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Monday, April 18, 2016

A New Life

Good morning! I hope the weather is just as beautiful in your
neck of the woods as it is here, in the South. 
The air is pure and clean, the trees are vibrant shades of green
 and all of our slumbered plants are awakening with such enthusiasm to give
us their best. Spring is definitely a time of new beginning. 

I've been thinking about what to post for quite a few days.
What do I talk about? I know this blog was meant for home decor
and lifestyle but a part of me wants to share my thoughts about 
life, how I see things and other things totally
 unrelated to its intended purpose.

You know what? Today, I am.

I'm going to tell you about the love affair I've been having
for quite some time...

I've always, for as long as I remember, sought out the
black sheep of the family, the misfit, the left behind, the
loner. The different. The forgotten. The cast aside.
I know it's a psychological thing (and relate-able) but to me, 
those things have the most soul. There's an untold story behind and inside
that surface. And while most people would bypass such flawed people/things,
I have always been mesmerized. Sometimes to the point of tears. I have this
crazy thought that everything, and I mean everything, with a heartbeat or not,
has feelings. A life. A core. It's a beautiful thing.


  I tend to look for the beauty on the inside, behind that surface. I feel the most beautiful
things are flawed. Dents, scratches, bruises, cracks? Those are signs of life.
Most of the time, what's on the inside is pure, and good, and longing. Longing
for someone to see beyond that shell and to see the heart of what/who it is. 
If you give those things the right attention, they will love hard, shine bright, be forever
grateful and have a new purpose in this world.


                               Everyone and everything has a story. It's true. I think that's why
I love Vintage so much. It's the untold stories these pieces hold
that make me wonder where they came from. Who loved them?
How did they get to these thrift and antique stores and yard sales?
How did they slip through the cracks?
I'm serious. I think about these things all the time. 


Over the years, I have collected so many pieces that were 
stand alone, flawed, broken or dismantled, only to give 
them new life, a new meaning or simply to be adored because
I love them. Sometimes those things that have been overlooked
have a greater value than the cheap price tag. My most recent
heart skip was a vintage broken up set of china I bought for $40 that 
I researched and valued at over $1000. Ahh.... I'm sure its
previous owner wouldn't be happy about that but guess what?
It's mine now and I love it so much, I will never part with it. Not because
its monetary worth (that means nothing to me),
 but because I fell in love with the feeling it gave me
when I saw it. 

Stories. Our stories. The stories of everything in this world, are important.
They truly are. 

I have taken on the responsibility as an en-lightener to help others
 look at things in a different way. To evoke memories, feelings and 
give a different perspective. Not everyone "gets" it, or me, and that's okay. I suppose 
you have to be different to understand the different. I'm just outspoken about it. 
Oh, but those that do get it, the smile in their eyes speaks volumes and that
gives me such happiness. Once that connection is made and seeing that 
understanding and happiness in that persons face... amazing. :)

The bakery will be home to many, many pieces of such beauty. Even pots,
pans and utensils. All of the Vintage china and flatware that I have
collected over the years is going to be so proudly displayed and used in
such a way that every bite eaten off of them is going to be something special.
I want people to wonder about those pieces. I want people to say, "My grandmother
had a set of dishes like these". And I want people to see that things that do not
perfectly match are just as spectacular as things that do. 
It's all in how you look at it. 


Our bakery has a heartbeat. I've journaled the process of reviving the building
from the very beginning and getting feedback from people
that have memories, has been nothing short of amazing.
That building belongs to everyone. I knew I wanted everyone
to be a part of what we are doing. Although it won't look 
much like it did back in the day, all the elements will still be there
with the material we are re-purposing into new ways. 
I talk to the building (or occupants ~ which I feel) when I'm there.
Out loud. haha! I do, really!
I like to think that those old bricks are happy to be loved
and happy to have new life breathed into them. 

I cannot wait to be in there, working, in the midst of finger pointing and story telling.
I can't wait to feel the warmth of home in there. 

I can go on forever but I'll end here. 

I hope you understand my heart. My purpose. My thoughts.

My wish is that you notice the unsightly in a different light.

We are all beautiful. You just have to have the right eyes to see it.

xoxo, Amber

9 comments:

  1. And this is why I love you. You get it, you feel it, you see it...you know it.
    Keep pushing forward with your dream, soul sista.
    You are so close. Those old bricks must be buzzing with excitement.
    xoxo, T.

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    1. Love you too, sweet girl. What a crazy whirlwind this has been. I will email you sometime. ;) xoxo

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  2. Amber I am so excited for you! I too, love old dishes. My kitchen is full of all different bowls/spoons, etc. It may look odd to others, but THAT bowl is the one Aunt Gwen used to teach me how to make dumplings; and that spoon came from the place where my dad worked; and that frying pan is the one that my husband's aunts and grandmother taught me how to make THEIR cornbread (on top of the stove and flipped like a pancake). Others see old dishes, but I see faces, and lots of love. You have a lovely spirit and it shows.

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    Replies
    1. I love your memories, Deb. It was my hope to evoke some connections with others and to make people think about the little things. We tend to get lost in this big crazy world and for me, those things ground me and make me feel that all is right in my own little world. Home is our refuge and if we surround ourselves with things we absolutely love and that mean something to us, there is no better place. Now I think I need to make the German dumplings my grandma used to make. :) xoxo

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  3. Well said, Amber. Your passion is so evident, this has brought me to tears. Maybe because I can identify, maybe because every word really hits home for me. Thank you for reminding us all to search for the beauty in everything. Blessed are the cracked, for they allow the light to shine through. I hope to visit your little corner of paradise someday. Until then, best wishes my friend. XO Cheryl

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    Replies
    1. I love you sweet friend! Cannot wait to come back to CA to visit my tribe. Hugs and love.

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  4. You are an amazing soulful wonderful person

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  5. Amber,
    I love your Post and I love your heart and soul! ❣ Like my blog says, "These do I love, old things, old places, remembered times, familiar faces. I love the love that connected us and the reminders the items bring of that connection. It's interesting. The combinations of old and new that I have in my home. Much of what I have and love has been loved before by others, who I also love! In my formal living room where I sit now, the only thing that was new to me is my Loveseat, and that was 20 years ago! Everything else in this room was given to me by someone. From the piano to the Freddie sewing machine to the violins and the cabinet that holds all out our sheet music for the various instruments they we play. The rocking chair came from my grandfather and the arm chairs beloved to my hubby's Grandmother. .... I love memories and the love and connection they bring!! Thanks... For being YOU!

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