Our Darlings

Today I took out the suitcase where I keep my very special treasures in order to put away the 1950's glass set that my mother bought me yesterday. Whilst doing so, I decided that I'd have a look through two antique books that I bought a couple of years ago.

Both are from the annual series "Our Darlings: The Children's Treasury of Pictures and Stories". From what little knowledge I can compile, the series existed approximately from 1881 until the 1930's or 1940's, and was published by John F. Shaw & Co.

I showed these books to my Grandma and she said that she had an annual just like them when she was a little girl in the 1920s, and still has it kept stowed away in a cupboard.

This was the first book I found. It was in a charity shop sitting upon a shelf for $10.00 and I simply had to have it. I felt that if I did not buy it would get neglected and even more damaged by uncaring hands. I couldn't let that happen to such a special book that a child once adored many, many years ago.

It is bound with faded red cloth, is 288 pages long, and contains both uncoloured illustrations as well as 12 coloured prints separately glued onto individual thin cardboard-like pages dispersed throughout the book, with approximately one per five stories. The front cover features a young boy and girl eating from a basket of apples. There is no date anywhere inside the book to indicate when it was published, but I have derived some clues. Upon the back cover is a black and white advertisement for Nestle's Milk. Within the advertisement it reads "For full particulars see "Nestle's Baby Book, 1920," the most wonderful Baby Book ever compiled..."

From this I gathered that the company would not recommend a book of theirs published years ago. It would have to be fairly recent and contain the most up-to-date information for consumers. Thus I am estimating that this particular edition of the annual series was published between 1921, and 1925 at the very latest.

The second book I found in a secret book store hidden within a back street in the main of my town. It was certainly the most wonderful book store I have ever come across in my life. It had a huge collection of antique books, magazines, song books, post-cards and paper ephemera. The prices were too dear for me to afford but it was so beautiful just being in there. The atmosphere was so magical. Then, one day I went to visit the store and I was greeted with some good news, but unfortunately some bad news as well. The store was having a 75% off sale as it was not receiving enough business. This meant not only that now I could afford to buy, but it also meant that it was closing down.

I bought two things that day. There were plenty of beautiful books galore for such low, low prices! But I didn't buy them. I honestly don't know why I didn't. I very much regret not buying more, and I think I always will.

Along with a 1960's pop song booklet including The Beatles, I bought this.

It is bound with faded dark green cloth, is 192 pages long, and like the first book contains both uncoloured illustrations as well as 12 coloured prints separately glued onto individual thin cardboard-like pages dispersed throughout the book, with approximately one per five stories. The front cover features a young boy and girl playing on the grass with a black and white dog. The back cover features an advertisement for Hovis Bakery. Thankfully there is quite an accurate indication of when the book was published. Written upon the inner front cover is the message "Wishing You Many Happy Returns, From Ray, 22/10/27". This means that this edition was most likely published in either 1926 or 1927, depending on the month of the annual's publishing each year.

(Information: 1.)

A Little Thrifty Gift

Today my mother brought me home the most wonderful gift! It is a set of five 1950's shot glasses made in Italy. They are green, white, red, yellow and blue, each with three gold bands around the rim, and a single gold band around the bottom. She gave them two me in two parcels of newspaper. When I opened the first to find one white and one blue I was so happy. But when I opened up the second parcel to also find a green, red and yellow one as well I was absolutely delighted! I was even all the more glad when my mother reminded me that my Grandma has a bigger glass set very similar that she must have received as a wedding present in the early 1950's. I cannot wait to tell her next time we talk on the phone.

So there it is. My first glass set, and I couldn't ask for a more beautiful one.

The irony of the whole thing though is that I don't at all drink!

Just Some of My Treasures

This morning I was waiting for the right moment to take my pin curls out (which didn't turn out, mind you) and I got a little bored. So I decided to take a few pictures of some of the things about my room.
Here is one of my closets. I store even more such as my scarves, belts and vintage bags on the inner side of the doors, not shown here. There's even more bags stacked up behind the clothing on top of that suitcase, which in itself contains even more things vintage like teacups, books, tea-towels and other odds and ends. I've got plenty more shoes than that too. *sigh*
Perhaps someday I'll take out and photograph each of my vintage pieces of clothing individually too.


Hot pink 1960's hot rollers. These were just lying about downstairs. I've no idea where they came from or who they belonged to, but they're mine now! My mother's hat box that I keep my berets and fisherman's caps in, a couple of vintage pocket mirrors and a couple of vintage purses, a beautiful burnt orange vintage address book shaped like a telephone (I can't remember where that came from either), some beads, and a vintage chocolate box. I was at a charity shop and I saw this beautiful box open and filled with magnets. I asked the elderly lady working there if I could purchase the box alone. Though she gave me a very funny look, she was kind enough to let me have it for free! I keep my vintage gloves in it now.


My little collection of vintage gloves. There is more underneath what is pictured. I've also pictured a little purse, my mother's pill box, a beaded Peter Pan collar, an atomizer and a vintage pocket mirror.


This is my vintage jewellery box. It was given to me by a very special family friend. I always used to look through this box and her collection of jewellery as a little girl and adored it. I'm so grateful that she passed it on to me. I've got plenty more jewellery than this too.
These clip-on daisy earrings are the latest addition to my jewellery collection. I was up the coast the other day and decided to get off at an antique store that I always pass, but have just never been in before as I'm not quick enough to press the button for the bus to stop on time. There were only $2.50, suited my ring, and just being perfectly beautiful sitting there in a glass case, so naturally I had to buy them. I also bought a vintage ladies wristwatch, black painted on gold with hand-painted flower details for $5.00. Perhaps I'll show that to you another time.
The pink striped earrings and the brown ring were passed on to me with the jewellery box.
This is still not all my earrings. I've got a stack of Edie Sedgwick looking ones too.

And here is what the walkway outside my room looks like. Beautiful, beautiful orange tiles. My house was built in the 1970's and still has many of its original trappings which I have always adored. Perhaps that is one of the things that influenced my life long love of the past.