Some objects make me stop because of one small detail. With this pillow, it was the words.
Stitched across its mustard-colored center, surrounded by burgundy and forest-green plaid, was this message:
"Old rag doll, torn & tattered, you were my friend when it really mattered."
I read it and immediately thought of the things we keep long after anyone else might understand why.
A childhood doll. A blanket worn thin. Something small that accompanied us through a part of life we can barely remember, yet somehow still holds the feeling of being there.
I don't know who first owned this pillow or what those words meant to them. That part of its story stays a mystery. But the sentiment was enough to make me want to find it another home.
And then someone chose it.
As I got ready to pack it, a little rag angel caught my eye. She had a stitched smile, wonderfully unruly hair, button details, and a star held against her dress. Her wings were burgundy and dark forest green—the same colors as the pillow.
Together, they looked like they had something in common.
So I decided the angel would go along as a surprise.
There's a funny thing I've noticed about myself: sometimes I call the purchases I'm packing "gifts." They're orders, of course. Someone found something in the shop and bought it. But when I'm choosing a little extra or writing a note, I find myself thinking about what it will be like for that person to open the package.
That's where "You found one" comes in.
Every so often, a small, unexpected treasure joins a purchase—a little companion chosen for that particular package. This time, it was an angel who seemed especially suited to a pillow about an old friend.
I love finding objects with details like these. A few uneven stitches. A particular combination of colors. A sentence someone thought was worth putting on a pillow.
They give me a reason to look a little longer.
And sometimes, before a treasure leaves the Bazaar, they help me decide what should go with it.
What childhood treasure would you love to find again?
—Elizabeth The CAKE Bazaar