Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Vintage Thingies Thursday: Vintage Platters ~ Gifts

Happy New Year Everyone!
Welcome to the first Vintage Thingies Thursday for 2009. I am looking forward to fun filled Thursdays in 2009 and enjoying all of your vintage goodies!

If you are visiting and would like to join us, please do. It is very easy! All you have to do is (1)do a post about something vintage. (2)Visit all the participates and leave a comment. (3)Link in with the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post. (4)Be sure to either include the VTT button in your post and refer back to my blog. Don't be shy, we have fun every week. Join us if you can.

This week, I want to show you some of my new vintage platters. My husband gave me these for Christmas. I hope you enjoy them.

This is so pretty. I have several platters similar in design to this one, no markings on the back. But oh, so me!

This one is very unusual. It is very pretty with its navy and gold rim and crown marking. It does have a small crack at the bottom but that just adds to the charm. My husband said that the lady at the antique mall told him that this was very old. I really like it. It is so different from any I have in my collection.

Here is a close-up of the marking on the platter. Does anyone recognise this marking?

This platter was also a gift from my husband. He knows I love platters with flowers. This one is not as old as some of the others, but I have a perfect place for this one. I am going to do a little remodeling around here after the first of the year, and I know where this cutie is going to go.

This platter is most special. My niece and her husband gave this to me. I could not believe it when I opened my box from her on Christmas. My husband had something to do with this! The colors are really nice, I love the flowers and it does have lots of crazing which I tend to like very much. I am going to hang this one in my kitchen. This platter quickly has become one of my favorites.

This is a platter that I purchased myself at the estate sale before Christmas I told you about. I have never seen one with a flat bottom and top. This was sitting in a china cabinet at the sale and I got it for half price at $4.00. I felt like that was a good deal. I like the flowers in this plate as well.

Here is the marking on the back of the platter. I have not tried to research the age of this yet, but after the holidays slow down, I plan on trying to find out a little more information on these new additions to my home.

I hope everyone had a great holiday. Truthfully, I am glad they are behind us and maybe we can get back on our regular routine. Thanks for letting me share with you some of my new platters. Have a great Thursday Everyone and a Happy New Year!

New Years Resolutions: Honoring the Joy


I decided not to make New Year's Resolutions this
year, Lord knows I need to, but I will not follow through. I am just keeping it real here!

Instead, I think it would be more beneficial to me to make a Joy List. Sometimes, I get so bogged down with life, I forget to look for the joy. Along with my joy list I am going to set for myself realistic goals that I know I can accomplish.

So, think about your own joy list and what you would put on that list. Mine will be an ongoing process....stay tuned....


JOY LIST 2009
  1. Gifts of the Heart
  2. Having the freedom to choose
  3. Re finding oneself
  4. Knowing I am loved

Monday, December 29, 2008

We interrupt this break for a Prayer Request

UPDATE: I want to thank everyone for keeping my father-in-law in your prayers. The surgery was scheduled for 6:00pm Tuesday evening. We expected the surgery to last about 3 hours. After 1 hour and 20 minutes they were finished. No problems at all. The doctors said he had good muscle tissue, and he was able to get everything taken care of without a hitch. He should be healed up in about 3 weeks and will go to rehab. Steve said when he was wheeled into his room, he recognized them and knew where he was and was talking. I was not surprised....God took care of his problems. Plain and simple.

The nurse assigned to him told my husband the first thing he asked her when he woke up was, "Are you alive?" Interesting..... She explained when someone goes through something of that nature that is very common for them to ask the nurses if they (the nurses) are alive....because if the nurses are alive, then that means they are too. I thought that was interesting. I feel sure I would have asked if I was alive first.....dang the nurse!! Hey, I'm just keeping it real here! That is me!!

Please keep Jim in your prayers during the next few weeks, I am sure this will be no easy thing to recover from. Pray that God will direct and guide his heart to be cooperative and determined to do what he needs to do. I know the fight has just begun.
Thanks to all my friends and family who I knew I could depend on during this time of need.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
I know I said I was not going to post until Thursday of this week, that I was taking the week off, but I could not help myself. For those of you who know me personally, you know this request is highly unusual. I am not very good at asking for help, I tend to carry everything myself, deal with it, accept things as they are and try an move on. That is just how we roll around here, and I did not even tell Steve I was going to put this on my blog. I did not know myself that I was going to do it until now. Due to the nature of my concern, I have a request from all of my friends.

My father-in-law is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday afternoon. Due to poor circulation and complications he is going to have to let them remove his left leg below the knee. He is not in real good health. He had triple bypass surgery in 2005 and his health has slowly declined over the past couple of years.

The doctors have assured the family his blood is good and he should heal. He will have to go to rehab for several weeks and depending on "him" and "his" attitude and determination he will be able to walk again with an artificial limb. I am worried. If his recovery depends on those things alone, he does not have it in him (in my opinion) to do what he needs to do.

Please pray for Jim, my father-in-law on Tuesday that all goes well, no problems and complications from the surgery. Pray God puts a fighting spirit in his heart and a determination to get stronger and be able to walk. Please ask God to take away the fear and give him a peaceful spirit. My father-in-law is a very independent person and I know he is feeling that this is the end of his independence. It just does not have to be.

I know with God's help, he can change this man's outlook and he will walk again. Please pray for peace for my husband Steve, this is hard on him and he holds his fear and worry inside. I know that God can make the impossible happen. That I believe.
Please pray.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Tis the Season.....To Be Tired!

I hope everyone had a very blessed and joyous Holiday. I am tired, tuckered out, bushed, exhausted. I am full of turkey, dressing and ham, stuffed. I am trying to not look at my house which is in a disastrous state. The mess will wait on me......trust me!

I am taking the week off......from blogging. I will check in on you, but I will be back rested and ready for 2009 in a weeks time. See ya' next week for Vintage Thingie Thursday!

Have a very Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Merry Christmas Everyone!

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday and Merry Christmas everyone! This is a busy day, a day filled with family and fun, but I decided to have a post ready in case you need to sneak off to your computer for your fix of vintage! If you care to join us here today, post something vintage, leave a comment and visit all the participants, link in at the bottom of the post so we can see your vintage treasures.

Today, I want to show you some pages from a vintage little book I showed you last week. They are perfect for wishing Christmas Cheer.


C hildren's delight on this wonderful day
H elps give it meaning in a bright friendly way.
R apturous hearts with joy overflowing
I mpart to each person warm inner glowing.
S eason of love is this time to remember
T hat night long ago of dazzling splendor.
M emories bright as the evergreen tree
A ll come alive for you and for me.
S uch is the essence of Christmas.
~Gail O Clark




I hope everyone is having a very Merry Christmas. If you want to link in, Mr. Linky is at the bottom of the post. Once again, Merry Christmas and may all your dreams come true.

Wordless Wednesday: A Christmas Card


Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Holiday Home Tour

I realized this afternoon that I had written several post about my favorite Christmas decorations but had not shown my home decorated in all the holiday slender.....well, all that I had the energy for this year!

Hope you enjoy the little tour today, I did not decorate as much as I usually do, time was the issue this year.

I had to include this photo of Sophie. My brother gave me this stuffed little dog one year for Christmas and it looks just like my Sophie. Well, this one item in my home causes the most uproar between Sophie and Dora, they go into attack mode every time they see it......my son put the dog in the tree to see what Sophie would do, she was waiting patiently like she sits at the base of the trees in the backyard for squirrels. It was too funny.

Here are a few of my jars and ornaments that sit on the counter in my kitchen.

My snowman platter on my kitchen counter.

Here is a photo of my Bathroom. I have a little bit of Christmas decorations in here as well. See those little cows? I have had those for about 22 years. I think they are so cute.

I just added a bit of greenery and berries for a festive look to this wire wall decoration in the same bathroom.

Here is the wall by my kitchen table....Maybe you remember the story behind the advent calender.

One of my very loved vintage tablecloths. I purchased some greenery at Sam's and put it in the red vase so the house smells like a real Christmas tree.....and more vintage jars and ornaments......can't have too many of these.

This is my antique hutch that belonged to my husband's Great Aunts. I have my salt and pepper shakers and other holiday vintage items displayed here.

This is a shot of my living room. I made the wreaths, and of course I had to have a bear theme in my Christmas wreath too.

More jars and balls? Why yes, I have more. I love the way they look with the white lights.

Here is my Bear nativity set. And the large bear was a gift from my secret Santa. He is just so cute!

I display our Christmas cards on a hanger that covers the closet in my living room. Some years, the card holder is full of cards....so far not so much this year.

Here are our stockings. I sequined our names on the stockings. Sophie and Dora share one large stocking.

And at last, our tree. It has lots of vintage ornaments, quilted ornaments, multi-colored lights. This is a slim style tree, it works well at our house as it does not take up too much space. But I miss having a real tree.

That concludes my tour of the Holiday decorations this year...like I said I scaled down a bit from what I normally do, but it still adds a festive touch. If you enjoyed your tour today.....just leave a donation at the end of this post and leave your comment for your admission fee! LOL

Monday, December 22, 2008

A Man, A Needle & Thread, A Legacy...

If you are lucky in this life, you will come in contact with someone who without even realizing it will leave a lasting imprint on your heart and family. Someone who did not waste God's given talents and did what they loved and brought joy to so many individuals. Someone, who was the creator of family traditions and precious heirlooms, whom I am sure never realized what a impact he made to so many families. That someone who I had the privilege of knowing, though briefly, was a dear man named Henry Williams.

I met Henry and his sweet wife Blanche through my Aunt LaVoice. They were dear friends to my aunt and I am so thankful she shared this very talented couple with me.
Henry and Blanche always participated in the local Senior Citizen Craft fair. They worked throughout the year on handcrafted items for the fair. Blanche made items such as Afghans, embroider work of all kinds; her speciality was pillowcases, but the most amazing craftsmanship came from Henry. Henry made Christmas Tree skirts. Christmas Tree skirts like you have never seen.
Henry's work was so wonderful and special that most never got a chance to purchase one of his tree skirts at the fair, as they were snatched up long before the fair opened by other vendors. I remember one year in particular, when the vendors were fighting over his handiwork, as he was trying to unload his car. Can you imagine, that type of behavior coming from senior citizens?

I was lucky enough, and let me stress lucky to be able to purchase several of these works of art from Henry personally. As a matter of fact, these tree skirts, which we use as table covers are a family affair throughout my family. Let me share some of these beautiful creations from this incredible man. By clicking on any photo, it will enlarge for better viewing.

This beautiful blue tree skirt belongs to my cousin, Linda. This is really a work of art, as the inside has stunning embroidery and loaded with sequins that sparkle with the spirit of Christmas.

Take a look at the exquisite detail, the added sequins and beads which was his trademark in these skirts.

"A visit with Santa" is what I call this little jewel. This beautiful tree skirt belongs to my cousin, Carie. Carie has a small child, and this is just perfect for a young family. The skirt is loaded with toys that I am sure are on the list of all good boys and girls.

Here is a close-up, notice the added beads and sequins. Look how sweet the little boy and girl are as they visit with Santa.

I don't remember too many of the square tablecloths. My cousin, Carie is the lucky owner of this adorable Tree Skirt.

Let me show you my very favorite. This was a very old tree skirt kit that belongs to my Aunt LaVoice. She had this unfinished skirt for a long time and gave it to Henry to finish for her. It fits her round table perfectly and I absolutely love this work of art. Notice again, the signature work Henry put on all his skirts, the additional beads and sequins. This was a labor of love from a very talented man.

The close-ups show the detail and charm in this skirt. I love the look on the faces of Santa and the Snowman. Plus, this one has woodland animals that I find very adorable.

Who could not love Santa and his sleigh. This wonderful skirt belongs to my Aunt LaVoice. The detail and beading on this is amazing.

Just look at all these beads and sequins sewed on by hand by a senior citizen craftsman. These table skirts not only cover the table at Christmas, but they drape over the back of a sofa or on a bed. They add a festive touch to every room.

You will just fall in love with this Christmas heirloom. This one belongs to my Aunt as well. This features a little Christmas village. What is so very special about this one is Henry personalized this skirt for my aunt. My Uncle Noah was a clock man and had a shop in the back of their home for many years. Henry turned one of the houses into a clock shop and added their name on the front. This little tree skirt is very special not only for the workmanship but the sentiment that goes with it.

I hope the close-ups give you an idea on who special these are to varies members of our family.

This is on the inside of one of the skirts. I think it is a nice added touch.

This angel is just exquisite. The detail that went into each of these is priceless. I can only imagine the hours and hours that went in to each of these wonderful Christmas skirts. This Angel designed tree skirt belongs to my Aunt as well, I messed up the photo that showed the whole skirt, but you can see the wonderful detail this one has.

This next group are from my personal collection and they are some of my most prized possessions. This teddy bear and toys skirt was the first one I purchased from Henry back in the 1980's. I love this one so much, the bears are just adorable and the work and detail is unbelievable. I have had this all the years my children were growing up and they love it as well.

Again, you can see Henry's signature bead and sequin work....he really had an eye for detail.

If I were to name this one, it would be "Christmas Eve." I purchased this one as a gift for my in laws the same time I purchased the bear skirt. When they passed away, it came home with me. This one is like none other I have seen, and the hours of work it must have taken to complete this is mind boggling. I love all the star sequins that mimic the night sky.

Henry's attention to detail is what makes the scenes come to life and are just incredible. This one actually looks like a snowy night. This type of handiwork is quickly becoming a lost art today which makes these priceless to me and my family.

Here is Santa and his toys. Henry made the bows and put them in the center of the skirt. He always added something extra to make each one unique.

The toys and Santa look so happy and festive!

Now, while I was looking for all my skirts, I found a sack, and inside the sack was this wonderful skirt that I had purchased from Henry several years ago. I had left it in the original sack, and never used it. It was just as it was the day I took it home. I was amazed that I had forgotten about this one, and I remember falling in love with this as it had woodland animals and Santa. It reminds me of the little animals in Colorado. What a gift it was to discover this one tucked safely away, new as the first day I got it.

Here is a cute little chipmunk and rabbit, and that is just what we have at the cabin and they are so much fun to feed and watch. Yes, this one is very special indeed.

Here is another close-up of the work. This one was purchased I think just before Henry stopped making these skirts due to his eyesight. It still has his signature bead and sequin work, its just not as heavily beaded as the one's he made earlier on. No matter, it still speaks of Henry to me when I look at it.

As you can tell, these little Christmas treasures are much like a bag of Lay's Potato chips....it is impossible to have just one.......one is not enough. If I could have purchased every one he made, I don't think I would have ever grown tired of them. They are truly a work of art.

Henry left this world in June of this year at the age of 94 years old. When I first met Henry, he was in his 80's. He was sewing, beading and stitching by hand, treasures that will be passed down for generations to come in my family.

What a wonderful inspiration he is to me. Henry has shown me that even in the winter season of your life, a time when so many people give-up on living, this remarkable man made a difference by doing what he loved. By doing so, his memory will live on and be remembered each and every year and his wonderful works of art will be displayed in our homes.


When I think of Henry....I think of the true spirit of Christmas......and a man, who by giving of himself will continue to bring Christmas cheer every year. That is a remarkable legacy to leave behind.
~Good Stuff.
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