killing time at the V.V.

We've really been trying to get it in gear with getting a room ready for the New Baby, but its been hard. There is so much going on otherwise, and great mounds of stuff to do before he arrives. There is paperwork to be done for maternity leave benefits, and a whole pile of stuff to get for Home Birth supplies. And then I should also pack a just-in-case bag for if we have to go to the Hospital. And there are a lot of books I need to read (of both the parenting and fiction variety). And there are some movies I need to go out and see before the chance to see movies is sort of off the table for a while, since I'll be breast feeding. And I should get my hair cut. Also, I need to see a Chiropractor. And renew my passport... You see what I mean. There is a never ending list of stuff to do before the blessed event. But really, he needs a bedroom, so we tried to prioritize that this weekend. Chose a colour, bought some no V.O.C. paint, and Hubs had big plans to paint both the front hallway and the New Baby's room. But of course, the Little Dude wanted to help. And not that we don't often welcome his participation in projects around the house (that is how they learn after all, by mimicking us), but really, no matter how low the V.O.C's are, I'm still pregnant, and its still a pain to wash any kind of paint out of a toddler's hair. So the Little Dude and I decided to 'help' Daddy paint by leaving the house. For two days in a row we spent an hour or two at the library while Hubs sanded and spackled and replaced trim and put on base coats. But on Saturday he needed another couple of hours to do the final coat. And we/I was tired of the library, so we needed another place to kill a couple of hours. 

So off the the Value Village we went. 

Which was good in some ways, and bad in others. On the one hand, we both had a great time, (up until a lil' meltdown at the cash register over L.D's need to get a toy from their display of bagged baby toys. But Mama said 'no'. And the Little Dude was not so happy about that. Though I had pushed our visit well into lunch time, so I suppose I was asking for it. I held my ground despite the tut-tut-ing of the old ladies around me, and we made it out the door without the toy. And all was forgotten once we were finally in the car) And aside from that last minute meltdown, it was a really nice hour and a half, looking at books and knicknacks, and toys and bedsheets. 

On the downside, it was much more expensive than the library. Ahem. True, each individual item is only a fraction of what you would pay for it at new retail prices, but when you leave with a cart full, (as I inevitably do) it does add up. 

Anyhow, here are some of the lovely things I found:

The one (1!) toy that the Little Dude was allowed to purchase. I'm so glad that despite the plethora of crappy, broken, plastic, battery operated toys that were available to him, that I was able to gently steer him in the direction of this wooden car. I know I won't always have the input, but while I can, I will. 

A whole bunch of lovely old Crown canning jars. These aren't actually for me, but are for a friend of mine who is getting married and wants to do her floral centre pieces in these kind of jars. She lives in Toronto, where they charge a mint for this kind of thing ($3-$8 dollars apiece!) but out here where I live I could score them for .69 cents each. Yep, things to like about living in the sticks. 

The most adorable apron. It doesn't read well here, and would be a way better photo if I could model it on a body, but with the huge pregnant belly I'm sporting these days, aprons look rather ridiculous, unless they are of the smock variety. And even then... 

It is made of the most awesome dancing ballerina fabric. Very 50's in the colour choices. I'm always so pleased when I find a really good vintage apron. They used to be much easier to come by. 8 or 10 years ago when I started collecting aprons the racks at the V.V. were full of cute vintage aprons. But now, whether a lot of other people are collecting them, or just that there are less of them out there, I find that the apron rack is mostly dreck. Lots of recent, plastic-y commercially made ones, mostly advertising businesses, or featuring recipes from Kraft foods. So its really a treat now to find one of these.

And actually the same goes for really good vintage knitting patterns. I mean 70's and earlier. I used to find piles of them, but now the pickings are much slimmer. I only found one this weekend, but it had such great pictures in it. 

Isn't that adorable? The gauge is super fine. I could never imagine knitting something with this many stitches. But it sure looks cute. 

I love the pictures of men's sweaters. The way they are styled is always so funny, with these hyper-masculine props. You could do a whole gender study on the pictures in knitting magazines. The women are allowed to just sit there, and be passively looked at, but the men must always be on the verge of action. There are usually weapons of some kind, or at least a nod towards killing wild life or fixing cars, as if to say "Don't worry, we haven't been emasculated by wearing hand-knit items, we are still very, very manly!"

Oh, and I LOVE this kind of tea towel. The kind that are made of real linen, and have some sort of touristy printing on them. Note the squirrel under British Wildlife. Both of these are nicely broken in, and super soft and absorbent. They are certainly my preferred towel, and don't worry, they will be put to use, not just collected in a box somewhere.

And then I hit the bed linens section. Always my favourite part.  Awesome pillowcases.

This one deserved its own picture. My favourite kind of pattern. Lots of contrast, very bold. And it is that really good, thick cotton, if you know what I mean. 

I have this one already, in shades of green, and I just love it. Please excuse the not very good photo. Lots of dust and wrinkles. I did not have time to wash and iron before I photographed, because trust me, if I'd waited it never would have happened.

This is another one that I already have, but have almost entirely used up. It makes such a good quilt backing, so I snapped it up as soon as I saw it. 

And this one is just gorgeous. I love the addition of just that little bit of dark green/black. It really makes the design pop. Very early 60's.

These are some of my favourite colour combinations. That green/turquoise/taupe combo. Will also make a great quilt back. 

And I was SO PLEASED about finding this one. I used to have a little pillowcase made of the same fabric, which I have cut up and carefully used in just every which way, but have now run out of, save some random scraps. And this is a whole twin sized flat sheet! Yay! Its a bit faded, but I don't mind. 

So all in all, it was a very successful day at the V.V. And when we got home, Hubs had finished painting the baby room and the front hallway, and once L.D. had some lunch in him, all was well with the world. 

Comments

[brooklyn_codger]

OH MY!!! Do you even understand how jealous I am? I am literally almost crying. Sweet sweet value village.

That chain fabric is especially amazing.

[finger thumb]

O don't cry (unless they are tears of joy). Codger, if there is ever any second hand type things that you are on the lookout for, let me know what it is and I'll keep an eye open up here for you. (I actually scanned the Christmas discount shelf the other day for Santa Boots for you, but did not see any) And I don't know if you sew or not, but if you want a fat quarter of that chain link fabric, just let me know and I can mail it to you.