My name is Stephany, and I am addicted to thrifting.
Vintage globes.
Vintage Pyrex.
Vintage toys.
Vintage scales.
Vintage map puzzles.
Vintage games.
Vintage thermos’.
Vintage children’s books.
Vintage school chairs and desks.
Vintage suitcases.
Vintage paint by number artwork.
Vintage afghans and quilts.
Vintage flash cards.
I’ve got some fun ideas for these. You can see some of them on my thrifting Pinterest board.
home is…collecting treasures.
Don’t let the craftiness and thrifting goodness fool you.
I’m feeling completely vulnerable right now.
I’m just good at keeping appearances up.
I’ve been sick for three weeks. It started with a cold that turned into a sinus infection that is now a deep cough that I just can’t shake.I’ve been sick more than I can remember.Actually, the last time I remember getting sick this frequently was when I was a pre-teen. I had appendicitis, tonsillitis, and mono within just a couple years of each other. In the last year, I’ve had walking pneumonia, shingles, and this darn sinus infection.
I’m exhausted.
And, I’m vulnerable.
I feel like I am being attacked by my kids. Daily.
One won’t go to bed. Or, stay in bed. Or, obey.
One won’t go pee on the potty, Or, wear the clothes I pick for her. Or, let anybody but Mommy do anything.
I love my kids more than anything in the world, but being their mommy right now is very hard.
I get angry and resentful. I snap or use a not so nice tone of voice.
And, then I end up saying, “I’m sorry.”
I wish I didn’t have to say, “I’m sorry.”
I wish I just wouldn’t snap.
I wish I just wouldn’t us a not so nice tone of voice.
I feel like I am failing at my job.
So, I craft.
I thrift.
I do projects around the house.
Because I’m good at it. And, doing something I am good at makes me feel less vulnerable.
I get a rush of adrenaline when I am doing it.
It feeds my soul.
But, the laundry doesn’t get done.
And, the dishes are in the sink.
And, phone calls for doctors appointments don’t get made.
And, there’s nothing ready for dinner.
And, I haven’t worked out in months.
And, then there’s my husband, who I also love more than anything in the world. He is so good to me and the kids and works his butt off to provide for us. He is an amazing father and husband.
He travels for work almost every week which leaves me as a single parent on the average of 2-4 nights a week. The kids and I have our routine down and it has gotten a lot easier as they have gotten older.
However, I’m so exhausted from battling my kids, trying to be a good mom, and trying to feed my own soul, that I have NO energy left for my husband when he is home.
I get angry and resentful. I don’t feel like being intimate. I snap or use a not so nice tone of voice.
And, then I end up saying, “I’m sorry.”
I wish I didn’t have to say, “I’m sorry.”
I wish I just wouldn’t snap.
I wish I just had the desire and energy to be intimate..
I wish I just wouldn’t us a not so nice tone of voice.
I feel like I am being judged for not being a good enough wife. Partner. Mother.
And, I feel like I am failing at my job.
My job right now is to be a mother and a wife.
And, I feel like I am failing at both.
So, I craft.
And, I go thrifting.
Because it is what I am good at.
It’s what I get positive feedback for.
People say…
The fact of the matter is…I’m not sure I do.
If I spend my time doing what makes me feel good it seems that I fail at my job.
SEEMS.
I told you. I am feeling vulnerable.
Maybe I’m not failing.
Maybe it just SEEMS that way.
FEELS that way.
No matter what. It hurts.
It’s hard.
I want to be the best I can be at my job.
I really just want to be a good mom and wife.
About being a mother, I want to hear…YOU ARE AMAZING.
About being a wife, I want to hear…YOU ARE AMAZING.
It wasn’t about the bloggers at all.
It was about my family.
When I read other blogs written by other moms and wives…I know I am not alone.
I also know my feelings of vulnerability will be acknowledged by other moms and wives who read my blog.
I just feel like I am failing with my family.
Is it really possible to be a good mom and wife and still do the other things I am good at?
The things that feed my soul.
Do I really have time to do it all?
home is…don’t let appearances fool you.
If you know me, you know I am always changing our house.
Always have.
Always will.
Mainly rearranging what we already have, because we don’t have the budget for major changes.
Although, the year that Lorelai was born (three years ago) we did make some major furniture purchases and changed out most of the carpet in our house.
Pretty much every room in our house got new furniture that year.
It was cool, but we also knew that the furniture had to last or “evolve” as our family needs changed.
And, for the most part, it has.
You can read my previous posts about some of the original changes we made here, here, and here.
This summer I made some changes to our living-room-turned-playroom-sometimes-guestroom…and the adjoining dining room, which I now refer to as the un-dining room (I think I borrowed that phrase from Megan and her Craft House).
I will do some more posts on the specifics of the changes, but for now here is a preview…
Our living-room-turned-playroom-sometime-guest-room is the first room you see when you enter our house…and it is completely open to and adjoining our dining room.
We do not have a breakfast nook in our kitchen, so we eat most of our meals in our dining room.
It has also been my main workspace and crafting area, so eating there when I was in the middle of some kind of crafting escapade was not always workable.
And, it was frustrating.
So, I moved furniture…and went thrifting.
I wanted a round table for the area…everything in the room was angular and the space needed some curves.
So, I added one.
I also added globes, embroidery hoops with fabric, and some new lighting.
We moved our old farmhouse style table to the area between the playroom and the dining room, which was previously open play space or filled by a train table that we donated to Goodwill. It is now used as a craft table/workspace for me and the kids.
This now leaves our dining room table open for meals…yay!
I will save the story about how the dining room table and chairs came to be for future posts.
{And, I hope to get some better photos with my DSLR…I used my iphone for these and the lighting was not that great…glaring through the windows or too dark.}
Stay tuned…
home is…happy spaces.
Since my last post.
Where did the time go?!
I’ve wanted to write, but I’ve been doing things.
Working on projects, exploring Portland, and enjoying a visit from Ryan’s parents.
Until school starts for my kiddos.
That means we have 12 days to soak up the rest that summer break has to offer.
Pool time, backyard fun, and maybe some additional adventures that we still need to cross off our summer list.
Until Ryan turns 40.
No party planned.
He didn’t want one.
I am kicking him out of the house this weekend.
I told him he had to go do something for himself and he had to be gone at least two nights.
It sounds like he has a perfect getaway planned.
Until college football starts.
Our house will be filled with the sights and sounds of college football all weekend.
I am so excited.
Until baby girl turns 3.
Where did the time go?!
MORE…photos from {m}iphone
home is…having too much fun to blog about it.
I started “thrifting” a few months ago.
I’ve always liked to go “treasure hunting“…at antique stores, the Farm Chicks show, and other local markets/shoppes.
Initially, I went through a run when I would stop at a Goodwill almost every day of the week.
Through thrifting, I have been able to finally turn my house into the home I had imagined on a budget that is realistic.
It has recharged my creativity…for crafts and interior design.
Not to mention, I’ve started a few collections…
Vintage children’s books, map puzzles, embroidery hoops, vintage toys, globes, scales, vintage board games funky old artwork, and vintage pyrex.
I no longer go everyday, but you can bet if I drive by a Goodwill that I will most likely pull into that parking lot for a quick look around.
These photos are from my sewing desk…I don’t actually sew there, but it stores my sewing machine, fabric, and other pretty stuff.
It makes me happy.
Oh, and I have ALWAYS collected Mary Engelbreit stuff.
What recharges your creativity?
Do you collect anything?
home is…creatively recharged.
This morning started out with Lorelai asking to paint.
She didn’t just ask to paint, she asked if she could paint a picture for me.
How could I say no?!
Ryan left for a business trip and about 30 minutes after he left the house I got this e-mail from him:
“Did I really leave my phones at home?”
Yes. Yes, he did leave his phones at home.
So, the kids and I were quickly out the door to Fed Ex.
Since we were already dressed and in the car I figured we should swing by a couple of thrift stores we hadn’t been to in a while.
We found some stuff…
hoops, pyrex, a wooden step ladder…
a Yahtzee from 1975, a red colander for plants, a globe…
milk glass bowl with a beautiful flower pattern from Germany, a yellow Samsonite train case with the key…
and some very cool vintage suitcases.
home is…deciding to do something “on a whim”.
I’ve been talking about doing a home tour here on the blog, and today I was inspired by Sarah over at Thrifty Decor Chick to share our bathroom.
Our little, tiny powder bath.
We painted and put a new vanity and light in there over a year ago.
It was improved, but boring.
If you’ve been to our home, chances are you’ve been stuck in the powder bath lately (up until last week, the pocket door would stick…bad).
The good news is there is lots for you to look at if you do get stuck in there.
After the holidays, I finally got around to hanging artwork and photographs up on our walls (it only took 4 years).
This spring, I started to find some fun items while thrifting.
Along with some original artwork from family, some photographs, the kids hand and foot prints, my old teddy bear, a chalkboard from The Farm Chicks Show, and a few frames filled with cork the walls of this small room filled up quickly.
There are still a few frames to fill , but I love this room.
After we installed the new vanity, I was bothered by the fact that the wall around the vanity needed to be repaired, the flooring needed to be replaced, and we were missing some trim. You can see it all in the photo below…
In hindsight, I would have left the old vanity and just painted it.
The artwork, paint, new faucet, and lighting add what I was really looking for in this room.
home is…something to look at.
Lately, I start my mornings outside in what I call the best seat in the house.
Odyssey likes to share my coffee.
Yesterday, I found this knocked over.
Kind of a bummer.
I signed the little guy up for camp this week.
Every morning.
As of yesterday morning, he had only gone to one day.
Monday.
He was brave.
After a little bit of a struggle {read: he was hugging me and my legs and not letting go} he walked into the big gym and played along side with kids twice his age.
When I picked him up, he looked so little.
His Batman backpack dwarfing his body.
He wasn’t happy.
He wanted to be with his mommy.
He hurt his toe.
It was cool outside, and they were in the pool for a long time.
I kept him home the next two mornings.
Yesterday, Ryan was home.
He wanted the little guy to go.
I totally understand the lesson he wanted to teach…you sign up for something {and Poppa works hard to make the money that pays for things} and you follow through.
The little guy went to camp.
He walked into that big gym.
He was brave.
He looked so little.
He IS so little.
I wanted him to be home with me.
I cried the whole way home.
When I got home, I cried as Ryan hugged me.
I have to admit, I signed him up for camp for selfish reasons.
I thought I would need the time away from him.
But all I want is to be with him.
And, baby girl.
They are growing up.
Right. Before. My. Eyes.
I couldn’t wait to pick him up.
Baby girl and I mailed a colton+cadence order and made a quick stop at Goodwill.
Then we went to pick up the little guy.
I told him how brave he was.
I told him how proud I was of him.
I have to admit, I was telling him those things for selfish reasons.
To make myself feel better.
He had fun at camp.
When we got home, I pickled some cucumbers while the kids had a little lunch and quiet time.
Then we went on an adventure.
Local farm stores…
and, Sonic for ice cream…
before dinner!
We played outside in the backyard until Poppa came home.
Baby girl was exhausted after her bath and was asleep the second her head hit the pillow.
The little guy was having trouble going to sleep, so he got to come downstairs and play outside with the neighbors while Ryan and I worked in the garden.
Sometimes big boys get to stay up past bedtime.
I have to admit, I let him stay up way past bedtime for selfish reasons.
To spend time with him that I had missed in the morning.
To redeem myself.
And, to make myself feel better.
home is…learning from our mistakes.
It’s been a while.
Why don’t we catch up…
home is…lots of fun thrifting, playing, creating, and spending time with people we love.
And, so is Meme!
My mom is visiting for the week.
Yipee!!
The weather is supposed to be rainy.
We’re going to do some crafting, some shopping {thrifting}, and some hanging.
So, I may, or may not, be blogging.
For now, I will leave you with some of my finds from recent thrifting adventures…
Yahtzee…from 1961.
A beautiful globe…
And, a metal toy top…
home is…a bright and happy spring break (even if it’s grey and rainy)!
stephany taddeo 