Vintage Valentine Party

Sunday is Joan's Vintage Valentine Card Party at Anything Goes Here. She is sharing a fabulous group of Victorian valentines from 1901. You won't want to miss the story of how she got them! Be sure to visit Joan and the other participants listed on her sidebar. I have just 3 to share and they aren't the usual red valentines we are used to seeing. These came from Hubby's great grandmother's box of postcards that I shared before

Postmarked 1913

Postmarked 1907

Postmarked Feb. 16, 1910

Now, I know you're thinking this is not a valentine card but here is what it says on the back:

"Everyone else is getting Valentines. So I send you one too. Oro"

This was sent by Oro, hubby's great grandmother to his great-grandfather, Pop Smith. Not a lot of sentiment there and it sounds like she may be disappointed she hadn't received one from him yet. I'm learning from these postcards that Pop Smith worked out of town for long periods for the California State Highway Department and he wasn't one to write often. He did save the cards she sent though and brought them home so they must have been important to him. I hope your Valentine's Day is filled with love from the people who are important to you!

The Magic Quilt

I want to share this love filled quilt before Valentine's Day slips away. I kept meaning to post it on Rednesday but didn't get around to photographing in time. My daughter won it in a raffle last year at a Valentine's dance. It's a lap quilt made and donated by the Gateway Quilter's club of Merced.

There is a Nick Jr. preschool show called "Little Bill" based on Bill Cosby's childhood. Little Bill received a magic quilt from his grandmother. Each block had things to make him happy. It had been passed through the family to help chase away monsters and bad dreams at bedtime. As soon as my daughter got this she dubbed it her magic quilt. Whenever she is afraid or upset at night she sleeps with it. It works like a charm, just like the little poem says it will!

Rednesday and Thrifty Thursday

It's our last Rednesday before Valentine's Day so I'm sure our hostess Sue, at It's a Very Cherry World, and the other Rednesday participants will have lots of Red love to share! I've got a few Valentine decorations on my mantle and they were all thrifty finds so I'm also joining Leigh for Thrifty Thursday at Bloggeritaville.

I picked up a package of 12 vintage style Valentine cards at Ross for a dollar and some change. I'm afraid I was thinking LOVE and not thrifty so I don't remember the exact prices on some of these. The pug love shack was my favorite of the designs. You can just see the edge of the mosaic plaque that I posted about last Rednesday. I have it on a gold scrolly stand, of course! My green rooster from yesterday's post is also on the mantle and was from Big Lots a few years ago.

Here are some tins along with the footed flower bowl I shared on a previous Rednesday. Everything here came from Strawberry Saturday, my favorite thrift store. The small tins have hinged lids. They fit nicely in my kind of English Cottage living room.

I absolutely fell in love with this tin that looks like an open book. The pen and pocket watch are raised off the surface. The watch is scratched but I don't mind. I think I paid 3 or 4 dollars for it.

Finally, here is another romantic little vase with roses, butterflies and cherubs. It also was a few dollars. As often happens at Strawberry Saturday I go up to the counter with an arm load of stuff thinking I may have to put something back and then I'm surprised when the bill is much lower than I figured. Cheryl likes to keep her customers happy and coming back so she will often discount things. I never even try to bargain with her because her prices are so low to start with but she does it anyway! She is such a sweetie. I even saw her offer to deliver items to a lady in a wheel chair who had ridden the bus to the store and had too much to carry home.

If are ever in the Merced area make sure you stop by Strawberry Saturday on Yosemite Parkway and Marthella Ave. Along with her "gently used" items Cheryl also stocks items that follow the latest trends at cost to "class the place up" as she says. I didn't set out to do an ad here but most of these items came from S.S. and it really is a great place to dig for treasures. I mean that literally, she has a lot of stuff! Sorry for being so wordy today, didn't plan that either!

Il n'est plus tout jeune!

He may not be a spring chicken but he's put his heart into delivering a bit of spring to you via Kathy's Cottage. Like the U.S. postal service, he delivers through rain, sleet and snow! Thank you Kathy for offering your wonderful original designs in your Etsy shop. I "Y" my heart!

Title translation by WordReference.com.