Trendy is something I'm not.
For those of you that know me, this isn't a surprise.
Or at least I wouldn't think it is ;)
I know the "vintage look" is "trendy", but most of what I see either isn't really vintage, or if it is, it's used for decoration.
And that's fine.
Really.
Not everyone is crazy enough to actually live the way I do and use old things the way they were meant to be used.
In fact, I sometimes wonder what all of you think about this life I live, but I probably don't really want to know after all.
Sometimes it's best not to know ;)
But when I say that I live a vintage life, I really live a vintage life.
I don't just decorate my home to look like it.
I use things like that fan above from the 1930s to help cool off different rooms of my house.
It's not just sitting there to be cute.
Although, I think it is :)
I really wear an apron when I cook and I use that old timer with salt and pepper shakers you see below to the right.
Yes, my stove is newer, but I can't seem to find a 1930s or 40s one that doesn't need work in my price range.
Plus, no one here seems to know how to fix them up.
Do I care?
Not really.
My stove works just fine and it's really more of a want than a need.
But I digress....
I really do drink iced-tea (mostly sometimes cocktails) out of Ball jars, on my front porch, while sitting on my old patio set.
And I really use my jadeite coffee container and my 1940s percolator.
And so many other things that you've seen on my posts.
Do I buy new things?
Yes, I do have some newer things, like this key holder that I found on Etsy...
And yes, I've been known to use Amazon to get things like the stand-up air conditioner that's sitting beside me in my office.
Have I mentioned I don't have central air?
I'm pretty sure I did.
So sue me, but I'm not crazy enough to live in 90 degrees during the summer without something besides a fan, vintage life or not ;)
But, I have never been in a HomeGoods or any of the many stores that everyone buys things from.
Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's just not me.
I like things that were meant to last a lifetime and that I will love forever.
Things that were passed down to me, and things that someone once loved long ago that I never knew, but feel connected to because I have a piece of them in my home.
I really don't need trendy things bought on a whim to fill a space.
God knows, I already have enough stuff as it is.
Are some of those things cute?
Sure!
Have I been tempted?
Yup!
But, as I look around my home, I just don't see it fitting in.
So no, I'm not trendy in the least.
But that's my choice.
I choose to live and decorate this way, because I want to.
But if you're trendy, that's perfectly fine too.
In fact, more than fine.
It's your home and you should decorate the way you want to.
What's my point?
Well, I've noticed on a lot of blogs lately that people are worried about their homes being good enough to blog about and whether or not they're trendy enough or that they feel like they have to apologize for not being on trend.
What in the world?!
Why should anyone apologize for loving their home and decorating it the way they want??
That's just about the silliest thing I've ever heard.
Seriously.
If you like decorating like I do and buying antiques and vintage things or if you buy everything at stores like Ikea or HomeGoods, awesome!
If you want to decorate in all white or live in a world of color, great!
If you have all white cabinets and marble counter tops or dark wood cabinets and granite counter tops and you love it, perfect!
You should be able to do whatever you want without apologizing for it.
It's YOUR home.
YOU live in it.
THEY don't.
If they don't like it, TOO BAD.
If YOU'RE happy, that's all that matters.
Stop apologizing and love your own style, no matter what it is.
Trendy or not.
I do and I'm pleased as peaches.
You should be too :)
xo
rue
Great post and a wonderful reminder that it is a blessing to know when enough is enough.
ReplyDeleteI think of this quote:
“I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to satisfy them.”
― John Stuart Mill
I know I need to purge, I do and will as soon as my foot heals up. Hugs.
Which, to me is all part of loving what I have - I guess - hee hee.
DeleteYou have a very lovely house, Rue! Love the color of your Jadeite coffee container, and your cute little glass birds that sit atop your window sill. My Nana used her percolator literally until the day she passed away. I think my MIL gave it to me, I have to look through the garage; (my MIL would laugh so hard to see me replace my Keurig with it)! Nana always said her coffee tasted way better than any new coffee maker! =) Her wisdom never ceased to amaze me, so she must be right! Sorry, but I couldn't live without A/C, my Aunt lives in Lake Elsinore, CA, and she doesn't have central air either, my MIL, SIL and I tell her she crazy, but that's the life she chooses to live!
ReplyDeleteHi Rue, each blog I visit and every kind of style (decor) I find something I like. Kinda like a kid in a candy store! And you all made me appreciate what I have too! Oh, yesterdays post, Patti Page, Doris Day and Big Band music is what my parents listened to. For me, Henry Mancini (60s) love him! Have a nice evening, Kathleen in Az
ReplyDeleteIt is like a candy store! I just try not to "eat" too much of it ;)
DeleteI love all the music from those artists too.
Have a great day :)
xo
You're right Rue! It's all good! But gosh I love your house!
ReplyDeleteWell said Rue and I totally agree with you! I for one can always find something I love about every style. I personally love it all....antique, vintage, trendy, and so on. I decorate with what I love and feel that everyone should do just that. I don't worry at all if others don't like my style or think I'm trendy enough. I decorate to suit myself...:) Have a lovely rest of the week!
ReplyDeleteRue, this girl is not into trends whatsoever; in fact, when the latest fads come around, I turn the other way haha. I am a one-of-a-kind girl all the way. But Home Goods - it's one of my favorite stores! I love unique items, whether they're from 1920 or 2015, and my favorite things are treasures that belonged to my mother. I can't get over that percolator, it's so cool, and I really think that coffee tastes best in that. And I love those colored birdies above your door. You house is lovely, and it says "welcome" to me.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, Rue.
~Sheri
Definitely to each his own when it comes to decorating and life, really! I love anything vintage, but I've had to adapt to a more kid friendly style to keep my sanity. What's funny is my kids hate the old, worn, vintage look and gag whenever we wander into antique shops. Your home is perfect the way it is. :)
ReplyDeleteI love your vintage life and thank you for sharing it. It's a haven of sanity to me. I have a friend who pretty much lives that that too and I always feel so comfortable and at home at her house. One day when my parents home is mine I will do the same, though I hope it's not too soon in the future as I rather like having them around.
ReplyDeleteIf I remember correctly you inherited many of your items and I think that brings special love with them. I think adoring things of a generation is being trendy in its own way. I think your house is so cute and part of its cuteness is your love of it. My taste is sort of 70s, but I totally see you in your style and not in any other. So keep on doing what you're doing, we all love looking at it and it brings you you. It can't get anymore right than that.
ReplyDeleteHow sad for those bloggers who aren't happy enough with what they've chosen already. Really sad.
ReplyDeleteMy tastes have changed over the years... guess I am not true to any one style in my home. I have kept what I liked from years and years ago, and added newer items to the mix. At one time I was an antique kind of gal and somewhat vintage, but when I married I also worked things into the household that my husband likes. It's his home too, so I try to keep that in mind, but I have never decorated my home based on anyone else's likes or to impress anyone on the internet. It takes a pretty insecure type of person to do that. As Dee M said above.... "to each his own".
ReplyDeleteGREAT post Rue ~ To each his/her own, and be content and happy with choices made.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely NOT trendy, it's not in my DNA. When people come into this tiny place, they say it's 'cozy' or 'cute'. Some love it, some are uncomfortable. They aren't living here, they aren't me. It makes me happy though and I am thankful for it. It's colorful and eclectic.
When I visit others, I look for things to compliment them on. We each are unique individuals with our own styles, even when following trends, people still tend to add their own touches. Sometimes 'trends' are something we are already living with, but now it's 'cool' and so everyone wants to follow along.
Whatever, may we all learn joy, peace and contentment in what we have, the lives we live.
FlowerLady
Hi Rue! I love reading about how you live vintagely. You are a jewel and an inspiration. I so agree with you. We need to love where we live. Sometimes we even love where we live more! I know I feel so blessed and love my new/old house more than any place I've ever lived and I think it's because my little grandchildren are 3 miles down the road. Now that's home to me! Love you, sweet one,
ReplyDeleteShelia ;)
Rue, I love your point of view (and your vintage fan; it's gorgeous, and I am glad to hear it still works). I follow tons of blogs, but honestly, I have a hard time keeping a lot of them straight in my mind because so many of them have the same white kitchen cabinets, stainless steel appliances and chevron-striped rugs. I think they're beautiful, but they are so much the same as everybody elses. Your blog and your home are a breath of fresh/vintage air.
ReplyDeleteIt's neat to me that you are living the life you love. That's what it's all about. :)
ReplyDeleteMy dad also likes to use vintage things. He kind of cracks me up because sometimes they don't even work reliably but he'll stand by them.
I agree. Comparison is the thief of joy.
ReplyDeleteRue, I love how you are so right on about this. When we don't live our own lives but try to please others all the time, then we can't be happy. My home is a reflection of ME! Lots of vintage, some new and hand-me-downs. I love it all! I like to change accessories and rotate my collections. I'm cluttered, but it's ME and I'm proud of it. I think we can be inspired by others but I agree, we should be true to ourselves. I love you home and how vintage you are!
ReplyDeletehugs,
Linda
Oh Rue, you post such Wisdom!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhich isn't trendy either is it? And I mean that in the best of ways.
Just don't see Wisdom and Trendy, fitting much together. One is based on pondering and reflecting. The other is based on the-latest-thing-thinking.
May we all ponder/reflect/find our own center. Dwell there. Find our inspiration there. And then, take it out, into our little worlds. Yes, yes, yes.
And never apologize! Never feel less-than. Never feel as if we can't-keep-up-with-all-those-Joneses, out there. Etc.
Lots of gentle hugs,
Tessa
Dearest Rue, you are a lady of charm and loveliness :) I agree with Tessa, you are full of wisdom! This was was oh-so-true, my friend.
ReplyDeleteMay we be who we are and not compare ourselves or our things to others. Hugs to you, sweet lady!
Your home is lovely and I think the way it is decorated fits you and the house perfectly. Trendy items would not work unless you decided to change everything about the house and I don't see that happening, it wouldn't be you. I think for some it is easy to get caught up in the "I want that" mentality. My style is a mix of everything and it works for me in this house...trendy, vintage, and out-of-style. In my other homes, I tried to let the house dictate the decorating style and they were all vastly different. I do wish that when I had my 1940s Tudor home that I had gone with more vintage and less shabby chic, but the house had been remodeled so many times prior to me living there, it was difficult to go with all vintage. Hugs!!
ReplyDeleteLove that fan and the fact that it still works is because it was made back in the day.
ReplyDeleteLove that fan and the fact that it still works is because it was made back in the day.
ReplyDeleteHello Rue, thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving your wonderful comments. I LOVE this post. I know my house doesn't really look very old fashioned but most all of my things are gifts that were handed down from family and friends that I've repained or left they way it is, I love saying, "this was my aunts from her Newport Beach Cottage..or this lamp was my Mothers...now she loved loved antiques...I have a few antiques in my bedroom that I cherish. We don't have air either{or fans}, sometimes I want air especially in those nights when I toss and turn because the sticky heat is unbearable other days I'm ok with not having air because it forces me to sit outside on my front porch with a glass of lemonade as my neighbors walk by....I have met more neighbors because of this....it makes for a closer community, so sometimes having no air is a good thing. The trends and Blogging....it has changed soooo much and now it seems to be all about bring in revenue and ads....It bothers me sooo much when I'm trying to view a beautiful picture of a home and an ad for Disney pops up over the picture!!! I understand that blogging as become a business for so many and now that is a source of income for the family now..but I think it takes away something that seems a bit phony to me. Just my 2cents...and I love your home Rue, I've always appreciated your honesty and your insight and that's why when you went away I was so incredibly sad BUT your back!! and I'm happy!! My home is really a cross between both worlds....Some antiques with new stuff thrown in. It's a work in progress and that's what I like...it's my canvas...and I choose to decorate with what I like, it might be an arabesque rug because I find the shape endearing or it might be an old piece of Ironstone because flowers looks so pretty in them. I shop Antique stores, the side of the road, the flea markets, Ikea, Target, TJMaxx and my friends houses....OK.....I have shopping issues!!
ReplyDeleteI agree that everyone should live in a home that is lovely and comfortable to them; not to please anyone else. If you're trendy and prefer to decorate that way because you like it, that's awesome. Same for vintage, mid-century modern, farmhouse...whatever floats your boat. My house is a mixture of a little bit of everything because yes, I like just about everything! I think your vintage look and the way you live is not only beautiful, but "cool" as well. :-)
ReplyDeleteoh I liked your post - Tessa sent me here - I never was very trendy - and now living in an old house in the mountains i just decorate with what i had left over when we moved a few years back and I downsized everything.
ReplyDeleteNice blog!
I can't afford trendy because I know it will go out of style and I'll have to replace it. I love your home and I would also someday like to find a vintage working stove for my kitchen. I could have kicked myself for not asking the lady down the street who was moving away and selling her home if she would sell her vintage stove to me.
ReplyDeleteOne of the first posts I ever wrote was about filling your home with items you love and forgetting about everyone else's ideas. It's your space and your life, and you spend more time in your home than anywhere else, it had better be a place you really want to be. I think you are living a very real and authentic life. Your love of a vintage lifestyle is what makes you happy, regardless of trends or public opinion and I think that's admirable.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Rue. Your vintage sewing machine caught my eye. Please tell me if you use it much. I just love old sewing machines, they say "home" to me :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Maria :)
DeleteYes, I do in fact! It was my great grandmothers and I had it fixed when my mom gave it to me about 4 years ago. It works like a charm ;)
Hi Rue, love this post about honoring just who we are in decorating our homes and our own spaces, not because we want to compete with others. I love that you are living your life for you and not what someone thinks. We each have to be happy with our own environment. I live with so much of what my parents and grandmother had in their homes from the 40's and 50's and love it mixed with my newer treasures. It's very eclectic, but it's me, so it works. I'd rather give an old piece a coat of paint then have a new trendy item.
ReplyDeleteYou are an inspiration. Thank you for sharing this topic. Love your point of view!
Have a great weekend. Hugs, cm
Rue, I LOVE your 'not trendy' life! Got to be true to yourself!
ReplyDeletei live very minimally. i always have. long ago i stopped apologizing that i don't own a sofa... or knick knacks of any kind...
ReplyDeleteyou'd be amazed how hurtful people can sound... "what's the matter with you? EVERYBODY likes to shop!!!"
well... not me! i'm a cozy minimalist. not sterile but very simple. and i love it. and i don't worry about how it looks to others!
and i find your way of living simply enchanting. the world is moving so fast and is so full of heartless technology...
it's refreshing to see someone who values the best of things the way they were. they wrote a song about that...
and it's beautiful too. just as you are!
so glad dewena told me about you! xo
Rue, I love your home, and respect and admire you for being so true to what you truly like and not just following the trends! Me... I love a mixture, old and new, but I try not to get caught up in the trends! Your jadeite piece is so neat, I'm slightly coveting that piece! :) And as for the fan, love them...we use one similar in my husband's home office... cant't beat 'em! Take care! ~Rhonda
ReplyDeleteOh, unless you count the "trend" of painting furniture. Yea, I got on that bandwagon, ha! But that's a frugal, thrifty thing for me, and I NEVER paint the good stuff, only things that were probably destined for the dump! :)
DeleteAbsolutely positively!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Yesterday I was in a very large antique mall. You know, the kind that has countless dealers that rent the space and sell their wares. Not surprisingly, many of the dealers sell vintage items, and I thought of you. I also saw a fan identical to the one you have. Truly, I think you would have died and gone to heaven there..
ReplyDeleteNow about bloggers and their dissatisfaction with their homes. Here's my 2 cents: I think many bloggers are secretly (or not so secretly) hoping to get their homes featured in a magazine, and let's face it...BHG isn't going to do a spread on a home that they think falls short, and by definition that means trendy. Not always, of course. Many homes (like Kim's) have been featured that aren't at all trendy, but they have a certain je ne sais quoi nonetheless....like your's. ;) I wasn't blogging back in the 'good ol days', but I can see how competitive blogging is and how sometimes it takes its toll.
Great post Rue....wise words indeed! ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Donnamae :)
Deletexo
I love your home Rue! Its so inviting.....and I love being the "Curator" for my family heirlooms. At the end of the day, its ok to put your feet up on the coffee table in my house. The dust bunny's I swept away this morning will be back by tomorrow and my "Fur-Babbies" are allowed to cuddle up on my lap on the sofa....one day my lap will be empty so I live for the moment...I am a 9/11 survivor so my entire life and outlook changed that day.....I stop and smell every rose and sometimes I even leave a tea cup in the sink.....I started my blog a little over a year ago, and I try to share stories and laughter.....coupled with a few new pillows and my Grandmothers china!
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday!
Lois@pineridgehills.com
I sure do love that old fan! Have been searching for one for a long time. We alse make our morning coffee in an ole percolater similar to yours....and it works just fine! I have a small collection of the old coffee pots....i will have to do a post on them.
ReplyDeleteHi Rue! First I just want to say, I enjoy looking at photos of your home because I LOVE vintage! And, here's a funny snippet of a "vintage" moment in my life between my Mom and I. When I was getting married.... I told her I wanted to have my photo taken in the back of an old car, just like my Mom and Dad did. Her reply was " Jill, when your Father and I got married.... the car was BRAND NEW!" LOL. See, it's all relative.... just decorate with what makes you happy, like you said. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post Rue! I think that you should decorate with what you love and not by the trends but sometimes it's hard to not follow trends when you're a blogger and trying to get readers. I admire you for sticking by your style.
ReplyDeleteYou are totally right, Rue. I think about it whenever I see people on HGTV sniffing and turning up their noses . at kitchens or bathrooms that are perfectly workable, intact and ready to use but aren't updated with the latest finishes and appliances, often declaring them "Impossible". It's ridiculous. Tell the truth. It's a kitchen from 20 years ago and you want what's trendy now. Also a concept that escapes me is the intense focus on "open concept". What's the appeal? Lots of noise, no privacy or time to think is what the let's knock down walls brigade is accomplishing to me. I wish you lived here. There is a company that does nothing but refurbish old stoves to bring them back to working conditions.
ReplyDeleteHi Rue, I agree with you and for all the same reasons. I don't have AC because I don't like it. I live above my antique shop and everything in my living spaces that I use is from 1950 or earlier. I just like it better because the stuff is of better quality. My Whirlpool refrigerator is new and it is a piece of junk!
ReplyDeleteI still use my mother's 1962 Osterizer blender. Works well. Never saw a need to buy another. I have my dad's 1963 weed whacker, hedge trimmer,etc. They work very well. Things were built to last in those days.
ReplyDeleteI have looked for you for years now every now and then. I enjoyed your blog then, I am sure I will now as well :). It's not the decorating that drew me but the human story behind what you do because I love people and you seem so dear and sweet.
I also had a 1950 refrig. The freezer was half the size of yours. I defrosted with boiling water every 2 weeks but I was younger then and disabled now and older. Not something I would look to do now.
I'm with you! And my dogs don't know (and wouldn't care) what "trendy" means. And they are the only ones that matter. :)
ReplyDeleteMy dogs don't care either! All they want is a soft place to nap and food in their bellies :)
DeleteYou hit the nail on the head - so many people go with the trend so they are constantly changing their home to look like everyone else's house.
ReplyDeleteI love Instagram for quick looks at houses/gardens/projects/beaches etc. I am surprised at how many people have the identical house/identical pillows/identical dishes - all purchased from Home Goods/Marshalls/TJ Maxx/Target. I do visit those shops, but I really prefer my handmade pillows and old things that have been passed down through our family.
I do wonder how quickly my kids will toss my stuff when I am gone or if there are pieces they will cherish for the memories.
Isn't it wonderful to be comfortable with yourself and your style, and not feel that you have to apologize for who you are! What a relief it is come to that knowledge, and accept the fact that there are going to be people whose style is not yours... and that is GREAT! I always say, the world would be such a boring place if we were all the same! Awesome post my friend!
ReplyDeleteHi rue! How was your weekend?
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfectly lovely post ... lovely photo's and very good points.
ReplyDeleteA home should be relaxed, with special items in it that mean so much to us.
I love my home ...
Have a good week and keep on enjoying your special place - I just know you will.
All the best Jan
What a perfectly lovely post ... lovely photo's and very good points.
ReplyDeleteA home should be relaxed, with special items in it that mean so much to us.
I love my home ...
Have a good week and keep on enjoying your special place - I just know you will.
All the best Jan
I like that you're putting your vintage treasures to work. Think how bored they would be on the shelf all day, just looking pretty.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
I couldn't agree more - put your stamp on it, and love it. I gotta tell you, though, I love, love, love the way you decorate/live. I'm drawn to the bygone days where aprons, jadeite, pretty pyrex, etc flowed freely. LOL! I watch movies (like Fried Green Tomatoes, The Help, Driving Miss Daisy, Long Walk Home, etc.) for decorating ideas! I love old movies, and I love the styles of those homes. You should go visit Jonell at "Like Gramma's House" (http://www.mygrammashouse.blogspot.com). Her late husband refurbished an antique stove for her - it is in working condition, and what she uses in her kitchen. Love it!
ReplyDeleteDearest Rue,
ReplyDeleteYou and my daughter must be on the same wave length! She and I had a little get together today and I was telling her how my goal is to make our new home feel well loved and appear old-whitewashed floors etc...and then I said but wonder if all of a sudden there is some wonderful new trend and she looked me squarely in the eye and said Mom-it won't matter this is who you are. Sometimes, even at my age, I just need someone kind to tell me it is okay to do it my way.
Thank you for this heartfelt and wise post.
xo
Jemma
:)
ReplyDeleteI really did kind of stop showing my home because it is the same as it has been for a long time. I see no need to "re-decorate" or "update" a room that I love. We are going to be doing some things in the future because we live in a 90's track home and things just need to be replaced. I may share... I may not... I just don't blog the way I used to, at all. It really is just whatever I want to talk about at the time. So I'm with ya!
~Liz
Love your Jadite and vintage fan. I have a replica--and I've got it going right now, as our a/c is struggling in this heat. I wear an apron every day, too, as did my grandmother. As for trends, I am always wondering if a classic can become a trend. The other day, a friend and I were wondering about shiplap--is it classic or will its current popularity mark it as a 2014-15 trend. My 1900s Four Square had shiplap walls--behind the "new" Sheetrock, and when a giant tree fell on my house, the only damage was a crooked shingle and a dented gutter. Anyway, I love these posts!
ReplyDeleteThis post makes me pleased as peaches too, Rue! I have a big smile on my face from reading this. It was a joy to read more about your way of life and become even more convinced how much you love using the things in your house--and yes, they are practical and usable but oh dear Rue, they are so pretty too!
ReplyDeleteWhen I look through my cabinet of vintage magazines, something I do all the time, I see things that remind me of you. I think "Rue would love this!"
Have you written before on when and why you came to this love? Did you love them as a little girl? Did you inherit this love from your mother? If you've written a post on this and I missed it, I would love to be directed to it.
A richly satisfying post, Rue!
Dewena
Amen sister friend! Wise words and lovingly shared in the spirit of encouragement! Home is where your heart is and we all should be free to be you and me there! I love how you embrace your treasures and live such a soulful life. And I love you dearly.
ReplyDeleteWell said! I just hate trends! I have no desire to either follow them or set them. I'm a food writer, and the question I get so often that I hate the most is: What are the latest food trends? I don't know. I don't care. I get asked about trends in kitchen design. Again, I just don't care. My major appliances are white, not because it's a hundred dollars more for the stainless steel but because I like a traditional kitchen. If someone else has a very modern stainless steel kitchen and loves it, I'm happy for them.
ReplyDeletePS I have a question. On another blog you commented that it took you three years to choose the yellow paint for your bedroom. What did you choose?
ReplyDeleteWell, girlie, you probably already know where I stand in my opinion with this post.
ReplyDeleteI love vintage and very rarely buy anything NEW for my home. There is something
magical about vintage and antique items. And it is ok to perhaps go with a trend, but
add pieces that are authentic and original. Stick to what you love. Being true to yourself
is the best gift you can give to your heart and soul.
xo
I am so excited that you are blogging again. I am sorry that you went through some tough stuff, but so happy to see that you are happy. I love your home. I totally agree with you. I love old things too. I love color. I do stop in some of those shops, but mainly to get ideas. I can't afford their prices and I would rather recreate a look myself.
ReplyDelete