Vintage Family Photos

My Uncle Jim is the family historian, so to speak.

He has put up tons of family photos on facebook.
Photos from when photography began.

I can't get over a few of them and just how classic they are.
Someday when I have the money and space to do so I want to print them out and have a gallery wall of old photos of my actual relatives.  How cool would that be??

Aunt Petie 1910

1890s

 my favorite is the girl in the back left's pig tails! 

 1911

 William 1870s

 Aunt Daisy 1888

                                                                             1900

                                                                                 1911

 1916

 My Grandma!!! 1927

Grandma at age 15, 1937

                     one of my favorites... my Dad (her son) loves love loves chickens. it's so perfect.

 My amazingly beautiful grandparents.  Isn't my grandpa dreamy?? :)

 can you just hear Ray Charles singing The Spirit of Christmas like in Christmas Vacation?? :)

This is my Grandma and Grandpa Cooper's family.  My dad is in the back right.  I love how he is smirking... and that hair cut is incredible.
It was 1968 the year my Dad graduated high school and went to Vietnam.

1978.  Same family 10 years later.  Can you believe how much my grandparents aged in that 10 years??
My Dad's in the yellow.  I think this is one of his best pictures ever.  He's so handsome!!  I can't imagine him ever wearing a sweater like this though. ha!




Isn't family fun?
I am so thankful for my history and all these people that came before me.
Thanks Uncle Jim for preserving our heritage for generations to come.

Free Find Friday: Duvet trick

I found an adorable duvet cover at a thrift store nearby {originally from Ikea} for $1.50 {basically free right}!! I had to have it.... but it was only the cover.  I figured for $1.50 I could someday buy a new duvet to go inside.
I brought it home and laid it on the bed to see how the pattern worked with other patterns that I have {LOVE to mix patterns} and then noticed that in the corner was a comforter that a friend had given me recently and I was planning on using in the spare room but I didn't really love the colors {but like I said, it was FREE}

I got the idea to see if I could just shove the comforter inside the duvet cover...... and you totally can!

I figured since I already shared part of my bed with you in my last post {DIY Recycled Art} I could go ahead and share about whats on the bed even though the room isn't "finished" just yet.

 my colorful patterns. ALL thrifted or free.

love love love to be able to say that. 

So if you have a comforter that you love, it's warm and cozy.. but is looking a little drab or doesn't quite "go" with the rest, just cover it up :)

DIY : recycle old painting with quote art

Well like all other breathing 25 year olds the majority of my inspiration comes from pinterest these days.
I found a DIY art project I wanted to try

                                                                         Source: craftgawker.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

I had a painting under my bed for at least 10 years (no joke) that I picked up at a yard sale and had always intended to re-purpose.  I liked it because it was large, and have a good frame so I could easy re-cover it with canvas and paint a new picture or something.
Well flash forward a decade and I saw this and remembered my sad, forgotten painting.  And then I breathed new life into it and it proudly hangs above our bed.

This is SUPER easy to do.
promise.

All you need is:

• a painting or some type of picture with colors that you like
• paint - I used cheapo white acrylic paint from Hobby Lobby for $1 and then added a little paint thinner because I wanted some of the original artwork to show through
• letter stickers - I bought some on clearance at Jo-Anns
• a paint brush
• time 

Choosing a quote is probably about the hardest part.  I had so many ideas running through my head... but I ultimately decided on this one because I love it so much.  It has a special meaning to me ever since we lived in Grenada.  We lived in the sunshine, swam the sea, and drank lots of wild air...... 

I love how Emerson turned out.  The colors are perfect behind the words.

the bedroom isn't finished as of yet.... just this lone painting hangs on the wall.
my husband said "do all these patterns go together"
ummm not exactly. and I like it that way.

instagram love

I am new to the world of instagram this weekend.
so. much. fun.

I hope I'm not annoying anyone with my pictures as of yet.... :)

I want to share a few on this rainy Monday before I have to head back to work. boo.
is there a secret way to share photos from instagram on blogger than I don't know about??
just curious.

Sunday.

someone backed into my car when it was parked on the street. boo.

The amazing pizza place we discovered just about 1 block away. sooo good.

Graham crackers and icing. fun-fetti icing too.
it's ok because I ate a lot of fruit this day.

:)

a find I'll probably share more about later, but I got this at a yard sale this weekend!  perfect color and in perfect condition!

Happy Monday <3

Free Find Friday!

Since moving to this awesome new neighborhood I have decided to start a weekly series called Free Find Friday because I keep finding awesome stuff!!

I'd like to start off with this amazing photo I found on the side of the road on our way home from church.  On the curb there was a huge pile of stuff - couch, boxes, chairs, and this.
My sweet husband took one look and said "you want to stop"
So out I got in my dress and heels and rummaged through and found this gem.
A photo of the Flatiron building in NYC professionally framed and in perfect condition.  It is about 24 x 36 inches.

It now lives in my kitchen.
My not completed kitchen..... but I'll share a little peak with you.....

It's not finished yet, hence why I can't show you a whole view of the room or even that chair in the front or the floor :/ haha but soon!
This is my little craft area I've carved out for myself in our kitchen, since the spare room is dominated by my husband who apparently has to study because he's going to be a doctor or something.......


Do you have great garbage in our town?? Find anything great on the side of the road lately?? Or maybe something "nearly free" from the thrift shop?? Share with me!