sometimes the sea

perhaps it's just a reflection of this long winter, but the shop has taken on such a rich flavor of the sea recently. i find myself gravitating towards the muted tones, the rich mariner histories, and the natural texture granted to anything that has spent over long in the water. 

fishing floats in glass and wood, large coral specimens, achingly beautiful shells repurposed as lamps and chimes, carved wood shorebirds, and an unusual wicker and leather fishing creel chair. all arriving in the shop today!

to the sea, my love.

xo. r

bunting update!

umm… huge bunting update in the shop. just saying. (get 'em here)

xo. r

country living

just sharing a peek at some oh, albatross goodness in the october issue of country living. i love the way they've styled my vintage lab glass finds... lots of light and the kind of flowers that make you think of molecules and nebulas. it's a great issue filled with beautiful homes and some great decorating ideas... i'm tickled pink to be a part of it! hope you can grab a copy, too!

xo. r

monday is a promise

no music this monday. i've been stuck on repeat lately. instead, there will be a short announcement letting you know about the new buntings in the shop today. new phrases and old favorites. at least everything's not cycling on repeat... that's something.

i like mondays. even awkward ones.

xo. r

letterpress press

this is just a little press announcement to let you know that letterpress keychains will be back in the shop tomorrow! lots of letters to choose from. (i am obviously rather partial to the one in the first picture.)

this run is made with hammered metal hardware and antiqued brass key rings. each letterpress block is finished with a hand crafted small batch oil and lobster clasps will be available to add to suit your clasping needs. (i like to use the lobster clasp to attach my keys to my purse handle so they don't sink to the bottom of my bag... affectionately known as the black hole.)

i'm quite chuffed with this set and i'll do my best to keep them in stock a little more regularly this time around. i like to pretend i'm not actually flying by the seat of my pants most days... but let's face it, i run entirely on whims and fancy. but i quite fancy letterpress keychains and i am so glad you do, too!

xo. r

well said

buntings have just been updated in the shop with new lines and old favorites! lots of classic lovey-dovey buntings perfect for weddings, and a healthy sprinkling of the sorts of things we need to remind ourselves of from time to time. (and of course, alice's awkward opening line to the mouse.)

available here!

(and if you're looking for a custom bunting, drop me a line and i'll see if i can make it happen!)

xo. r

prattle and peek

today is in island in this sea of endlessly hot summer days we've been sweating through. i woke up and opened every single window. i found a shirt with sleeves. and the light was lovely and clear, floating in on a soft breeze.

today's to do list involved something like 1200 clicks on the camera. even though moving day is frustratingly always just a little farther off, the number of things there are to move seems increasingly frightening. as soon as we have some sort of moving date set, i will also be setting up a big sale over at the shop, so keep your eye out!

i thought we could have a different sort of sneak peek today. treasures to come... but in my lazy, hazy way, i'm never certain quite when. it will be the best kind of shop update, lots of stuff i've been dragging my feet on because i love it and i want to own just a wee bit longer. (but then i fear i seem to have lost track of the purpose of being a vintage shop owner. oops.)

1. machinist's chests. three of them, all different. this one has the most heavenly aroma of wood shavings and oil and perhaps a few secret cigars. it's a heady and wonderful scent. when my husband smells like this, hands rough from work, i just go bury my head against him and inhale.

2. vintage coral. strong and delicate. the most beautiful patterns are always biological.

3 & 4. barnyard folk and forest folk. wonderful toys that rarely survive ebullient little hands. i've apparently been accumulating herds of them.

5. lots of buntings coming. new phrases. including a treasured parting word from one of the most talented writers i've ever known... persevere! (oh, nick.)

6. rodeo professionalism. a tooled leather briefcase from a gentleman who traveled with the rodeo circuit. he gave it the fondest goodbye pat as i carried it away. well loved. (i have not yet decided if i can part with the matching carry-on satchel. buttery leather makes it hard for me to think straight.)

7 & 8. strings of beasties. i am fond of hanging treasures, the way they spin and sort of take your attention with them. tug, tug, tug on your wandering thoughts.

oh, i must apologize for chatting you to death. i must be delirious with delicious weather. cliff notes version: here are some pretty things that will be in the shop soon!

xo. r

sneak peek

arriving in the shop tomorrow: bells and birds and books and boats and bitty animals.

so maybe for a b-theme that last one was a stretch. i haven't finished my coffee yet. (if you want sense, you'll have to make it yourself.) we are in for a hot and stormy week, but i've borrowed a window a/c unit to temper the fierce heat in my attic sewing space. i hope to reemerge on the other end of this week covered with a thin veil of snipped threads and nursing worn out fingertips.

hope you've all got a great week ahead of you! stop by for vintage browsing, half finished sewing and a cool waft of conditioned air!

r

(hey mom, remember i was asking you about staghorn ferns? that green antler looking thing is a picture of a staghorn fern. i'm thinking about trying one on the wall of the covered porch!)

surely heaven is a library

in what is surely a sign of insanity with an upcoming move and all, i seem to have acquired several large and rather heavy books lately. but there is little i love more than the touch, feel and experience of a book. (i shall never be a kindle convert, as one of the best parts of packing for a trip is selecting the books to go along with it. usually an old friend, and a few new.) between the covers of these books are some truly exceptional pages.

what i really want is to sit side by side on the couch with you, a volume across our laps and flip slowly through the beautiful pages so we can feel them between our fingertips. books are for sharing, natch. but i will settle for sharing a few glimpses of my favorite pages. i wish i could truly translate the texture of the pages, the near reverence these books evoke.



from right to left (and in the same order below)

1. alice - as illustrated by leonard weisgard
2. the annotated alice - a lovely compendium of notes on the author, era and illustrator, along with segments from his original manuscript. (and here i must confess a bit of guilt, as i haggled a ridiculously low price for this volume for the reason that i already owned a copy. once i opened it, the paper stock almost makes my fingers shake and it's nothing less than pure joy to read. i shall not dicker over my next find from that dealer.)
3. mother goose - passed down from a good friend. gyo fujikawa illustrated one of my favorite childhood books and i still love her work today.
4. wildflowers - huge illustrated plates on paper that is both heavy and vaguely translucent all at once. this is the kind of book people part out plate by plate... but that would clearly be a tragedy of epic proportions.
5. and 6. beautifully illustrated bird books filled with full color plates. i consider these a necessity as they are such a great reference when i'm working on a particular bird species.

i hope you enjoyed these. i hope someday we can reach up on our tiptoes and make a gorgeous mess pulling all the books of the shelves. with cups of coffee balanced on the stacks, of course.

r

sneak peek

after a week of grey weather followed by the long holiday weekend, tomorrow's shop update will be small... but very sweet. it will be sprinkled with summer essentials, old tin toys and house spirits tucked in between. (and i have been enjoying making these little guys with their funny little faces.) hope you get a chance to stop by the shop, i love to see you there!

r

sneak peek

a few of the great pieces coming to the shop tomorrow. and of course, a few things that haven't been pictured... because who can resist a good surprise? the oh, albatross shop is starting july off with a bang. (hmm, was that a firecracker pun? i'm not sure.)

as always, dibs if you want 'em!

(i always feel the need to place the skull photos very far from the elephant photos, just in case the elephant gets nervous.)

r

sneak peek

sneak peek a boo... coming to the shop tomorrow:

a few new house spirits!  |  dansk kobenstyle dutch oven in the best aqua color, ever  |  rustic feed bag  (gotta love that delicious farm typography)  |  the sweetest egg cups  |  buntings will finally be back in stock!  |  catryoshka  |  a little chemistry experiment  |  and of course, a few other bits and bobs tucked in between

our little local weekend flea has sort of gotten huge this year. damn near filled up the truck again yesterday! so i'm off to sort, and clean and catalogue and photograph... the never ending tilt a whirl of history. (i just love it.)

sneak peek

sneaky peeks at tomorrow's shop update. lots of great vintage storage pieces... lovely little drawers to tidy things away. and a few handmade pieces, too. a donkey with a dear bit of antique velvet ribbon, a fierce fox complete with slingshot and a twitter bird blue bird.

funny, the way finding things goes. i seem to have come across all the different ways to play bingo at once... and yet, not all in the same place. who wants to play? i highly doubt this ever happens again.

everything's due in the shop early tomorrow.... dibs if you want 'em!

r.