There's something you should know about me. . .I love bargain hunting. I love garage sales, thrift stores, flea markets, Craigslist, consignment shops, etc. I also love the shabby chic, re-purposed look. With the invention of Pinterest, the addiction only got worse. I have pinned all KINDS of projects and decor ideas I want to try. The problem is, I don't considered myself crafty or creative. But hey, the next 52 weeks is about remembering who I am and loving that person right? Who knows, maybe I will find out I AM crafty and creative. So, in the meantime, I'll keep pinning away.
There were a lot of things I should have done this weekend, none of them were shop. My house is a mess, the laundry is piling up, and the refrigerator is looking pretty empty. But I decided that I wasn't going to do any of those things. Instead, I decided to love myself this weekend by visiting a couple of my favorite treasure hunting locations and making a Craigslist purchase.
There is something so personal about shopping at second hand stores. Every item has it's own story. Like that dresser with the red crayon scribble and the half torn off glittery sticker on the inside of the drawer. How old was the child who put those there? Was it a boy or a girl? I'm guessing a girl, considering the glittery sticker and all. Did her mom catch her or did she get away with it? What about the black spaghetti strap formal dress? Did the girl where it to her prom? Did the boy she went with break her heart in the end? Or did she marry her high school sweetheart? The old trunk with the yellowing, pealing paper on the inside and the missing leather strap handle. Where has been? Across the country? Across the world? What was in it while it traveled?
The most poignant ones for me are the old photos. What we may see as a cool vintage photo and frame that will complete the look in our cozy spare bedroom is actually a moment in another human being's life. What was that person's name? What where they thinking at the moment the photo was taken? How did that person's family photos end up in a second hand thrift store? It makes you realize that someday you, and everyone that ever knew you, will be gone from this earth. Every possession you ever held dear will either become trash, or be left to people who know nothing about you. It reminds you that life is fleeting, and that the cliche saying, 'The most important things in life aren't things' is actually true.
So this weekend I loved myself by looking through and purchasing someone else's lost treasures. I posted a picture of some of them below. I hope I do them justice.
How have you loved yourself this week?
