Don't Eat the Daisies

 

 

The last few months, my husband and I have been thinking of buying a very old house, the conversation usually goes back and forth because its old it will need a lot of work, but we love the character of it because its so old etc. Of course my image is that we will buy it and love it and all be happy like Doris Day. I find it ironic that I have been so influenced lately by this movie and book because I have been buying daisy fabric too, just in case we DO buy the house.
 

 







 



 

And IF we do, I am getting a dress and hat like this one. 

Art of Conversation

My latest find at an antique store, the title alone got me thinking about the electronic system of communication we use today. I think this book interested me because I stll rfse 2 get txts.

 

 My husband pointed this chapter out for me, I can't imagine why?

The Twelve Golden Rules
1. Avoid Unnecessary Details
2. Do Not Ask Question Number Two Until Number One Has Been Answered
3. Do Not Interrupt While Another Is Speaking
4. Do Not Contradict Another, Especially When The Subject Under Discussion Is Of a Trivial Importance
5. DO Not Do All The Talking; Give Your Tired Listener A Chance
6. Be Not Continually The Hero Of Your Own Story; And, On The Other Hand, Do Not Leave Your Story Without a Hero
7. Choose Subjects Of Mutual Interest
8. Be a Good Listener
9. Make Your Speech In Harmony With Your Surroundings
10. Do Not Exaggerate
11. Indulge Occasionally In A Relevant Quotation But Do Not Garble It.
12. Cultivate Tact

Copyright 1936

  

While on a recent road-trip across the entire state of Ohio, we stopped at a very large antique store. After much pleading and begging. You cannot imagine my excitement when I discovered a whole shelf of Grace Livingston Hill books! I quickly dialed my sister's work number and her boss answered. Unfortunately it was a bad connection and I felt bad for bothering her boss. With much "hello-ing" and "are you there", I attracted all the people in the antique store, and the staff were rushing to help me, perhaps thinking I had fallen or been skewered by an ancient weapon. My sister assured me I needed to buy at least several of them. I also had to call my mother-in-law and check her stash of these books by our beloved author and justify my first impression of grabbing them all!

Most of them were in fabulous condition and fairly priced and I eventually chose Maris, Through These Fires, Coming Through The Rye, Rainbow Valley, Silver Wings and April Gold. Also an unexpected book at the end as you will see.

 Can you get over these wonderful covers and original art? These are some of our very favorite titles! If you have not read a Grace Livingston Hill book you really need to, they present such a wonderful view of the past, full of great food and always honest and upright ideals. Mrs. Hill wrote over 100 books from around 1900 to the mid 1940's. I could gush on and on about her....

Surprise! On the way to the check out, how a plain brown book binding caught my eye, I don't know. The dealer could not have known who L.M. Montgomery was and had priced this at a mere $2.00. In fabulous condition, I have not even been able to find this book in paperback. I have always wanted to read it! For those of your wondering, L. M. Montgomery wrote the Anne of Green Gables series, one of my very favorites. As you can imagine I snapped this book up and practically ran to check out.

Note: The wonderful pineapple fabric in the background, I found at a great quilting store in Ohio. I think it is going to become a tablecloth.

Book Reveiw-501 Decorating Ideas Under $100

You know how after a few years your decorating seams a little stale? We have a few rooms like that. I am hoping by the end of the summer to have perked then up a little. They just need a little something, not a complete "make-over", just a little "make-up". Maybe a few new highlighting colors, a little sparkle and polish. So that being said, I have been on the look out for ideas. Recently I came across this book, 501 Decorating Ideas Under $100. It is so Inspiring!! Fabulous ideas that you actually could see working in your home. And the best thing? It is a Do-It-Your-Self book! Our favorite kind!

"Classic bird prints can be pricey once they're professionally matted and framed. We used pages from a book and mounted them in inexpensive clip-edge frames (backed with scrapbook paper when needed to get the right size.)" 

The first idea that caught my eye. I love the clean look of framing this way.

Vintage pillowcases turned into cafe curtains, handmade yo-yos on a foot stool.

Our favorite kitchen look! So bright and cheerful.
A vintage tablecloth made into a curtain, tin ceiling tiles to disguise the refrigerator, drawer pulls on backs of chairs for added interest, an old chair taken apart and used for a towel rack.

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 A few more of our favorite ideas. I love how they have taken objects out of their usual environment and re-purposed them.

Now that I have all these ideas rolling around in my head, time to get decorating!!