New Year Changes

Happy New Year!  Do you make resolutions?  I've never been one to make resolutions and yet as the old year drew to a close, I felt this grumbling sense of dissatisfaction.  I felt like there were so many things that weren't working for me anymore and that I wanted to change them, only I didn't know where to start.  Have you ever experienced this?  As I began to pack away the Christmas decorations, I felt the overwhelming urge to just keep going, clear everything away and start with a blank slate.  I left out a few things that I loved and realized that there was a bit of a theme going on.  Monsieur had given me a fabulous reindeer crewel work cushion for Christmas.  It's Christmassy without being overtly Christmassy and goes with the existing cushions.  I had thrifted a vintage Beauceware planter in a sunshine yellow that was perfect for holding fruit.

If you had told me, even a few months ago, that I would be plonking down bright yellow planters and filling them with clementines, I would have laughed.  But for some reason the cheery yellow of the planter just spoke to me. And it seemed to work with the cushions.

I wanted to feel inspired so I thought I'd put together a mood board of sorts.  I've never made a mood board or an inspiration board before so I just gathered a few things together that I had thrifted recently or bought from the Boxing Day sales.

The pineapple brass lamp is another thing that I never thought I would buy.  It was a thrift purchase and was made after much deliberation.  I think I picked it up and put it down several times.  For years, I hated brass because my mother, like many mothers everywhere, embraced the brass fad back in the day and I had had my fill of it.  I walked out to the car and then I slapped my forehead and thought, "It's a brass pineapple lamp!  It's small and cute and chubby!  And it's a brass pineapple lamp!"  And I ran back inside and bought it.  The boots were bought from J Crew and the velvet pants from Anthropologie.  Again, if you had told me that one day I would be buying caramel coloured boots or velvet pants I would have laughed in your face.  Buying properly fitting pants has always been a huge trial for me.  Anthropologie calls them leggings but they fit like a snug pair of pants.  And the boots?  Well, I just tumbled head over heels in love with them.

Photo from the J Crew website.

Because I got the pants and boots at a great price on Boxing Day, I maintain that they can be considered thrifty purchases.   The cast iron lock and keys, the vintage buttons and vintage porcelain doorknob or pull were all recent thrift purchases.  I just love the lock as its face is engraved with an Art Deco design.  Even the keys are engraved.  The porcelain doorknob is huge, a good 4" or 9.5 cm across.
Here is another Boxing Day purchase, a new coat from Old Navy.  It was only $15!

I still can't believe I own a coat in this poppy orange colour.  But I did make a couple other thrift purchases (as in vintage and second hand) such as this roll of vintage yellow ribbon and this tea towel with bright yellow openwork detail.

Do you see a theme emerging?

I have been feeling so uninspired lately.  Life overwhelmed me and blog posts fell by the way side.  I felt like anything I had to say was ridiculous because I didn't live in a huge house overlooking the ocean.  My home is small with bathrooms the size of closets and closets the size of shoeboxes.  Looking at these photos though made me see that, without realizing it, I have been drawn to things that pull me out of my comfort zone.  And that in itself is inspiring.  Now, I look forward to the New Year and to exploring unexpected pathways.

I'm linking up to Thrifty Groove, Sir Thrift A Lot, Cap Creations, A Stroll Thru Life, Coastal Charm, A Living Space.
A little note:  I wasn't sponsored to mention any stores or companies named in the above post.  It's just a record of purchases made recently that have left me shocked and bemused at myself.