Vintage Thingys Thursday - Spooky stuff

Happy Halloween everyone!!!!!!!!!

I love Halloween.

Thought I'd take you on a tour today!

Come along!  We're gonna go see some of my relatives.

We'll let my Mom drive!  She drives fast as a bat outta Hades!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bwahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

 

Come see.  So many of them are here.

  

 

Waiting to meet youuuuuuuuuuuuuu......................

 Here are Great Grandpa and Grandma Walker.

She was a Campbell.  We Walker women inherited her Scot evil eye!

Don't cross us!

 

Pleased to make your acquaintance.

 Oh look over there!

Great - Great Uncle William Franklin Walker for whom my brother is named.....

 

(Don't know these folks.)   Excuse us please. 

Passing through.

Thank you

  Need a potty break?

 

Whoa!  These are scary, creepy old!!!!!

  

Mom says no one in OUR Family would name a child Mexico or Zebra!!!!

But I am pretty sure they are our cousins.

 

Here's sweet Aunt Lovie, Sister to Ima (my [Grand] Mama,) Eura, Iona, Birdie, Nannie and Howard Manuel and Walter Spencer Walker.

(Nah, no one in OUR Family would have ever named anyone Mexico or Zebra!)

Aunt Lovie would love to tell you a funny story.  Lean a little closer...........

Bwahahahahahahahaahahaha!

Now scoot over to Colorado Lady's Blog and check out all the other old stuff on this Vintage Thingy Thursday!

Prayers for Petey

Our Petey the Boston Terrier is 12 1/2 years old. Some of you have met our "grumpy old man" and know he is a sweet, snoring, farting, licking and gentle little dog.

A week or so ago, Petey started walking in circles. Made me dizzy to watch him. Poor old guy has a cataract that completely blinds his left eye and the right eye is growing one too. He mostly sleeps - sort of like a cat. Smiley

I took him to the wonderful Hope Crossing Animal Hospital today for Dr Webster to give a look-see. Dr. W and Amy are fabulous!!

Basically Petey has either had a stroke or has a brain tumor. We will watch him for a week and contact them with any changes. We may need to take him to the Vet School for a CT scan.


I type this in tears. My grown children have been in tears too.

Folks, I ask for your prayers as we struggle with Petey and what to do next.

Looky! Looky what I Found!!!

Free!!! From the really nice folks at Land O' Lakes!

Free Coloring Pages!!

There are nine in all.  Just click the link above and click and print 'em out!

These will print out on 8.5" x 11" paper so the designs are big.  Some of you computer savvy gals can probably figure out how to shrink for other uses.

I'm gonna use 'em for embroidery!!

What you gonna do?

Vintage thingies Thursday - more violets!

Gads! where does time go!?!

Been busy busy so I'll be quick here.

More violets -  

Hanging in the bathroom.  No clue what pattern or company.  Just bought 'em cause I like 'em.

I cross-stitched this back in 1980. Finally put the pillow together with some vintage damask like cotton about 10 years ago.
















This last violet isn't vintage  - yet!
It's a tattoo on my Katharine's foot.  In honor of my fav flower!  That's love!










Quick peek at what I've been doing this week -

Pulled out my Trusty Sunbeam ($10 at a yardsale!!) and GrandMa Porter's cake pan

and baked a Molasses cake!

And I've been playing with fabric and applique

 

Do you see a turkey?

2 or 5 acorns? Which do you like better?

Now scoot over to Suzanne's ColoradoLady blog and see all the Vintage Thingys!

How to Stay Young

I totally love this portion of the e-mail I got today from

 How to Stay Young

1. Try everything twice.
On one woman's tombstone she said she wanted this epitaph:"Tried everything twice.loved it both times!"

2. Keep only cheerful friends.
The grouches pull you down. (Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches!)

This one is hard when you have some sour, "woe is me" relatives!

3. Keep learning: 
Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.  Never let the brain get idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's! 

I never ever want to stop learning new things!  From the newest sewing trick to the most ridiculously obscure trivia factoid.  My head is full of trivia!

4. Enjoy the simple things.

The way I TRY to keep things 'round here. Simple.  Unassuming.  Laid back.

5. Laugh often, long and loud.
Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with HIM/HER.

I come from a long line of storytellers.  Every now and then they even told (or tell) the truth.  Hubby Bill is funny, my kids are funny, heck, Our Petey The Boston Terrier is funny.  I have a very loud, hearty laugh  which is evidently funny too.  Every day I get a giggle started by checking out those craxy LOL Catz!  It's not for everyone but I laugh and laugh at 'em.

6. The tears happen: 
Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. LIVE while you are alive.

I had a dorm neighbor at Clemson who always said "Have a good attitude and you'll have a good time!"  she found a way to find fun and humor in most any situation.  I loved her attitude and stole her catch phrase.  Thanks Bonnie wherever you are!

7. Surround yourself with what you love:
Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

Well, I guess Bill and I love clutter.  We sure have lots of it ;) We also have lots of books, movies and albums and CDs.  (Yeah, we still have a record player - look it up young'uns ;) )  And posters of our fave movies and concerts and family pictures all over the place.  Not even gonna go in to how much fabric/craft stash there is - heehee

8. Cherish your health:
If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. 
Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

As we like to say tell 'em E'er'day.  Katharine and I don't say the word "goodbye" to one another.  She thinks it's very final and sad.  We like to close conversations and visits with "Later."

11. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second chance.
Remember! Lost time can never be found.

This one is the hardest for me.  There are family members who still mean, nasty and rotten.  They refuse to own up to any thing they have ever done to hurt other family folks.  I have a hard time coping with that.

Do you have any words of wisdom that you live by?

Do you think being happy keeps you younger?  

Funny Bill

Orange Poppy Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Orange Poppy Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Vintage Thingy Thursday - Violets

Howdy from my very purple world!! 

(Can you tell it's my fav color?)

Last week  racheld said... " What a lovely room---like sleeping inside a giant violet."

So amazing.  My  favorite flower is the violet!

This cup was Great Grandmother Eudra's (yes, the one with the big house.)

I used to wish for this little demitasse cup and saucer with its gorgeous plastic violets.  During one visit to the old house my Great Aunt Mildred gave them to me.

    Here's the bottom.  Anyone know those marks?  Homer Laughlin maybe?

                                                                                      
Later I found this set at  the Liberty, NC Antique Festival.  It's a great festival and HUGE !

These marks are different yet very similar.

Also from Great - Grandparents house is this whiskey keg lid adorned with painted violets and little wooden painted flower cut-outs.   No one can remember where it came from.  We assume my artsy-craftsy Great Aunt Pearl painted it.

                                  

You can see our beautifully painted walls a  bit better here too.  

(New rechargable batteries in my camera make a world of difference, yes?!!)

The Whiskey label is  still on the backside.

                                                                                                

Bill and I have a running joke that every time he was out of town on business and asked what I was doing I always replied "Re-arranging the furniture."  Sometimes I was, others times I was painting as in the bathroom here.  I painted the walls the lightest shade of violet and added this semi-art deco monogram.   (Bill loves Art Deco!)

 Bill never knows what will be next.  ;)

Now, If you haven't already - go to sweet Suzanne's blog Colorado Lady for more VTT!

(PS Thanks for all the nice wishes.  Bill is out and about with his resume' and a list of contacts!)

  

An Essay on Aprons

A friend sent this to me.  Thought I would share. The apron pics are mine!

Aprons

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.  

It was wonderful for drying childrens' tears and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

        When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.  (I know I hid there.)

            And when the weather was cold grandma wrapped it around her arms.

    Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. 

After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the driveway, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the menfolk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that old-time apron that served so many purposes.

Keep in mind -

- Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool.  Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

- Some Moms today would go crazy trying to figure out how many germs were on Grandma's apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron. 

Vintage Thingy Thursday - Master Bedroom

Wow!  it's been about 3 weeks since I last posted.   I've been reading/skimming other blogs, trying to get some sewing done.  I planned to relaunch my etsy store today but alas, I am slow.  Hopefully next week.


We have been dealing with some good news/bad news the last couple of weeks.

Bad news - After 15 years as a contract employee at EPA my husband and his co-workers did not have their contract renewed.  Today was their last day.  He said it was like a wake.  EPA folks with whom they had worked filed in and out of their office to wish them well and complain about the contract situation.  (A new company low-balled the bid.  They will learn the hard way - heh!!)

Bill and his co-workers are top notch video/camera/sound/editing photographers.  They have won numerous awards and the boss is an Emmy award winning cinematographer and producer!  Their fabulous work will be missed.

Good news - Katharine was hired a month ago at one of the local Jimmy John's Sub Shop locations.  She worked in the Chapel Hill shop during high school and loved it.  Well, Miss Smarty Pants impressed the franchise owner and manager so much that after just 2.5 weeks she was moved into management training.  She's over the moon pleased as punch!  and Mommy is very proud!

Kat and I had wonderful birthdays - thanks for all the Happy wishes!

Now for my vintage thingys!

Some windows from a 1920's farm house.  I hung 'em there cause I want real windows there.  Subtle hint to Hubby huh?

I am really having trouble with my pictures!! arrrgh!  Above you (sort of) see lots o' stuff.  At the top is an old wooden (Maleck?) wall cabinet.  My dad, in one of his many zany mid 1960's business ventures (you think an attorney might know better) had a Gift Shop.  They sold lots of that stuff.  The stool that I need to re-weave a seat for that you see at the bottom is from the store too.

You're looking at a gen-u-ine 1953 makeup table there.  Twas my Mom's.  It has one little drawer in the middle there behind two arms that swing out.  The original price of $6.95 is written in pencil inside the drawer!  She and I have both painted the top many a color.  And many a skirt has graced the edges via thumbtacks.  I have a glass top on it now and finally, the loveliest  fabric to make a new skirt for it.  Fingers crossed I can show you the finished product next week.

If my pics were better you could see that our bedroom walls are a deep purple with a medium and light shade sponged over it.  Bill did such a fantastic job on it that many folks think it is wallpaper!!  We like a dark, dark room for sleeping!

Thanks for stopping by.  For more vintage Thingy Fun dash over to sweet Suzanne's blog, Colorado Lady.