Mom's Porcelain Baby Doll

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This little bisque porcelain doll was in one of Mom's dresser drawers ever since I can remember !!  The doll was a gift to Mom from her sister, Bertha, in 1928 when she was 14 years old.  There is a hand written note in the box that says so -- I wrote that note when I talked Mom into letting me have the doll back in the 1980's... she went from Mom's dresser drawer to one of mine !!  She measures a bit more than 6 inches long and Made in Japan is stamped on her back.  It seems like the first time I ever saw her when I was a kid, she was in pieces --  I pulled her arm out a bit and the elastic looks newer, so, I think Mom made some repairs to her at some time.  There is not a chip or crack anywhere on her, so Mom took special care of her.  The papers packed around her are vintage Ohio newspaper ads and the box is from Wee Walker brand baby shoes -- I remember Mom buying this brand for my baby brother and also, for you... "They don't make boxes like this anymore" holds true here once again -- when I googled Wee Walker baby shoes, some were listed on ebay, but, none in yellow boxes.  Another true treasure to be stored in my "treasure chest".

For the Love of Bowls

This is a beautiful Waterford signed "leaf" bowl, purchased at that auction I like to go to.  It still has the original price tag on the bottom -- I did not give anywhere near that for it, by the way !! It resides on the storage shelves in my china cabinet.  I have no idea its age or history - I just knew that it had to go to my home when it came up for bidding.  Hopefully, I will have occasion to use it one day !! While I have been in the process of "fall house cleaning", it has come to my attention that I have a "thing" about things that start with the letter "B" !!  I have always thought of my "collections" as the Three B's --- bears, boxes, and books ( altered ones, of course) -- it seems there are a few more "B's", one of them being bowls -- we both love them, then there are the butterflies, the bells, the brass, and the bottles (perfumes and a few other vintage ones).  There are butterflies over the front door, on the living area wall, in the upstairs bathroom and a few others "flitting" here and there.  Lovely creatures !!  There are not too many bells -- just a few in the china cabinet.  Fortunately, not a LOT of brass - my favorite piece is the Korean temple bell that sits on top of the china cabinet (12/2/08).  AND, the bottles ??  They are here, there and everywhere -- one just has to turn around, look, and you will probably see one or more !!  So, I guess it has become the "8 B's" !!

Sewing Basket

  The H's on the clover leaf logo of the 4-H Clubs of America, stand for Head, Hands, Heart and Health.  There is a pledge recited at the beginning of each meeting that goes, "I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to great loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country and my world".  I'm not sure that I understood that completely at age 10, but, I couldn't wait to be that age and join my sister in this club that met once a month to do projects and make plans for future projects. Most every township of each county in Iowa had a club.  We lived in Marcy township, but, were members of the next township to the south of where we lived - it was Peoples Township and our club was called People's Peppy Pushers.  Marcy Merry Makers were closer to home, but, Mom was acquainted with more of the farmer's wives in the People's club, plus most of the girls were closer to our age.  Each month, the meeting was held at one of our homes and to me, it was always a "big thing" when it was our turn to have it our house.  We purchased specialty paper napkins, decorated and filled those little "nut cups" with mints and nuts, planned a special dessert and punch for refreshments, and, of course, in those days, we "dressed up" for those meetings, so, we had to plan what we were going to wear !!  Everyone had a "sewing basket" and this little woven wicker, satin lined one was mine -- it served me well for many years, holding the essential sewing tools, spools of thread, pins and needles, plus other miscellaneous items.  In recent years, it had been used as a place to keep all the things I would need when I gave myself a manicure and pedicure. Since I now consider it to be an "antique collectible", it now rests in the "memory box".  I think the first two pairs of scissors, a fabric shears and a small thread snipper, are in a sewing table drawer -- when I come across them, they will find a new home in this basket.