In December 1999 we moved from the big city to Fayette County in Central Texas to a vintage California - style white stucco bungalow that was in need of some TLC. Little did we know that we were locating just 16 miles south from the area of the Warrenton and Round Top Antiques Weekend... perfect! After all this time we still love it here and are almost done with the house. Oh, that's such a lie!
I've always had a thing for crocheted vintage doilies and potholders. Knowing myself as I do, when I become obsessed interested in something--an idea or an object--I know that I have to create some boundaries so that I can enjoy my current interest without it taking over either my house or my life.
So, with the all the doilies and potholders out there calling my name, the boundary I decided on was that in order for me to buy them, they had to be a specific shade of pink and/or green. Now they could be pink and green and white or they could be green and white, but not pink and white only... Don't ask me why, I don't know why, but it seemed to work.
So, as I acquired them, I had to decide how to display them and this is how it morphed ...
Accumulating my collection took YEARS! I kept adding them to my display area and finally had enough to cover the top of my bedside table. For Christmas a few years ago, Noel make me a glass tabletop to cover them.
So, now when I knock over my nighttime glass of water, instead of jumping up, taking all the wet doilies & potholders and the 2 layered tablecloths and one embroidered topper off the bedside table... I can just wipe it up!
Makes me happy!
One more photo
(and sorry for the quality of the pics...I'll get better...I promise)!
Oh, did you notice the pillowcases?
Well...I have a thing for them too...more about THAT obsession later!
This morning I decided to film Noel letting the girls out of their hen house. Our chickens are free-range and we only lock them up at night to keep them safe from critters and varmints, AKA dogs, 'possums, and raccoons!
So, here is Noel setting them loose for the day.
He likes to feed them banana... Don't ask me why, but they seem to like it... a lot!
I apologize for the sound quality; I'll have to figure that one out next time.
We have 2 Dominiques - Dommie & Nickie (original, I know)
1 White Leghorn - Pearl
(who I forgot to mention; sorry, Pearl! For such a small bird, she lays the biggest white eggs)
1 full Rhode Island Red - Henny Penny (very loud and vocal)
1 black Australorpe - Astrid
4 Americunas (they lay colored eggs - greens, blues, etc. AKA "The Old Girls")
...& then we have 3 Rescue hens (AKA "The New Girls" - they are the red with white trim birds and they have been debeaked... boo!)
We got them from a man who bought them to butcher... They looked so awful when we got them; I didn't know if I was going to be able to look at them!
They seem to have recovered even though they are still kind of deformed...
(New girl is shown in shadow to protect her identity... Poor baby!)
We get an average of between 7 to 10 eggs per day
so of course I have a collection of:
Deviled Egg Plates - some vintage and some new...
My favorite is the triangular one...I've only seen one other in my time.
They are sitting atop the island that Noel built for me while we lived down in Pasadena...when it came time to move...he unbolted it, picked it up and
we vamoosed!
Here is another plate of delicious deviled eggs!
My Famous recipe follows...I'm givin' it up!
Crystal's Famous Sour Deviled Eggs
1 dozen Boiled Eggs
Mayonnaise - I like Duke's
Yellow Mustard - Plochmann's is my fav, but really any one will do
Sliced Salad Olives - Green with pimentos
Now, this is pretty basic, but it's how I cook...
Cut the boiled eggs in two - put yolk in separate bowl - Place large end of egg uppermost in plate hollow - alternate so that different size eggs are next to each other.
With a fork, mash egg yolks
Add some mustard, you know how sour you like things, so add to your taste. - I like about 2-3 tsp.
Put in about 2-3 Tbsp of salad olives, make sure to get some pimento
Add 1 tsp olive juice
Add mayonnaise, start with two big spoons.
Mix, taste, add more mayo or olive juice to get filling to the consistency you like.
When it is there, locate a long teaspoon with a smallish bowl to use for filling the eggs on the plate
Fill eggs and then put one olive slice on each egg and top with a bit of pimento in the hole
Dust with paprika
Now, because we have a lot of rosemary growing and a really nice patch of chives, I snip off rosemary sprigs, trying to get blooms if they are in season and about 8 chive stems.
Left - Rosemary bush in the front ~ Right - Chive Patch and Rosemary off back porch
Then look around to see what else you have growing, in this pic we have some mint and Thai basil...place the rosemary sprigs, the basil and mint, snip the chives over and you are done!
Cover with plastic wrap, first one way and then the other. The rosemary stems keep the plastic wrap off the eggs and then...refrigerate!
You can also use anything for garnish that hasn't been sprayed with pesticide. I've used roses, sage, sweet basil, thyme... anything that isn't poisonous...
Google it if you are unsure and if you are still unsure... don't!
Then, if you have any boiled eggs leftover you can always...
Pickle 'em!
One is pickled with hamburger dill juice and garlic
and the other with kalamata olive juice!
Let me know if you try the deviled egg recipe and if you like it;
and I'll let you know in about 7 days if either one of the pickled egg recipes are any good!
The keywords here are: Vintage, Thrifty and D-I-Y - Do It Yourself!
Because the house and almost everything in and around it is vintage, definitely thrifty and we do it all ourselves... of course that's mainly Noel's job!
Say hello to Noel, Jackson Browne, Bernie and McCoy!
I wanted to tell you a few things about our house and
land. We have a little over 2 acres which was carved out of a larger 12
acre tract that surrounds us on two sides, left and behind.
We are situated on top of a low gravel hill in an area of gently
rolling savanna. In fact we are just 16 miles North of I-10 which
is the edge of where Zone 8 changes to Zone 9 as I-10 is the Zone dividing line in this part of Texas. To the south is a much larger
100 acre tract that belonged to Gilbert and Lillian Bartosh. The
Bartoshes have passed on and their land was divided into two tracts. They
had no children, so one parcel went to Gilbert's kin and the other to
Lillian's.
The main house is pictured above and we have 5 other outbuildings. So here is a view of the house from the back, which also shows the the side and back of the shop.
We have been told that our white stucco California-style
bungalow and the wood shop were built possibly as early as the late 1940's or
early 1950's out of material from a much older 2-story house that sat on the
land which belonged to a Dr. Knolle.
Jack, Bernie & Dad again!
We have 23 double-hung windows through out the house and 9
in the shop that work very well for when the weather is hot and you want a
breeze.
Here is the old smokehouse turned guesthouse. You can see Noel's studio in the back.
His studio is a 14 X 32 Morgan Portable building and of course, you see the work-in-progress deck and obligatory above ground pool... it gets HOT here in Central Texas!
Barn and Lean-to at the front and here is ...
The chicken house where the girls live... no rooster here! Don't need 'em! We have 12 assorted hens who are actually quite nice and of course, they give us ...
But where there's chickens...there's always a ...
Chicken Snake!
PS - If you've got this far, stay tuned because there is going to be a very exciting announcement next week! I can't wait to tell you all about it!
Please leave me a comment... I'd love to hear from you!
PPS - If you are using Google Translate to read my blog, I can probably use it to read your comment, so comment away!
Every home needs an Atomic Starburst clock... but you know, they are not always easy to find and so, I resigned myself to a far-off and unknowable future regarding myself as the possessor of such a wondrous thing.
So, this past week, while I was sitting and playing working at the computer in my (crowded with books to list and stuff really fine objects to list) office, I found myself looking up the fondue forks I thought would be hot sellers....
ah, not so...not even as "Mint and in the Box".
I wandered into the kitchen and I thought to myself...
"hmmm, this looks familiar..."
And then I thought, "hmmm, now all I need is a..."
And then, with only a total throw-out of all the former furniture,
a complete re-arrangement of what was left... and voila!
A cool Mid-Century look with very minimal expense and time!
But of course, what you really need is my Secret Weapon...
My handsome husband Noel and his handy dandy screw gun!
I think I have actually had an original thought with this Atomic Starburst Clock.
I've Googled it and searched it and don't see one anywhere!
So, I'm claiming it and Pinning it and if I'm wrong... please ...don't burst my bubble!
Lois Adele Breaker (Thomas) Gettler was a Harpist.
She was born in 1926 and as far as anyone can
remember, the harp was bought for her around 1936 when she was 10 years of age.
Lois studied with Mildred Milligan, a well known harpist and
teacher in the Houston
area for many years. Her playing brought
much pleasure to her listeners during her performances, both privately and professionally.
1926 ~ 2009
To her children, she was "Mama", to the rest of us, "Grandma Lois."
Our research leads us to believe it’s a Wurlitzer Grand Harp, Model CC.
Also, Regina Everdeen - Harpiste of the Netherlands,
maintains a wonderful website devoted to the Wurlitzer Harp with a special page that lists all known numbered Wurlitzer pedal harps.
She has very kindly included information about Lois' harp here here.
The full list of known Wurlitzer harps can be found here.
Here are two vintage Norwegian Mid-Century Modern
Westnofa ~
Ingmar Relling Siesta Lounge Chairs
circa 1960's or 1970's.
Found - September 2011 - Salvation Army - San Antonio
Bought - Immediately!
Here they are ~ in situ...
Google Westnofa - You'll be amazed - I know I was
...in a GOOD way!
This is a short reprise of a post I made last fall. At that time I
attempted to start a blog with the name, Texas Treasure House. I
just couldn't get it together and I think I published one post before I deleted
the email name which was attached to it and Texas Treasure House bit the
dust!
The
post I managed was about my Westnofa Siesta Lounge chairs which you see above
in the TV room during it's winter incarnation. The gold velvet curtain
covers 3 windows and keeps the North wind chill out of the room. The
curtain matches the gold velvet pillow with a rhinestone pin covering the
button that my children gave me for Christmas a few years ago.
I
bought the velvet curtain from Clutter in Warrenton probably 10 years ago and
used a large crochet hook to attach the green drapery ties through the backing
at the top of the drape. The ties hang over old glass doorknobs that Noel
installed on a platform he built over the windows. EVERYTHING you see in the
room is either thrifted or used and probably both!
I'm
going to be telling you more about our house and land in subsequent
posts! Stay turned! 8-)
On Friday morning, I
moseyed on over to the local Charity Thrift shop which around here is only open
two days a week. Those days are Friday and Saturday from 9 to 3. I got there around 10:30 because...
I have a
hard time getting anywhere on time and
If I got there at 9, I’d have to join a line that
sometimes stretches completely out of the parking lot!
It’s a complete crush when you
finally do get inside & I don't really like crowds...
It’s a series of pretty small rooms and they don’t have
carts, they have baskets. There is a
rack next to the checkout where you can stash a full basket with a Sold sign on
it and then you go get another basket to fill up. You go through 3 rooms to get to the
furniture and books and by the
time I get there usually all the good stuff has Sold & Paid tags all over them…
Well, this particular Friday was a different story. I strolled in to the shop in my usual late fashion, grabbed basket #1 & made my way back
to the furniture & book room to give a quick scan to see what I had missed. Over to my right
I spied a gorgeous Mid-Century Modern dresser and the tag was still on it! $30.00 it said...Thirty Dollars!
I snatched the tag off and started waving it in the air and
turned to my left to see…
Ah, ah, ah…you’ll have to wait for another post to see what I saw next because
I’m not finished telling you about this yet!
I called Noel and he brought the van because much as I love my HHR, it just wouldn't handle this...
Here is my handsome husband Noel & my handsome new dresser!
Here is the mirror, kind of hard to see it but you can see DD Julia's hands holding it in place for the pic!
The black bottom has a Pagoda style flair to it,
the pulls are copper and there is a copper strip under the wood handles in the middle 3 drawers...
But wait! There's more!
Top middle drawer with a moveable & removable tray for tie tacs maybe?
This is the drop leaf door on the right and the mirror folds down to expose...
Look at all those cool storage sections! The middle ones are felt lined.
So Noel and Julia man-handled brought the dresser into the living room (excuse the mess!) and I was eyeballing it from the dining room and I spied something at the back of the bottom right hand drawer...
what is it?
A very old Houston Palais Royal sack with two hand-written receipts!
Seven Complete Apparel Stores To Serve You
Main at Rusk - Phone Number CA 8-8211
Sales Tax was 2% - When was that? Alas, no date on the ticket, just the name Scheffler & they paid a total of $17.85 for two shirts (or skirts) & a dress...those were the days...probably sometime in the '50's.
And after all was said and done, I went to the mailbox and found this...
I've decided that possibly one of the best things about starting a blog is that it's about the only way in the world I've found that will make me focus on what I want to do... and how to tell the difference between that which I want to do and that which I'm actually doing!
I've made lists. Oh, yes... Lists... They are littered all around me even as I write... BUT when I finally figured out how to add a page on this blog, well, you can see the sorry and highly confusing results:
I'm a bookseller on Amazon named Texas Book Buyers
AND I'm a bookseller named retrowoman1950 on half.com.
Actual photo of about one fourth of the books I have to sell
and we're not talking about the ones I'm going to keep...
Oh, wait... here's some more
That's not counting the ones in another building... or the garage, sigh!
... and I haven't even touched on the Etsy shop named Jules Bijou Vintage... (which is actually DD Julia's)
Oh, and I almost forgot... I'm planning to open an eBay store with the same name as this blog!
Texas Treasure Box! Oh,Yes! It's happening!
Forlorn view of my semi-naked mannequin...
Whew! Deep breath here... Inhale, exhale... WOW! That was highly therapeutic! I feel my multiple personality disorder beginning to lose its hold... Now I begin to feel like I'm making some progress towards integration... Oh, well, ah, maybe not.
