A Perfect Day Out!

Teen 2 and I had a fabulous day out today. First we visited the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, then we stopped to watch lawn bowling as we strolled to tea at The Secret Garden, then we drove to Old Town Antiques in Pleasanton where we barely had enough time (2 hours), to see it all. We need to do this again!

Sacramento Antiques Faire

I went to the Sacramento Antiques and Collectibles Faire last Sunday. It was a fun day out even though it rained on and off all day. The booths are set up under a section of freeway so you aren't really out in the rain, but going from section to section we sometimes got wet. And I think there was a lower turnout because of the rain, but we had fun anyway.

Here are some cute andirons I saw.

And look at all these Toby cups!

This was our favorite booth. She had baskets, buckets, wine bottle racks, old benches, cafe furniture, and other interesting stuff from Europe.

I only bought a few Christmas ornaments and this platter, but I'm sure I will find my way back there sometime soon from Amongst The Oaks.

Old Family Photo

I found another old family photo in a long forgotten box the other day. I wonder how I'm related to these folks. Why are they posing near what appears to be a tombstone? And what is with that young woman's dress? It looks like it's all tattered. And why does the old man look so grouchy? Strange, strange ancestors....

The Mummy

Today marks the end of an era for our local museum. And it's a sad day for the legions of local school children who have visited and loved the Mummy for over 60 years. You see, today the mummy goes home.How well I remember visiting the mummy myself. As children, my sisters and I often swam at the nearby pool, and afterwards would prowl the cool galleries of the museum. It was free and even then (I couldn't have been more than 8) I was drawn to the artwork, furniture, dishes, clothing, and yes, the Mummy.

It seems the Fine Arts Museum has decided they want Iret-net-Hor-irw back, so today at 10:30am the crew will arrive and load him up and take him first to a hospital for a full scan, and ultimately back to San Franciso where he will appear in a new display at the Legion of Honor (opening Halloween 2009) called Very Postmortem: Mummies and Medicine.

I procrastinated all summer and missed my chance to see him, so yesterday I pulled some strings and got us a private visit. It reminded me of the scene in the first Harry Potter movie where Dudley Dursley is watching the python and suddenly the glass is gone! Because they had already removed the glass and we did indeed get an up close and personal look (plus an informative explanation from the Museum Director) at the Mummy.

I think Teen2 was suitably impressed.

Old Family Photo

I recently came across this old photo of myself and my two sisters. It was taken in 1955 when I was only a few months old. My sister Horse Woman would have been about 3, and Travelbug would have been 6. Aren't we cute? Life was good in the 50s, wasn't it?

When I was at my Dad's house last month helping to clean up and clear out, he gave me these shoes. They are the ones I was wearing in that photo! They are only about 3" long and made of a satin like fabric.They fasten with these tiny mother-of-pearl buttons.

Thank you Mom for getting me these cute little shoes for my first photo. And thank you for saving them all these years. I'll treasure them always.

Old Family Photo Gifts

I had some reprints of ancestors made for my siblings. This morning (last minute 'cause the party is today) I started wrapping them. I had no idea what to use, so I scrambled around in the wrapping paper box, found this black and white toile and some black ribbon, and made these envelopes to hold the photos.

Then I made little tags to hold the ribbon down and the Lord of the Manor suggested sealing wax, so I found that and Voila! they're done. Now I've got to run. The Lord of the Manor has loaded the car, Teen1 and Teen2 are ready, and it's time to hurry off to my sister's house.

Lodi Street Faire

We went to the Lodi Street Faire on Sunday. It's always lots of fun with antiques, crafts, food and people watching. This booth had interesting treasures from Europe. I really liked those wicker baskets and that work table. They had a similar work table covered with metal. That would be a great addition to a crafts room, wouldn't it?

They had several sets of cafe furniture. I gravitated towards this red set, of course. But I already have lots of patio furniture, so I don't really need it. This red coffee grinder caught my eye too. Mainly it reminded me that I needed a cup of coffee....


In the end we only bought one tiny thing for Acorn Cottage; a little cast iron hook which I'll show to you soon. But we had a nice day out from Amongst The Oaks.

Grandma's Sewing Box

Whilst searching for brown embroidery floss for Hyacinth's eyes, I found some old needles in Grandmother's sewing box.

This grandmother is the Lord of the Manor's mom's mom. When her husband passed on, we all helped to clean out the house and each of us got to select a few items for remembrance. I selected some old sewing things. Anyway, I found the old packages of needles to be quite interesting.

These were all made in England. I have no idea how old they are, but since she would be 104 years old if she were still alive, I'm guessing they could be over 50 years old - and there are still needles in them.

This one looks like it's from the 1950s. If you used these needles, look how happy your home would be!

And look at the happy springy colors inside.

I think this one is my favorite because I love roses.

It's only missing one needle.

The design on this one looks older, maybe Deco?

Still a few needles in each of these too. So why in the world did she buy all these needles and not use them? I know she was quite a seamstress, but really, how could one possibly use all these needles?


The good thing is: I'll never have to buy another needle in my entire life. Whether I need to darn, quilt, hem, embroider, or simply sew on a button, I'm set!

p.s. Sorry to not post yesterday; Teen1 and I went to Oakland, then when we got home there was dinner to make and a uniform to hem (and I knew right where to find a needle), and Teen2 needed a ride to Taiko, and they day just got away from me.

Latest Acquisitions

I somehow managed to find my way into a few antique shops lately. I found this cute little rosey platter. Now why did I buy this? It doesn't match anything I have, but it could be the start of a collection, couldn't it? (Typical dishaholic logic!)

I got this cute plate the other day. It has acorns all around the edge. It fits in well with my oak and acorn theme. My sister has one and I thought it was so nice I just had to find one too.

I also found one of these vintage glitter houses. It needs a little repair, but it gives me the inspiration to make my own for next Christmas. Maybe an entire village of little houses and a church and some shops. Oh, I can just see it.

Teen2 also acquired something this week. An award for drafting. Four months ago when she was put in this class she was mighty upset, but she stuck with it and look at her now! Good job Teen2.

Alameda Antiques Faire

Just a few quick photos of the Alameda Point Antiques & Collectibles Faire. We had a fabulous day; perfect weather, nice people, great treasures, fun company.

Being Green

Being "green" is all the rage today, but I like to think I've always been green because I LOVE to recycle! No, not plastic bottles and cans, although we do that too. I mean household furnishings. I'd much rather have an old thing than a new thing. From spatulas (my grandmother's) to dining room furniture (hubby's grandmother's) I just prefer old things. I often frequent antique stores, thrift stores, charity shops and estate sales in search of not only beautiful things, but also well-loved, well-built, useful things. Some of my favorite finds over the years are

this toast rack from a charity shop in Skipton, this plate from a local antique shop,
this picture from a local antique mall,
this needlepoint chair from an antique shop,
this beautifully fringed chair from an estate sale,
and this mirror.

I'm going to the Alameda Point Antiques Faire this weekend with my sister and niece. We hope to help the environment a little by "recycling" some more great treasures. I'll share some photos of what we find next week. Oh, and by the way, we're carpooling.