The Autumn Leaves Drift Past My Window...

Well, not quite yet, but the pumpkin lattes are back at Starbucks, so it must be time to get the autumn-y vignettes going.

My challenge this time was not to spend any money.  And I didn't.  Autumn is a time of gathering and harvest.  So I harvested pinecones on an evening walk and placed them in this Goodwill tureen that is usually in the dining room.  And then I hunted other items I already had from closets and other hidey holes.

The shoes were thrifted at a Goodwill in the Blue Ridge mountains while on vacation.

The two fall plates were thrifted, the bird came from The Dollar Store, and I found the key and the other rusted implement you see in the first pic in my yard while gardening.

No vignette is complete at Chez 256 without a Scrabble tile label.

I bought cloche several years ago from a wonderful shop whose front windows are filled with European kitchen-based antiques called The Kitchen Koop.  KK is the kind of place you can while away a work day lunch hour and immerse yourself in cookbooks, kitchen gadgets, and gourmet coffee.

And don't foget...

Signs, signs, everywhere a sign

Signs, signs, everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenary
Breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that
Can't you read the sign?

All these vintage signs were on one barn that now serves as a garage up in the historic area of Richmond.  How cool are these?  Esso changed its name to Exxon in the United States in 1972.

I'd like a vintage bread sign for my kitchen, and I think the one I saw below on Etsy will do nicely



Richmond Again

I'm not sure what draws me to Richmond, exactly.  A good portion of the attraction is neighborhood after neighborhood of magnificent architecture; Victorian splendor with turrets and row houses with dental molding...

Or maybe it is the unique doorways...

 Or the tiny front yards lush with ivy and flowers...

Or the quaint-looking businesses which wouldn't be caught dead in a strip mall.

Or the old churches...

Or the moving poetic dreaminess of its residents...Can't you tell it is a town of intellectuals, refined people, as well as the home of two major universities as exemplified here:

Goodwill On Line

Okay, am I the last vintage thrift girl who knows about this?  I just found out about Goodwill on line.  I think this is a pretty cool idea.  Like EBay, but non-profit benefitting Goodwill instead.

I found out about this from a blog that strangely fascinates me called What I Wore Today.  http://whatiwore2day.blogspot.com/

I have a quirky sense of style.  I'm given to big statement pieces of jewelry. I typically like a lot of color in my wardrobe and black, white, purple, turqouise, and hot pink are my colors.  I have necklaces with skeleton keys, bracelets made of mah-jong pieces, and big cuff bracelets.  I also like big shawl like-scarves, cool shoes, and the like.

I do not share What I Wore Today's style. She mixes patterns together, which I really don't care for and layers stuff which just makes me hot.  But I've really been enjoying observing how she creates new outfits.  This has inspired me to shake up how and what I wear without buying anything new.

There's No Place Like Home

A place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest...wrenches it from itself, shapes it, renders it, loves it so radically that he remakes it in his image.

Joan Didion

Wild Horses Keep Draggin' Me Away...

I was relieved to read that our regional wild horse and pony population has been looked over and found to have weathered Hurricane Irene just fine.   The group of horses numbers 128, with a number of foals born over the spring.  These horses are believed to have come to the area with the conquistidor explorers of America.  Over the centuries they have run wild in a remote area near the town of Corolla, NC on the outer banks.  Here is a link to a Virginian Pilot article about the horses with a video of these magnificent wild creatures:

  http://hamptonroads.com/2011/09/wild-horses-outer-banks-ride-out-hurricane-just-fine

Just "up the block" on Virginia's Eastern Shore area are the wild ponies of Chincoteauge and Assateague Islands.  In order to control the herd and to raise money for the local volunteer fire department, some of the ponies are "driven" (as in a cattle drive) from Assateague to Chincoteague.  This is an amazing sight and draws visitors from all over the world.  The ponies are then sold at auction to loving homes.

These wild ponies were immortalized in Marguerite Henry's classic children's book "Misty of Chincoteague."  Misty's decendents still frolic in the surf where she once did.  This gives me such a sense of continuity, as I remember my mother reading the book to me when I was three.  Today I can take an hour's drive and see them for myself.

Displaying Vintage Linen

I have collected a lot of vintage linen over the years.  I use some of it, but a lot of it languishes in a marble-topped buffet.  I've had it in mind to swipe the hundred year old ladder from the garage to display linen for quite some time.  Today was finally the day.

My house was cut into two apartments during World War II. If you look closely, you can see the slot cut into the crown molding.  The wall dividing the house into two parts used to rest in that cut.

More Creativity During Irene

Inspired by Judy's birds here:
http://judyh58.blogspot.com/2011/08/she-tweaks.html

I decided to get busy during Hurricane Irene.  I'm not sure why, but nasty, garish, and cheap Goodwill gold plastic frames look awesome painted bright red, black or white.

Since I'm not as artistically talented as Judy, I printed a bird picture from the Internet and cut and pasted the dictionary definition of "songbird" underneath.  It pleased me and kept me from getting the jitters during the storm.

The Calm AFTER The Storm

Morning dawns calm on Scotts Creek (part of the Elizabeth River).  The sign is gone, but everything else is fine.  That crumbling pier you see has been gone for decades.

My porch is almost back to normal.  I brewed some coffee and read my Bible out there.  God has been good to 256.  This venerable old lady stood firm as she has through wind, snow, tempests, and rain for one hundred years.  This is what I see this morning, my view from 256.

What I Did During Hurricane Irene

I finally made a slipcover for the cushion on both living room chairs vs. just tucking the sheet around the old cushions.  The vintage sheet was part of a set for $2.25 from Goodwill.  This was one of three things I wanted to change in the living room which I mentioned in this post:

http://theviewfrom256.blogspot.com/2011/08/bird-brained-in-living-room.html

My mother used to have a lampshade made of this print in her bedroom when I was growing up.  The lamp was made from a bottle that looked like the one below.  My father wired it to make the lamp.  She'd never admit it, but I think I started my junking tradition from her. 

Glamour Shots of "Irene"

Get ready for some really glamorous pics from my house:

We love Lulu, but she is an irresponsible parent.  Two of her "babies" are dead in the backyard.

I"ll have to make a trip to Goodwill for some more teddy bears.

Naturally my house is camera ready and immaculate:

Nothing like having the entire front yard in my living room and dining room...and the best is yet to come!  Still have power, working on some projects, a roast chicken in the (gas) oven, and feeling pretty cozy, actually.  God is good.

As Irene Rages....I Tweak Vignettes for Fall

If the house blows away, it'll be looking autumn-y before it goes.  It is all about priorities, people.

The lovely vintage fall bird picture came from my on-line buddy Jenene.  Her daughter works at my favorite Goodwill store. Right now, she lives far away, but she will be moving to the next neighborhood over soon.

Keep Calm and Carry On

I love this sentiment.  Posters like these were produced in Great Britain beginning in 1939. 

So, you know that the natural world is a little unstable in your region when you hope that Hurricane Irene will put out the wildfire that's been burning in the Great Dismal Swamp for months now.  When the wind blows a certain way, the haze actually hangs in the air inside my house. This week has been intense what with an earthquake and now a Cat 3 hurricane.    What's a girl to do but keep calm and carry on.

And let me just mention that those of us who hang unique things like handmade dollhouses from our fence and use seatless antique chairs to hold potted flowers in baskets are in a world of hurt when we need to remove projectiles from our property.  They don't seem quite so cleverly eclectic in the midst of a weather emergency.

Actually, I think the situation may be so grave that I need to follow my sister Kerry's advice instead: