take those pictures!

it's no secret that i am a huge fan of old pictures.  on thanksgiving, we were looking for a gift certificate that my grannie had for cracker barrel.  she told me to check inside her purse while she took the demon and looked in her bedroom.  while they were looking, i stumbled upon these...

isn't this just the cutest!?!?!

waaaaah!!  this is my grannie and my grandpa.  both pictures are from 1947, pre marriage.  she keeps a few old pictures in her wallet.  when she came out of the bedroom with the demon i asked her if i could take these two, scan them, and put them on the computer.  she was hesitant to let them go.. so i had to promise to return them ASAP.

i am so glad that we have a lot of older pictures in our family.  it's amazing how well they have held up over the years.  i hope that in 60 years my grandchildren can look back on all the pictures i've taken over the years and appreciate the love and memories they hold just as i look at these and truly appreciate my grannie for holding onto them.

enjoy your monday!

things i love thursday.

i have become addicted to reading and checking in on various blogs!  i really think i may post a list of my top 10 faves... but not today.  as i have wasted many hours a day stalking following these bloggers i have found a common theme for some days.  some do... fave fridays and some do things i love thursday.  since i've lost some of my blogging mojo i thought i'd hop on the bandwagon and give you all a bigger glimpse into some of the things i really enjoy.  if i can remember (and you all know how that goes) i hope to make this a regular weekly thing.  enjoy!

this creepy halloween picture!

this cd is quickly becoming a favorite.

  this cuff

 this picture

this show & the fact that i just bought this!

this hairstyle! ahhh.. i wish i was brave enough to try bangs :)

i love creepy.

note:  the pictures included in this post are photos of very old photos in my very poorly lit house... please excuse the awful quality.

could this picture be any more "haunted mansion"?!

when i was growing up, my mother had love for all things antique.  this was especially true for wall hangings.
the above picture has been hanging in my living room forever.  these people are of no relation to us but because my momma loved the frame they've been a constant fixture in our house.  while i've been told that the person on the left is female?!  i still have no real idea.  monday, i moved this picture from right inside the front door to above the mantle.  i feel it looks better there, and i dare not take it down all together for fear of what my momma may do to me...

these two pictures have also been hanging in my living room for as long as i can remember...

this picture (painting?) was never finished, as you can see in her dress.

are you officially creeped out yet?  aren't the frames amazing?  i've been told that both of these ladies are distant cousins.  who knows - but - both of these still remain hanging and this leads me to the point of this post.    on tuesday, i mentioned i sent my brother back into the attic with a purpose.  his mission was to retrieve some very, very old photos so that i could hang them up in my living room!

with the above 3 pictures up,   the pictures i had of the demon on the opposite wall just didn't fit in at all.  when my brother was in the attic the first time he found a box full of old pictures that i knew would look amazing on that wall.  so i set my plan into motion.  the 3 pictures below are the photos that i had him bring down (there are still a few that remain that i will most likely find a place for soon enough..)

this first one is my grannie (standing) and my great aunt (baby).  i love this frame!

just ignore the creepy white ghost type of weirdness in this picture...

this one is my great grandparents (my grannie's parents) wedding.  this picture is more than 90 years old!

this one is the same great grandparents (far right) with other family members.

i have to figure a way to carefully recenter this picture in the frame

i seriously love, love, love these pictures.  here is what you will see the second you walk into my home..

again.. please excuse the stupid reflections from the door window.

&%$!@  LOVE.  am i the only one that enjoys looking at crazy old pictures?  i feel like i'm turning into my momma..which is really insane.  i've always poked fun at her and especially when it came to the huge weirdo picture of the two people we've had on display of no relation at all.  i've explained to all of my friends that i have no idea who they are and yes.. the one on the left is a woman!

i believe the big difference between my momma and myself is that she hung these pictures to display the beauty of the frames... i'm displaying these pictures to display the freakishness of old black and white, haunted mansion, eyes following you while you walk across the room, pictures.  the fact that these people are family is a bonus.

to round out those pictures i moved this picture to a more prominent place in the living room.

it's not really crooked.. it's the angle of how i had to take the shot...

i know it's not a human picture but the frame is beautiful and it was one of my momma's favorites.

when we (my brother and i) were finished moving and hanging the pictures he told me that he is officially creeped out and will never be in my house, alone, ever again!   and with that... my mission was accomplished! haaaa.

return to the attic!

last night i, once again, convinced my brother to head up the crazy, scary steps and retrieve some more goodies from my grannie's attic.  this time the demon braved the ladder and joined him up there.

i don't think this picture really does the ladder justice.  it does not come all the way to the ground.  instead, it rests, very shakily, on a wooden box that slips and slides if not supported by another person waiting at the bottom.  waiting and praying that the creaking and cracking of the steps does not indicate an immediate snapping of the wood.

anyway.. he brought me a few items that i can't wait to share with you all!  let's just say.. he's officially creeped out to ever be alone in my living room!  i haven't taken pictures just yet.. i have a little bit more to do before i feel we're camera ready - but they will come soon.

i really wish i could go up there!  besides the fact that i will never attempt those stairs, it's just entirely too dirty and dusty for me.  i'd be a sneezing, allergy mess in minutes.  what i did do was convince the demon to brave the steps to come back down a bit and grab my cell to snap a picture of the "infamous" red chairs that they both describe as  a couple of "SICK" (read: awesome!) red chairs.  

i have no idea where they came from or who they belonged to but they are gorgeous!  i must figure a way up there.  maybe if i wear a mask?  find a more sturdy set of stairs to climb?  i'm not sure just yet but i. must. find. a. way!

there is one thing i want to show you all as a sneak peek!

1979

how awesome is my momma!? haha!  her hair!!!  speaking of hair.. really?  wtf is going on with my hair.  it should come as no surprise to anyone to know that i have extreme phobias when it comes to getting my hair cut and judging from this picture - i'm sure it's safe to blame my momma for this fear.  i love this picture and it's been moved from the dark, dirty, hot attic to my mantle.  

one last thing.. please take a couple minutes and throw some prayers and healing vibes my nephew's way.  he's having knee surgery today and he's nervous!   we'd all appreciate whatever good thoughts come his way.

way back when.

years and years ago, when my brother and i were young, we would spend time at my great grandma's a lot.  we lived just around the block and could walk over whenever we wanted.  while we were there we would always "play" with these small, porcelain dolls.  when i say "play" we basically pointed and would name them and on very rare occasions we would very carefully pretend they would crawl or walk.  it was usually those occasions when my grandma was not around and we were just lucky we never broke one of them!

on monday night, after eating dinner at my grannie's house, i suggested that my brother brave the scary attic steps (oh, how i wish i had my phone or camera ready for a picture of the steps) and see what is hidden away.  the heat of the attic was far worse than the scary steps!  just before he was ready to come down he found a box and insisted that i would love what was inside.  

he was right!

as i was pulling the figurines out, one by one, all the happy memories came rushing back through my mind.  i knew i wanted these and i would do what ever i had to in order to make room for them at my house!  i removed a bunch of old reference books (mostly medical stuff) from an enclosed bookcase and had just enough space.

i'm not 100% happy with the final result... i'm not sure what i don't like, but,  i may have to continue to rearrange them.  how creepy adorable are they!!&%$#@

they aren't the only find that i had my brother snag from the attic and a few things were left behind that i still want to get my grubby little hands on!  i'm sure as i steal more goodies from her house i'll share them with the rest of the world. 

Love.

sorry for the light glare!

My Grandpa worked as a printer for as long as I can remember.  This box has been hanging in my Grannie's dining room for just as long.  I've always LOVED this box and one day it will belong to me.  :)

The Demon thinks the little copy of the New Testament is one of the coolest things ever!  I think the Girl Scout pin belongs to my Momma.  The marble see/hear/speak no evil monkeys are great.  Is that a "Cupie" (sp) doll?  So cute!!

creepy!

I don't think there is any rhyme or reason for some of the components of this display.

I have no idea how old this post card is, but judging from the fact that I've never seen the zoo ever look like this, it's gotta be stupid old.  I love everything about this box.  I love how creative it is.  I love that when I look at it I think of my Grandpa.  

Love it. 

My only thoughts to change it up would be to find printing press letters and add the names of the Beast and Demon.

As I was snooping around my Grannie's dining room I stumbled upon this "gem"..

And by "gem" I mean "this hideous grape pitcher". Does anyone remember this post?  How weird!  I had no idea that the pitcher was there, but it's just as ugly as the freakin' vases that we have that still reside on my mantle.

I think I may just randomly go from room to room next door and take pictures.  Who knows?  Maybe I'll stumble on many more surprises!

Oldies but goodies.

I found a cd with some old pictures. Enjoy!

2006 @ my brother's wedding. So handsome!

Bandit, I wonder what he's thinking?

"Look mean."

"Pffft"