TUESDAY DISPLAY CHAIN–“STRIPES”

I am participating in the Tuesday Display Chain hosted by Misi at 1980 Gable House Musings.  This week’s subject is “Stripes”.  

My favorite “stripes” are those on our American flag.  This flag is very special to me.  We were married on Flag Day and on our first anniversary, and each one there after for 25 years, we flew this flag.  It began to show some wear so we retired it and replaced it with a new one – maybe to be retired on our 50th anniversary in a few years.  The flag is proudly displayed on an old ladder in our living room.



This is a ticking stripe feather bed cover.  I love the way this is made, with an opening for adding the stuffing.



I have this displayed behind a guest bed, topped with an old coverlet.

 


These small Wesson Oil crocks, with a stripe on them, are family heirlooms – I inherited one from my grandmother and one from my MIL.  The plain crock in the middle was picked up at a flea market.



The last stripes I have to share are the stripes on my yellow ware bowls, displayed on top of the kitchen cabinets.



Thank you for stopping by and taking a look at my stripes.  Be sure to visit Misi’s blog and check out the other participants.

Spring Blessings,
Sue

TUESDAY DISPLAY CHAIN–“RECENTLY ACQUIRED”

I am joining the Tuesday Display Chain hosted by Misi at 1890 Gable House Musings.  This week’s theme is “Recently Acquired.” 

First I want to share my dust ruffle that I finally finished for my Blue/Brown Guest Room. 



It is made out of brown burlap and I am so happy with the way it turned out – it is exactly what I was hoping for.  I still need some lamps and a few accessories.  But, to me,  that is the fun of decorating – searching for those “just right” items.  We will be visiting our favorite antiquing town on Saturday for their monthly street fair – I’m hoping to find some goodies there.

My life has been crazy busy with family responsibilities lately, so this has been a slow month for prim decorating at my house.  But I do have a couple of “recently acquired” goodies to share.  Last week my sister gifted me with a neat old jar and a crockery pitcher that she picked up at a yard sale.  I have used them both in a spring display on my stove board.



I have missed participating in the display chain the past few weeks, but have enjoyed checking out all of the inspiration posted by those who have participated.  Thank you for stopping by and be sure to hop over to Misi’s blog and check out everyone’s displays.

Spring Blessings,
Sue

Tuesday’s Display Chain ~ LOVE

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” I Corinthians 13:4-8   
 
I couldn’t begin to talk about love without first acknowledging the love of my Heavenly Father – because He is love!  He gave us the example of how we should love.  As I seek to follow Him, my desire is to show His love to the people in my life.  

  
Pictured above is my husband’s grandmother’s Bible.  When she died a note was found inside that said she wanted him to have her bible – I’m sure that she saw in him even as a little boy the godly man he was to become.

The second greatest love in my life is my husband, Adolph, who truly is my best friend.  In 1969 my family moved to Eastman, Georgia, and I went to work in one of the local factories.  I was planning to attend a Design Institute in the fall to study Interior Design and needed to work to help with expenses.  But my plans soon changed.  One day at work a good looking guy kept driving by on a forklift and I began to flirt with him.  I said to the girl I was working with, “This is the man I am going to marry.”  And she said, “He is my brother-in-law, would you like for me to introduce you?”  Well of course!!!  We went out that weekend and were inseparable from then on.  Three months later we were married – at the young ages of 18 and 19.  Did we know what loves was at that age?  Certainly not – but we grew up together and grew into love.  This year we will celebrate our 42nd anniversary. 


Here I am with the love of my life just before we ran/walked a 5K last month.  Not only does he support me in what I do – he often joins me.

The next greatest love in my life is my family.  We were blessed with three children – two daughters and a son – and then, as they married my heart expanded to embrace three more loves.  We are so proud of all of our children and the wonderful adults they have become.  In 1991 our daughter blessed us with our first granddaughter.  My heart overflowed with love  and this little girl stole my heart.  As each additional grandchild came along I fell in love all over again.   They truly are a delight!


Here are all nine of our grandchildren with me on my birthday in September.

Lest anyone thinks we have the perfect marriage or the perfect family, let me assure you we do not.  There have been ups and downs and trials and triumphs, but love covers it all!

Well, that is it for me.  When I think of love my heart always goes to God, my precious husband, and my family.  I do have many other joys and delights in my life but none can compare with these.  

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:13  

(This week's Display theme was "LOVE".  Be sure to visit 1890 Gable House Musings and check out all of this week's participants.)

May you be blessed with love,
Sue

TUESDAY DISPLAY CHAIN - "DISPLAYED SENTIMENTS" and A FEW OTHER THINGS

The theme for this week’s Display Chain hosted by Misi at 1890 Gable House Musings is “Displayed Sentiments”.  One thing that tugs at my sentimental heart is family.  We have a large family and I could write a book about memories and “heart tugs” related to each member – but I have chosen just a few to share today.

The first sentiment I would like to share is something special our SIL did for our family.  While he was serving our country in the Air Force he had this flag flown on a combat mission over Afghanistan in honor of our family.  The authenticating certificate reads, “In honor of the Beck Family from the Men and Women of the 71st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron”.  I am so grateful to the men and women who serve our country and my heart is touched each time I pass by this display.  Our SIL is pictured in the photo on the left and our son, who served in the Marines, is pictured on the right.

 

Another sentiment that touches my heart is a poem that our granddaughter wrote for a school assignment and then printed (in red, which is my favorite color) and had framed for my 60th birthday.  Hannah and I share the same birthday and this was written days before she turned 13.  The poem is entitled “Where I Am From”.  She begins the poem with “I am from” and then lists many family memories/sentiments – like family celebrations, favorite foods at these gatherings, the tradition of the red plate, and then she closes the poem with these words:

I am from a family of encouragement and where everything remotely good is an achievement.

I am from the family that made me who I am.


 

The last sentiment I would like to share is the gift my precious husband bought me for our anniversary this past June.  It is a dry sink from the 1800’s and was in a price range that is beyond our budget.  We visited the shop a few times over several weeks and DH talked down the price (still too much I thought) but he bought it anyway.  I stood there in the store and cried – I was overwhelmed that he did this for me.  I think he was proud of himself that he had pleased me so.  We use it as a storage island in our kitchen and I fall in love with my husband all over again every time I look at it.

 

Be sure and visit Misi’s blog and check out the other Display Chains.

A FEW OTHER THINGS…

I wanted something special to display on my wire tree and I found just what I was looking for at Kattywhompus Primitives.  Be sure to visit Rhonda’s blog too for some delightful eye candy.  Here is my tree with the beeswax hearts I ordered from Rhonda – I topped it with a vintage Valentine postcard.  Thanks again Rhonda – I love the hearts!

 

A few years ago I wanted to express to my husband how much I love him and I came up with the idea to show him love for 14 days (February 1-14).  Each day I did something to express my love to him – a card, a small gift (very inexpensive), a note in his lunch box – many of these items were homemade.  Then on Valentine’s Day I made a special dinner for him and made the whole evening all about him.  One of the gifts I gave him, which we still use, is this heart shaped pocket pillow.  The pillow stays on our bed year round and we use the pocket for leaving love notes and special treats for each other.


 

Thank you all for stopping by and don’t forget to express your love to those who are special to you.

Blessings,
Sue

TUESDAY’S DISPLAY CHAIN ON WEDNESDAY - “T0 SHARE”–RUSTY COOKIE CUTTER ORNAMENTS

Since many of us are browsing through magazines and looking online for holiday ideas such as gifts, decorating ideas & recipes, let’s give a little of ourselves here through Blogland.  For this week’s Tuesday Display Chain we were “To Share” a Holiday Inspiration, tutorial, recipe, etc.  Visit Misi at 1890 Gable House Musings and check out her display, along with those of the others that are participating. 
 
This is my first year to decorate a tree with a prim theme.  As I was looking for inexpensive ideas I saw a photo of a tree decorated with old cookie cutters and dried orange slices.  I loved the look, but did not have any old cookie cutters, and the ones I saw at antique stores were pricey for a large quantity.  I was in Walmart and found a package of 18 cookie cutters for $9 – but they were shiny and certainly not prim looking.  I bought some anyway, thinking I would try to find a way to age them.  I searched online and found several links to instructions for rusting safety pins and bells and thought this should work for the cookie cutters, as well.  It worked out great so I would like to share what I did, for those of you who are interested. 
 


RUSTING COOKIE CUTTERS

Items needed:
    cookie cutters
    bleach
    cider vinegar
    salt
    Spray Acrylic – matte finish
    strips of homespun for hanging

1.  Layer the cookie cutters in a plastic or glass container (I used a plastic shoe box).  (I also set the shoe box inside a larger plastic container to prevent spills.)
2.  Sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of salt over the cookie cutters.
3.  Pour bleach in next, covering the cookie cutters about half way.
4.  Pour in enough vinegar to cover the cookie cutters.
5.  Let them sit for 2-3 days.  (I put mine outside as the fumes were strong.)
6.  Remove from solution (I used tongs) and place on newspaper in the sun for 2-3 days.  (They will continue to rust after removing from the solution.)
7.  When they have achieved the look you want, spray with matte finish acrylic and let dry.
8.  Tie homespun on cookie cutters and they are ready to hang on your tree. 
 


I hope you are all enjoying this Christmas season.

Christmas Blessings,
Sue

RECEIVED MY WINNINGS

I was blessed to win the drawing for Tuesday’s Display Chain #5 from Misi of 1890 Gable House Musings.  I received my package in the mail this week.  It was a tombstone peg rack and a sweet silhouette to hang from it.  I have ordered a couple more silhouettes from Misi – don’t know if I will display them on the peg rack or not – depends on how it looks.
 
I hung it in our Bedroom on a wall that has been empty and waiting for just the right thing.  I will add to it when I find the perfect item for this space.



Thank you, Misi!  I love it.  (The ponytail girl looks a lot like me when I was a young girl.)

GRATITUDE
I am blessed to have met so many wonderful friends through blogland.  I am truly grateful for each one of you.

With A Grateful Heart,
Sue

TUESDAY DISPLAY CHAIN–“YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE”

This week’s display theme – submitted by Amy of Cottage Prims – is “You Light Up My Life.”  With winter setting in and the night coming earlier, we were asked to share early lighting, candles, lanterns or even new light displays.

The only early lighting I have is my collection of oil lamps.  Several of these were given to me by special people in my life.  One belonged to my grandmother, one came from a great aunt, my mother gave me a couple for birthday gifts, my DH bought some for me “just because”, and one belonged to a dear friend who lost her battle with cancer.

This is my oil lamp display.  It sits on top of a cupboard in our Dining Room.  



This is the lamp that belonged to my grandmother.  She used this for light when the electricity went out.  If you look closely you can see her frugal solution for replacing the used wick -  a piece of old fabric.



One of my most cherished lamps is the one that belonged to may dear friend who lost her battle with cancer – it was a gift from her daughter.  Also in this picture is the Bible that my DH inherited from his grandmother, a pair of glasses that belonged to my great aunt, and a cup & saucer given to me by my sister.



I’ve enjoyed sharing my lamps with you and thinking about the special people who gave them to me.  I hope you have enjoyed looking this week.  Be sure to visit Misi at 1890 Gable House Musings and check out her display, along with those of the others that are participating.

GRATITUDE
We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  ~Thornton Wilder

As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily.  The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world.  ~Terri Guillemets

With A Grateful Heart,
Sue

TUESDAY DISPLAY CHAIN–HOLIDAY CRAFTING

The topic for this week’s Tuesday Display Chain is ~*Holiday Crafting*~.  Misi asked us to show our crafting projects completed from previous seasons or in the works for this season.

I haven’t gotten my Christmas decorations out of storage yet, so I do not have any past projects to share.  And I have only just begun working on this year’s craft ideas.  I had planned to make a homespun rag-tied garland for a gift and had already gotten the supplies together and prepared the rag strips for tying when Misi posted this week’s topic.  This was the push I needed to get started on my project.  Then I saw the idea in A Primitive Place magazine (page 109) for a Rag-Tied Twinkle Light Garland and  I decided I needed to make one of these for myself – so I added another project to my list.

These are the rag strips ready to be tied.



This is the garland I am working on for a gift.  (I plan to add something else to this, but I can’t give the idea away yet – in case my friend reads this post.)



Here is the beginning of my Rag-Tied Light Garland.  I had started tying strips on a strand of  twinkle lights, but today I found mini silicone lights and knew this was what I wanted for my garland.  I tied a few strips this afternoon so I could show how it is going to look.  I plan to use this on my grapevine tree and love how it is turning out. 
 


If you’d like to make a rag-tied garland check out A Primitive Place Magazine for instructions. 


Be sure to visit Misi at 1890 Gable House Musings to see what she and the other participants are working on.  I am grateful to Misi for this week’s topic – it challenged me to begin working on my projects.

With A Grateful Heart,
Sue

TUESDAY DISPLAY CHAIN - NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON’T

For eight years I have looked at the thermostat on our Living Room wall and wished it was invisible.  To me it was the focal point when you came in the front door.  It always stood out in any wall grouping I tried.  I asked my sweet husband if we could hang something over it – some type of box or a shelf with something hanging from it and he was never agreeable to any of my suggestions.  This was really bugging me because he usually will figure out a way to let me have my way.  Well, I finally came up with the idea to lean a ladder against the wall with a coverlet hanging on it and I guess he thought this was an okay idea because a few months ago he found a ladder and bought it for me.  It is an eight foot section of an old grove ladder and I love it – but I love him more for doing this for me.
Here is the way it looked before.



And here is the way it looks now.  I think it is just the perfect solution.



I would like to find some more coverlets to layer with this one, but at least I don’t have to look at the thermostat any more.  Thank you, honey, for making my idea a reality.

This week Robyn of Primlish is hosting the Tuesday Display Chain for Misi.  Robyn chose the theme "Peek-A-Boo" - ways you hide your things or unique ways that you store things.  Be sure to visit Primlish  and check out Robyn’s display, along with the others who are joining in on this week’s Display Chain.  

With A Grateful Heart,
Sue

TUESDAY DISPLAY CHAIN–SOUVENIRS

I am participating in Tuesday’s Display Chain with Misi at 1890 Gable House Musings.  This week’s challenge was to share a souvenir.  A souvenir (French, for memory), memento or keepsake is an object a traveler brings home for the memories associated with it. 

A few years ago our daughter’s family lived in England for three years while our son-in-law, who was in the Air Force, was stationed there.  We were privileged to visit them there and experience a part of our world that we never would have seen otherwise.  I had begun collecting black and white plates to display on our dining room wall and I was hoping to add a plate to the collection from England.  Well, I was blessed to find two Spode plates at a little shop near their home.  They are my favorite plates in the display.

Here is a photo of the display.

Here are my souvenir Spode plates from England.

Every time I look at my plates I am reminded of the wonderful time we had with our family in the incredible country of England.

Be sure to visit 1890 Gable House Musings and check out Misi’s display, along with the others who are participating in this week’s Tuesday Display Chain.

Autumn Blessings,
Sue

Tuesday Display Chain – Two Colors

Misi at 1890 Gable House Musings is hosting a Display Chain each Tuesday.  This week’s topic is “Two Colors”.  I chose Black & White – two colors you will find in our Dining Room and Living/Great Room.

Black and white toile wallpaper in Dining room.


Black wooden bowl of white berries, with black candlesticks and white candles– displayed on dining table.


Black swan, with black candlesticks and white candles on black and white table runner – displayed on dining table.


Sheep and white berries in old trencher – displayed on dining table.


Black pillows appliqued with white pumpkins on black and white checked loveseat.


White display on black truck used as our coffee table.


I hope you enjoyed my “Two Colors” displays. 
Sue

Be sure to visit 1890 Gable House Musings and check out Misi’s display, along with the others who are participating in this week’s Tuesday Display Chain.

Tuesday’s Display Chain

Misi at 1890 Gable House Musings is hosting a Display Chain each Tuesday.  This week’s topic is “Think ‘Only You’ Could Love”.

(We were asked to share a display based on an item that “you feel ‘only you’ could love”. Something you might have just recently acquired or something you have had forever.  A  piece that makes you smile amongst your primitives.  ANYTHING you wish to show your appreciation for, but feel that perhaps nobody else would understand that appreciation.)
 
As my children were growing up they often made gifts for me that maybe did not fit into my decor, but I displayed them proudly because I cherished the gift and the giver.  Now, as a grandmother, I find from time to time I have the privilege of displaying a gift made by a grandchild that may not fit into my Primitive decor – but again I display it proudly because I cherish the gift and the giver.

So this week my display contains a gift my nine year old granddaughter made for me at summer camp.  It is a lovely flower arrangement, in a flower pot that she painted just for me.  It may not be Primitive but it “makes me smile when displayed amongst my Primitives”.


I hope you have something that you display just because you cherish it - just because it makes you smile.

Blessings,
Sue

Be sure to visit 1890 Gable House Musings and check out Misi’s display, along with the others who are participating in this week’s Tuesday Display Chain.

(Also, be sure to read my Giveaway post and participate if you would like to.)

Tuesday’s Display Chain

Misi of 1890 Gable House Musings is hosting a Display Chain.  This week’s subject is an Autumn Candlescape Display.  This is the first time I have participated in something like this so I am trying it out with just a couple of photos.  (Actually I don’t use many real candles since I discovered the battery operated ones.)

 
 


Don’t forget to link back to Misi and check out the displays. 

Autumn Blessings,
Sue