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

November 29, 2010

~ Christmas from the past~













This is my kitchen from 2008 so it really is a Christmas past...I love to put out gingerbread men in my olden kitchen each year and also try and add at least one new piece to my collection... Now this is the top of my Old wood burning stove...the long glass container is from a bakery and held Fresh baked cookies at one time...behind it is an old scale and I have one of my Blue and White Pitcher and a Butter churn sitting on it...you can also see another Blue and Gray Pitcher in the window...and of course the snow man sitting in a spatter ware bowl.. Now this is the front of the stove...I bought this right out of a collector home about 25 years ago and I love the fact that the oven doors are on the side and it opens from either side..click on any picture and get a closer look at it...this stove is ca. 1900 all the front is porcelain and its triangle shape and I have never seen another like this shape...

Now this is just another space I created...I had the Handy Man go between the studs and add more cabinet space for me to put my Old general store Candy Containers and my TV In ...hey I got to have a TV in the kitchen and didn't want to give up counter space...next to this is a Camel Cigarettes display case from ca. 1940 that I use to put more spatter ware and yellow ware bowls in..on the floor in front are more Butter churns..and that thing with magazines is a Grain scoop and it sits on a Shaker Grain box...

Now this is the back of the Bean Counter that came from a General Store ca. 1880 it has 18 drawers in it...I use it as an Island in my Kitchen...I had the maple cutting board made for the top...I do use this every day...

Now this is the Front of the Bean Counter...all the glass fronts are only maybe 2 inches in depth and this is what you would see at the store and say give me a pound of Beans etc..and all the beans etc would be in the drawer's that I already show you...So this has 18 glass fronts to go with the 18 drawers....I already show you the De Laval Cream parts cabinet I have at one end of the Bean counter and these are some of my Old Picnic Baskets at this end...I keep Potatoes,Onions, and Paper Plates in them...Great storage for me!!!


Now this is my HELLOOOO !!! that you !!! phone that I have hanging at the end of my top cabinets...see I even added some Holly Greens to it and of course a Gingerbread Man... The little book hanging on the phone is an instruction book on how to use a phone....bet this was before Cell phones ?


This is a National Candy Store cash Register and a Hamilton Beach Milk shaker maker that still works... the white thing you see hanging there are paper towels that hang from an Old set of Ice Tongs from my pot rack... Now the Granite on the top of the Bean counter I got when someone ordered it and then didn't want it...so its 8 ft long and I got it for $150.00 and really needed to put something on the top of counter...as people would sit wet drinks down on it and its all Tiger Oak..

Now this is just a Meat slicer from ca. 1880 and I use it to just sit things in...great display piece..




This is the other end of the Bean counter with my Chas Parker Coffee Grinder on it and a Blue and White Salt box that I keep my napkins in...and if you look real close you'll see I have a Gingerbread boy trapped in that jar...little tree of course from where else but Dollar Tree...



This is the counter next to my every day stove...I had this mini Bean Bin made to hold all my Chocolate chips and stuff I use to make candy with...I love this because I can move it to any counter top I want for a change and trust me its been all over my counters...Also another Bubble Gum Machine sitting in the corner...Now the Glass containers here are Planter Peanut Containers from a general store... I have nine of these from differ years..I don't use canisters in my kitchen but old glass containers instead..that way I can display them plus put them to use... for added storage...




Just another shot of the counter...my oldest Planter Peanuts container is the 3 one in picture..it still has all the original decals and paint on it...the one next to it is shaped like a Giant Peanut..and the first glass container has a tin lid its just from a soda fountain that sold Candy...I know you can buy new ones like these now days...but is is an old one...There are so many re-pops out there that when you collect you have to be careful you are getting the real thing...

I know my Country Kitchen is not for everyone...but hey !! I am a antique collector and I put things out that make me Happy To Be...So Please girls don't send the "Clutter Cops" after me lol!!!

My way of thinking is "I love it..I paid for it...and I'll clean it .... Hope all of you enjoyed another look into my Country Christmas Kitchen....


I'm joining Marty this week At " A Stroll Thru Life" Thanks Marty, hope you don't kick me out for showing olden pictures...

Until Next time from my mountain to yours,

Hugs and smiles Glria

Don't you love looking at old Christmas pictures and getting ideas on how to decorate this year...I know I sure do...I hope to be able to show you how I did my gingerbread kitchen this year...Right now I have a ton of boxes out all over the kitchen ha ha!! I love it when I unpack the things that I have forgot I even bought ha ha!!

November 23, 2010

~Many Thanksgiving Blessings~

I want to wish all of you a GREAT and Blessed Thanksgiving....















Many of you know I already had my Thanksgiving with my family on Saturday the 20th...It was a very Blessed and sad time for us as a family....





We all felted very Blessed that we got to see Jacob, his wife Morgan and his 2 sons Jeremiah (17 months) and Issac (2 months) ...You see my Grandson Jacob is being deployed on December 11th to Afghanistan and will be gone for a year....





As a mother and a grandmother I seen the joy and the pain in my daughter Dawna's eyes as she seen her son Jacob and his family and knowing she had to let go and see her son go off to war...As her mother I felted her pain and as a Grandmother my heart is just aching....
I seen Candace Jacob sister trying so hard for over a week to bring nothing but joy to our family..As she opened up her heart and home to all of us for a solid week...Candace is like our Little blue bird of Happiness in our family...she always goes out of her way to bring happiness to all, no matter that her house got thrashed, that she spend a solid week cooking meals for all of us and the million and one dishes that she washed, or the number of times she had to close the door because it was snowing out and kids kept leaving it open ha ha!! And Jeremiah still escaped through the doggie door in nothing but a diaper and t-shirt on and ended up walking next to the highway.....
So this Thanksgiving as you bow your heads...Please say a prayer for our service men and women who give us this freedom to be able to feel so blessed and thankful...
As a grandmother I could not tell Jacob good bye...I just held his face and looked at him with tears in my eyes....
I feel very Blessed to have this strong family in my life and to think that just maybe I had a small part in making them so strong....
I am so THANKFUL that God gave me this family to love and hold dear to my heart...
May all of you have a Blessed and Great Thanksgiving...
Until next time from my mountain to yours,
Hugs and smiles Gl♥ria

November 11, 2010

Sugarland - Stuck Like Glue


Did you guys watch the CMA awards last night...It was GREAT and one my favorite Vocal duo " Sugarland" performed their latest song " Struck like glue" I think Jennifer Nettles is just the cutest thing...And she can dance also...

OK I'm still on a blog break...been cleaning house and even added a fireplace to my bedroom will it a faux one ha ha!! It took Len over 2 hours to put it together...Oh girls !! that man fogged up my clean mountain air with his mouth can you say soap here ha ha!! It's not easy being ME...ha ha!!

OK I need to go food shopping now ...kids will be here on Monday can't hardly wait to get my hands on those sweet babies...Hope all of you have a GREAT weekend..

Until next time from my mountain to yours,

Hugs and smiles Gl♥ria

November 7, 2010

~Happy Blue~

Good Morning my Dear friends...Have you ever just walked around your home late at night and seen things that just make you Happy To Be or sad at the same time.... Everyone that comes by my silly blog knows how much I love stain glass windows right?? Well the ones in my DR are just my favorite one...You see I found these at my late FIL's house 25 years ago buried outside in the snow...I uncovered all the snow off of them and asked him where he got these from...as Papa would drag anything home and had some great stuff that people were just throwing away...These windows were from a Church that was tore down in Marion,Ill

Papa was always so kind to me...Told me Girl if you can get those thing's to California you can have them...Happy Dance time...I broke the speed of sound running to the phone to call a moving company...
These 4 windows were painted,chippy and about all the lead was coming apart...But I could see the hidden potential they had...It took me over 2 years to bring them back to their once was beauty...
I love to think about the many prayers that were said around these windows, I love to think about the many people that were Blessed around these windows, the many babies that were baptised in front of these windows..

These windows so remind me of real life...Some times when we meet people who are older...we need to look beyond the chippy paint and the missing lead...And see the hidden potential....



The best lessons I ever learned in life were at my Grandma knee...
My Granddaughter Allison is coming this week from Chicago and bringing my Great grandson Shane who is 5 months with her...Then on November 15th My grandson Jacob from Fort Hood, Texas is coming with his wife and 16 month old son Jeremiah and 6 weeks old Issac...This will be the last time we get to see Jacob before he leave for a year to Afghanistan..
So I'm going to be taking a break from blog land...Because just like these windows I feel like I'm buried under snow...
As everyone knows blogging is very time consuming and as much as I have learned to love you all to the moon and back...I love my family with all my heart...I won't be doing anymore posts for awhile...I will not be shutting down completely for now and will try and come by from time to time just to say a Big Howdy from my mountain top to yours,
Many Blessings to all of you that have support me this past 2 years...
Until next time from my mountain to yours,
Hugs and smiles Gl♥ria

November 2, 2010

~My Office/Indian Casino~

Hello Guys, I'm so happy to be joining in with Kim at Savvy Southern Styles for her first ever Before and after party...Thanks Kim for taking over this fun day from our Dear Debbiedoos...Boy how I miss that gal...
Please go by and see Kim...click Here.





Now 2 1/2 years ago I had a Wild hair day...Oh Yes I did I was sitting drinking my morning coffee and looking at the size of my LR...Well I really wanted to have an office of my very own...My LR was 640 feet so I just knew I could put a wall up and make it into 2 rooms...It had 2 windows at each end so I knew I would have plenty of light...Of course the first thing was to get Len on board with this idea..and he jumped on this for me...By the end of that day he had framed the wall in...





Girls I just squealed when he got this all done for me...

Of course I then had to add new carpeting and paint...But girls I tell you I just love having my own space...
It took us about a week to do it all ...This is where I blog from and pay the dreaded bills each month ha ha!!

The paint color is Valspar Mark Twain Tan...but it looks like a carmel apple to me...

Lawyer's book case ca.1910

This is a Victorian curtain rod that I made into a shelf...See the rings on the end of it...
I also have another one in my Master bathroom I use as a towel rack...



Love my table top diner music box




Here you can see the new wall...That now divides the LR from my office...


Antique Armoire I use to store all my movies and CD's in...




Now here are a few of my slot machines... If you would like to read all about these slot machines...Please click here




Pace Gum ball slot machine...it takes a penny




One of my old light fixtures..




More slot machines...
This one is from the Pioneer Club in Vegas




The Nugget Club Reno


That is a National Time clock that sits in the corner ca.1900 and of course another slot machine...







Just one of my stain glass windows...Oh I do love finding these and putting them in my home...
The floor lamp is from a funeral parlor...I know weird...but I told you I march to a guitar with a few strings missing ha ha!!


An Ostrich and Emu egg sit on the table...all with some old books...The Emu egg is craved and both eggs are from when we had a bird farm here...If you want to read about it click here.


The English bench is from ca.1800 and it opens up to allow extra storage for me...ha ha!!


The machine on the end there is a penny match vending machine from ca. 1930 I have had it a few months now and still have not found a place I want to sit it ha ha!! Have you guys ever had so much stuff you don't know where to stuff it anymore...

My favorite thing in my office and house is my 1947 Wurlitzer jukebox...here she is all lit up...Oh "Happy Days" Next to her sits Nipper the dog...Do you remember Nipper from RCA Records..




I hope you enjoyed seeing my little mini-casino today ha ha!! Hey Len is native American and I keep telling him I should open a casino here with all these slot machines he keeps bringing in ha ha!! He now has 15 of them...I kid you not his garage almost have room for a car ha ha!! He does love his machines...


Hope all of you have a GREAT day


Until next time from my mountain to yours,


Hugs and smiles Glria