Fun Finds for a Spring Spruce-up

I don't know about you, but for me, ... one of the best things about fun trips, is that I get to go shopping at stores that we simply don't have in our small Idaho town.

 

So whenever we're gone, I try to slip in a shopping trip. I have to thank some of our softball friends, who thoughtfully offered to bring our girls' gear bags back home for us, while we continued on the road. Without them, I'm not sure if I would have had the room for this little shopping excursion. There's only SO much you can fit in the back of a Suburban.

 

Having said that, Todd is a master packer, and he can manage to fit more things than anyone would imagine in that vehicle. Anyway .... that's where this post comes from. While we were down in Utah, I went to this wholesale home decor outlet. SCORE!!!

 

(They kind of look at you a bit funny when you ask them to, "Yes, please wrap that -- it has to make it all the way back to Northern Idaho.")

 

So here's a quick mini-tour, showing you a few of my new-favorite things that we picked up. First, I'm a sucker for another lantern:

 

I've kinda got a small lantern collection going. This isn't all of them, just a few that were out and handy for a photo moment:

Then, I added to my antique-looking, movie-themed wall in the family room:

 

The large reel in the center is the new addition.

The four-year-old camera hog wanted to participate.

 

I've also got an antique theme happening in the dining room. Maybe you remember this post with the really dark photo of a few of my old things. Anyway, when I saw that pencil, I knew I wanted it for the theme. And you can tell we haven't made it this far with the removal of popcorn ceilings around here. We'll get there, eventually.

And finally,  ... for years (and years) we've kept a whiteboard in our kitchen to help me stay organized. We make shopping lists, write messages, appointments, phone numbers, reminders -- it all would go on the board. It wasn't pretty, but it was functional. It looks like this:

 

 (I had to take the picture after it was taken down. It's not usually on the floor) Well, I finally updated it -- by going retro. It's not nearly as fancy as the chalkboards I told you about here, but that's ok, because it fits with our style:

It's hanging right where the white board was -- and I love the extra hooks and nooks that it has. Way better than the old whiteboard!!

 

I smile when I walk by it. It makes me happy!

 

Now all I need is to grab a bunch of daffodils out of the yard for a spot of color there! Have a great spring-y day!!

 

P.S. Extra thanks go to Todd, who actually shopped with me in the store, and was super-awesome about packing it with us for the rest of the trip. Love you, Babe!!

And the old whiteboard might have a second life inside the pantry... which is a better place for shopping lists anway!