Stenciling on Furniture and Some DIY

A little remodeling is taking place at our house this week.  We had some of the furniture backed up to one another and pushed out of the way and I walked by this secretary and did a double take.

 There is an original stencil marking this piece on the back.  I didn't know it was there.  I suppose this was a manufactured piece and this was just a way to mark it.  It probably dates from the 1900's. Did anyone know that they marked American furniture in this way?  I don't know much about it but, thought it was neat, since these stencils are showing up  every where.  

So, I have some wonderful new furniture that is "new" to me and all I wanted in my old living room (which is now my dining room) was a new floor, BUT Hubs, who is a weekend warrior (which now, in our older age, is more like a week long warrior on "staycation") has my dining room looking like this..... 

.....I went and got some new Swiffer dusters.....and Swiffer wet mopy things.......I hope it helps.

Sherry

Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage 

Furniture Feature Friday  at Miss Mustard Seed

For the Love of the South

There are some beautiful cities to visit for the courtyards,...

the horse drawn carriages,...

the Spanish moss,...

the old southern oaks,...

the well manicured gardens,...

the historical places,...

the statues,...

and the gracious old southern homes with the magnolias blooming.  All in St. Augustine, FL.

Thanks for indulging me in sharing my vacation pictures.

Sherry

I will link to:

Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Adventure Tour at Bit of Balarney

A Step Back in Time

Recently back from a vacation in Saint Augustine, Florida, it was like a step back in time. 

Old City Gates built 1808

St. George Street

Castillo de San Marcos built 1672-95

Flagler College built 1888

St. Augustine Lighthouse built in 1874

These photos were edited with a Portrait texture from Kim Klassen.

I will join Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen Cafe.

St. Augustine

I got away last week and put the blog on auto-pilot.  I went to one of my favorite Florida destinations, St. Augustine.  If you are not familiar with this city, it is a very special place.  St. Augustine was first explored by Ponce de Leon; a Spanish explorer, in 1513.  Did you notice the date?  Plymouth was in 1621.   St. Augustine is America's oldest established city, settled by the Spanish in 1565.  (Photos: The Lightner Museum, Flagler College, Bridge of Lions, Crescent Beach area) 

Also in St. Augustine is Castillo de San Marcos; oldest masonry fort in the United States, 1695. 

Thanks for joining me today.  
I will join:
Mosaic Monday at Little Red House 
Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage

Audubon Inspired

As a child I visited the John James Audubon State Park.  John James Audubon was a French American naturalist and painter that set out to capture birds in his paintings unlike they had never been captured before.  I remember visiting the state park and being very enchanted by his very lifelike images and the beauty of the naturalist displays at the park.  

I am always attracted still to the magic of nature and the beauty of it's images captured by an artist.  The book I used here is Garden Birds of the World illustrated by Maurice Pledger.  

Egg identification plates printed from The Graphic's Fairy and Vintage Printable.

A copy of  John James Audubon's Bird's of America, sold at Sotheby's in London  (Dec. 2010) for $11.5 million.  You can view it here online.

Motif's of birds, nests, and eggs are such a beautiful and cheerful images for spring.

I will join:

Motif Monday at Tablescape Times Three

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House in the Roses

Please join these lovely blogs.

Mourning Cameo

I am going to join The French Cupboard for Vintage Black Friday.   This cameo is a mourning cameo.  Mourning jewelry was worn in remembrance of a lost loved one and was very common in the 19th century.  Queen Victoria brought the practice of wearing mourning jewelry to a very fashionable height.  After the death of Prince Albert, she stayed in permanent mourning until she died forty years later.  The cameo is made from fossilized coal called jet.  (Source: Antique Trader)

And of course I can't just show you the cameo, so I made a vignette.  

How do you like the cloche?  I found this today at the thrift store.  It isn't old but, I thought it would be great with this post.  I found this silver brush recently too.  The silver sugar hasn't got a lid but it makes a great vase.

Go and visit The French Cupboard  for more vintage black finds. 
And also, Silver Sunday at Gypsy Fish Journal for silver treasures.

What Santa Looks Like

Thomas Nast, the original illustrator of A Visit From St. Nicholas, was the person responsible for the way we see Santa today.  When Nast was a boy he stayed up every Christmas Eve trying to catch Santa in the act.  He never saw Santa, always falling asleep before he arrived.  After waiting for Santa for many Christmases he decided to leave Santa a note asking him for a photo of how he looked.  Nast never received a picture of Santa but he did dream about what he looked like.  When Nast grew up he drew pictures of the Santa we know today and shaped our image of the modern day Santa forever.

 Image corbisimages.com

A postcard from my vintage collection postmarked 1910.

For fun with your little ones NORAD tracks Santa's route continuously on Christmas Eve.

Check it out  http://www.noradsanta.org/.

Sherry

The Christmas Tree

 

My Christmas tree is very traditional and pulling from some of the oldest Christmas customs.   Martin Luther is said to have decorated a small Christmas tree with candles, to show his children how the stars twinkled through the dark night.  (www.christmasarchives.com)

 In the mid 16th century, Christmas markets were set up in German towns, to provide everything from gifts, food, and more practical things.  At these fairs, bakers made shaped gingerbreads and wax ornaments for people to buy as souvenirs of the fair, and take home to hang on their Christmas Trees. (www.christmasarchives.com)

I gathered some pine cones locally, then spray painted them, and sprinkled glamor dust glitter over the wet spray paint.  I wrapped a green pipe cleaner around the top and created ornaments.  

I found some beautiful metal frames at the thrift store for very little.  They were dark and dirty when I found them and I cleaned them up and put past Christmas pictures in them.  This is a favorite with my two sons being held by a relative playing Santa Claus.

 These glass ornaments look expensive but I got them at the Dollar Tree after Christmas one year for 50 cents a piece!  My favorite time to shop for Christmas is after Christmas for the next year's decor.

Some toys sitting below the tree until we need more room for presents.

I love to enjoy the tree as much as possible for it will soon be gone.  

I will link this to:

Holiday Home Christmas Tree Party at The Thrifty Decor Chic
Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House in the Roses 

You can also view the tree in movie format.  It is under a minute.