Bring Out the Mimi in You! Kelly's House
By Kelly Moreland, Owner of Mama Goose & Mimi's Attic
Have you ever read our slogan "Bring Out the Mimi in You!" and wondered what the heck we meant? To me, it means we are all capable of being inspired to make changes in our homes that will make them more functional and/or more beautiful (to you!). "Bring Out the Mimi in You!" is an invitation to come browse the Mimi's sales floor, see what pieces speak to you, and then take them home and start shaking things up.
Mimi (my grandmother and the store's namesake) loved thrifting and cleaning up or repairing her found treasures and then displaying them prominently for everyone's enjoyment. As a child, I was particularly drawn to her menagerie of miniature cast iron animals perched on a marble lazy susan at the head of her table. This whimsical display greeted Mimi every time she sat down for a meal, and sent the message to me as a little girl that Mimi's home, and her thoughtfully displayed belongings, brought her a lot of joy.
With this sentiment in mind, I thought it would be fun to show you my home and the things that bring me joy. I think my style could best be described as "du jour" because it changes frequently. Of course, I have the advantage of browsing at Mimi's Attic five days a week! Whenever I bring "new" pieces home from Mimi's, they tend to get me thinking about the things that surround them, and before I know it, I have changed everything in a room. Hence, my house "du jour".
While the major pieces of my kitchen have stayed the same for many years, I enjoy changing the wall color, art work and the color of the enamel top vintage cabinet to make things feel fresh and new. Except for a few family hand-me-downs, most of the dishes, pots and pans and everything else is from Mimi's.
Practically everything, except for the dog, came from Mimi's. My living room morphs often depending on the needs of the household. When my daughters were younger, I had a craft table for a coffee table and all the craft supplies on a bookshelf nearby. This current incarnation was inspired by the fabulous wool rug from Mimi's, the cheerful chartreuse chair and Friday night movie nights. The artwork (a napping woman, a bear, birds, flowers) is all about slowing down and relaxing.
This room was formerly a nursery room, then an office, and is now a pantry which feels like a total luxury. It is right near my back door, so in addition to doing all the things pantries do, it works as a serving station for backyard entertaining. Everything needed to make this space function is easily found at Mimi's: platters, serving dishes, drinking glasses, carafes, ice buckets, folding chairs, pillows for outside, flower vases and linens. I could also imagine setting up a station like this in a garage or shed. The white cabinets on the right were from Mimi's (and fit perfectly!) and the shelves were built from barn wood from Significant Elements.
The table and all "sittables" in this picture came from Mimi's. I wonder if anyone remembers the pub bench which came into Mimi's this winter, and has a mate somewhere in Ithaca? The table is adorned with my weekly CSA bouquet from Plenty of Posies. They are such a treat all summer long. If you have not signed up, they will do a prorated share for you - just give them a call!
Ok, so I take after my grandmother a little bit and have a menagerie of my own. What can I say? Little vintage critters make me smile.
Speaking of smiling, we want to see the Mimi in YOU! Please join our Instagram photo contest (details below) happening now for a chance to win $100 GC! More importantly, though, we just love to see and hear how you use your Mimi Treasures in your homes. If you are not on Instagram, you can send us photos via email to info@mimisatticithaca.com and perhaps we can feature them here on the blog!
