09/04/2026
I was going through my camera roll this morning, getting ready to put together a Friday recap of some of the furniture I still have available, when I came across this picture of my grandparents, Lillian and Mickey. ❤️
This has always been one of my favorite photos of them because they both look so genuinely happy. They met in the third grade at Oxford School in Fairhaven and went on to build a whole life together.
I tried one of those CapCut effects that brings an old photograph to life, and I wasn’t prepared for how emotional it would make me. Seeing them move and smile again, even for just a few seconds, made me tear up a little.🥲
They were the best grandparents, and I miss them both so much. But I realized this morning that I also miss those simpler days. And when I think about those days, so many of my memories lead right back to their house.
I think a lot of my love for old things, old houses and cozy, lived-in spaces probably started there.
Before I even bought my own house, my dad went to see it first. He called me afterward and said, “You’re going to want this house. It’s an old granny cottage, and it even has that narrow, steep staircase like Grandma’s.”
He knew me well. ❤️
When we were kids, we used to slide down Grandma’s staircase on our butts, and all these years later, walking up and down the narrow staircase in my own little old house can still take me right back there.
Maybe that’s part of where Humble Beginnings really began, long before I ever picked up a paintbrush or refinished my first piece of furniture.
I’ve always been drawn to things that have been around for a while. Old furniture, old houses, old photographs. Things that have a little wear and a story behind them. Maybe it’s because they remind me of a time when life felt a little simpler and the people I loved were still here.
Old things hold memories. ❤️
And sometimes an old photograph can even give you a few precious seconds where it feels like those memories have come to life again.
If you could have just one more day with someone you love and miss, who would it be? Share a photo in the comments if you’d like and tell me a little about them. I’d love to see your people, too. ❤️
