WELCOME to HAPPY TO BE...This is a blog about my love of Antiques, My family, humor, as humor keeps us laughing and my every Day life...I hope you enjoy your visit...Please leave me a comment to let me know you Came by so I can visit with you Thank You !!...Hugs and Smiles, Gl♥ria

December 17, 2008

~ LIONS IN WINTER ~

Hey Guys...well My Grand Great Daughter has not been born yet...Mother is now schedule for 7 am tomorrow for delivery... Her name will be Kyra Shea...and as of December 4 th she was 7 lbs 12 ozs...I can't hardly wait for her to come...What a wonderful Christmas present my Grand son and his wife Heather are giving me for Christmas...YAHOO !!! Thought I would share my love of Lions with you today...I am a Leo and was a member of the Lions club for many years...So when I found this Dining Room set in 1980 it just SCREAMED my name....This set came from an estate sale in upper New york City and I am the second owner of it ca. 1880 .... Now this is the side board and it all tiger oak and very heavy...just wanted you to see all the detail of work that was put into it...as it all hand craved....
This is the front of it...it is over 6 ft long...and can you see all the Lions on it??? the 2 on the top are called Griffiths because they are winged Lions...


Now here a look at the side of the top...with the winged Lions...


This is not a very good shot of the table top...but the table has 3 leafs and 6 chairs that go to it and it opens up to 11 ft...


This is one of the chairs and it has all the original Horse hair stuffing and upholstery on it...its never been recovered since it was made...




Now this is the base of the table....its has 4 winged Lions holding it up and it also has a fifth leg that hide when there are no leafs in the table...right now I have 1 leaf in it...even the sides of the table are craved...love the claw feet on it also...








Now you can see the fifth leg... and let me tell you this table is hard to pull apart....without the leaf these half column will close and become one column...and you can't see the fifth leg at all...







This is just a shot of the end of the table base...see how beautiful those winged Lions are..they even has teeth....I was told it took over a year to hand crave this complete set and it was a special order item.....






This is the Lions on the china Cabinet... this set has 2 China cabinets with it...someone years ago must of loved Dish's like Gollum does to have 2 of them made...








this is just a shot of the top of china cabinet...and yes I have junk on top of it... I also collect dolls so this was a good place for me to put a couple old buggy and stroller...all the crystal here was my Grand mothers and Mama's... Hope I didn't bore you to death with my Dining room set...but just wanted to show you some of the pieces that came with it...there is also an Ice Box that match's it and High Chair...I will show those one day when I have more time...and not waiting for baby...







Hope all of you have a safe and Blessed day...only one more week to go and the BIG BOY will be up on my roof !!! and with the snow we have right now he should feel right at home !!!

Hugs and smiles Gloria









47 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh My Gloria!!! What a beautiful Antique Diningroom set you have there! It's so exquisite! The details are CWAZY! I love it! (Lucky You!!!!)

Now about that sweet granddaughter of yours.. she knows it's cold outside! She is in no rush to come out! (LOL) She is staying where the heat is!!!! (SMILE)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Donna Marie

Anonymous said...

Oh My Gloria!!! What a beautiful Antique Diningroom set you have there! It's so exquisite! The details are CWAZY! I love it! (Lucky You!!!!)

Now about that sweet granddaughter of yours.. she knows it's cold outside! She is in no rush to come out! (LOL) She is staying where the heat is!!!! (SMILE)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Donna Marie

Melissa Miller said...

Hi Gloria,
Leos must stick together so when you're ready I will take that gorgeous detailed sideboard. LOL! ;)
All of it is exquisite. You must be so happy to own it.
How exciting about the new great-grand daughter!!!
Love her pretty new name.
Let us know how it all goes for them.
~Melissa :)

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

Gloria, this dining room furniture is gorgeous! What detail! I also love that Christmas platter that is on the sideboard! laurie

Four Paws and Co said...

Gloria,
Your dining room furniture is beautiful & the craftsmanship is amazing. I'd love to hear how you became the 2nd owner.

Tomorrow's going to be a very exciting day when baby Kyra arrives! Let us know who you think she looks like. ♥

Diane

Deb said...

No, I'm not bored at all, I think it's lovely! Do you have both china cabinets? I would love to have a table that extends to 11 feet, but I don't have the room for it. Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed seeing it. Deb

Anonymous said...

Oh Gloria this is stunning furniture!!! That sideboard is exquisite- my furniture looks good from a distance but nothing like this! In fact my dining room table had a bungie cord around one of the legs as it got broken in the move last year- DH didn't want me to take it off but I couldn't leave it on with all you wonderful women coming over for the Christmas tour!!

How sweet to sent Lynne that precious plate it is perfect in her home!!

I love the new header look too!

blessings
mary

Anonymous said...

Oh I forgot- I am so happy for you with a little one coming your way!! I am yet to be a grandma! Waiting anxiously for someone to get married even!

Chari at Happy To Design said...

Hey Girlfriend...

Well before I say anything...I want to give Kyra Shea an early welcome...I'll be praying for both Mommie and baby tomorrow!!! Ooooh, I bet you're soooo excited!

Gloria, I truly believe that is the most fabulous dining set that I've ever laid eyes on...it's magnificent!!! I'm a Leo also...and I just love those grand looking lions!!! The entire set is just "out of this world"!!! And....I love your pretty Christmas vignette on top of the buffet...it's beautiful!!!

Love ya Sweetie...
Chari

Rattlebridge Farm said...

Congratulations on your granddaughter!

That tiger oak sideboard is a treasure, and so are the chairs. Just gorgeous, gloria!

Loved your china cabinet, too!

Tootsie said...

Good lord Gloria...you need to get rid of the little sheet of paper and start me a book! put 'er' on MY LIST BABY....
I am going to need a semi to haul all this stuff home...and my sofa set, and the "potty"lol baptism bowl...etc etc....man....I am in love with your set!
Now...I am a BULL (taurus) but even pig headed Bulls love lions!
I am right this minute working on a post that you are going to need to read... it will be up on Friday morning....
until then...I am going to get that bust...(not a boob job to those that don't know) BUST....and ship it as soon as I can....I will be thinking of you!
I might even take a photo and see how she looks in my house! lol
"BIG SQUEEZE" as Busy puts it (hug)
love you

Tootsie said...

CORRECTION!!!! my blog post is up now...thursday...Friday is a fun one...and you should like it too...but please read Today

Kat said...

This is beautiful, the carving is so intricate. I can't believe the condition it is in. Congratulations on the great granddaughter, what a pretty name. Have fun today! Hugs, Kathy

Sue said...

Min sweet G!! I'm so happy for you, a brand new baby for Christmas, how wonderful is that! I'll say a prayer for the safe delivery, Kim had a C-section too, it was a very tense day!! Gloria your diningroom furniture is beautiful and massive, who lifted those pieces?? Gosh girl you have the most fabulous furniture!! Is your snow still sticking around or have you had to turn the AC on? LOL! Thats what it seems like these days with this wacky weather! No snow for us yet, it's staying up north of us! Hope your day is great G!! TTYL! xoxoxo

Lynne (lynnesgiftsfromtheheart) said...

Good morning sweet Gloria, I love your new header..so rich and elegant looking. Your furniture is "gorgeous" girl. Is this the table you're going to eat at with the family this Christmas? Honey that looks like some primo stuff on top that beautiful china Cabinet...you best lock the doors today..someone will want to take off with that.
I'm so sorry about the monitor. Why can't these companies get it right? Yes.. I suggest calling your internet provider. They'll walk you through the problem. That's what mine did last summer off and on..
Oh your new grandbaby is quite the gift for Christmas..and her name is just beautiful..hugs ~lynne~

Justine said...

Wow Gloria, what a wonderful dining room set! I can only imagine how much something like that would cost these days. All that hand carving! Incredible!!!!

Justine :o )

Anonymous said...

Hi Gloria, love that dining room set. I'm also a Leo and I can roar like a lion , if need be . LOL


Love ya,
Chris

Kristen said...

Congratulations on your granddaughter...what a pretty name

Your header is so beautiful and your dining room is amazing

Jessica said...

Morning Dear Gloria~ What a beautiful name for your great grandaughter. Yep~ I'm doing the happy dance. :)

I have never in my life seen such exquisite detail like your sideboard, table & china cabinet. Your collections are amazing and to know the history behind them is delightful!

Have a wonderful day sweet friend!

Hugs~ J

Anonymous said...

Good morning, Gloria. I know you are so very excited about the new baby. Just in time for Christmas, what a wonderful gift, indeed!

I'm a Leo, too. I love your furniture. It's fabulous!

Missy Wertz said...

Gloria, that is breathtaking.

You are going to have a Christmas baby!!!!

niartist said...

GLoria,
What beautiful pieces you have! That buffet is simply stunning and I love how you've draped it for Christmas! Beautiful, just beautiful!

Anonymous said...

OH GLORIa,you have been so truly blessed.your furniture is jusr awesome.and i love the way you decorated your side board and your table.awesome,just awesome...ann
p.s.cograts on the new baby what a blessed gift,

xinex said...

Oh Gloria, thank you for showing us your lion cabinet and dining table. You know, I love anything with lions in it. If you ever get tired of them, I have just the perfect place for them. LOL!...Christine

onlymehere said...

Exquisite! What a pure joy it must be to lovingly polish this and eat at it. Be still my heart, I love it!

nikkicrumpet said...

WOW the detail on that furniture is amazing. Really a stunning set! And I'll be keeping your soon to arrive great grand daughter and her mom in my prayers!

Anonymous said...

Morning, Dear ONe! Oh, I hope your little granddaughter makes her appearance to the world soon and mommy to be will have a safe and happy delivery.

Now, these pieces are so beautiful. What treasures you have. Of course, I've never seen anything like these and they're marvelous. Love all the details and the lions. This oak is the most beautiful! You have the most gorgeous antiques!! I love it.
Have a wonderful day, my friend.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Helen said...

I can't recall when I've seen such an amazing collection of antique furniture! It is truly beautiful. Looking so forward to news of grandbaby's arrival. I can tell from everything you write, you are a special person!

Lady Katherine said...

How beautiful this is! I know you are so proud to own this set! What a lovely Christmas gift, a grandchild to be born.

Chrissy...The Apothecary Shop said...

Wow, talk about detail, can you imagine the time that must have taken? So glad you came by and that you liked the bedroom!!

Terrie's Lil' Piece of Serenity said...

Gloria, You are so lucky to have so many beautiful treasures. Your diningroom set is amazing. What a lucky girl you are to own it.

And a new baby in the family for Christmas. it just doesn't get any better than that!!
Hugs, Terrie

Kathysue said...

Hi Gloria, this is an absolutely beautiful set and so unique, what a wonderful find, I am sure you will never see another like this.It looks amazing in your home.Love it!Kathysue

Bo said...

Hi Gloria...aren't you the lucky one! A great grand daughter for Christmas! Love her name too...
holy-moly, your house is a veritable Fort Knox in value..I hope you are highly insured...you have such an amazing collection!!!
;-) Bo

Salmagundi said...

That is the most elegant dining room set I have ever seen. Those Victorians really knew how to do things up glorious, didn't they? What a treasure for you!!! Sally

Jill said...

Gloria I am so excited for you! BABY!!!! WOOO HOOOOOOO! What a Christmas present and someone other than Santa is delivering it. LOL! YOu must post lots of pictures !:)

Unknown said...

Hi Gloria,
Congratulations on the birth of the Kyra..how exciting to have a new little one for Christmas!

I love your furniture. Tiger oak is one of my favorites!

Theresa @ Take A Sentimental Journey said...

Yep !! you can leave me that set in your will honey !
Wow, Gloria that is awesome girl !

Congrats on the new granddaughter.

Confessions of a Plate Addict said...

Oh Gloria...You do have the most gorgeous things! I want to go shopping with you one of these days...Love it!...Debbie

bj said...

Now that is some dining room set...I know you are very proud of it and I can see why...those kind of goodies doon't come along very often...
Merry Christmas...
bj

Confessions of a Plate Addict said...

Oh Gloria...See...that's why I need to go shopping with you. I didn't see past the cows! That cookie jar is a cutie! I'll pay closer attention next time I go!!! And...who are those frenchy looking people in the frames on your sideboard?...Debbie

Lady Katherine said...

Thanks for coming by, as you have your tea. I did not notice yesterday that the side board has a mirror on top! Lovely! I looked closer. The two small prints on it, I have two on my mantle that are so similar, if not the same print. I do not know who they are, found them years ago. Mine are in a little wooden frame with fabric matt and oval glass over each print.

Anonymous said...

GOOD MORNING MOM,
I LOVE U AND CANT WAIT 2 SEE U 2 MORE DAYS YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE YOU DAWNA

Lynne (lynnesgiftsfromtheheart) said...

Hey ay cutie, We just got lights back on after the ice last night. Had to call out the furnace man. The theromstat wasn't working right. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus he didn't charge me a dime. :-)That was a blessing for sure. I'm glad you noticed the new picture..you're the first. I can "always" count on you .. I know you're one busy little bee getting ready for Sunday.. Wish I could help, oh shoot that won't work we're having our own on Sunday..well just know I'll be there in spirit..lol. I hope you're having a terrific day my friend...hugs ~lynne~

Carrie said...

I enjoyed seeing your grand dining room set. Each piece is so beautifully designed with those fine lion carvings. To have two china cabinets would be a dream come true since I have so many sets of dishes.
Thanks for taking the time to photograph these pieces as you await the birth of your great grand child.

FrenchGardenHouse said...

Gloria, what a beautiful, beautiful table and china cabinet. I love all the detailing, and the Lions and pretty much ALL of it!'

Congratulations on your new great grandbaby...what a sweet Christmas it will be with a baby.
xo Lidy

Glenda said...

I was perplexed for a moment about where I could place this furniture until I realized I don't have a space problem any longer, thanks to Debbie. On our recent shopping trip she gave me unlimited virtual cash. I purchased so much that I had to build a virtual house to display all my new found goodies. I know I can fit this set right in, when you tire of it.

Gloria, I have a serious question for you. Are you "living" in a museum? It is so hard for me to believe someone so young has had enough time to acquire so many gorgeous quality treasures. Are you a curator? Remember dear, confession is good for the soul.

Congrats on the expected arrival.

Susan (Between Naps On The Porch.net) said...

Wow! This is an amazing set! I can't believe how many pieces it has to it. What a treasure...I love the winged lions! The carving is spectacular! Gorgeous...just gorgeous! I'm so glad you have a blog, Gloria and we can see all these amazing pieces!!! Susan