I have been looking for a special piece of furniture for a particular corner in our dining room for a long time. Originally, I had it set in my mind that it had to be something  old and white and have  years of stories behind it. Then, one evening a couple of weeks ago we were at our friends house for dinner and after we finished, we were casually sitting around the couch talking when David, my husband told my friend Ali that he would totally buy that hutch off her all the while thinking she would say it’s not for sale. Serendipitously though, it was.

Ali laughed and said actually, I was just about to put it on Craigslist because as much as she loves it and had wanted it for ever, it didn’t fit in their house the way that it should. She lives in a beautiful 1910 craftsman house in downtown Newberg and the hutch blocks one of her incredible windows in their living room. Sadly for her, they needed to get rid of it. Happy for us, we were in the market for something like this.

I have to be honest though. At the time, since I had something completely different in my head, I wasn’t too hot on the idea but David has wanted a red piece of furniture in our home forever. I’m haven’t been the biggest fan of red ever really but I did think this piece had it’s particular charm and so I was on board.

A couple days later we brought her home and filled her with our stories.

I had an old Pier One bookcase that I’d got about seven years ago when my style was a tad bit different. Well, I didn’t really KNOW what my style was yet. It was modern and open and I was wanting to get rid of it badly.

As I was carefully putting our belongings in the hutch I wanted to be careful as to where I put everything. At first, I wanted to keep it sparse and clutter free and then, as I was putting things in their spot, I realized that I wanted it to tell a story, our story, and I began filling it with more and more stuff.

David and I both love cookbooks and it’s one of the things that we have no qualms buying. And although I don’t reference them enough, I know they are there when I need them.

Those glass blown hearts you see sitting on top of some of the cookbooks are very special to me. They were given to me every Valentine’s Day from my step dad. He would get one for my mom and one for me every year when I was living near them and they mean so much to me just as my step dad does.

David has a fine taste for Whiskey and Bourbon and has always wanted something beautiful to display it all in. It’s actually why he loved the hutch so much.

These teacups were my great grandmother Maggie’s. An incredible woman and really the only grandmother I had. In fact, for as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to name my daughter after her, if I have a daughter one day. She was married to my grandpa Louie or Lewis or as I called him growing up, grandpa wuwie. I have great memories of going up to their house and walking in the front door to the smell of bacon grease (which would probably make me throw up now ) and the warm hugs of my grandma Maggie and Grandpa Louie. Every time I was there, I’d be cuddled up with my grandpa and he’d always ask me, ‘what’s my name?’ and I’d always say, ‘grandpa WUWIE!” I think he got such a kick out of the fact that I couldn’t say his name right.

They lived into their 90′s and were two of the kindest, happy-go-lucky people I’ve ever known. When my grandma Maggie passed, my mom got her old tea cups and when I was of a mature age, she gave me some of theme and I’ve been longing for a piece to display them rightfully.

I love hobnail glass. There is something about it that makes me really happy and I found this set at the Goodwill for about $5 and it’s one of my favorite things in the hutch, besides my tea cups.

I love when I’m at someone’s house and they have a piece of furniture that tells a story. I love asking them questions about where everything came from. Do you have a piece like that?

Hope you all have a great weekend! David and I are leaving for Mt. Hood to stay with some friends in a cabin to celebrate his 30th birthday! Happy Birthday my love!