Another 'Keep or Sell' Dilemma

Tonight I’ve been prepping items to be listed in my etsy store. You see, while I was cleaning out my work room last weekend, I came across several boxes of "invisible inventory" - incredible items that somehow were temporarily lost in the move. Let’s just say that when it comes to organization skills, I’m challenged.

So I’ve just pulled out this vintage bedding coverlet that I’d completely forgotten about (I told you that I’m a true fabric junkie…). This bedding is downright adorable and the motif on it is…drumroll…The Greatest Show On Earth. Yes, the original Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus. Now typically, I would say that this is NOT my style of décor, but where my kids are concerned, this little find could turn into something really amazing for them!

Now I’m back in my same standoff…keep or sell? If I keep it, this will only add to the seriously long list of house projects that I’m not sure if I will ever get to. The kiddos could be in college by the time I do something with this piece. If I choose to sell it, someone else has a really unique cutter to make something fun with. Of course, I could always enlist the talent of my sister-in-law (AJ) to help me – she makes Martha Stewart nervous.


I had to post some pics so you can see just how cute this is. If you have any creative ideas, please send them over! If you need to scold me for wanting to keep yet another piece of fabric, go right ahead. I need the intervention and I think I can take it.

Love that Shopping Rush...

My husband thinks I’m being funny when I say I get a rush from shopping, but honestly, it’s true. When some people have a rough day at work they hit the bar for a few drinks, and others go for comfort food. Not me. When life gets rough, nothing is as soothing to me as shopping.

I was thinking back on different shopping moments that stand out (there are a lot) and I thought of one in particular that was pretty fab-o. We were planning another trip to Paris (we lived just a few hours away in Germany, so these trips were often) and my friend Angela was giving me some pointers on places to hit while I was there.

(Just a side note – Angela has an amazing Euro shopping blog if you want her scoop…).

So Angela very casually asked me if I had ever been to the fabric district in Paris. As the words rolled off her tongue, I suddenly felt light-headed. The FABRIC DISTRICT in PARIS??? Why hadn’t I thought of that? Talk about combining the best of both worlds – I’m a fabric collector (or as my husband would say, a “fabric junkie”), and any kind of shopping in Paris is always a dream. Magnifique!

So, I carefully copied down the metro directions from her and made plans to squeeze in a fabric moment while in Paris. I have to pat myself on the back that I actually navigated the Paris metro with ease – this was a major accomplishment as it was the first time that I was playing along the streets of Paris on my own.

As I exited my last metro stop, I walked through a few streets and found some clothing stores, but no fabric. But then I turned the corner, and the waves of fabric were there greeting me. Oh my. Lots and lots of fabric stores, with oodles of fabric everywhere. I stood there for a moment, taking it all in and I swear I felt woozy for a moment because I was so overwhelmed. (ok, maybe he is right – I’m a fabric junkie…).



Besides trying to figure out what and how much to buy (I had a bazillion projects rolling through my head…), the toughest part of this adventure was attempting to place my order with the cutters. People were buying in a frenzy and no one spoke a word of English. I can find my way around with a little Français, but making sure that I was ordering two meters and not twelve was a little unnerving.



This little trip ranks as one of my most favorite shopping feats as:
1) it was a fun Frenchy venture, and
2) because it was one of those moments that I probably will not repeat very often (although I have frequented the fabric district twice since then!).

Some people enjoy shopping Paris because of the hoards of designer labels, but not me. I love shopping Paris to find the funkiest off-the-path kind of shopping ventures. This was definitely an off-the-path experience that ranks top in my memories. If shopping is your go-to rush, what’s one of your high ranking buying triumphs? Do tell!


Update: I'm linking up with Happy To Design's Sunday Favorites! Find your favorite oldie and link up with us!