Penny's Vintage Home - Pink, Lacy, Sparkly Snark

[anachronistic]

This blog was linked to in a thread about a fundie family, and I think they deserve their own thread.

I don't know if this is a Christian blogger, but it is certainly snark-worthy. This woman has a passion for decorating with lace, pink, roses, sparkles....her house would be loved by many a young kid in the throes of a princess stage would adore.

penny-pennystreasures.blogspot.ca/

I admit to liking at least some of her pieces, individually, like a pitcher or a teacup. But all together? I think if a bridal shop were hit by a tornado and scattered randomly around it would approximate some of those rooms. And the wedding dresses on the chairs and the wedding dress tree is just creepy!

And the fireplace - which obviously has never seen a fire because all of the rags, I mean lace, would catch. I don't even like modern stuff all that much, but it honestly looks like she took a boatload of faded pastel fabric and tossed it all over her house.

[FundieFarmer]

Holy Moses so much is happening in that house. I liked some of her stuff too, but I'm also pretty sure Mr. FF wouldn't tolerate living in a house with that decor. It's a giant shrine to weddings past...that weren't even hers!

[polecat]

It's like one of those junky, overcrowded, main street "antique shops." I don't know how she can keep all that cloth clean. Or maybe she doesn't? Maybe that's why she uses it -- cuts down on the dusting? I also think she's got some clever ideas, but there's just SO MUCH lace and ruffles and pink and STUFF that it just looks busy and messy.

(And while I know "sweater pumpkins" are an actual thing -- the term still makes me giggle like a 13 yo boy).

ETA: She has doilies on her range hood. :shock:

[GodsKnickers]

Holy shizznuts, that kitchen. They must order in, never cook, so it doesn't get messed up. Like you said, there are some individual pieces/buildings that I'd love to have, minus all of it enrobed in 23 pounds of ruffled crap. That vintage fireplace surround/mantel on her deck is lovely.

However, the rest? It's like a very Victorian Laura Ashley had an orgasm and this was the result. :shock:

[happy atheist]

I can't imagine ever needing such a large piece of furniture to store my doilies in. Heck, I can't even imagine ever owning a doily. That house is insane.

[catlady]

For the love of Pete, what is with the rags on the frame of the patio swing? It will be a drippy soggy mess every time it rains, covered in bird shit, and harboring spiders. I am desperately afraid of spiders, so I would have the willies sitting on any of those outdoor ruffled cushions.

And she says she has the cottage trailer in her yard, but what about the daybed standing in front of it? It reminds me of a sketchy tree swing I saw once on vacation: in this yard was a sheet of plywood hanging by ropes, with a mattress on the plywood. Yes, a bare mattress. Outside. Exposed to the elements. Probably full of mildew. Penny's stuff may be prettier than that swing, but upholstery of this sort does not belong outside.

[Cactus]

Surely she doesn't actually live in a house this... frilly? Where are all the things one actually uses day-to-day? Where are her car keys? Her dirty dishes? Is there an annexe out the back with an industrial sewing machine and a man-cave for that poor hubby of hers?

I'm sneezing and wheezing just looking at that house. I cannot imagine actually living in it.

[Naga Viper]

Confession: I kind of fucking love Penny's blog. I'm twenty years off from granny age and I personally like a sleeker, more contemporary look in my own home, but looking at her photos is like imagining one of my favorite aunts going on a meth bender with an unlimited budget. I mean, my aunt would dial it back by at least 80% and mix in more colors, but for some reason I enjoy seeing that Havisham aesthetic taken to its illogical extreme. It's like a cautionary tale of home decor.

How much does it rain in New Mexico across the year? I would think that would make the dust issues worse but reduce the mildew.

[librarianjojo]

Well, this was it. The was the thread that finally popped my FJ cherry after a month of lurking. I remain silent through the Duggar drama, but this cannot go without comment.

Does she actually LIVE in that house? Where do you sit? How does one acquire so many frolicking ceramic animals? Is there an upcoming apocalypse during which we can only be saved with lace and teacups? How long does it take to DUST?! Or haul the fabric crap inside every time it rain? Does she sh*t potpourri and wipe with hand-tatted doilies?

[NotALoserLikeYou]

I think there is a thread on this somewhere because it's very snarkable.

I would love to see shots of how they function in this house. Cooking in the kitchen, eating dinner at that table. And mainly her husband. I picture him as a burly guy because that makes it funner. Like, a lumberjack reading the paper in that living room. What does HE do for fun? There doesn't seem to be any of him in the house.

[Cartmann99]

I was checking out the tour of her kitchen.

penny-pennystreasures.blogspot.ca/2013/08/my-romantic-kitchen-tour.html

The picture of her breakfast/lunch table has me befuddled. I don't really get setting out doilies, multiple plates, various silver items, and then choosing to put out paper napkins. Also, is leaving the silver tarnished part of the "look"? :shrug:

She mentioned that she does remove the doilies from the stove before cooking, so some food preparation does happen there in doilyland. She must be a much neater cook than I am. I would either have to completely de-doily and re-doily the kitchen at mealtimes, or do massive amounts of laundry each week. :lol:

[FundieFarmer]

Havisham aesthetic taken to its illogical extreme.

So accurate. So, so accurate. And in 20 years, when she's unable to care for it and it all tatters, it'll be Havisham 2.0- Spooky Edition.

Welcome to FJ, LibrarianJoJo!

[happy atheist]

I have been "tweeking" the kitchen the last few days

Whoever mentioned meth might be on to something...

Why does she have a Canadian URL if she lives in New Mexico?

I can't decide if she would be easy to buy gifts for (just grab something ruffley), or really hard (no, silly, this week's theme is fairy bunnies, not candy unicorns!).

[Cactus]

Why does she have a Canadian URL if she lives in New Mexico?

Blogspot automatically redirects you to a local version of its site regardless of where the blog comes from, so for me, everything shows up as blogspot.com.au even if I enter the blogspot.ca URL.

I presume the OP lives in Canada and Blogspot redirected them accordingly.

[formergothardite]

The strips hanging from her swing reminds me of long strips of fly paper. Did anyone notice that outside she has a chandelier(I guess that's what it is) hanging up that has tea cups hanging on it? :?

If a fire started in that house it would go up in minutes.

[Anny Nym]

The strips hanging from her swing reminds me of long strips of fly paper. Did anyone notice that outside she has a chandelier(I guess that's what it is) hanging up that has tea cups hanging on it? :?

If a fire started in that house it would go up in minutes.

That was my first thought too when looking at these pics over there at Penny´s pastell purgatory! :pink-shock:

Also, just image that hordes of dust bunnies, which must live in this house. I would love to know her cleaning routine...

[anachronistic]

What I honestly don't get it where she keeps all of her stuff for living. Her bathroom counters are covered with decorations - where does she put her soap, not to mention toothpaste, etc? Where are her appliances - toaster, blender - in the kitchen? Where are her books, magazines, general clutter? Surely it cannot be that neat all the time, right?

[Four is Enough]

I'll admit to having a basket full of doilies, and another of table cloths. I treasure them and save them (and, occasionally, use them) because of sentimental value. They were made by my mother, aunts, and grandmothers.. But there might be a tablecloth in the guest room, covering the table under which I store my scrapbook stuff.... with a doily on top. Not that explosion of.....virgin white and unblemished pink... makes me think of bodice ripper books I've read.

[FundieFarmer]

That was my first thought too when looking at these pics over there at Penny´s pastel purgatory! :pink-shock:

Also, just image that hordes of dust bunnies, which must live in this house. I would love to know her cleaning routine...

New post count title?? [emoji1]

[sense and nonsense]

I like to imagine the house slowly decaying in rust and dust till it is converted into a House of Horrors for Halloween.

[SnazzyNazzy]

Kill it with fire....IMMEDIATELY.

Sweet baby Jesus, that place is busy. Just imagine dusting all of those knick-knacks.

[Cartmann99]

Confession: I kind of fucking love Penny's blog. I'm twenty years off from granny age and I personally like a sleeker, more contemporary look in my own home, but looking at her photos is like imagining one of my favorite aunts going on a meth bender with an unlimited budget. I mean, my aunt would dial it back by at least 80% and mix in more colors, but for some reason I enjoy seeing that Havisham aesthetic taken to its illogical extreme. It's like a cautionary tale of home decor.

How much does it rain in New Mexico across the year? I would think that would make the dust issues worse but reduce the mildew.

She mentioned exactly where she lives in one of her blog posts. I'll not repeat it here, but she lives in a semi-arid part of New Mexico that receives about 18 inches of rain per year. In other words, too wet to be considered true desert, but normally a pretty dry and windy place.

That said, her area has had much more rain than usual this year and has had some issues with flooding. With all of that rain, she could have some mildew issues this year. :think:

[MatthewDuggar]

Somehow, I've know and heard of other eclectic people like this that have similar decorating "hobbies" or collections "gone wild". Didn't TLC have a show about this kind of illness?

[happy atheist]

Blogspot automatically redirects you to a local version of its site regardless of where the blog comes from, so for me, everything shows up as blogspot.com.au even if I enter the blogspot.ca URL.

I presume the OP lives in Canada and Blogspot redirected them accordingly.

Nope, I'm American. I haven't been to Canada in about ten years.

[happy atheist]

Some people are having trouble getting her site to load, so here are some of her pix: