Vintage Calendar

I was at an antique shop last month and I saw this stand up calendar. It was a little more than I wanted to pay for it but.....it was my favorite color green! Love the picture of the little house on it too. I also thought I have never seen one like this before. The back looks more like a clock, you just turn the dials to get the date and day you want.

I have the calendar sitting on my dresser at 1515, I just love the look of it! To the left is my Grandmother's Childs Scripture Questions book. I have the American Legion poppy in the vintage rose pitcher because it reminds me of my mother. She always made sure she bought a poppy on Poppy Day. I can remember them hanging from her rear view mirror or on her cherry dresser. The lamp on the rt is a donation to 1515 from my beautiful cousin Donna.

Have a Happy Vintage Thingie thanks to Colorado Lady!

Halloween Table Top Tuesday

I was at 1515 for a relaxing cousin weekend. We couldn't wait to get the Fall decorations out. My one cousin and I started buying Fall decorations when we stayed at Decorating Tennis Girl, Robin's bed and breakfast. She had a cottage that my cousin I made as our home away from home. After my mother died and we sold the house, we were so grateful to Robin to have a place to stay. Every season we would drag a rubbermaid tote to the cottage, get it all out for our visit, then have to put it away and take back home. Now all those seasonal decorations have a permanent home in the town where we were born!

Here is just one sampling for Table Top Tuesday at a Stroll Thru Life, thanks Marty!









Antique Oak bookcase, decked out for Halloween. Last year at the end of the season I got the candy corn lights and couldn't wait to try them out this year!



The cat on the left  was one that I had bought my mother, antique candy bags and old Gurney ghost candle.

Newer Bethany Lowe Halloween items.


Have a great Tuesday and Fall Decorating Days ahead!

Amber Glass

One of the best things I did when I cleaned out my Grandmother's, then my Mother's things, was that I saw a purpose for all their glass ware. Over the years my brother and I would buy our Mom glassware from the dime store. Oh, how we thought the pieces were really something! They were very inexpensive to buy. The occasion may of been a birthday, Mothers Day or Mom may of been having "Club" at our house. It was the 1970's so everything was either amber or green.

Luckily I kept those candy dishes and vases. I only bring them out once a year in the Fall.  As I unwrapped each piece, I fondly remember them on my Mom's walnut coffee, end tables or in her kitchen on her maple hutch. My Mom also had them out in the Fall. You have to love the amber chicken and hen and the turkey. The candlesticks were my Grandmother's.

So today they were unpacked. Soon they will be scattered throughout my living and dining room. As I catch a glimpse of them, I might catch a glimpse of my Mom.

Check back over the next few weeks to see where they turn up! Joining in Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home.

Vintage Doll Head Figurine

Here is a treasured Vintage item that belonged to my Grandmother. After she died, this is one thing my father wanted. My Grandmother died before I was born and I always remember this sitting in the bookcase part of my mothers desk. I always thought she was pretty. There is a note inside written by my Grandmother.  "One time when I was maybe 9 or 10 we came to Charleston. I was given 25 cents to spend. This is what I bought."  That would of been about 1902. Now there is another note in there, a note from my Mother when she gave the doll head to me.

You can see the note in the picture. The 25 cent sales tag in still inside. The markings are made in Germany.

Thanks to Robin at Decorating Tennis Girl, I am in hooking up with Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady.

Last look at the buffet before Holiday Decorating

I am still getting my Fall decorations up.  I usually take pictures of my tables so I remember what goes where. Here is a picture of my Dining Room Buffet before I decorate it for Fall. I bought the buffet at auction in my home town years ago......I had to have it because it looks like my Grandparents.

Buffet with pink rose china pieces. Picture above I found in my Grandparents garage.


Ready for Tea?



The tea pot on the left I bought in England and my Mom careful brought it back on her carry on luggage for me! The smaller teapot I bought in High School. I loved pretty and pink with roses even as a teenager. The sugar and creamer belonged to my Great Great Grandparents.

Love this sugar shaker! I have never seen one like it? I think I need to serve something that I can sprinkle powder sugar out of it?

And to round things out my sugar tongs. I love silver and one year my beloved Mother got these in the mail from an antique store in Georgia for Christmas.


I won't see this table top again until February!! Happy Table Top Tuesday!

My Garden Cottage

I see that today is Show Off Your Cottage Monday.

So when I think of my "cottage" I think of my garden shed I had buildt for my gardening antiques and a place to hang out. It must be comfortable because even my next door neighbor comes over in the morning to drink her coffee there! It is a mess right now, because some of the furniture has gone to live at 1515. But in the fall I decorate it for Christmas. A few years ago, our house was on a Holiday House Tour. We had cookies and hot chocolate set up in the shed by the fireplace.

This is the outside of the shed. I love the old shutters I found and a garden antique show. The bench on the porch was my mother in law's. It sat in their breakfast room to put the "boys" on, their are 6 of them!

Here is the inside ready for a Christmas visitor. Too bad I don't have a close up of the cloche I made to look like a snow globe on the mantle. The picture above the mantle is my Grandmother and mother in front of my Great Grandmother's giant hollyhocks. The place is full of antique watering cans and pots from the 50's and 60's.

The chalk board I use in the summer to write down when some seeds are planted. In the rt hand corner is a old shopping cart full of antique childrens gardening tools.

Why don't you come over and sit for awhile!

Pumpkins!!!!

It won't be long until it is time to go get some pumpkins to decorate the porch! I remembered this picture, and thought you might like to see some pumpkin carvings from 99 yrs ago!

  This is my Great Uncle Max and Great Aunt Esther in 1911 on the farm in Ashmore IL. I am sure my Great Grandparents raised the pumpkins themselves.

By the way, my neighbor tells me there is a pumpkin shortage and she can't find canned pumpkin? Well, we may have to use our pumpkins for more than decorative purposes!

Heidi

Heidi, better known as "Heidi Girl" "Heidi Ho" "Xena Princess Warrior" depending on if I, my husband or her dog sitter Jackie is calling her.

About this time, Heidi is having a "growth " taken off her foot. Needless to say her Daddy and I are very nervous because she is a wonderful baby girl.

The Heidi story started the day we had to put our other German Shepard Sasha to sleep. My brother went with my husband to the vet.....I am a nurse but I just could not go. Instead I had spent the morning on the floor holding her in my arms before they left.

My husband went on to work and my brother came back to check on me. He decided to get me out of the house.....so we went to Petsmart to get some carpet cleaner for pet problems. I was relcutant to leave, my mother was in our spare bedroom recovering from gallbladder surgery. As we walked in the automatic doors to the place opened ...........and there in the middle of the entrance THERE SHE WAS! A beautiful 1 yr old female German Shepard looking for a home. How could I even think of doing this? I called my husband crying the entire time....."bring her home" he said. So we did! I am sure the people there thought I was crazy, while I was signing the adoption papers I was crying.

She did great on the ride home. When we got inside, I let her loose and she immediatley ran upstairs and jumped in bed with my mother!! Now she thought ........what on earth!

That night when my husband got home, he knelt down to introduce himself to her and she planted a great big kiss on him!! He smiled "oh, did I need that". She has always been unpredictable in humorous ways.

She loves the snow, hates the heat. Hates to wear the scarfs my mom made for her. Loves her treats. Hates the squirrels and groundhogs. Loves to go for walks and is so happy our neighboor does that everyday with her. Loves to chase the cats. Loves company and children.

I can't imagine my life without her.....so I thought Heidi story was worthing telling. Hopefully tommorrow when she comes home, she will be ok. Her dog sitter is bring her home and said " I am staying with her till you get home". She kinda has a way of making you fall in love with her.

I need to get ready for fall!!

It seems like my mom said, the older you get.....the faster time goes! I need to get my fall decorations out. I have the outside of 1515 done and a little on my porch here at home. But here are some scenes from years past........maybe this weekend I will get it done!

This is my pride and joy...my Hoosier cabinet in my kitchen. My Grandfather and Mother bought it for me. You see, my Grandfather lived to be in his 90's, so after my Mother retired they spent their retirement running around together!  The teapot and crock are my Grandmother's. I collect gardening antiques so I love the little red wheelbarrow with a pumpkin I inserted. And I love picking nastruims this time of year out of my garden.

How about some fall M&M's!



I collect postcards, many of these are Halloween cards my Mother sent me over the years. I also love the seasonal candles from the 1950's. My Grandmother had many and I have add more of the years. That handsome young man in the picture is my father in December 1943, in front of 1515 prior to going over seas.



My yellow Dahlia is huge, looks good in my Grandmother's American Fostoria Rose Bowl.

But I really can't wait until the trees around 1515 look like this! Love walking in Charleston on the brick sidewalks and the leaves are deep enough they hit your ankles and crunch as you walk!






There is always a new cousin around the corner

My passion besides decorating, antiquing and gardening is genealogy. My paternal Grandmothers family has had a yearly reunion since 1906, so this year was #104!!

I am so fortunate to keeping finding those branches of my tree and meeting new people. In July the day before the reunion we had a "genealogy workshop" at 1515. As I looked around, I had people from Colorado, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, Indiana and Iowa. We all had one link.....a link that went back to a marriage that occured in 1788. Most of them I had met on line through Ancestory in the past year. To help people figure out who they are, or show them a picture of their great grandfather they have never seen before is pricless to me.

I wonder what my Grandparents think of all these relatives coming back to 1515? Many had child hood memories of the home. Sometimes as I sit in that home.......I just look up and smile.

Here is everyone gathering at 1515

But one couple I met I felt like I had known forever. Bob and Judy on the left. They were meeting his 2nd cousin Cleone and wife Eleanor for the first time. Not to long after this picture they headed off into a cornfield to find their gggrandfathers gravesite. Judy just knew she was going to see Shoeless Joe Jackson or James Earl Jones! Judy said " I'll never look at a cornfield the same again".

Bob had been so gracious to video tape both days. I got the tape in the mail when I got home yesterday. I am anxious to sit and remember.....a wonderful day in July.

Leave a Note

I Just wanted to thank everyone who has been nice enough to "Leave a Note".

This little box always hung outside my Grandparents front door at 1515. In 1978 after my Grandfather died, my cousin Mary took this home with her. It was a sentimental thing to take home, she could remember leaving a note and the little pad and pencil that were inside.

When I bought the house last summer, it was on the first trip of things to "bring back to Grandad's". We had it hung up the first day. She and all of my cousins and brother have been so generous to return items to their rightfull place in the house.

Most people who come to visit, stay or look are in awe of the things we all kept! They all had meaning to us, they represented a part of the whole that made that home a loving place for us to be.

So as we go forward I will be sharing with you things from 1515 and from my home. Hope you enjoy!

Again, thanks for leaving a note!

A Clothes Basket of Memories

I thought to myself the other day......" I need to throw this clothes basket away, the handle is ripped and hurts to carry it" Then a flood of memories came running back..

The impromptu  bridal shower my maternal grandparents gave me some 30 yrs ago. You see, they came in the front door of the house I grew up carrying that very basket. It was filled with everyday needs to start "house keeping". Flour, sugar, spices, all covered up with linens that my great grandmother had stitched by hand. The other thing they carried, were their wonderful smiles of pride and love for their only granddaughter. A simple but wonderful day.

Who would think a old Rubbermaid clothes basket could make someone so happy twice in a life time. I think I will keep it. You see it is a Sentimental Life!