Hearts Full of Joy

happy valentine's day!

i love all things vintage, and i have completely fallen in love with vintage valentines....so sweet, so simple, so innocent (usually, except when, surprise! they're not!). i recently found a precious group of 40 valentines on ebay that had belonged to a brother & sister: jean & harold nightingale.
  if the sweet little pictures and sentiments on the fronts aren't enough, the adorable "to & froms", carefully written in cursive with pencil make these valentiens even more precious.

"To Harold Nightingale, From Junior Miller"
"Olive from Pearl Gischman"
To Maple, From Viola Bomaugh"

 

three years ago i found a ownderful piece of fabric at the tokyo great international quilt festival (lexi, tashi, & i so missed being there this year at the end of january...but brock surprised us by attending while he was htere on business and bringing us back some surprises) that was printed with darling vintage valentines in red on white. it was my inspiration for making this little "drunkard's path" valentine's quilt:

one of my favorite little poems on it says, "I'm not your valentine, but gee! The whole world knows I want to be!" this year i found a valentine with that same message inside, and so cute on the front!:

i made the quilt in the background of this photo last valentine's day.

tashi loves vintage just as much as i, and and we found these sweet litte vintage valentine cupcake sticks for her birthday party:

chocolate cupcakes filles with chocolate chipp cheesecake.

continual improvement?

christmas is over and put away, a new year has begun...
time to get back to home improvement and break out the painting mess again:
after months of waiting & planning, we finally continued the blue paint from the living room into the formal dining room that serves as our T.V. room, and then painted the far wall of the T.V. room red. then we did a big furniture switcheroo, and this is the result: (still needs pictures hung on the wall, etc)

we're still working on the formal living room space....more photos to come.

thanksgiving weekend in quincy, we found the hutch we had been hoping for, and at a price we liked (i even got them to come down from the special sale price) for our dining area at the antiques mall. and yesterday, between (hundreds of) coats of red paint, i filled it up. some of the dishes are new, some are antique, most are from japan. the red & white nine-patch snowball baby quilt is from the late 1800s.

we plan on replacing the knobs (we plan on a lot of things).
the quincy antique mall also had the most adorable nile green hutch from the 1940s that would look just perfect in mia & gracie's room stacked with antique baby quilts and books....but i can't figure out where it could go, unless i got rid of their bookshelf. plus, we really don't need to spend any more money...but it's such a great price, and so adorable!
also in november, i finally had this april 1935 volume of "farmer's wife" framed at "hobby lobby". i found this treasure at "mrs. clemen's" antiques in hannibal, mo. the summer before last. i was antiquing with gloria (just like when i found the hutch). it hangs next to the hutch in our dining area.

and here is a back splash idea i had. the plates & cannisters are also from hannibal - the "hickory stick" quilt shop.

the blue paint is actually the same in all three of the above photos. the hutch photo is probably the most accurate.

when i bought these fun things in hannibal in summer "07, i had no idea i would be using them to decorate my home so nearby. life is funny & unexpected.

new-ness

i love january's fresh new feeling. i love change and new-ness. and i love bright sunny january days, which have been abounding. we've had amazingly mild weather after our snow and ice storms cleared away. the squirrels seem to be enjoying it too. (is it their mating season???) our yard is filled with silly, giddy squirrels chasing each other around the tree tops and across the lawn. yesterday we counted eight at one time. with no leaves on the trees it is easy to watch their antics, and they put on quite a show.

i am a picky reader...i want to read books that are:
interesting & thought provoking
well written
uplifting & edifying
captivating
and....
clean

i find it increasingly difficult to find books that meet these criteria. (couldn't jane austin have written more?) but it feels so good when i do. i just finished "the five people you meet in heaven", and loved it.

two new books that i am enjoying are:
"quilts & women of the mormon migrations"

i bought this at the daughters of the utah pioneers museum when i was in uath. i love all things to do with antique quilts and history...but still, i am impressed with this book beyond what i expected.

"fashions & costumes from godey's  lady's book" (the vogue magazine of the 1800s)

this is my newest passion....recreating 1800s fashions. i will be posting more on this soon.

and i am currently reading about eight other books....i like it that way.

here's a fun new thing that a great friend who is full of helpful provident living info taught me:

 

sprouting green onions! did you know that you can cut them down to the last 2 inches or so of the bulbs, put them in water, and grow them again? this is one week into our experiment. she says we can expect to get 3 or 4 cuttings from them.

i've exercised every day since i've been home from utah (starting dec 19th), except sundays, and christmas & new year's days. and i've done yoga on most of those days. it FEELS SO GOOD!!! when i'm in an exercising groove i can't imagine why i wouldn't want to exercise. when i'm out of the groove, i can't imagine getting back in. in june, i posted this, hoping that moving wouldn't throw off my fitness groove. well it did throw it off, and my new calling didn't help. time to get it together again.

beginning to look a lot like...

we awoke on sunday morning to our first snow in nauvoo, and a power outage. so we started our first fire in the fireplace, and decorated our tree while snow fell quietly outside. our church meetings don't start until 2:00 (!), and so we had a wonderfully cozy morning at home.

some of my favorite antiques are gathered 'round the tree... 1850's princess feather quilt and 1890s nine-patch snowball baby quilt on the quilt rack, green baby cradle full of christmas books, and 1890s red & white drunkards path quilt wrapped around the tree. this year's tree is our all-time favorite, we all agree. it's warm glow lights up the house and almost takes me by surprise every time i come up or down stairs or walk in the room. the tree itself was my christmas present last year.
tashi took this photo of the tree in the foreground, and snowfall through the window.

and we enjoyed the "little people" thanksgiving set so much....

that we got the nativity set, complete with the inn, the stable, and the wise men. the kids are loving it, and i am too.

bedroom makeover

mia & gracie's bedroom has been an enjoyable project. i've especially had fun using some of my favorite antiques from the depression era.

i was hoping that this photo would better show the brilliant golden glow coming through the windows from the maple tree in the front yard. the quilt above gracie's crib is an antique double wedding ring from the 1930's. the scale was miniaturized, rather than just making a small quilt from a large scale pattern, and only small scale prints were used. it is precious. i made her baby quilt hanging on the crib rail. see it's beginning here and here.

antique baby dresses hang from the shelf that mia has insisted on decorating herself with her prized objects. the baby dresser was brock's, and he painted over the painting job i had done during lexi's pregnancy. and antique elephant hankie and bunny clothespin bag rest on its top. brock also repainted my childhood desk to match the dresser.

the adoption pillow i made for mia for christmas last year rests on a pile pillows i made from antique "cutter" quilts. the quilt on mia's bed is an antique pickle dish quilt made in the 30's.

the quilt above mia's bed is and antique baby trip around the world quilt, made in the 30's.

i made this tiny wall quilt in 2002 to commemorate mia's temple sealing.

 this posting is about painting the room.

veterans day

on november 11th, veterans day, we celebrated by visiting the lincoln sites in springfield. it was a 2 1/2 hour drive each way in pouring rain, and completely worth it. we loved it. visiting the home where the lincoln lived from 1844 when their first son was born to 1860 when he was elected was a treat.

and the presidential museum was amazing....like disneyland but meaningful. it was incredibly kid friendly and entertaining.

noah & mia visit the lincolns at the white house

"tashi-rick douglas" & "lexi todd lincoln"

 

tiny "noaham lincoln" & "mia the freed slave"

lincoln has long been one of my ultimate heros, and this trip only made me feel more so. i also added two books to my want to read list: "the madness of mary lincoln" & "the case of abraham lincon".

it seemed a fitting time to visit....veterans day....the gettysburg address was given in november....and lincoln was elected president in november....we came home inspired, grateful, and uplifted for the greatness of one man, and a nation.

i bought these postcards and framed them in a 50% off frame from hobby lobby. the log cabin (appropriate) quilt top from my collection was made in the 1880s.

while we were there, i couldn't shake the impression that the times we are living in are every bit as fraught with dangers and that courage and right are just as crucial to the survival of our nation as in the times of lincoln. here's an interesting note: lincoln was the least liked and had the lowest approval ratings of any president in history. i adore him.

lexi also blogged about her feelings from the day.

end of october

this past week was a hard one. we had two deaths in the ward, a mother and daughter. the mother passed away just before the daughter's funeral. very sad, but happy, as they were both disabled and in a lot of pain. the funerals were two hours away, and we provided food. i felt so much for the family that these two women left behind. brock was/is in japan. our compassionate service leader was also out of town. i was officially broken in as relief society pres. and there were other challenges too.
but as i was editing photos this morning, i realized that our week was also full of happiness:

our garden plot was plowed by tractor, and all of our lawn clippings, leaves, compost (lots of apples and crabapple compost), were plowed into it.

i finished two halloween pillows (as if i needed more). the witchy pillow is a reminder to me of what i don't want to be. the cute little pumpkin boys are a replica of an antique greeting card.

we continue to be visited by our own personal flock of wild turkeys.

i made treats for mia's class on halloween. my goal was something non-sugary (whew! the effects of sugar on my children would be another downside to this week). i came up with "mummy toes" (cocktail sausages wrapped in dough with sliced almond toenails) and ghosts (crescent roll dough with melted cheese & olive eyes. the mummy toes were a big hit, and were gobbled up.

there was also a wonderful night of trick-or-treating on "beggar's night", halloween eve in nauvoo. it was perfect....happy costumed children walking/running down friendly streets, overhung with maples showing yellow, orange, and red leaves. perfect.

after school on halloween, we packed up and drove (fled) out of town for a weekend retreat.
our favorite resort for weekend get-aways, is actually the home of our dear friends who shared this relaxing weekend (and japan) with us...hayride trick-or-treating through their neighborhood, antique shopping, movie marathons, and delicious food. they are such a blessing in our lives.

and as if a day of antique shopping with gloria wasn't enough of a treat, our favorite antique mall in palmyra, missouri had these waiting for me:

the red wagon & blue chair will be in noah's room, the green cradle in the family room, holding antique baby quilts.

a lovely day

every once in a while a day comes along that just begs to be blogged about. this was that day. nothing spectacular. just lots of goodness.

it all started by doing something i have long wanted to do....attend an estate sale. a friend and i drove about 30 miles to a darling little town in iowa, only to discover that the sale is tomorrow. we did get a sneak peek at what was going up for auction, including some amazing grandmother's flower garden quilts from the 1940s, a hay rack filled to the brim with buttons & beads, and other goodies. we were drawn there by the promise of 52 boxes of canning jars, which turned out to be mostly pint sized. but i came home with some small treasures that were going to be thrown out....a paper doll set dating to the 30's & 40s and a box of little aprons made from darling 1930s prints that would make the sweetest quilt. they were a fund raising project. people were asked to measure their waists and give penny for each inch! (can you imagine asking people to do that now?) the money was to go in the little pocket of each apron and be sent back to the "rainbow girls club". too, too cute.

we had extra time due to the lack of an auction, so before going home, we went to the state park, just a few block down the street from my house, and picked two boxes of concord grapes for me to juice. this was a loving friend who helped me pick, because she had already picked and juiced her own. the grapes are free for anyone who wants them - free is fun!

next on to the elementary to help with noah's field trip to baxter's orchards (just up the street from our house in the opposite direction from the state park). i held his hand as we walked through rows of trees, learned about 5 different types of apples, and watched noah picked his very own apple. golden sunlight was streaming through the trees - so perfect.

later i walked back to baxter's, with lexi, tashi, & gracie, to finally visit the friday afternoon farmer's market. i've been meaning to get there every friday since we moved here. but something always comes up, or my memory fails. i was rewarded with banana peppers, red bell peppers, giant egg plants, and sweet potatoes at great prices.

brock & i finished up the day with a trip to the temple, followed by annie's frozen custard. i'm feeling very blessed!

little bits of other days to share:

the last time i went to the temple:
i walked the mile or so home. it was raining ever so slightly, but i walked slowly, savoring where i live. the antique shop i had been wanting to peek into was finally open so i browsed, completely amazed by the tiny, tiny waist size of the gibson girl skirts. next, i stopped at the mill and bakery to buy whole wheat peanut butter cookies to munch as i walked. i munched too many, but enjoyed it so.

the last time i went for a jog:
it was evening. the soy bean & corn fields were turning golden yellow. they contrasted beautifully with the green pastures and wooded hills. as i turned around to make my return home, mist was settling into the vales between the hillsides. the sky was a brilliant pink, and lit up the golden soy beans fields until they glowed, with red barns adding addition splashes of color. and i was grateful. it is so healing & relaxing to run amid such beauty.

what an amazing world god has created for us. what incredible blessings he has poured out upon me. as i touch sun-warmed grapes, or breath sweet autumn air, i feel god's love. and i am grateful.

currently reading & enjoying:

Nauvoo: a Place of Peace, a People of Promise
By Glen Leonard
a very detailed account of the church in nauvoo, reasearched for 20 years. thought provoking and deep.

Emma's Nauvoo
By Ronald E. Romig
written by an RLDS (now Community of Christ) historian. it tells the story of emma smith after the exodus, through letters and recollections of others. interesting, although not extremely well put together.

The Five Love Languages
By Gary Chapman
a birthday gift from my mom, for HER birthday. she wants all of her children and their spouses to read it as a gift to her. i have long wanted to read it, and i am loving it. EXCELLENT marriage book. it is also helpful for parenting and other loving relationships. (the author has written more books focusing on children, teens, etc).

The Mother's Book
By Mrs. Child, author of "the Frugal Housewife," "Evenings in New England," etc.
1831
this was a find i made in Joseph smith's red brick store on monday. (it is a reprint, and not the original.) I am thoroughly enjoying reading the advice on mothering that was new and revolutionary in 1831. and i agree with much of it. what a treasure! i love history, especially this era, the early 1800s. and i love motherhood, so this is a delightful book for me to read.

The Workwoman's Guide:
By a Lady
1838
this was my ultimate find in the red brick store. (i was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful collection of items from the past that are for sale in the red brick store). i'm so excited! this book shows in highly detailed drawings and explanations how to make all types of clothing and household linens, baskets, bonnets, draperies, etc for a household in the early 1800s. i love it, i love it, i love it! oh, the section on baby's clothing and linens! i want to make them all - so precious. so beautiful. i want to photograph the illustrations for you, but alas, no camera lens as of yet *sigh*. i will post more about this book later. i won't be able to resist.

i suppose, or rather am quite sure, that i am odd. very few people would find many of these books, especially the last two, at all interesting, and they are my two favorite. i have always loved the past, and longed for it's simplicity. longed for a better understanding of those who lived before. i dislike the word "trendy" very much. to me it has very negative connotation. and i am continually surprised to find it used in ways that people perceive as positive. i strive to avoid trendiness. my first college major was history, my degree is in clothing and textiles, and those are two of my great loves. and hence my love of antique quilts, and most things antique. this last book is a blending of my favorite things, and makes me very happy. this week i also unpacked some beloved textile books from my university days that i haven't seen for 13 years or so (yes, we are still unpacking). they have been in storage, awaiting retrieval. one of my favorites is "history of costume". i love to turn through its pages. i would love to do some work in this area. and i'm living in a great place to do it. i just need to discover what it will be.

it's done!

whew!  i'm thrilled to report that my quilt restoration project is complete. the pattern of this antique/vintage quilt is called "star of the east". i replaced over 100 little pieces of this quilt which had been well loved since its birth in 1940. the owner of this quilt (my client) is 68 years old, and it was made by his grandmother when she was 79.

many of the pieces had worn away, and some had deteriorated because of the dyes used, which is common. all but two of the printed fabrics that i replaced them with were authentic vintage/antique fabrics, many feedsack, from the era of this quilt. the two pieces of fabric that were not vintage were identical reproductions of a fabric that was in the quilt - a cute bunny print that tashi had in her collection in both blue and orange, and graciously shared with me. i also replaced some of the solid pink sashing, some of the yellow backing, and the binding. finding a solid yellow fabric that would match the backing and binding was one of the trickiest challenges i encountered. i lost count of how many fabric stores i tried (thank you sarah!). i finally found success in a tiny little quilt shop that i decided to pop into 2 minutes before it closed, as a last try. click here & scroll dowon to see this work in progress.

my restoration consisted of four steps: 1. removing the damaged fabrics, and the quilting stitches in them. 2. replacing the fabric. 3. re-quilting the areas where any replacing had been done. 4. putting a new binding on. the original binding had been made by turning the backing fabric to the front and stitching it by machine. it was almost worn away. so i removed what was left of it and added a completely separate binding. i have been working on this since february.

the before and after photos (click on the photos to see the details enlarge):

my next restoration project, the quilt that caught fire during the night, and nearly caused our demise (seriously). i am going to remake this into a completely different quilt (i never liked the original, but i do love the seashell kaleidoscope blocks, and want to put them in a setting that shows them off):