I haven't always been the intrepid thrifter I am today. Until I started dating Larry in 1979, I had never been to a second-hand store of any kind. Shopping pre-owned was not part of my family's culture.
Try to picture this~ When I met Larry, I was 24 and he was 40; a handsome, long-term bachelor, flying for one of the world's premier international airlines, and living in a cool condo three blocks from the sand in Manhattan Beach, California.
On one of our first dates, Larry invited me to go shopping for some new shirts. New shirts. I immediately jumped to Oxford cloth, button-down, monogrammed cuff. One in every color, right? Imagine my shock when we arrived at Larry's haberdashery, a Salvation Army thrift store. I kid you not. If I hadn't been so head-over-heels, this most certainly would have been our last date.
Over the years, we've both changed; we've met in the middle. Sometimes we buy new, but often we buy items with a past and make them over.
Larry introduced me to his family and his family's trove of treasured heirlooms simultaneously, and I was hooked. He helped me to see the intrinsic charm of vintage pieces, and he kindled in me the thrill of the hunt. He and his family modeled resourcefulness and self-reliance, traits that I have grown into along my life path.
When I was thirty-something, people often asked me why I loved antiques. I most often replied, "because I married one". That seemed like a fun and clever thing to say back then. But now that I am old enough for Medicare, I don't think that's so funny.
I love vintage shopping. I love to surround myself with interesting finds. That is why I have no other description for Remnant style than remnant style; leftovers, diamonds in the rust, eclecticism with a live edge. In our home, we constantly work toward a smooth mesh of our varied tastes, and the best way I know to label our look is "rustic coastal farmhouse".
Thank you for taking the time to wander through my inaugural post. My goal is that we would pursue pretty together; that you would find within my home, my life, my decor, elements that resonate with you.
Let's create life together!
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