Corners of My Aunt's Home, 5

This beautiful lamp hangs over the dining room table.

A child's sugar and creamer sits on a windowsill.
The beautiful clock was a 50th wedding anniversary gift from my aunt and uncle's children and their families.

Another picture of darling Dutch girls on this coffee pot!

This fabulous pitcher was a gift from a friend. It had belonged to her mother.

Only once have we been able to visit in the winter. This windowsill becomes the home of an enchanting village, all lit up for Christmas! So beautiful!

Ten of us fit around the table for dinner last Friday night.

I am truly blessed to have these wonderful people for family!!!

Corners of My Aunt's Home, 4

I just LOVE this little picture!

It's charm is increased by the candles hanging above it.

Across the back of the house is a kitchen, a dining area and a cozy seating area with a fireplace.

This is where I first sat to read two of my favorite stories of all time, from a book of short stories I found on those shelves, many years ago. "The Old Neighborhood" and "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall".

More beautiful Dutch treasures line the mantel. I think the egg wreath is so pretty! My aunt and uncle raised chickens for awhile.

They also had apple trees. We had one apple tree once. Beautiful in the spring, messy the rest of the year. I love the colorful pods! Of course, I have some now also.

I'm crazy about how those candles look hanging on the quilt bar. Something about all that color...

Oh, and notice THGGM, resting. The poor man caught a cold the night before we left. He can be found in MANY pictures in just that position.

Not sure if that was because of the cold, or because of how cozy of a place my aunt and uncle's home is!

Corners of My Aunt's Home, 3

Right around this corner is the entrance to the downstairs bedroom.

My dad and mom slept here.

Notice that I am not the only one who likes those small Dutch plaque thingies?

If I remember correctly, one of my cousins painted the interesting canvas in the hallway. I LOVE it!

The shelf was a 'new' addition this year.

Everything on it blends so well together!

Isn't she cute?

You can tell she is Dutch,

busy, busy, busy!

The small picture is a Mary Cassatt.

Children's blocks are something else I cannot resist

The 'Sun Bonnet Girls' vase is gorgeous!

Silhouettes have their own certain charm also. I have a string can just like the one on her shelf!

Could anything be cuter than a 'Cosy Corner Picture Book'? I think not!

Well, accept for the tiny picture of her granddaughter Sarah.

A wooden plaque of little Dutch boys playing 'crack the whip'. Notice how the boy on the end has lost his wooden shoe!

I like Dutch boys so much that I married one!

Baby Sweater

(this picture fell off the bottom of the post below...don't ask me how...)

Hanging on the dresser in the downstairs bedroom is this crocheted baby sweater.

It was a baby gift from a dear family friend by the name of Effie.

All four of my aunt and uncle's children wore this sweater home from the hospital.

Corners of My Aunt's Home, 2

This is the view from one of three windows in the downstairs bedroom.

It was a WINDY and rainy day, yet that farm across the street still looks beautiful!

This window is by a dresser, and the pictures in this post are all on or about that dresser.

A beautiful button frame holds a tiny picture of the 'other' sister and her husband.

My addictive love of embroidery, footed glassware holding jewelry, buttons and old pictures gets a 'fix' whenever I am here!

This doll seems to exist just to wear jewelry.

I haven't been able to get any of my dolls to cooperate. I tried it once with a rag doll, and found her later, slumped over.

Notice this doll is wearing a Santa Claus pin from Wurzburg's.

Another beautiful cup. This one holding manicure implements.

This is a celuloid dresser set.

Notice the small jar on the left. It is a 'salt dip' with a cover from an old Avon pin (soon, one just like it will appear in my home, as i have that pin...somewhere!).

And, on the right, a teeny tiny glass cup - holding teeny tiny buttons!

This is a picture taken into the mirror that hangs over the dresser.

I love the glass bead swag draped around it.

I also love that woman in the mirror!

That's my mom. Not too long after she 'went missing' and I aged 10 years. The picture to the right is of my aunt and uncle's five grandchildren.

Corners of My Aunt's Home, 1

All the pictures in this post are from the bathroom at my aunt's home.

I love how even something as humble as a bathroom has so much beauty in it!

Of course, I share a love for Dutch pictures of mothers and children.

And, tiny bottles? I love those too! The tiny graphic on the 'Cara Nome' bottle is particularly charming, don't you think?

A tea cup Q-tip holder-

Much prettier than that blue cardboard box they come in!

How pretty is that cup?

My aunt is the one who introduced me to Mary Englebriet's 'Home Companion'.

Notice the salt-shaker tassels? Yes. We BOTH make those!

A Corner of My Living Room

As I go about my cleaning today, I'm trying to do a bit of fall decorating. I'm being held back some by the fact that my tub of fall decorations is SOMEWHERE in my attic. Apparently, UNDER tubs of Christmas decorations.

But, I found a few postcards, and added a few silk leaves left over from my cards.

I'm wonderfully happy that orange and rust tones no longer have to fight with pink carpet.

Hooray for progress!

Bowl of Apples, in Four Parts

More Shadows

This shadow appeared on my living room wall Sunday night.

I cannot resist a good shadow.

The old leaded glass window adds a bit more charm, I think.

Fun Times

I found such a cute little wooden shelf at the thrift store today. I think it is just absolutely charming, and I have been playing around with it for about an hour now. Knowing myself as well as I do, I will probably be playing with it for the rest of my life. The minute I laid eyes on it, I knew it would look great holding my mini collection of mini books!

I'm very pleased with how it is coming together!

It also has a drawer for the bottom, but I liked it better as a shelf.

So, now I have a little drawer to turn into a shadow box! Oh, so many possibilities abound, if one just has a wee bit of imagination! And a little bit of money doesn't hurt, either. Three dollars for the shelf. What a deal.

How's This?

I found a book of museum 'cat art' postcards a month or so ago. For a mere 10 cents.

The color seemed to work with the room, so I've decided to hang them on my card holder.

This morning I found the bags of leaves I bought to attach to some fall cards I'm making.

It still needs something. Maybe a gold bead garland or some tinsel.

My Bedroom Reading Corner

This is the chair, now happily upstairs in our bedroom, where it matches.

And, in an effort to not annoy THGGM, I am reading in this chair at night, instead of reading in bed.

It seems to be working.

Oh. And I haven't yet thought of what to put on the card hanger, which is empty at the moment.

Any ideas?

I Lit Up My Bird Cage!

I get all excited about really strange things. If you've read my blog regularly, you already know this.

While looking at my glass block with the lights in it, I got to thinking how nice my bird cage would look all lit up.

It seemed like an easy thing to do, since the bottom comes out of the cage. Hmm. Things aren't always as easy as they would seem.

But, I got it in there, and I really like how it looks!

I'm sure I'll think of something else to put in it. I have a small tree I think I could get in there for Christmas.

I Finally Found Them!

Well. It took me months to get around to it, but I finally found the proper extension cords for plugging in my lamps.

I LOVE the light they shed in this room!

It is SO peaceful.

It's a deceiving peace though, as THGGM just walked by and made a rude comment about me blogging while I still have work to do.

I'm working, I say!

Oh, and see that square of light by the base of the lamp on the left? It is one of those window blocks with white lights in it. It was nicely done for Christmas when I bought it at the thrift store for $1.49, but I tend to enjoy 're-doing' my finds, so I'm looking for something with which to do that. I'm SURE I have something around here...let me look...

Also, notice the absense of the orange flowered chair! It's in the bedroom now, where it matches nicely.

I took some pictures of that, but good grief, it's amazing how some pictures just scream at you to make changes! That one sure did. So, once I get the loft fixed up, I'll start in on that.

Sorry, But I Will Shamelessly Post My Hat Heads Any Chance I Get!

The wire-beaded black purse was one of my antique store finds from the weekend. It has a nice little tag in it, telling me it was made in India.

I doubt that it is old, but I don't mind, it's pretty and it was cheap!

The small black thing at the bottom of the picture is a tiny black change purse. It refused to stand. I'm sure it would if there was change in it, but I spent all of that to buy it!

The Wooden Box

THGGM found this small wooden box at one of the antique malls we visited this weekend.

Works perfectly as a coffee table!

THGGM collects wooden boxes, so he was very happy.

Of course, he is rearranging the entire room around this new piece, so I have to go. I get to help.

Old/New Things

$40.00 Thirft chair with ottoman.

It still doesn't match the pink carpet.

What can I say?
$40.00 Thrift loveseat.

Different Thrift store.
This has already met the approval of Youngest Son and Barb the Cat, who both appear to find it to be comfortable.

Well, Actually, It's Barb's Home

Just one lit lamp makes any corner look cozy.

I rarely sit there, because I like to LOOK at it.
Of course, I must always contend with Barb, who thinks that he should be in ALL my pictures.

Notice how he struck a pose for this one, as if saying -

"I am Barb, ruler of this kingdom, occasional killer of mice, and all around nice guy. I haven't opposible thumbs with which to open cans. SO FEED ME!"