Thursday, March 8, 2012

Step Into My Parlor (Part 2)

Hello, my friends! Glad you came to visit me again! Step into my parlor and let's finish the parlor tour.  Below is my secretary/bookcase piece. Since I don't actually have a Library room I call this my "Library". Not only do I have books in the top but the bottom part is packed with books AND all of my Victorian magazines. Since this is Missouri, I figured I had to have a bust of Mark Twain himself, so there he is up on the top shelf. Looking as robust as ever! LOL
Anyway, on to the next thing...
Please click on to any photo you want enlarged.


Moving on around to my little sitting corner. I bought the sofa here in Columbia 7 years ago or so, from a newspaper ad. I thought the carved grapes on the crest were so pretty. It could use a new upholstery job BUT after the chair incident?! Not going there again! It is in great shape, just would like a different color/pattern on it. But oh well. My Jesus picture I got for $15 at an old antiques shop housed in an old barn in Moberly, I really liked the print but it does have some water damage to it. Notice the little footstools.  ;-)



Here are a pair of silhouettes I had done of my kiddos when they were 1 1/2 or 2 years old. I just think they are so precious. The artist is out of St. Louis, she was at a festival here in town for several years. On my shelf I have a satin glass ewer/pitcher with a hand painted bird on it and a souvenier Memphis, Tennessee cup.



The banquet lamp is a reproduction from many years ago. I really liked the cherub figure and thought it would go well in the room.  The picture on the right of the window is the Saint Cecilia 1907 print. It also has cherubs in it to go with the theme of the lamp. Here is a little biography on her...she lived during the 16th century. She married, but maintained a life of Virginity. She convinced her husband to be baptized. He was then executed for burying the many Christians slain each day during a great persecution. Cecilia continued to preach, and converted hour hundred persons. In time she too was arrested and sentenced the death. Legend holds that there were two failed executions which bewildered her executioners. Finally, after leaving her alone, she bled to death - preaching until her very last breath. St. Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians. Her feast day is celebrated on November 22. Below this picture is a close up of the picture.  I placed the picture close to the piano because in it she is playing a piano or an organ.



Below is my small collection of needlepoint/beadwork footstools, I believe they date back to around 1860's or so. I just think they are so adorable! I got the single one back in the 1990's when Victoriana was all the rage. Well...I just HAD to have one (no matter what the cost) so in one of my Victorian magazines they featured a lady who had TONS of them. So I contacted her in Texas and a week or so later one arrived at my front door! The background was originally a golden yellow color and has faded over the years to this tan color. I read that most of these little stools were done in bright showy colors so when they are placed on a patterned rug  near a chair one would spot it and not trip over it. These were low stools, but high enough to keep the draft off the lady's feet and to keep any spectators sitting across from her from catching a glimpse of her ankle. My! My! So there you have it. ;-) Oops! I almost forgot to tell you about the matching pair! They were QUITE a find! A bargain indeed! These beauties were, are you ready?, $30 for the pair!!!!!! I snatched those things up so quick you would have thought I found a million dollars! They were a good $200 LESS then the other one. I know, call me crazy!


Here is my jardiniere that I purchased at an auction. I have a couple others but not one with the matching pedestal, so when I saw this one I knew I had to get it! I just love the hand painted cabbage roses!


And then there's the piano that my aunt gave me. My hubby and his nephew had to go and get this puppy in another town and needless to say he was NOT looking forward to it. But lucky for me, it didn't cost any thing so he couldn't get mad like he does when he has to go out of town to get a piece I paid for. Make sense? So, anyway...I had to get it tuned and while doing so the man found the original warranty inside! How cool is that? The mice thought it was really cool because they nibbled on part of it! The paper says that it is a Hamilton Piano, dated 1907, out of Chicago, Illinois and they guaranteed it for 10 years!!  The bench was purchased here in town at an antiques mall and it was painted white and while stripping it I found out it had multiple paint layers! Yay, lucky for me! Ha! I thought it matched the style of the piano really well.
On the piano are a couple of plates, one with swans and the other with Victorian ladies, 2 velvet frames, Victorian lady bust, a beaded tea light lamp and my bird dome (it is pictured close a few photos down). On the wall is an oil painting of a field of tulips and guess what?! I have the before and after photos for you!!


Before picture...this is what it looked like when I bought it at an old country estate auction. It had been in their wet basement for years, I heard, so because of that the gesso was falling off and the paint was chipping off. The dirt you are seeing is on the glass but under the glass is all of the chipping. So I got this for $2!!! I am always ready for a restoration challenge and I love restoring old frames.


This is what it looks like now! I replaced the missing gesso, had to keep it from chipping any further, brightened up the painting by painting over and highlighting some areas and also repainted the frame gold. I probably wouldn't have bought it but I was really wanting that size to put up over the piano. So who could go wrong at 2 bucks!


Okay! Remember the bird dome I have on the piano?! Here it is!!!!! This is one of my favorite pieces. It is a male and female hummingbird and their nest! Is that cute or what?! It measures 8" tall by 7" across. Acquiring this was quite a nightmare, let me tell ya! I won it on Ebay several years back and I did not do Paypal at that time, so I sent a money order to this dude in California and he never got it! So he was getting mad at me, didn't want to believe that I really had sent the M.O. and was ready to resell it!! So I convinced him that I really was an honest person. Then I had to call and cancel the M.O. get something different from my bank and then send it! What a to do! AND, I was trying to keep it secret from my hubby but in all the turmoil that was going on with it I decided I had better tell him so he could tell me what I should do! Luckily the dome made it through the mail to my house unbroken! Whew!



To wrap up this posting I wanted to share with you a little bouquet of miniature daffodils from my garden! These are the first of my many different varieties of daffodils to bloom. It's always such a joy to see the first colors of spring. I just thank God for my eyes, that I may see the beauty of his glorious creation in these little flowers and so, so many other things. I hope these little guys brighten your day as much as they do mine. Have a great day and I'll see ya soon!



3 comments:

  1. Hi Gina!
    Wowser wowser WOW!!
    I don't even know where to start with all the beutiful objects and furniture you have! May I say you're a total powerhouse of restoration! What a beautiful job you've done! And I think even with the expensive upholstery lesson those chairs were a steal...They're gorgeous! I would've grabbed that hummingbird dome right outta your hands and run! *winks* I have a large one that I love and waited for years for, as they're so hard to find/and expensive even if you do. I'm not surprised at all that my friend Richard is one of your followers. He is the KING of Victoriana! *winks* I also have a friend named Kim whose blog "Moonlight Dreams" is one you might like to visit? She is also a lover of Victorian decor and has some lovely pieces. Here's her link
    http://dreamgoddess-intothetwilight.blogspot.com/

    Vanna

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  2. Hi Vanna!
    Yes, you are right by saying that Richard is the KING of Victoriana. I know him and have even been to his beautiful home! I had been reading both of your blogs for months and you both are the reason I decided to start a blog and also so I could post comments for you. Yay! :) I have learned so much from the two of you and now when I go out looking I have even more stuff I know about and want! So thankyou for that!
    You're right, I do like your friend's blog and will have to follow hers as well.

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  3. Ha little girl. I am so jealous of your foot stools. I have had some in the past and sold them, I have none theses days. The bird dome is darling as is your whole parlor. Us Victorian Lovers have to stick together. Richard from My old Historic house.

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