Roses Are Red.....

The framed vintage postcard of a single red rose, above, is one of my favorites. I have more postcards with pink roses than red, but they're all beautiful!
This page, below, is from the cutest children's book I found at a thrift store for 50 cents. The book is falling apart, but it was worth it for the adorable illustrations. The book is My Slippers Are Red by Charlotte Steiner 1957.

The page with Dolly the bunny at the fence is from A Surprise For Mrs. Bunny (1945). I had no idea these were by the same artist until I checked inside the books just now to write it for this post! I chose them because of the red roses.

And this last picture - just one more of my framed vintage postcards from my collection. That's another Dollar Tree frame that was perfect for the lovely red rose.

Kids In The Kitchen

Looks like Mother, above is getting ready for Cupcake Week next week on Martha! And below, with Mom's help, the kids are mixing up something special. Check out those matching aprons on Mom and Sis!

But little Shirley Temple is baking all by herself!

I wish I had everything in all of those kitchens.

Designs To Color 1968

Well, today I just thought I'd post about these because I think they're neat. Colored with felt pens, these are pages from a book I have dated 1968, and titled Designs In Color by Betty Schaffner.

60's psychedelic!
Neato.

Cool, really cool.

Favorite Fruit Crate Labels

I love the Placerville Maid label, above, because the little girl looks very similar to what my sisters and I looked like when we were little, and also because our mother used to work packing pears in Placerville (say that real fast five times!)

I used to deliver mail to the Sierra Glen Ranch, and it is as lovely a place as the picture on the label implies! The label below cracks me up because Placerville is not a "Big City" - although, like a lot of towns, it's much bigger than it used to be! But, I mean, really - skyscrapers? No.

And last, but not least, Placerville in plaid!

To this day, I still love Bartlett pears, but they have to be just right as far as the stage of ripening. I also just plain like the name Bartlett, because I have very fond memories of the Bartlett family, who were friends of ours years ago. Melba and Roger, and their kids Sunny, Laurel, and Paul. They had the most beautiful farm property! I wish I was there right now.

Painted Ladies

I have always LOVED Victorian houses. I still dream of living in one some day. I also love Craftsman bungalows and farm houses - but those aren't what this post is about. All of these books are part of my own collection. The first one, above, was published in 1978; the authors are Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen. These are fabulous and beautiful books for a Victorian house lover. I am so happy that I have all of them! Daughters, below, was published in 1987.

The Painted Ladies Revisited, pub.1989

How To Create Your Own Painted Lady,also pub.1989

America's Painted Ladies, pub.1992


and lastly,The Painted Ladies Guide To Victorian California, pub.in 1991

Perhaps you noticed three of the books have photographs by the great Douglas Keister, whose work I also admire greatly. If you love this style of home like I do, I think you would really like these books!

Betsy In Black And White

I'm back to Betsy McCall again. Can't help myself. These outfits were from a McCall's Magazine paper doll page in the 1950's. See her cute little black and white dress and coat in the bottom corner? Well, below, you see small and large versions of vintage Betsy in a similar long-sleeved version. That picture and the one below are from this great book I have, written by Marci Van Ausdall titled Betsy McCall a Collector's Guide (published by Hobby House Press 1999). If you are a Betsy-lover, it is the ultimate!

This page shows the outfits in differing versions of the black and white gingham checked fabric. She's so sweet with her little black beret.

And this last picture is my very own Betsy in the same outfit! Except mine came with a little umbrella! Not sure where that came from, as it wasn't a part of her original outfit. I love it, though- it looks great as part of her ensemble!

Betsy McCall has to be one of the most adorable little dolls ever created, don't you agree?

The Ralph Lauren Robe

In March of 1991, I ordered the bathrobe pictured above from a Nordstrom mail-order catalog. It is a man's robe, but I bought it for myself. I just fell in love with the fabric- it is so similar to the gorgeous vintage barkcloth that I love so much. It was ridiculously expensive and extravagant for me at the time, but I wanted it! The fabric is more like a twill rather than the weave of a traditional vintage barkcloth. I actually found, and purchased, a shirt in the same fabric on Ebay last year. And the shirt is for a man, too, and it does not fit me, but I felt compelled to bid on it. (And I got a good deal,in my opinion.) It actually looks nice on my husband, but it's a little big, and I am not sure I will ever be able to talk him into wearing it! (Not his style.) Below is a close-up of the fabric. Pretty, huh?

Like I have mentioned before on this blog, I just write about stuff I like, and I refuse to try to explain why I do the things I do, or buy the things I buy. I just do.

Happy Easter!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter, with one of my cutest cards, these little fuzzy ducklings. I am ready now to hear Fred Astaire sing "Happy Easter!"
Hope yours is wonderful.

Our Daddy's Birthday

Today is our wonderful Daddy's birthday. Isn't he handsome in this old photo? He died far too young. He was only 53. We still miss him so.
Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Vintage Easter Cards

The absolutely adorable orange bunny card shown above is one of my favorites. It was given to me in the mid-70's by my sister. I thought it was one of the cutest things I had ever seen. Can't really explain why, but I love it SO much. Just the CUTEST bunny, smiling sun,an egg, a chick, some flowers, and just "Hi!" It has a place of honor on the dining room table. The little orange chalkware covered bunny dish next to it was an Easter gift from Mother from, I think, around the same time period.
The cards above hang on my Hallmark display rack. We got those a couple of years ago after Christmas for 75% (or more?) off - it was a ridiculously low price! And such a handy item! Below, one of my favorite vintage postcards:


And a few vintage cards for children from my collection:

Sweeter than sweet!

Easter Baskets Abound

What will be found inside your Easter baskets? Perhaps a sweet chirping surprise like this little guy, above? (An illustration from A Surprise For Mrs. Bunny, 1953) You could line a lovely basket of goodies with a gorgeous embroidered runner featuring a basket of blooms like this, below:

Or maybe this one?


Perhaps you are lucky enough to have a darling little girl like sweet Shirley Temple, here, to prepare a basket of treats for?

If you live in the country, maybe you could take a walk and collect baskets of springtime blossoms to include, like the ones gathered here by the adorable children in this Tasha Tudor illustration. (From The New England Butt'ry Shelf Almanac)

For me? Well, I wouldn't mind one bit if you tucked in a special box of chocolates like this one from See's Candies that I've shown in the picture below. I love the design on this box, which is an updated version of an original design by Dorothy Gray Forbes, who worked for the company for more than 50 years. She designed the black and white box top, which is still used, and her classic posters are still used in the shops. I love her unique artwork, and I hope that this box is the first of many in this style!

Easter Parade

Easter Parade is one of my all-time favorite movies. I love to watch it every year. I love Fred Astaire, I love Judy Garland, I love the Irving Berlin music - I could go on and on.

It isn't enough for me to have the movie to watch whenever I want. I have to have the soundtrack, also. ( And I have the audio cassette version, too, which I've owned since before CD's were around.)


And that's not enough, either. No, my obsession extends to collecting the sheet music, as well.

As many songs as I can find. Better Luck Next Time and It Only Happens When I Dance With You are such beautiful songs. They are two of my favorites to sing. The music is displayed on our piano in honor of the upcoming holiday and my love of the film and it's composer,it's director and it's stars.
"I could write a sonnet...."

Easter Around The House

Little glimpses of Easter around here, including my pottery cupboard, above.


You see above my centerpiece on the dining room table. Perhaps you noticed that I managed to fit in one of my vintage deco frames with an Easter postcard inside featuring my favorite silver background with pink roses?! And below, a shelf on the window sill decked out for the holiday includes an old Easter photo of my husband and his brother.


I found this adorable little lamb planter a few months ago at a thrift shop.

And this last photo is the cutest tea towel I found on Ebay a few years ago - so perfect for my Easter table!

Top O' The Mornin'

......and a Happy St. Patrick's Day to Ya!

In Your Easter Bonnet....

We have a couple of old trunks similar to the one above, but I was never lucky enough to find the perfect vintage Easter bonnet inside like this lucky little girl!
After my mother-in-law died, my father-in-law gave away almost all of her vintage hats! I didn't know anything about it until after the fact, and he had no idea that I would have been interested. (That was a bummer - I don't want to talk about it.) Only a few remained in the house, like this pink flowery number:

And this peachy (it's less orange in person than it appears here) floral explosion:

I, um, haven't worn either of those. These last two, below are more my style. They are two of my own vintage finds, and I have worn them to weddings. That fabulous fabric in the background with the turquoise straw boaters (!) trimmed with bright green ribbon is actually the back side of a small patchwork quilt I found on Ebay.

And I think little Heidi, below, by Madame Alexander, has the right idea with her pretty flower-trimmed hat, too!

In her Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it, she'll "be the grandest lady in the Easter parade!"