Thursday, October 28, 2010

love grammy & pop pop


i wanted to share a few of the treasures that were
left to us after dan's parents passed away.

his mom, aka grammy
knew i loved this gorgeous chair

truth be told
she's ( the chair that is) sitting out in the garage
waiting for her upholstery make-over

here's where ya'll come in
i would love your advice

i want to do something in white or cream.
shocking

any tips will be greatly received

for now
i've loved using her & her rusty velvetness
in some outdoor shoots


we also were given this old  toolbox
handmade by dan's grandfather

he immigrated from Norway
at the turn of the century
and worked construction in New York City


dan's parents traveled to Scandinavia years ago
to visit the birthplace of their parents

they brought back this lovely tea & coffee service

lucky me





i think i've already shared a picture of the chaise

on some of our cooler blustery days i've snuggled up with a blanket
which i must say
makes me look like a cripple from The Secret Garden



 love this little table.
aren't her legs gorgeous!


 i have several old family bibles

the red leather is incredible.
the pages are so delicate
grammy used this bible in the 60's

the next little black bible is also a King James
carried by my dad also in the 60's

the next two little black leather bibles
were dan's daddy's.
one was a gift from his mother in 1943

the little tiny one resting on top
was given to my mother in law
by her best friend, Millie
as a birthday gift in 1947

i love the feel of these old bibles in my hands
the soft leather & fragile pages

to know they were held by those i love
is a priceless treasure

we also inherited grammy's silver.
which also includes
 many pieces passed down from their own parents & grandparents
with monograms over 100 years old

i hope to photograph some of these gorgeous pieces soon



What greater thing is there for human souls
 than to feel that they are joined for life -

to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories.
 ~George Eliot

37 comments:

lisasweeney said...

if you were luck enough to receive a family heirloom - a quilt, chair, piece of furniture...you're holding a link to the past in your hands...it's such a blessing. one of my favorite gifts is monogrammed ("M") silverware from my grandma. Every time i use it, I remember sitting at her beautiful dining table eating with it...(and BTW - i vote for, and i KNOW this is CRAZY talk, but pale khaki linen for the upholstery!!!)

Privet and Holly said...

I often think about
that day in the future
when it will be time
to downsize.....What
would I keep....Well,
it would have to be
those things that connect
us to the past, such
as these. LOVE your pics,
Paige!!
xx Suzanne

Jen Kershner said...

I love it all. There is something so precious about our family heirlooms. Even if they are only heirlooms to us!

Our Rural Life (aka Cornbread Fed) said...

First off, I lovvvvvvve baby girl's hair in these photos...it's gorgeous!

You've got quite a treasure there. I have my grandpa's old handmade toolbox as well in our house. Love it. There are a couple blocks missing, but it's still completely usable. I keep it put up though so no harm can come to it.

I also have schoolbooks and bibles of my great-grandfather's and a quilt that my great-grandmother was working on when she died of a stroke.

There's nothing more near and dear to my heart than the treasures that I have that belonged to these wonderful people.

Jodee said...

Wow! You will always enjoy having these items. I love the tool box!

Free Art Printables said...

I love that chair Paige! What a great family treasure to have.Your pictures are beautiful!

Farmgirl Paints said...

Love the old Bibles. That was precious. The china is very pretty. I'm drawn to anything Scandanavian. It's always cheerful looking. I'm sure that chair will look gorgeous however you do it. Great prop for pics:)

Anonymous said...

My favorite is the stack of old family Bibles. I also love the china and the toolbox! What a blessing to have those items to remember them by.

Kat said...

What gorgeous pieces and to know that they belonged to loved ones who cherished them, makes them positively priceless.

Jboo said...

Love all these special family pieces! So wonderful to remember family members and the good times together! That stack of Bibles is precious!

Janet

Kelli said...

What treasures!!! I love the tea and coffee set and those Bibles are simply priceless.

rhonda said...

That chair is awesome! How lucky were you to be given these precious pieces of the past! The chair would look great in white too. I love it in the red though!

Alecia said...

Soooo beautiful!!! I love all of the things you were gifted with...the Bible's are sooo sweet...I have my great great grandmother's Bible...my great grandma gave it to me a few years ago...it's sooo precious, to see her notes...there was also a poem that she wrote tucked in between the pages :-)

Tiffany Day said...

Hi Paige,

What an honor to receive such wonderful family treaures! Those, to me, are the things that make our homes warm, cozy and special! I savor and treasure the things I have received from my side of the family but my husband's as well. Even the cigarette stains on the dressing table my Great Grandma left to me are special - they came from her cigarettes and I run my finger over them and think of her and smile! I am trying to figure out if I should somehow remove them!! Anyway your heirlooms are wonderful - thank you for sharing them - so sweet and inspirational!

xoTiffany

Curtis said...

Wow what great treasures you have inherited from your family. And I love that you treasure them, so many people today do not even like it when someone gives them anything that is not new or fits exactly into their color sceme. We have inherited some items I treasure from my family as my mother and grandmother have long since gone on to heaven, and with each piece, when I look at them or run my hands over them I am reminded of them.
I love the idea of covering the chair in cream, maybe a cream on cream with a little texture or pattern to it? But cream is timeless. Thanks for all of your posts Paige, and keep them coming. And the blog about keeping your children young hit home to me. My oldest son is interviewing all over the country right now for a new job. He has never lived more than 20 miles from us and to be honest I am having more of a problme with it than my wife. But they do grow up so fast and in a wink of an eye they are on their own in this great big world....
Blessings to you and yours
Curtis & Sherrie

Cheryl said...

Paige,
I am doing the same decision making with a chair that my grammy gave to me... I think I am going with a soft white. Not really cream (not too yellow). I'll let you know if I find it.

Shannon said...

What wonderful treasures, decorating a home with meaningful furniture or items makes it much more special!

Cstargel said...

Love the inherited treasures. I have some old bibles of my grandparents too and I love doing my bible study and seeing their notes in the margins!

As for the upholstery, I'm sure you'll choose the coolest fabric and I don't think you need help on that but I will say...I have the most precious man - walter - who does all of my upholstery. He is GREAT and very inexpensive and is located in downtown Roswell (but I think he might live close to you?) I'm ready to give you his number when you need it. And I'll treat you to a fun lunch in downtown Roswell!

chair lover said...

LEAVE THE CHAIR THE WAY IT IS!
sorry...didn't mean to capitalize the whole sentance...but i love it the way it is.
I really do. It's a perfect for fall photos.
Love all your goodies.
xo

Unknown said...

What beautiful treasures for you all to cherish! Family heirlooms are wonderful.

xo,

annie

Clare said...

oh, i love everything! the chair is amazing. i got a few old bibles from my grandma's house and i love them. the china is great!

Anonymous said...

What wonderful treasures! Yes lucky you on the coffee/tea service - love love love it! Thanks for sharing these pics!

Unknown said...

Is there any chance you have some really horrible, ugly, cheap n nasty old tat hidden away in that gorgeous home of yours??!!! I've never yet seen anything of yours that I didn't totally covet....is that bad?!!

Lovely photos Paige.....all beautiful but I think I like the old Bibles the best...so precious and well thumbed, lots of comfort there no doubt.

And I LOL at The Secret Garden comment!! xx

Unknown said...

The keepsakes that we treasure can be used in so many ways.I like that you leave them our for display.They are reminders to us to the things in our life that important.You have alot of great things.
Your photos of your little one are precious.
Thank-you for coming by and taking the time to leave me a comment.I appreciate it.I fixed the "Followers" button too!
Have a relaxing evening..Chickie

Unknown said...

All gorgeous Paige and even more is the beauty in their meaning. I knew you had a good Scandi-huvian name! Your family would feel right at home here in Minnesota where everyone is either Swedish or Norwegian (I happen to be a little of both!).

Your pictures are gorgeous!
xo~Jill

Unknown said...

You ARE such a lucky girl!!! These items are gorgeous and lovely!
Love,
Jen at The Gifted Giver
www.thegiftedgiver.com

Anonymous said...

paige! how special! and how beautiful! i love the family bibles! i have one! i need to see if there are any more! and for the chair! i cant wait to see what you do because i am in that same dilemma with my grannys chair! xo

Bravehearted Beauty {formerly LLH Designs} said...

The toolbox made by his grandfather? Amazing! Make sure that stays in the family!

homebody0404 said...

Paige, You are so fortunate to be able to acquire lovely things passed down thru generations! I can't wait to see the pictures of the silver. I bet that chair will look even more beautiful when you add your touch to it.

Shaz said...

A beautiful rough linen would look great. Have a browse over at velvet&linen.typepad.com and have a look at what Brooke has done with "drop sheets" yes "drop sheets". Simple, plain and inexpensive and they look great. Looking forward to seeing some pics of the lovely old silver. I have some beautiful georgian silver helmet jugs and they make the prettiest vases.

Martha said...

what beautiful beautiful family memories to inherit with those items and to hold onto. I cherish all the things my Grandpa has given me...for the chair I say go for creamy white...that's exactly what I did with the chair in my bedroom...it was an orange pattern like that and I picked a really pretty creamy white and love it...but so glad you used that chair for pics outside...they are fantastic

Between You and Me said...

love this post....

I have my grandmother's china and several other of her pieces...

love that tool box...

it's all dreamy!

Suzanne said...

What beautiful and special things you have inherited ! I work at a beautiful fabric store , home decor and my favorite thing to do is to upholster the chair in a linen cream or soft white and then cord it with the same color but in a velvet . It is beautiful and unexpected ,adds texture when you go monochromatic . Instead of gimp to cover the staples , I like double cording .

Anonymous said...

The pictures of those Bibles is the best thing I've seen on the Internet in a long time. Better than gorgeous furniture, clothes or accessories. (Although I like those things, too!) And ... I think your lovely neutral home is the perfect back drop for your family heirlooms. They really standout and draw the attention they deserve. Destiny

Unknown said...

Paige your photos are so beautiful! i love all your family treasures, your home looks so warm and inviting you can just feel the love!! have a lovely week! susan

3 Peanuts said...

LOVE the chair and the photos. It would be so fun to fabric shop for it. I would say a nice nubby cream linen...or a cream fabric with a chenille damask pattern. The possibilities are endless:)

3 Peanuts said...

PS....LOVE the BIbles...LOVe them!