Thursday Thrill – A Very Crappy Kind of Thrill

So today's thrill is not my usual of food pictures, fun times, and pretty clothes. I had today's post scheduled for my monthly birthstone post, September Sapphire, but that will have to wait. Monday changed our plans. My husband was riding his bicycle back home from work (we only have one car and he frequently rides the few miles to and from work on his bike to save gas, money, and get exercise). He had made it to less than a mile from our apartment when a car hit him...and then left. Left him laying in the road in an intersection and drove away.

My husband said that he just rolled over onto his back and took a second to realize what happened. A woman who witnessed the hit and run stopped and immediately got out and asked if he was okay and called 911. She was apparently so shaken up by witnessing the event that she didn't think to get a license plate and didn't have a clear memory of the car or driver of the vehicle that hit him. However, I cannot be thankful enough that she stopped to help. Another driver also stopped and they helped my husband to a nearby shade tree out of the road and sun.

My husband was in a lot of pain, but adrenaline was pumping so he was upright for a bit and then started swaying from dizziness, so they laid him down and waited with him until the fire department, police, and ambulance got there. The impact of the fall from the bike cracked his helmet, so the ambulance said they had to take him to a trauma center instead of the ER. They put him in a neck brace and on a board and started for the hospital.

Then I got the call. The call came with my husband's name attached, but when I answered it was another man's voice. A member of the fire department, he said...accident...husband hit...go to hospital, was all my brain heard. Calm panic, if there is such a thing, set in and I grabbed my purse and keys and ran out the door. The only other time I got a phone call like this was when my dad died. These are the most frightening calls you never want to get.

I got to the hospital and they let me in the trauma center and my husband was hooked up to everything, had his clothes cut off him, and a neck brace on. Needless to say, I freaked. Inside, of course. I didn't want to scare him or stress him in any way, so I just approached, took his hand, and asked what happened. He explained everything and said that the hospital did all the tests and were waiting for results. He said his left shoulder took the brunt of the fall (and it looked like it did), so it hurt along with his hip. We were in the trauma unit for six hours and they told us that his spine and head cleared. No major injury to those or his internal organs. YES!!! I screamed in my brain. No broken bones either, which was amazing. He just tore away a ligament in his shoulder (which is why his arm hung there and his shoulder looks deformed). No surgery needed though. He had some major road rash (scrapes, bruises, etc. from hitting and skidding on the pavement) on his hip, shoulder, and back, but that would heal up quick. All great news...until...

Oh my god, we don't have insurance. Keep it together, I told myself. My husband is alive and no major injuries. But oh my god, we don't have insurance and he rode in an ambulance, had to go to a trauma center, and had all those tests! This is going to be very scary, but I'm going to do some research and with any luck we will figure this thing out.

But my husband is alive! The bastard that hit him and left will hopefully be found, but the odds of that are slim. I still can't believe anyone could do that. To feel the impact of a body hitting your car and just drive away... Makes me so angry that he lay there in the road. My husband. And someone just went about their day not knowing or caring if he was okay after hitting him.

BUT! Our friends and family were amazing. We got an outpouring of support and kindness from them all. We've only lived in Raleigh for a year and a half and the people we've met here have been so wonderful! Everyone sent messages, people volunteered time, resources, and meals to help us. Me and my husband were both pretty overwhelmed at the generosity shown by these beautiful people.

Going forward, I'm going to try and keep the blog and my shop at the same pace, but at least for the next couple of weeks I may be a bit behind while I try to help my husband recuperate. I did successfully bath and clothe him the morning after, so I would call that success so far! Thank you all for you understanding and for letting me share this exhaustively long post. Things will get lighter from here, don't worry! For yours and my sake! :-)

Last Week's Thursday Thrill:

Summer Fashion Recap: Part Two

Wordless Wednesday – Cotton Candy Blooms

Last Week's Wordless Wednesday:

Giddy Gomphrena

Treasury Tuesday – My Basket Overfloweth

September is now into its second week and I'm just now starting to see the difference. The evenings are getting shorter, the weather is starting to cool a bit, and there is even a little color change just starting to peek from a few trees. Farmers are hard at work with their fall plantings and soon the last of the main harvests of the year will take place. Squash, pumpkins, apples and other colorful goodies will soon fill the farmer's market. 

I personally love this transition and was happy to see it represented so beautifully in this treasury, curated by Nancy of Nancy Kay Creations. Doesn't it just smell of cider and spice?! All of her picks were lovely and I especially love those tiny wheat tiles. I was tickled that me and my hair flower "Woodland Nymph" got to help represent the season too!

To view individual items in this treasury, click here.

Last Week's Treasury Tuesday:

Sophisticated Chic

The Sunday Snag – An Evening Glow

Can you feel the warmth coming from my overflowing heart? I am love in this dress. Not in love, I am love. With each piece added to this outfit, I felt more tenderhearted. Very much like a gentler nature lived in these clothes before me and waited with patient breath to share a kind word or two with each new wearer. Just another reason I love vintage clothing. What delicate soul fell in love with this 70 years ago and decided that she felt like "herself" in this. 

This dainty frock is from the 1940s and she looks nearly as good as the day she went to her first home. A little faded from many long years of love, but otherwise in delightfully excellent condition given her age. I purchased this dress nearly as soon as it was listed in mid-July from Raleigh Vintage. Coincidentally, they happen to be one of my sponsors this month too!! I was overwhelming thrilled that Andi and Isaac, the owners of Raleigh Vintage, asked to sponsor my blog because I may be one of their biggest fans. I've purchased from them before in the spring and wore that dress on July 4th (see that outfit here). You couldn't ask for a nicer couple of people and to buy vintage from them is a pleasure. I'm pretty excited because ChatterBlossom, my shop, will be vending with them for the Eastern Balboa Championships coming up at the end of October. More on that in a future post! Let's get back to the dress shall we?

I was so charmed by this sweet dress when Raleigh Vintage posted a photo of it on their Facebook page. Really it was love at first sight. The pastel plaid of muted pink, white, and purplish gray was cute (as most plaids are, in my opinion), but add a ruffle neckline and dainty white lace? Of course, I would fall straight away! The lace on the front and back neckline is actually removable too! Those tiny little buttons aren't purely decorative. You can remove that lace for an entirely different look. Shoulder pads give extra perk to the wrap-around ruffle and even the oversized pocket didn't get overlooked. It too gets lace trim and a little matching button. Plus, for one of the very first times in my vintage dress buying, the matching belt wasn't lost! An unexpected and quite darling surprise was hiding inside the dress too: her original tags. Most tags have been cut out, have fallen off, or have had the label rubbed to an unreadable state. But just look at that label! She is an "Original, Jean DeLane" from the "Liberty Frock Co., Inc.". Gracing the corner is three elegantly dressed young ladies stepping out together arm-in-arm. Swoon!

I was excited to accessorize this dress as I didn't have a thing that would go with it when I bought it. I actually made this floral headband with inspiration from the dress. Now in my shop, "My Foolish Heart" is a tiny, pink velvet flower headband made from vintage 1940s millinery and set on a vintage (also 1940s) Swiss velvet ribbon in fuchsia pink. You can't see the ribbon here, as I have my hair covering it to coordinate a bit better with the dress. My ring, "Daisy Mae", also from my shop, seemed like she wanted a day out in the sunshine, so she travelled along for this outing. The purse was actually found the day we took these photos! The hubs and I were strolling through the open air flea market that morning and I saw this pretty straw basket style purse hanging from a hook above a suitcase full of old fur and gloves. It seemed perfect for all the sweet cotton summer dresses I've collected over the last few months. This is my first vintage purse! I believe it is 1960s based upon others I've seen. The leather straps are nicely worn soft and the clasp is a very pretty stamped metalwork. Quite glad I stumbled across it as we walked by! I actually picked up three purses that day, two of which I'm sure you'll see in the coming weeks. 

Outfit Details:

Dress: 1940s Plaid & Lace from Raleigh Vintage

Floral Headpiece: "My Foolish Heart" 1940s Velvet Headband, my shop ChatterBlossom

Purse: 1960s Straw & Leather Basket from local flea market

Ring: "Daisy Mae" Antique Button Ring, my shop ChatterBlossom

Last Week's Sunday Snag:

Modern Day Flapper