Birthday Doll

Birthday Doll, originally uploaded by confections.

A gift from my sister for my recent birthday, this vintage Nancy Ann doll has a place of honor under my little pink Christmas tree.

KittyKatDance created the entire dolly tableau and her lovely wool outfit.

Self-Portrait, Christmas Walk, 2009

Self-Portrait, Christmas Walk, 2009, originally uploaded by confections.

Just before preparing dinner on Christmas Day, I went for a walk at one of my favorite paths in San Diego, which I call the "magical walk" on Point Loma. It's always uplifting and invigorating.

My Pink Faux Christmas Tree, Decorated

My Pink Faux Christmas Tree, Decorated, originally uploaded by confections.

My little faux pink Christmas tree, all decorated, alongside my sister's traditional faux green tree on the left.

Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day!

Narcissus and Pink Christmas Tree

Narcissus and Pink Christmas Tree, originally uploaded by confections.

A few of my favorite things today: paper whites (narcissus) blooming; a gift from my sister.

My new faux pink tree; at 36" tall, it's just the right size for the table top I have in mind. It will be decorated in time for the Winter Solstice....

Pink Nancy Ann Doll Set for Christmas

 

KittyKatDance on Etsy has amazing Kawaii treasures, including doll sets like the one pictured above. My sister gave me a darling tableau handcrafted by KittyKatDance for my recent birthday and it will have a place of honor underneath my faux pink Christmas tree (that is, when I finish decorating it). I'll post the dolly and the Yule tree very soon....

"December" by Kate Greenaway

"December" by Kate Greenaway, originally uploaded by confections.

Today I am enamored of a vintage Green Tiger Press Notecard (greeting card, blank inside) entitled "December" by Kate Greenaway. This illustration was part of the celebrated 1890 Almanac by Kate Greenaway. Two girls clad in warm winter garb, including bonnets and a muff, make their way through the snowy landscape.

Sweetgum Trees in Early November, California

Sweetgum Trees in Early November, California, originally uploaded by confections.

A hint of fall is visible in San Diego, California, on the campus of Point Loma Nazarene University--sweetgum trees display their splendor on an early November day.

Vermont Countryside in Winter

Vermont Countryside in Winter, originally uploaded by confections.

Near Wordless Wednesday....

A vintage photo taken by a great-uncle, George Thomas Galbraith (born 23 October 1877), in Barnet, Caledonia County, Vermont. This is on the land where my Scottish ancestor, John Galbraith, settled in 1774.

Vintage Green Tiger Press Card, "He Claimed for His Bride"

 

Vintage Green Tiger Press Notecard with Poem Insert and Envelope, "He Claimed for His Bride", illustration by Florence Harrison.

A princely figure greets his love at a gate in the springtime. Fruit trees and tulips are in bloom, and bluebirds of happiness fly about the couple.

Here is a classic image by Florence Harrison, who was commissioned to produce illustrations for a sumptuous edition of Christina Rossetti's poems published by Blackie and Son in 1910.

This full-color image has been printed and tipped (glued) onto high-quality laid paper stock. The interior of the card is blank. The back of the card contains descriptive text giving details about the illustration in the lower left-hand corner. A matching envelope is included, as well as a poem insert page with a translation of a German medieval lyric. The poem is reproduced from hand-calligraphy.

You can find this and many other Green Tiger Press items in my Etsy shop.

Preparing to Weave (Wrapped Yarns)

Preparing to Weave (Wrapped Yarns), originally uploaded by confections.

A group of yarns--some handpainted, a number handspun--wrapped and up on my inspiration board. I'm about to warp one of my looms for a late fall project.

Wading in Walden Pond

Wading in Walden Pond, originally uploaded by confections.

From an autumn in the past, my sister wading in Walden Pond....

My Great-Grandparents' 50th Wedding Anniversary

My Great-Grandparents' 50th Wedding Anniversary, originally uploaded by confections.

In my post yesterday, I mentioned a great-great-grandmother who had emigrated from France in 1848, Catherine Decker. Her son John P. Mayer (whose father was Casper Mayer) is seen in this photo on the occasion of his 50th wedding anniversary circa 1932, along with my great-grandmother, Christina. I never knew these great-grandparents (Christina died two years before I was born, John about six years after this anniversary), but I have heard many stories about them. I'm trying to gather as many as I can from the old-timers who still remember them.

The Sister of My Paternal 3rd Great Grandmother

The Sister of My Paternal 3rd Great Grandmother, originally uploaded by confections.

Christine Bichler (wife of Christophe Decker) 1794 - 1888

She emigrated with a group of family members, including my second great-grandmother (her niece Catherine Decker) from Hottviller, Moselle, France, to the United States (ultimately settling in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania). They left from Le Havre, France, aboard the bark "Camille" and landed in New York on the 20th of May 1848.

Just Another Day in Paradise

Just Another Day in Paradise, originally uploaded by confections.

I am emphatically not a morning person, but sometimes my late nights turn into early mornings and I treat myself to a take-out breakfast from my local co-op deli.

On such occasions, I will drive to one of my favorite spots along the Pacific and have my breakfast picnic-style and then take a walk next to the ocean.

Here is an early morning shot of surfers at Sunset Cliffs at a surf spot called "Garbage" near Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Ladera Street in San Diego, California.

NaNoWriMo 2009 Has Begun!

NaNoWriMo 2009 Has Begun!, originally uploaded by confections.

National Novel Writing Month is off and running for the month of November 2009. I'll be participating again this year. Join in the fun at http://www.nanowrimo.org.

Restored Portrait of My Two Older Brothers

Restored Portrait of My Two Older Brothers, originally uploaded by confections.

Through a very generous offer that I learned about through Photojojo, ScanCafe restored this old 1950's portrait of my brothers for free. The service was fast (considering the huge response) and I'm very pleased with the result.

ScanCafe handscans negatives, photos, and slides, in addition to their photo restoration services. I've been wanting to scan my old carousels of slides, and this just may be the answer to who's going to tackle that task. Thank you, ScanCafe and Photojojo!

Great-Aunt Emily and Aunt Margaret

Great-Aunt Emily and Aunt Margaret, originally uploaded by confections.

My mother's older sister Margaret (about age four) is seated here on the lap of her Aunt Emily, circa 1927. Aunt Emily was born in December of 1869 and lived until 1944. Aunt Margaret was born in 1923 and is alive and well. This was taken at my maternal grandparents' farm in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Vintage Cameo Collection Portrait in Frame

Vintage Cameo Collection Portrait in Frame, originally uploaded by confections.

This vintage Cameo Collection framed portrait is of Hungarian Graefin (Countess) Szchenyi-Seilern (Crescence Seilern) by M. M. Daffinger. I found this one last spring while browsing some of my favorite thrift stores.

In an odd twist, my sister's mother-in-law's mother once worked in the household of the aristocratic Szchenyi's in the early part of the 20th century.

Synchronicity is the rule rather than the exception, I have found....

"Theta Brainwave Sound Journey" Meditation

While browsing YouTube for a meditation tool, I stumbled across this powerful audio/visual journey into the theta brainwave state. Please be sure to click on the box twice if you want to go directly to YouTube to see the images in a larger size. Enjoy!

The Coveted Wolf Dress Form

The Coveted Wolf Dress Form, originally uploaded by confections.

My sister and I are taking a patternmaking class this fall in San Diego with the irrepressible Joan McKenna, professor extraordinaire. We are about a third of the way through the very demanding course which will result in a dress sloper that can be used to create custom-fit dresses.

This elegant Wolf dress form presides over the class in the back of the room near the three-way mirror. She is quite lovely and I lust after this indispensable industry tool.

I have a brand-X dress form in the deep, dark recesses of my garage, a relic from my own dressmaking days in the 1980's. I'm going to dig her out this weekend and see if she can be transformed into a reasonable facsimile of my body shape so I can get a head start on some draping skills.



Our instructor has told us that it is a custom among dressmakers to keep a religious object on the worktable while you are drafting. So I brought along a Madonna & Child prayer card....and believe me, patternmaking will drive you to prayer! Appropriately, she is Saint Mary of Perpetual Help, St. Maria du perpetuel Secours, Maria von der immerwaehrenden Hilfe. Amen!

Collage of Vintage Japanese Salt & Pepper Shakers

Collage of Vintage Japanese Salt & Pepper Shakers, originally uploaded by confections.

I kept seeing this little set at one of my favorite antique malls on my jaunts.

Finally, I brought them home; they fit very well into my growing collection of pink-and-green kitchen items.

They complement my wedding dishes, which are the discontinued pattern Metlox Poppy Trail "Sculptured Berry".

1950's Interior

Uncle Buddo, My Dad & My Oldest Brother, originally uploaded by confections.

More from the family photo archives: a living room gathering of my Dad's cousin, my Dad, and my brother, probably taken in 1950 or 1951. The biggest clue: the radio is still prominent (directly behind my Dad), and there is no sign of the television which came very soon after this.

My Mother says the drapes were made of beautiful tobacco-leaf-print barkcloth. The chair that my uncle is sitting in was turquoise and the couch (not seen) was a soft gray-green.

There are lots of storytellers in my family, and when my Dad and his cousin Buddo got together--as they did often during my childhood--they were two of the best.

Veggies at My Local Co-Op

Veggies at My Local Co-Op, originally uploaded by confections.

A line-up of veggies at OB People's Food Co-Op in Ocean Beach, San Diego, California: I'm embarking on a mostly raw diet this month and these veggie-folks are becoming my favorite companions....

Vision-Made-Reality Inspiration

Etsy has been down for maintenance overnight, but several videos were made available for viewing. I clicked on this one and was inspired. Enjoy!

NaNoWriMo 2009

NaNoWriMo 2009, originally uploaded by confections.

National Novel Writing Month begins on November 1st, 2009. I'm planning on participating again this year. I hope to get some new ideas percolating on long walks this month in anticipation of the writing season....

Hand Mannequin (2)

Hand Mannequin (2), originally uploaded by confections.

Just playing around with a pop-art feature at bighugelabs: here is a view of my hand mannequin photo posted a few days ago.

My Brother & I, Summer 1958

My Brother & I, Summer 1958, originally uploaded by confections.

Here's the backstory on this image: it was probably taken by my Dad in the summer of 1958. We were at our cabin in the Pennsylvania mountains for a summer vacation. I finally had a baby sister (after three brothers) and a new puppy.

One of the first rituals after arriving at the cabin was driving up the mountain road to a crystal clear spring with our Dad and bringing back a huge cooler full of drinking water.

On this particular day I had gotten a new balloon, and just moments before this photo was snapped, our new puppy had burst my balloon--and I burst into tears.

Luckily, I had a lollipop (a Tootsie-Roll pop, nonetheless), which helped me get over my disappointment at the burst balloon. My almost 9-year-old brother is putting on his tough Little League game face.

I remember those fun little girls' playsuits with elasticized waists and ties at the shoulder, icons of the 1950's. I'm seven-and-a-half in this photo, about to enter 3rd grade.

My Mom & Youngest Sister, 1969

My Mom & Youngest Sister, 1969, originally uploaded by confections.

Today is my mother's 84th birthday. Happy Birthday, Mutti! Looking forward to your visit in November.

This image of my Mom and baby sister was captured circa June 1969 by my eldest brother, gms.

My Mom and a Good Friend, 1940's

My Mom and a Good Friend, 1940's, originally uploaded by confections.

Near-Wordless Wednesday post:

My Mom on the left with her good friend Dorothy on the right.

Hand Mannequin

Hand Mannequin, originally uploaded by confections.

This expressive hand mannequin is a thrift store find which belongs to my sister; the ring and bracelet are from her private jewelry stash.

I've been sifting through some finds of my own this week and will be posting some additional photos as I unearth the treasures gleaned over the last year or so. A few will be put into my various online shops, others will find places of honor throughout my home.

Apple Harvest

Apple Harvest, originally uploaded by confections.

Just a few photos today to honor the fall harvest.... These were taken in Pennsylvania in the late 1980's and early 1990's.