a bohemian layette - thrifted, gifted, homemade and vintage

and this is really just the beginning.....

first off, sorry for the obsessive baby-related posts. i know i promised i wouldn't do that, and i do have normal things to post about too...it's just that baby trumps all else right now. i can't help it. there is no hiding it, the scary truth is i've been baby obsessed since i was a tiny child and my sister and i would watch sesame street and at the very end there would be the tiny sound of a baby cooing (does anyone else remember that) and i would lean in close to hear it, it was my very favorite sound in all the world, and addie would make a loud noise or turn the tv down because it bugged her how much i liked that, haah!

anyway i'm just excited right now because last night my mom and i went through two storage bins full of baby and kid clothes from when my siblings and i were small in the 70s and 80s, and i am beyond thrilled with all the treasures i've found for this little sprout of mine.

not to mention the amazing gifts we've already been given.

these tiny booties were designed and hand-knit by my friend jessie's mom...who i have never even met!

how sweet is that, and aren't they the most precious?!

 from the storage stuff, mom and i dug out tons of baby blankets and afghans homemade by grandmothers and friends back in the 70s.

 we found matching dresses galore, that addie and i wore when we were little. i'm sure i've mentioned this a hundred times before, but we were only 14 months apart and sometimes pretty close to the same size, little twinnies. my mom dressed us alike quite a bit, maybe for simplicity's sake or maybe just cause it was so dang cute.

she made us these matching sundresses out of some vintage mickey mouse fabric she found at a garage sale. i even have a vague summery-wild-n-free memory of wearing these, with saltwater sandals and pigtails.

these were all handmade by my mom too. you just don't see dresses like this anymore, and they are the kind that make my heart happy, remind me of everything sweet and sunny and precious about childhood.

it's crazy. i am surrounded by 70's baby dresses.

these little darlings weren't homemade, but check out their perfection...

i especially love the little playsuits babies used to wear in the 70s. over big round cloth diaper bottoms.

check out the ruffled bum and the adorable print with owls and ladybugs.

here is one that i wore as a little baby:

as you can see right here:

here is something else i loved to wear as a child, this was when i was like three years old though. what is up with the embroidery on this sweater?! what is going on there? i have no idea, but i love it.

tiny shoes, i think these were my brother's. there are lots like these in the boxes, and the little white ones from stride rite with bells on the toes.

 these minnetonka moccasins were a gift from my aunt and uncle in new mexico when my sister was born in 1975. my mom said they didn't fit her so she never wore them, they are completely pristine. turquoise fringe!!!

 debby, darin's mom, gave me a bunch of delicate little handmade dresses that her great grandmother sewed for her when she was born in 1952. the embroidery detail and pintucks are so beautiful it aches.

emily has been bringing me home goodies almost every day. here is a tiny dress she wore as a babe in the 80s.

and other things she has been thrifting for me ever since the day she found out i was pregnant...like these corduroy overalls. oh sweet rose!

seriously, i am overwhelmed with the rad things people are giving us. not only have we been given a moby wrap, a sling, a baby carriage, a moses basket, maternity clothes, bibs, blankets, and a playpen, we are also borrowing a bassinet from jorden and becky that is a family heirloom, as well as a swing and a changing table and carseat. 

and on top of that, little treasures coming from every direction. our friends jacob and alisa, who own local hangout cozmic cafe, gave us these homemade booties. they were hand crafted by our friend elsie's mom.

 when my mom and jack came over last night, they also gifted me this adorable folksy vintage rocking horse made locally:

i never planned on having a lot of stuff for our baby. in fact, i find the marketing of baby stuff, and places like babies-r-us, to be one of the most reprehensible and obnoxious things about bringing up baby in the modern world. all these things that people think you need to have, gadgets and big plastic bold colored noise makers and princess paraphernalia and every little thing you could dream up for convenience or protection or whatever. i don't even know what they're selling anymore because frankly, i try to stay out of it. 

things that friends and family give me, though, that's different. that kind of baby stuff makes us feel loved and welcomes us into parenting with the most generous spirit. and most of all, when we are given things that are old or used, my baby will be part of an ongoing story of babies. that's why i love thrifted and vintage things. they are recycled rather than wasteful, they hold life and secrets and songs in them, and they are waiting for more love and they are often made with great care and concern and attention to detail.

now i just can't wait to see our own tiny child gracing these items with her presence!