Linens and things

Wow, it's been so long since I attended an estate sale but recently, I received an email from the staff of one of my favorite antique stores.  They were hosting an estate sale in Malden. I marked my calendar, I wasn't going to miss it.

I love attending their estate sales since they are organixed and always well staffed.  I have been to estate sales that have been pure mayhem but Essex Street Antiques does a great job with crowd control.

I bought only linens at this sale.  The photo above is of an oval tablecloth I purchased. The embroidery is so delicate and beautiful.

I am thinking it will look lovely on my table this Summer. It would also be beautiful as the table covering for an afternoon tea event.

I like that it is not overly ornate, The embroidery is simple and I love the ecru backdrop.

The napkins have the simple embroidery too. Perfect! Maybe I will use the set for Easter.

Here's the second tablecloth I purchased. I was told it's from the 50's. I was drawn to this one at first because of the color.

It is a lovely pink color. The blooms are so pretty. It is the perfect tablecloth for Spring.

I like the splash of blue against the pink and the white border. It gives it a fresh look.

My final purchase came in this vintage box.  It was in pristine condition.

It looks like it was never used.  The tag states it was fine linen made in Portugal.

This set contains 4 placemats and napkins.  I absolutely adore the edges of the napkins. I love the elegant look of this set.

As I paid for my purchases, one of the staffers said I had good taste. Or maybe just a good eye!

What the appraiser saw

An appraiser came out to do an evaluation of my condo today. I am trying to refinance my mortgage to a lower rate. It all depends on the value. If the value comes in high enough I'll save more than $150  a month. with the new loan.

He was almost clinical in his approach. "I'm going to walk around and do a sketch of the property and then take some notes" he said. He also took some photos and asked a few questions like when was the unit renovated and are there any major projects coming up?

What he thinks is valuable is not what I value the most. Like the souvenir from a trip with my sister in Kennebunkport that sits on that bookcase or the poster on the wall from my friend Pauline.

He looked at the dining room which was a living room for the previous owner. I look at the room and see my grandmother's china cabinet and all the teacups I've collected over the years.

He snapped a shot of the bathroom.

He looked at the hallway and I pointed out a closet.

He looked around the kitchen and the ceramic tile floor.  He didn't notice the bistro set my parents bought me as a birthday gift a few years before my mother's stroke.

He made note of the granite countertops, the maple cabinets and stainless steel appliances.
He did not notice the tea towel, a gift frrom my friend Karen or the antique label I had framed that hangs over the sink.

He noted that there was a pantry and in unit laundry. He did not know the calamity of the washer/dryer installation.

Snapping the photo of the bedroom, he definitely did not notice the Rachel Ashwell comforter from Target. Or the bed that I've had for 17 years which was originally assembled by my friend Joanne's husband Roy. Joanne died in 2006.

I doubt he took a photo of these military chests, I bought the top one at an Estate Sale and the bottom one I found at the side of the road.

I don't even think he noticed the cats.  Molly was hiding under the nesting tables in the living room.

Percy was hiding behind the birdcage.  Oh Percy, we can see you! Percy does not like strangers in the house.

Oscar was hiding on a chair under the dining room table.

Later, Molly decided a cat nap was in order after all the excitement. She settled in on a chair in the living room which used to be a bedroom.

Percy was tired too and he sprawled on the cool hardwood floor in the dining room.

I sure hope the appraiser gives my condo a proper value to make the loan work.

I've only lived here 3 1/2 years but to me this condo is more than granite countertops and hardwood floors.  I don't really think I can put a value on it.

Not a lot to talk about

Since I had dinner at the lighthouse, I haven't done much of anything.  Certainly nothing of interest and especially nothing blogworthy.  I am making some plans and making some changes in my life. Nothing  I can divulge yet but I am excited about it.

I've been putting in long hours at work, it's been so busy. Not leaving much time for play.

Except for the occasional cappuccino with friends.