Boat Trip

Good evening sweet blogging buddies!

Our boat trip was a great one down our majestic river.

The excursion was an hour and a half.

We had a great time!

WARNING ~ PICTURE HEAVY

Bob sitting waiting to board the boat in the back.

Lots of pic to share.

The old railroad bridge across the Black River

that leads into the St Clair River.

The train use to go from Detroit to Port Huron

and stopped running in the 1930's.

A Lake freighter.

Unloading sand at the dock.

The Blue Water Bridges in the background.

Ships cannot go directly in the middle of the river here until they get closer

 to the bridge because of the rapids.

The rapids are from the water of Lake Huron coming into

the narrow St Clair River.

American side.

Each span is one way traffic.

Directly under the spans.

Canadian side.

Heading into the lake.

In the lake looking back at the bridges.

The inside of the boat.

Bob and I and three others were on the bottom deck.

Everyone else was on the upper deck outside under an awning.

We just wanted to enjoy the river in the air.

Blue Water Blessings To All!

Janice

Curtain Call

Good evening sweet blogging buddies.
Thank you for all the well wishes on our boating excursion.
We had a fantastic time and I will post pics next week.
We are off early in the morning to do an antique show in
Allegan, Michigan.
If you are in the that part of the area, 
please do stop in and visit us.

Today I wanted to show you our bedroom curtains.

The drapery rods are normal tension rods that I spray painted brown.
The clip rings I purchased from Bed Bath and Beyond.

Now I know most folks have been using tobacco cloth
for curtains lately,
however I wanted something that reminded me of my gramma H's farmhouse.
Her bedroom curtains were all  hand embroidered with leaves or flowers.
Although I know these were not done by hand..
it was the closest I could get to that look I wanted.
Elegant but still simple.

A few more items added.

Baby shoe in top tier.

Pair of child's shoes in the middle tier.

Spools of thread and string ball in bottom tier.

Blue Bonnet.

Wood carved shore bird.
We have many of these egrets that visit us each year in the Summer.

Everyone enjoy your weekend!

Curtain Call Blessings To All!

Janice

Bedtime Story

Good evening sweet blogging buddies.
So glad blogger is back.
At first I thought it was me..
but then started reading it was happening to all.

Let me tell you a little bedroom story.

The picture above our bed is another relative of mine.
Meet my great aunt Teresa.
She was my great grandfather Bob's sister.
My sister was named after her.
Ever since my gramma H passed on
and this picture was passed down to my mom...
I have wanted it.
My mom said that it belonged to my sister Teresa.
DARN
DRAT
DANG NABBIT

Well the day came when my mom went to give 
this picture to my sister last year.
Guess who did not want it?
Yep dear sis passed on it.
Do you want to know the reason why?

Ever since Bob told her that we have ghosts in our antique store,
she is afraid to bring in any antiques to her home.
This is why she did not want this beautiful lady.
Ok with me...I'll take it.

I dare any ghosts to mess with me.
In fact I double dare them.

My sis Teresa still does not understand how we can
live with a houseful of antiques...
I tell her that we have an understanding with our ghosts. 
She freaks out when I say that. LOL

The quilt I chose for our bed is actually the back side.
It is really a quilt made of red, whites and blues.
I will probably turn it over at Christmas time for a more vibrant color.

There is a rip in a section of it where the red comes through.
Some folks would not like this flaw.
I think this gives it character.
Plus it shows someone else loved it.

At least Ace approves. ;-)
Making himself at home right there.
Now the current pillows were from Bob's old sofa 
before we got married, that we no longer have.
I kept the pillows because they were large 
and the grands could throw them on the floor and watch tv. 

This lamp is an antique that was electrified.
Gramma H had these throughout her farmhouse.
She loved milk glass...
so it reminds me of her.

It does give off a pretty glow.

Oh yeah...and the bed has our twin mattress on it.
My mom gave us the idea just to add some slats for now
until we special order one that will fit properly.
She already slept in it and said it was a good mattress.
Thanks mom for telling us youngsters a thing or two!
I always tell my kids to listen to their elders...
they know more.

Tomorrow taking a vacation day.
Bob and I are hopefully going on our annual boat ride
on our big river...weather permitting.

Bedtime Story Blessings To All! 
Janice

Hodgy Podgy

Happy sweet Monday sweet friends.

You know Monday does get a bad wrap.

We all love Fridays and the weekend and hate Mondays,

but its not Monday's fault, now is it. :-)

So I am going to start hating Tuesday for awhile and leave 

Monday alone. 

Now that I am done with my tirade,

I have to tell you the story about this blue pie safe.

You see Bob and I went on a pick a few weeks back.

The client had a bakers cabinet..which I thought was a hoosier,

but I was wrong. 

any hoot they had the bakers cabinet, a few small prims

and this pie safe.

All of the clients items were in the basement.
This piece was filled with glass vases.
Not sure why anyone would need that many vases at 80 years old,
but unfortunately her husband broke one...
and boy did she rant and rave about it.
Bob and I tried for a half hour trying to get this thing up the stairs.
We turned it every way we could...and did I say it is 
HEAVY!
Well, after about five times asking the homeowner how
she got this downstairs...
she finally remembered that the railing was not on at the time.
So Bob removed the railing and we finally got it up.
Thought I was going to have a heart attack.
We were going to sell it....
but as Bob told our Facebook fans.
I am holding it hostage. LOL
(for all the work it took getting into the van,
you dang betcha)

Now I go and get the camera and who sneaks in?
Ace of course.
The funny thing is, he opened the door by himself,
but had to keep meowing for someone to let him out.
Really...it was easier to get out than in Ace.

Now since the bedroom is almost complete...
I need to finish up on my penny rug.

Added some green.

Plus some some more blue.

The star in the middle is finished.
Now working on the diamonds,
and finally the border.
Sometimes I wish now I had the money to buy that antique one.
Lot of work involved.

On a final note,
I want to thank you all for the awesome comments
on our guest bedroom redo.
It meant alot to both Bob and I.
More pics to come.

Oops another final note:

I am working on plans for our bedroom now.
Once I have everything drawn out...
Bob will do the hard part again.
I already bought a new old door for it already!

I hope everyone gets tomorrow up hating Tuesday now. LOL

PS. Does anyone know what happened to my blog list. I can only see the most current post from all of the blogs I follow...do not know what happened. Any ideas?

Hodgy Podgy Blessings To All!
Janice

More Eye Candy

Good morning sweet blogging buddies.

Welcome to the first day of Summer!

Back in January most of us were wanting this day to come immediately.

Now it is

FINALLY 

here!

WOOHOO!

Tonight Bob and I will be watching fireworks from our dock.

Across the river by us is Wapole Island owned by the 

First Nation of Native Canadians.

Saying they are Indians is quite offensive.

They always celebrate the first day of Summer with fireworks.

Lucky for us we get a front row seat.

For your viewing pleasure this first day of Summer,

I would like to show off some more of our bedroom.

Enjoy.

Chippy white painted cupboard.

See our bed in the foreground.

Early pine table that I placed an enamel pitcher and basin on.

Bottom I tucked in a grapevine wreath with my wood carved bunny.

(For those who have been following me long enough..

know I simply love bunnies and have them somewhere in each room) 

Old bucket on the floor with a blue tick piece hanging out.

Bob hung this early coat rack so I could hang

two prairie bonnets and a child's slip.

Child's blue dress hanging on door.

Circa 1700's yarn winder on floor.

Close up of clothing.

Early splint basket on left and hurricane lamp on right.

Brown chair placed in the corner.

Draped a blue blanket over.

Notice my waxed doll.

Her face was made from wax.

An early 1800 doll that should not be in the sun.

I originally purchased this plant stand to hold

my pitcher and basin.

(just realized I never took the price tag off...oops) 

Thought this galvanized pitcher would look better.

Do you see a color pattern going in here yet?

Hope you enjoyed this set of pics.

Have more to show yet.

Summer Blessings To All!

Janice

A Few Bedroom Pics

Good evening dear sweet blogging buddies!
Oh what a day I had yesterday.
Had to leave my house to drive to Lansing, Michigan
for work at 6:00 in the morning.
Arrived back at 5:30 in the evening.
Drove in thunderstorms both ways...
and even severe stuff going home.
Had to pull over for a bit.

I did manage to snap a few pics of the new
old bedroom.

We are still adding things,
so I just a few for now.

The next three are what I placed into the shelves.

Blue slip ovoid crock in the middle

of two small yellowware bowls.

Piece of a blue tick fabric underneath this coverlet.
Another bowl on top.
The shoe form on the right was used a
general store dispaly from the early 1900's.

Some children's shoes on the left.
Early flax winder on the right with a blue coverlet piece.

I believe this was an upper cabinet at one time.
I chose to leave it on the floor.
Added two blue spatterware stoneware pitchers.
These are mid 1800's with a brown glaze inside.

Do you like my eye candy?
More to come....

Cozy Bedroom Blessings To All!
Janice

June CupboardScape

I know...I know.

I forgot.

All I can say is that I have been so pre occupied 

with our bedroom redux,

that I simply forgot to post this month's CupboardScape.

I do apologize for this..

and again I had planned on doing this post

before Father's Day.

Any way this month it is all about fathers.
In memory of my grandfathers to be exact.

Grandpa B wore hats.
I remember him wearing a gray felt hat similar to this one.

My mom said he also wore straw hats to church.
He was born August 8, 1908.
His nickname was Eightball
because of his birthday being all eights.
08/08/08
The chair in my first pic was my grandpa B's
when he was a child.

I do not know if grandpa had a beaver hat,
but I wanted this for my collection.

Both grandpa B and Grandpa H
were known to take a nip now and then.
They both drank whiskey and beer.
Back in the day before beer came in bottles.
stoneware was used.
These stoneware bottles were used primarily
 for porters and stouts (dark beer)
and non alcoholic beverages such as
root beer and ginger ale.
Up until the 1870's workers had to hand cork
these bottles between their knees.
Great Britain started this stoneware bottling process,
while the Americans used kegs.
We did finally catch up though.

The ones I prefer are these two toned Great Britain ones.
These are also called ginger beer bottles because of their color.
Prices currently range from $15 to $125 depending on rarity and design.
These two pictured are $15 (left) and $35 (right)
US bottles are mostly white or brown.
Irish whiskey and Schnapps were also corked into  stoneware.
The Schnapps one on my chair is $48 from Great Britain.
Irish stoneware would be either white or two tone white and green.

Did you know that the early Egyptians also drank Beer? 

Grandpa H loved to play checkers.
After dinner he would get out the checkerboard
and we would play until bedtime.
He would let me chose my color..I liked being red mostly.
Oh and we not just let me win...
I had to win on my own...
which was a good thing, cause it made me think.
I was five when he first started playing with me.
He was born in 1899 and it was easy to remember how old he was,
as he was always one year older than the calender.

Happy Father's day to you both.
you made a great impression on me
and I will always cherish the memories!

Post Father's Day Blessings To All!
Janice