Do you ever see an image online or in a magazine that stays with you because you love it so much? That’s what happened the first time I saw vintage fabric draped on a vintage ladder and used for decor. I was smitten. Vintage ladder decor is popping up more and more all over blogs and Pinterest. I even have a Pinterest board dedicated to just that!
Randomly over the past few years I have shopped for a vintage ladder. I have never seen one at my antique mall that I could afford. I don’t really go to garage sales (I know…for shame) so that wasn’t an option either. I would occasionally see one on eBay but the shipping was always ridiculous. I would then talk myself out of the whole idea with lots of excuses. Where would I put it? I sew with my vintage fabric so would I even have anything to put on the thing?
Finally a few weeks ago I was looking for vintage fabric (shocker) on eBay and found a seller who specializes in vintage ladders (among thousands of other things.) The ladders were priced affordably (in my opinion after searching for a long time) and the shipping was reasonable. The seller even lets you request a specific height. I originally decided to go with a shorter ladder to save money on both the ladder and shipping. After thinking about it though I changed my mind and got what I wanted in the first place.
Should I have stalked garage sales to find a ladder for $10? Do I wish my parents had one of these in their garage that I could have for free? Of course…but those things didn’t happen. I have been thinking about this for at least 2 years. I know this ladder will never be a treasured family heirloom. My family thinks I’m a little crazy anyway what with this and my gigantic dough bowl leaning on walls in my living room. However, I adore it. It makes me smile when I walk in the room. It sits behind my chair and I can smell the fresh-from-the-dryer scent from the grain sacks. If I need a grain sack for an Etsy shop order I can pluck it from the ladder and throw up something else. The sky is the limit.
So…there you have it. Have you ever thought about (ok…obsessed about) something and then finally followed through? If yes, I hope it made you blissfully happy. After all, you deserve it.
Enjoy a beautiful Sunday…
