When you’ve lived in one house for nearly fifty years, you tend to accumulate some interesting things along the way.  Here are a few things I found at my grandmother's house.

Above:  a package of six "Animal Party Sticks."  They're at least a few decades old, still in their original wrapping.

Below:  an oil painting by my aunt Frances when she was in high school.

The windmill below has been there for several decades, even though they land was parceled so it no longer sits on Gran's property.

What’s happening this spring in Miami’s Design District? There’s a large head on the sidewalk:

A few interesting displays of street art:

(I have no idea what those red goop blobs are on the palm tree above – I just photographed it.)

This corner lot gives new meaning to the concept of outdoor living:

Walking along I saw a tall sculpture of a boy and girl – and the girl had a bird on her head! I had to snap a photo of a girl with a bird on her head!

As I zoomed in, I realized it was actually a live bird – a dove, in fact. Which wasn’t as exciting as the bird being part of the sculpture.

A lovely display of plants on the stairs:

Several new restaurants and cafes opened recently – one right next to this beautiful tile mosaic wall:

I ate at Michael’s Genuine Food (the sweet and spicey grilled chicken sandwich was excellent) and plan on visiting again soon. If only for the desserts. Though pricey, each one is like a miniature dessert platter with a few treats whose flavors complement one another. They also serve Revolution tea, so you know they have good taste.

When I visit my parents in Texas, I am obsessive about garage sale-ing. Where they live – unlike Miami – garage sales are very popular and it’s easy to get around so you can cover several neighborhoods in an hour or two. Plus, churches and other organizations there host large annual sales which have all kinds of things I’m interested in: vintage knick-knackery, craft supplies, games/toys, education/teaching resources, kids’ clothes, and BOOKS!

I found this 100 piece children’s puzzle of the United States from the 1950s:

I liked the look of the illustrations so I bought it for 25 cents, knowing there would probably be a few pieces missing. I put it together the other day, though, and all 100 pieces have survived the past five decades intact!

These two little Easter decorations were too cute to pass up – I had to temporarily suspend my rule of No Decorative Objects:

They have a vintage, handmade feel about them... right down to the "Made In Taiwan" stickers on the bottom.

These miniature metal cooking toys for children were an unbelievable find:

I bought a large set including pots, colanders, saucepans, cookie sheets, cookie molds, bundt pan, and more. They boys have created all sorts of delicacies with their new kitchen tools! (um, well, mostly coffee, strawberries, and pizza)

I’ve no idea when these two cards were produced – probably the 60s/70s. They were stuck in with a bunch of craft supplies I bought at an estate sale.

I like their design, though. The yellow/red card was for “Starsnap” dress fasteners and the baby card held “Lady Washington Baby Pearls.”

And this owl illustration I found at the same sale… it was drawn by a family friend for one of their children 30 or so years ago. I plan to change the matting and frame, but the illustration is adorable!

Leola,

You will be hatching soon and realize there are so many interesting things to see and do other than interrupting your Mom’s blood flow all day. In the spirit of my Reverse Christmas Wish List, here is my Reverse Baby Shower Wish List for you!

Aside from the boring essentials such as Ultimate Crib Sheets and sleep sacks (the kind that completely close at the bottom, otherwise they ride up)....

If I had unlimited funds – and your parents had unlimited space – here are the myriad things I’d be getting you:

1.  First, a GeoGreeting spelling out "Welcome to the world, Leola!" that we can print out and hang up in your room.  I think your Dad would go for this, too.  It's better than stuffed wildcats, believe me.

2.  You won't be able to wear these for a few years, maybe your Mom can find a place in your room for these adorable felt bird pins by Dandy Brand.

3.  For cuddling, a lovely windsee made from vintage fabric scraps by OneGirl.

4.  Nursery décor is a such a personal decision that I’ve decided to present you with a gift card (presented in a Bundled Baby Card), though I can recommend wall decals - a tree silhouette with wallpaper leaves from Enfant Terrible and for your bathroom, some cute blue elephant decals from Bored Inc.:

as well as a fabulous design from Jen Skelley (perhaps for one wall of your room?):

5.  Moving on to your wardrobe... for hanging around the house being a snuggle bunny: the Honey Bunny onesie from Harrilu.

6.  It’s best to learn early on that you can never have too many shoes – here are two adorable pairs from For Evelyn to get you started!

7.  The essential white kimono - makes it so easy for your Mom to dress and undress you during your tiny floppy stage. And as long as we’re daydreaming here, I’d make the time to figure out how to add some fun iron-ons like this Love Bird design!

8.  And you will want a dressier kimono outfit for church, tea parties, and skipping out to get the mail. It doesn’t bunch up like two-piece outfits, it’s super comfortable, and it’s brown, not pink.

9.  And to protect these adorable outfits, I offer a cute vintage-style bib by ElephantEars.

10.  Finally, I would wrap all your gifts in kimono and patchwork wrapping paper from Petra Boase:

I know you're shocked that no books are included on this list - that's because I'm giving you a few in real life.  I'll be telling you more about them later, after your Mom has opened them.  But I am sticking in these excellent animal book dividers - because with me in your life, you'll need them!