FORT Koffee Klatch

[MRD]

I think that it doesn't matter how you decorate your home as long as it is comfortable to YOU and your family.

I admire the magazines that have all matchy matchy rooms, but I could never acheive that.

I have inherited quite a few things from deceased family members (from furniture to framed maps, old pictures, framed needlepoint, needlepoint covered chairs, crocheted afgans, old table linens, and a few silver plated trays and candle holders.) so my house is defintely eclectic as none of them "match" but they seem to go together or at least to me they do. What's most important to me is that these things give me comfort as they remind me lovingly of the family members that I have lost and I find using their things keeps them "close" if that makes sense. My great aunt had some beautiful table linens she got as a wedding present in the 1930's. They are a pain, because they have to be washed and starched and ironed, but they have delicate blue embroidery on them and I like to see them on the table because they are so pretty. And I do think of her when I do go to the effort to use them even though they are labor intensive to care for.

I have discovered that using paint colors makes ALL the difference in how you pull things together even if you have an eclectic collection of "stuff"

My husband has also made quite a few pieces of our furniture and that also makes a difference I think. Having things he lovingly made for our home along with the family things makes me feel very comfortable and warm and safe in my little house. So what that they don't all match or if they do. It's how it makes you feel that's important I think.

I haven't spent a lot of time worrying over how to decorate my house. I just use what I have and it seems to work. I've gotten several compliments on it, so I guess its ok. I also get lots of questions because I have some "strange" things. We have a family "heirloom" that is a wreath of flowers croched out of human hair. You can't tell its hair until you get very close to it and people find it extremely interesting. I've done some research and this was a "craft" in the last half of the 19th century. No one in my family remembers which relative's hair it is, but we do know that its been in the family since around the 1860's. I've seen like pieces in Ripley's Believe it or not Museum. Some people find it creepy, I like that it's kind of an "oddity".

I also have a picture of my dad landing on an aircraft carrier during WWII. The picture was taking by his bombadier and you see my dad's leather pilots helmet and his shoulder from behind and through the windshield of the plane you can see the entire aircraft carrier as he lines up to land. I have always thought it to be one of the coolest things in the world and its an honor to have it hanging on the wall next to my dad's picture in his Navy Dress Uniform. I get a lot of comments about that picture as well.

But like I said, these people are all gone now and having little bits of them in my home, keeps them close in my heart.

[cricketeen]

I also have a picture of my dad landing on an aircraft carrier during WWII. The picture was taking by his bombadier and you see my dad's leather pilots helmet and his shoulder from behind and through the windshield of the plane you can see the entire aircraft carrier as he lines up to land. I have always thought it to be one of the coolest things in the world and its an honor to have it hanging on the wall next to my dad's picture in his Navy Dress Uniform. I get a lot of comments about that picture as well.

But like I said, these people are all gone now and having little bits of them in my home, keeps them close in my heart.

That's really cool. I have old letters that my dad wrote to my grandmother during WWII and keep wanting to mount one or two of them - just haven't gotten around to it. I framed one of my parents wedding pictures - it was taken back when they tinted black and white photos with color and I love it. My sister just sent me a snapshot taken of my parents when they were on their way to a dance. My dad is in a suit and my mom is in one of those '50's dresses that were snug at the top and poofed out at the skirt. They are both laughing. I'm just trying to come up with a way to display all of this where it will be noticed but not look like a shrine. Not only do I hate matchy- matchy, but I don't like anything that looks staged, either (picky devil).
Then there's the clutter that those other people who live here leave in every room, messing up my hard-earned "look".

So how does one clean/store/display a wreath made of hair, anyway?
Can you post a photo?

[chrelsey]

Has anyone tried the dark chocolate covered Altoids? When I first saw them I thought it sounded disgusting. Then I was curious and picked up a tin. Mmmm - sort of like crunchy Junior Mints. Then my daughter got me a tin of chocolate covered cinnamon ones... hmmm. Not sure if I like them (of course I can always just suck the chocolate off and spit the rest out).

Been catching up on posts and just now saw this, and had to comment. My daughter bought me a tin of the chocolate covered Altoids last week, and that was my EXACT comment to her - "Hey, these taste just like crunchy Junior Mints!" I haven't tried the cinnamon ones yet - either the plain ones or chocolate covered - but I never go anywhere without a tin of regular Altoids in my purse. But the chocolate ones . . . now, those are a special treat!

[MRD]

So how does one clean/store/display a wreath made of hair, anyway?
Can you post a photo?

The creepy hair thing as we all lovingly call it, is in a shadow box like frame. It was apparantly framed that way at the time it was made as I accidently cracked the glass a couple years ago and when I took it to have new glass put in it, was told that the nails in the frame are handmade and the glass was something they called "float" glass because of the way it is made and that they do not make it like that anymore and it was a shame that the glass had broken. So it is in a frame and I will try to take a picture of it.
I doubt any picture would show in detail the hair as you really have to look closely to see that it is indeed hair. From a normal viewing distance it looks like a crocheted wreath that is dark brown.

[Lois Lane]

Hey, has anyone had one of those chocolate cupcakes at Starbucks? They're kinda pricey, but they're sooooooooo yummy. It tastes as good as the homemade ones I make (and I make good cupcakes!)!

[misskitty]

myrosiedog: My you have interesting things in your house! You should make a album describing such things as your wreath and lable treasured photos. Then it will be known forever in case you forget one day, and it passes down your family tree. It's easy how we thing we will remember and then forget the details. Even if something eventually ends up in a museum of archives!

LoisLane; I passed up cupcakes yesterday at the grocery for a square of chocolate cake with icing. It was more reasonable and I get a few servings!

On the topic of keepsakes, there's a company here who accepts donations of old fur coats (they pay a few $) and they are making teddy bears out of them! I've seen one and they are beautiful. Recycle, re-use. Re-sell. My mom has two very old fur coats and my Baba has two as well. They are unbelievably stylish from the old days. A bit big for me, but even the buttons on them are amazingly beautiful. I don't want her to sell them.

[bbnbama]

I'm going to Lake Tahoe next week for 4 days ...anyone have any suggestions for things to do or places to go?

I've had to go out and buy a coat because I don't own a coat! ...I'm hot natured and it really doesn't get cold enough here in Alabama for someone who is hot natured. I've even had to go out and buy a couple of sweatsuits because I didn't own anything to wear for cold weather. Heck, I may own 4 long sleeve shirts total...and they are thin material!

I've been keeping track of the temps there and they have been similar to mine...40's daytime/30's nighttime....but am I correct in assuming that the 30's there are much colder than what they are here? I guess what I'm trying to say is am I going to freeze my butt off there?????

[CantGetNuf]

bbnbama I might be crazy but a few years ago we were in California during the winter and their temps did feel colder. My husband and I were freezeing but their temps were the same as ours. We joked that it was a dry cold.

[roseskid]

CantGetNuf, that's funny.

I'm going to Lake Tahoe next week for 4 days ...anyone have any suggestions for things to do or places to go?

I've been there about five times, but can't remember the names of places, but my my best friend has been going there since she was a little girl, so I'll give her a call and let you know what she says. It is a stunning place, and you'll have a wonderful time.

I've been keeping track of the temps there and they have been similar to mine...40's daytime/30's nighttime....but am I correct in assuming that the 30's there are much colder than what they are here? I guess what I'm trying to say is am I going to freeze my butt off there?????

I'm a So. Cal. girl, so maybe it's just me, but I'd definitely say it's cold there in the winter months.

[Gutmutter]

We have a snow day - finally! I don't like snow, but I'd rather have random days off in the winter than a loooong summer break. Now I have to get out and shovel, which I actually enjoy. No aerobics today. I'll get my exercise shoveling and hauling wood.