Melrose District

You know how it goes, you can make all the plans in the world, but it always ends up unfolding as it should. And it's those little surprises that make the journey all the more delightful... reminding me to just enjoy the ride. So Friday morning Barb, Grace & I made plans to meet up at the Copper Star Coffee Shop, visit awhile and then scour the Melrose District. But plans changed and it was just Barb & I. We sat outside the Copper Star and shared to our heart's content and then headed over to Sweet Salvage. YES! What are the chances we'd make plans on the very weekend of Sweet Salvage!

But we got a little sidetracked. We couldn't pass up all those darling little boutiques.

Oh my gosh, the mere loveliness of this fabric made me want to go home and

 reproduce one for myself. (and reminds me of my friend Shannon)

You see this day was all about inspiration. And that it did. In boatloads.

I don't know if it's because I spent so much of my early years cutting out patterns, ironing them and pinning them onto fabric... but the mere sight of this crinoline made me let out a squeal. Ok, a big squeal. You can ask Barb!

 Mrs. McGillicutty is going to love one of these! I just know it.

It will be of no surprise to you that I saved all my favorite patterns from the 70's, but I have no intension of using them. It's half-off President's Day at most thrift stores today, so I will be buying several vintage patterns for the sole purpose of repurposing into layer upon layers of crinoline chic.

And then... we saw this. 

Quite frankly, we were too weirded out to actually pick it up. So I snipped, I mean snapped a quick one and moved on. I'm sorry. Forget you ever saw this.

Oh my ~ industrial ~ galvanized ~ vintage. 

My three favorite words. All in one glorious image.

When we finally arrived at Sweet Salvage, I could tell it had already been picked over, having started the day before. But oozing with inspiration none-the-less. I was blown away and already making plans to go again in a month.