Blue nostalgia

 

 

This is my first attempt at participating in Blue Monday at Smiling Sally's blog.  I've chosen 3 photos that are near and dear to my heart as they were all part of my idyllic childhood growing up in Illinois.

 

My first photo is of my American Plastic Bricks by Elgo.  I played with these things for hours on end and built houses complete with moving doors and windows.  Does anyone remember these?  They are from the 50's.

 



This was my first cookbook!  I'm sure that I baked/cooked some things in this cook book, however, I'm glad that I married a man who loves to do the cooking around here.  As far as I'm concerned, my kitchen came with the house that is the only reason I periodically walk through it!  The copyright in this book is dated 1955.

My beloved Ginny doll by Vogue.  She is all original except for her unruly wig.  I played with my Ginny dolls constantly.  This doll is from the 50's.

 

 

These 3 "blue" items conjure up such sweet memories of a childhood that anyone would be happy to remember.  Enjoy.



This cracks me up!

Well, I have more Halloween/Harvest decor up and I'm looking forward to cooler weather which can't get here fast enough!

 

This is the sideboard in my kitchen area.

 

 

A close-up of the Halloween pumpkin that I bought at Home Goods after Halloween 2 years ago.

 

 This totally cracks me up!  The "Boos" brothers with their Halloween car!

 

The "Boos" brothers with their car and sunglasses!

 

I actually just recently bought the "Boos" brothers ghosts and their car from a neighbor who was selling tons of holiday decor.  I found a Craig's List posting for the decor and lo and behold the seller was down the street and around the corner from my house!



A PIANO...it's a Grand thing!

My story for the letter "P" at Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday blog is all about a baby grand piano.  I'm posting this early as I will be out of town on Wed. and Thurs., and working on a computer other than my own really seems to confound me!  Can you say "technologically challenged"?

 

About a year ago, my father-in-law mentioned that he wanted my daughter, Karen, to have my mother-in-law's baby grand piano.  My mother-in-law loved this piano and played it all the time until Alzheimers invaded her mind and memory.  My daughter couldn't have the piano until she and her husband moved from their very small house into a much larger home that could accomodate the size of a baby grand piano. Karen and Joe knew that they wanted had to move because they were rapidly running out of room in the small, cramped house with two kids and all the "stuff" that goes along with a two year old and five year old! All the time they were looking for a larger home, Karen kept the piano in the back of her mind knowing that she had to have room for it. Luckily her new house has an open room (office area?) to the kitchen and family room that is perfect for the piano.



 

Karen and Joe painted the room and the piano looks great against the light walls.  Karen hasn't put anything on the walls yet because we have to have some old piano sheet music covers framed.  We found sheet music from the time my mother-in-law was single with her maiden name on the covers! She married in 1945 so the sheet music is old!

 

 

Eventually my grandchildren will take piano lessons.  Karen took lessons for several years but never really pursued the piano as a serious activity.  She would go to Northern Arizona University for summer music camp but I think that this was more of a social time than serious music theory time!  She insists that she learned a lot about the piano, but I know that she had a ball at music camp as well. 



 

I can't wait to see who gives Karen more of a headache when it comes to practicing the piano...Brandt or Lillian!  Believe me, I speak from experience!

 

 

Here are some of the sheet music covers that we are going to frame for the new "music" room.



 

 

Visit Jenny Matlock at Alphabe-Thursday for the letter "P".

ENOUGH!!!

I live in Arizona and I'm definitely over the summer heat!  In an effort to hasten the cooler months and holidays, I started to decorate for Harvest/Halloween today!  Actually I started quite by accident...literally.  Last week I went out to the garage to get something out of one of the cupboards, and when I opened the door to the cupboard, two boxes of Halloween decorations fell on top of me.  My back was sore for a day or two and the black and blue bruise on my left arm is fading and turning green.  Yuck!  At any rate, I left the toppled boxes on the garage floor until today when I hauled them into the house and started to unpack the contents.

This first photo is of the hutch in my kitchen.  I found a garland in one of the boxes and decided to put it on the kitchen hutch instead of the dining room hutch where it usually goes.  When I took this picture, some Halloween decor was still in the hutch.  It is now out and ready for strategic placement.


 

 

This next photo shows some of the stuff that was in my hutch, but it is now on the kitchen island.  I'm sure the candle sticks will eventually go on the dining room table after I find my black tablecloth and spider web covering.  My husband refuses to take down additional Halloween boxes until next month so, other than a few pumpkins and stuffed black cats, this is all I have right now. 

 

 

I'm so ready for summer to be over!

"L" is for lovely Lily

This post is about my lovely granddaughter Lillian.  I'm joining Jenny Matlock for Alphabe-Thursday and we are celebrating the letter "L".

My granddaughter will be 3 in October and we are realizing just how beautiful she is.  She has a pure innocence about her that shows through her gorgeous eyes and smile.  She easily speaks her mind and views the world through eyes that know and share love and security.

               Lily's serious face reminds me of a Madame Alexander doll. 

Lily is a happy-go-lucky toddler with a ready smile and an inner confidence that never ceases to amaze us.  Sometimes she is a little too fearless for her own good, but her individuality endears us to her completely.  Sometimes she insists on having what her brother has and then a bit of rivalry begins. 

I think that the following picture says it all about Lily.

"I'm here and I'm happy".

 Lily loves to run and play.  Occasionally she runs at inappropriate times searching for toys in a store or some girly-girl stuff like hats and pink purses!   

 My daughter took this picture when they drove up Mt. Lemmon in Tucson for a bit of fun and sightseeing.  I've never been to Mt. Lemmon but I understand that there is a ski resort and a village called Summerhaven.  Mt. Lemmon is in the Catalina Mountains and is about 9,000 feet above the Tucson desert. 
Here we have Lily, showing some attitude with her grin and her hand on her hip!  My grandson, Brandt, doesn't seem to be amused by Lily's antics.

This is one of my favorite photos of my daughter, Karen, and Lily.  My son-in-law and his extended family had several photos taken on the grounds at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and this is one of the pictures captured by the photograper.

My two grandchildren are loved so very much. Lily is always showing her independence and charm, while Brandt, who rarely forgets anything, amuses us with his in-depth conversations.
Please join other participants in Alphabe-Thursday by clicking here.



More Vintage Wedding Photos

At a recent family reunion, my cousin gave me several family photo albums and I'm so thankful that she did.  I found many wedding photos of family and friends from a different generation.  I have no idea who this lady is, but she looks stunning in this photo.

Again, I wish I knew who this little girl was.  She is so cute in the fashion of the day.  I really like her knee-high stockings and head piece.

Pink and yellow Saturday

I'm joining Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for Pink and Yellow Saturday, and I just happen to have a vintage photo of my mother dressed in pink carrying blue and yellow flowers!  My mother was born in 1914 so I imagine that this photo was taken in the 30's when she was a bridesmaid in a wedding.  I remember her telling me that she was a bridesmaid many, many times before she was an actual bride.

My next pink photo is of my granddaughter, Lily, when she just started to walk.  I don't know if she actually fell or was purposely bending down to look at the object near her right hand!

Lily apparently figured out the whole walking process because she is happily toddling around in her pink bow, tutu and pink shoes!

My son-in-law and 5 year old grandson play golf and I guess that Lily decided to join them one day.  Somehow I don't think that she is allowed to carry the golf ball around, but I'm sure that she made up her own rules.

I love this next photo of Lily.  After a swimming lesson, Lily went home and put on her favorite shoes...pink cowboy boots!  She LOVES these things! 

Join others for Pink Saturday by visiting Beverly at How Sweet the Sound and wish her a very Happy Birthday.