Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Curio Curiosities

Lloyd and I are in the process of moving from Edmonton to our home in Lethbridge, 5 hours south of Edmonton.  We bought our house down there about 5 years ago and over the past few years we've done some renovations, furnished it, and have gone down there every chance we get.  It's the home we've been planning on retiring to.  We'll be officially moving there in July, and giving up the rental we've been in up here in Edmonton.

One of the first things we moved to Lethbridge several years ago was my curio cabinet.  The front glass panel got broken in the move as well as one of the glass shelves.  So it was stored in the shed until we got it fixed.  Well, we got it fixed this weekend and moved it into the house.  I was finally able to unpack my little pretty things and get it set up in our living room.

Unpacking the little treasures was like opening Christmas presents.  Each one had a story to tell - I remembered who gave me some as gifts, where I bought others, what they all meant to me - I had a lovely afternoon setting it up. 

Here's a few of my treasures I'd like to share with you.

This is a small part of my egg collection.  The one on the far left is a real egg decorated by a Ukranian woman in the traditional pyzanky fashion.  I love the shape and feel of eggs, especially the heavy marble ones like the one on the right.  I have a basket full of those someplace.

I guess this is one step up from my love of eggs - I love the birds that produce them.  Son Rob gave me the cardinals and bluejay figuerines on successive Christmasses about 20 years ago.  My sister Wendy and I bought each other identical crystal ducks for our birthdays a couple years ago.  We were out shopping together around our birthdays (which are 8 days apart) and since we each wanted one, we each bought one for the other.

I just liked the look of these cheerful witches so added them to my random collection of things I like.  Every girl needs something to bring out her inner witch ;)


The top shelf of the curio cabinet - Mum gave me the two collectors plates but I never pursued that collection.  The small Hummel figuerine in the center is from my grandmother's house.  It's probably 50 or 60 years old now.  The little girl hugging the egg reminded me of one of my granddaughters so I had to have it.  Then Emily gave me the matching one of the little girl in a teacup with apples.


This is about half of my thimble collection.  I started collecting them in 1967 when Mum and Dad, my sister, brother and I went on a road trip.  I bought a souvenir thimble at our first stop, Fredericton, New Brunswick, and thereafter I bought one at every stop on every trip for years.  I have thimbles from all the Canadian provinces and a lot of the States and cities, as well as fun ones with products such as Pepsi, Coke, Bon Ami, etc. , a woven one from the Philippines, porcelain, metal, peuter, plastic, clay and wood.  I have my grandmother's and my mother's quilting thimbles, and a couple of wooden ones I painted and decoupaged small pictures onto.  And at Christmas I use one of the thimbles to poke the hole in my thimble cookies so put the jelly in.

My egg shelf shares it's space with the small souvenir glasses that Mum used to collect when we lived in Germany in 1960-61.  They're all tucked in behind the hanging eggs.  As you can see, the back panel of the cabinet is a mirror so there's no escaping the photographer's image.


The witches share their space with a little stein that Emily brought back from Germany when she was an exchange student there.  The blue music box in the center used to belong to my Dad's mother.  It was popular in the 1950s and was actually a powder box for loose face powder. The music still plays when the lid is lifted off.


And the birds sit on the lower shelf with a crystal apple that used to belong to my brother.  After he was killed in a mining accident in 1991 I kept this apple from his house as a keepsake.

So, those are my treasures - not worth much financially, but their sentimental value is priceless.

12 comments:

Magpie said...

What wonderful memories. And seeing the love on "the photographer's" face while she was taking the pictures just brings home how much everything in the cabinet means to you. I have the very same blue music box that was my mom's. I'll take a picture and share it with you. I'm so glad you'll soon be in your dream house.

Anonymous said...

Lots of pretty things - but I love the witches best!!

Southhamsdarling said...

So many pretty things, with lovely memories. I can imagine how excited you must have been to unpack them all and set them on their glass shelves again. How exciting that you are finally moving into your own home again soon.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

It would be wonderful to have curio cabinet like that . I would think it would save hours of dusting. I remember my grandmother having one for her salt and pepper shaker collection. Every shelf was filled with them. I collect a lot of things but have packed away most of them because I got tired of all the dusting. At least you are able to do your moving a little at a time and that will make the final move much easier. I do love your collections. They must bring you a lot of treasured memories.

JQ said...

You look so cute in the mirror.

Mickey said...

How wonderful to be able to bring out your curio to share all your treasures and memories that go with them. Can't wait to see it all someday.

Delena said...

You have beautiful collections. I like how you said each one has a story. I bet you are excited to move to Lethbridge and now your drive to Arizona every year will be that much closer. Have a nice week Pat!

TARYTERRE said...

What a delightful collection of keepsakes. Everything is beautiful. Each one a treasure. Don't you just love Curio Cabinets? They are the perfect place to display stuff we hold dear to our hearts. GORGEOUS photos. The one of you taking a picture, peeking inside of the cabinet, is a keeper. Take care.

Jane said...

What wonderful memories! I love your collection,

Jane

Granny Annie said...

Curios and keepsakes are so addicting, especially when they are connected to special memories. Sometimes I wish there were not so many in my life when we are moving or remodeling.

My daughter makes the most beautiful pysanky eggs by the way. Not an easy task of art to perform.

Grandma Yellow Hair said...

So happy you are enjoying your beautiful collections. I can see how much they mean to you and of course I understand since all of your pieces are beautiful
I made the mistake and did not move my cabinet out here when I moved from town. I let my sister-in-law use it and now I don't think she will ever give it up. Well at least she is enjoying it.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend
Love
Maggie

Kath said...

Wow! You have quite the collection!! And every piece has its own story which is so fun.

Recently I was asked what I collect. Me with my smart aleck mouth said not really much. Just kids.
Yeah and I attempt to pass myself off as a mature 40 something!!

Then I remembered my latest obsession...seaglass!