A Fond Farewell

The hoarder in me has the ability to personalize each and every item I take into my home. It becomes a part of my family once it comes through the door. Certain things evoke memories that I want to hold on to forever. In our frantic decluttering Jimmy and I have had to part with things that were once near and dear to us but none so memory evoking as the leopard chaise. For the record, and especially for Sammy Ponzer, this was Jimmy's idea, not mine. As I write I am trying to make a case to keep it. This lounger was purchased from Jimmy’s friends Dave and Ashley long before I came in to the picture. It was lovingly reupholstered by Jimmy and his dad in a velour leopard print and has been an anchor in his living quarters ever since. When I first met my husband to be the thing I remembered most was that chair. Okay, I remembered Jimmy the most, the chair was a close second. I gushed to anyone who would listen about the boy with that chair being perfect for me. Our taste in thrift store ephemera matched perfectly! So many memories since then! Like the time, during a bachelor party the classy stripper that was hired dripped hot wax on it and some of its fur is now missing...or at 11:59pm on December 31, 1999 I was sitting on said chaise waiting for Y2K to hit when the 70's lamp above the chair had a short and I thought the world as I knew it was going to crash and burn. The beloved Chaka the wonder dog made that his home and I was forever vacuuming his hair out of it. Good memories of a good, if not slightly uncomfortable, chair. Without further ado the leopard will make its way to Craigslist and hopefully into the arms of someone who can appreciate a chair with such provenance. I think I am going to write a last goodbye and fold it into the fabric underneath as my way of giving it a fond farewell. Goodbye my friend, you will be missed.

Really?

I am happy to say that we survived the basement clean out. I unearthed more than a few items that left me scratching my head in wonder. This little gem was especially confusing. It has been stored in my single girl apartment, my husband's bachelor pad and our new home, four hours away. It has never seen the light of day yet I hold on to it. Really? What did I find so pleasing about a wet pastel dog holding a surfboard? Jimmy surfs, we like dogs but together it becomes awful beyond words. Especially when you take into consideration his pecks, pot belly, creeper stare and player grin. This little guy is now living a happy life at the local Goodwill. Maybe he can charm another sucker into giving him a free ride for a few years. I am done :)

Binge and Purge

From time to time I bring home a vintage load greater than my capabilities to organize it or post it on Etsy. I therefore have a major overflow problem and tend to stuff everything in my basement. Out of sight, out of mind. This has not been a problem (for me) but it drives my husband crazy. We are now contemplating a move and our realtor said DECLUTTER!! Today is the day. We are going to tackle the beast of a basement and hopefully purge a lot of the items that are simply taking up space. We will be dontating back to the local Goodwill and I am going to post a few items on Craigslist. Anyone out there need a leopard chaise? Wish us luck, we may not come out alive!

For the Record

A blog seemed like a good idea 48 hours ago. A way to meet other vintage enthusiasts, promote my Etsy shop and show off my finds from time to time. In the past two days I have learned that I am far from computer savvy and this may turn out to be more trouble than it is worth! But here it is...TA DAH!! My blog...Kitsch My Grits!