I just went back and read my last post – MAN, what I whiner!! I really didn’t feel that well and I probably shouldn’t have blogged – I really want you all to think that I have it together and it always works out for me and things always go my way and I’m a super hero and I am the Coolest of cool moms and I CAN DO IT ALLLLL!! Well, . . . . now you know – I’m human and it doesn’t always work out for me – NOR do I get it my way! Boo-hoo! But on to my day today . . .

Well, I went to this estate auction today at the above address in my hometown. The house – circa 1965 – very much dated but had the coolest {antique} stuff. I bought quite a bit. Can’t say I got a great deal on some of it – but oh well, can’t take it with ya’.

Let me just say this old bird had to be the most eclectic chick in all of Tennessee. She past away last January. Her name was Jerry. He {Joe} past away in December of 2002. Joe built the house in 1965 once he retired from the Airforce. She had 3 children and together, they had 3 more children and tons of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The house reeked of cigarette smoke and the walls were literally covered in yellow nicotine. You could see beige squares on the walls where every single picture was previously hanging. They actually had a gold, nalgahide, tufted sofa! There was about 80 crystal ashtrays and all the china, crystal and solid silver a person would ever see in one place! Seriously, I think there was 36 place settings of each pattern – no joke! There was a massive dining room set that dated from the late 1800’s with the coolest captain chair at one end. Most all the furniture came from England or Germany – since he was stationed over seas for more than a decade. Well traveled people with so much cool stuff . . . . . . and it was the one place that was a “constant” the past 30 years of my life. Guys, I want you to meet my grandparents.

Due to some unfortunate circumstances, there is a rift in the family {what family doesn’t have a story like that?} – so the tension was a little on the high side at the auction. This was probably the last time I will ever see any of my cousins, aunts or uncles. EVER. But hey – we never saw them anyways because they never came around. I thought I would have some issues bidding and watching others bid, like picking over Granmamma and Grandaddy’s bones – But I didn’t AND I got everything I had my eye on. Luckily for me, I stayed at there house a lot and all the neighbors and quite a few other folks new when I was bidding – so they wouldn’t. Even at one point I heard someone tell a bidder that I was the grandaughter and they then stopped bidding. Of course that was the most expensive item I got – I wish that joker got the message a little sooner! I thought I would post some pictures of the goods -

This was my chair at their house. We didn’t really have assigned seating – BUT you always sat in the exact same spot everytime you were there! For years they had a silver poodle, Tootsie, I had to share the chair with her! Check out the swan like heads on the arms – funny thing is I never noticed them till I was an adult. I plan to reupholster this thing soon – not my taste in fabric and I can’t quite figure out how it got so filthy!

Love this ottoman – plan on reupholstering it as well to add a short pleated skirt – Can’t wait!
Now, my grandmother had a TON of Dresdens, but I really wanted this doll. Notice it’s a princess with a frog prince! It’s some German piece and in “perfect” condition. The yellow tar actually cleaned off of it nicely! I was shocked! A great piece for Emsley’s room!
I had to have these etchings. Had to I tell ya’! These are all of German towns that {I kid you not} are resting in between two pieces of glass with black, electrical tape holding them together!! Actually, that is not a bad idea – really it’s very creative! But of course I have bigger plans – can we say a 4, maybe 5 inch creamy color surrounding mat with a black frame! Will suit my taste?!
Last but not least, this little jewel {the one I probably spent WAY to much money on} – but don’t you just love it?? Ignore that black thing on the wall behind the mirror – I didn’t notice it till just now. There was something special about this secretary – I don’t know what it was – but something seemed right about buying it.

To walk through the house as it stood stripped, with none of it’s furniture was probably one of the saddest things I’ve ever done in MY LIFE – seriously besides leaving 2 of my babies in the NICU for 3 weeks.

I could smell them, hear them, see them . . . . in their house. Their empty house. I probably should have just bought that old house as well.