Sunday, March 2, 2014

Playing around with furniture

 

Hi out there!  I hope you are warm.  Seems this winter has been especially hard on all of us and I will certainly be glad to see Spring.  My little blackboard by the front door says "Spring ?"  As in, is there going to be one?  Right now we have rain and it could turn into something else, they say...so hoping they are wrong.  My sister is on her way here from Texas....sure would like her to arrive without mishap.  She is bringing my niece, Tessa, my youngest brother's daughter.  Haven't seen her in several years, so I am looking forward to having them here for the better part of a week.  Three "Williams Girls" as we call ourselves.    I wanted to post something, anything, today as it will probably at least another week before I have the time to do it.  Plan on enjoying the girls as much as possible.  So, I thought I'd show you the result of playing with furniture around here.  Seems I have been trying to  busy myself with some of the things I used to do before the old navy man became ill.  I rather enjoyed puttering around with some of my 'old stuff' as he called it.  So, I hope you enjoy it too!  (When I would go to the flea market, he would always say "What are you dragging in here now?" Smiling.  After he had been ill for quite a while...he would say..."Don't you want to go to the flea?"
Before he passed, he told me to KEEP going to the flea, it would be good for me.  He was DEAR!)


There are two alcove like places when you enter my front door...one left, one right.  A total waste of space if you ask me, but being a junky person, I have to put something in them.  I change them every great once in a while and yesterday I decided they needed a change.  The old navy man thought it was work I didn't need to do (smiling, of course) and I think it is fun, so enjoyed the little bit it took to put all my stuff in it.  He gave me the antique writing desk long ago.  It's been in just about every room in the house except this alcove and so far, I like it here.  (Remember, I just moved it yesterday.)  I found that old typewriter for $15...it works fine...and on that enamel tray is my collection of dipping pens and inks.    One of the things I love to do and haven't done in a long time is writing with those pens.  I hope to get back into doing some of the things I always loved to do.    

  

When he bought this writing desk for me as a birthday gift, it did not have a chair, but he didn't give up...years later, he found this one....really 'goes' with it!  It has a leather embossed seat which I love!  I don't think this desk has ever been closed since it came to live with me.  It now houses my sketchbooks, old ink bottles in a wooden box, all kinds of papery things,colored pencils, a little watercolor set, some books.


Over top is a watercolor, my friend Jim painted for me long ago.  I love it and it, too, has moved around my house.  And, then, there is that old screen door.  You may remember that I have an old screen door going into my laundry room/pantry.  Both were given to me by my son-in-law and are two of my favorite things ever.  This one has been on the front porch for a good while, but yesterday, I decided to move it inside (on a whim) to become a sort of bulletin board next to the desk.  I know my family thinks I am nuts.  Fortunately, that has no effect on me at all...I just keep doing "Pat things."  I like it here and had fun gathering all the 'stuff' held in place by clothes pins.  I have an assortment of really aged pins, but didn't want to look them up at the time, I set this up, so some are brand new and I'd rather they look old and dirty.  When I am through with this post, I'll be taking more old ones  from the Nest into the house to replace the new ones.  Silly, isn't it?


Not a very good photo, as I was hurrying, but you get the idea.  Sketches, postcards, photos.  Love it all.


I guess there is no telling how much fun I could have if I just let myself  'go' with playing around with furniture and odd stuff.  Now that I am living in a house, empty except for myself,  I guess I've no limits with how silly I can get.....and that's ok, I suppose.


 Oh, here is a little booklet about Camp Polk, Louisiana.  Found it one day at the flea market.  It caught my eye because it is the only thing I've ever seen in print about Camp Polk...that is where I was born.  When I opened up the little book, I was amazed to find it was printed in 1944, complete with the calendar for that year.  The year I WAS BORN....isn't that just crazy?

  
Close ups of some of the 'stuff.'  Notice the postcard of San Francisco...love that city!!!

  

OLD postcards, a couple of photos Jim gave me, and some of my doodling around.

  

And, here we are, back to the beginning.  It's a small space, but plenty big enough for me.  I will enjoy it until the urge to play with furniture hits me again!  Hope you enjoyed it.  I will post again, when the Williams girls have gone home.  So looking forward to having them here for the next week.  Hope you have a good week too, a safe and warm one.  Thanks, always for stopping by...love hearing from you.   Big Hugs, pat

8 comments:

Sheila said...

Looks lovely!!
Stay warm and enjoy your company.

Christy said...

Oh, Pat, I love your house - it's like Disneyland for artsy-fartsy people! lol.
Sorry I haven't been on here much - I don't remember if I said - but my Mom had a stroke and I was at her house for over a month. She's doing real well. She just has to build up the strength in her left hand. We're still pretty cold up here around Chicago but I'm hoping that Spring shows up SOON!! Take care and stay warm!
Christy
botm2@yahoo.com

Vicki Boster said...

Pat -- I love your litle alcoves!! (I'd have to junk them up as well!!) They are just perfect places to share your flea market treasures -- the idea of a screen door as a place for photos and such is just so creative -- I absolutely love it!

We are in the midst of yet another miserable storm here -- snow and ice and more snow --- will it never end!

Love,
Vicki

Julie Whitmore Pottery said...

Pat that desk is such a winner!
Your little nook is so cozy there,
and I'm with you on screen doors;
I love hearing them shut and can hear that sound when I look at yours. Hope you are having a grand visit , you gals,
and that you get to go to the 'flea'!
xx
julie

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

Oh, I love your posts. You take such joy in your collections. I fell in love with the idea of bringing the screen door inside. I'll tell you the story of what happened to mine. All I can say is DOGS!!
xx, Carol

Jaybird said...

It all looks perfect to me...and yes, I have one of those eye rollers at my house :^) He always checks when I come in to see what I've hauled home!
You girls have LOTS and LOTS of fun!!! I am thinking about you!!
Hugs to all,
J

Tina Marie the Willow Witch said...

love your little creative corner of the world.

Amy Munson said...

You and my mom must be kindred spirits. She loves having all sorts of ephemera about the house and out to enjoy.

A Bit of Heaven

A Bit of Heaven
An original designed wall quilt with my vision of heaven on earth.