Blog Parties

Friday, September 18, 2009

Family Heirlooms


Updated 9/24: I am also linking this to Vintage Thingies Thursday blog party hosted by Coloradolady.

Marie over at Emma Calls Me Mama is hosting another Heirloom Party. In part one back in July, I showed you my Grandma's rocker. This time I will be showing a couple of family heirlooms that came from my hubby's side of the family and one from my side.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love old things. That is the real reason I married my hubby, he's old. Just kidding. I married him for his family heirlooms. Just kidding again. They were just an extra bonus.

One of my favorite items that belonged to my hubby is this secretary that belonged to his mom. But even before belonging to his mom, it belonged to his grandmother. Now my hubby never knew his grandmother as she died back in 1918 during the great flu pandemic. In fact, both of my hubby's grandparents died during this time. My hubby's mom was only 5 at the time of her parents death.

Isn't it beautiful? It sits in our kitchen. I've stocked it up with lots of items that I hope will be heirlooms to pass down to future generations. Who am I kidding? I have boys who hate this crap, I mean stuff. Maybe I'll luck out & have grand daughters someday. Right now, I only have a grandson. Or maybe my nieces might like some of these items.

None of these items are actual family heirlooms. But they are still heirlooms. Most everything was picked up at various thrift stores. The green scale did come from an antique mall. I had always wanted one & I found this one for a reasonable price.

The old coffee grinder belongs to hubby. He said someone gave it to him. Did you notice the little clay figures on the coffee grinder? My hubby makes them for fun whenever he uses his bondo to fix things. It's kind of a family joke now. The tall metal thing to the right is a Model A jack. Then hubby has 2 lanterns. The small one tucked inside the larger one is a mining carbide lantern. The larger lantern is a train lantern. Hubby said he was given these items or found them at a thrift store. The bell, bottle & small milk crate belong to me. The milk bottle & milk crate came from Disneyland back in the 80's. The bell I picked up at a thrift store.

The next shelf down houses some of my blue & white china. The cup & saucer in the back came from a thrift store. The old iron belongs to hubby. The heart shaped jar hubby bought for me in Amsterdam. The cream covered bowl came from Home Goods a few years back.

This old crock is hubby's. I think it belonged to his mom. We have quite a few crocks around our kitchen. This one holds sunglasses. You can never have too many sunglasses.

Sorry that this photo is blurry. The delft girl & shoes came from a thrift store to remind me of our trip to the Netherlands. The covered dish came from Home Goods a few years back. Another old iron that belongs to hubby.

The top shelf shown here holds more blue & white china. None of these items are very old. The white platters in the back are. They came from thrift stores. The bottom shelf has cook books, my recipe box (this is a family heirloom. It belonged to my great grandma), and an old wooden bowl that belongs to my hubby.

Luckily we still have the skeleton key to open the desk part.

The left side has a little cubby & a small drawer. Heaven forbid we look inside!!! I wouldn't want to scare you all.


OK, you twisted my arm. I'll show you inside the desk part. Just remember, this is my hubby's stuff. I don't have a clue what is all in here.

I did have to show you the desk part that pulls down. See that big black ink spot? When Hubby's mom was a little girl, she used to love & sit at this desk and draw, doodle, write, whatever. One day, she knocked over the ink bottle & it stained the wood.

This secretary meant a lot to hubby's mom since it had belonged to her mom and she lost her mom at such a young age. I'm glad she kept it all these years and passed it on to my hubby.

The next heirloom I want to share was also passed down from generation to generation. This mirror was a wedding present given to my hubby's grandparents in the early 1900's. I never knew until today it was that old. I love it because it is so chippy!!! It hangs in the little alcove by our bedroom.


Look at all that chippiness. Isn't it fabulous? And finally I want to show you one of my family heirlooms. This dining room table & chairs belonged to my Great Grandmother. The first time I met my Great Grandmother was in the 1970's when she was 90 years old. She had been living in the Phoenix area and was no longer able to take care of herself. She had to come live with my family. So we went to Phoenix to get her and all her belongings. I remember staying in a motel and all of us kids wanted to go swimming. My parents promised that after they got back from packing up my Great Grandma's stuff they would take us swimming. Well while they were gone a huge dust storm erupted & filled the hotel pool full of dirt. We were so disappointed that we couldn't go swimming. So when I see this table it reminds me of this story.

The table originally was natural wood. My parents used it in their home for quite a few years. In the 80's they gave it to my brothers family. They used it for awhile & then gave it to me. I was living in an apartment at the time & it wouldn't fit. So I stored it in my parents shed for 20 years. It was stored on end & the end on the ground rotted. In fact most of the wood looked real bad. My parents wanted to throw it away. But wait!!! Hubby to the rescue. He used his bondo stuff to repair the end that was rotted out. I was originally going to paint the entire table & chairs black. But the side of the table had beautiful inlay. Hubby was able to find replacement inlay for the end that was destroyed. He said if we painted parts black, he could fix the rest. And he did.
See the inlay along the bottom? The stuff on the left is new, the middle & right is old. Can't tell the difference, right? Also hubby found replacement veneer for the middle section as well. Since the edges were the most damaged, we painted them black. I wish we had taken before photos, but that was before blogging.

Here is a close up of the captain's chair. We painted them black & then distressed them. Hubby left the little area at the top of the chair natural so it would match the table top. We just reupholstered the chairs a few months ago for the Procrastinators Party.

Don't you just love the table & chair legs? I know I do. One of the table legs had a piece broken off. So hubby used bondo to fix that right up as well.

I just love this table. I don't think I will ever part with it.

The top still needs to be redone. Hubby did it once, but he didn't put enough shellac or something like that on the top. And you can see that I have the leaf in the table left over from last Thanksgiving. I was too lazy to remove it & Thanksgiving is coming up again shortly. The leaf has never been refinished. And I just noticed that my stepson left his dishes sitting on the couch. Had you even noticed it before I brought it to your attention? Keeping it real people, keeping it real.

Well I hope that you have enjoyed my family heirlooms. I have some more, but I'll save them for another Heirloom Party. Hopefully Marie will have another party someday. Now scoot on over to her blog to see everyone else's heirlooms. Plus she is having a fabulous giveaway to Hudson Goods. They have such yummy stuff!!! You need to visit her blog Emma Calls Me Mama to leave a comment to win. But I'm warning you now, I'm going to win!!! (Fingers crossed).

And don't forget to leave me a comment & let me know which heirloom is your favorite.

Kim

42 comments:

  1. Oh Kim waht wonderful heirlooms you have! That secretary is awesome & so is the table & chairs. But my favorite is the mirror...love it!!!!

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  2. Hi Kim,
    What a fabulous array of treasures you have! I love the mirror and the chest in your first picture. I love to hear all the stories that accompany everyone's heirlooms. Thank you for sharing yours. Have a nice day and please stop by and pay me a visit too, won't you?

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  3. hi Kim,

    Well I'd have to say that my favorite piece would be that beautiful carved secretary.

    But I spotted something else in one of the photos I LOVED...that mirror that says Cafe de Paris! Ooo la la! I love that!
    I'd hang on to that beauty, could be a future heirloom!

    Hugs,
    Sherri:)

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  4. Wow Kim, you have some beautiful pieces there ! My boys don't care about any of my stuff either.I don't think the wives do either
    :( :(

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  5. Kim, I just love your sense of humor. I know that sometimes our kids don't appreciate our "stuff" like we do. Love how you expressed it. Everything you showed is fabulous, and I'm amazed at the work your husband is able to do to resore this great furniture. Love it all!

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  6. Hi Kim -
    I absolutely love your blog - your posts are wonderful and filled with eye candy, humor and everything I can relate to! What beautiful, special heirlooms you're blessed to have! I venture to guess that even if you had a daughter, she wouldn't "get it" either when it comes to our kind of crap, errr stuff! Mine's 23 and just rolls her eyes when I show her my latest finds and treasures that I'm oh-so-excited about! In fact she and my son (he's 20) joke about the estate sale they'll have after I'm gone and what type of "little old ladies" might come to it! Brats!
    Anyway, thanks for making me laugh, inspiring me and making me ooh and ahhh! I needed that today!

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  7. lovely pieces! love that you have a ford jack in your kitchen, my DH keeps trying to bring tools in the house but i won't let him LOL :D

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  8. thanks for a wonderful post.
    Love all those great pieces!

    Alyssa
    lifeoflyssie.com

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  9. Kim, I think that is the most beautiful secretary I've ever laid eyes on! Don't you ever let anyone pry your hands off that one. And that mirror! Oh, I love that mirror! Such pretty things surrounding you. We must always surround ourselves with pretty things, no matter if they were handed down, found in a thrift store, or picked up on the curb!
    Brenda

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  10. A great post Kim...with a few giggles along the way. I really enjoyed reading all about your heirlooms!
    Hugs,
    Sandi

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  11. Gorgeous furniture, and great laughs -- my favorite things!
    Love the secretary, and I am in AWE of what you and your husband did with that table, rescuing it from certain death!

    Excellent! thanks... Cass

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  12. Those are some beautiful pieces! I love the blue & white, the scale and that chippy mirror. Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. I hope to hear from you in the future!

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  13. Such beautiful vintage treasures. Even if they weren't passed down through your family, if you love them, they're treasures indeed. :)

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  14. You certainly have some beautiful pieces. The desk is extra special. I love the table and mirror too. Maybe someday your boys will come to appreciate these things when they get older, you never can tell. Or perhaps a daughter-in-law to treasure it until the Grandchildren take it. Thanks for sharing all of your beautiful pieces!

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  15. Hello Kim - you've got some fabulous treasures! Love the secretary. And the story of the ink stain, how sweet! Adds such character to an already fabulous piece. Neat antique scale and cool old iron. My fave is the chippy mirror! Oh how I love me some chippy goodness.

    Thank you for joining me for the party!

    Blessings,
    Marie
    http://emmacallsmemama.com

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  16. What great heirlooms! I love all of them but my favorite is the beautiful desk! Thanks for stopping by. Come again.

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  17. Oh my favorite is that fabulous mirror! So lovely!
    Smiles!
    Michelle

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  18. Hey Kim, thanks for stopping by! Wow, you have some great stuff! I love that table! I've been looking for an old scale like yours without any luck.

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  19. That was quite a gathering of family, and non family heirlooms.

    Love the cabinet, and the old lantern.
    Reminds me, I have a box of those somewhere here.

    Thanks for coming by

    blessings
    barbara jean

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  20. Hi, I think they are all great!I have enjoyed your sharing & your humor.Thanks for stopping by & leaving the sweet comment.;-)
    ~Myrna

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  21. Love your table and that gorgeous mirror. You have lots of treasures in your home made all the more special with the stories and memories attached. Thank you for stopping by my blog and commenting!

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  22. Oh no I have to pick a favorite! I love the crock and the whole first cupboard/desk/shelf. How great the pieces used to be and can still be so useful today! Thank you for visiting me sorry I'm late visiting around.
    Hugs,Lisa

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  23. You are blessed to have all those heirlooms. I love that skeleton key!!

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  24. There is no way I could pick a favorite among these heirlooms. They are all wonderful! I cannot believe what a fabulous job your husband did on that table and chairs! Not only is that desk beautiful, but you have accessorized it beautifully. laurie

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  25. There is no way I could pick a favorite among these heirlooms. They are all wonderful! I cannot believe what a fabulous job your husband did on that table and chairs! Not only is that desk beautiful, but you have accessorized it beautifully. laurie

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  26. There is no way I could pick a favorite among these heirlooms. They are all wonderful! I cannot believe what a fabulous job your husband did on that table and chairs! Not only is that desk beautiful, but you have accessorized it beautifully. laurie

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  27. Bonjour Kim,
    Thanks for popping over to Normandy today. I've so enjoyed reading your quirky blog because in my head I could hear my friend Nancy's voice. You sound just like her!!
    I'll be back for another look at that table when it's finished, it's my favourite heirloom.
    a bientot
    Maggie @ Normandy Life & QCI

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  28. How blessed to have family heirlooms!! When my parents seperated I and DH was away on a trip and someone stole my pretties that Mom had set aside for me when she moved out of the family home. I do have a few but how fun to have these! The chippy mirror is awesome and I love the story you remembered about the table!!

    blessings
    mary

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  29. You have some wonderful treasures there, I especially love that old mirror! Thanks for sharing.

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  30. Hi Kim, I just love the secretary and the table. It's wonderful that you have them and it's even better that hubby is so handy at fixing things!

    I have an award for you at my blog if you'd like to accept it. I've noticed how much you apprectiate what life has given you and thought of you even before I saw this post.

    When I started blogging I saw all these beautiful awards and thought the creativity behind them and the thoughtfulness of them was very special. I didn't realize they came with strings and was curious why some bloggers were "Award Free". Well, rules sometimes must give way to practicality so if you can only pass it on to a few people that is fine with me. Even if you can't play along please accept this award and my sincere belief that you deserve it.

    Hugs
    Dawn

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  31. Be sure to come by tonight around 9pm (Eastern time) for the announcement so you don't miss out. I promise-it good-really really good.
    Cheri
    Its So Very Cheri

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  32. Loved the chippy mirror. Very shabby chic:)

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  33. Your hubby did a great job on the table..... wow !

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  34. What beautiful things...I had to smile at saying you had boys that hated that crap....mine feels the same way. I have a friend who's husband parents had lots of great things, the other siblings hated their stuff, she was the only one who loved it,and received many of their things and treasures them...so maybe you will have a daughter in law who will love these treasures too and turn your sons into appreciating them. You just never know!!

    Have a great VTT and a wonderful weekend.

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  35. Please forgive me...WELCOME to VTT...I was so excited to offer you hope for your treasures one day...I forgot to welcome you!! Great first post...packed with just amazing things.

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  36. Lovely treasures! Thanks for sharing.

    Jocelyn
    http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com/

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  37. Wow, it seems that you have treasured heirlooms at every turn! That secretary is gorgeous, and packed full of great things that, if you can't find anyone to pass them down to, you can pass them to me! And that mirror is just stunning! And that table, although it is attached to bad memories, is just magnificent! I'm off now to check out the rest of your blog!
    Happy VTT!

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  38. Nice stuff! (dare I say crap!) Wonderful secretary, and your husband did a wonderful job on the inlay. I'm very impressed. Thanks for the interesting post!

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  39. Oh your secretary is incredible! I love how its filled with so many wonderful vintage goodies, too! How great that you still have so many pieces from your relatives!
    Cheers!

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  40. WOW what amazing heirlooms..LUCKY you!!!..love the secretaire and all the treasures on it..that mirror is stunning *!*

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  41. You are lucky to have cuch nice heirlooms. I love the secretary and the repairs to the table turned out really nice.

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  42. Wow, you have some really neat treasures, thanks for sharing. I especially love the old mirror, that is so very special! Thanks so much for stopping by last week, sorry it took me so long to stop by your blog!

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