my mothers hat

There were many heart tugging treasures to be found at my parents house after my father passed away. One box yielded my mothers knitted baby bonnets, a tiny chemise, a baby pillowcase and this knitted hat.  I had the feeling that I had seen her wearing it in a photo? I looked and looked and couldn't find the photo again in the mountain of things I had brought home.

Three years down the road - how can the third anniversary have already passed?! I happened to be looking for another family photo and looked through this photo album that my mothers Aunt Agnes kept of her beloved family. Aunt Agnes was unmarried and lived at home with her parents and passed the time adoring all her siblings children and keeping the family memories. She would continue this loving care of her family through the next generation, sending me and my brother greeting cards for every occasion and slipping a couple dollars in at birthday time.

 

And so I found this photo ... I can't be a hundred percent sure since I can't make out the details of the hat but I believe it is the same one. 

Aunt Agnes has lovingly written "Claire, 1930" ... my mom would have turned nine that year.

Feeling so wistful as June approaches, the month of my mothers birth and Fathers Day. Missing my family so much. 

Joining in Vintage Thingie Thursday with Suzanne at Coloradolady.

I loved to iron when I was little

I loved this toy presser so very much when I was little. I'd push the button, over and over again, delighted to see the roller spin, again and again. I probably drove my mom half crazy with it.

I was grinning from ear to ear when I found it in my parents things and had to push the button, again and again hahaha. Only one of the leaves stays up now but I think that's pretty good since it's about fifty-five years old.

This morning I put it in the box for the Good Will - I just walked by the box and I want to snatch it right back out of there LOL.

Joining in the Vintage Thingie Thursday fun at Colorado Lady, first time in a long long time! 

vintage valentines

We went to the Antiquarian Book Fair in Santa Monica on Sunday.  Although it's always advertised as also being a "paper" show, there seldom is anything except for a map or document vendor.  This time one of the booksellers brought vintage valentines along with him.  WOOHOO!  Now I'm kicking myself for not having picked up more.  BOO HOO!

Joining in the Rednesday fun with Sue at It's A Very Cherry World.

Joining in the Vintage Thingie Thursday fun with Suzanne at
Colorado Lady.

Joining Claudia for A Favorite Thing Saturdays on
Mockingbird Hill Cottage.

antique wooden plate

Sometimes I'm such a noodle head.  I nearly gave this plate away several times.  Thankfully the fog and inertia of grief kept me from doing so.

I found it at my parents in 2011 after my father passed away. I thought it was charming but I only have so much room in my teeny tiny 1000 square foot home and could not keep everything from my parents house (two and a half times the size of mine).  

It bears an inscription that mystified me but also gave me deja vu.  I could remember my mother showing me the plate but for the life of me, could not remember what she had said about it.  The inscription is very hard to read but somehow as the months passed and through working on our family genealogy, I was finally able to decipher it and recognize it's meaning and origin. 

It reads:

Born 1771 died 1864
Beech wood
From Grandpa
Anjavine
Always ate on this because an "arthen"
plate dulled his knife so.

The key to it all was discovering a long ago family member with the last name Anjavine, which I had never come across until recently.  And then one day I picked up this plate again and looked upon it and turned it over and finally, FINALLY, read the words and read Anjavine for the first time and it made me cry.  A piece of family history and I nearly gave it to the Good Will!  My guardian angel sure had been watching over me and protecting me from myself on this one LOL. 

Joining in the Vintage Thingie Thursday fun with Suzanne at Colorado Lady.

christmas cards

Christmas cards I gave long (long!) ago ...

Guessing this was my Kindergarten Christmas card?

Love how I wrote my name ... the two LL's in Sally

are below the SAY and then I wrote two letters of my last name.

This must be first or second grade???

 

These have to be from third grade, 

as my best friend taught me how to write the 

letter S in cursive in our third grade class.

So much fun to travel back and catch a glimpse of your childhood self!

Joining in the fun Rednesday with Sue at It's A Very Cherry World.

 

Joining the Vintage Thingie Thursday fun at Colorado Lady.

vintage ornaments

Still unpacking and going through my mom's ornaments.  Everything here predates me except for the ornament hangers and Spode serving bowl and I'm definitely vintage, so these must be too then LOL.  I found my mom's vintage tablecloth - it's really too small for my table but I'm going to pretend it's not!

Joining Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady.

my mothers ornaments

I've only just begun unwrapping my mothers ornaments, I have an enormous box to go through.  I keep stopping and lingering over each one.  So many memories attached to nearly all of them. Tiny bits from my youngest of childhood memories, in fact those vintage ones predate my arrival.  I don't know if they were purchased during my brothers first Christmases?  Or if even earlier, perhaps my newlywed mother picked them out for their home? There are so many ones that we found while shopping together over the years ... department stores, craft shows, home boutiques (we shared a BIG love of home boutiques and handmade ornaments) ... some made for her by her friends.  I'm not sure of the origins of the Santa painting, it arrived sometime after I left home.  It's a charming little original painting, I assume done by or gifted to her by a friend. 

Please join in the Rednesday fun with Sue at It's A Very Cherry World!

Please join in the Vintage Thingie Thursday fun with Suzanne at Colorado Lady!

 

Please join in the A Favorite Thing Saturday fun with Claudia at Mockingbird Hill Cottage!

grammies lace

I found many treasures while going through my parents things after my father passed away last year. One of things I found was this mauve leather case, belonging to my fraternal grandmother. The contents brought delight - vintage lace, collar pieces, gloves and a charming pin cushion.

The discovery also brought some fun - 

the leather case was from MALT O MEAL cereal!

Grammies gloves :)
The fingers are so very tiny in person!

Please join in the Vintage Thingie Thursday fun with Suzanne at Colorado Lady!