Vacation has come to a end...........

Today is my last day off after a glorious 2 weeks off!

Mr. and I went on our first true vacation in about 10 years.

We headed to Texas to visit his brother.

their home is on a boulevard lined with old oak trees, such a glorious view.

a wonderful old ranch house on a couple acres right in the middle of town.

I could sit out in their yard all day long, it was so relaxing

their front yard is like a park, and you have to love their fence.

We had great weather, my SIL did alot of antique shopping, the boys some work around the house, and great meals out under the Texas stars every night.

Downtown Boerne has so many more shops since I was there last.

This was a great place we went to for breakfast one day.

the interior was beautiful and the food was great!

you can find about anything, even famous pickles

a great Christmas shop

just north is the small town of Comfort, they had one of the best antique malls I have ever been in

Sisterdale general store was where we had a steak dinner under the stars and lights with some great music

true Texas entertainment

of course I enjoyed the cat that reminded me of my sweet Pinky

One day was spent in Fredricksburg, which we had been to before but we went to the Pacific Theater WWII museum, shopping and of course eating German food.

I thought you would enjoy seeing the old 5&10

so much reminded me of the one of yesterday in Charleston

window display

oh how i had forgotten about the fake flowers

row after row of wooden shelving filled with all kinds of items 

family, wine, relaxing

we just loved hanging out under the oaks in the Texas Hill Country

Vintage Finds

Where does the time go?

Seems the end of summer and beginning of fall is zooming and Christmas will be here soon!

I have picked up a few goodies, helped with a fundraiser, courthouse tours, went to a vintage market and a spur of the moment Pyrex hunting trip.

Come on with me..........

I love fall shopping

I always go home to help the organization that sponsored us for the Charleston Riot

They have a silent auction for the fundraiser, and I was helping to put things out I saw this

a Eastern Star platter, hey...I recognize those name?

OMGOsh there is my Grandmother's name

Ruth Willingham!

They sold it to me for $3

pretty mustache mug for $5, and gift certificate to my friends antique store for $10 worth $25 and a pie basket.

Not sure I have ever seen one?

you can carry 2 pies in it.

made in Rindge NH

loving it for $15

A local Flower Shop sadly is going out of business in my hometown

they were having a garage sale.

for 10 cents, they are coming home with me. Thinking they can be used in some craft project.

I gave my SIL some.

helped with tours of the courthouse, love the view of the college from downtown

family time at 1515, family dinner and Fred being wild and showing off his tee shirt from the brewery his friend owns in Colorado.

my sweet MIL turned 91!

Then my SIL headed to a Vintage Market Day

Don't forget about her gorgeous trees she makes for Christmas,

her Etsy store is on my side bar.

she uses vintage wooden spools and blocks

So at the market we found some blocks

most of the items I love, like old metal chairs, wooden folding chairs, dry sinks, things I bought years ago before they were in vogue AND much cheaper.

I have have the Holly sugar sack, still have not made it into a pillow!

adorable old campers made into shops where there

Then my neighbor took me to another thrift store

one find

lemon lime Pyrex carafe

the right price

Then my girlfriend want to get away this weekend so we headed to 1515, and our Pyrex finds were abundant!

Did you hear me scream on Saturday "Patty come here NOW!"

I found Butterprint in the original box NEVER used!

$75

the man told us it was bought for a lady in 1957 as a present, she thought they were so pretty she was scared to use them so they were packed away. When she died neither one of her children wanted them.

An amazing find!

then we found this at a flea market! Oh my

I got my first ever pink bowl, you can see it on the shelf in the center.

Oh I am tired today! Feet up this morning, luckily I don't have to go to work Wednesday.

Well, that covers the last 3 weekends.

I work WTF and then vacation for 2 weeks!

Headed to San Antonio for my birthday, can't wait!

Have a great week,

Ann

Flower Trading Cards

This started as a Mum post, but as always I find something I forget I have.

like these

Arm and Hammer Trading Cards.

Mine are flowers, when I looked it up they started doing this in 1888

I found this online, thank you to iluvfish2 who ever you may be,

Below info was sent to me via Arm and Hammers Customer Support...now this is some great stuff!

"The first cards were an early form of product promotion and collecting
them was a nationwide fad over a century ago. Originally, the cards were
distributed inside the boxes of ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda.

The first series of cards, 2 x 3 inches in size and entitled "Beautiful
Birds of America" appeared in 1888. The reverse side identified the
subject and gave a brief history. Leading artists of the day were
commissioned, the most famous being Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874-1927).

In the following five decades, well over 500 different artworks in trading
card sets of 15, 30 or 60 were published. In addition to birds, the cards
were designed featuring flowers, animals, cow breeds, fish, champion dogs
and Mother Goose characters.

To the best of our knowledge the cards were produced as follows:

Beautiful Birds; copyright unavailable-1904
Game Birds; copyright 1904-1910
Useful Birds; 1908-1938
Birds of Prey; 1975
Interesting Animals; unavailable-1915
Dairy Animals; unavailable
Champion Dogs; 1902
New Series of Dogs; 1910
Fish; 1900
Beautiful Flowers; unavailable
Mother Goose; 1900

Distribution of the cards ended in 1966. A commemorative 10 card set was
issued in 1976. If you are interested in the value of any cards you may
have, we suggest that you check with a dealer who specializes in
collectible cards."

Oh no! Something for me to try and collect.

I have a few, looks pretty scarce on ebay for the flowers, they have plenty of bird ones.

I always use my little shelf under the staircase for seasonal things.

one of my favorite little pitchers I use in the fall.

I always have plenty of nasturtiums in the garden, I planted 5 different colors.

a french post card

my chrysanthemum McCoy Vase

I bought it on ebay a few years ago to go with my Grandmothers

Hyacinth one.

the back it is a Buckbee seed advertisement

they are not in great shape, but I don't care I enjoy them!

so I learned something new today about my little cards.

Hope you enjoyed learning about the 

Arm and Hammer Trading Cards.

Have You Ever Made a 90 Layer Cake?

90 layers to a cake!

Oh my I can not imagine, but with good ole engineering it was done 

on September 7,  1905.

110 years ago.

this the birthday cake made for my 3rd Great Grandmother

by all her Grandaughters on her 90th birthday.

Last year we had my MIL's 90th birthday, there was no

90 layer cake, the only person that came from out of town was her son.

Not all of her Grandchildren came.

People now live to be 100.

But in 1905 people went to extraordinary measures to be at my

ancestors 90th birthday.

It is so interesting to read about they days gone by

hope you will enjoy this too.

her is my GGGGrandmother Catherine Sherer Hickman

on the front porch of her home with her sister and 2 brothers.

She is the woman on the left.

my Great Aunt wrote this poem on the back of the picture

The descendants on the front steps

they even had these made up.

Catherine's daughter my 2nd Great Grandmother died during childbirth in 1873, my Great Grandmother was only 7 at the time. But my Great Grandmother would have her dear Grandmother until she was 40. My Grandmother thought of her more as a Grandmother and we have many diary entries about her.

I think what touches me the most is that my cousin Fred and I had no idea the home 

was still standing.

A few years ago with a platte book in hand we went exploring and there it was, Grandmother Hickman's home still stands. It is not inhabited but to be able to stand where the events of 

September 7, 1905 occurred was very moving.

thinking of all the love that day, the cake on the front porch, the fire in the fireplace in the west room,

the songs they sang. I could still hear their voices as I walked where they once had walked.

Joining Ivy and Elephant for
What is it Wednesday