Everyone loves a good story, whether read or told, stories define our lives. I've always listened when my elders shared stories of how they acquired a new house or car, how the dining room table and buffet had once belonged to my grandparents and how Mom paid 25 cents for an old chair with no seat at an estate sale and convinced Dad he should learn how to cane chairs. I love handwritten letters, diaries and notebooks, dolls from my childhood, musty, dusty old books, vintage hats, gloves and aprons. These things all come with stories, either real or created.

I am a teacher and often use vintage items to share stories of everyday life in the past. I am hoping to retire in a couple of years and my house, built in 1925, is filled to the roof with vintage items I've collected for many years. It's time to downsize. Many items in my shop are from my personal collection; others are treasures I've picked up recently at estate sales.

I love making altered books and shadow boxes, finding and writing stories in old photographs. My husband and I share a love of flea markets, farm markets, and estates sales. He's often the one who sees past the dust and clutter to find the vintage treasures.