My Most Recent Finds

I shouldn't have stopped!  I shouldn't have stopped!  Last night, I stopped at Einstein's Attic, a little thrift store I love that is just down the street and around the corner from me.  Among a few Christmas presents I can't mention right now, I got the following really cool stuff!

First were these two books in "The Boy Scouts" boys' series from the early 20th century.  These are volumes one and two.

I also got this pack of 15 Flair Squares in the blue and green Wildflowers pattern, no. 2708-C 68-A.  The pack was $1.00!  I usually see this pattern in the brown and yellow version.

I also purchased a Christmas tin (not in photo, but a little newer) for $2.00.  Inside, were these vintage ornaments and pins.

I can't believe all the stuff they have in there, every time I go in!  They also have a ton of vintage owl stuff (including a huge clock - the clock had an 18" owl on each side, one snowy owl and one with ear tufts), some cool vintage aprons, other vintage textiles, typewriters, vintage furnishings and accessories, etc.  I never fail to find fun stuff there!

My Newest Paint-By-Number Painting

I got one of my favorite paint-by-number paintings over the weekend - one of a set of two (no one knows where the other one is) that my mom did many, many years ago (don't tell her I said that!).  I've loved it for years.  And the colors in it are some of my favorites - the turquoises, pale yellows, blues and greens - and just a hint of apricot!  Here it is:

Beautiful, huh?  In these photos of me and my younger brother at the piano (circa 1962), you can see the pair of paintings in the background, hanging over the couch - the one on the left is the one I have now:

I think, actually, that the frame is original, but my mother later slapped the gold paint on it to use for another piece of art.  Don't know whether to take it back to the original, more blond wood look or leave it this way - it appears to look fine with the gold.  Anyway, I love it and am so glad to have it!

My "New" Old Chairs!

Yesterday, my brother hauled a chair over to my house, a chair that my parents purchased sometime around 1962.  Here's my poor new chair:

I love it in spite of it's years-in-the-making flaws.  It's from the Broyhill Premier line.  The label was on the seat under the cushion and shows how lovely the fabric used to be.

Here is the way it looked in 1965 (you can just see the corner of it at the right of this Christmas photo of me):

And it's behind me in 1967 on my birthday:

Last year, I brought home another chair (you can also see it in the photo above on the other side of the little round table from the Broyhill chair).  Here's what that one looked like when it arrived:

And here it is in 1966, just to the left behind my sister's buggy:

I love these chairs, not just because they've been in my family for so long, and they're actually mine now, but also because they both have such clean and distinctive lines (and they're both comfortable to sit in, too!).  I wish they'd held onto this couch and chair long enough for me to have them now - I love these:



8GB iPod Touch Giveway at Curbly.com - this week only!

The folks at Curbly.com are giving away an iPod Touch with a pre-loaded Caesarstone app to inspire your remodel or redesign! All you have to do is comment by October 16, 2011 on this post: http://www.curbly.com/bruno/posts/11315-giveaway-win-an-8gb-apple-ipod-touch-pre-loaded-with-the-caesarstone-app-199-value#comment_28496

My Free Credenza

Last week, I passed this beautiful credenza at the side of the road! I quickly drove around the block and asked my friend, John Spindler, if he'd be able to get it to my house (I didn't think I could get it into my small car, especially by myself - it's heavy!), and he did.

This is it's temporary place - eventually, it'll have my tv sitting on top of it. But for now, it's just fine right here. Great storage! Besides the three drawers, each side has double doors that open onto shelves. It still has a plate in the top drawer that reads:
Richardson Bros. Co.
Contemporary Furniture
Richardson/Nemschoff
In the little research I've been able to do, Richardson Bros. Furniture teamed up with Nemschoff in 1959. I would say this piece was produced within the next decade, most likely during the early 1960s.

Just recently, I've picked up a couple of cool midcentury pieces. Don't know what company made them, but I love both of them!

This bureau (the cat was already here - that's Shelby) has two large drawers at the bottom. The top part opens like a bi-fold door and inside there is another drawer and a shelf on top of that with two removable upright dividers on it. Great storage!

This is an unusual bookshelf - one flat shelf at the bottom, then two angled shelves above that. Just had to put a few midcentury books in there to see what it should look like!

David John Rader

Today happens to be five whole years since my husband, best friend, companion, partner, soul mate, confidante, and chum passed away. I still think he's around sometimes, making sure things are going to be okay. But I can't believe so much time has gone by! He loved history and cemeteries, genealogy, our kids, grandkids, brother and sisters, aunts, moms and dads, and pets, and we all miss him! His favorite thing was to be helpful to someone. I just don't want him to ever be forgotten.



Our wedding day, July 5, 1988 at the Howard County Courthouse in Kokomo, Indiana.



At the shore of Lake Erie.




A drill for Christmas.




Triumph! At the top of Seneca Rock, West Virginia with my brother, Jeff, circa 1989.




With his Aunt Grace and cousin Ralph - it was Aunt Grace's birthday.



At left, with his sister Sue, brother Bob and sister Pati.



Placing a veteran's marker and flag at Thomas Coady's gravestone in Mater Dolorosa Cemetery in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.