Vintage Thingies Thursday - My Desk

I have a sturdy wooden desk that I have loved ever since I was a little girl. It's a traveling desk. I don't know where it was made or who it's original owners were. I do know that it was abused before my grandparents rescued it.

After WWII, my grandpa found a job working for the Meat & Animal Research Center in the Nebraska Panhandle. He met my grandma, and they were married in Chadron in 1950. Their first home was in Fort Robinson. Sometime between 1951 and 1955, they inherited my desk from one of their neighbors who didn't want to take it with them as they moved across the state to Omaha. The neighbors had said the desk was already in their home at the Fort when they moved in. If you know anything about Fort Robinson's history, you can see why I find this tidbit of information exciting!

Once Grandma had it, she claimed it as her sewing table. That is how I remember seeing the desk - sitting in her sewing room with her machine on top and the drawers bursting with threads, sewing tools, and notions.

When we lost my grandpa almost 4 years ago, the desk came home with me. At first, we put it in the boys' bedroom for Taylor to use as a drawing table and his "Home Fun" desk when he started Kindergarten. We moved my desk into our bedroom after Taylor and Landon got their Lego table. From there it was moved into my sewing room/office, and a month ago, when we turned my sewing room into Landon's bedroom, we moved my beautiful desk into the kitchen. It fits perfectly along the wall between our little entry and the bathroom.



One of the many things I love about this desk is this little flap that you can fold up for more surface area. You can also see the cigarette burns that were left by one of the previous owners (my grandparents weren't smokers, so the burns have been there since before they had the desk)!



One more note about Fort Robinson. It is well worth your time to do a little more reasearch on the Fort. The links provided above say very little about Crazy Horse being killed there, the Red Cloud Agency, or the WWII German POW camp. Also, if you're ever looking for a place to visit in the Nebraska Panhandle, I highly recommend Fort Robinson. It is now a state park and has a lodge and cabins (these were at one time the soldier's and officer's quarters). If you do happen to stop and go through their musuem, look for the WAC uniform they have on display. Jessie Mercer donated that uniform. She was stationed there, as was my grandpa's older brother, at the end of the war. They fell in love, were married at the Fort in 1946, and a freed German POW even made their wedding cake!

For more Vintage Thingies, check out Colorado Lady's blog.

Vintage Thingies Thursday - Feedsack Tablecloth

Yesterday while babbling about my love of feedsack fabric reproductions, I mentioned a tablecloth my great-grandma Alice had made. My great-grandparents, Charlie and Alice, lived on a farm south of Chadron, Nebraska. It was homesteaded in the mid-1800's by Alice's family, the Summers, and is still 25 miles from the nearest town. When the stock markets crashed in 1929, Charlie and Alice had two sons, ages 15 & 13, and Alice was pregnant with my grandma, who was born in January 1930.

My great-uncle Faye has told me that if it hadn't been for his mom, they may not have survived the Depression as well as they did. When she first started her veggie garden, she put it right next to the windmill and horse trough by the barn. Those vegetables provided much needed food for themselves and their neighbors. Alice was also a very frugal and crafty lady. My mom has a hankie she made from a white feedsack with red stripes. With some white ric rac, she made the letter "A". A lady should always have a personalized hankie, no matter what state the economy is in!

She also made this tablecloth that I have fallen in love with. Four feedsacks joined together with some ric rac.

It has a few worn spots in it...

...and a few of the edges are a little frayed...


...and the ric rac has come loose in a few places...


but I think I'll hang onto it for a while! I've never used it, but seeing how good it looks on my kitchen table has me thinking about it.


Every time I look at things like this tablecloth, I feel humbled and realize that things aren't so bad. It also reminds me, especially in today's economy, to be less wasteful and that even the simplest things can bring beauty.

For more vintage treasures, be sure to check out Coloradolady's blog!

Vintage Thingies Thursday - My Red Chair...and...

tea towel and picnic basket and apron!

This is my chair, and has been my chair for as long as I can remember, although it has only lived with my for a few years.



My entire family thought I was insane for insisting on bringing this home with me when we were cleaning out the old farmhouse. They think I'm crazy, but know that when my heart is set on something, there's no changing it. I know I've mentioned before on here about the old Stewart farm south of Chadron, Nebraska. It was originally settled by my great-grandmother's paternal family, the Summers. While my grandma's two older brothers were born on the Husak homestead (great-grandma's maternal family), they moved to the Summers homestead a mile away just a few years after my great-uncle Faye was born. This is where they survived the Depression and WWII, and where my grandma was born. In 1998, Faye was presented with a plaque - the farm had been in the family for 100 consecutive years!

Growing up, we would visit the farm twice a year, and forget about Disneyland. This was the happiest place on earth! There were three things I could always count on and always looked forward to: 1) Faye would have a 1lb bag of M&M's for each of us kids, 2) I would get to help Faye collect eggs from the chicken coop (although I didn't look forward to this much after I was chased out of there by the rooster) and 3) I would get to sit in my chair. I'm not sure how old the chair is, but before it was mine, my older brother, mom, and uncle all used it. Uncle Tom was born in 1951, so I'm guessing it was made in the early to mid 1950's.

It now sits in my kitchen with a vintage tea towel hanging on the back, next to an old picnic basket I found at grandpa's house that now hold my potatoes. I usually have a small plant in a teapot sitting on the chair, too. I love this chair.

The other day, I posted a pic of the apron I made for the Flirty Apron Swap. Yesterday, I recieved mine!



Jennifer did a beautiful job, and this picture doesn't do it justice. My parents came over last night to re-till my garden area, so I had my mom model it quickly. You can see a better pic here, and Jennifer posted more info on how it was put together here. Be sure to check them out so you can see the pin-tucks - one of my favorite features of my new apron!

Also, don't forget to check out more VTT goodness here!

Vintage Thingies Thursday - Cookbooks

It's been a while since I've participated in VTT, but I just have to show you a couple of my favorite cookbooks.



While I was helping my parents move, my mom and I came across 3 boxes full of cookbooks, which proved to my husband that I do come by my cookbook collection naturally through my mother's side of the family (mom, grandma, and great-grandma)! I helped mom pair down those three boxes to just one. Along the way, we found 2 cookbooks that we both remember fondly from our childhoods. My grandmother originally bought them then passed them on to my mom when she had kids.



Let's start with this one...



Betty Crocker's Outdoor Cook Book was published in 1961, and is more than just an outdoor cookbook. It tells you what kind of equipment you need and tells you how to start the fire and control the heat and dripping. It's full of tips for outdoor cooking, as well as several menus for various outings. These menus include Backyard or Terrace Barbecues, "Down-East" Clambake, Seaside in the Backyard, Cooking Afloat, Picnics, and more.

These are Betty's recommendations for a Brown Paper Bag Picnic, Hamper Picnic, Picnic by a Stream, and Submarines As You Like Them.



And Betty's Tailgate Buffet which includes Meat Balls with Puff Biscuits, Carrot & Celery Sticks, Cherry Tomatoes, Radish Roses, Stuffed Green Olives, and Camp Oven Gingerbread. And, would you believe that my grandmother had those same plates that are in this picture?! Either my mom or I have them around here somewhere.




The second book, Betty Crocker's Cook Book for Boys and Girls, is my favorite. Published in 1957, it has been "well loved" by three owners now.



My book has a few pages that have come loose, as you can see in this picture below. I think there's a ketchup bottle hiding in that straw pig!



I don't remember anybody ever making this Drum Cake, but isn't it adorable? Looks easy enough to make, too. I just might have to try that out!



Jeremy thinks I'm a bit odd when it comes to this book. He'll come home from work sometimes to find me at the kitchen table just flipping through it. Ah, the memories! The pictures and artwork are all so wonderful, but this one is one of my favorites.



Have any of you ever painted cookies? My mom, like me, has never been fond of making frosting, so she would often let us paint our own cookies! Here's the recipe:

Egg Yolk Paint
Blend well 1 egg yolk and 1/4 teaspoon water. Divide mixture among several small custard cups. Add a different food coloring to each cup to make bright colors. Paint designs on cookies with small paintbrushes. If egg yolk pain thickens on standing, add a few drops of water.

This works well with any Sugar Cookie recipe, just be sure to paint the cookies BEFORE baking them!

I would love to let you all look through all the pages of my cookbooks, but I honestly don't have the time right now to photograph and upload every page! However, you can go here for more pictures from the Cook Book for Boys and Girls, or here for more pictures from the Outdoor Cook Book.

Also, don't forget to stop here for more Vintage Thingies Thursday!

Vintage Thingies Thursday

It's been a little while since I've done the VTT, and I'm very excited to show you my recent purchase. Last weekend there was a Vintage Christmas Flea Market held at the Adams County Fairgrounds. My mom and I were in heaven! Everywhere we looked, there were things we wanted, and we had a hard time controlling ourselves. One booth had a bunch of old cowboy stuff, and there was a book from 1984 that listed all of the brands in Nebraska. We found my grandpa's brand, and my great-uncles's. It was just kind of neat seeing them in a book.

As we wandered around, I saw a cart. I stared and stared at it thinking of all the possibilities. It would look really cute outside on its side as a planter, or I could put it in the bathroom to hold towels. Once I get my sewing room done, it would be a great place to store fabric. But, do I really need it? You know that feeling you get when you look at something and your entire body is telling you that you have to buy it? That's what it was like. However, I decided (knowing full well that it would be gone if I waited) that we would look around some more, and if it was still there when we came back, then it was meant to be.

Here is my new planter/towel basket/fabric basket

with a cute green handle.

It even folds up, which would be great to take for picnics or to our next flea market. We may even have to see how many times we can fill it up on the Junk Jaunt next fall!

To see more vintage finds, go here!

Vintage Thingies Thursday - My mom!

If I had to use one word to describe my mom, I think it would be BEAUTIFUL.

She first brought joy to my grandparents in 1955 at a time when they desperately needed it (mom's sister was still born the year before). Since then, she has brought love and kindness to everybody she has come in contact with. Everybody who has met my mom loves her. She makes you feel good about yourself even when you're at your lowest point.

As a mom, she has worked hard to give my brothers and I all the important things in life: love, trust, support, generosity, independence, honesty. When my brothers or I are faced with a difficult decision, she listens to our worries, talks to us about all the possibilies, and lets us know that whatever we decide, she's there.

We had a conversation a while back when I told her that I try to be as good a mom to my kids as she has been to me. She said that's how she has felt about my grandma (another amazing woman), so it's no wonder why my mom is the person she is.

So, how can I forget to tell this beautiful person Happy Birthday? I don't know.

Happy Birthday, MOM (11 days late)!

My mom and uncle Tom on Easter in 1958 or '59.

If you ever go to Fort Robinson in the Nebraska panhandle, my mom lived in Adobe 9A until she was 11 years old. Grandpa used to work for the Meat Animal Research Center, and they were located in Fort Rob before moving to central Nebraska.

Vintage Thingies Thursday - Hats

These two stylish ladies are wearing a couple of my great-grandmother's hats. There are more of her hats "on loan" at my mom and uncle's houses until I can find a more suitable way to display them all (these ladies really freak my husband out)! We have several pictures of Grandma Alice in her hats during the 1920's through 1960's.

I love this navy hat with the tulle and flowers, also the way it sits on a lady's head.

I've always been a fan of hats with veils. I need to take this one to Stuhr Museum, and ask the ladies there if they know of a way to fix the hole in the veil.

You never see ladies out in their hats and white gloves anymore. Maybe we should see about bringing that style back...

For more vintage thingies, visit here.

Vintage Thingies Thursday - Rusty Red

Let me introduce "Rusty Red". She needs a new paint job, and that is scheduled for the first warm day after I buy some new paint. I wouldn't paint her at all, but she's got a spot that has rusted through, so I need to get that taken care of.

My parents rescued her at Nebraska's Junk Jaunt, and brought her home for me. I can't wait to find some friends for her!

For more vintage delights, go HERE.

Vintage Thingies Thursday - Repurposed

Several years ago, my great-uncle moved into an assisted living home. Since my grandmother's old bed was slightly smaller than the rest of the beds in the house, he took hers with him. A year ago, his health started failing him more, so he was moved to a rest home, and was not able to bring the bed with him. So, it sat in storage for about 6 months until we recieved a call asking if we could come get it. Mom and dad made the 6 hour drive just to find that one of the side bars had gotten lost when it was put into storage. They brought it home, anyway, and I put my dad to work turning into a bench (he loved this idea because it gave him the perfect excuse to buy a new welder)!

I did a quick spray painting with brown because that was the bed's original color, and I already had a couple of cans on hand. I'm planning on making a cushion and a couple of pillows for it, I just have to decide if I'm going to keep it brown, or paint it something else. Any ideas?

For more Vintage Thingies, go HERE.

Vintage Thingies Thursday - Brooches

These are 4 of the brooches from my grandmother's costume jewelry collection I inherited. Instead of just storing them away in a box somewhere, I wanted to display some of my favorite pieces. Along with a new vintage-inspired brooch I picked up, these are now being put to use as decorative "tie-backs" for my living room curtains.

For more vintage beauties, go HERE.

Vintage Thingies Thursday - Veggie Tea Towels

This is a set of tea towels rescued from the family farm. The veggies & tea pots appear to be ironed on as there is no stitching. I folded over the tomato towel to show the strips that line the sides of the towels. When I saw these in the bottom of a drawer, I knew they needed to come home with me.

For more vintage yumminess, go here.

Vintage Thingies Thursdays - Jars and Spices

This weeks Vintage Thingies Thursday is going to be the contents on a shelf in my kitchen. The jars were all found at my grandpa's house and my great-uncle's house. I filled them with (from left to right) old fashioned lemon candy, mini scented pinecones, rosehips, Root Beer Barrells, and chocolate covered sunflower seeds. The three red spice cans on the left and the two red spice boxes on the right were rescued from the farm as well. They were going to go in the trash, but the yellow and red matched my kitchen, so I saved them (one has never even been opened!). There is also a little can of Durkee Chili Powder. I can't remember where I found that, but I just love old jars and spice containers, so I added it to the collection!

The little wooden "N" (for our last name) block is from a set of blocks I bought the boys that they never play with anymore. Most of the blocks have gone missing, so I took this one, added some self-adhesive felt to the bottom, and it is now our chalkboard eraser!

For more Vintage Thingies Thursday, go here and enjoy the eye candy.

Vintage Thingies Thursday - Paris Keychains

During WWII, my great-uncle Charles spent almost a year in New Orleans, then was shipped to England then Paris. He was really good about sending home souveniers, two of which are these keychains he sent to his brother and dad. On one side is the Eiffel Tower and on the other is the Arc de Triomphe.


The original keychain isn't much better than the pic below. We're still trying to decide what exactly is on the small plate.

Unfortunately, Charles passed away in 1984 when I was 6, so I never had the chance to ask him about his experiences. But, since that side of the family kept EVERYTHING, we have about 4 boxes full of letters that Charles wrote home and that he received while in the Army!

Vintage Thingies Thursday - Cameras

I love these cameras. I haven't been able to find out any info about the Birdseye, but plan to do a little more research. I found it while we were packing up my grandpa's house.

The Brownie Junior on the left was found while packing up my great-uncle's house (you'll find that most of my antiques and vintage thingies have come from my family) - and it still has film in it! These were made by Kodak from 1934-1942, and I was able to find a manual for the camera here. After I have a chance to read the manual, I plan to use up the rest of the film, get it developed, and see the last pictures my great-grandma took. We have hundreds of photos she took, and she really had a talent for capturing what was going on in that moment. Her photos tend to take you back in time as if you were really there.

I'm off to hunt down some hard to find 620 film, and see if I can find a local vintage camera expert!

Go here to see more Vintage Thingies on Thursday!

Cowboys and Roosters and...Stuff

Last Friday, my mom and I took the boys to Stuhr Museum's Cowboy Night. There are a few events at the museum that we try to go to every year, and the Cowboy Night is definitely one of them (along with the All Hallow's Eve and Christmas Past and Present). The boys get to play games from the 1890's, help with the quilt that's made by hand every year, listen to music, eat watermelon, make S'mores, and dig through hay for money.

Landon likes to practice his roping skills, and this year, he even got his picture on the front page of the Grand Island Independent! The guy you see laying on the ground is from the newspaper. Good thing he wore his lucky hat - it's my great-uncle's old work hat!

Taylor's favorite part is always the branding irons. They have blocks of wood and half a dozen different branding irons that they let people brand the wood with. Taylor now has three of these blocks, and Landon has two.

Saturday took us to the county fair. We didn't go on any rides (we were there in the afternoon, and the rides don't turn on till evening), but we did go through the barns with all the animals. As soon as we stepped into the rabbit & chicken barn, the roosters started going crazy. I used to help my great-uncle gather eggs when we visited, and when I was about 6 or 7, his rooster decided that there should only be one red-head in the coop. He chased me out, pecking the back of my legs, and I haven't liked roosters since! My mom was having a good time teasing me about the roosters getting out of their cages and ganging up on me. As much as I dislike them, I can still appreciate the pretty ones, like this guy.

Have you ever heard of a chirken? They are some of the ugliest looking creatures. I'm assuming they're a cross between a chicken and a turkey.

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VINTAGE THINGIES THURSDAY

I've decided to participate in Vintage Thingies Thursday sponsored by the Apron Queen. I love vintage things, and have many in my home. Most have come from my grandparents and great-uncle. Below is my vintage cookie jar. My grandpa's uncle used to have a grocery store in Crawford, Nebraska way back when (he had it before WWII, but I'm not sure how long after), and my grandpa worked there for a short time. Uncle Frank's store was the first self-service store in the area. When he closed/sold the store, my grandpa got this beautiful glass jar that has a metal lid with a red knob. Grandma and Grandpa always used it for a cookie jar, and that's what I use it for, now. Too bad I can't keep cookies in it for long!

Also, if you look to the left at the little vase with the berry spray in it, you'll see a vintage crocheted doily underneath. This was made by my great-grandma many years ago. I found it in the very bottom of a drawer and fell in love with the colors - red, gold/yellow, green, and cream.

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Lastly, I leave you with a picture of my hydrangeas. I planted the small bush last year, and it hasn't produced much, but I'm hoping once it gets a good root system, it'll be big and beautiful! I just need to find a good natural bug repelent that won't discolor the flowers. As you can see, some bugs have been munching on the leaves. Last year, I put sprinkled cayan pepper on. It kept the bugs off, but it also left red dots on the flowers!