Estate Sale Shopping Purchase!

Give me a bad day, and I will go dig out my collection of jewelry and try on pieces and handle the various sparkly bangles and bling until my hearts content! Seriously, I'd ten times rather go garage or estate sale shopping than hang out at the mall. Today I had the best of two worlds. Andrea took me to a fabulous estate sale where I was able to pick up 4 nice pieces of jewelry including the above Kirk's Folly choker style necklae. I got a great parure by Coro (1950's design); and sparkling rootbeer rhinestone necklace and earring set and a wonderful Florenza pin and earring set also. I'm addicted to sets - must have earrings to match every other piece of jewelry. Anyway, these will be added to my collection - and I will probably wear the Kirk's Folly a lot over the next year!

Peek-A-Boo!

Drew Bunts the Winning Run...

 

...and BayLee pitched some great strike balls! It was an awesome game tonight. The coaching was fabulous, the kids had a great time, BayLee got the game ball for excellent pitching (following his coaches suggestions) and Drew played an important roll in being the catcher at the end of the game. Drew and BayLee make a great team - I wished they could appreciate each others talents as much as everyone else in the stands does! BayLee is recognized for his quick and strong style both in pitching and catching. Drew is a strong catcher and works great as a baseman. Drew is also well known for his ability to bunt the ball. See the video below to see that Drew's Bunt brought in the winning run!!! YEP, THEY WON THE GAME!!!!

Guilloche Enameled Rose Jewelry

Click the title to this post to view pictures of the Enamel Rose Jewelry that I have collected over the past 10 years.

The story of how I began collecting this jewelry starts with a pair of earrings my mother has. They are the first jewelry that I remember noticing. When I see this rose enameled jewelry, it makes me smile, thinking of my mom wearing the earrings and seeing them in her jewelry box. My mother is a woman who could simply put on a pair of earrings and some lipstick and look fabulous. The memories that are my favorite are of her getting ready to go some place and taking a few minutes to add the lipstick, comb her hair and put on a pair of clip-on earrings.

From Guilloche Rose Collection

Off to the Races - Easter Day

With Gramma Sharon, the three boyz, Andrea and Tracy, Al and I had a fun day at the horse races! We arrived in plenty of time to get great seats - and it was "Dollar Day" so all the food we wanted at $1 each!



We got great a box seat with seven chairs and lots of room. We were right on the finish line, and above the stables where the jockey and horses were prepared for the race. That way we could check out the horses before we headed up to turn in our bets.



It was an absolutely beautiful day - warm and sunny with a slight cool breeze!



BayLee was a little down on his luck and out of money. I was going to be the next one to run out of money, but I had a good hunch on the next race - I thought I new which three would come in on top. The problem is that I had no confidence in placing them in order. So, I enlisted BayLee in putting them in order for me. He told me what order, and I told him that if we won, I would share the winnings. Bottom line is that together we won $160!!! He was in seventh heaven when I gave him his half.



Drew wanted to give it a try with me. So we took our $6 up and bet the same sort of trifecta boxed (that means we didn't have to take the risk of putting the winning horses in any sort of order - but the payoff wouldn't be as great). The problem was that we weren't as lucky this time around....it was a good lesson for Drew, BayLee and Papa!



We all left the races feeling like we had a pretty fun day. On the way home, Tracy took us up to a site where we could overlook the city - oh my it was so beautiful - much prettier than these pictures show. My lesson here was NOT to take pictures with the camera facing the sun! Even if the view is pretty from that direction!






It was a fabulous end to a wonderful day. My only wish is that if it could have been shared with My Oregon family!

Traveling on the Train

I always say that having my daughters in two different states is bittersweet. In a long 16 hour train ride, my emotions bounce between excited and happy to sad and back to excited and happy again. Excited to get on the train and see the kids I've missed, sad to be leaving my DH or whichever family I am leaving at the time and then excited and happy to see the kids I am visiting. It doesn't matter which family I am leaving or going to. I've been very lucky to have my girls close to me and the grands all in one city until this past 6 months. So, here are a few pics of my arrival in Eugene in March. Simply put - it was cold and wet - I love the rambuncious greeting I always get from the little girls....they always seem like they are so excited to see me...so do Kesch and Dale - what a wonderful feeling.





When I get back to California, I'm always greeted with lots of love and open arms also! It's so wonderful to be able to spend time with my loving family. It won't be long, and hopefully Al will be traveling along side me!

Sometimes its just about Grammy thinking your cute!

An Easter Treat . . .

. . . would she really eat a FROG???

Alameda Fleamarket Fun!!!

I was in the height of glory at the Antiques on the Bay Fleamarket! There were over 800 merchants and there were thousands of people attending. It's every month on the first Sunday of the month.



The pins were what I purchased. I really did well with those rabbits. I bought them at a fraction of what one would have cost to buy online! They will both go into my personal collection. One is signed Karu Fifth Avenue, and is copyrighted 1940. The other one is not signed - because Karu often made jewelry to be sold by lower end department stores. The higher end stores sold the signed jewelry.

The bird pin is not signed, but shows signs of being quality jewelry with the heavy rhodium backing and excellent quality stones (even though they show some black spotting - so I will have to replace them eventually). This pin will also go into my personal collection. There is such a thrill when I find a great peice of jewelry - the "hunt" is so much fun...and then the research of what it is....it's all what collecting is about!


Al had a great time also - he loved seeing all of the old antiques, and loved being on the military base. The fleamarket is held on Alameda Docks near where the USS Hornet (a retired aircraft carrier) is located. The docks were once runways. There is some amazing history in this area! On a side note, this is also near where I was born - nearly 58 years ago this year! Ugh, I think that qualifies me as an antique? Or am I just vintage?

Baseball Season - BayLee is Catching and Pitching

When BayLee isn't catching, he's either pitching or is first base man. He's got speed on his side, so they like to put him in the catchers position. He loves the sport, and is good at it - I think it comes natural to him, as both Scott and Papa Emery were great baseball players. The team plays twice a week, and Tracy is head coach. It's fun to go to the games, because both Drew and BayLee play on the same team. Sometimes, BayLee pitches and Drew catches...that is when I love watching them play!

KC's Walking

KC is really finding his independence! He loves toddling around finding new things to look at. This is a Saturday Baseball game day. It was about 80 degrees, and he was too hot to wear his heavy sweatpants that we put him in that day. He must have walked 50 miles this day....and I must have videoed most of the 50 miles!