Today I spent a joyful hour exploring The Drawer - you know, the Drawer with the Things which will probably never find a use but seem somehow too special and precious to throw away. You probably have one too. I found some old friends:
An old leather button that makes me think of a wise, craggy faced and weathered shepherd or woodsman, who knows everything and says nothing.
A stick my daughter found when she was tiny. She carefully stripped all the bark from it revealing a mosaic of reddish wood with dark veins underneath.
An embroidered patch in happy, fresh, spring-time blues and yellows, rescued from a pair of jeans when they finally became more hole than denim.
A pretty polished grey pebble that fits neatly in my clenched palm and feels warm and comforting.
I love these things for the images and memories they conjure up, the stories they tell, and I love taking the time to notice and enjoy them. That's why I love my little van and the freedom it brings to wander where the mood takes me and to pause for as long as it takes to relish the special places. The small objects I find transport me to different worlds, whilst my cosy van brings comfort and homeliness. I suppose that's why Vandogs exists. It grew from exactly this feeling: the comfort of home, the excitement of wandering, and the quiet joy of noticing the little things that so easily pass us by. My little shop is filled with my own designs, inspired by my journeys, and some items which capture the warmth of home or the spirit of the open road. I invite you into my little world, to browse a while, buy if you want, and share your own journeys with me.
I'd love to hear about your escapes, whether in a camper van, a garden bench or a walk along the coast, the places you've discovered, and the moments of joy you've found along the way.