French Flour Sack Tea Towels-$6.95 ea

There are several charming French images from which to choose for these 100% cotton flour sack tea towels. Stay tuned for a natural linen coming soon with equestrian motifs.

French Burlap is Here!

We've all seen the beautiful burlap pillows made by French Laundry sold at upscale places like Restoration Hardware (pictured left) and locally at beautiful boutique stores like Faded Elegance in Snohomish. I've seen them too and lusted after them with gusto! But as a good friend of mine told me today, she went so far as to go to Restoration Hardware with the intentions of finally buying some of these little treasures but just couldn't close the deal. The thought of paying upwards of $60, $80 even over $100 for a burlap pillow is really just unbearable! So here is Touch of Mink's answer to this dilemma. Burlap pillows, some with vintage linen sewn on, some plain with wonderful French images on front. And hold on to your panties....they are $12.95 each!

Pair of Louis XVI Style Chairs -$85 For the Pair!

So cute with a wreath and bee motif on the back. And a great big French chippy blue mirror for $39. Yippee!

French Burlap Pillows Coming In

I have a few of these great burlap pillows in now and many more to come. They range in price from $10.95-12.95.

New Digs!

I lasted about 6 weeks in my little space before I decided to bust loose and get a bigger one. Now I have lots of room to spread out and I have a ton of new juicy things in. Check it out!

French Style Parsons Chair-$89-SOLD

SOLD-A pair of parchment toile French chairs-$135 for the pair.

New Things!

Wow it was rough being without my internet service for over a week! But it's back up and running now, and I used my time off line to do some great scavenging.

Here is just a sneak peak at some of my finds. Come in to Tuxedos to see it all and more in my Touch of Mink booth.

Hand rolled edge vintage silk equestrian scarves-$12 each

Vintage silver plate soup tureen-$12.95 (would look so pretty as a centerpiece with some lovely dried flowers overflowing)

A vintage double deck of equestrian playing cards-$7

Perfectly Imperfect

I hate perfect stuff. Even when I was enagaged and picking out my china pattern, I was struck with the nervous feeling of "matching anxiety." What if I pick a pattern I love, and I get a dozen place settings and one breaks? Then I'll have 11. That won't be right. That will never feel right again. Then of course, I could buy another one. But what if the pattern is discontinued? I guess then I could use one of those replacement services and find it, but what if I can't? Then I'll always have just 11. It will always be 11 the imperfect set. Not 12 the original perfect set. And don't even talk to me about finding crystal and silver to match. I feel my heart racing already from the pressure of that! Lucky for me Villeroy & Boch had just come out with their Switch 3 collection. How brilliant I thought! Mix and match...now we're talking. I immediately felt a sense of relief and that was only the beginning.

That pursuit of the "relief" feeling has followed me ever since and it's grown. Now I buy things that don't match on purpose. China cups with mismatched saucers. Different pretty champagne glasses all from different eras. No two alike. Odd numbers of spoons each with different monograms or designs. Each one a forgotten piece no doubt from someone's collection that along the way failed to meet the gold standard of a "perfect" set, so of course it had to be abandoned. A sore and constant reminder to the owner of how the set was falling short of it's complete destiny. Unwanted, waiting for me or someone like me, or you, to come upon it, scoop it up and cherish it for it's own unique, one of a kind, beauty. To mix it together with other imperfects to form a unique and unmatching inspired story.

So here's to our imperfect world. Our imperfect faces and imperfect homes. Our imperfect dreams and imperfect bodies. Here's to the warmth of forotten pieces and forgotten hearts found again and given a second chance to grace our homes and lives. Here's to the perfectly imperfect in all of us.