Wanderlust & Pixie Dust

A Belated Merry Christmas from Heritage House

I took these pictures of Heritage House in Riverside California about a week before Christmas. I've been so busy the last couple of weeks that I hadn't had a chance to post them.  I still wanted to share.  Especially since it looks that I may very soon become a volunteer at this beautiful gem of a house.  I am soooo excited! 

After several days spent at my parents, it's time to catch up on errands and stuff.  I will try my best to add a bit more information and some additional photos about the house later today.  I never seem to find the time to get back on the computer much lately.  Hope you enjoy what I have up so far.

 

The front of the house.

Entrance at the side of the house, leads to the lovely little gift shop.

The beautiful entryway.  Note all the gorgeous wood!

A close up of the ceiling.

I want this big white thingy.  Marble?

I would love to have her too.

The mantel above one of the fireplaces.  If I remember correctly,  all of the fireplaces in this house are original with their original tile work.  Always nice to discover!  I think that it is just heartbreaking when a beautiful old home has been stripped of all its pretty bits.  Dreadful!

I just love this whole setup.  The mirror, the candelabra, oh my.

The parlor immediately to your left as you enter.

Do I even need to say it?   I'm crazy about this magnificent gilded, gothic etegre.  Goodness gracious!

 

 

This piece below is amazing in person.  It's hard to get an accurate look at it in this picture but it's an incredible and detailed needlework.  And quite large. The colors remain quite brilliant. I'll have to try and get a better photo of this in the future.   

Winter in Southern California. Oak Glen & Los Rios Ranch.

Hubby is winding up a week long vacation but is still a bit stressed.  Now I'm stressed because his being stressed stresses me out.  In between shifts (I'm a crossing guard at a local elementary school) I suggested that we run off to check out the recent and local snowfall.

We had originally hoped to go as far as a friends cabin which really wasn't all that far but to no avail.  The roads were still blocked off and covered with snow. Instead we made a detour to Oak Glen, Los Rios Ranch to be specific.

A casual cruise and a half hour away from home, we felt like we were in another world.  We
were.

This was my first time here after a snowfall. How strange and beautiful to see what is normally green fields and apple trees.

Layered in snow now, this field is the site of old western movies on hot summer nights. 

Here is the link to their list of Special Events.  Apple Butter festivals, Cowboy Chuckwagons, Down Home Gospel Nights.  If you live even remotely nearby and the sound of events like a "Currier and Ives Christmas" make you all fuzzy inside, you'll have to wait till next year. The "Currier and Ives Christmas" nights are all sold out for 2008!

Another ranch, Riley's Farm,   holds civil and revolutionary war reenactments.   Alpacas are also raised in the area.   Next time around I'll have to check them look see.

 

If I remember correctly you can pick your own apples in the fall.  Which reminds me.  Somebody stop me before I do this again:

 

Fresh apple pie and hot apple cider.  I overdosed on sugar and apples.  Let me tell you, I was snoring by the time we pulled up to our house.  It took all  I could muster to cross the kids during my afternoon shift.  Boy did I crash!

Before I crashed:

I'm wearing a knitted flapper style cloche that I'm just goofy about.  I found it in the wonderful Etsy shop, Granny's Boutique.

 

What's up with that?  My pictures are suddenly uploading all crooked.  Hmmm.

Here is something that I wasn't aware of.  It appears that Mayor Villaraigosa wants to plop power lines across the valley.  How nice, and I do mean that sarcastically.  Hey! Note how the top of this poster is chopped off at the top?  My husband took this photo.  This was after I gave him the camera with loving "Knock yourself out." This was also after he had been critiquing my photo taking.  "You're too close.  You're too far.  You're supposed to zoom in." Yes dear. And you took photography classes when???  I haven't shared this with him yet.  I can't wait.

A grand afternoon was had by all.  The grouchies and stress disappeared from both of us and I got to sleep like a snow baby on the way home.  Darn it.  We forgot to bring a freash apple pie home with us.

Freaky Freaky Little Elves

I never used to pay much attention to these little guys.

Now I do and I blame it on my sister.  I may have written about them same time last year.  I'll have to double check.  This little guy is new.  Note his distinguished profile:

He came to live with us recently courtesy of an elderly neighbor.  One table top vintage white tree, 1 elf and 2 discombobulated elf heads to be exact.  

I had stopped to chit chat with her one cold morning while I wrestled my two dogs. Desperately I wanted to ask how her own dog was doing but I dared not.  I hadn't seen the poor thing in ages and I knew that he was elderly and great difficulty walking.  Turns out that he was sound asleep in the house and snug as a bug. Would you believe that he's 19!?!  Sigh.  If only all doggies could live to be 19.

I digress!  I always digress.  Shoulda named my blog I Digress.

For the longest time these pointed headed men really gave me the willies...pause to look up "willies".....I'll be darn!  It's there.  For some reason I had the vague feeling that "willies" might be a made up word. Like the words my mother made up and I always took for granted to be real.  Do all Mexican mama's do this? 

Then one day little sister announced that she liked them dang nabbit.  After that, I couldn't help but think of her ever time I saw one.  Wouldn't you know it?  The freaky little things grew on me.

This one above is not so bad.  He has a non-threatening smile.  He did have freaky pointed little white feet however.  I tried to photograph one and failed.  But eeek. Check out tiny dude peering through the branches at us as I tried to take care of business.

He looks cheeky. Something tells me that I had better keep him in a locked cupboard at night.

Feign to deny it, they sure are amusing.

Window Shopping

Whew. The fingers ain't what they used to be.  Anyhows.  Thought I'd share some pictures I took of downtown Riverside shops, a few nights ago.

I love the way these photos came out.  All that pink.  Simply delightful.  Can't help digging it because I'm such a girly girl. 

I realize that some may look at this and think that it's too busy in this room but I look about and wish that my house looked just as busy.  I think about what a room like this must look, through the eyes of small child.

I wish I knew a stroller sized baby to push around.  He or she would tilt their chubby neck and gaze up in awe.

Which reminds me.  Recently we were discussing our first trips into It's a Small World at Disneyland in Anaheim.  Mine took place at the age of 6.  I thought that all those Small World kids were real and spooky.  Do six year olds still think this?

 

Can't have too many parasols.  Especially pink ones.

 

Not sure what those hot pink chopsticks are but I certainly like the effect.

A corner to dream in .

 

An Eiffel Tower shaped wine rack.   Boy I would love to have this even though I don't have an inch to spare for it.  Nor do I ever have enough wine around the house at one time to fill this baby up.  However, I'm sure I could figure out another use for it.  It's pretty tall actually. If I had one of those newer homes with a high ceiling,

I'd wrap it in Christmas lights first of all and then maybe stuff it with pretty roses.  Or use it to display ornaments instead of a Christmas tree.  Okay, now I REALLY want it.  Sigh. No can do.

This window belongs to my beloved store Tiggy Winkles.  I flat out want every single thing in this window.  No ifs ands or buts.  The silver Christmas trees.  The repro Santo.  The bottle brush tress...speaking of bottle brush trees. 

One of my Lollishop friends, Priscilla, is offering these wonderful hand dyed bottle brush trees:

in her Sweet Rememberance Lollishop.  Aren't they cute?  To get a few of your own click HERE. 

I'd love to have a six foot tall blue one.

I especially want this antique, hand embellished with gold, glass fence.  I actually ran in the store and asked if it was for sale years ago when I first saw it.  Nope.  No such luck. Each Christmas it shows up in the holiday window display and I press my nose to the glass to worship and want.

I love this window scene. If you look closely, you'll notice that the Christmas tree on the left is upside down.

I'm eyeballin that glass thingy on the left. 

Love this costumed character.  She (he?) reminds me of a 1920's boudoir doll.

Here's a close up.  A tad blurry but what a wonderful, fun character!  Swingin from a beribboned hoop no less.

Oh I think this threesome is sooo cute. 

 

 

Check out this grand golden angel.  She reminds me of something but I can't recall what exactly.  A movie perhaps? 

A dream more likely.

 

Wow.  Didn't realize how many pictures I really had!  I'll be adding comments later and a second post with my remaining photos!

Mrs. Tiggy Winkles in Old Town Riverside

Today I want to introduce you to one of my most favorite, favorite, favorite stores of all time, Mrs. Tiggy Winkles.

I could wander through this store a billion times and never tire of it. Some of you lucky ladies out there may be familiar with Paris to the Moon in Costa Mesa. Pam Garrison did a post on this particular magical teeny tiny little store last year. If you click HERE and scroll down a bit you will be able to discover this wonderful store. Well, if you like what you see at Paris to the Moon, you will also fall in love with Tiggy Winkles.

Don't hate me but I chickened out in asking CeeAnn Theil, the wonderful and totally cool owner who welcomes everyone who is lucky enough to walk through her doors. If she is so cool why didn't I ask you wonder? Because my husband has been scolding me lately. The last few times that I've asked a storekeeper for permission (always with a big smile I promise!) to take photographs, I've been shot down. Ebert tells me that will probably be the case 99% of the time so I had better get used to it.

This picture is of one of her shop windows.

As you can see, she always creates the most incredible window scenes. I always feel like a little girl in the shop. Eyes wide, mouth wide open. I try to absorb every little detail and bring it home with me in my mind.

If you fancy these window displays, just daydream a little about what the entire store is like!

Here is window #3:

And a close up:

Sorry that these are not a little sharper. And sorry for the "reflections" in the store windows. Kind of adds a dreamy like quality though don't you think?

The last store window:

When you walk through this second set of doors you truly enter a wondrous world. A world of angels, The Virgin Mary, graceful garden angels, delicate jewelry, sparkling glassware, so many numerous beautiful things.

At the back of this first room is yet a smaller little nook. I like to refer to this as her holiday room. It's here that CeeAnn features all her themed holiday treasures.

It also in this little room that you will see about 30 full grown ladies somehow cram themselves the day after Christmas for the annual after Christmas sale. Oh I've been there. Boy do I want to be there on Dec 26th this time too.

Do I dare go, telling myself that I will be happy just watching the frenzy? That maybe I will be lucky and that I will be able to pick up one or two little ornaments for just a few dollars? You decide. If you think that I should go, let me know. If not, and I should exercise a little restraint and be a big girl, tell me so. RHONDA You don't count! I already know what you would say! You'd be like a little devil on my shoulder. Do it! Do it! She does have a few Wendy Addison eiffel tower
ornaments in silver glass glitter still available.

Understand why I am so terribly tempted?

Guess that I should add that this wonderful incredible store is located in downtown Riverside, California. Home of the beautiful historic Mission Inn. Here is a teaser pix of this wondrous hotel:
In fact, Mrs. Tiggy Winkles faces directly faces this Inn across a pretty courtyard or pedestrian mall. I'll be sharing more pictures later.

Boo Mama's Christmas Tour of Homes

Boo Mama is having a party. Won't your join us?

Welcome to my Christmas Home!

I also participated in the holiday home festivities at Karla's Cottage a few days ago and had a grand old time! If you have the time click HERE and HERE scroll down a little bit, you will see the pictures I posted for that event. And if you have any interest whatsoever in antique German glass Christmas ornaments shaped like fruit, take a peek at an earlier posting I did HERE.

Don't forget to stop and let me know what you enjoyed most. I'll be sure to visit your home too. Merry Christmas! Happy Hannukuh! Happy Holidays! Seasons Greetings! Felize Navidad! Happy Kawanza! Bon Voyage! Oops. I got carried away there...

I tried to take a few pictures at night without much luck. Out of all the pictures I took only about 3 came out clear enough to use. Even with a little help from my Mac.

In person, the little silver tree on the left doesn't look so much like a scraggly Charlie Brown tree. No really!

My husband hung the lights all screwy on both trees this year. He thought that he would try a slightly different technique for some reason. I say "screwy" because the light cords show up something awful all over the tree. See what I mean in this blurry example?

I let him go crazy with the lights the night we decorated because he's been having some health problems lately. I figured if he felt up to going all out, then I sure wasn't going to be the one to stop him. I didn't care much for that pink garland thingy under the tree either but I never had the heart to break it to him. Only you know. Didn't want to hurt his feelings. Oh well. It's kinda growing on me now.

In my post for the party at Karla's Cottage, I explained how my trees are filled with memories.
Memories of China. And my husbands tummy:

Walking the streets of New York in winter. Getting separated from my party for hours and walking endlessly in a tired but wondrous foggy state of mind, in Macy's. Past days as a flight attendant:

I love anything showing Santa in flight. Sleds, planes etc. I have another ornament somewhere with Santa in a hot air balloon.

My crazy love and obsession with Italy. Venice in the dead of winter with little sis. Cold so gosh darn cold we could hardly stand it. But it was Venice after all, of course we could stand it! And Piero. The devastatingly tall, dark and handsome Italian innkeeper. The very recollection of him make'th me swoon even now as I type. Oh my word...Won't we have to bring up the subject of him again at Christmas din-din?

Ok. This one is one of my very favorites. It was given to me by my good friend Carrie. If I recall correctly and I probably don't, she said something to the effect of, she new it was for me as soon as her cheeky little eyes saw it. Makes me smile every time I unwrap him. Look at his left pickle. I broke it.


A cruise that 3 of us took many moons ago when we were all sky waitresses and still single. The second memory that comes to mind from that trip is the guy in the middle of the Yucatan who knew enough english to ask us well, something that made us laugh for at least the next hour, as we strolled by. Aw...the memories I tell ya.

Recollecting being single reminds of the lost weekend in New Orleans...Oops. I forgot to take a picture of THAT ornament.

My vintage one winged angel tree topper. I'll patch her up one of these days. Ain't she sweet? I kind of like her like that.

A nice shot up her skirt and of her cardboard torso:

Gotta have an angel in there somewhere. I actually have several but they are also some of the many things that didn't make it up from the basement this year. This seems to be a trend in recent years. This not bringing everything out at one time business. Well long story short, my ex-husband did not like to celebrate Christmas. Or any freaking holiday for that matter. I swore to myself after our divorce that I would someday fill my pad with decorations up the yin yang. Naturally I went kinda stupid buying ornaments after that. Now we have so many that I'm either making them or making sure that they're vintage before I pluck down anymore greenery. Now back to this angel. I often see this particular angel in all mediums and sizes. It reminds of the type of angel that you might see in an old cemetery. I love angels that look like they belong in a cemetery.

Don't forget to stop and let me know what you enjoyed most. I'll be sure to visit your home too. Merry Christmas! Happy Hannukuh! Happy Holidays! Seasons Greetings! Felize Navidad! Happy Kawanza! Bon Voyage! Oops. I got carried away there...Peace!

**I haven't the slightest clue why the above paragraphs are underlined. Sorry!**

More Pictures of My Holiday Home*Party @ Karla's Cottage

Holiday Party taking place today at Karla's Cottage!

Hi gain. I'm back with more. I know that we are supposed to post pictures showing some of our favorites or what we love about our holiday homes but I have so many. As with so many things I collect, my Christmas ornaments are tied up with so many memories. My tree should be called a Memory Tree. As a matter of fact, that is what it will now be called. My memory tree.

Let's begin with the photo's above. These remind me of a time when my husband and I were not broke up to our eyeballs. I think he may have purchased all 3 of these for me all at the same time. Couldn't dream of doing that now. The little snowmen crack me up. Look at those goofy expressions. Reminds me of the pictures that 1st graders often take.

Here is a photo of my two trees this year. No matchy colored balls here. Just memories.

I like to drag out some of my favorite textiles at this time of the year. Like this faded turkey red tablecloth gently placed beneath one tree:

Or this big red fringed number that was very hard to photograph:

Vintage, vintage, vintage!

My mantel. Pauly had to point out how my Virgin Marys didn't fit in. There is another one at the opposite end of the mantel. He wanted me to move them to their own special spot. I didn't tell them that these particular two were stuck to the mantel with two sided tape. This is California after all!

I love this little sled. It only cost like $2 at the flea market but it is one of my faves.

Ok, this one reminds me of my days in Tennessee. Another one that just cracks me up.

I say that all the following ornaments would speak in French if they could speak. My husband doesn't agree. What do you think?

My Lion King. See. It sounds like french in my head when I type "My Lion King."

My beloved Christopher Radko jester bunny. It strikes me now that he would probably speak a little German.

Oops. Maybe I had better go for now. My husband is looking all lost as if he doesn't know what to do with himself. I'm sure that I can find something for him to help me with. I will stop by again throughout the day and post even more photos. Of course I want to peek at everyone else's home too! Happy Holidays!

But just a few more. I can't help it with the next one but every time that I unwrap him I think "Chairman Mao."

We are big VW fans in this household:

What can I say? I love the 80's movie Excalibur and all things Arthurian:

Fond memories of Narita:

Warm fuzzies just remembering Paris and the traveling Ukrainian folk singer who befriended me alone in the rain and sang to me in front of the Louvre:

Oh oh. Now I really had better go. Be sure to scan down a little further. I put some pictures up the night before. And even a teeny tiny bit further down, I created a post on my treasured antique German glass fruit ornaments. If you know anything about these, please let me know. Don't forget to let me know that you stopped by!

What I Love About My Holiday Home Party!!!!

Karla of KARLA'S COTTAGE is holding a holiday party. I will be adding more pictures a little later in the day but wanted to get a head start tonight. The first few pictures are of what my husband and I refer to as our vintage tree. No pictures of the actual tree yet though. All the photo's I've taken so far made my little tree look terrible! We like goofy, silly, cute, vintage ornaments. Some might find a few of our ornaments "cheesy" but we don't care. They amuse us. Like this guy here:

I apologize in advance for some of my photo's which are just a tad blurry. T'was the best I could do in a hurry.

This little reindeer guy has really grown on me in spite of his big alien eyes:

I found a box of these little paper lanterns one year at either The Rose Bowl in Pasadena or the show in Long Beach. I can't recall. I'm not sure if they were meant to be hung on the tree but they're up there now!

Ok. How about thee two little guys? I think they're cute. I felt sorry for the bald headed Santa.

This bearded Santa has a zipper on the underside of his pointed hat. To put pajama's in?

Candy canes hanging above our big tree.

Friends on our mantel:

My hubby brought these two ladies home one day. On that rare occasion that he dared to venture into a yard sale without me:

I will post photo's in the morning of our main tree. We didn't bring up all of our decorations from the basement this year. All day long I've been remembering who and what is missing. My two golden angels. Where are the rest of my Christopher Radko's? My vintage chenille wreaths? My Bugs Bunny in drag? I mean my Bugs Bunny as Carmen Miranda? Guess they will make an appearance next year.

Additional pictures later of our non-retro tree. To participate in this Holiday Home party click on the link at the top. It's 1 am in the morning here in California and already there are many beautiful pictures posted. I had better get to bed. My husband is going to roll over, see me and wonder what the...? Then I won't be able to complain about how tired I am like I always do!

Antique/Vintage Christmas Ornaments German?

Antique/vintage fruit and flower shaped Christmas ornaments. I know that these are not the most spectacular Christmas ornaments but I do love them so. These first two up above I discovered a few years back at an estate sale. I had never seen any like them before and they seemed so old and delicate. I recall showing them to my husband after I had gently placed them into a dirty cardboard box. He took one look at them and said "Naw. You don't need those." But I disagreed and was a bit disappointed that he didn't immediately recognize how special they were. Well before I could get them home safe, I did this to the little pear:

Oh my goodness! I was so distraught I almost cried. All I did was try to admire it just one more time on the drive home and it just crumbled at the barest touch of my finger tips. I guess all the years of being neglected and not being stored properly had taken their toll. After I got home I broke the tip off the little peach (orange?) too. It was attached to one of those old metal clips that were used to hang them with and it just went "pop." And that was that. There was no way on earth that I could throw them away. So I didn't.

I did go on to research them a bit. And please if anyone out there knows more or otherwise, please correct me. I can never get enough information on anything I discover. I believe that these are German made from maybe the teens through the 20's. I've seen them online offered for sale anywhere from $5 on Ebay to $130 a piece. They are extremely delicate which is why I imagine that I don't come across them more often.

This sweet little peach and rose I found in antique store in Tennessee a couple of years ago.

I've actually been lucky enough to snag another peach for $5 on Ebay. I was terrified that it would have been crushed into a million pieces in the mail but it arrived safe as can be.

I keep these babies in the house in a special place of honor in one of my clutter (cool, vintage, antique clutter mind you!) filled cabinets. Of course from time to time I daydream that some day...some wonderful miracle of a day, I will walk up unsuspecting on a yard sale. I'll walk around casually scanning everything with my expert treasure hunting eyeballs and OMG! Do I see what I think I see? Could it be? I will try to act nonchalant. I will try to look bored. "Excusez-moi. How much are you asking for that huge box of old ornaments?" "Those old nasty ornaments?" they will reply. "You may have all of them for $1." Sigh....if only. But are not these the types of things that we antique/vintage/estate sale/flea market/yard sale addicts dream of?