Simple Beauty -- Things that make you smile

I was headed back from an appointment this morning.  There were an unusually large amount of cars on this road that is usually desolate.  I realized there was an Estate Sale.  I am a sucker for these sometimes.  Usually they don't have much I want but sometimes I even find yarn.  (However, it is usually mostly acrylic).

This was a beautifully simple home -- 3 bedrooms, living room, screened in patio.  It was a typical home built in the 70s.  There was a 1/2 acre in the front yard and probably an acre and a half in the backyard.  It had a gorgeous pool and deck and tons of outdoor furniture and goodies.  

The fun thing about alot of these types of sales is these are people who were "depression era collectors."  My grandfather, for instance, had 22 pocket knives.  He didn't display them, but he had them.  My grandmother kept EVERYTHING.  I have heard it said before that these people understand the value of things much better than we do because they have gone without.  (That totally makes sense to me.)

Back to the sale -- this family must have bought out Hallmark.  One whole room of the sale was 4 card tables FULL of different greeting cards, Christmas Cards and gift bags.  The backyard had really neat decorations, furniture and tools that must have beautifully decorated this yard.  The screened in porch had tons of fabric, sewing machines, and yarn (yes it was all acrylic :(.  

The PRIZE that I found was hand blown glass flowers.  They are about 20 inches long.  They are Murano Glassware.  They are amazing looking.  I have had a vase sitting in my office for awhile that was from a wedding in December.  The vase is PERFECT.  There were about 20 stuck in dirt in a pot outside.  I chose a yellow, dark blue and sea foam green one.  (Once I get the vase cleaned up and them set up, I will add a picture.)

I am not a "flower" person.  I enjoy them, I think they are beautiful, but overall, I am not a huge lover of flowers.  That being said, flowers make me smile.  Flowers relax me.  When I doodle, I draw flowers.  When I used to paint, I always wanted to paint flowers.  I never liked what they looked like when I finished them, but I always wanted to paint them.  

Sometimes in life it is the simple elegance that makes everything just pop.  Sometimes beauty can be found in the oddest of places.