It never hurts to ask

Confession.

Now you are intrigued, and you think I have a deep secret to share with you.  Nope.
Just this:  I don't actually have any white peonies in my garden.

Whammo.  I know.  You weren't expecting that.

It's not from lack of trying.  One year, I begged a start from my friend, LeaAnn, master gardener galore.  I planted it too late, and poor guy withered in the heat.  Last year, I bought a bare root from Aldi.  It actually came up this year (another reason to love Aldi), but if I remember from the package, the blooms will be red.  Good, but not white.

A block west of us, there is a rental house we pass on walks.  Sometimes it has tenants, sometimes it's empty for months.  There are three clumps of beautiful white peonies that come up every spring, and just as they are getting ready to bloom, BAM.  Whoever is in charge of the lawn situation comes along and tidies things up.

For two years I have been wanting to sneak over there in the dead of night and dig up those peonies.  When it comes to pretty flowers, my system of ethics is not black and white.  I would try to convince Aaron (whose moral standards are more unwavering than mine) of the greatness of this idea.  "No one lives there!"  "No one is getting to enjoy the beauty!"  "If we move them to our yard, they won't get mowed over, and many people will enjoy them!"  "You don't have to come with me, okay?"

Unbudging, he is.  But also incredibly awesome...because...

This year, when I saw the plants and asked to see if he'd changed his thoughts on stealing abandoned flowers, he had an idea.

"Get the number of the guy that owns the house, and I'll call him."

Done!  I got the owner's name (thank you online website of the county assessor's office), looked up his number, and wrote it on a sticky note.  Do I sound like a stalker?  Because of course I am not, but I am pretty good at it...

Aaron called this morning, and the lady said, "Sure.  Have at it."

WAHOO!  Free established perennials!  Free established perennials of my favorite variety!

It's amazing how much confidence doing things properly gives you.  We walked over in broad daylight, shovel in hand.  Aaron starting digging, cars starting passing, but not once did we feel the need to hide.  No sirree, we had asked the owner.

All in all, I think it turned out much better than my previously planned 007 mission.

The first ground-breaking

We brought Maggie, which was a poor idea

The loot!

Have you ever had the urge to steal rescue plants from an empty yard?   Do you ever look in the windows of empty houses?  I got busted once doing that...I tell you, I have all the signs of a stalker...

New listings and why this is fun

I decided to reopen my Etsy shop back in November.  I was pumped.  When I get really excited about something, I tend to over-verbalize.  The main recipient of this verbal barrage is my patient husband.  Poor guy, he probably had to listen to my spiel of shop vision six to seven times. After I tell him the same thing a few times, it becomes a joke, and then I'll tell him three more times just for kicks.  I think it's his favorite game.

But then we got pregnant.  All-day nausea put the Etsy reopen on hold.  There were some days I didn't think I would ever care about decorating or beautiful things again.  For three months, the only home decor essentials to me were a) the couch and b) the toilet.  Over-sharing?

I finally got my groove back.  After cleaning the house and eating copious amounts of ice-cream (uh, eating for two), I realized that I did still love beauty!  I did still want my home to be peaceful and lovely and warm and welcoming!  Oh, and I did still want to reopen my Etsy shop!

So five months after the dream's inception, here we are.

I love this project because it is enjoyable on every level to me. (Except for the financial records - which - get this - Aaron takes care of and loves!  Isn't he strange??)  I love putting products together, mixing and matching little vintage treasures until I land on the right combination.  I love styling for the photographs.  I love wrapping things up with pretty paper and baker's twine when I make a sale.

So hop on over the shop and take a look.  Here are two new things I listed tonight:  (Click directly on picture to see the item.)

Antique wooden cheese box with tiny juice glasses lined up inside

A vignette for the seamstress - vintage thread and measuring tape in a dainty bowl

One last thing.  Please know that my greatest hope in this whole gig is not that you buy something.  (That is a great feeling, for sure!)  If you visit the shop and walk away with some fresh inspiration,  amazing!  If you get a new idea for arranging some stuff you already have, awesome!  Because, you know, if we were real life friends, that's what I'd want to do with you.  I'd have you over for coffee, and together, we'd over-verbalize about all our great home ideas.  It'd give my sweet husband a little break.  :)