Creepy Baby?

This adorable picture belonged to THGGM's grandmother.

I think it is fabulous. I collect old baby bottles like the one in the picture.

The frame is beautiful!


Notice the detailed carving in the wooden frame.

Whenever I hang it up somewhere, someone moves the 'creepy baby'.

I'm thinking of hanging it over Baby Boy's crib in the dining room.

Vintage Baby pictures

I love these old pictures.

Notice the silhouette, shown in the detail.

Pictures like this are getting harder to find.

The yellow one has a bit of damage.


To me, they are charming!

I used to look at them when I was young. I thought they were pictures of my grandmothers.

They're not.

I'm thinking that I might hang them in my art room.

Cute Puppy

This adorable tiny rattle belonged to THGGM when he was a baby.

I am trying my hardest to get Baby Boy interested in it.

It makes ME happy to look at it. Some of the rattles out now are down right scary looking.

This little blue puppy is at least appealing!

I have a few vintage baby pictures that I would love to display, but everyone here as deemed them 'weird looking'.

Spode

This is my one and only piece of Spode.

It's tiny.

It's crazed.

It's tea stained.

I LOVE it.

It cost me $2.oo.

It wasn't tea stained when I bought it. Since I don't put out individual pats of butter, I used to for tea bags. As someone who has rubbed stain into the cracks on many things I've made, I was delighted to see this happen.

When in Doubt, Decorate with Books!

Old Plates

This is just a plain old unmarked plate, but I love it!

I found it at a thrift store on Saturday.

I think I'll keep collecting odd plates. They are inexpensive, don't take up much space and make a nice gift in a pinch.

Dutch Picture

I got this Dutch picture for my birthday several years back. I will always remember that we got it at the antique mall in Greenville. I walked through there with great fear and trepidation as once, when THGGM and I were in there, a high shelf collapsed sending irreplaceable treasures to the trash heap. And the sound of it all - unbelievable. THGGM moved this picture from our bedroom to the living room. I like it here. As far as Dutch pictures go, this one is a happy one. In some of them, it's so gloomy you just have to wonder why they didn't all just let the sea rush in.

Anyway...the frame has some damage. It had a little bit when I got it, but I was able to do some handy repairs to it. But, when handy repairs will no longer do, it's nice to drape some fake flowers over the worst spot. Well...I think it's nice.

Oh, and the top shot. Isn't that cool? I held up my handy-dandy digital camera until the flash hit directly on the spot in the picture where the sun is setting. Occasionally, I impress myself.

Will I Write Here? Will Guests Come?

I haven't gotten this room exactly how I want it yet, but I'm getting there. When it isn't in use as a guest room, I intend to write at this desk. Of course, I intend to do a lot of things, but this is on my list! I didn't mean to leave the rat puppet by the window, but look - there it is. (the rat puppet is NOT mine!)

Guest Room

This is one of a pair of vintage pillow cases I bought today. Oldest Son and Daughter-in-law are visiting soon, and the room needed a sprucing up.

Good and Bad

The best feature of this room is the wonderful view out the window. Of course, it is only wonderful from OUR prespective. To the left you can see the ice cream shop, and to the right, the coffee shop. It's the coffee shop I mooch wireless from. I DO have cable internet, but the wireless is a nice perk!
The not nice aspect of this room was the rainy day the ceiling cracked open and rained down on Oldest Son and Daughter-in-law when they were here for their college graduation. Since then, the roof has been replaced, for which we are immensely grateful. And, being the 'old house' sort of people that we are, wouldn't you say that the cracked ceiling adds characher? As long as no liquids pour out of the crack, I'm fine with it.

Peaceful

Is there anything quite like a sleeping cat to bring a look of peace to a home?

My cat has taken over a blanket I am crocheting for Baby Boy.

He caught a mouse yesterday, so I'm allowing him to rest here, for now.

"I Feel Llike a Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World"

I found this sentiment while on a shopping trip with my mom and sisters.

I felt it sums me up pretty well.

So I keep it on a shelf in my bathroom, to remind me.

I really like the blues and yellows in here, and who knew that just a smattering of red would perk it up so?


I'm also crazy about the onesy salt shaker that's a peasant woman's head.

Can't quite pinpoint my fascination with heads, but I think she is a wonderful addition to my bathroom.

If nothing else, I look better in comparison.

Well, maybe I do.

Oh! And I found the plastic bead necklace on a trip to Door County. Not sure why they were locked up in a glass case, but they were.

I used to wear them. But, they embarrassed people I know. People who buy me jewelry that is both tasteful and meaningful. So, I've retired these.

Furniture Moving

My strong and able bodied guys moved this upstairs for me. I moved the books.

This is now in the guest room, which still houses Youngest Son. But he is moving into a different room.

This still needs work. I have all my writing books up here.

The three drawers below the desk are empty. I can't wait to organize this.

But first, Youngest Son and HIS books will have to go.

And, now we can have guests again!

I'm Working On It

Okay. I moved things around again.

This does seem to balance better over here.

Everyday I move something around. Which means that something isn't quite right.

But, I'm working on it!

P I N K

I've added some pink to the mix.

The carpet in our livingroom is pink.

The man who chose it insisted that it was raspberry, but he was mistaken.

It is PINK.

This limits what can be done, colorwise.

But, it sort of works with the greens, whites and woods.

It's hardly the challenge we had in our first apartment.

One of our rooms there had wallpaper that was orange, red and brown. Columns and vines with an eighteen inch repeat pattern which was bad enough, but it was hung upside down. If you didn't have a headache when you entered that room, you would when you left!

The VanChalkwares

This picture does not do them justice, but this teeny tiny chalkware singing Dutch couple are just too cute!

I'm sure those are Psalter Hymnals they are singing from, which only adds to their charm.

Don't they just look like people you would want to know?

I think they used to live across the street from me.

Spring, T'would Be a Lovely Season...

It's time to at least attempt to 'spring it up' in here.

I'm not really pleased with this attempt yet, but I'm getting close to what I have in mind.

Although, I never know what THAT is until I see it!

Where Have All the Strong Men Gone?

THGGM has been working hard to provide me with adequate space for all of my books.

He is kind to do this, as he really does not care much for books at all. But he does care for me.

So, he picked out this old bookcase and I have been having a grand old time filling it up. And emptying it out. And going with a different plan. And putting books in. And taking books out.

I feel like it needs something grander than what I have on hand. But, were I to buy more, it would totally defeat the purpose.

I'm working with what I have here.

And, by the looks of all the pictures I took tonight, I seem to have a terrible problem standing straight. I'm getting a wee bit whoozy looking at them.

If you wonder why the pictures are cropped so close, it's because all the stuff that used to be in that spot is just out of range. Really. It's frightful at the moment.

All the strong people have gone.

Close Ups

Sun Bonnet Girls on a glove box.

Padded leather copy of "In His Steps".

Ahhh.

Hmmmm....

...I think the large wooden thingy is overpowering everything else in this picture.

I did not notice this when I was photographing it, but now that I see it, I can see that something isn't right.

THGGM has a better eye for balance, so I shall wait to see what he has to say about it.

There Is No Such Thing as Too Many Bookcases

I found this child's sized bookcase at an antique mall a while back.

Saturday, it was still there.

It isn't any more.

It's here.

I'm not exactly sure where it will go, but it's light enough for me to drag around to different places until I find the right spot.

Moving Stuff Around

I moved this bookcase from around the corner. It seems to fit better here.

I love doing weird stuff with candle holders. This one is holding up three beautiful old wooden balls.

The picture was given to me one Christmas by THGGM, before we were married.

I have a 'thing' for old suitcases. It's amazing what you can fit inside those things!

The Green Room

THGGM put a lot of work into this room. He did the hard work of painting it. The bed is an old iron bed that had been left in the garage of a house we used to live in. THGGM found the wicker rocker at the flea market. I found the three plates for $1.00 each at a thrift store. Actually, the plates are what we 'built' the room around. The curtians used to hang from rods on the top window, but I lowered them and now have them pinned to rope with small clothes pins.

The best feature of this room is that you can lay in bed and look out the window at the ice cream shoppe across the street.

The down side is that it is very close to the bus stop, and you would not believe how many bus stop people scream, yell, swear and carry on unbelievably early in the morning.

Sewing Stuff for Sewing Stuff

Gather up a bunch of old sewing stuff. It's everywhere. Antique stores, thirft stores, your mom's.

Place it all together in a wicker sewing basket and enjoy!

The pin-cushion doll was given to me by my grandma when I was a teenager. I made a flannel cover for her, as I didn't like the color or the condition of the body. That changed when I grew to appreciated old things.
The pin-holder I found at an antique mall. I watched it for over a year, and when the mall was going out of business I gave in and bought it. It was $5.00. It seemed like a lot for a pin-holder, but I just LOVE the picture, and how the color matches so well with all the other stuff in the basket.

Buttons and Thread

Am I the only one who finds stoneware dishes filled with interesting things to be irresistable?

Well, even if I am, I'm still keeping them around.

Readers

I love this picture. I have two sisters, and although I can't remember that we ever sat around like this, we do all love to read.

That Space Between the Doorways

I like how the light plays off the china. There is sort of a rose theme going on here. Roses tied together with raffia on the mirror, roses and baby's breath in the larger of the pitchers, roses on the china bowls on the shelf, roses in the brides hands, and roses on the book of poems.

I started collecting the little pitchers - I thought they would be fun to have for syrup at each place setting. I did that once. I do use the large stoneware platters quite a bit. The pitchers in front of the mirror have cinnamon candles in them. Most of them were under a dollar at thrift stores. They are getting harder to find. I found the lace scarf for 25 cents at a thrift store that is usually over priced.

I also like how the mirror reflects my writing desk. Not that I write at it, but I COULD. Whenever I can, I like to draw something out of a picture. I like the chalkware 1940's bride and groom figurine, standing in front of Oldest Son's and Daughter-in-law's lovely wedding picture.

Children's China, Made in Finland

This is a piece of Arabia china, made in Finland. I have three others.

I love the design.

I love the colors.

I love the pictures.

Baby Boy will get to use this, someday.

Same WIndow, Different Season

I'm not sure exactly sure why I am so crazy about light shining through cobalt glass. I just am.

This is the back porch/laundry room, and also my dog Niki's bedroom.

I'm not exactly sure how much she appreciates the glass, but I do know that she likes the dryer, presently venting onto the porch, which keeps her very warm.

Great Find at the Thrift Store

I bought this doll cradle at the thrift store today. Yes. My grandson is a BOY. But, I do have my Three-Year-Old Friend to consider. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do with it. I might use it to hold magazines, which could easily be removed by my TYO Friend so she can rock her dollies. I'm sure once I figure something out, I'll post it.