Victorian Wanna Be: April 2016

Monday, April 25, 2016

A Walk on the Wild Side

Oh my goodness, I have been so busy working the estate sales that I have had no time for blogging! I also have a booth at a local antiques mall, and will be selling on Ebay soon. Besides that, there is of course being a mom, wife and cooking dinner, and planning more flower gardens in the back yard! Not enough time for everything, so I will not be blogging as much and when I do, they will be short. I know, I know, you'll believe that when you see it right?! ;)

So anyway, on with this SHORT post. I know you know I am a Victorian soul and adore all things Victorian, especially taxidermy birds and not just the one's in glass domes.

So it may come as a surprise to you that I would drag home this guy after one of our sales a couple of weeks ago...

I couldn't just leave him there at the low price of $18!

So home he came...

where he took his place of honor on the marble shelf...

of the pier mirror...

at the front end of the parlor!

See, I told you it would be short. Thanks so much for visiting today!

Thank you to Sandi over at NO PLACE LIKE HOME for featuring my Spring garden.

Thank you to MiMi over at FIVE STAR FROU FROU for featuring my Titanic post.

SHARE YOUR CUP THURSDAY with Jann and the gals
HOME AND GARDEN THURSDAY with Kathy
SIMPLE AND SWEET FRIDAYS with Jody
VINTAGE CHARM with Sharon and the gals
HOME SWEET HOME with Sherry
AMAZE ME MONDAY with Cindy
BTTCG with Bernideen
NO PLACE LIKE HOME with Sandi
LET'S TALK VINTAGE with Jillian

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Boarding the Titanic

Hello everyone! Today is April 10th, and back in 1912 the Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage. Every year we set our table for what we call Titanic week. Well guess who came to set sail with us this year?
(we're holding our boarding passes)

Yes, Bernideen!
As many of you know, she and her husband have moved here where I live and we have been worshiping together at Church every Sunday. So after Church today she and her husband came over for a Titanic dinner. (sorry about the blurry photos, hubby took them!)

I used my plates that I bought from a Titanic Exhibit several years ago.

The lamps are PartyLite and I bought them at a flea market several years ago just for my Titanic table. They are similar to the one's on the James Cameron movie.

I always use the same things each year, I know kind of boring, but this year I have something new (old) to share with you that is very exciting! At least to me it is!
Can you see what I added to this photo that wasn't in the above photos?

YES, this silverware! And it isn't just any silverware! It's White Star Line silverware!! I found it at our last sale and was very excited indeed! The sale was for a 90+ year old lady who had lots of her mother's and grandmother's things.
See the White Star Line flag emblem?

Aren't they neat? The fork has definitely been used a lot, it's a bit beat up.

They are silverplate and were made by Cunard Elkington and Sons of Birmingham, England. Not sure which White Star Line Ship these were used on. Titanic? Olympic? Britannic? I don't know. I do know that the White Star Line was in business from 1911 to 1935. Oh, if only silverware could talk!

Below is my teacup from a Titanic Exhibit, but the saucer got broken. :(
And my son's Titanic toy ship that he used to play with all the time.

If you would like to see another one of my Titanic posts, you can click here and here.

Thank you so much for visiting today and have an eventful Titanic week.
Please let us take a moment and remember the many lives that were lost that fateful night when the Titanic sank to the bottom of the ocean.
(my daughter made the below floral arrangement at school)

I want to thank Bernideen for featuring my Daffodil teacup and garden.

I am joining the following parties this week...
AMAZE ME MONDAY with Cindy
TUESDAY CUPPA TEA with Ruth
TEACUP TUESDAY with Martha
BTTCG with Bernideen
NO PLACE LIKE HOME with Sandi
LET'S TALK VINTAGE with Jillian
SHARE YOUR CUP THURSDAY with Jann, Carol and Jo
HOME AND GARDEN THURSDAY with Kathy
SIMPLE AND SWEET FRIDAYS with Jody
VINTAGE CHARM with Sharon, Cecilia, Tuula and gals
FIVE STAR FROU FROU with MiMi
HOME SWEET HOME with Sherry

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Spring Has Sprung!

Hello everyone, it sure is looking a lot like Spring here where I live. So I brought out some Spring related garage and estate sale finds from the china cabinets and bookcase for some Spring Vignettes.

We'll start with this one serving size teapot and coordinating postcard (dated 1908) with jonquils and pansies for my birthday on Wednesday.

When I saw this English Bell China teacup, I totally fell in love with it!

Jonquils and forget-me-nots, what's not to love?
And just look at that elegant little handle.

The Yoshino Cherry tree has been so pretty this Spring.

I even have a postcard (postmarked 1908) that coordinates with it.

With mother and daughter picking a bouquet of yellow daffodils.

This particular daffodil is called "Lent Lily".

Below are some of the other daffodil varieties that grow in my garden.

Below is another of my "latest finds" postcards, postmarked 1912. I always thought buttercups were daffodils so I looked it up and this is what I found out.

Buttercups are a large genus of flowering plants called Ranunculus. It has yellow, shiny, petals, and grows wild in many places. It is poisonous to eat for humans and cattle, but when dry the poison is not active.

Below are two estate sale book finds.

The "Violets" book has a copyright of 1904 and tells of their place in Greek mythology and other Violet customs. No pretty illustrations inside, just a few ugly ones. :(

The cover and the date of the book is what sold me on it. The violet postcard is postmarked 1910, and then there's the vintage Hall's chocolate box that was just too "sweet" to pass up!