This is the Mother's Day card I got from my son and daughter-in-law. My son always looks for monkey cards 'cause he knows I like the cute little critters. I guess I'd collect monkeys if I could. I remember asking my parents for a monkey when I was very young. Needless to say, I never got that wish.
This post is really a little past due, in that it is about a present I received from my son this year on Mother's Day. My son and his wife had been on a trip to Memphis with a swing through Tupelo and Atlanta before coming back home. It seems that even though they were off having fun, I wasn't far from their thoughts. They saw something in an antique mall that my daughter-in-law said I might like. After rambling through the antique mall, my son decided that what they saw was something that I really would like....or completely hate....so he took the gamble, made the purchase and loaded it in their car.
On Mother's Day I was surprised when they walked in carrying two presents, one small and the other large. The small one was the newest Charlaine Harris book, which I had just seen at Target and really wanted. The large package was a puzzlement to me and as I felt it I wondered why it felt like a picture frame. It seems it WAS a picture frame....with a water color painting of a creepy clown! So here is the newest addition to my clown collection.
As for whether I like it or hate it....I do like it. (My daughter-in-law is really glad that it is no longer in their house staring at her.)
Now I will have to do some thinking about where to hang this picture permanently. More than likely, I will have to rearrange my complete clown collection to get everything all properly placed. If you want to see the rest of my collection, I previously wrote about my clowns on my other blog at these links Clowns - My Fear and Fascination and Send In The Clowns .
Thanks to Zack and Kathy for the great Mother's Day presents!
We went to an estate sale this morning. It didn't sound very promising in the advertisement and the photos on the website just looked to be run of the mill stuff. But you never know, do you?
In the second room I walked into I found a set of NOEL angel candleholders, marked with tiny paper labels on the bottom "Japan" and each had 6A/217 lettered on the bottom. Now I have no idea what the lettering means, but I do know they were older since they were made in Japan. I also know what I like and I like NOEL candleholders from back in the day. So here is the set I picked up today......OH, and before I forget and you just think I'm a bad speller.... if the candleholders are not "hooked together" in any way...here is how I set them out....
This makes my fourth LEON....uh NOEL, so I do have a collection, don't I? Of course I do. I also collect Santas and other Christmas related items. Lots can be seen at Santa Is At My House .. Better Be Good! , a post on the blog I had before deciding to do one on just my collections.
Back to my NOEL candleholders, here is one of the first sets that I "found" many years ago. I am uncertain exactly where, but wherever it was, the price had to be right. Anyway, this LEON has been the center of my Christmas mantel decorations ever since. I really cannot remember if it ever was put out on display in the correct spelling. Also, I have never put candles in this or in any of my NOEL candleholders.
There are two more NOEL candleholders in my collection and neither of these can be "rearranged" but I like them anyway. One is Santa in his sleigh and four reindeer. Each reindeer holds a candle. This particular piece was found at a yard sale, again too many years ago to even think about. It is still in the original box, which is in excellent shape. There is real straw packing on either end of the box and the top opens on a hinge like a cigar box. I keep it tied together with old fashioned "curling" ribbon used for wrapping packages.
Finally I have my "stand up" Santa NOEL piece. These little Santas are forming a totem pole and each is holding a NOEL letter. Although each letter has a candleholder, the candle "cup" is broken off of the "L", but it doesn't matter since I don't use candles with these.
So this estate sale was great for me, even though we didn't think we would find anything. Oh, and my husband found a Christmas Sugar Bear (Sugar Crisp cereal) which is our 3rd Christmas Sugar Bear.
Recently I told Jenn at The Thrift Shop Romantic that according to my husband, three of anything makes a collection. Boy, do I have collections! I will be telling you about them.
I wanted to start this blog with a project that was a huge undertaking....much more than I anticipated. With my son in his own home, I wanted to re-do his old room. With everything finally moved out (including my own clutter), I started with the ceiling. The paint had peeled away under and around the base of the ceiling light fixture. A little sanding might work to smooth out those edges, but it didn't. I had to do some patching. Then the ceiling took 2 coats of paint to make it look good.
With that done, I went to work on the walls which were a deep red. Two coats of primer and two coats of the color of green I chose and that was complete. All the trim work also required two coats. I was bushed from just the painting.
The hardwood floors needed work, but I didn't want to splurge on a professional to come in, so to my hands and knees I went. Cleaning with mineral spirits, staining with Minwax and also using an old fashioned Johnson's paste wax like Mama used to do. I also had to install quarter round moulding, which included learning how to miter corners and do some coping for proper fit. With my back aching and my knees bruised, I stood back and enjoyed the view of my nice clean shiny floors and newly painted walls.
I had my husband help me with a new ceiling fixture. This is the first piece of my family treasure to go into this room. It is a decorative glass cover from a ceiling fixture in my paternal grandmother's house which was sold to a family member a couple of years ago. When I was young and visited my "Granny" I always loved the ceiling light in her living room. I particularly wanted this light cover to go with the "Gone With The Wind" lamp that belonged to "Granny" and would display prominently in my new bedroom.
With the room basics completed I could move in the inherited bedroom suite, which belonged to my late mother-in-law. It is more modern than other furnishings for the room, but I don't mind mixing styles at all.
In one corner is an old oak rocker with a leather seat bottom which belonged to my paternal grandfather, who I never met. The seat is brittle and pulling away from the upholstery tacks, so I don't sit in it. The small smoking stand was also his. The cute little vintage "Asta" style terrier was found recently at the local Goodwill. I had to give him a home.
I added my "Granny's" treadle sewing machine with one of her lamps (notice the flower...part of the room's color theme) in the center and a picture of her and another of my grandfather on either side. The cup of silk violets was a gift years ago from my mother.
Atop the chest of drawers is the "GWTW" style lamp. Under it is a vintage thrifted doily with mauve rosettes and green leaves. On the dresser I have family photos, a not-so-vintage mantel clock on top (gift from a late aunt), thrifted candlesticks and vase in shades of purple, my "Granny's" Hull Art vase, a pair of Hull pottery cornucopia in pink with purple grapes which belonged to my late mother-in-law, a few other trinkets which belonged to family or pertain to family, and a thrifted crochet doily with purple trim.
The night stand has a small milk glass lamp (from my mother-in-law), recently thrifted Federal Glass Petal saucers and small bowl in sun gold , a small ceramic red cocker spaniel (the kind and color of the first dog I had that I remember, "Poochie", who was a gift from an uncle), and monkey bookends (monkeys...another collection) with some sentimental books.
The white chenille bedspread is new, but a gift for my birthday last year from my husband. (It's what I asked for!) The purple throw pillows were thrifted at the same time as the purple vase and candlesticks.
In the closet, I have made a small sewing nook. The table is actually HALF of a dining room table that belonged to my maternal grandparents. The table is tri-legged so with it braced on the wall, it is very stable. The chair matches it, but I had to cut a new wooden seat, pad and cover it. This is all that is left of that dining room except the buffet , which belongs to my husband (my mother gave it to him years ago and he won't give it to me). I have thrifted some louvered bi-fold doors for the closet which used to have sliding doors. I have never installed bi-fold doors, so that will be another project for me.
At a flea market I saw a sign stating all rugs $5 each. I looked down and was standing on a runner that would fit perfectly into the decor of my bedroom. There was also a small octagonal one in the same pattern that I could use. I questioned the price and snapped them up. The fringe was worn, so I will eventually be doing something about that, but I think they blend in perfectly.
The window valances were thrifted just after I got the walls painted. If I remember correctly it was a half price day and I got them for a total of $1.50. The slightly lighter shade of green was perfect and the purple grapes matched my Hull cornucopias.
That takes care of the basic redecoration of my bedroom. I'll look closer at pieces from my Family Treasures collection soon.
This is the Mother's Day card I got from my son and daughter-in-law. My son always looks for monkey cards 'cause he knows I like the cute little critters. I guess I'd collect monkeys if I could. I remember asking my parents for a monkey when I was very young. Needless to say, I never got that wish.
