The Vintage Life

I want to introduce my friend Marion and her lovely home to you. This is the image you see when you first enter her place. Her house is one of the prettiest homes I've ever visited and long before I knew it was her place, I'd drive by slowly...and admire all her decorations. As soon as you walk up her drive, she always has her porch so neatly decorated.

Marion has been my friend for many years. She's such an interesting person to talk to, I could spend hours talking and admiring her home. I always tell her how inviting and peaceful her home feels. Let me explain how we met. When I first met Marion (and her vintage things) it was probably in the late 1990's when I used to frequent one of our local shops. The very first booth as you walked in the shop, past the front desk, was her space. She changed her booth every month, normally depending on the season is how she decorated her booth. I couldn't wait to come in normally at the beginning of the month because I knew she'd have cool new/old things and her displays would be fabulous. I used to want to imitate her so bad!! I'd go out and try and find some of the vintage things she'd come across, but I never seemed to find exactly what she did. I finally figured out her secret, it was her eyes. She has the prettiest blue eyes and after some time of shopping with her she could spot an object miles away, or so it seemed. I would kiddingly tell her, good eye, good eye, but I think it's those blue eyes. Anyways, after shopping together at the same spot (Canton Tx Flea Market of course) we finally decided to buddy up and go together. I normally would run into her there and always wanted to secretly follow her and see how and where she found her things, but I no longer have to do that. We're now shopping buddies.

I have been to her house so many times and I've always asked to take pictures of her house. I guess she thought I was kidding, but I wasn't. Marion has collected for so many years that even if I had all the money in the world and time, I don't think I'd even find half of what she's found. She said she started "junkin" (as she puts it) when her children were little. She was a single mother raising two children on a teacher's salary and didn't make much extra. She said at that time there were so many cool vintage things to be found and when she found something that she really had to have, she'd put it on layaway. I've commented several times I think her house needs to be in a magazine!!

Here's her beautiful home. This is the living room. On her mantle she has all her vintage Santa's.

I love her lambs. One she said she's had since she was a little girl.




This is her dining room. Her table looks so pretty with a bird cage in the middle:


I've always admired all her ironstone she has.



This is her kitchen:


The wicker table is in her living room. The cross and bookshelf is in her hall way.

This is her bedroom. Don't you love all her mannequins and vintage prom dresses:


She bought the green dresser from me several years back.

Her front bedroom is decked out with vintage Americana, so many old Halloween items that I've never seen other than at her house, vintage Easter things, flags, and old flag pictures that are so wonderful:

Her hallway is probably one of my favorite places in her house. I love all the doll heads, shoes, the white glass cabinet and the shoe shop sign:

This is her back porch. I love the old screened door. The display next to the screen door is so cute with all the vintage Christmas items. The wooden Santa is from an old store display:

The Candy Cane actually lighted up at one time; too cute!! In summer time, she has a bed in the back corner that is so inviting you just want to lay down and take a nap. She has pigeons and birds all in her back yard; so relaxing.

And to top it off not only is she a great stylist, but she's also a great cook.

Merry Christmas!!