Monday, December 10, 2007

These are a few of my favorite things...part 2


Welcome back to" these are a few of my favorite things"...part 2. These three items are very special to me because of their age and the story behind them. Several years ago an elderly lady named Della passed away. Della lived down the street from us in a little white house that she was born in. She lived there all her life. The house was built in the 1800's. Della never left her little house much, she wrote poem's for our local paper and walked there once a week to deliver it. When she passed, a antique dealer bought the property and all the contents in the house. The dealer was kind enough to let me go inside and pick a few things out that I wanted to purchase. The house was stuffed! I purchased these old cream colored wool stockings that have hung on my mantle every Christmas since. I love the old wooden box that reads Merry Christmas on the cover! and my all time favorite is this old Christmas book. I love the illustrations! I was so happy to be able to purchase these things! A few months later they tore her house down. Still standing on her property was an old potting shed. I told my husband I had to save it! It needed to be preserved... He of course thought I was nuts! but I got the building inspector to o.k. it, (he was thinking the same thing my husband was) he gave me the go ahead and I had my cousin haul it up the block on a huge bobcat! It looks like it has always been in my yard.I love it!thanks Della! I will always treasure these things from your past....

21 comments:

Janet said...

GAil,
How nice that you could save these things, and even the potting shed. It is so comforting to have pieces of the past to comfort us in this crazy age we live in.
Janet

Cottage Contessa said...

Oh these vintage treasures are wonderful! I'm so glad you were able to purchase them too. The photo if your neices with Santa is beautiful, they are such lovely little girls!
Amanda (aka Cottage Contessa)

Colleen - the AmAzINg Mrs. B said...

Oh, I'm sitting here with a lump in my throat - that was a wonderful tribute to her as well as some wonderful memories for you to keep and re-visit every year. And the potting shed? I have purchased things that my husband asked "how much did they pay YOU to haul that away?" They just don't get it some times...bless their hearts!
Thanks for sharing the photos - I LOVE the font on the box!
Colleen

~ Junkyard Jennifer said...

Gail ~ This is a very sweet post. You have some very beautiful treasures there - made all the more beautiful by the memory of a dear neighbor.

Very cute picture of your neices. They're both such pretty little girls!

Stephanie ~ Angelic Accents said...

What precious memories of Della you have saved. I'm sure she would be so happy to know that her treasures live on with you. Thanks so much for sharing your lovely home! Please pop by my home!

Merry Christmas!
Stephanie
Angelic Accents

Jessi Nagy said...

awesome stuff.
jessi

Southern Heart said...

What a sweet post, and such beautiful things. You have a kind heart and reverance for the past, and are just the one to be the steward for Della's lovely things. She would be so pleased. I truly enjoyed my visit here, and wish you the merriest of holidays.

xo, Andrea

Brittany said...

Love your treasures!! You have a beautiful home!!
:)Brittany

HopHopJingleBoo said...

Always lovely stuff here..thank you for sharing!

Deb said...

Beautiful vintage treasures.

Alison Gibbs said...

Thanks for sharing your christmas stories and decorations with us. it was wonderful to scroll down and check out some of your posts.
Alison

Monica said...

Oh how wonderful you were able to save some of Dellas things.
that Merry Christmas box is fabulous!
Have a wonderful Holiday!

savvycityfarmer said...

I think I have too many favorites..need to do some housecleaning....

haven't been here in a while....



take a peek at my 200th post if you wish

kari and kijsa said...

These are true treasures- we loved the stockings when we first saw them, and then read the story...WOW! What beautiful finds- Della would be happy!

blessings,
kari & kijsa

Garden Antqs Vintage said...

I love to hear stories such as this, esp. saving the Potting Shed, I bet she's smiling down on you :) Maybe you'll do post to show it off. I also like all the things you purchased from her estate, too cool! Happy Holidays, Theresa

roseroomnz.com said...

Beautiful, I love the box and the book- Merry Christmas and Blessings - Rachael

Maria said...

Love the Merry Christmas sign! and all the old ephemera is great.

Unknown said...

What a lovely story and a beautiful book!

Jean said...

What wonderful treasures! They would all be my favorites too and what a great reminders of your neighbor. I'd love to see your potting shed too!

Heidi said...

It is so good to be catching up with all my blogging friends and this post has really left me in the holiday spirit! I am so glad that you were able to buy a few of Della's things. I really was touched reading about her. I can just picture her and she must be very sad looking down to see her house gone. You are an angel to have rescued the old potting shed!!! I think we so easily disregard things of the past and seeing this post brought to me all the things I adore of my American roots.

As you know from my blog, I love old books. This book looks just wonderful and do I see the pages hold hand colored illustrations? I am glad it has found such a good home. Do you mind if I create a cute little primitive stitchery just like the one shown in the photo with the book? I love it.

Thanks for this beautiful post Gail!

~~ Heidi ~~

Mrs. Jones said...

Oh, your vintage Christmas decorations are so beautiful! And extra special that they came from Della!

Hope you had a Merry Christmas!