Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Prized Possessions

I've really been treasuring my sentimental mostly 'older' things lately and thought I'd post some of them on here.
 
(p.s. if you click on the pictures they will get bigger and you can see more details.)

I'll start off with my Shadow Box.  It is filled with memories and so many of the items in here I've received from my favorite people.  You might even recognize something in here that you gave to me.  I hope so, because I love looking at this box and remembering the people behind the items.


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In the middle section of the Shadow Box, at the top, there is a very little book I received from my mom.

As you can see, it is only 3 inches long. 

What I love most about this Old Hymn Book is that my great Aunt wrote in it in 1919, and then my mom put her name in it in 1951.   Someday I will pass it on to Faith since she is named after my great Aunt Foekje and my Mom, Fay. 

Notice the Flag of Friesland above the Hymn Book.

Here is an example of a page inside the book.  It is so small in reality that I can never figure out how this book was actually used.  You would need a magnifying glass to read the small print!


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Next, I have some wonderful little egg cozies crocheted by my great Aunt Foekje.  They came to me with the silver egg cups.

Aren't they just adorable?

I've never seen anything like them. 
I found some hen-shaped egg cozies on the Martha Stewart site but they don't come close to these!

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I also have this Needle Point done by the same great Aunt Foekje:

I've had this for a very long time and it's my number 1 sentimental possession!

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My Mom did this beautiful cross-stitch for me and she gave it to me in 1998.

I just love it and it has always hung in a prominent place in our home.

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My Aunt Janke in Ohio stitched this as a house-warming gift after Brian and I built our new home in the Barrhead area.

No matter which home we've lived in since then, and there has been a few,
 this has always hung in the entrance way.

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I snagged this from my Aunt Anne.  She stitched this herself awhile ago, and I was glad to take it home with me.  The only thing left for me to do is get it framed and hang it up.


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And since I'm on the topic of my Crafty relatives, my Aunt Nance crocheted this runner for me to put on top of my old pump organ.  The pump organ has since been retired, but the runner now sits on Faith's piano.

SO PRETTY!

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For many years, my Beppe had all of her bathroom stuff sitting on the counter in this little wooden tray.  I'm sure the tray was slated for the garbage, but in my sentimentality, I rescued it and upcycled it.

Now it sits on Faith's piano on the runner my Aunt Nance made.

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Here is the tea set I remember playing with as a young girl, when I would go to visit my Beppe.  She would take this out and let us have tea.  It was mostly sugar and canned milk - so yummy!


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My great uncle was a wood craftsman and carver.  I'm so glad I got this.

It's a knitting needle holder that he made and then did some carving on it. 


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When Brian's Grandma Catherine passed away, we were allowed to choose a tea cup from her collection as a momento.

  I chose this one because it had the flower inside but also because of the Dogwood Flower.  It's the Provincial Flower of British Columbia and I was born in Smithers, B.C.

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These treasures mean a lot to me.  I love the fact that 'things' have stories and feelings attached to them that can be enjoyed in the moment and also passed on to the next generation.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

A picture is worth a 1000 words.

Brian does a sketch for Faith.


Is this what you're thinking of?

OK!  Let's build!


Time for lunch already?

Starting to visualize it now...


Let's play with the door!


Back to work...

And now... presenting the finished work:


And the bed is done and in place too!!


Wednesday, September 8, 2010

My Husband's Hands


These hands are gifted hands.
They strum the finest music,
They create beautiful furniture,
They draw and paint.

These hands are loving hands.
They give countless back rubs,
They're often folded in prayer,
They love to hug and hold.

Rough, Smooth, Busy, Quiet
I love his hands!