

STEP 1 

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

Compare your progress between Step 3 and Step 4. That is the only comparison that you need in life.

Tri-fold Valentine's Card. c. 1940s. Sweet stuff.

Valentine Card. c. 1950s. Find out what was racy then (but not now).

Mechanical Valentine Card. c. 1940s. Her eye glasses move up and down.

Visit me at: Gracious Cottage on Etsy

"The Complete Unknown" has a thought that I like. Advice from Johnny Cash to Bob Dylan. Track some dirt on the carpet.

The Colors of Autumn. Pretty Yellows. Vintage and some Life too!

New thrift store in town. They have a good selection of linens and good prices too. My favorite vintage category happens to be linens so I have been buying some since they opened. I have noticed that now after a few months more people are browsing the linen section and that their prices have increased. Thrift stores have a minimum price and that 'tag' has increased. Demand (for one thing) drives the market even though they get everything donated. Just observe.

The pillow sham comes from there. Beautiful colors and easy wash. It disguises my neck TV pillow. I like to spruce up my rooms without remodeling but by rotating, swapping out accessories, changing things around that I myself can do without tools or a handyman. I know that in some rooms, it just seems that there is one place and one place only for an item. Mix it up and move that energy around. See how you feel the next morning when you first walk into that 'updated room.'

Another thrift store find at a different thrift store. This store remodeled during Covid and got better. Super good prices. This turkey flag is very cute, over my gate next to the garage, so everybody who walks by gets to enjoy it. I try to enjoy life without being perfect. You can see my trash dispenser back there but so be it. Years ago this would not have been permissible in my life.

Yellow. Again years ago it was my favorite color, and I still favor it. This candle wax cottage and the two angels below came from the same thrift store as the flag. Who says you can't do yellows for Christmas? Or at least do a yellow section. The angels are wood, hand painted and very charming. I noticed I am hanging on to these and not listing anywhere for sale.

I am still trying to figure out why I don't get any comments --  ever.
 

The quote this post comes from Abraham Maslow. "The Law of the Instrument."

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.

Welcome 2025! I am always happy to see a new beginning. Vintage remains my theme song and some life too.

Happy New Year dear followers and visitors!

 Visit Gracious Cottage on Etsy January 1, 2025

Vintage rhinestone pin brooch. 1950s - 1960s.

I saw in Essence Nov/Dec 2024 that brooches are back. Especially the big bold ones. My note:  Grouping of small ones can also give a bigger effect.

Tilly was featured on our Christmas card 2024.

Thank you 2024. You brought a lot of good into my life. A lot of improvement.

The Blog quote for this month comes from the Brahma Kumari's...

Law of Karma:

Is the ultimate justice and it is not a punishment, but a liberation.