Oh the Treasures You'll Find!

Unless you've just recently bought a house, or are compulsively tidy, there's a good chance that your house is filled with as much stuff as mine is. Of course, my family has only been in this house for about twenty years, which isn't a lot when you think of homes that pass down through generations and generations. Anyway, if you've got
lots of stuff and are fond of nostalgia, as I have and am, then packing up to move can be quite a delightful experience, if somewhat of a chore.
Today we found a cane belonging to my great-grandfather. The handle of the cane was inscribed with his name and the year- 1920!
I was also able to take out my three most precious posessions: three vintage suitcases. One of them is an "Amelia Aerheart" brand suitcase. Another of them has travel decals from when the White Star Line still existed.
It's incredible to be able to hold something that has lived through so much. The stories these objects could tell!

I promise I will put up pictures for this and other articles that are missing them
either tomorrow or Wednesday... Something else I found in packing today:
the USB cable for my digital camera!

I hope your next move is as interesting as mine.
Nostalgically Yours

My New Room

As I mentioned last week, my family recently purchased a house in New Orleans. It is the coiziest little double shotgun cottage you have ever seen! For those of you that don't know, aShotgun Cottage is a house usually consisting of 3-5 rooms, arranged in a line from front to back with no hallways. One literally walks through every room in the house to go out the back door. A double shotgun (the now more popular variety) is simply two shotgun houses that share a wall. In many cases, like in that of the family we bought from, a single family will buy both sides of a double shotgun and open up certain rooms to create more space. You might think it's impractical, but maybe it's just the Southerner deep inside that sees these houses as cozy and very family oriented. Though I do agree that carrying food through your bedroom from the kitchen (traditionally at the back of the house) constantly would be a touch awkward, especially with guests over. Luckily our opened double is arranged so the bedrooms are not on the way to anything.

On to the point! I went to Pier 1 Imports with my family today in search of a set of cheap square dishes - my Nana is very partial to them - and found the perfect inspirational item for my new bedroom. It's exciting because this will be the first time I'll really get to decorate a new room in a new house. Even in all my travels as a foreign service brat, the walls always had to remain white because it was, after all a rental. The same thing happened last year at college, where a roommate meant the room stayed neutral all year. Here, though, it's anything goes for me! I get to pick a bed, drapes, everything! I can't wait to get started. The only thing holding me back right now is the fact that the washer, dryer, and water heater are all still in there. The old family used it as a laundry room/closet-for-the-whole-house-since-storage-is-sparse. The walls are also covered with wire shelving and clothes hangers, but that's perfect for storing not only my own clothes but also my sewing projects and such. My bed is already picked out: It's a beautiful chocolate brown twin sleeper loveseat (I never knew they made those until this week!), and from it I derived a color palate: tans and browns, with purple and fucsia accents. This was all fine and dandy, but the room still lacked decoration direction, so the trip to Pier 1 was great: I found a beautiful little metal Morrocan-style tealight candleholder with purple glass! This is going to be the jumping-off-point for my aesthetic: eclectic antiques meet modern simplicity.

I also found out how my room should smell. This might sound a bit odd, and I suppose it is, but smell is very important to me in creating and environment I can really feel at home in. Pier 1 had a great selection of scented candles, and I picked a refreshing water-themed multi-pack... It smelled like home to me. I really am a water person.

I'll be sure to post some pictures of my stuff as it comes up, and maybe some design concepts for my room!

More on this later,
Nostalgically Yours