Friday, August 31, 2012

Grandma's Mid Century Hutch and Buffet

I have noticed lately a increased interest in 
Mid Century vintage furniture.
I even follow a blog
He has a booth in a antique mall that I frequent and he is from 
St. Louis, so I can pick up some tips from
him about new local places to shop.
And today I discovered a new
place opened 2 blocks from 1515
called Swanky Retro!

I know....
if your following me your thinking?
"mid century furniture? Ann?"

Well, yes actually I do!

My Grandmother's hutch and buffet fit the bill.
When my Grandparents moved to a new house in 1965, they bought ALL new furniture.
I am sure my Grandmother was thrilled to have all new living, dining and bedroom furniture.
I bought my house a month after my Grandfather died in 1995. The Modern
design is not my taste, but it was free and it was my Grandmother's pride in joy.


So it actually fits in well with my other pieces. I had longed for a
big beautiful oak hutch......but how can you beat a piece that was so loved.

Straight lines, no curves.
Made by Bassett. I even have the original tags with the prices.

So maybe I was just ahead of my time in keeping it!
or that is what I will tell myself.

So the really old, blends well with the somewhat old.
Thought I would give you a hint of Fall here.

So next time you see a piece of Mid Century furniture, it maybe
worth a second look as the NEW antique.

ANN



Joining Claudia








Sunday, August 26, 2012

A Recipe Box is as Good as a Jewelry Box

Today I was puddering around the kitchen.
I thought I would think about what to put out on the Hoosier cabinet.

I was looking at..."what have I tucked in here?"
The space where I keep smaller older cookbooks.
Love this little cookbook and display it often
But the weird thing was this?

What is this stuck in the book?

A really old kitten print....I swear I have NEVER SEEN THIS?
How can that be?
here is the back....
grasshopper written on the back?

So I moved on pulling out things..
That is where Mom's recipes went to?
I put them in here to sort them because I did not like her recipe box.

As I pulled out more things, it was a treasure trove of memories of the women 
in my life.
My sweet Maternal Grandma in her kitchen.
She always made her Apple Crisp in the fall and I loved it.
(Robin from Decorating Tennis Girl, you can barely see her stove like yours)

More that were my paternal Grandmother and Great Grandmother
Cooked in kitchen at 1515
My Mom and my Dad's sister

My first cookbook...actually a journal that I wrote family recipes in
Great Grandmother Willingham Divinity
never was a Christmas without it..
I found the original my Grandmother wrote, a recipe from her MIL

My Mom's handwriting
she loved Carmel Corn
she made it on Halloween for us.

Many recipes from a mimeograph machine
(can you smell the ink?)
My Mom was a teacher so they passed around recipes.
In my Grandmothers recipe box there are many names I recognize 
from her days in Eastern Star

I wrote this one out myself in 1974!
It is from my neighbor Lola who, was like a Grandmother to me.
It uses REAL snow??

Seeing my Mom's handwriting still puts a lump in my throat.
We both loved Coconut Cream Pie.

I am lucky, I have Mom's, Grandma's and my Great Grandmother's 
Recipe Boxes.
They are hiding in my pantry
The wooden was is my Great Grandmothers, the metal one Grandma's 
and the Herb one mine.

Last year I copied some and put in my cousins stocking for 
Christmas...they were ones written by their Grandmother.
I am thinking that they might look good on 
the aprons I picked up at an estate sale?
hhhmmm
never too early to plan a Christmas gift.

Going through these boxes reminded me of 
looking through they jewelry boxes.

Like a piece of jewelry a recipe reflects a moment in that persons life.
Was it something they always cooked at Christmas not similar to a  piece of jewelry
they wore every Christmas?


What do you think....














Saturday, August 25, 2012

A Birthday Rememberance

Today I am longing to call my cousin Tom and wish him a 
Happy Birthday!
he cell phone # is still on my phone.
Oh how I wish I could.........
if you remember, he left us in October.

I did get to say that in person
2 years ago.
We had such a grand time.
John and Tom
The two brothers together
boisterous and fun!

We did not see each other often, but when you look back
there are times that were captured.



Dining room at 1515 
me, Tom, Deb and Granddad

Playing on the front porch at 1515
Tom, me, my brother Mark and his brother John


Fun with my Dad "Uncle Kenny"

Visiting Grandad in the hospital
Tom is on the right


The most important thing to Tom was his family.
He has a wonderful wife, handsome son and beautiful daughter.
They were what life was all about.
I am so grateful he made time to bring them to 1515
and family gatherings
Memories...........
1515 Dining room

Tom, Tommy, cousin Marty and wife Angie

more cousin time
we were in the basement of the Ashmore Presb. Church
This year because of the heat we had the family reunion there.
He was in my thoughts, remembering the last time I was there.

I am so glad that I bought 1515 when I did..
so he could come spend the night again in his Grandparents home..
that he could find time to laugh with his cousins during a difficult time....

I love the picture
Family tradition to have your picture taken on the front steps.


Just want you to know how much I love you...
how much I miss you...
how much you are in my thoughts...

Kelcey this is for you, to know he is never forgotten.

Love, Ann







Sunday, August 19, 2012

Promotional Pyrex

When I went to Clarksville Mo., shopping with my 
SIL and BIL we ran over to Louisiana Mo.,
also. Picked up a few things there too.
One thing is a project for the kitchen at 1515

But look at what I found...and almost did not get!

1960 Promotional Pyrex Bowl
the Salad Bowl
It was on the shelf, I noticed it was a Pyrex Cinderella bowl
in near perfect condition

It has fruit and vegetables around it.
It originally came with plastic salad tongs.

I actually walked away.
I figured "I don't need that"
But wait a minute....it is only $8
And do you see something on it?
Kind of like when you look at clouds and see something?
The baby! When I look up info on it, it stated it has a baby on it!
Well I guess it does, upside down in this picture, but not the first picture.

As I stood at the check out....I ran back and grabbed it.
Glad I did, it will make a great salad bowl for those dinners at 1515.



Joining Elaine









Wednesday, August 15, 2012

A Little Chillin Silver

Last week my BIL and SIL were in town from San Antonio.
I love it because they take me antique buying for their booth.
I decided to head up to Clarksville, Mo and visit our friend
He has a new home for his store and it is beautiful!
Wish I took a picture but I forgot my camera!

But I did find something at the antique mall.

A Poole Silver Ice Bucket....marked 60% off the entire booth.
Love how it opens, with one little lift and no trying to figure out where to sit the lid down.

I cleaned it up....still need to work on it some more
BUT
I found the same one on ebay for between $39-$89!
what did I pay?
$10!!

Would you of bought this beauty?
I can always use another one for company
and my other one is brush stainless.

Now I am so excited..........

Why do u ask?
If you follow my blog you know I have been honored to help my cousin,
who writes Historical novels about our family, The Mitchell's of
Guilford County NC
during the Revolutionary War
and after in 
Jonesborough TN.
Book #3 is done...delivered to me today!
An advanced copy to read and make notes, and send back to 
his publisher by Monday.
So I have housework to do...but hey, I am 
headed out to the porch to read the beginnings of
His website is on my sidebar if you would like to read more.
Here is his blog about the new book.

Joining
Jann

Colorado Lady 


Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Aunt Effie

I appreciate all your interest when I show
you some of the pictures of my ancestors I inherited
and the stories of their lives.
I told you last week about 3 of my Aunts
that I am so intrigued with.

So today I want to introduce your to
Effie Lenora Wilson Larabee
born 1869 and died 1937 at what I 
consider a young age of 68.
She was only four years old when her Mother passed away.
I wonder if she remembered her Mother?
She was very close with her sister my Great Grandmother
Here is her family
Aunt Effie is on the left and my Great Grandmother on the right
with their father and 2 brothers
She married the local school teacher 
Robert Larabee
she was 22 and he was 30
1891
They lived near my Great Grandparents
This is there home, with them working out in the yard of their new home.
Aunt Effie and Uncle Robert never had any children.
But they so loved their nieces and nephews.

They traveled with my Great Grandparents
Here they are in Colorado
Niagara Falls August 1911
Aunt Effie, Uncle Robert, Great Grandparents James and Catherine
Wawona California
They seem happy in the company of each other

How cute, she is tempting him with an apple.
They were such a handsome couple.
Times were so happy, then the depression came then
illness came.
Uncle Robert became ill in 1934
I have the letters she wrote when he was away in the hospital
and she was visiting him. The pain in her letters for her 
beloved Robert. I even have trouble reading them,
the sadness in her words just leap off the page at you.
She would live 3 more years after his death.
Days spent with my Grandmother and her sister.
I am sure this was the only Christmas they were not together.
I found this only last week in a box.
They lived in Ashmore and Charleston is only 10 miles away but it might as well
of been an ocean away that Christmas.
1934 Christmas present to her sister was their Mothers bible.
I am now finding poetry she has written.
This is was sent to her brother John.
He must of given it back to her for now I have it.
I also now realize the bookcase that was always
in my Grandparents dining room, that my 
brother now has belonged to Aunt Effie.
All these things I learn by reading
                                            Aunt Annie's (her niece) diaries about our family.



This is the last picture I have of Aunt Effie
she was coming thorough Union Station in 
St. Louis and had it made.
10 Mar 1937
She died in November and 
was laid next to her beloved Robert.

Before I knew her through Aunt Annie diaries, she and
Uncle Robert were mythical to me.
I would see all those travel pictures and postcards from them
and think what an interesting couple.
I think they were......