Our Christmas is put away, almost.
I have to confess, I'm always behind, putting it up-taking it down.
I already miss the twinkle lights.
Speaking of light---here in Chicagoland we have screaming sunshine or depressing dark gray days.
Either light creates issues with the camera. After I pulled my battery twinkles off my ivy topiary--which has really filled out from when I did the
DIY post in 2015,
I played with redressing the desk in the bedroom.
I started with a cloth over the dark wood top, underlined with blue vinyl since I have the topiary here now. The tablecloth is vintage Quaker lace, which has mellowed to a nice pale ecru or warm white.
It very thick small tablecloth was my grandmother's circa the 1930's.
" In 1889, the three sons of a successful English carpet weaver named John Bromley started a textile business called Bromley manufacturing. The three brothers imported lace looms from Nottingham, England to pursue their vision of producing machine made lace textiles. In 1894, the company was renamed Lehigh Manufacturing, after the street name in Philadelphia where the factory was located. A second factory was opened, a short time later, just a little further up the same street. In 1911, the business was renamed Quaker Lace Company."
Source For more Quaker Lace info check this site out.
My oversize turtle dove (we have three pair at our feeders)
was packed away with the Christmas lights.
I have no idea how many pieces of lace I have---quite a bit, and that's on the docket for 2017, to organize and cull all my collections from my stashes.
This sweet runner became a pot cover--or corset for the holidays.
I ran some gold ribbon through the edges and 'dressed' the pot.
Since I am using items with gold/brass accents I left the 'corset' on for January.
I think this is better than an ugly old gray pot.
I did the photos in two shoots, one with too much sun, and one with not enough.
My sweet bust, found her way to the center of the table.
I realize in this pic, how much she looks like Princess Di with her down cast eyes.
My mom's art nouveau cast iron mirror I use for displaying jewelry for my shop.
Here it displays a vintage 12k gold chain I found at a show in a $3.00 bin.
I perched some kid gloves with fabulous stitching on the mirror,
but then it hides the maid on the base.
The dresser set is my main focal point, and was my mother's. A gift from my father in 1939. He complained that he unloaded two train cars of cabbages before school to earn the money to buy it.
The were high school sweethearts, and my mom treasured this, even when it was no longer in style.
Mom
Mom must have thought about Dad every night for the 5 years he was in the service during WWII. Back in those days you brushed your hair one-hundred strokes a night while worrying about his safety.
The tray/mirror is beginning to do that vintage crackle craze thing---I just love the blue and the little handprinted roses on the enamel. A string that held the tag for Christmas, is still attached, the tag has simply shattered. I tossed some vintage pearls and earrings on the tray,
and the gloves moved here also.
The pearls were on the mirror for a day or so, before. The cut glass jar with the brass top was my
mom's. I'm not sure if it is a family piece or something she collected.
I vaguely remember this having a bit of silver on it at one time, but now it is beautiful burnished brass with wonderful Victorian cherubs and flourishes in the raised relief.
The glass is thick, smooth cut and pressed with a great leaf pattern. I just love the feel of old glass.
I'm sure this piece is from the 1880-90s.
This little strange piece, is three mismatches, an Avon plastic soap dish, a milk glass dish with brass feet, and a pressed glass dome, none of which belong together.
I picked this up at a thrift store, just because it was funky.
I placed some pearl earrings and a beautiful shell inside.
I have a Japan Moriage shaker or I use them for stick pins, when I have them out.
To be honest, I have no idea where they are. And I do have a bunch.
As dusk falls, I turn on the lamp--and it casts a new light on everything.
My mom's lamp is ceramic with crazing from the late 1960-early 70's. I've never seen another like it,
I'm glad it finally found a place in our home.
The desk is still a work in progress, and will shift and change much like our Chicago weather.
Thanks always for visiting.
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All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions or posts. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle
I will be sharing at these fine Parties!
