Good morning! I hope the weather is just as beautiful in your
neck of the woods as it is here, in the South.
The air is pure and clean, the trees are vibrant shades of green
and all of our slumbered plants are awakening with such enthusiasm to give
us their best. Spring is definitely a time of new beginning.
I've been thinking about what to post for quite a few days.
What do I talk about? I know this blog was meant for home decor
and lifestyle but a part of me wants to share my thoughts about
life, how I see things and other things totally
unrelated to its intended purpose.
You know what? Today, I am.
I'm going to tell you about the love affair I've been having
for quite some time...
I've always, for as long as I remember, sought out the
black sheep of the family, the misfit, the left behind, the
loner. The different. The forgotten. The cast aside.
I know it's a psychological thing (and relate-able) but to me,
those things have the most soul. There's an untold story behind and inside
that surface. And while most people would bypass such flawed people/things,
I have always been mesmerized. Sometimes to the point of tears. I have this
crazy thought that everything, and I mean everything, with a heartbeat or not,
has feelings. A life. A core. It's a beautiful thing.
I tend to look for the beauty on the inside, behind that surface. I feel the most beautiful
things are flawed. Dents, scratches, bruises, cracks? Those are signs of life.
Most of the time, what's on the inside is pure, and good, and longing. Longing
for someone to see beyond that shell and to see the heart of what/who it is.
If you give those things the right attention, they will love hard, shine bright, be forever
grateful and have a new purpose in this world.
Everyone and everything has a story. It's true. I think that's why
I love Vintage so much. It's the untold stories these pieces hold
that make me wonder where they came from. Who loved them?
How did they get to these thrift and antique stores and yard sales?
How did they slip through the cracks?
I'm serious. I think about these things all the time.
Over the years, I have collected so many pieces that were
stand alone, flawed, broken or dismantled, only to give
them new life, a new meaning or simply to be adored because
I love them. Sometimes those things that have been overlooked
have a greater value than the cheap price tag. My most recent
heart skip was a vintage broken up set of china I bought for $40 that
I researched and valued at over $1000. Ahh.... I'm sure its
previous owner wouldn't be happy about that but guess what?
It's mine now and I love it so much, I will never part with it. Not because
its monetary worth (that means nothing to me),
but because I fell in love with the feeling it gave me
when I saw it.
Stories. Our stories. The stories of everything in this world, are important.
They truly are.
I have taken on the responsibility as an en-lightener to help others
look at things in a different way. To evoke memories, feelings and
give a different perspective. Not everyone "gets" it, or me, and that's okay. I suppose
you have to be different to understand the different. I'm just outspoken about it.
Oh, but those that do get it, the smile in their eyes speaks volumes and that
gives me such happiness. Once that connection is made and seeing that
understanding and happiness in that persons face... amazing. :)
The bakery will be home to many, many pieces of such beauty. Even pots,
pans and utensils. All of the Vintage china and flatware that I have
collected over the years is going to be so proudly displayed and used in
such a way that every bite eaten off of them is going to be something special.
I want people to wonder about those pieces. I want people to say, "My grandmother
had a set of dishes like these". And I want people to see that things that do not
perfectly match are just as spectacular as things that do.
It's all in how you look at it.
Our bakery has a heartbeat. I've journaled the process of reviving the building
from the very beginning and getting feedback from people
that have memories, has been nothing short of amazing.
That building belongs to everyone. I knew I wanted everyone
to be a part of what we are doing. Although it won't look
much like it did back in the day, all the elements will still be there
with the material we are re-purposing into new ways.
I talk to the building (or occupants ~ which I feel) when I'm there.
Out loud. haha! I do, really!
I like to think that those old bricks are happy to be loved
and happy to have new life breathed into them.
I cannot wait to be in there, working, in the midst of finger pointing and story telling.
I can't wait to feel the warmth of home in there.
I can go on forever but I'll end here.
I hope you understand my heart. My purpose. My thoughts.
My wish is that you notice the unsightly in a different light.
We are all beautiful. You just have to have the right eyes to see it.
xoxo, Amber