Miss Larrisa Rose

Happy Saturday everyone, the best day of the week! For the most part the dream kitchen is done and life is somewhat back to normal. The upside, except for a few small details like a paper towel holder, towel rack and accessorizing we're done...the down side, as mentioned in my last post you don't get to see it yet until after the August reveal...August 27th to be exact :O)

In the meantime, I'm going to veer off course for a less traveled road, well for for me anyway...I decided to do a post about two things I don't normally put much thought into; dolls and the color pink. Not that I don't like either but because I'm too busy thinking up the next remodel project and because I'd rather be organizing my house and creating than playing with dolls which is what this post is all about...two dolls and the color pink. I don't have a lot of pink in my house except in this room which also doubles as a guest room.

So today I've decided to do a post on a lovely little doll that came into my life many years ago and left an indelible memory in my heart forever...

meet sweet Miss Rose with the beautiful smile...

When Rose came into my life 18 years ago I had no idea we would become such good friends and become as close as we did. She was "elderly" if I dare say that, but I mean it in the sense that she was well into her senior years at that time and I was in my 30's which meant we were at different places in our lives chronologically speaking.

But the more I got to know her, the more I soon realized we had much more in common than I could have ever thought possible. She loved her husband and family and she loved to laugh and enjoy each day. She loved to cook, loved celebrating and being with family and loved her home. Most importantly, Rose had a keen sense of humor and the just loved life...simply said, Rose was a women after my own heart and the more I got to know her the more I realized age means nothing when you have kindred spirits and friendship.

When my sweet friend passed away last year at age 96, it was a like loosing a family member and dear friend. I missed our frequent "chats and giggles" as we used to say to each other. I missed her smile and the kindness she always bestowed upon me whenever we saw each other. She had a way of making me feel as if I was the most important person in her life and that I made her day she most certainly always made my day better no matter what was happening in life!

One of the many blessings that came out of my friendship with Rose was getting to know her family and especially her daughter and son-in law...

Shortly after Miss Rose was gone in the month of December, her daughter called and asked if we could meet for lunch. She and her husband picked me up and off we went. The three of us were having a lovely time catching up when they pulled out a beautifully wrapped package...a Christmas gift and a special remembrance of Rose, my sweet friend...

As I opened the gift, I saw this beautiful, beautiful face looking at me, so pretty, so sweet all dressed in pink Moire satin, ribbons and lace...

and her name was

She was just the sweetest thing I had ever seen...from her lovely little bonnet down to her lace covered shoes and crocheted stockings, she was beautiful!

As I began to open the box she "lived in", I noticed in some ways she looked like my friend Rose. She had dark hair like Rose,

and the most beautiful eyes like Rose...

But most of all, she reminded me of Miss Rose because according to her daughter, Rose collected dolls and this was her favorite. Her favorite...and I was being handed this precious gift...Rose's favorite...what a sweet honor to now become her caretaker...

That day, I named this lovely doll, "Larissa Rose" in remembrance of Rose and the memories she'll forever hold in my heart.

Larissa Rose is now residing in my SEWING ROOM 
and when I walk past the room or into it,

I see sweet Larissa Rose smiling back at me and remember a lovely friendship shared and how thankful I am two paths crossed in life to share a little of each other's journey...

joining
Beverly at How Sweet the Sound
for her Pink Saturday
and her birthday!
Happy birthday Beverly 
and thank you for hosting another sweet pink party!

The Story Teller

Several years ago I was fortunate to have been given all of my family's old slides and 35mm film reels. My dad always seemed to have a camera in hand and took the majority of the pictures including this one of me when I was about two years old. What amazes me about this picture is apparently even at that age, I was a story teller and loved to write and I guess you could say I was ahead of my time because I was already blogging way back in 1959!

The other thing that amazes me is the way in which my dad was able to "see" good composition and capture images of what he loved and was such a natural at photography, I like to think that in his own way he too was a story teller. To this day, because of his love of photography and artistic ability and the fact that he gave me my first camera I have a genuine love for photography as well. I'm not sure I'll ever be as good as he is but I love it nonetheless. 

my dad in about 1959...what a sharp guy!

I still have the very first camera that my dad gave me; a Haminex 35 MM with all the accessory lenses and pieces that went with it. I don't use it anymore but could never part with it simply because of the memories it holds, it was my dad's camera then mine. 

Some of the pictures he took date back to the 1950's and are in really good condition considering their age (I'll bet like me, there are a few of us that can relate to that statement!)

Recently I've been going through the old slides that my dad took which are still  in the old metal "magazines" they've been stored in. I literally have to pull them out with a pair of pliers, no easy feat but I suspect this method of archiving is why most of the slides are in pristine condition like the photo above taken in about 1959....see even back then I wouldn't wear a bikini on the beach! 

My grand plan; to print the pictures and slides that are worthy of framing and do a "memory wall" similar to what I did here with a collection of old B&W family photos in our family room. 

Below are just a few of the pictures my dad took that I can't wait to frame...a couple of them will be used in a Metamorphosis Monday as a DIY project. Here's a hint; I still have this little Aqua Cowgirl outfit which will be used in the project! I sure wish I had that cute one my brother Larry is wearing...

So that's the story of the "Story Teller", my dad and pictures such cherished memories for me. Maybe this might inspire some of you to do the same, sorting, organizing and printing some of your old pictures and slides so your story can be told too...

Sweet Memories

Yesterday, April 9th I received news from my cousin that my Uncle Larry passed away, Uncle Larry was my mother's older brother. I do not write this post for sympathy or condolences but simply to share with the world what a lovely, wonderful man my Uncle was. You may not know that by these simple words I write, but I know in my heart you will see it in these pictures I share...it's in his smile and the spirit he conveys.

As the old saying goes; "A picture is worth a thousands words"...

above; my mother Joan and my Uncle Larry

(photo taken April 6th 1937)

above; Navy photo taken during WWII

above; date unknown, 

but the love between a brother and his sister...timeless

In memory; Lawrence Anthony Armetta

your smile shines on...

The Magic of Christmas

"When it seems the magic's slipped away

We find it all again on Christmas day”

~Josh Groban

(speakers please)

Hello everyone, come along with me for another "Vintage Thingie Thursday" with Suzanne from Colorado Lady. She always hosts' a great party for anything vintage every Thursday. This week I have vintage Christmas "stuff" as well as few vintage memories to share. I'm also linking up with Mary from Very Merry Vintage Home to share in more vintage memories. Please stop by both of these adorable blogs and give them a shout out!

I look forward to the Christmas holiday season more than any other time of year and I hold dear to my heart the memories and magic of Christmases past with my family from so many years ago. 

Christmas to my mother was the most important time of the year.

It meant being together with family and loved ones from near and far.

It meant festivities and laughter and a time when the season was simply magical and full of joy and innocence...

For our family, the holiday truly started for us on Christmas eve at Grandma and Grandpa Armetta's house.

There was no place we'd rather be. It was joyous and full of family and the sense of home and place. It was where, still to this day we all wished to be...home for Christmas...

We would show up on Christmas eve in the back seat of that big old 1957 Buick "Special" ready for the festivities to start...

(Google images)

The three of us; Larry, Terry and Nancy were dressed to the nines and my mother, as always, was picture perfect and ready for our annual Christmas photo shoot...isn't that what everyone did back then?

Walking up that front porch at 520 Brooks Avenue, first we'd see the tree in the window and could hear Bing singing, "White Christmas" along with various other crooners of the day. You could hear the laughter especially my Uncle Bill (he sounded like Santa ho, ho, hoeing) coming from inside the house. Most of the family had already arrived and the party had begun.

( Google images)

Grandma's tree was a large white tree all decked out in its holiday finery sitting atop one of these rotating stands...

( Google images)

They also had one of those big rotating colored wheel lights shining on it, remember it was the 1950's and 60's those lights were all the rage and today, very collectible!

So the tree slowly turned while this colored light spun. To the three of us kids, it was all part of the magic of Christmas...

( Google images)

The adults would be served my Grandpa's signature, homemade hot Tom and Jerry's from the bowl and mug set below. I now have this vintage set but Mr. La Bella Vie and I are not really into Tom and Jerry's so now...I use it to grow my annual "Paper White Narcissus" in...

I set about five bulbs in the bowl and one bulb in each of the eight mugs and let them do their thing through the holiday season. It makes a "non-fat", whimsical display without having to use a recipe! 

A contemporary twist from and old tradition! If I could make a lamp out of it, I would but it works pretty well as a bulb forcing set:)

I was also fortunate enough to have inherited my mother's vintage "Santa's boots" mug set from about the mid 1950's. I'm not sure anyone really ever drank from these funny little things except maybe in the movie; "Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation" but again, they make a great display for a planter or bulb forcing!



Below are some of the ornaments I was lucky enough to inherit from my grandmother's ornament collection that she used on her tree. 

A few years ago, I attached them to a faux wreath and by doing so, they could be showcased and viewed better than if they were simply hanging on a tree where they'd be completely lost and overlooked.

Here's a photo of the wreath. I took this photo last year pre-blogging days so the image isn't the greatest but you get the idea anyway.



These are just a few of my vintage childhood Christmas memories and collections I have to share and to me, they are what I use for inspiration, tradition and hope for all things beautiful during this Christmas season.

More than anything it has given me lifelong remembrance's and no matter how old the pictures get, the memories will never fade away...

I'd love to know what your Christmas memories are. Albeit a story, a gift or a simple remembrance...

I invite you to share what memories and traditions you hold near and dear to your heart during this wonderful season of sharing.

And thank you again, Suzanne from Colorado Lady for hosting another Vintage Thingie Thursday and Mary from Very Merry Vintage Style for hosting your first Linky party!



October 3rd 1930...

To my MIL Betty, Happy 80th Birthday!

More pictures to follow after our little party today...



Oaks Park and the boys...

OK so its been a while since I posted but we've had our two grandson's (Cole 6 and Blake 4) here for the last three days. All I can say is I am in such awe of all the mom's out there! I have come to realize it is virtually impossible to blog and have kids at the same time! I had absolutely no time to do anything other than be a grandma and take care of the needs of two very busy little boys! We had bikes to ride, kitties to chase, boo-boo's to fix and bruises to kiss and lots of hugging to do in between! Then we had The Wizard of Oz to watch and popcorn to pop. Picnic's and Pancake's and lots of peanut butter and jelly Sammie's in between!

Then in between everything else, we went to Oaks Park one of the oldest amusement parks in Oregon.

Here is just a teeny bit of a very busy weekend with six and four year old boys! And all I can say is, Grandma's pooped!

but not four year old Blake!

or six year old Cole

or fifty seven year old Papa...he went on every single ride those little boys wanted to go on!

 Grandma said no thanks to this one or she would have been the Screaming Eagle!

and she also said no to this one...

she needed to man this bench instead (someone had to do it!)

 

 and no to this one too...

Unfortunately I said yes to this one below.

This smile was before the ride started and that was only because I thought it was like the "Teacups" in Disneyland...NOT! I was sure the thing was going to shoot me to the moon!

 

I skipped this torturous contraption too...but not Iron man Papa and those two little boys!

but alas, they had this darling little choo-choo train that grandma really liked:)

but Papa and the boys thought it was b-o-r-i-n-g!

grandma liked the shady roof and slow, rocking motion of about 3 miles per hour:)

but as soon as that train stopped, those boys (all three of them!) were off like lightning...

to the Scrambler...

Again I sat here and took pictures from the sidelines...

And when the day was done, grandma collapsed and Papa and the boys asked when we get to go again!

As busy as the weekend was and as crazy and hectic as it seemed, we loved every second of having those two darling grandsons here for the weekend and I wouldn't trade it for the world...well maybe the overwhelming sense of nausea I had from the rides...that I could trade:)