ANTIQUES ROADSHOW - THE TALE OF TWO BASKETS

Marie at Emma Calls Me Mama is hosting an Heirloom Party today. She describes an heirloom as anything passed down from family members through generations. This past weekend as we attended the Antiques Roadshow, we saw many heirlooms so I'm joining Marie's party to share our experience and a glimpse at a couple of our family heirlooms. Be sure to check out Marie's blog for a list of the other party participants.

I'm sure most of you are familiar with The Antiques Roadshow, the very popular PBS program that travels around the country hosting appraisal fairs. The roadshow recently came to Denver, and we thought we should try to get tickets. There are about 6,000 people who attend each show; but many thousands more apply through a lottery system to secure tickets. We didn't win any tickets through the lottery, but a friend in Texas who knows one of the 80 appraisers was able to get us some tickets. So away we went!!!

This is the ultimate people-watching experience. You wind your way around and stand in line forever and ever, but it is so much fun watching people hauling their treasures around in all kinds of contraptions.

Of course, you get to see some wonderful antiques and hear their stories along the way in line.

We were part of the spectacle, as we were toting two suitcases. Once you get to the final part of the line, you must unpack so that it can be determined which specialty line to get into to see the specific appraisers.
At this point, we had our only celebrity sighting - one of the Keno twins! Don't know if it was Leslie or Leigh, but it was one of them.

Here are my two Indian baskets waiting patiently in line to reach the appraiser. Each basket has been in my family since the early 1900s. The basket on the top came from my mother's side of the family and is Western Apache. The bottom basket is Jicarilla Apache and came from my dad's side of the family. Both have family lore and tales in their history. While both have a nice market value, the treasure is in the family history.

And from this point on, all cell phones and cameras must be turned off as you enter the appraisal area and TV set. So, no more pictures!!

Actually, the appraisal was anti-climatic, as we were rushed through. I really think I knew more about my baskets then the appraiser I ended up with knew. She was actually the appraiser for the Indian jewelry, but in their hurry to move the line, she was assigned to me because she was not busy. I knew going in that there was no chance to be filmed for the show as I had nothing that special; but it was a shame as I was having a really good hair day!!!!

On our way out, we ran into a friend that I hadn't seen for several years. That was a bonus.

All in all, it was a very fun and entertaining day.

A CHARMED LIFE

Sally at Smiling Sally is once again hosting Blue Monday where everyone may post about the blue in their life. Be sure to check out Sally's blog for a list of the other participants. You may click on the pictures to enlarge.

When I was five years old, my parents bought me a silver bracelet with a little mailbox on it, as I loved getting mail from my grandmother who lived in another state. I would roll up a tiny piece of paper and put it in my little mailbox and pretend I had received mail that day.

Over the years, I would often receive charms to add to my bracelet from my parents.

As life events happened, silver disks with dates were added such as when Bob and I started going 'steady' in high school, when we got engaged, and then when we married. There are disks for each of our children and grand children with their name and birth date engraved. There is a charm from our college and one from my sorority. Places we have lived and visited are represented. That tiny bit of BLUE on my bracelet is a map of Montana where we lived for five years.

One of my favorites is a little house Bob gave me engraved with Nov. 15, 1962, the date we bought our first house. The newest charms are ones we bought on Portobello Road in London and at the Eiffel Tower in Paris when we were on our 50th wedding anniversary trip. There are now 43 charms on my bracelet.

It really has been a CHARMED life. I'm continuously amazed how joyful and content I feel about my life, and I thank God each day for my blessings.

Sally

P.S.: I'm going to take a little break from blogging to enjoy my charmed life by unplugging. Maybe I'll eat breakfast on the porch instead of in front of the computer or I might even go somewhere without my camera and cell phone! At any rate, please check back in a week or two. I have a post planned about our trip this past weekend to attend the Antiques Roadshow in Denver. What a fun experience that was!! Stay tuned.

TABLESCAPE THURSDAY AND OTHER FUN STUFF

"Hi, my name is Matilda. I use to live in Georgia with Sue at
Rue Mouffetard, but she decided I should move west and live with another old bird named Sally. I was in this hot box forever, and you would have thought Sue could have at least packed me with real Georgia peanuts and not these faux ones! They stick to everything."

"I've been checking this new place out, and I think I will like it here. Maybe I should live in the bathroom and be a Bathroom Diva - what do you think, Sheila?"

"Or, there is the computer room where all of this blogging stuff goes on. Looky see, there is Maude, my sister, with all of the other ladies at Sue's house."

"On occasion, I could become the next Samantha Brown and travel the world. These folks have an honest-to-goodness chicken traveling cage."

"How about outside? I could be a real 'Farm Chick' among the corn and tomatoes. Yum!"

"This tablescaping gig looks pretty fun."

"I wonder what's for dinner?" " FRIED CHICKEN???!!!!!!"

"Maybe, if I hide back here no one will see me."

"If I survive this fried chicken crisis, I really do think I will enjoy being a tablescaper. Please go by Susan's of Between Naps on the Porch to check out the other tables. Maybe, they are having something better to eat."

"Oh yes, Sally says to tell Sue thank you, and that she is the best blogger that sends the best presents!!"

THREE OR MORE TUESDAY

Tam at The Gypsy Corner
is hosting Three or more Tuesday today. Please check her out for a list of all of the participants.

I think I have three of everything after all of these years, so decided it was time to participate in this fun event. The crocks and jugs I'm going to show you today were not collected - they were accumulated! When we first got married, I bought a 2-gallon crock at a junk store as I thought it would be neat to hold my monthly magazines. They had scads of these things, and sold them for 50 cents a gallon. So, my purchase amounted to $1.00. When my Dad saw what I had bought, he told me I didn't need to pay money for those things - there were bunches of them around Grandma's house and the farm. So, he would periodically show up with another one for me. The crocks were originally used for making pickles and sauerkraut; and the jugs were to hold whatever liquid deemed necessary including a few of the hard spirits that were hidden in the barn.

When our daughter became a teenager, she announced that when she got married that she wanted lots and lots of fresh flowers. So this 5-gallon crock became known as the 'flower pot' and was where we threw in our loose change to pay for the flowers when the time came. Sure enough 13 years ago, she had a wedding with beautiful fresh flowers with money saved in this crock. Since that time, the change we save in here goes to a charity our church supports.

These two crocks house my laundry detergent and non-chlorine bleach. The 2-gallon crock is the one I bought originally.

This 5-gallon jug is huge and heavy - its sculptural shape is art in itself.

Another smaller jug.

A Red-wing chicken feeder

A brown jug that we made into a lamp.

The 3-gallon crock holds my mother's and my two grandmother's rolling pins. The 4-gallon crock with the spigot was used for lemonade at picnics.

More crocks hidden in the cupboards!!

Thanks for stopping by. Now, please go by Tam's to check out the other collections/accumulations of three or more.

Sally

PINK SATURDAY

Beverly at How Sweet the Sound is hosting Pink Saturday today. I have never participated before, but thought it was time to join the party. Be sure to go by Beverly's for a list of all of the participants.


My kids are 36 and 41 years old, and would you believe it they still have STUFF stored in our attic and garage? Bob says it is time to reclaim his space. A yard sale is scheduled so our daughter has been going through box after box of dolls, papers, etc. etc. And, look what we found just in time for Pink Saturday. It is a tiny, PINK Barbie doll sweater that I knitted on teensy, tiny needles.

Look at the tiny buttons and buttonholes.

Do you think I may have had a little too much time on my hands?
I just wish that my fingers were that nimble now 30+ years later!

THRIFT STORE SHOPPING

Suzanne at Colorado Lady
is hosting Vintage Thingies Thursday once again. Stop by her blog to check out all of the participants of this fun event.

The other day I was in The City to visit fellow blogger, Mary at Mary's Meanderings
while she was in the hospital recovering from a nasty, nasty rattlesnake bite.

I left the hospital so concerned and shocked by her condition, but something told me I needed to stop by the thrift store that Mary & I had shopped at previously together. Somehow, I just knew that Mary wanted me to stop. This is what I found.

Twenty-two pieces of Edwin Knowles China were just waiting for me to buy them at $8 for the set.

I'll forever think of them as my Mary dishes.

I'm so happy that Mary is now recovering at home. But she is home bound for awhile, so please stop by her blog and tell her hello to wish her well!

PRICE MY SPACE!

The Nester at The Nesting Place is hosting a party today with the idea that by pricing our spaces we can encourage others to feather their nest no matter the budget.


From the beginning, I have been fairly frugal when it came to furnishing our home. I've always loved old things, and was never shy about loving the things in my grand parent's homes. I think that because I showed interest, my grand parents and parents were more than generous when it came time to furnish our first home. What we didn't glean from them, we have hunted auctions and antique/junk stores for the rest with a couple of exceptions. Here we go on a tour of our living room----

1. Dishes, dishes, everywhere. In addition to family dishes, I have purchased my share - usually at $10.00 or less.
2. This wardrobe was purchased at an antique/junk store for $50 thirty-five years ago. It has 8 shelves holding my mother's and my grand mother's many sets of dishes. It's so heavy, it has to be bolted to the wall.
3. My favorite window treatment - wooden shutters. These were purchased off of ebay for $25.
4. A rare splurge - a Stiffel lamp on sale for under $100.
5. This is where I spent my money - two custom-made love seats for more than I care to reveal; but I love them, they fit our shorter stature, and we will keep them forever.
6. In 1955, I bought a sewing machine for $45 and learned to sew. It was the best investment possible as I have sewn a million miles and saved tons of money. I rarely spend more than $5 for materials to make decorative pillows.

7. Free, free, free! My best resource has always been my family. Over the years I sweet-talked my grand mothers and my mother out of dishes - one dish at a time. I should be ashamed, but I'm not - they knew I would cherish them. My Dad bought me the china cabinet as a gift.

8. Most of the original art work in our home was inherited from the family. This picture was a wedding present to my great-grand parents.
9. The lamp was a wedding gift to my parents.
10. The drop leaf gate-leg table was sweet-talked from my grandmother - I was really good at that sweet-talking business!

11. I bought this chair at auction 35 years ago for $30. It has been recovered four times and used all over our home.
12. A 9' x 12' wool rug bought at closeout for under $200 after a lot of shopping around.

13. This walnut chest was purchased at auction for $30. My husband, Bob, revamped it to hold our living room TV.
14. I love all of the wooden totes and boxes around the house - all purchased at yard sales for pennies.
15. Hidden in the corner is a very nice authentic, old Indian basket given to me by an uncle just because I asked if I could have it some day when he was through with it. He gave it to me right then!

16. The black, hanging cupboard was made by Bob for the cost of the lumber.
17. The red leather books were from an end-of-the-day auction box costing $2.
18. I love my 19th century brown transferware - some of it was a bargain; some not so much!

19. A huge brown transferware pitcher sweet-talked from my mother.
20. If I talk long enough, my family picks up on my desires - this art deco table scarf was a gift from my daughter.
21. This cute, Frenchy end table was given to us by friends cleaning out their garage - free again.

And there you are - honor your elders and develop those sweet-talking skills!

I hope this encourages all of you struggling on a budget to feather your nest. One other word about the subject: don't hurry; it is always worth the wait to get what you want. I've been married almost 51 years; my house didn't come together over night. And, I'm still making changes!!

Sally

FOODIE FRIDAY

Once again, our charming hostess for Foodie Friday is Michael of
Designs by Gollum.
Be sure to stop by her place to check out all of the participants in this event.

What do I fix for supper when there are only dibs and dabs in the refrigerator? And, I'm too lazy to make quiche? It's frittata!

No real recipe needed. First, I swish around a little olive oil in my 8" quiche baking dish. Then, I just start layering in the ingredients on hand. Today, it was some leftover baked chicken, 2 crumbled strips of cooked bacon, a handful of fresh peas from the garden, and a small, sliced tomato. Mushrooms, onions, olives, and/or ham are also good. Really anything you have on hand works. Then, I sprinkle the top with grated cheese and dried (or fresh) parsley. Next, I pour six beaten eggs with salt and pepper over all.

That's it! Bake in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes. Be sure to watch it for doneness. I live in a high altitude, and it takes a full 30 minutes for the eggs to set.

Make some toast and supper is ready. I was raised on a farm - our night time meal was always called supper.

Thanks for stopping by,
Sally

P.S. I seem to be having trouble leaving comments on some of the blogs that I enjoy and regularly follow. It appears that it is those blogs that have their comments embedded at the end of a post. I click and click and cannot get the comment block to come up. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong and how I can fix it? I'm not the smartest thing when it comes to this computer; but I sure don't want those blogs I love to think I am lurking and not commenting!!