Monday, January 30, 2012

Vintage Valentine Vignette

Vintage Valentine Vignette

now, say that 3 times.....

Just kidding. I have not felt very much like putting any effort in to
decorating my house these past weeks. With the water break at 1515 that is costing $$$
We found out Thursday.......yep we have a water main break here at our house too.
Now what are the odds of that in the same month?
What is the old saying "if it wasn't for bad luck I would not have any luck at all"

my little shelf below the staircase

Vintage vases with sweet little girls on them

This is a true Victorian scrap Valentine made by my Great Grandmother
in 1901. Inside she sweetly tells what all the children are doing and then
quotes bible verses. It is such a treasure to me. you can see it here.

Colors of pink and roses

Think of me.....

evening light and my Great Grandfathers Valentine he bought
as a young man in 1865 with money is father gave him.



I think the boy and girl make sweet Valentines for each other

after all cupid is hanging around ready to shoot them with his arrow

Joining Marty for


Sunday, January 29, 2012

A Man Not Forgotten

Tuesday it will be 34 years since my young father passed away.


It is pretty much why I hate the month of January after all these years. The bitter cold, the post holiday coldness of life.

I sometimes wonder, if anyone else remembers him?

I know they do.............

You see my father was the High School Science Teacher and started the football team.
I don't think he was just any teacher, I think he made a difference in people lives.


Last fall I was home on Veterans Day weekend. As I walked into a local antique store the owner looked up at me and said "well there is Ann Winkler now". Like they were expecting me?
There was a gentleman at the counter, older, with a white beard and cowboy hat on...I did not know him.
He was at the counter asking the antique owner where my father was buried, when I walked in the store!
What are the odds of that?
You see, his purpose was, that it was Veterans Day, he remembered his favorite teacher
served in WWII and he wanted to go to his grave site and pay his respects.
So you think I walked out of their dry eyed?
It touched my heart so...

Then yesterday I was working on my genealogy. I belong to Ancestry
and am always interested in seeing who is saving my info to their
family tree.  After some research I realized the person saving some info
that I went to High School with their husband!
After sending each other a message I asked her to ask her to tell
her husband that my father was Mr. Winkler.
She wrote back
"Bob wondered if that was the case. Your dad was his hero and this brought back fond memories and a smile to his face."

Daddy you were always my hero, but I did not know you were for everyone else.

Love, Ann

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Vintage Kitchen Linens

What vintage thingie did I find around the house this week?

My Great Grandmother's kitchen linens. Made from flour sacks
and she embroidered on them.
Here is just a quick sample.

If you did not see my Tuesday post, here is a towel I am using as a runner
on my Hoosier cabinet. Love the blue birds she made for the towel.
Hand stitched with love

There were more I found in the drawer of my cabinet

perfect for my kitchen, HOT DISHES with pink!

Salt and Pepper


I know I have some more with creamers and sugars
And I have given some away to my Mom's cousins. I thought it was
important that they had them because they were made by
their Grandmother.

Different stitches, different colors.
Some pinks, blues, yellows and reds.
If I saw these out antique shopping, I would have to
scoop them up and buy them.
My theme is to keep shopping my house and see
what treasures I can rediscover.
Do you have treasures hidden you need to rediscover in your home?


Monday, January 23, 2012

Blue Valentine

After Christmas I love the look of crisp white and cool blue together.
Although I do not have too much blue...or do I?

I was waiting for you to join me to look at my Blue Valentine Treasures

Last year this was my Blue's for January. A little vignette in the
Dining Room

This year I decided to do something in the kitchen on the Hoosier
cabinet. Knowing I need to be frugal, I have decided to try
and rediscover all the treasures I have....instead of buying new ones.
As I go through drawers etc. I find some cool things I have not
seen in  years.

My Hoosier Cabinet

What did I find around the house to put on it?

For starters
A flower sack towel made by my Great Grandmother
She made these pretty blue birds as an embellishment.
I decided to use it as a runner
Love the rick rack

It has been folded in a drawer of my Hoosier for a long time.
I am not sure I could find something so sweet on my hunting trips?


One of my vintage Valentines stuck in a flower frog I found in the Hoosier

Saturday was Grandma's birthday, I wish I could have a cup a tea with her.
We use to sit in her blue kitchen and she would brew a pot.
So how about a cup in one of her everyday tea cups?
I love this pattern.
When my Grandfather died my Mom tried to get me to leave these dishes
behind. I could not do it...so glad I listened to my heart.
The pattern is Bluebrook, English Ironstone.
I have a set for 8, with the creamer and sugar.

This was her tooth pick holder. I never noticed that it says
"Take ye a cup o kindness for auld lang syne"
Now how fun is that.
I have had it since 1995 and I never noticed it said that...what a pity!

This is my Mom's blue crock.
I had taken my Paternal Grandmother's to 1515, where it
came from. When I went to put Mom's out, I could not find it?
Yep, I found it in a Rubbermaid container in the basement!
I had never unpacked it.
Some old molds I found in the Hoosier. Ok where is the one I have that
says "jello" on it? hhhmm?
The pitchers were above my cabinets in the kitchen where I keep
all my Mom's, Grandmother's and my pitchers.

This was my Paternal Grandmother's, should I take it back to 1515?
My Mom always had it in her kitchen on a shelf. My Dad had brought it
home from 1515 at sometime.

An old Cookbook.


This pitcher was my Maternal Grandmother's. I can remember she always
took the milk out of the carton and put in the pitcher.
I picked up the little one last year.


Do you like this little milk glass jar?

I found it in my Grandparents garage.
Love the hammered aluminum top.
I am so happy with "shopping" in my own kitchen!
I think I need to do more of that this year.
It makes me appreciate my pieces so much more too.
I hope you do not mind me always showing family pieces.
I think my parents, grandparents and great grandparents were
VERY thrifty. They never discarded very much it seems.
They are a thing of beauty for me and I cherish each piece.

Now I need to move on with my pink Valentine vignettes.

Have a wonderful day.

Ann


Saturday, January 21, 2012

Happy Birthday Grandma

                                                    Today is my Grandma's Birthday
I am reposting this from last year.
I love her so much I want to honor her every year.
      


She was born January 21, 1904, the year of the St Louis Worlds Fair. She was such a little princess all her life.
She was the only daughter raised on a farm by two loving parents. She was born Ruth Forest but changed her name legally to Ruth Virgina.

She married young and moved to Detroit Michigan and lived there during the depression. Her only child was my mother.


                             I love this picture of my Grandparents outside their apartment house in Detroit



She was the only Grandmother I ever knew, my paternal Grandmother (who lived at 1515) died before I was born. She was active in Eastern Star and I think I got all my interest in flowers, decorating, entertaining and love of dishes from her. She always decorated for every holiday. I use to love to dress up in her gowns. 



She never hardly sat down during a meal, her little 4' 9" frame stood over you wanting to know if someone needed something...she would have her apron on and had a habit of running her hands over the front of her apron.
The apron she has on hangs in my other Grandmother's kitchen at 1515.
In her kitchen of her little pink house.


We were great friends, she never drove so when I got my drivers license I would go get her to go shopping on the square in Charleston and we would sit and watch everyone walk by.

She was thrilled to get her one and only Granddaughter...I was so lucky!

The best gifts she gave me were family heirlooms, she was so excited when I got married and my new initial was the same as her Grandparents and she gave me their initial tablecloth and napkins. Of course I kept all her china, silver and glassware. She wrote notes and tucked them in things or wrote on the back of things of who the things belonged to thank goodness!

How many times when I went to visit she would go out and pick roses, daffodils, tulips, or marigolds and wrap them up with a wet paper towel and a rubber band to keep for my 2 hr drive home so I would have fresh flowers when I got home.

I still make her Swiss steak for my birthday and I have the musical plate stand that plays happy birthday she had.

I have all the letters and cards and letter we ever wrote each other and until the other day when I read one I forgot how she always wrote and the end "love you a bushel and a peck".


"I love you a bushel and a peck Grandma"

Pink Valentine

Happy Pink Saturday

Valentines Day will be here soon!



This is one of my Grandmother's Valentines
I am sending this to all my friends here who have been so kind to show support.
You are a wonderful bunch of extraordinary women.
The words are very relevant for today.
I finally hit 200 followers!


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