Dreaming of the 1920's

I don't consider myself stuck on any one era of history, but there is something romantic about the way women dressed in the 1920's.  And, oh!  Those fabulous accessories. . .

Just a tease for what is to follow

For some reason, I have been stumbling across items from that time frame that come up on auction.  And of course, I seem to be the one who "wins the bid". . .maybe it's a sign?  

About two years ago, I received a package from an online estate sale/auction containing several lovelies that had been bundled together.  The previous owners must have had an antiques business of their own.  One of the things in my "lot" was this gorgeous mirror:

I have tried to find out the manufacturer, but have had no luck whatsoever with my research.  It must have had a stand or another piece to it.  Here I have it resting on a picture frame/holder (not part of the mirror).  It is 7" across, and the tassel (ooo, that beautiful tassel) is about 14" without the cord, the cord being another 8" in length.

I think the previous owner wanted to put these two pieces together, but they do not belong.  The stand was from something entirely different.  It is marked "Apollo" with a number, and in my findings, that was a company that produced and sold boudoir/vanity items such as these, but the mirror is not marked, nor does it fit as it should if they were together.  The stand was probably had an insert of some sort, although I've not found anything quite like it in my research.  it is approximately 9" across (too big to fit that mirror).

Here is the mirror side

Another score was a lot consisting of a few ostrich feather fans.  Unfortunately whoever owned them previously tried to repair one of them with what looks to me like scotch tape! 

This rose-colored fan is approximately 18" long, and when open, about 18 or 20 inches across.  It has a few issues, such as broken or missing sticks (bakelite?), but the color of the feathers is still quite lovely.

This blue ostrich feather fan is one that has the botched repair job. . .and you can see a broken feather.  I did not want to open it all the way for photographing.  The color of the feathers is still quite lovely!  There was another feather fan in the group, but I did not pull it out for today's shoot.  That one is white feathers with black tips, in a mother-of-pearl holder.  There is work to be done on that one, as well.

Another fortunate "inheritance" of some 1920's era items was several flapper style belts.  These I received from Carl's sister.  They must have belonged to a grandmother or great-aunt.  No one's quite sure. . .

I'm just sharing one today.  This belt is about 45" long and 2" wide where the jewels are placed.  The blue is just gorgeous!  And again, here are some tassels on the ends.

The bedspread that I am using as a background also came from an Estate Sale. . .beautiful condition!  It is a luxurious ivory-colored satin, and I am hopefully going to get a chance to use it in my re-do of the spare bedroom.  

Well, that's it for now!  I will be sharing more of my collections in the near future. 

Sharing this with:

Pink Saturday on "How Sweet The Sound"
Thank you, Beverly!

and also:
bellarosaantiques.blogspot.com


Thank you so much for stopping by!

Cynthia

Hearts For Valentine's Day

I do hope that everyone is having a wonderful weekend, and that you all have plans for a Happy Valentine's Day, whether you have a someone special to share it with, or you celebrate with friends and family! I love this time of year, and next to Christmas and Easter, it's the one day that I LOVE to spread good wishes to all I meet, and so, I wish Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

Here are some hearts I'm showing today:

A lovely little pewter heart dish I received as a birthday gift

A heart I made for Carl a few years ago, along with some other heart pillows

Lantern my son brought back from one of his trips to Dubai

Heart-shaped rock I found on our beach

I'm sure you all recognize the book of poetry, containing one of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's most famous works. . .what a love story between her and Robert Browning!

And of course, there are these lovelies which grow so profusely in my garden:

White Bleeding Hearts

Thank you for your visit today, and Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm linking this post to Pink Saturday on Beverly's blog.


Cynthia

Happy Birthday, Charles Dickens

 Charles Dickens circa 1850. Photograph: Herbert Watkins

This week marks the Anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens, one of the most celebrated authors in the history of English literature.  He is, without a doubt, my very favorite, and I have read and re-read all of his works (well, almost all).  They never lose interest, for there is always something new to discover.  His novels can be read on so many levels, and indeed, he was much admired for his ability to populate his story-telling with characters drawn from all walks of life, from the lowest born to the highest bred.  

One of my favorites is this guy from Pickwick Papers, Sam Weller:

Sam Weller figure by Royal Doulton, England

I am not one for too many of this type of thing, but when I saw this come up for auction at an on-line estate sale, I just HAD to have him. He now resides in my bookcase with all of my Dickens novels, and this book (very dog-eared) , which I find invaluable for researching characters, places, phrases, etc. from his works:

The BBC has come out with an original series, Dickensian, which I am dying to see, but it is not available in the U.S., just yet.  It is still showing in England, so perhaps when it done with it's run, it will make it here via Masterpiece Theater.  

Taking well known characters from various Dickens works, it begins with Inspector Bucket (Bleak House) investigating the death, presumed to be murder of Jacob Marley (A Christmas Carol).  Included in the story line, crossing paths along the way are The Artful Dodger, Fagin, Mr. & Mrs. Bumble (Oliver Twist), Amelia Havisham (Great Expectations), Silas Wegg (Our Mutual Friend). . .and many, many others.  Of course, the BBC gets only the BEST actors for these roles, and I cannot wait to see Pauline Collins as Mrs. Gamp (Martin Chuzzlewit) and Stephen Rea as the aforementioned Inspector.

Can't wait for this to hit the States. . .

I'd love to know if anyone reading this also is a fan of Charles Dickens.  If you are, please leave me a message. . .are you looking forward to this series?  Who do you think will be the most interesting character?

Thank you for visiting!

Cynthia

 

Thanks for Following, and a few Flowers

Thank you for "following" my blog!  Last week I made some new friends, and joined a couple of parties.  

Swallowtail butterfly on the Phlox

I am still planning on sharing more about my interests in music and books, and eventually showing a little more of my home.  I'll also share some of my "collections".  I just need to set aside the time to photograph these things.  But, patience will have to be my motto for now.

Meanwhile, I will show some more shots of what I have grown in my gardens in the past few years.  

Lilacs in May

Beautiful Pink Foxglove

Deep Pink Peonies

I know these have been all over the Internet for a couple of years, but I just got around to making one myself. . .Heaven knows, I could probably make a dozen right now with the wine corks I've accumulated.  Carl and I really enjoy our red wine. . .and we seem to "attract" friends who are of the like mind - LOL!  

The wine glass is there for scale

It's been fun sharing this with you, and comments are welcome!  I hope to post at least a couple of times a week.  I am determined to stick with this blog and keep as active as I can in the community of bloggers. . .

Cynthia