thevintagelaundry's Profile

Bio

My name is LeAnn and I'm an energetic, enthusiastic business woman, wife to a charming, caring man and mother of two beautiful, amazingly talented children. And I love my life!

An example of the kind of person I am, is a description of that intense flutter of excitement that I feel in my stomach when arriving at a flea market, tag sale, or estate sale. I love the notion of finding something that I can give new life. For instance, refurbishing an old, tattered piece of furniture or resurrecting an abused printed vintage tablecloth, or simply admiring the fine woven pattern in a antique damask textile piece that I'm ironing.

My Grandmother, Mother, and Aunts told many a story of their lives and the joys that they shared and the hardships that they endured. Each story was complete with a full visual set-up of the location and how it was decorated. Included was always a description of what each person might have been wearing or a quick imitation of the way they spoke - like, "she spoke with a Southern lilt or maybe a lisp." Most stories began with something to this effect, "Do you remember when 'whats-his-face' took me to the 'thing-a-ma-gig?' - You know, I was wearing that Peter Pan collar with my blue linen blouse." - but always the big set-up and background info!

These intricately told stories gave me a reverence for how things used to be and redirected my life priorities. Aside from making my mind reel as a child, just imagining these clothes and places and people, these glimpses into the past gave me a path. And I think, without knowing it, I have attempted to recreate those stories through what I collect. And without planning it, these ladies (I like to call them "The Ladies of the Land") opened a door to an amazing glimpse of culture and history for me. And in doing so, gave me a jump-start in developing my "eye" and, later, a means of earning a living. And I will be forever grateful for those "Ladies of the Land" and their stories. And I'm most appreciative of the sense of knowing who I am and the sometimes hard-knock lives that came before me. I will be forever left with an overwhelming sense of love and respect for the fine people from whom I came.

Female

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