Front and Center (My Hallway)

Lots of love to Nikki at Grand design co- she gave me a super sweet shout-out on her blog!  Wait 'til you see HER house! Also, mucho thanks to Brenda at  Cozy Little House as she featured my blog! Please go check out her wonderful blog!
Ok, kids, are you ready to see the other half of my hallway?  This is the wall opposite my front door, the huge coat rack, and the stack of suitcases.  My talented friend Melissa made the cute little picture frame (she knows I love me some numbers!)

This wooden rack has to be one of my all-time favorite/best scores!  (And a funny story, too.) I was at the local flea market a couple years ago with my nephew Alex, who was visiting from Arizona.  He was maybe 13 years old at the time, and whenever he comes to town, I call him my 'flea buddy' 'cause he loves to go and look for model cars he collects (used to), etc.  So I look down the aisle, and spy this shoe rack, and grab his arm (nearly squeezing him to death) and tell him I've always wanted one of these, I'm freaking out, but to be cool (even though I'M the one that needs to be cool!)  So we get to it, and it's a little rough, and not the greatest one I've ever seen, but hey, that's fine with me, and I ask the guy how much...drumroll please...and he says "how about 20 bucks?"  Well, I heard angels sing, and about passed out!!

So once I recover, I pay him, and we go to load it into my small SUV, and it won't fit!  Now what am I gonna do? Well, he asks where I live (about 15 minutes away) and he then OFFERS TO DELIVER IT! Having no choice, I give him my address, and as Alex and I left, I'm fretting "Will I ever see the guy again? He could just take my money and scram!" (Not that I cared as much about my 20 bucks as getting my great find!)  And Alex is just rolling his eyes and so amused that I'm getting worked up over this piece of 'junk'. It gets better...

We're at home waiting, and sure enough, the guy comes rolling in (I was so relieved) and this cute girl gets out of the passenger's side, and comes to the door...and we know each other!  She sets up at the flea all the time with gorgeous linens and vintage jewelry, and it turned out that she's friends with the guy who I bought the rack from!  We were laughing so hard because she said the whole way to my house she was giving him such a hard time about offering to deliver a $20 item!  But she was happy it was me, and I gave her a tour of the house.  And I've enjoyed this 'piece of junk' ever since! Just had to share that.

This is the next vignette in the hallway, which you can read about in a previous post here.  Our 'office' is off the hallway, so you see a little of the doorway leading into it.

The stairs are opposite the front door.  Two of the four pictures going up the wall are my  hubby's ancestors (his dad was gonna throw them out! in those gorgeous off-white frames!) and the other two I just found and added to the mix! I got the antiques sign at the flea market-it's painted on both sides and I think it's the real deal.

And finally, this is right before you go into the dining room, next to a hall closet.  I've grouped an old pillar with a birdcage on top, an old crusty gate, and a certificate from the 'College of Dentistry' from 1895!  I'll bet dentistry was a little different back then :)

Well, that completes my hall tour...hope you enjoyed it!  Have a wonderful night!
I'm linking to:   a delightsome life
                       faded charm
                       no minimalist here
                       from my front porch to yours
                       coloradolady
                       the brambleberry cottage
                       beyond the picket fence
                       katherines corner
                       have a daily cup of mrs. olsen
                       live laugh rowe
                       the charm of home
                       delightful order
                       french country cottage
                       my romantic home 
                       common ground
                       at the picket fence
                       rooted in thyme 
                       the shabby nest
                       maiden d'shade
                       stuff and nonsense
                       413 sparrow lane
                       homespun happenings
                       Southern Hospitality