red with milk glass

These pics are some last little peeks around my house at my milk glass collection before I moved them. I have done something new with them and will show it soon.

My milk glass collection was all brought together from people that gave them to me as their unwanteds or they were found while "curb siding" or were thrifted for REALLY cheap!

party

(vintage milk glass dishes and aromatic White Pine cuttings from the yard -there are more pine cones but they didn't show in this pic )

The teenagers were here again the other evening, and so the snacks were set out. Snacks never last long with 6 hungry kids- they're always hungry. This was just the center piece and small sweets- white chocolate covered pretzel balls, Snowcaps, inside out Junior Mints, and Tootsie Rolls-, thank goodness for the dollar store! There were bigger bowls of other salty goodies too. Minutes before the party started, 2 huge trays of homemade cookies were sent over from the neighbors..."We heard you were having the teenagers over again!"
Remember when you could eat anything you wanted and never worry about calories?

Karaoke and Rock Band and of all things....they all curled up on the furniture under warm quilts near the crackling fire for a showing of Mary Poppins on video until about 1:30 am !! There was a loud sing along for each and every song. This is a very musical group.

Food and music and they are set!

another year

(My collection of vintage record album covers with wonderful happy idyllic family scenes)

Another year of Christmas hullabaloo is done. Don't get me wrong, I am sure many new memories were made and all had fun. It's just that since I have been a grown up, and even more so since I've been a mom, it is all so different at Christmas time. Now I am the one in charge of the magic making. The one behind the curtain, like the great Oz. I admit sometimes it's tough. I want to be the kid again, observing the magic and believing.

I long for the feeling of being a child at Christmas time to rush over me again. That feeling is worth more than gold. When you're a kid you take it for granted or you do not even know you have it. But you do!


Yes, I enjoy the process of making memories for my own kids. I just miss the old days. That's allowed. That is why I surround myself with things and images that make me feel comfort, like these silly record album covers. They just speak to me.

(N.'s collection of nutcrackers, and E.'s hand made Mandela type snowflakes)

N. has always had a fascination with nutcrackers. He has received all these as gifts throughout the years. On Christmas day I took my Santas out of my red cupboard and put his collection and the little tree with his nutcracker ornaments on it up on top. He was so thrilled to see his collection displayed in a new place and the smile on his face as he stood there, and each time he walked by, said it all. I had just made a memory for him!! That's what it's all about.

(Japan elves, my hand quilled snowflakes, and a silk hankie with a perfect winter couple)

My Grandma had made in Japan elves like these. To look at them in my home makes me recall the cozy days at her house during the holidays. She did not decorate every inch of the house as many people seem to do in my generation. She decorated the living room. The room where it all happened. Everything. She had no family room or den. The living room was the place. It was decorated with an aluminum tree and color wheel, items along the fireplace mantle and on top of the big console TV cabinet. The cabinet was big, not the TV itself.

The decorations were perfect. Perfectly enough. I never thought to question, "Why isn't there more?"

(my kids decorate the doll house each year)

This December involves weeding out many of the decor items as we sort through it all --giving some away and donating some. I have decided to have the kids do more of the decorating next year, not just being in charge of the doll house. They will decide what is enough. The kids will make it their own and decide what to love.

( the kitchen window sill )

I also changed the window sill display on Christmas day. I do a lot of thinking at the sink in the kitchen in front of this window. I needed a change. I get bored with it quickly and easily. I was suddenly struck by the fact that I needed it to be Winter instead of Christmas in that spot. So some milk glass was moved here from another area. It feels better now. I can't explain why.

(vintage game boxes)

I am a big fan of games that families play together that require no batteries or electricity to enjoy, thus the fascination I have always held for vintage games. That and the fact that the color on the packaging and game boards is just different, bright and fun. The photo is a group that's sitting atop my corner cupboard. But I keep some of my kids' board games out of the game closet at all times, sitting ready for play, often rotating some out for new choices. A spontaneous game of Chutes and Ladders can bring a smile to me any time. I have found that if I open the box they will come!! They, meaning one of my kids or 2 or 3. More memory making and laughter.

( house ornaments)

My Mom was a collector of these house ornaments. Each one has the year marked somewhere on the house. On the back you can look inside to the 3 dimensional rooms. After she died I continued to buy one each year, often going without something in order to fit it's purchase into the budget. They are not horribly expensive but still a luxury, in my opinion. I did not buy one this year. Maybe someday I will be able to find one on line, since this is the first year I have missed one. N. looks forward to unpacking them and carefully taking the protective box inserts apart to reveal each one. He put them on the window sill in the living room this year. And yes, those are all my paper snowflakes I have cut by hand with no patterns. Some have been hung on the windows every year for 17 years!!

So another year of Christmas has come and gone. We have new memories and the comfort of decor from years before. We had a Christmas without spending money. B was off work for 8 weeks and we were without his regular pay. Every dollar I had squirreled away for emergency times like this had to be spent just before his surgery to put a new engine in my car. Talk about an unexpected expense! We make every penny count at our house and to be without regular pay you find ways to survive somehow. We were blessed to have many good friends and neighbors who helped to make the Christmas season one of fun for the kids. They brought gifts from Santa and seemingly unending deliveries of trays of home baked sweets and other food. We were even given a turkey for Christmas dinner.

Friends, family and memories. That's what it's all about.

milk glass

The green beads are a necklace that was my Mom's from the 1950's at one time there was a set of clip-on earrings to match which she often wore for card club night with her friends. Vintage red and white linen towels like my grandma had in her kitchen, folded among the milk glass. I love anything red and white.

Green apple candles (that look nicer in person than in this photo) and red berry springs add pops of color.

Vintage string of wooden beads in green, red, and golden shades.

Snowflake shaped candle that is actually a floating-type candle (which I have used in a shallow milk glass bowl filled with water and then floated cranberries in along with the candle), paper hand made quilled snowflakes made by me tucked into a pile, and Paper Posie flowers made by me scattered along a pedestal cake plate.

A vintage porcelain carnival prize doll with the "cold paint" all worn and chippy.

Many of the things in these photos will be let go in the circle of collections...some come in and many go out to new homes.

These are actually in another area other than my hutch. Stacked compotes in graduated sizes and some ratty old books: Peyton Place and Art Linkletter The Secret World Of Kids. The angle of the photo makes it look somewhat like a leaning tower. It is straight, I assure you.

All of my milk glass was either my Mom's or was thrifted. I have found a great fun place where they always have milk glass. I have never been there that they did not have at least 1 or 2 pieces. One day I was there they had the craziest price point too....55 cents.... too bad they only had 3 that day!!! Have you seen what this stuff sells for on the _bay site??

I grew up being surrounded by all my Mom's milk glass. She collected it over about 50 yr's time. It is adaptable to any decor or time of year or holiday! See what I did here with candles!!!

You can see all old milk glass posts here.

Paper posie surprise

I gave my friend, Sharon, some of my Paper Posies. She was so creative and surprised me with this...

She used my handmade brightly colored posies and embellished them with a spray glitter (which I love! *my brain gears are turning*) and then made them into this!!

 Maybe you could make some posie bouquets, I know where you can find some posies!

 I will continue to supply the Paper Posies.  I am wrapping my brain around the idea of glittering some of my posies!! After all, you can't go too wrong with glitter...on just about anything!

Thank you Sharon, for my posie creation. I smile each time I look at it!!

drool....

While surfing I found someone's really great Etsy shop to drool over. If you love MILK GLASS...

Check it out- My Milk Glass Shop.

a little of this and that

milk glass and vintage birthday card

milk glass and

vintage birthday cards

-oval frame, photo of me
-square frame, my daughter's baptism
-glass kitties that were on one of my childhood
birthday cakes



-vintage plastic pink powder box (bought as a gift for my best friend)
-vintage coat buttons given to me by a friend
- violet tray given to me by a friend who didn't want it anymore due to a chip on the rim. I love it, chip and all!!


-vintage porcelain rose topped box and roses (both throw away items at a friend's house!)
with fortune cookie papers tucked in
-tea cup holding beautiful red roses from Betty
at She's Sew Pretty Etsy



-my favorite book collection (Suzette may recognize the blue book!)
-a bunny from my 1st birthday


-vintage roses post cards
-family photos (Suzette may recognize someone wearing gloves)
and vintage "adopted family" photos


-old tattered books
-violets dishes



-a soft coat that my Dear once wore as a toddler
(it's vintage now !)
-a pic from a magazine tucked into the sleeve



-old family purses
-and more vintage images


-mini dresser from H. Lobby (clearance $1.99!!)
-vintage glass box hand painted with green and roses, it matches the mini dresser (and only 25 cents, how fun to find that!!)
-old family photo of my Dad and brother
-vintage family gloves


-vintage family framed items, baptism certificate


-more family items


-my childhood dollies brought by Santa. I still love them!



-Milk glass adopted by me from owners throwing them away. Throwing them away!!

this and that...

Some daisyware that were Mom's that will go to live somewhere else. I can't keep everything!!

 rose ephemera tucked inside a tin holder, a hand me down from a friend

one of my VERY favorite vintage books in my collection...
it is from 1901... I love stuff about royalty, and ruling families of England, and Russia.

One of my favorite sweets I treated myself to recently, I nestled it among my milk glass for a random, silly photo!

read about my snoball memories here

non melting snowmen, snowflakes and vintage Valentines

I usually have my snowmen packed away by February 1st. They always stay up after the truly Christmas items have been packed but I usually don't mix them with Valentine's decor.
This year I must admit I have had a harder time letting go of them. They are finally going to be retired tomorrow to return next year.

We have had one of the snowiest Winters in a long long time. I love the snow and I love Winter. I just don't love the bitter cold that seems to be still hanging on. I am tired of the single digit temperatures and below zero wind chills that are commonplace on the daily news report.

Tomorrow it is supposed to raise above the freezing mark on the thermometer. I almost forgot what that feels like, to be able to walk outside without your eyelashes feeling like they will freeze and snap off and not needing to have every bit of skin covered that you possibly can cover.

I must admit I am going to be slower about taking down my paper snowflakes from all the windows. They just look so pretty with the world outside every window all draped in white.

Even when I do start taking them down it will still take about 2 days to carefully remove the tiny pieces of tape rolls on the backs and store them safely away for the 17th year. And OF COURSE I have added more this year, as I always do.

So, snowflakes and Valentines are living side by side in my Ohio house this year!

Snowflakes go with Valentine's like Milk Glass goes with Valentines.

Two of my favorite things: snowflakes and vintage Valentines!!