An ‘out with the old, in with the new’ boho birthday weekend

In honor of my _1st birthday and the weekend I spent celebrating it with daughter Erin and husband Chris, I've decided to share a few "news" I'm welcoming and a couple "olds" I'm giving the boho boot.

Notice I didn't tell you how old I've become. I will tell you Erin is 31. So you do the math and take your best shot. I'm hoping that way I'll perhaps SEEM younger. LOL!!

OUT with too much chinoiserie

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You may think there's no such thing, but you probably live in a bigger house than I do. Don’t worry. I’m holding on to my first piece--a happiness jar I bought waaaaaaaaaay back when and told you about HERE. I’m also keeping the wonderful rice jar next to it, which I’ve had almost as long.

Everyone should have at least a little chinoiserie.

But the rest is up for sale on ebay, either in an auction or at a fixed price. See anything you like? 

The collection includes jars of varying sizes, vases, covered boxes/bowls, and at least one cat figurine. I’d love for my items to go to BoHo Home readers.

IN with midcentury modern

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Why the change? I’ve become increasingly enthralled with midcentury modern, and in a 1,400-square-foot condo, a girl has only so much display space, you know. Some of what’s pictured here, in my living room, will be off-loaded to the bookshelves in my office, where the chinoiserie was.

IN with entrepreneurship & branding

I just ordered business cards to enclose in orders I fill on both ebay and etsy that plug the BoHo Home brand. The cards tell those who might not know that BoHo Home is first off a blog full of “tips, trends and tours,” as well as an Internet shopping spot for “fun, fab and funky finds.” And it lets those who find me on etsy know about my ebay listings, and vice versa.

My geek hubs was sweet enough to set up each shopping page as a subdomain (ebay.bohohome.com and etsy.bohohome.com) and get rid of all those slashes, letters, numbers and funny symbols, so that actually arriving at the right spot isn't left up to memory, chance, typing skill, or hand-eye coordination.

Tabbed links are also visible just below the blog nameplate. THAT part I figured out how to do all by myself, thank you very much.

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Chris also installed some shelving in our garage to store my finds and shipping supplies. Not so pretty, but hey, it's a warehouse (of sorts), so no styling necessary.

BTW, the plastic bags are filled with packing material I’m recycling. The cat litter bags are filled with, um, cat litter, of course. UNUSED cat litter for, you know, Maisie-Cat, since it's still a garage as well as a warehouse.

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After we discussed several possitiblities, dad also relinquished his workbench for me to use as a photo station, complete with lights. What a guy! If this takes off, we’ll have to add to the “Dad’s Workshop” sign one that says, “Mom’s Gold Mine.”

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The tripod with a cell phone bracket was a gift I asked for last Christmas, which I’m finally using! Almost EVERY DAY, in fact.

IN with a Moroccan lantern!!

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This Moroccan lantern from World Market is a birthday gift from that same sweet guy I’ve been telling you about. Doesn’t it look great on my boho patio?

MUCH better than if I'd made one.

IN with new shoes!

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Brooks Glycerin, you make me feel like I'm walking with my feet hugged by clouds!!

IN with scenic walks

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This city park is also new, at least to Chris and I. We've driven past it so many times through the years, we thought we really ought to stop in and take a look around before we die.

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It was a challenging walk that included steep grades in a heavily wooded area. But these shots were taken along the more leisurely (and level) part of the path. Once in the woods, all we could hear were birds and rippling water. Pleasant Creek is, as you can see, aptly named.

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And check out this tree branch that looks for all the world like an elephant's trunk!

IN with leftovers

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I know this isn't the sexiest food photo you've seen on the Internet, but it works for me. Chris, Erin and I went out to celebrate my birthday Sunday at a long-time favorite local brew pub, and this is what I DIDN'T eat of my fruit and grilled pork tenderloin (Indiana is famous for deep-fried PT sandwiches, but I do the unfried, bunless version).

It was yummy, but remember, I am post-bariatric surgery 8 3/4 months and can only consume 5 ounces of food per meal (I graduate to 6 ounces in another week!), so my birthday leftovers will feed me for another meal or two. That's good because Chris will be in Colorado this week on business. (I'll use the time spent NOT cooking to do some thrift-shopping!)

OUT with excess baggage

No, that's not my weight (I wish!). That's how much I’ve LOST. My current weight is still a number I don't care to share. But I will tell you that I have 67 pounds to go until I weigh the same as I did on my wedding day, and I plan to get there again.

If I continue losing at my current rate, I should be within 25 pounds of my goal on my surgery one-year anniversary in mid-November.

IN with more years together

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A cousin's daughter, who's a pastor, put out a Facebook query several weeks back to get information she wanted to use in a Sunday sermon. She asked people what was on their bucket lists. I read through all the places people wanted to go and the things they wanted to do, and many, many similar ideas came to my mind, but I couldn't respond for some reason.

Then someone asked where she was going with all this, and she replied that we often focus on places and things when we should focus on people. It was then I realized the only thing I wanted enough to fight for was more time with the two people I love most in the world, that it didn't matter where we did or didn't go, or what we did or didn't do, as long as we were in it together.

IN with joy!

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If you know me or follow this blog closely, you know that Erin is not my biological daughter. So even if I hadn't been born, she would have been, which makes this birthday message even sweeter.

All I can think to say back is, What would I have done if SHE had not been born?

Here's hoping life's small pleasures find their way to you in the coming week.

XOXO,

Susan

Want more?

I can't do much to make the weekend longer, but another one will roll around in five days or so. Here are a few things I can help you with:

• Shop (and follow!) my new Etsy store, BoHo Home By Susan, for vintage finds and a few of my boho DIYs. I have vintage and home décor items for sale on ebay too! New merchandise gets added daily, so check both places often. You might even want to make it easy on yourself and give me a follow in each spot, K? 
• And by all means, don't miss a day of BoHo Home. Sign up to have posts sent to your inbox using the subscription link in the sidebar (top right). Or follow with Bloglovin, a social-media platform that allows you to set up an account and access all the blogs you want to read in one place. 
• Find additional content from BoHo Home on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+, and Houzz, and give me a follow EVERYWHERE!! The more the merrier!

Scenes From My Saturday / Happy July 1!

I'm not going to apologize for posting this late. Or for missing last weekend's post entirely.

Chris and I have worked like crazy people the past couple weeks—me on ebay and Etsy listings, as well as posts, he on client conferences and preparation for a site visit. 

So we took Saturday off and puttered around together.

To market, to market

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A stop at Staples to buy a new mouse for me—how do you like that racer pink?—followed by a trip to Sam’s Club for printer cartridges, which you can see in the background. 

The mouse was on sale for $15, whereas the printer cartridges—one CMY set and two blacks—totaled nearly $100. Wish I’d been the one to think up that idea of cheap printers and ridiculously priced ink cartridges.

On to Oaken Barrel for lunch. Our favorite local brew pub, though neither of us had a beer. Chris did have a reuben and fries. True to my diet, I had a grilled pork tenderloin with no bun, tomato slices, and fruit. My splurge? Caffeinated iced tea. Wow! Am I living dangerously or what?

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Wild Birds Unlimited to replenish our feeder and use up the ton of coupons they’ve sent us lately.

Every time we go in there I gush over the stone birdbaths—priced at around $300. No, we did not bring one home, but I’m still hoping.

Strawberry fields forever at Craig Park

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Last trip there (Wednesday?) we discovered alpine strawberries growing wild under some pine trees. They were still there today.

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You have to look carefully to see them, hidden amid pinecones, walnut shells, and other debris.

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I remember picking berries just like these by a roadside with a friend as a kid growing up in Elmira, NY. Then, Gail and I stuffed our mouths and pockets with them! Today, Chris and I left these but told a family we passed on down the path about them. I thought their two young daughters would enjoy looking for them and tasting.

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We saw a squirrel along the way, and he (she?), of course, saw us. Think he recognized us from our last visit?

The road less traveled

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I couldn’t get over this patch of moss on these tree roots…

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…or the lichen on this branch, downed by Friday evening’s storm.

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Chris spotted this ID tag on an old utility pole from our former employer, who’s undergone several name changes since. Judging by those changes alone, the tag’s been here at least 25 years. And maybe longer, judging by the number of woodpecker (BB?) holes.

We walked from the lower northern edge of the park to the upper southern boundary, where our favorite bench sits.

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I can see we're not alone in our preference.

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This walnut lay prostrate nearby, with what, to me, seemed like a goofy smile. Maybe it got into the Admiral Nelson’s?

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Chris spotted this little critter, scuttling toward our feet. Perhaps he heard there was a party?

Rum or no, you gotta admit the view from this bench across the horseshoe pits is intoxicating. The canopy of walnut branches over our heads was pretty spectacular, too.

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For the first time, we decided to walk the distance across and see what our bench looks like from the other side. I couldn’t have done this a year ago, but today it didn't even wind me. Almost there!

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Had we never gone we wouldn’t have seen how tree roots have given this bench octopus tentacles.

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The elevation here is lower. Can you make out our favorite bench back across the horseshoe pits? (Hint-hint: It's near the back center, tucked under those three trees.

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We also found some beechnuts downed by the storm. Can't think whether I've ever seen a beechnut before. Well, cross that one off my bucket list!

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And I couldn't help but notice the sunlight peeking at us through the trees.

And the trees said...

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Enmeshed relationship. Parent and child probably.

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Happy family, like an item on a Chinese restaurant menu: two parents, three kids. But which is which? Or who is whom? While you're thinking it over, look at what's coming.

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These two pair are a definite study in opposites.

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This couple is just falling in love...

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...while this one is growing apart.

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Yikes!! It's worse than I thought—they’ve already split!

Home again, home again

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Now for my mid-afternoon iced mucho mocha, skinny style. That’s decaf coffee, chocolate protein powder, and Walden Farms calorie-free, gluten-free, fat-free (guilt-free) chocolate syrup. Yummm.

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Time to catch a few rays and rest up for the fireworks. Whew! What a day!!

Here's hoping the small surprises find you.

x o x o,

Susan

Want more?

• Shop (and follow!) my new Etsy store, BoHo Home By Susan, for vintage finds and a few of my boho DIYs. I have home décor items for sale on ebay too! New merchandise gets added daily, so check both places often. You might even want to make it easy on yourself and give me a follow in each spot, K? 
• And by all means, don't miss a day of BoHo Home. Sign up to have posts sent to your inbox using the subscription link in the sidebar (top right). Or follow with Bloglovin, a social-media platform that allows you to set up an account and access all the blogs you want to read in one place. 
• Find additional content from BoHo Home on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+, and Houzz, and give me a follow EVERYWHERE!! The more the merrier!

A page from my PATTERN JOURNAL / Japanese maple in spring

Explore with me in this and upcoming PATTERN JOURNALS, the connection of all things. We'll start with the Japanese maple that grows outside my office window, which has only recently leafed out, and see where it takes us.

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Valentino spring 2017 collection / Umberto Fratini photo  / Vogue

Untitled I, a fibre pigment print from the series Cocktail by Namsa Leuba  / via Artsy

Untitled (pull), a ceramic sculpture by Jessica Stoller / via Artsy

HGTV

Better Homes and Gardens

Pieter Estersohn photo

Japanese maple moodboard

If you want more…

• Become a BoHo Home follower in whatever way works best for you. Sign up to have posts sent to your inbox using the subscription link in the sidebar (top right and bottom of page). Or, follow my blog with Bloglovin, a social-media platform that allows you to set up an account and access all the blogs you want to read in one place.
• Follow the (affiliate links) below for books on making a more meaninful life through the recognition and appreciation of pattern.