Some special people have September birthdays! Aunt Alta, Charles, Mom, Dawn! And then there's a wedding anniversary (Charles and Dawn!) Happy, Happy, Happy to all!!
Tomorrow is the last flea market. Hope it's a good one!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Yard Sale Dolls
I took Mom in to the day hospital on Friday and had to stay in town to get my labs done and since it was Friday....I occupied myself by going to yard sales! :-) I really was going to be good....
I've been wanting a shelf to go over Elizabeth's bed and I found a nice one, a little shorter than I wanted but "a bird in the hand" was too good to pass up, even though the price was a bit high for a yard sale. I also got a huge Boyd's bunny which may end up in an Easter basket someday if I can bear to part with it. I got a lot of other fun stuff, clothes and books and a Mickey Mouse pancake mold. And a signed teacher doll pin which will be fun to wear on day's when I'm in the elementary. She's tiny but has stuffed moveable legs with painted shoes.
And of course, I seemed to find a lot of dolls, even when they weren't advertised.
At three different places I found these next four dolls for a total of $7.50 !! so I don't think I was too big a spender! One older lady was selling some of her 300 dolls as she needed to move from her teeny tiny house into an apartment. The garage she had her sale in was very old and the dolls were a bit dusty and possibly dry rotted. But I got two.
The Duchess doll, from about 1948, has beautiful fine lace around the bottom and on the skirt. Unfortunately the lace in front has a lot of splits and a couple of tears. It seemed to have been stiffened and if it was starched that would account for the problem. Items which will be stored long term shouldn't be starched. But she's still pretty and I will try to mend the worst two tears so that they're stabilized. The cream ribbon used for a bodice is stained red from the cape, as are the arms. I'll wrap new cream ribbon over the old. The cape will have to stay as it. The nap is falling off but I won't replace it. The Duchess dolls were made beginning in 1948 and I know that molds weren't always updated so that she could be later than that. These little dolls were about 7 1/2" and had moveable arms but frozen legs. They were often costumed elaborately.
I wish, again, that I'd done a before photo because Tubsy was a mess as far as her hair. I think she was marked more than I paid but the woman twice offered her at a lower price. So I brought her home and poured Downy on her hair. I thought it was dry rotted and would break off when combed but it combed out from it's matted state into very uneven hair with some shiny strands, some fuzz, and a few bald spots. The elderly collecter knew nothing about her but at home I looked her up and discovered that this Ideal doll is from about 1967. She has an intentionally wobbly head so that it moves when she is moved and comes to rest in various positions. When she is placed in water up to a line on her bottom she is supposed to splash in the water. I haven't figured out how to get the inner battery box open so haven't tried her out in a tub. :-) The outfit she was wearing was too big so she has on one of Elizabeth's first dresses for now. I love her face (although I think her teeth were set a bit too far to the side at the factory) and she makes me smile!
At another garage sale of collectibles I got this newer Zapf doll with a lot of her accessories in a zip bag--plus her potty chair. This, and several other baby dolls I've bought recently, will go on ebay someday if I don't have granddaughters. I'm buying baby dolls to be played with but with collecter value.
And finally, here is the Thanksgiving cornhusk doll which reminds me of my Nan's cornhusk dolls. I found it when I went back to the Hope Haven thrift store for a large 1960's fashion doll, found her gone, and was directed upstairs. I didn't know the thrift store continued upstairs. For anyone local who hasn't been there. Wow!!! What a lot of stuff. I don't know if there are very many treasures there but it's interesting.
I've been wanting a shelf to go over Elizabeth's bed and I found a nice one, a little shorter than I wanted but "a bird in the hand" was too good to pass up, even though the price was a bit high for a yard sale. I also got a huge Boyd's bunny which may end up in an Easter basket someday if I can bear to part with it. I got a lot of other fun stuff, clothes and books and a Mickey Mouse pancake mold. And a signed teacher doll pin which will be fun to wear on day's when I'm in the elementary. She's tiny but has stuffed moveable legs with painted shoes.
And of course, I seemed to find a lot of dolls, even when they weren't advertised.
At three different places I found these next four dolls for a total of $7.50 !! so I don't think I was too big a spender! One older lady was selling some of her 300 dolls as she needed to move from her teeny tiny house into an apartment. The garage she had her sale in was very old and the dolls were a bit dusty and possibly dry rotted. But I got two.
The Duchess doll, from about 1948, has beautiful fine lace around the bottom and on the skirt. Unfortunately the lace in front has a lot of splits and a couple of tears. It seemed to have been stiffened and if it was starched that would account for the problem. Items which will be stored long term shouldn't be starched. But she's still pretty and I will try to mend the worst two tears so that they're stabilized. The cream ribbon used for a bodice is stained red from the cape, as are the arms. I'll wrap new cream ribbon over the old. The cape will have to stay as it. The nap is falling off but I won't replace it. The Duchess dolls were made beginning in 1948 and I know that molds weren't always updated so that she could be later than that. These little dolls were about 7 1/2" and had moveable arms but frozen legs. They were often costumed elaborately.
I wish, again, that I'd done a before photo because Tubsy was a mess as far as her hair. I think she was marked more than I paid but the woman twice offered her at a lower price. So I brought her home and poured Downy on her hair. I thought it was dry rotted and would break off when combed but it combed out from it's matted state into very uneven hair with some shiny strands, some fuzz, and a few bald spots. The elderly collecter knew nothing about her but at home I looked her up and discovered that this Ideal doll is from about 1967. She has an intentionally wobbly head so that it moves when she is moved and comes to rest in various positions. When she is placed in water up to a line on her bottom she is supposed to splash in the water. I haven't figured out how to get the inner battery box open so haven't tried her out in a tub. :-) The outfit she was wearing was too big so she has on one of Elizabeth's first dresses for now. I love her face (although I think her teeth were set a bit too far to the side at the factory) and she makes me smile!
At another garage sale of collectibles I got this newer Zapf doll with a lot of her accessories in a zip bag--plus her potty chair. This, and several other baby dolls I've bought recently, will go on ebay someday if I don't have granddaughters. I'm buying baby dolls to be played with but with collecter value.
And finally, here is the Thanksgiving cornhusk doll which reminds me of my Nan's cornhusk dolls. I found it when I went back to the Hope Haven thrift store for a large 1960's fashion doll, found her gone, and was directed upstairs. I didn't know the thrift store continued upstairs. For anyone local who hasn't been there. Wow!!! What a lot of stuff. I don't know if there are very many treasures there but it's interesting.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Old Threshers
We had a really great Old Threshers this year. There was a torrential downpour Wed night and Thursday morning and some light showers on Monday morning. And there were some high winds the rest of the time. But, hey, it's Iowa at Threshers time! Temperatures were otherwise very mild, with cool evenings. The ground dried pretty quickly so there wasn't much in the way of swampy areas on the pathways (some in the parking areas!). Sales were very good and I heard that this was true for a lot of the vendors.
John and JT got to be with us for the whole of Threshers, which was really great. We have to be in the booth most of the time but Dad or I got out with him a few times a day. Dad took him to eat at the church tents about three times and he really "chowed down". My mom was there for three days this year. Grandma Weyer and Judy were there from Tuesday evening until after the show ended on Monday and Stephen and Carolyn came every day. John W, Cindi, and Nathan were there for the weekend. So it was a nice group of us.
As you can see, he got to carve with Grandpa twice. This is just a short clip. He and Grandpa were carving and in one of the videos JT is saying that he's making a spoon to hang up. In one of the photos you can see that he was briefly holding the spoke shave by himself. Nathan also made two spoons!
It was pretty obvious how happy JT was to see Nathan. Oh, my, maybe he'll be a tackle for a WI team someday! He just loved Nathan right off his feet. :-) They had some fun in the huge sandpile that Thresher's makes just for the show (doesn't sit out long enough for cats to find it :-).
There were train and trolley rides. John J has some great train and log village photos. No carousel rides this year as JT seems to be really leery of them right now.
Elizabeth was home from Fri evening till Sunday afternoon and I was really, really happy to have her and two of her good friends dress up on Sunday! The costume closet hasn't been busy enough the last few years. In the sandbox photo, JT is wearing one of his Dad's/uncles' brown shirts. I made the blue one for him this year and got suspenders from Kalona.
Also in a photo in the slideshow you can see Grandpa's new toy. The jeep still works and JT learned to drive it pretty well. It even went outside one morning. :-)
I was happy to get some new dolls from some of the antique dealers. The one in faded pink is a 1955 Madame Alexander straight leg walker which I was thrilled to get for $15. The one in the center is a new ceramic doll which was left from the doll convention held at OT this June. The paper dolls are left from older conventions and one was given to me by the curator of the OT doll museum and president of the club. The doll in plaid is, I believe, a Roberta walker from the 50's which I got for $4. I love a good bargain and these certainly were!
Congrats to Charles!!!!!!!!!
I REALLY wish I could have been at Charles' graduation!! He was top of his class, a Distinguished Honor Grad, and got a coin from the Major. And on Thursday he flew home!!!!!!!!!!! I know Dawn--and Pepper and Bubbles--were happy to see him! I hope to have photos later.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Visit from Elizabeth and Brent
I know the bottom two photos don't go with this post but I love them and you can just enjoy the contrast of Sedona with our place!
We were so happy to have Brent and Elizabeth for lunch on Saturday. Brent came down to see his family here before flying home this morning. We know Elizabeth will miss him but hopefully Lizzy will be some company this school year, and they'll see each other at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break. Lizzy certainly seems entertaining and energetic enough to make herself good company. She either thinks she's a puppy or a flying squirrel!!
Elizabeth's room
After our nice visit at Elizabeth's apartment, I went home and tried putting finishing touches on her room at home, now the pink guestroom/Elizabeth's room.
John C helped me by putting up the new blinds and fixing the loose curtain rod. Mom let me switch a walnut table in my green guestroom for her vintage table in her blue guestroom. This table was purchased from our neighbors, the Wisdoms, in TX, when I was a little girl. I'm not sure what wood it is but it matches in color the mahogany vanity that was my grandmother's and which Elizabeth has always used.
So, here are photos of the newly redone room. I want to add a narrow shelf over the bed and my "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" poster to the empty wall.
I guess I don't have photos of the other end of the room but the walnut rocker, my great grandmother's, is just inside the door and behind the door is the white wicker child's set of chair and loveseat. They'll get new cushions of green and cream polka dot fabric and the bed is to sometime get a quilt with that fabric, the valance and dust ruffle fabric, and at least two more.
Mom and I to see Elizabeth
I was really happy that Mom agreed to go with me to see Elizabeth, and take Lizzy to her new owner. And not just because I might need help with the cat! I don't remember that I ever took mom to Kalona, which is on the way and so much fun to visit!
Lizzy was a great traveler and it was a mild day so our brief stops at the various country stores didn't bother her.
We stopped first at the General Store. I love the assortment of items here. Everything from straw hats and suspenders and ladies unmentionables to housewares and baked goods. Mom got some dish towels and cookies for Brent and I got fresh bread and eggs for Elizabeth, and chocolate covered pecans for mom and me and maybe some to share. :-)
Mom enjoyed seeing the Amish buggies outside and interacting with the young woman who checked us out.
I went back to the highway to drive through Kalona on our way to Hwy 1 and the Stringtown grocery. Mom got to see some more buggies and more Amish farms.
The Stringtown grocery has an amazing assortment of goods in bulk, a walk in refrigerator run by a generator, and some housewares, herbal remedies, and baked goods. We bought a coffecake, spices, dried parsley, and peaches. Next time I go I hope to get butter, too.
Next we went on to the cheese factory and bought some smoked cheeses. So, Elizabeth had some goodies for the week.
I was fun to see my little girl :-) after she spent the summer away!
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