Monday, May 27, 2013

My Ga's Vanity

One of the things I most looked forward to growing up was to visit my Ga's house.

Ga was my paternal grandmother. She got the name from when my older sister was a toddler and couldn't say the full word "Grandma". It stuck and we called her that until she died when I was 12. She was a classy lady.

 
In my young eyes, her house was magical. I can still tell you the layout and the decorations. The most enchanting thing was to go through the glass French doors that led to the staircase that led to the upstairs. I still dream about the upstairs of her house. The bathroom was all white with a black and white checked floor, porcelain fixtures and antique items. Her bedroom was lacy and feminine with a four poster bed and a vanity table that I was allowed to sit at with her by my side.

It was at that vanity that she showed me a ring that I was to have someday and she told me that I was her favorite. I am the middle child, as she was, and so she understood the dynamics of that position in a family.

My grandmother collected antiques, but not just any antiques. She traveled to Europe and places like Mexico to find hers and bought only the best. A few years after her death my grandfather laid out a lot of her things on a table and the three of us granddaughters were told to choose the things we wanted. I wanted everything!

Some of my treasured things are from that vanity, which I proudly display on my dresser.




 
There is a silk lined porcelain box painted with daisies (my favorite flower), a vanity mirror with a ring box from Paris, a Madonna and child figurine, an open porcelain gold gilt painted box that I use for my watches and a money box with foreign money inside.

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The mirror, brush and comb vanity set is very heavy silver and another of my favorite treasures.
 

 
There is also a collection of trinket boxes, so intricately carved that the dust is impossible to get out. I am afraid to use cleaner on them! I don't know their origin but I can guess they were from some exotic country!


I was fortunate to grab all of her perfume bottle collection too! These bottles are old and they are exquisite. One still has perfume in it. They are proudly displayed in my favorite vignette in my bedroom.

 
 
 


 







Although I never had the pleasure of going antiquing or thrifting with Ga, I believe I inherited my love for all things old from her. I can still recall the feeling I got from being around her things, and so, in my 20's I started to collect antiques and vintage things, to surround myself with that same feeling.

Thirty years later I have quite a collection. So much so that I felt I should start to part with some of it. That is how NaNa's Things, my Etsy shop, was born. I thought it would be no problem selling off some things but I was wrong!

Lately I have become quite nostalgic about Ga's things and my things, NaNa's (my granddaughters' name for me) things and my daughter Jena is constantly asking, "You're selling that?!". It is always a treasure that she grew up with, having seen it everyday in our 1900's farmhouse and that has now become part of the memories of her childhood. There is no fair price to put on an item like that. And, if I sell those things, what will my granddaughters Cassidy and Chloe build their memories on?

So, I have pulled some of those items from my shop. I am quite happy to keep thrifting and buying vintage items to sell. What started out as a way to clean out some of my accumulation has turned into adding another 300+ items to our basement!

I am blessed with a husband who says if I am having fun with it and I love it, I should just keep thrifting! Besides, he likes to go with me sometimes for the thrill of the hunt too!

Sometimes I am overwhelmed with all the "stuff" I have and other times I am blessed by all the "stuff" and the memories they hold. It is always a good thing to surround yourself with things that spark a special memory of a cherished person or event. That's why we call where we live everyday "home", and we each have one that is uniquely ours.

I hope to pass down some of the passion and love for the past and vintage items that Ga instilled in me, to my granddaughters, and that they will want to surround themselves with it.

Someday they will get to choose a treasure from NaNa's things to cherish.

AnnMarie :)

I found a new fabulous party to link to this week!
Wow Us Wednesdays from Savvy Southern Style

Linking up with these fabulous blog parties (that are keeping me sane while I recover from hip surgery!!)

Marvelous Mondays
Tuesday Trivia
The Scoop
You're Gonna Love It
Adorned From Above
Fluster's Creative Muster Party
Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop
Be Inspired
Home Sweet Home
Weekend Wonders
Freedom Fridays
Bloglovin' Blog Hop
What's It Wednesday Blog Linky Party
Let Me Pintroduce You
Favorite Posts Showoff Weekend Blog Hop
Aloha Friday Blog Hop
Share It One More Time
A Bouquet of Talent Linky Party
Let's Get Social Sunday
Amaze Me Monday

23 comments :

  1. Your grandmother had excellent taste. That mirror and the bottles are gorgeous!

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  2. Thank you so much for sharing this with us! Indeed Ga had some wonderful items! What fun it must've been as a child to "play" with her items! They are gorgeous! So glad you have them now and I LOVE how they are displayed on the little shelf!
    BTW, glad you're back :)

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  3. Sweet post! I loved reading about your Ga. :)

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  4. I totally "get" that infatuation with vintage. As a child, I was enchanted by my grandmother's homes as well as a couple of aunties (tia tia's). I love collecting it, living with it, sharing it, selling it, using it, re-using it. It's full of sweet sentiments. Thankful it's available to us.

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  5. Too lovely, especially the silver brush and comb set. (How did we ever get switched to plastic everything?) It's wonderful that you can now share these treasures from your grandmother with your own family.

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  6. I saw your post on Fluster's Creative Muster this week - and I have to tell you - it moved me to tears. My Grammy was soooo special to me, and I treasure her things so much. I also have treasures from my great-grandmother - and even my great-great-great grandmother! And I never once thought about the things of MINE that my kids might consider their treasures. Yikes. I need to start asking before I get rid of things!! Thanks so much for sharing.

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  7. I agree! What great taste! So very lovely!

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  8. Wonderful memories and treasures from your Grandmother, and I love that you want to pass down the treasures and your passion to your granddaughters :)

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  9. What a wonderful post. I have such wonderful memories of my grandmother too, including the things she loved, like her perfume bottles. :)

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  10. Well, I can identify, although I personally am not much of a collector--I just admire. My youngest daughter and I love old things--she collects. She just bought a 100+ year old house and I can't wait to help her fill it with lovely things.

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  11. Hi Anne Marie! I enjoyed reading about your beautiful collection. Love that daisy box! Your Grandmother was a real beauty. How wonderful that you have so many of her things to remember her by. So glad you stopped by! Thank you for the wonderful compliment. I'm following you too!

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  12. Very sweet post Anne Marie, these are treasures indeed! thank You for sharing these memories at the Fluster Buster party this week, have a great weekend, Lizy party co-host!

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  13. What a beautiful collection and beautiful memories you shared with us! I love antique perfume bottles and am happy to have one from a dear lady that is very close to our family. Thank you for visiting my blog today!

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  14. What a lovely post filled with beautiful items and memories - thank you for sharing. I am now following along and I am excited to visit again.

    Have a wonderful weekend!

    Hugs to you,
    Stephanie
    theenchantingrose.blogspot.com

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  15. Thanks so much for sharing your lovely antique treasures. You certainly have an eye for pretty things, as your blog shows.
    New follower,
    Patti

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  16. It was fun that I came across your blog this morning. My "Gammie" has been on my mind all week. My daughter is in Portland, for the first time, this weekend and asked me if I remembered where her great grandmother had lived so she could take a look. Like you, I have amazing memories of visiting Gammie in Portland and two different homes filled with wonderful treasures. I don't have as many tangible possessions (when we downsized, the pieces of furniture went to my sister) but I have her spirit of adventure which I have passed on to my daughter.

    Thank you for a wonderful read this morning.

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  17. What a great blog! Newest follower here... I was hoping that you'd pop on by and follow me back.

    Have a lovely weekend,
    Sarah
    www.enjoyingtheepiphany.com

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  18. What great keepsakes, I'm personally fond of the porcelain box. Thanks for sharing on Fluster's Creative Muster Party.

    Robin
    Fluster Buster

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  19. wonderful post and cherished keepsakes. Thank you for linking your post to the Thursday Favorite Things hop xo

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  20. So nice that you have pieces that belonged to your grandmother, they are beautiful!!!
    Thanks so much for sharing at Amaze Me Monday!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  21. Thank you so much for sharing with Wednesday's Adorned From Above Blog Hop. We hope to see you at this weeks party starting at 8:00PM tonight.
    Debi and Charly
    http://www.adornedfromabove.com

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  22. Your Ga had wonderful taste! Those are beautiful! I would keep them too :). Thanks so much for sharing with us @ My Favorite Posts SHOW OFF Weekend Blog Party!

    Jessica
    The Wondering Brain

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  23. So many beautiful treasures. How neat you can enjoy them! Thank you for joining Home Sweet Home.
    Sherry

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