Our Perfectly Imperfect Life: Vintage Baby Doll Crib

Isabella and I were walking around a quaint little antique store today when we came across the CUTEST little doll crib.

As soon as you walk through the doors of this old rustic cottage you are hit with the small of old books and wood! The smell reminds me of the past and my imagination starts to run wild with excitement! I look at things not just for what they once did, but what I can use them for today!. Antique stores are like a treasure chest waiting to be opened!

My eyes land on a small, round glass container with a specked gold lid on it! I start to think about the vanity it must have once sat on and who must have owned it! A gentile southern woman who must have taken a lot of pride in the way she looked and smelled like! Her house was once adorned with lovely glass and gold objects and she sat on her porch with her husband every night talking about the days passed!! I had to have it, it was just too much so I walked over to the shelf hoping it was not overly priced and was shocked to see a five dollar sticker on it! It was MINE!!!

Bella and I slowly walked around the cottage and looked at every booth. We have a rule of thumb we walk around looking at all the wonderful things in the store then we take a second trip around getting down and looking under shelves and in those hidden corners! That is when Bella found her treasure!!!

"AAAAWWWWW!!!! Mommy, look at this bed, I SO think Kit could fit in it!"

I walk over to were Isabella was standing and look down at this cute, but not so sturdy doll crib. It looked like a crib from the 50's error and all in all was in good shape considering it's age! One of the side boards was going to need to be replaced and for the right price it would be a good toy for her!

I reached down to flip the price tag over and said, "It's twenty dollars Bella, and I am not sure we can fix the side panel right away."

Bella pulled her beaded green purse up and pulled her money out. "Five, ten, eleven, twelve! I have half of the money Mommy, can I get it?"

"You know if it going to take almost all your money Bella and like I said I am not sure we will be able to fix the crib today, we might have to wait till next weekend."

"That's okay Mommy, I really want to get it for Kit," in a sweet yet overly excited voice.

I picked the crib up from the floor and walked over to the counter with my five dollar treasure and Bella's treasure. Behind the counter was an older woman in a flowered shirt and jeans. She had the cutest long gold chained necklace on with a flowers adoring it! She reached down over the counter hitting the edge with her gold bangle bracelets to take the tag from Bella's hand.

"Um, can you ring those up separably please? My daughter has to pay for half of the crib and I want to have an accurate price for her!"

"Oh, my she is going to pay for half?" then she looked down at Bella and said in the sweetest, southern voice, "You are such a responsible young lady and since this is going to be yours I am going to give it to you for fifteen dollars with tax included! Do you think you can pay your mommy the seven dollars and fifty cents?"

With her big green eyes staring up at her and a huge smile on her face Bella softly said in her cute little voice, "That's so nice of you, thank you! I can give you the seven dollars and fifty cents if you want and then my Mommy will only have to pay her half!"

With a chuckle and broad smile on her face she looked at Bella and then at me and said, "I'm sure Mommy can pay for the whole thing and then you can give her the money later on."

Her laugh lines were like a map of the many laughs and smiles she had given to people over the years. Her demeanor a gentile one and she had the warmest, most welcoming eyes! She then took the five dollar tag off my wonderful treasure and added up my total.

"That's going to be twenty dollars and forty-one cents."

I pulled my card out of my back pocket and handed it to her! She carefully wrapped my glass cotton ball holder and stuck the recite in the bag! Before taking the bag I thanked her and walked out to the car!

All the way home Bella could not contain herself she was so excited she had bought this crib and couldn't wait for Daddy to see it!

As soon as we walked in the house Bella was bustling with excitement telling Jason all about the antique store we had gone to and what she had found. After careful examination he determined with a little TLC and some creativity on my part we could fix the crib for her and Kit could sleep in it tonight!!

So here are the pictures of the before and after of Bella's treasure!!! ENJOY!!!

The crib minus the broken board