Girl Time

Last week (was it just last week?) I spent the day with my sister and two-months-to-go-nephew. Beth wanted help sorting through five years of girl clothes and an accumulating pile of boy clothes. I headed up with the kids to her place.

While the kids played the Wii and played outside, Beth and I looked through clothes. *sniff* It’s a lot harder to go through and get rid of little girl clothes and shoes. They are just too cute. You have too many memories associated with them. Plus, their wee-sizeness makes it extra difficult to part with.

Boy clothes are boring. Shirt and jeans or shirt and khakis. Not nearly as many “adorable” things with strong memory associations.

We looked for any items that could easily transition from girl to boy. We found some onesies. That’s about it. Beth had a little hard time thinking “boy”. “Boy” means no flowers, no lace, no cutesie polka-dots and no ruffles. I had to pull a couple things out of the “boy” pile to save my nephew from getting beat up in the nursery.

After getting the clothes sorted, she and I decided we needed a short field trip. Audrey and Danny stayed with the younger ones so we could head up to Gilbert.

What’s in Gilbert, IA? Well, for one, a great grill-your-own-steak place, called The Open Flame. But we weren’t headed up there at 3 in the afternoon for steaks. We were hunting for inspiration and treasures at a fun place called J.B. Knacker.

We love this little place. It’s an old storefront shop, I guess you’d say, and they stock it with all sorts of eclectic old things. I wouldn’t call it an antique store, nor a junk store. I don’t know what to call it exactly. But it is a lot of fun to wander through. It’s not a big store, wouldn’t take more than five minutes if you were on a mission. Don’t be. Just go there to look, reminisce, get inspired, then you can spend a short half hour and enjoy every moment.

I love the color of these blue spools. I think this is my favorite color this year.  

What do I love most in here? All three: old flattish, square cornered muffin tins, typewriter key charms, black dominoes.

I think if my father-in-law saw this, he would laugh at the thought of people buying old chicken feeders to plant roses in. I think it is a fun take, but I don’t see chicken feeders in my landscaping. (please don’t bring any up this weekend) (old square cornered muffin tins or black dominoes, you can bring those, please)

Hey, who are these two? Doesn’t my sister have a nice smile? Doesn’t she look fab with just two months to go?! Doesn’t the cool stuff in the mirror make you want to stop by?

Close-enough-to-my-favorite-blue tray for me. ($1!) Metal basket and vintage fan for Beth (baby’s room)

The stuff there changes all the time. Make it a sister/mother/friend/by yourself date sometime. Ladies, the only way you are going to get your hubby to go is if you go close to supper time and head up the block afterwards to The Open Flame. One couple was there. The wife was meandering around upstairs and the husband was at the bottom of the stairs softly whistling for her to come down. Hah!

My sister and I would love to visit more places. If you will, tell me where is your favorite little shop and what treasures get you inspired?