Feeling Nostalgic ~ Sister Pictures

Yes, I'm feeling nostalgic today. Ever just get the urge to go through old photos? I do this alot. It is a fun way to remember who you are and where you've come from...how far your journey has taken you...and maybe where you'd like to go next. Or, it's just a fun way to look back and laugh at some good times.

Now the photo above, I really don't remember being at this park with my family. Guess I was too young? But I have cherished these photos ever since I CAN remember. Especially the next one. Wherever my Sister went, I was sure to follow. My nickname when was I was a tot was "Little Me Too." My family tells me I was always heard saying "ME TOO! ME TOO!" How cute is that????? The plight of the second child...

Note the little Bobo sneakers:

And then the one below always tugs at my heart strings. My big Sis, always caring for me and always my protector. We were visiting my Grandparent's antiques and book store in Hollywood, Florida. (Guess this is where I get it from) and this is out back behind the store. I do remember being there. It was so much fun to see them and their pet Myna bird.

And here we are much later, in the 80's, all grown up. We were given similar gifts very often so of course we had to take a "sister picture" of us in our new hats. I think this actually started a tradition of us wanting to have a "sister picture" everytime we get together. (I hope she doesn't kill me for posting this photo. If it suddenly disappears, you'll know why!)

Thanks for taking a trip down memory lane with me!

Snapshots, Sales, and Summer

Most of us know how much fun a yard sale can be. Some of us can sense one like one senses the weather brewing. My husband is this kind of person.

Maybe he gets it honestly. These snapshots were taken at his parents annual garage sale last year. It is your quintessential sale. The biggie. The ONE YOU CAN'T MISS. They do it every year. It takes weeks of preparation and weeks of tear down. But they love it. And the people who flock there every year love it too. You may have even stopped there yourself without realizing it.
My Father-In-Law puts out signs MILES AND MILES away. I mean this man has the marketing down to a science. I was impressed the first time I witnessed one of their sales and I still am.

You can get anything from toys to dishes, to furniture and tools to sporting equipment. And ANTIQUES. Oh the antiques! So of course, I find myself hoping to get there before anyone else does. And we are usually late....(we live quite a distance away) and I hear about what could have been. Sigh! Here my Father-In Law sets out his fun finds...notice the rural setting in the background. Can't get any more country than this!!!!


So I sit here and think about what is to come. First spring, which is always welcome. And then summer, my favorite time of year. And the fun that waits around the corner...at your local yard sale.

Producer Turned Photographer

Since I've been away from my local TV producing job, I've discovered I still have a need for capturing the visual. To satisfy this creative outlet...I turned to my camera.





When I'm on the road, like on vacation, I really find great opportunities for snapping shots. The photo above was taken in Springfield, ME in front of a cutie little church. I was intrigued by the worn out doors and how the simple wreath made it all seem cozy. I titled this photo "Weathering the Storms" but this particular picture (which I hung hastily just as we moved in to our house) I did not sign or title. I need to do that.





I named it so because the worn doors reminded me of how we are all like the doors, weathering through life's storms, but we just need to knock and God is there, taking care of us.

About 12 years ago during my first trip to Italy, I snapped these two photos without ever thinking I would hang them in my living room. I loved them and they remind me of my special time there, each time I see them.

When we go to Maine each summer I seek out a different lighthouse each time. This one is in Portland, ME. We were there on the most beautiful morning...and as one of the local's said to my dear hubby "It's a REAL STUNNA" (stunner.) We couldn't have agreed more. I have this one framed but I didn't happen to have a photo of it in my computer so I hope I pass the new guidelines set up by Kelli.

At the bottom of my blog I have some other shots I've taken. It is late on a Thursday night and I decided to use what I had in my computer already in order to post for Show N Tell Friday!!! It was either this topic about my framed photography or our three cats, some of which I have already shown in the blog previously.

Either way, you can see more great stuff by stopping by Kelli's House.

LuRay Pastels ~ Perfect for SPRING!

Yes, it's ANOTHER post about my LuRay Pastels dinnerware collection. The last post, which you can find HERE, I gave the history on my own journey collecting the lovely pastel gems, as well as the history on the dishes themselves. Well, since I've added the "Feedjit" feature on my blog, I can see what people are searching for in google or other search engines. I was surprised by how MANY people were looking for LuRay on the internet...

Somehow, I feel as though I have let these eager searchers down. I wrote information about the dishes and where they were originally made, etc...but I really didn't SHOW my collection too well. (And by the way, I am selling my duplicate pieces here, in case you are looking to add to yours.)

So here is another shot...in my kitchen cupboard, just one of many we madeover, just to show off the LuRay. You can see the before and after HERE. The photo above was taken through the vintage style glass we ordered for the cabinets. It doesn't look this extreme in person, however!

But what I wanted to show were some different pieces I hadn't shown before. Like the set of pastel striped "Go Along" glasses I found 12 years after I started my collection. This was like finding a needle in a haystack. But I finally found them. I have no idea who made them. (Maybe Libby) and we only use them for birthdays and special occasions. (Never placed in the dishwasher either.) The celebration of spring might be a good reason! (Since I'm definitely not a winter person.)

The mixing bowls on the top shelf were long awaited, too. My first sighting of a LuRay mixing bowl was back in 1993 or 94 while attending "Atlantique City" in Atlantic City, NJ. At the time, I was a struggling local TV producer and could not afford such a luxury at the prices they were asking at the time...but it was four or five years later when I finally purchased my first mixing bowl. I finally acquired all 4, the green bowl was found relatively cheap, which is why I don't always support buying on ebay. Sometimes it is much more fun getting them at a great price! It just takes longer, if you have the patience.

Something I did not mention in my last write up about LuRay, is the book I bought, shown in the photo above. It is the ultimate book on LuRay pastels, by Bill and Kathy Meehan, called "Collector's Guide to T.S. & T. LuRay Pastels. Great photos and price values....although this was written in the early 90's and we need an updated value guide. I suppose going by prices on ebay is a good gauge.

There are other lines by T.S. & T. covered in the book, but none so popular like the LuRay.



I am always amazed by how cheaply you could buy the set of dishes (although it probably wasn't considered cheap then) back in the late 1930's! Most items under a dollar each.



My best finds may have been while I was living in New Jersey in the early to mid 90's. One day I went into a little shop where they sold handmade crafty items with some antiques mixed in. I happened to look down on the floor, and there halfway sticking out from under a shelf was this box of LuRay dishes. I gasped in amazement! The box was FULL. I took it up to the front and the nice lady behind the counter thought I was a young college age gal (I was a few years out of school by then) who needed to stock her apartment. So she sold me the whole box for $20.00.

Inside were several very rare pieces, the gray color! Now, as much as this color is rare and pricey, I just don't like it. Could be why it was discontinued not too much longer after it was introduced. Well, several years later when I discovered ebay, I sold my gray pieces for about $200.00 and I used the money to buy the pieces I really wanted, like the rest of the mixing bowls I needed.


I sold what I didn't like and bought what I liked. Works for me!

So, if you're searching the internet for information about LuRay pastels, I hope this interested you. Leave me a comment about your collecting experiences with LuRay...I'd love to hear from you.

Corn Flakes

I just think this is funny.

Becoming Jane ~ Pretty Things from Australia

Over the weekend I finally got to see the movie, Becoming Jane. It was really good! Didn't let me down. I didn't think it would. I've become fond of these movies...they are done so tastefully, with just enough mystique surrounding the love stories that they are not predictable. Since I really didn't know a whole lot about Jane Austen, the story of her life was a surprise to me. I've only seen a few of the movies done from her books so I just assumed this would be similar.
It was, and it wasn't.

I found myself completely falling for the whole Jane/Tom love story! It was so sweet and charming. And the CHEMISTRY! They did a great job casting.

And since this was a "chick flick" and a period piece to boot, I figured I was going to be watching it by myself. Well, dear hubby was in the background, of course, not admitting he was becoming interested in the movie. I kept saying "don't you have to go somewhere?" Not that I wanted him to leave, it's just he TOLD ME specifically he couldn't watch the movie with me because he had so much other guy stuff to do. Well, he popped in and out of the room enough while I was watching the movie that he could pretty much follow the story.

And if you haven't seen the movie yet, stop reading here.

(Photo credit below: Becoming Jane Fansite)

It was when the movie was over I exclaimed "I'M SO DISAPPOINTED SHE DID NOT MARRY HIM!"

And my dear husband replies "Imagine how she felt."

This was funny and sometimes men surprise me with their practical thinking.

But overall, it was a great movie and I highly recommend it!!!

And now for some pretty things that arrived all the way from Australia! I've always wanted to go to Australia, ever since I took a tour in Europe. Half of the tourists in our group were from Australia....they were so nice and we had so much fun. I really enjoyed learning the differences in our culture and language. Not major, but there were some neat things I had never heard of before. Anyway, I digress.

This pretty blue pin is from Natasha Burns' Artistic Creations website... half a world away but so close on the internet! Amazing to me.

And she is so sweet! She included a couple of thank you's. This pretty butterfly magnet...
And a thank you card with a printed version of one of her rose paintings! Such beautiful things and such a classy presentation. You must visit her site and see for yourself! Thanks, Natasha!

Pink Satin Ballet Slippers ~ Dancing "en Pointe"

When I was a little girl I was pretty much a tomboy. I liked to play in the dirt, run faster than the boys, and play baseball. Some of my idols were Philadelphia Phillies like Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt. I would listen to their games on my little clock radio til wee hours in the morning when there was a double header. I was afraid my Mother was going to hear it and holler at me to turn it off so I would bring it all the way up to my ear.





But somewhere in there, during that time, I found a love that I can't explain. A love for something that was so opposite of all the things I enjoyed doing. So GIRLY.





I have to say I must have always had the dancing bug in me...when I was five I "choreographed" my own dance to "Peter and the Wolf" and performed it in our living room for whoever would watch. But it wasn't until I was in the fifth grade did I decide that I wanted to take dance lessons.



It was the bling of it all really, I think. My Grandmother took me to a friend of the family's dance recital and I was star struck by all the fancy costumes and sequins. I resolved that next year I would be up there doing the same thing.





And I did. But it was hard. It wasn't as easy as I thought! Dancing HURT. And dancing could be fun. It was when I was actually in the recital when it all paid off. The THRILL of performing on stage. Like nothing I had ever experienced.



Which brings me to today's post. The picture above is of my beloved pink satin toe shoes. A rite of passage for all ballet dancers. A sign you have worked hard enough and long enough to dance "en pointe." I never felt more beautiful and more graceful than when I could put on my toe shoes and dance. A most wonderful experience I will never forget. . . getting to perform in the local Nutcracker suite in our hometown. Magical!!!



And I keep my toe shoes as a reminder of all the hard work, determination, and accomplishments.

For more posts like this check out Kelli's House... a ton more stories in blogland to read and enjoy!

Learning from the Past ~ WWII Letters

Each week I usually post some of the neat things my Dear Hubby and I drag home from local sales and auctions. Most of the time I sell what we find although sometimes I find it difficult to part with some of them.

The photo above is of a lovely painting done by a man in his retirement back in 1966. His name was Oliver Williams of Perth Amboy, NJ. It is just absolutely sweet and darling and would looke great in someone's cottage type decor. I certainly don't mind the pink florals either! But, this one I am selling in my listings this week.

And I love the inspirational saying on this plaque...from II Corinthians. I have a few similar to this with sayings like "Love Never Faileth", etc., that I hang around the house as faith reminders. But, I am going ahead and listing it to sell this week.

Now here is where I'm having a little bit of trouble. I was GOING to sell these World War II set of letters, postcards, and photos from a man's time in Europe during the latter half of the war. So, before I did, I thought, I need to read some of these to learn more and do some research before hand.

Well, the more I read, the more I just adored the man who wrote them. There are several photos that came with this lot but I'm not sure which one is him as they are all of different guys. Anyway, these letters are to his sister back home in Pennsylvania. He signs them "Peach" and talks to his neice and nephew and refers to himself as "Uncle Peach" and tells them to make sure they get good marks in school and to be good. One letter even has me tearing up as he writes about the next phase of their encampment or duties and that they are going to be dangerous. But instead of being fearful he talks about his faith and belief in God and that he is not afraid. It touched my heart!

He writes from France, Germany, and Italy. The one from Italy absolutely cracked me up because he writes about some new words he learned. He says that a "Pizon"
is a friend and that "No Co Bish" means Don't understand. This was funny! It should be Non Capice. He was just writing what he heard, getting by, and missing his family.

So, sometimes things are easy to buy and sell, and some you get attached to. Like this. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with these. I may hang onto them and figure out a way to find the relatives of this sweet, sweet man nicknamed Peach. Who knows. But I just can't let them go. Yet.

Great Weekend ~ Plus a BBB Award!

How sweet is this? I was tagged by Michelle of "I'm a Little Teapot" with this CUTE CUTE CUTE award. (I guess I'm the kitty on the right. )

So this was a great way to start out my weekend, thank you, Michelle! I'm glad we've "met" and it's been fun reading each other's blogs back and forth from across the miles. Again, another chance to say this is why I love blogging so much. I've actually LEARNED a lot by blogging. From reading my FEEDJIT listings, to learning customs of gals in other countries, to weather and events in other regions of our own country, this is FUN. I think kids should have to blog in school or at least as a homework assignment because there is lots to gain from it. You even learn more about yourself. And from what my big Sista has told me, she's even learned things about me she didn't know.

I suppose this is where I'm supposed to tag someone else and I will pass this award onto Amy of Abundant Curiosities and also to Carol of Sassafras & Lulu.

As for my great weekend I mentioned in my title...my Dear Hubby and I went to a "Beat the Winter Blues" party last night at our church. The deal was ...you were supposed to wear vintage clothing from the blues/jazz era OR if you didn't have that attire you were to wear blue clothing. Well, being the antiquers that we are, we could not resist the temptation to wear THE outfits. And no, I'm not going to post a picture of us in our costumes. But I will tell you WE WON BEST COSTUME! Yay! We went to the Salvation Army for his suit (oversized, dark navy blue pinstripe), the best funky graphics tie, and some matching suspenders. We searched all over creation for a vintage man's hat but you know what, nothing FITS. They are all too small. So we found a reproduction hat at this store:"Zap and Co." Once he had it on it was kind of like the movie "The Mask" and he became the hat. He didn't want to take it off.

My dress was put together from things I already had around the house...no, not curtains like Carol Burnett used...but a vintage dress I had bought that I thought I would sell but didn't, my heeled dancing shoes from college, vintage pins, an antique fur, etc.

It was fun and it sure beat the winter blues for a few hours...and I'm also happy to report a lot of our snow melted today. Spring has got to be around the corner somewhere...

Antique Books ~ Art Works Inside & Out

This is the bookshelf in our family room, next to the fireplace. I am slowly filling it with my vintage book collection.Fun stops from Maine down through to Virginia have helped fill in the gaps here and there. I usually keep the price to 5.00 and under. If it costs more than my set price...well, it has to be a special book, like a classic, or the artwork on the cover has to be intricate.





The artwork is probably what appeals to me the most. You just don't find this kind of detail on books anymore. Each one is different, like a snowflake! And of course, I love the metallic titles on the binding. SO elegant.






I always keep these three together...since they all seem to have romantic titles and the colors compliment each other. (I never said I was an intellectual. It's all about how they LOOK.)


This is my poetry section. (Like I have a library or something! I also have a classics section. Hey, at least they're not alphabetized with the Dewey decimal system.) The white Tennyson book has the most beautiful pink rose on the cover, otherwise it wouldn't fit the "criteria" I have in mind for what kind of book makes it onto THE BOOKSHELF. But this white book, albeit boring on the binding, is gorgeous on the front. So, I make exceptions. I'll have to add a picture of it for you.

This book I keep in it's own special holder on the mantle...my Dear Hubby brought it home one day for me. Very sweet! But, I only keep it out during winter... which is kind of ironic, because if anyone has been following my blog for any length of time, would know I can't stand winter...and would be very happy if we only had spring, summer, and fall.

And I can't believe it, I've actually put together another edition of Show & Tell friday....all started over at Kelli's House.

Stop by and visit her blog! There are lots of other great blogs with stories of their own!