my favorite color is shiny

belated birthday shopping...

today i dragged my husband to chamblee antique row under the guise of "finding stuff for our walls"...which is true...and we did...but there's no harm in picking up a few steals is there? i came home with some practical old scrubbing brushes, stripey paper straws, vintage 5 lb dumbbells, an armful of empty picture frames, and...

little ladylike things, like this darling blouse. sewing construction just ain't what it used to be.

whitework cording embroidery, boning in the collar, bone mother-of-pearl buttons, hand sewn lace collars, and tee-tiny pintucks. it would take me the better part of a whole year to sew a shirt like this! and it was less than $10, so i don't feel badly at all about it.

this pocket knife necklace. the original chain is far more charming than the clunky black strand i added to it. i prefer long, dangly necklaces so i needed to give the necklace a bit more length.

and a boatload of embroidery hoops. i'm a total sucker for metal ones, oddly-shaped hoops, tee-tiny ones, and cloth-bound hoops. i do actually embroidery often and i think some might make nice wall frames, no? i swear these won't go into a pile of unloved props of mine. these will have a purpose!

i didn't really do much for my birthday, on account of moving and whatnot. so i've allowed myself to spend a little belated birthday funny money on myself. okey dokey, enough justifying for one day. my new sewing machine is calling my name and i have a million projects around the house to finish! hope y'all have a lovely and productive weekend!