Mitzi's Miscellany

My Grandma's Journals

When you were young, did you keep a diary?  I did, and I think many girls from my generation did too.  My grandma Newton kept  journals throughout her life, and my mother is the caretaker of them right now. 

 

 

I've always loved my grandma's pretty handwriting:

 

 

 It's going to take a long time to read all these journals.  There are stacks and stacks of them:

 

 

I think it's nice to learn about the way your parents and grandparents lived before you came into their world.  In the picture below, my grandma is in the back row with her hand on her friend's shoulder (far right):

 

 

My grandma was a teacher for a while, just like my mom, and I've been working with elementary school  kids as a school psychologist.  All three of us graduated from Central Michigan University (previously Central Michigan College). 

This picture touches my heart, because the boy in the front row (left) has no shoes.  A poor farm boy from mid-Michigan whose parents wanted him to get an education:

 

 

Once my grandparents were married, they lived in a tent on the beach in Florida while my grandpa worked on the highways there.  I'm sure there are some interesting journal entries about that!

 

 

They became restaurant owners together and worked very hard, escaping the Great Depression by serving delicious dinners for 25 cents.  My grandma's journals include mention of the events they catered, the items on the menu, and other minutia.

 

 

Of course, once grandchildren started arriving, I'm sure there's a lot of space dedicated to them, including yours truly!  Here I am holding my Raggedy Ann and Andy that my grandma made especially for me:

 

 

Once my grandparents retired from the restaurant biz, they began a smaller business at Crystal Lake in Michigan:

 

 

Besides the everyday notes, the weather, and the mundane, I think journals served as a therapeutic outlet for people born in an era when the notion of going to a therapist/psychologist/counselor wasn't accepted.  A little writing here and there was a way of unloading your frustration with something and getting it off your chest.  The next day was always a clean sheet of paper, waiting to be written upon.

 

 

Do you keep a journal?  I don't.  I'm writing two blogs, and that's all I can handle right now!

Mitzi

Expand Your Vintage Vocabulary Post #22

Today I'd like to introduce you to "piano babies", which were usually a pair of boy and girl figurines that were made of porcelain, sometimes painted bisque or sometimes glazed.  Their purpose was to sit atop a piano, keeping the piano scarf from sliding off the slippery surface.  Why did one need a piano scarf?  Well, we're talking the Victorian era here, and there were a lot of unnecessary frills.   Piano scarves were decorative, fringed and embroidered silk scarves that prevented the piano from getting scratched when you set the piano babies on it.  Wait a minute.  That's circular reasoning if I've ever heard it!

This ceramic pair of piano babies is for sale in my booth at the Antiques Market of Williamston for a mere $38.  They don't have the exquisite detail you'll find on the painted bisque piano babies, but they'll do the job for you just the same:

 

 

 Here are two sets of delicately hand painted bisque piano babies to be sold at an auction:

 

 

Photo Credit:  Coyle's Auction Gallery

Heubach of Germany was a major doll manufacturer, and also made many gorgeous piano babies.  The set of painted bisque piano babies below was made by them in the late 1800's, and was estimated to bring around $700 to $900 at auction:

 

Photo Credit:  Shapiro Auctions

So if you plan to have a grand piano in your home someday, be sure to purchase a charming set of piano babies to keep your piano scarf from sliding off!

Mitzi

Lamp Re-Vamp

I purchased a great  table lamp with a turned wood base at an estate sale last year.  The shade was the color known as "puce", a once popular color but I wouldn't say it's going to be back in vogue any time soon, at least with that name.  I liked the way the lamp and shade looked, but for some reason I kept it at home instead of pricing it right away and putting it in my antique mall space.

 

 

 

Well, I'm really glad I kept it around, because I happened to find some ball fringe recently that was the exact same color of "puce".  What are the chances?  So over the weekend, I glued the fringe onto the bottom of the shade, and added some millinery blossoms to the center of the shade to jazz it up further:

 

 

I'm just one of those people who likes to embellish things.  A "more is more" kind of person, if you will.  Do you think the addition of fringe and flowers was an enhancement, or do you like the way the shade looked before?  Are we on the same page here?  Just checking.....

Mitzi

Meet the Ribbon Ladies

If you've visited an antique mall, you're probably familiar with the charming framed "ribbon ladies" that were a popular hobby/craft during the 1920's.  Just about every antique mall will have a couple of them if you look hard enough.

Here is a typical Southern belle ribbon art lady with some real hair, priced at $35 because it's a common pattern.  My friend Tina Gross at the Antiques Market of Williamston (Michigan) has a nice selection of them for sale right now.  Other dealers, including me, have one or two as well.

 

 

These were little kits that came with pre-printed faces and body parts.  The crafty part was completed by the purchaser, who would sew the ruffles, ribbon, and lace, which was glued into place, (along with real hair sometimes), and framed.

 

 

If you pay attention to "ribbon lady art", you'll notice certain patterns are very common, and some are unusual.  This one isn't super rare, but I haven't seen it a lot, either.  I like the ringlet curls and the layered ruffles on the dress.  This example was found on eBay:

 

 

This ribbon lady has a pretty pink dress, real hair, and a nice frame, but no facial features showing.  It's priced at $28:

 

 

I've seen this version with the flower petal dress quite a few times over the years.  It's priced at $35:

 

 

Collectors covet the smoking flapper girls, figures with a pet, and those with real hair.

 

 

The nice examples above and below came from Tina's booth at the Antiques Market of Williamston.  These are very desirable examples, and probably won't be around very long.  The flapper girl below is rather risque, with her see-through clothing.  The price is $158:

 

 

Some ribbon art ladies will have faded over time, but this one hasn't:

 

 

 

 A very pretty example, but more common, would be priced in the $35 to $45 range:

 

 

I think these would make a fun collection for a little girl's room (the non-smoking examples) or a lady's boudoir, don't you?

Mitzi

Show and Tell Wednesday Post #22

I've mentioned before that I sell antiques at two antique malls here in Michigan, and within one of them, The Antiques Market of Williamston, I sell out of the ladies' restroom, a rather well-travelled place.  I always try to keep certain things in stock there, such as wall art, mirrors, and a few knick-knacks.  Last week my "picker", a.k.a. my brother Mike, came back from an auction with the ultimate ladies' bathroom accessory:  a vintage Kotex Sanitary Napkin display:

 

 

I love the image of the nurse.  Do medical personnel really need to get involved in the menstrual cycle?  I guess we used to think so....

 

 

On the other end of the display, there's a helpful explanation of the Kleenex "Serv-a-Tissue" box, something we are all accustomed to now, but at the time probably seemed like a clever invention:

 

 

Kleenex was a company that successfully replaced cloth hankies with their disposable sheets.  "Get the Kleenex Habit" was an effective ad campaign.  Many use the term "Kleenex" and "tissue" interchangeably.  I know I do.  That's an advertiser's dream!

I should thank my picker for going the extra mile here.  He's had to bid on and carry around prom dresses, teddy bears, dolls, and now a sanitary napkin display for me.  How can I ever repay him?

Mitzi

She's Just Not That Into You

I love old pictures, and it doesn't matter to me if I know the people in them or not.  I'm fascinated by the photographer's props, the clothing, hairstyles, and if it's a couple, their body language.  The saying "there's a lid for every pot" just tickles me.  How do some odd couples end up together?  Years ago, marriages were often arranged, so not all couples were a love match.  Some look happy, and some look miserable.  Today let's look at some of the latter....

A couple who is not in sync:  He's in front of her, leading the way.  She's definitely second fiddle, and doesn't look too happy about it, either:

 

 

I would call the fellow below a "dandy", but I don't think his partner shares his enthusiasm:

 

Body language alert:  her arm is blocking him, as if to say "I don't want you next to me", and her other hand is clenched in a fist, for extra proof.  And he has a wimpy posture, don't you think?

 

 

Are these two resurrected from the dead?  They have a ghoulish quality to them, so they have something in common, but they still don't look very happy together:

 

 To paraphrase The Police:  "Don't Stand So Close To Me":

 

 

 

You can fill in your own caption for this one: ______________________.

 

 

 He has the beginnings of a smile, but she's nowhere close:

 

 

Hopefully, this couple have one thing in common:  a love of the dog.  They certainly don't appear in love with each other!  And does the woman have the beginning of devil horns growing out of her head?

 

 

When the bride can't hold her bouquet upright and the groom has a look of fear on his face, that's a sign the marriage might not have been a love match:

 

Uh oh.  This wedding portrait does not predict a happy marriage....

 

Maybe someday I'll post pictures of happy couples.  But I have to admit, the unhappy couples are more interesting, and easier to find!

Mitzi

A Charming Discovery

We all know there have been some well-loved magazines that have disappeared over the last several years, so you can imagine how many have come and gone in the last century.  One of the most popular during the late 1800's to 1937 was the Delineator, a magazine that began with a focus on ladies' fashion but morphed into a general interest magazine.

 

 

 

Around the 1920's the Delineator included a series of pamphlets for children titled The Little Delineator, which included short stories, contests, and craft ideas for boys and girls.

 

The colorful artwork on the covers of The Little Delineator pamphlets really grabbed me, and I bought a stack of them from one of my favorite stores recently:

 

 

Most issues were built around a theme, like a holiday, event, or topic like health.

 

 

Inside one booklet there was an article from Cho Cho, the Health Clown.  Evidently Cho Cho had been going around the country, visiting schools, and had noticed that children were too skinny and didn't have enough pep.  Cho Cho challenged kids to write to him to find out how much they should be eating each day.  I hate to break the news to old Cho Cho, but he'd be in for a rude awakening if he visited our schools nowadays!  Kids may not have enough "pep", that's for sure, but they certainly seem to be consuming enough calories!

 

 

Little fairies, sprites, and naked babies playing pan flutes were always popular topics for illustrators during the early 20th century:

 

 

I like the way animals were depicted years ago, before the Hallmark cutesy-ness took over.  They still looked like real animals that could bite you if you didn't mind your P's and Q's:

 

 

 

The lion and tiger  in the picture below illustrate my point perfectly:

 

 

I can have a lot of fun with a pile of little magazines.  I just enjoy the glimpse of childhood from another era, a simpler time.  Sometimes it makes me feel sorry for the children of today, and what they are missing by sitting in front of a computer or TV all the time, twiddling a video game control.  They should be outside, going on a nature walk, discovering what our beautiful world has to offer, or maybe creating something with their hands that they can be proud of.

 

Do you feel the same way I do?

Mitzi

Expand Your Vintage Vocabulary Post #21

"Chatelaine" is the word for today.  If you are familiar with vintage sewing accouterments, you know what a chatelaine is, otherwise the word may sound foreign to you.

A chatelaine like a ladies' mini sewing and tool kit that attached to her belt.  Suspended from the main part that attached to the belt was a series of chains, onto which each tool or helpful item was connected.  The items typically included a thimble, scissors with a caddy, a watch, and perhaps a few keys.

The Marlene Harris Collection is offering this chatelaine for $3,000.  The high price is due to the delicate multicolor cloisonne/enamel decoration and piercing:

Needlewitch has a lovely selection of chatelaines, including this sterling silver example:

For something a little less expensive, a chatelaine in brass:

Chatelaines range from the purely functional to the highly decorative, which I've shown here.  I've only sold one chatelaine during my years as an antique dealer, and it was more of a simple, functional chatelaine.  I think it sold for about $195, if memory serves.  It's rather rare to find a spectacular decorative chatelaine like those pictured above here in mid- Michigan.

Mitzi

Vintage Fabric Brooch Tutorial

I often purchase old bits of fabric from unfinished quilts, especially yoyo quilts, which are my favorites.  All yoyo quilts start the same way:  with circles of fabric, hundreds of them!  I had a bagful of the cut circles that I had been saving for just the right craft project and today I found it:  a fabric flower brooch like the one pictured below:

 

 Look at the beautiful circles of old fabric I had to choose from:

 

 

To make this brooch, you will need:

Ten to Fifteen circles of fabric (mine were 3" in diameter)

A felt circle for the back and felt for the leaves

A pinback

Hot glue and a skewer or chopstick to hold the petals in place while gluing

Once you have your fabric circles cut, get a circle of felt ready for your base.  As you can see in the picture below, my base is smaller in diameter than the circles of fabric.  It's about 2" in diameter.  I used a circle of a felted sweater I made which was nice and sturdy, but you can use store bought felt.

 

 

Step 1:  Fold a fabric circle in half.

 

 

 Step 2:  Fold the circle in half once again.

 

 

Step 3:  Apply hot glue to the tip of the fold, then place the glued petal in the center of the felt circle.

 

 

Step 4:  Using a skewer, chopstick or other implement, press down in the center of the petal to make sure it sticks down well.

 

 

Step 5:  Keep adding more petals working from the inside towards the outside of the felt circle.  Be sure to fill in areas that seem less full so that the blossom has a full look all over.

 

 

Step 6:  If some of the petals stick out too far, you can give them a trim with scissors when you are finished adding petals for an even look.

 

 

Step 7:  Add your leaves and a pin to the back.  I just use hot glue for the pin, or sometimes sew it on before I start gluing the petals to the base.

 

 

 My leaves were also from a resale shop wool sweater that I felted and cut up.

 

 

After my first version was finished, I decided to try pinking shears on my fabric and liked it much better.  Can you see the difference (below):

 

 

I hope you can try this fun and easy little project!  I'll be linking to the following link parties:  Sugar Bee Crafts, Rook No. 17, Sweet Anne Designs, Primp, and Carolyn's Homework.

Mitzi

Things Our Mothers & Grandmothers Said

In honor of Mother's Day weekend, today I'd like to celebrate mothers and grandmothers by sharing some of their favorite sayings. I polled a couple of my friends and added their memories to what I recall being said by the women in my family.

 If someone in the group was dawdling, my grandma knew just what to say:

 "The army won't wait for one soldier" - Mary Pletkovic

 

My grandma Newton was somewhat shy.  I love this picture of her listening to her favorite song on the Victrola.  Underneath the photo she had written "Sentimental...I suppose".  Once she and my grandpa started their restaurant, she worked from dawn till dusk cooking and cleaning.  She used to say this about herself:

"I'm afraid of everything except hard work" - Harriett Newton

 

My grandma also loved to sew, make jewelry, and kept herself occupied with various other handicrafts.  Another one of her favorite sayings was:

"Busy hands are happy hands" - Harriett Newton

I attended a softball game once and overheard a mother talking to her upset son, who had his arms crossed against his chest and his lower lip jutting out in the classic pout. 

"Stop pouting or a bird will poop on your lip" - Unknown

 

When it came to dating advice, my friend Nancy Clifford recommended the "Shop Around" method, and used pasta as an effective analogy:

 "If you throw enough spaghetti against a wall, some of it is bound to stick" - Nancy Clifford

 My mom wasn't one to use a lot of sayings, but she often used nicknames for me, one of which was "Snookey Ookums".  Imagine my delight when I recently came across two sets of sheet music titled with my old nickname!

"Stop snacking.  You'll ruin your dinner!" - Every mom that cooks.

 

 "A penny saved is a penny earned" - Many, many moms.

 "A stitch in time saves nine" - Universal mom-ism.

My friend Gail's mother was famous for these sensible words of warning:

"Don't borrow trouble" - Jan Roehrich

When it came time to visit the "necessary room", my friend Vicki's mother would say something unusual:

"I have to go to the biff" -  Beryl Sutton

She also said this little rhyme to comfort her daughter when she broke a toy or had a mishap:

Suppose my little lady
That your doll would break it's head
Would it mend it all by crying
Til your eyes and nose were red?
Now, wouldn't it be better to treat it as a joke
and be so glad t'was the doll's head
and not your head that broke?

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." - Mothers all over the world.

Generic mother-daughter pic:

If there was ever an opportunity for readers to comment, this is it!  What endearing quips did your mother or grandmother used to say?  Please let us know in my comment section!  In the meantime, I'll sign off with this picture of my mom and me and wish Happy Mother's Day to my mom Lucile and all the other moms and grandmothers out there!

Love,

Snookie Ookums