Heirloom

Today I am joining in on the Heirloom Party hosted by Emma Calls Me Mama.
First on my list is this antique Bible box that belonged to my mom's dad. He died when she was 16 so I never knew him. Inside the box is this old leather insurance holder.

And inside that is a print out of our family history going back through my dad's mom's family. It starts with the first person who came from England and includes each of their wives and children and when they were born and died.

This Singer sewing machine belonged to my mom's grandmother. My grandmother got married at the age of 14 to a man in his 30's. They built a home on land next to my mom's grandmother. My mom was born two years later and was an only child. Because my grandmother was 16 her mother actually was a big influence and did a lot of the cooking for both families. My grandmother never really learned to cook or sew. My mom took after my grandmother and loved to sew and play the piano. My mom was the church pianist at the age of 9 on through when she married my dad.

This is the log cabin my grandfather built on the land next to my granmother's family. Her brother built across the street. It was a small two bedroom home. My mom's cousin, Beverly Robinson, painted this painting of the home in 1975.

I have a set of silver that desperately needs polishing. It is so heavy and beautifully carved.

I don't know who the little purse and car belonged to but they have always been in our cedar chest. The purse is dry rotted but I don't care.

This antique dresser was my great-grandmother's also.

My dad worked at Gayfer's as the furniture and drapery manager and buyer for the southeast. They picked up this chest of drawers early in their marriage. I love the handles and shape.

This was my mom's cedar chest. I need to work on this as it is looking unloved.

We bought this piano from a couple at church that were going through some tough times and needed money. It is from the 1900's and is made of Tiger Oak.

An old window that I am using on the wall. Love the chippy paint. It isa gray blue showing through.

My husband's grandmother's china pieces.

A desk that was brown and we have redone a couple of times. I love this desk because it has been in foyers, baths, bedrooms, and is just the right size.

My mom's china. We pull it out for birthday teas. It started when the kids were small. We brew some tea and they always choose cinnamon rolls, powdered doughnuts. They have a ball making tea with spoonfuls of sugar.

This buffet and table were bought by my mom and dad when they married. It was old at that time. The table has 3 leaves and I have had 14 people with room for more.

For those who are new to my blog, we decided that we didn't need a designated dining room as we needed a place for the kids to go and play games and watch movies more. We put the dining table and buffet in the foyer and can use it if needed, but the rest of the time we are using the space in our home more wisely.

Make You Home Sing Monday

You know what I am going to do today to make my home sing? I am going to allow myself and my kids time away from housework so that we can get out and play a little. It seems all I do is try to get everyone to clean up. As soon as we finish a meal, it is time for another. As soon as I get all the laundry done they bring stuff they found under the bed. I sometimes really am afraid to see myself when I look in the mirror. Where did the fun mom go? The one that sat and played on the floor, read hours of books, sang silly songs, went fun places. She has been slowly dying and turning into.... me. So, to celebrate my daughter's 13th birthday, which was last month, we are going to the water park. I am taking a book and my camera. I hope that we can enjoy a little fun time out away from the daily duties of homelife. Now pray that we don't end up in the ER. Do you remember to have fun? Yeah, I know, I am slapping myself for you.

After you read all my past blog posts you can go to Nan's at MomsTheWord for more ways that people are making their homes sing today.

Garage sale 7/25/09

I paid $1 for the bunny appliqued table runner WITH 9 napkins!. The other two are also runners and were $1 each.

This is a round embroidered piece with a hole that I paid $.50 for. I thought it would be cute to cut out the embroidered sections and use them to make pockets for aprons.

8X13 glass casserole dish $2, wicker in/out tray for my desk $1, 3- Christmas tins $.25 each, flashlight $.25, book $1, 3 napkins $.50.

I will use the napkins in sewing projects. I can use the Christmas pails as containers for presents.

Be sure to visit Rhoda at Southern Hospitality at her new blog domain to see more thrifty treasures from this week.

Penguin Cupcakes

Edit: I had the idea to hide a candy fish in each of the penguin's bellies. It would be cute for the kids to find it when they bite into the cupcake. As you see the penguins are ice fishing, and each one has a fish they he or she caught under their arms. You could also put candy eggs on the male penguin's feet like in that big long documentary movie about penguins. You could put one penguin cupcake close to the edge and when a kid goes to pick that one you could mime in your best penguin voice, "Don't push me, cause I'm close to the edge." Okay, I will stop now.

Ashley went to lunch with friends and one of her friends made her these cupcakes. They are so cute. Our home school mascot is a penguin, so I will have to make these for the kids sometime.

Make cupcakes, but do not fill the pan too high. You do not want them to rise above the paper liner. The body is a mini chocolate donut. The head is a round chocolate donut hole. Use a toothpick to secure the head to the body. She heated them to get the icing to run a little so she could blend the head into the body and stick on the wings, etc. Cut a marshmallow for the white belly. The beak is half of a starburst. White icing with chocolate chips for the eyes. Half of the dark cookie part of an oreo cookie for each wing. Melt starburst and roll it thinly and cut out the feet. Each one has a candy fish under one wing.

Today my baby is 19!

We are very blessed. Not only is she beautiful, she is smart, sweet, and fun to be with- most of the time :) I love you, Ashley.

Santa Monica and Ventura

My kids love this one. Ventura Marina

Santa Monica. On the pier in Santa Monica there is an amusment park with some rides. There is even a trapeze school. That has always been something I would love to do.

San Luis Obispo to Monterey, CA

Saturday morning we woke up in San Luis Obispo and drove to Avila Beach. It has a pier, and many people were fishing off the pier. There are many sailboats anchored off shore. It was very hazy that morning, but still very beautiful. Some of the shops across the street from the ocean at Avila Beach.

A cliff overlooking the ocean at Avila Beach.

Birds were sitting on the sink on the pier and would not move even if you got right up to them.

Elephant seals practicing fighting. It said they have to fight for the right to mate with the female in the wild, so they practice sparing. I was wondering if that was what was happening. I thought it was something else, glad I can read. This beach was covered with very pretty rocks of all colors. We picked a few to bring home.

On the pier at San Luis Obispo.

Seals were in the water playing.

In the mornings it is hazy and takes a while for all the haze to clear up when the sun comes up.

Off the side of the road at the top of a cliff we found "Cliff" our monument to the testament of the beauty of this spot.

This was so high up. It gives you the heebie-jeebies looking over.

We had lunch at El Chorlito in San Simeon. This is one of your last chances for food and gas around this area if you are heading north on Hwy 1. It had an ocean view and you can dine inside or on a patio. We chose inside since the temperatures that day were in the lower 60's with a breeze. The view from inside is beautiful with a very nicely landscaped property.

There is a protected spot for Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas on the southern end of Big Sur near San Simeon. You will be driving on Hwy 1 and see a lot of cars off on the side of the road in a parking area. During July the males molt. They can get to be 5000 lbs. You can't tell here but they are huge. And they are really loud. They just lay there, but every once in a while one will slink up about 3 feet. Then, they will use their flipper and dig down and throw sand on their backs. There were some that were in the shallow water practicing their fighting that they have to do in the wild.

In Julia Pfeiffer State Park this is McWay Canyon and waterfall. It is absolutely beautiful. You can park alongside the highway and walk along a trail to an observation area. The other way on the trail leads down to a beach area on the other side of this rock.

Big Creek Bridge.

Bixby Bridge near Big Sur.

The ocean to the left and this to the right. Heaven.

We paid $9.50 to ride the 17 miles around Pebble Beach. It is a marked trail that began before automobiles were used. People took horse and buggies around the beach which rides both along the coast and through wooded areas. They would take picnics to have on the beach.

That it a whole bunch of sea lions sunning at the bottom of this rock.

It said that in the 1800's Chinese men build lean-tos along these rocks as homes.
The hole along the coast line. They pay $500 a piece to play at Pebble Beach.

Golfers putting into the ocean on the hole along the coastline.

Pebble Beach- now I know where they got the name.

The lone tree on Pebble Beach. It is said to have survived over 275 years alone on the rock.
The oldest living cypress trees located in Pebble Beach.

Sea lions sunning on a rock in Pebble Beach.

Pebble Beach.

The sunset in Monterey. We were so tired. We went to eat at Chilis at 8:45 and that is 10:45 our time. I was so tired I couldn't eat, but the food was fabulous.