Lifestyle: True Vintage Style

In the middle of helping my sister move and rearranging tons of stuff in my parents house, I stumbled upon some of the the coolest, most adorable, and truly vintage pieces of clothing I've ever seen. A pair of self-cut, hand-embroidered jean shorts, from roughly 1972. Seriously, how cute are these? And the fact that my mom cut off a pair of old jeans to make shorts and used her Brownie Scout skills to embroider all the the designs herself, just too neat! I could see the memories flooding back as she showed them to me.

So cute! It's crazy to see how popular styles of the past always make their way back around. My sister owns a couple pairs of shorts extremely similar to these, except she paid for hers to look this frayed when she bought them, and they aren't quite as customized!

And then, just when I thought it couldn't get any cuter, my mom showed me a few old school outfits from her childhood. Cue me completely GEEKING out over the little dress I'm about to show you. I mean, it's like a miniature 1959 prom dress for a toddler. I think the only think more precious than this dress would be a picture of my mom as a youngster in this dress! (I'll have to ask my grandmother to break out the old albums) Ok, maybe I should also mention that I'm totally and completely in love with the styles of the 1950's and 1960's. If I thought it was acceptable to wear Mad Men-esque dresses and my hair hived up on the top of my head every day to work, I totally would!

And here it is, the cutest little dress I've ever seen, that my future unborn little girl WILL be wearing!

So, so sweet! And pretty impressive that it's in such great condition considering its somewhere around 50 years old. If there was ever a reason to have a child, it would be this dress! Ok, ok, just kidding, but seriously, this makes me want a little girl some kind of bad. (And something tells me that our current little beagle girl, Harper just wouldn't be very happy in it)

Home Decor: Interior Shutters & Roses

The Southern Maryland heat and humidity finally broke *knock-on-wood* and I was able to open the house up for the first time in months! With a high temperature in the 70's you really couldn't ask for a better day. The sky was clear, the breeze was cool, and the house was finally open. Which made me realize, this was also the first time I completely opened our new interior shutters to let the air circulate in the house. 

The lighting isn't the best, but at least you can see how they look pulled back AND the view of St. Clements Island and the Potomac River.

On another note, did you know that this is the time of year that newer-breed roses put on one last and final show for the year? I didn't either, until I saw my knockout roses in full bloom last night and asked my mom if that was normal. And of course it's normal, and apparently common knowledge...whoops! Anyway, I picked a couple of the sweet, pink blooms, popped them in a mason jar, and ta-da: a beautiful accent for the living room, at least for a couple of days.

They add a soft, feminine feel to the deer antler display, don't you think? Are your rose bushes putting on one last show before the cooler weather sets in? Snip a couple and add a quick, beautiful touch of color to your home decor!

Never Forget

Via

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." -Martin Luther King Jr.

Home Decor: Fresh Flowers

Farmer Bubba and I celebrated our 3rd Wedding Anniversary last week! And thanks to that, I had some beautiful, fresh flowers to add a little pop of pretty to the house. I placed them along the ledge between the living room and kitchen so they can be seen from both rooms!

Via my Instagram - @MindleHill

I was really pleased with the beautiful bouquet, they actually really reminded me of my wedding bouquet! Not sure if it was coincidence or planned, but either way, well done, Mr. Hill.

See more of our Wedding photos, HERE!

And just for a little trip down memory lane...I can't believe we've been married for 3 years already! I always try to remember to take a picture together on our anniversary so we can look back and remember what we did to celebrate. Here is a little peek at how we've aged...I mean how we've celebrated over the years...

Our big day :)

1st Anniversary - Before the Blake Shelton Concert

2nd Anniversary - During the Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean Concert

3rd Anniversary - Overlook on the Upper Hawksbill Trail, Shenandoah National Park.

Lifestyle: When the Mountains are Calling...

Sometimes you have to stop what  you're doing and answer the call of the mountains. At least that's what we do in my family! Ever since I was a little girl we would travel over the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge to the lovely state of Virginia and make our way through the winding back roads toward Skyline Drive, part of the Shenandoah National Park.

My grandmother hails from South West Virginia, and my grandfather from Olive Hill, Kentucky, so this 2.5 hour drive always satisfied their need to get back to their roots and our need for a mini-adventure. And it answered their calling once again over the Labor Day weekend when my mom was kind enough to pack a cooler full of lunch meat, fixin's, and other picnic necessities, and let us pile into her new mini-van to make our way to the mountains.

There is something so calm and peaceful about the Blue Ridge Mountains. Something I never noticed as a child, but coming back as an adult, I was fully aware of Mother Nature and all of her beauty. 

Where do you go for a quick escape from the daily grind? Here are a few pictures from our mini-escape!

Along the Upper Hawksbill trail - My mom, left, and her parents/my grandparents - Nan & Pa!

King and Queen of the Mountain - Bub and I both arriving at the end of the trail/overlook!

Family <3 Three generations

Just days before our 3rd wedding anniversary - I think I'll use this one as our official anniversary pic!

As we were driving down the mountain to our picnic site, we saw these cute, baby black bears having a leafy snack in the trees. We slowed down for a picture, but kept moving. Where there is a baby, there is almost certainly a Momma!

After a day in the mountains and taking in all of that fresh air, I couldn't believe how salty the air smelled and almost tasted when we got back home to the Point Breeze Cottage. It didn't help that it was all kinds of muggy that day, but it was still pretty neat to notice the differences in air quality.

If you want to learn more about the Shenandoah National Park or Skyline Drive, be just to visit their website: http://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm

Home Decor: Etsy Fall Decor

Despite the humidity lingering in the air here in Southern Maryland, everyone seems to be ramping up for the Autumn season. My mom, sister, and I all run an Etsy store called, none other than, Point Breeze Cottage, where we sell vintage items, and  re-imagined and re-fabulous furniture; And right now we have several different items for sale that will add a touch of vintage-fall to your home decor.

Use the discount code: PBCBLOG for 20% off any item of your choice!

Amber Flower Candy Dish and Serving Plate

Vintage Pyrex Town and Country Pattern Casserole Serving Dish

Vintage Child's Chair - perfect photography prop!

Set of Four Iced Tea Glasses - Yellow and White

Rustic, Vintage Child's rocking chair - another great photography prop!

Head over to our Etsy shop for more great deals and unique items! And don't forget to use the coupon code!