Just a few Holiday decorations for the bathroom

A garland of red glass berries. If you use these towels and disturb the garland, I'm going to have to hurt you.



Not so long ago I would never pair two shades of blue (blue and turquoise towels). But someone put those colors together, and I said, okay I can do that, but don't make me put red and pink together--no, no.



Stand back, take another photo of the bathroom.

The walnut dresser gets some snowmen. Most of the glitter is rubbed off these snowmen, and they look a bit worn. I keep thinking I have more snowmen, but I remembered major de-cluttering a couple of months ago with my friend Pam (A clutter policeman). She was ruthless with me, asking me when was the last time I used this and that, and finally I stopped whining and got rid of two car loads of boxes of magic stuff like snowmen I'd kept long after they were considered cute.



A close up photo of two snowmen who are serving their last Christmas sitting on the underwear dresser in the bathroom.



I bought this handsome walnut dresser at St. Vincent goodwill store. There were two similar dressers. I made a deal for one of the dressers, IF they were willing to give me two drawer pulls off the second dresser to make one dresser complete.



The hula skirt beads shade I purchased at a consignment shop for $15. It is a great look for a reproduction item, and I love the amber lighting--taking an evening bath in the clawfoot tub.



The white wicker rocking chair is used as often as the toilet. I'm not kidding. I sit in the rocker and put on my socks in the morning. And while I'm taking a bath, the rocker holds my towel.



A fancy basket to hold tp paper and favorite magazines.



The print is, "The Waldorf, 1930" by Rinesch. I first saw it in 2007. Admired it, laughed out loud seeing it, and bought the print knowing I'd put it in the upstairs bathroom (finished May 2009). What I didn't plan for, (dah) was the size of the artwork. I still love the piece, but it is too big for the space.

Many years ago I bought these bird curtain rod holders. I didn't know when or where I'd use them. Just liked them a lot. Glad I saved them; they look good here in the bathroom. Did you hear that Pam? I'm glad I saved them!



I love to decorate the house with birds . . . picking up on the blue herons etched glass on the front porch doors. I found 5 of these great bird hooks. Two are installed in the bathroom on the east and west closet doors, and two on doors in the east bedroom. The last one will go on the closet door in the master bedroom.



Final thought. The bathroom is looking good since we created it in May 2009, however like all the rooms upstairs--we are still lacking crown molding. In February I start the last room, actually the long 28ft. x 5 ft. wide upstairs hallway. After those walls are repaired, and painted--we'll move all the furniture round and round again in each room so we can install crown molding upstairs. Our work is never done, it seems.

I feel a song coming on . . . in every job to be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and snap--the job's a game. And every job you undertake becomes a piece of cake, a life, a dream, its very plain to see, that a . . . . .

You finish the song. Come on, I know you know this one.

1898 Berry Bowls

My Aunt Mary sent me her antique green glass berry bowls. There is one large bowl and 6 small single serving bowls. Since green is my favorite color, I can't tell you how excited I am to put together an ivory, gold, and green holiday table. I'm working on the tablescape right now and promise there will be some photos to post on Christmas Day!

Eliane Henderson of http://www.patternglass.com/eapgHome.htm identifies the pattern as Sunbeam, made by The McKee Glass Company, Pittsburgh, PA. in 1898. If you are interested in Early American Pattern Glass, check out Eliane's website to read the history of glass companies during the Victorian era.

I'm so happy to introduce you to my Aunt Mary and Uncle Cal Craig. I have a great photo of them to show you. AND, this post gives me an oppportunity to thank Mary for these lovely dishes passed down to her from her mother Leatha (Ashley) Harriman b. 1906, and originally owned by Mary's grandmother Edna Irene (Snow) Harriman b. 1878. Receiving beautiful antiques like these is like being in line to the throne. I'm so proud to display them in my home.


Above, Mary and Cal Craig of Colorado.


Above is Mary's mother Leatha (Ashley)Harriman


Above is Mary's Grandmother Edna (Snow)Harriman, shown here in her wedding photo May 1898 to James Howard Harriman.



Below are Edna's parents Martha Melinda (Sperry) Snow and Gilbert Spencer Snow, and children left to right: Celia Lorena (Snow) Mead b. 1866, and in the middle is Edna Irene Snow, Harriman b. 1878, and William Douglas Snow b. 1870.











In 2007, Mary and Cal were our very first visitors to our new/old Victorian home. They made the long journey from Colorado to Wisconsin to bring me a special gift--an antique sofa that graced Mary's mother Leatha's home. It is a stunning spindle couch that sits in my red dining room. Thank you Mary--these family items are incredible and give my heart a lift I cannot put into words. I love you.

Holiday Tablescape With Books

My friend Kathy and I spent a weekend in Galena IL last summer. We stayed at the Steamboat Bed and Breakfast and toured many shops downtown. I got some ideas for the interior of my art studio--based on a really classy coffee shop we visited several times, but regarding our shopping experience in Galena, it was mostly tourista stuff.

We didn't buy much in Galena, but not far from there we found Cuba City IL. Wow--really had fun in one of the Cuba City antique/vintage shops. Purchased a 1929 Pal (hand crank) phonograph, and Kathy found for me this 4 place setting of dinnerware. The pattern is called Anniversary manufactured during the 1960s by the Jeanette-McKee Glass Company of Jeanette, Pennsylvania.



The truth is, I thought it was really pretty dinnerware and loved the color and knew it would pair well with clear amber candle sticks my mother Lorraine gave me. In the end I think all went well and it made a beautiful tablescape. I found the gold rimmed berry bowls (pattern is Sylvan, Fostoria Glass Co., ca. 1902) at a vintage/collectibles shop in Appleton WI, called Furniture Phases.


I had no idea what to put on the table to go with the dinner ware. Let's see, a gold and ribbon decoration purchased for $12 at Golden Country Gifts in Weyauwega, WI.

Added some old books, porcelain birds . . .

I looked through my pile of home-made cloth napkins, and added similar, but mis-matched florals.

In the end, the table looked good, throwing it all together in 30 minutes.

Then, Jon came home. I read him the menu as I'd written it on the kitchen blackboard. Ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, scalloped corn, green peas, raspberry jello loaded with fruit, crescent dinner rolls, cranberry sauce--all of Jon's favorites. After I read Jon the menu he said, "oh, ah, Mom can't make it today." My eyes got as big as the dinner plates. Sigh. So, I called my friend Kathy, and invited her, her son, and her sister-in-law to dinner . . . I delayed the 1:00p meal until 6:00p and we were back in business. Kathy kidded me, "oh I see--so I'm your second choice, eh?"

A Victorian Bathroom

We converted a small bedroom into a worthy old Victorian bathroom. It was a slow process from January until May. Here are before and after photos of the upstairs bathroom project--photos selected in a random order.

It was the oval shade Tiffany style lamp that finished the bathroom. Oh, I really wanted this lamp so bad. Visited the store several times, wringing my hands, fussing whether or not to buy something so lovely--just to stick in a bathroom. In the end, I caved. I knew when I first saw it how cleverly it would fit the bathroom surrounded by the blue-green and yellow amber colors I love.

One of the first things I found in our old house was a 1923 powder tin, and inside a 1919 box of Rit dye. Later, I found and purchased a 1919 advertisement showing the same box. Haven't got the advertisement framed yet. Isn't it the truth though, there are always a hundred more projects lying at our feet. Takes time to stop, pick up a task and move forward. My favorite saying is: "Move forward, and do what you have to do". Do you know who said that? It was Johnny Depp, Sep 8, 2002, Inside the Actor's Studio, with James Lipton. I was so moved hearing those words, I got up, went to the blackboard and wrote it down. I read it every day, for months and months.

My Mom Lorraine is so artistic, very clever in the way she decorates and is a constant motivator for me. Mom gave me the ball jars to decorate the house. I used two jars here in the new bath to store bath salts. You know those bath salts are quite fragrant--a crisp menthol (must be the brand eh?) Just behind the ball jars is a tall drinking straw container repurposed here for cotton balls. I don't use cottom balls on my face, and haven't used them for a home permanent in years and years. BUT, I do use them for: I remove a cottom ball, spike it with a couple drops of essential oil, then put the ball into the vaccum sweeper

We purchased the Wrolstad-Quien house in April 2007. The second owners-- the Quien family, Norwegian pronunciation ka-veene, owned it for 90 years!

Worth repeating is the magic date of February 18, 2007 when we took our first walk through with the realtor to see the interior. We walked into the dark foyer and looked at the etched glass front door pictured here.


The foyer walls were papered, and the woodwork "faux bois" untouched since the house was built in 1893.

Faux bois finished foyer woodwork.

On our first tour, we continued up the front stairway passing a stained glass window.

All the shades were drawn down and doors shut in the house, and my goodness these first photos look quite dark. Here we are, walking the length of the upstairs hallway to the sun lit small south bedroom that would become the upstairs bath.

This is the little bedroom we coverted into the upstairs bathroom--it sits above the first floor bathroom. The first floor bathroom was installed in 1945, in time for Mary Jane Quien's wedding here at the house Novemer 10, 1945 to Edward Fossum. Coincidently, my birthday is November 10th, AND Mary Jane Quien's mother Ruth Danielson Quien--her birthday was also November 10th.

The room is 10.5' x 15', and has walk in closets on the east and west walls. Pictured below is the east wall walk in closet--converted into a laundry room.

Below, Jon installs a 4" shelf that wraps around the bathroom. In this photo--the new 3/4" beadboard is installed, and I spent hours sanding the recently milled material, then priming/sealing the wood, getting it ready for final color of paint.





In the corner you can see the soil pipe has been hidden with lumber and gypsum board.

This is the east wall. The walk in closet door here is the entrance to the laundry room.


Bless Jon's heart. He's given his heart and soul into this whole house restoration project. Jon is a contractor and a mill wright. A smart guy. And has a great sense of humor. Everyone loves Jon. Especially me.

We decided to put the 1903 Kohler clawfoot tub centered in front of the double windows. I think I've said this before, "The night was blind, but the neighbors weren't." Ha. Ha.

This the west wall of the new bathroom. We ended up putting a walnut dresser here to hold UNDERWEAR. It is convenient to have a walk in closet for clothes in the bathroom, and underwear close by.

We found good looking sconces at Menard's and a matching ceiling light fixture.

Here's the door to the hallway, and to the right is the location of the toilet. We purchased Mansfield toilet and matching sink at Menard's.

Here's the Mansfield sink, and just behind it I auditioned a six drawer high boy. I got it at a consignment shop for a few dollars and painted it, and fitted with new crystal knobs. In the end, I didn't use the highboy in the bathroom, and instead opted to use an amber finished wooden jelly cabinet with glass paneled doors. A better fit, more storage.
I was shocked when I started to paint the color on the beadboard. I wasn't so sure, but I stopped, slapped myself, got over it, and pressed on.

Jon is wonderful

Here's Jon pre-fitting faucet for the 1903 Kohler clawfoot. We were suprised--getting the right faucet fixture was more expensive than acquiring the antique tub.

The tub in place and some vintage curtains up. Curtains purchased from Reflections in Nelsonville, WI.--a great place to find antiques and vintage items. I found the art studio's vintage chairs at Refections. Hey, don't forget to come back to my blog site again in Feb 2011--the second story art studio will be finished, and I want to show you those vintage chairs. So cool.

Now, I'm really glad we chose to paint the beadboard "Bewitch" by Valspar. I wasn't sure for a while. Everyone does beadboard "white". I just wanted to try it differently.

The flooring is Teakwood by Laura Ashley--a laminate floating floor. Hey, hey, don't get sore about the laminate. We decided a floating floor works for us, and the next owner can rip it up and re-do the old floors--which are in terrible shape. For now, we do what we can do with the money and time we got.


We still have to install crown moldings in all the upstairs bedrooms, including the bathroom. But, we are waiting until we finish the upstairs hallway. I'll be starting the wall repair in the hallway in February 2011 when I retire.

I believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Here's the north end of the bathroom, to the left--the finished west wall of the bathroom with walnut dresser holding UNDERWEAR. Straight ahead, the door to the hallway.


My favorite sign. NEXT WINDOW This is an old bank sign, from Uncle Herman Cooksey's estate--from Chicago, IL. Probably c1920s-1930s. Sometimes I take the sign to work with me and put it on my desk. I always get a couple of laughs out of it.



Here's the beginning of the bathroom remodel, January 15, 2009. We finished the bathroom May 29, 2009.