Old House

My love affair with big, old homes began as a child. I was friends with a girl who lived in a huge house built in the early 1900s. It was a Four-Square, which is probably why that is one of my favorite home styles. It sat on a hill with several other homes that were equally huge. Getting an invitation to a sleepover at her house was a frequent treat. I can still see it clearly in my mind; it had a huge front door.

I remember that when you rang the doorbell, the deep, rich sound of the bell sounded as though it was coming from somewhere deep within the house.

I remember the foyer was huge and rich with lots of oak woodwork. There was a floor to ceiling beveled glass mirror off to the right and an elaborate built-in hall tree with a bench just next to the mirror.

I remember that there was this cute little powder room under the stairs right off the portico. It had a portico!

I remember it had this huge open staircase with a landing. Giant, oak balustrauds. We used to pretend we were princesses gliding down those magnificent stairs.

I remember a laundry chute in one of the upstairs bathrooms. That fascinated me to no end. That you could drop laundry down a chute and it would end up in the basement two floors away was mind boggling to me.

I remember it had a back stairway. A servants stairway just off the kitchen.

I remember the big old attic and the creaky old stairs leading up to it. We spent lots of time hiding up there and scaring each other silly.

I remember it had something like 14 rooms. 14 rooms! Can you imagine? It was just a mansion to me.

Several years ago I collected historic postcards of my hometown. And I couldn't believe my luck when I stumbled upon this: That's the house. As it originally looked. When my friend lived in it it was painted a light yellow color and a screened-in porch had been added to the one side. I came across this the other day when I was sorting through stuff. And I framed it. Kinda weird maybe, but so many great memories of playing with my friend in this house. And it's what started me on my life-long love affair with these old homes.
The home isn't in her family anymore. They sold it when all their kids were grown and they downsized. Her mom owns the cutest store ever in my hometown. It's full of all kinds of cute shit, just like their home was. I need to get back and visit that store.
Anyway, the people who bought it from my friend's family did some painting and restoration on some of the woodwork. Then they put it up for sale about 6 or 7 years ago. I walked through it at an open house. I was afraid it wouldn't look as big as I remembered it, but I needn't have worried. It was as glorious, if not more so, as I remembered it being. Happy times! FF

Score!

So I found some serious cute shit today, y'all! Just so you know, I used to be all about the cute shit and decorating, blah, blah, blah. We used to live in a log home and believe you me, I was all about decorating it. Then we had one kid, then we moved, then we had another kid.....and well, at least for me, the last thing I wanted with babies and toddlers around was cute shit. Now I start reading all these cute blogs, and slowly get back into visiting antique stores, consignments shops, flea markets, and well, ya know....
So, back to my finds. I loaded up my two little guys and we went to a garage sale yesterday. Now let me just say, I don't love garage sales. I'm not really a competitve person, and I loathe crowds, so a garage sale just doesn't go with that mix. But they had a nice big ad in the paper and it was nearby in a fancy-schmancy neighborhood....and the kicker? Lots of home decor. So off we went. It was to start at 9:00 and we got there at 8:55. The garage doors were closed, but people were already lining up, and she had some cute shit sitting in the driveway. Looked promising. Finally....finally! she opened up the garage doors at around 9:05 and the vultures descended. I ordered my boys to wait outside and look at toys and I was going in.
So, here's what I came away with for $8 even. And that doesn't include the Discovery Binoculars/Viewmaster I bought the boys. Sorry about the blurriness! And here's where it ended up. I had to put that placemat down otherwise the accessories just kind of blurred into it. The tray: (The plate is laying next to it. I just need to pick up a plate stand so it will set upright)
And another look at the tray. You can't really tell, but it's huge!
And here's one of the birdhouses. It made it's way onto the deck where I have my other ones. The cute little white one with the green roof shown in the first picture? I don't know what to do with that yet, so I put it away for now. Along with my cute little witch who will hang on my front door in October.
So, yeah, I guess it was worth the sweating and twitching to get all that loot for $8. However, that was the ONLY garage sale we hit yesterday. One was enough! :)
FF

Cup & Saucer

My grandma was not a pack-rat, therefore she didn't have much cute shit sitting around her home. My mom says it's because she didn't save anything, but really I don't think she had much to save in the first place. She came from very humble beginnings and then lived through the Depression, so I suppose she just didn't spend money on "stuff", or cute shit.


She did collect bone china cups and saucers though. She had a china hutch that was filled with these on every shelf. Most of them were given to her as gifts.


My grandma passed way eleven years ago. My aunt got the china hutch, and I'm sure most of the collection. My mom got a few of the pieces as well.


Recently my mom, sister and I had a garage sale and my mom put this up for sale. What?!?! How could she?!?! So I, of course, latched right on to it beings as how I didn't have one from Grandma and I took it home and put it in my antique secretary desk with glass doors.

Here's a picture of it looking all vintage-y: But here's what it really looks like. Isn't it pretty? Yellow is my favorite color:
FF

Junk Jaunt

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Cookbooks

I used to be a collector. When I first got married 20 years ago (and I got married young, by the way. I'm not that old!) I went through a cow phase. Then I achieved more sophisticated taste and I moved on to vintage glass swizzle sticks. I still have hundreds of them all packed up in shoe boxes. Then it was depression glass. I sold most of my pieces, save for the family pieces and ones I really loved. This was all BK (before kids). Once we started our family, I decided that I no longer had the time or inclination to acquire, and then dust, collectibles. And while I love "cute shit" as much as the next person, and I love looking at it when it's in other peoples' homes, I don't want it in mine to worry about getting broken, or cleaning it, or whatever. There is one thing I still collect though. I don't have to worry about keeping them clean, or whether the kids can break them or not. Cookbooks! Oh, do I love cookbooks. I can sit down and read a cookbook like it's a bodice-ripping novel.
Here's my collection on the middle shelf: It's right above my work station. This it where it happens; I pay bills here, surf the internet, browse my cookbooks. That's Pioneer Women's Calendar hanging on the wall to the left. That's where I track how many miles I ran on a certain day, swim lessons, MOPs stuff, etc.
Here's a close-up view. You can see I love Gooseberry Patch cookbooks. I also have a Giada DeLaurentiis and a Barefoot Contessa one in there, not to mention a few Rachael Ray:
This is my favorite cookbook. My cousin Kristen gave it to me for a bridal shower gift back in 1988. It's one of those blank ones that you add your own recipes to. She added a few of her favorites and over the years I've added my own. While I love to cook, but loathe baking, you'd better believe the Main Dishes and Vegetables sections are chalk full of recipes and the desserts and cookies sections are kinda bare:
It has to be a tried and true recipe that I make in my regular rotation in order to make it to this cookbook. For example, my friend Denise's recipe for Penne in Vodka Sauce. Love it!

I've got not one, but two, of what I call "Holy Grail" cookbooks. The first one is my Little House Cookbook. I bought it at Wall Drug Store in South Dakota. I've never made anything from it, but I love all things Laura Ingalls Wilder and let me tell you, it makes for some good reading:My most very favorite cookbooks in the whole entire world are those fund-raiser cookbooks, most particularly church cookbooks. I mean, where else are you going to find such great recipes with great sounding names like "Better than Robert Redford Dessert" or "Maid-Rites" (did you know that's what Iowans call Sloppy Joes?! Neither did I!). So when I found this little number, I knew I'd struck gold:
Yes, this is definitely the kind of collecting The Mister can get behind. I'll always believe the old adage that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. It's true.

FF