Friday, July 15, 2011

Hello from me on a wet Friday arvo here in Perth...I wasn't going to post today but (how many times have you heard me say that?) I found something special while I was cleaning out the linen cupboard that I wanted to show you.

Look...

my most treasured vintage pennant of all

It belonged to the real Lucy Violet, my husband's Nan. I'd forgotten all about it and finding it tucked away on the very top shelf was such a lovely surprise. My husband and I found it when we were packing away Lucy's house when she died at very nearly one hundred years old! It is in wonderful condition and has obviously been looked after over the years...Lucy Violet must have treasured it as much as we do now.

Lucy at ten, with her big sister Ruby who is sixteen in this pic

Then I remembered this little tin we found at the same time

can you read the inscription?
it says
To Lovey
Love from
Boy
1932
How incredibly sweet are those words? Lovey and Boy. Oh my. Boy was Lucy's husband, she also called him Tommy. Here they are before they were married

on the back of this photo Lucy has written
Lucy and Tom, the youngest of the Four Musketeers (as we four call ourselves)
More sweetness...unfortunately I know nothing about the Four Musketeers, I wish I did...

This is what Lucy kept inside her little tin from Boy


I wonder if the tiny shell is from the beach in St Kilda?
( the newspaper article is about the marriage of my husband's parents)

Here she is on her wedding day

look at that bouquet...water lillies...beautiful

I still have Lucy's wedding dress, but in the tradition of mending and making do Lucy dyed it blue and made it into a suit. I need to wear sucking-in pants to wear it though, her waist was tiny!
(my wedding dress was very similar to Lucy's btw)

We have lots of other treasures too including Lucy's teen-age diaries and her love letters to and from Boy which are charming and lovely and quaintly innocent. I promise, there will be more about Lucy Violet to come...

Now for something colourful

my favourite shelf in my clean and tidy linen cupboard...

and I don't think I'm letting the cat out of the bag when I tell you that I think Kel is planning to host another wonderful vintage sheet swap soon...check out her blog here and send her some love and encouragement if you're interested in being part of it. You can see the lovely vintage sheet fqs I received  here

As always, thanks for reading, take care and have a lovely, lovely weekend x

just one of the tea towels sent to me from lovely Scarlett


22 comments:

  1. Oh how wonderful was that post I do love a family story and snaps.Now I know where Lucy Violet came from and I love the name Violet I bet if I was still procreating id call my next daughter that lol.I do have a grandaughter called Ruby tho.I would love to see Lucys wedding dress that was.and anything else of hers that stuff is all right up my alley.Love that last tea towel too I am off to see the sheet swap info xxx

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  2. Oh how lovely! That gave me tears and goosebumps. What a beautiful lady indeed:)

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  3. Everybody in the whole wide world needs to have a Lucy Violet in their life, what and incredible collection of personal mementos.....just beautiful.

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  4. i love this post sooo much! The tin she kept is precious!

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  5. oh i loved this post and learning a bit more about Lucy Violet and what lovely treasures you have from her. There is nothing better than looking at old photos, plus that tin is beautiful.

    Great tt pick - the year i was born! ;o)

    Scarlett x

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  6. I have been a little slow popping over to visit people who have been kind enough to post on my little blog. What a treat to discover your blog- I am completely hooked- want to go back and read every post ( perhaps when my children start sleeping again). Is your blog header your lounge room? It is glorious, love all the colour. Also the history on Lucy Violet was gorgeous, I bet she and Ruby would be so pleased to see that their names are massively in fashion again. Have a lovely weekend. melx

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  7. oh wow what a lovely post. My gr'daughter is Lucy, and during my DiL's pregnancy it was decision to be made between Lucy or Ruby..
    actually between Lucy Diamond or Ruby Tuesday....
    she's Lucy Diamond!! and a precious one too.♥

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  8. That is a truly lovely story, arn't people amazing. I love the photo of the two sisters together, and all her little treasures,. You keep her memory alive....hope someone does that for me one day xx My eldest is named Tommy..
    Sophie

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  9. Oh my. Everything I was going to say flew out of my head when I saw your vintage sheet/fabric stash. Oh oh oh. Love.

    And yes - the family photos and tales are great too. It always makes me feel a bit sad though - those young lovely peeps getting old and all.

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  10. What a wonderful post - a great story! How lucky to have all those reminders of a wonderful woman.
    Liz

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  11. What a wonderful post. Lucy is absolutely lovely. I really enjoyed hearing a little bit about her life and seeing her beautiful photos. Great way to appreciate the people who are the reason why we're here =)

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  12. How lovely to have that history the keepsakes and love letters....so romantic....love the pic of the girls with their big floppy side bows so sweet...and what a collection of sheets they so remind me of childhood we had white sheets with blue lions on them and some crazy forest pattern sheets are so plain now or is just cos l've grown up?

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  13. how lovely kylie, she sounds and looks like a wonderful woman and it's just lovely you have some of her treasures to keep treasuring. I'd love to see the wedding dress/suit too.
    ps your sheet-shelf is like an indoor rainbow, I cant stop looking at those green bamboo numbers x

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  14. helloooooooooooooooooooo Kylie!!!!! Guess what! Your dress is cut and on my kitchen table ready to finish - I expect it will be in the post this week. I am sorry it has taken me a little longer than I expected... What treasures you have - I love Lucy and Boy's story - how special. Also love your latest tea towel - I think its my favourite. I will definitely be in the next swap - what a champion kel is!!

    COMPLETELY JEALOUS - of your fabric - not that my own collection isn't taking over the house - I just can't seem to get enough... It is a full fledged addiction...

    bec x

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  15. What wonderful family heirlooms! I called my husband over after reading this post and showed him the photos of the tin and the pennant, and the lovely vintage photos. We don't have too much from our grandparents or great-grandparents because unfortunately they threw a lot of it away. We hope to create wonderful collections for our own grandchildren one day :)

    x Jasmine

    PS. Love that you're from Perth! I spent much of my childhood there :)

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  16. Oh my. I loved that story so much. What a beautiful collection of family history. It seems so rare to have such a full(ish) picture of someone special who is no longer around. The Lovey and Boy tin made me flutter, how special. Looking forward to more on the lovely Lucy Violet.

    (I think the glitch that has stopped me commenting for eternity may be fixed, fingers crossed!)

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  17. such a beautiful post. those treasures are just priceless. thank you for sharing and warming my vintage sheet loving heart. your fabrics are also quite divine. :) lucy violet is a leader in all things vintage. x

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  18. Hi Kylie, thanks for your lovely comments over at Olive and Esther! I l-o-v-e this story, so lovely and thank goodness Lucy's treasures have landed in your lap. They are safe with you and Lovey and Boy's sweet story will live on.

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  19. Hi Kylie, love your story about Lucy V (such a good name!). More please!

    I gasped when I saw your favourite shelf. All that vintage sheet goodness. I can't bear it! I hadn't sold anything on ebay for an age and I've just sold a 70s pink flowery sheet which I'm now regretting big time. I'm still lusting after your vintage sheet quilt, although I'm going to make a duvet cover in a similar stylee methinks. Must stop selling vintage sheets then!

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  20. Lucy Violet's wedding dress is just stunning.

    Thanks for the cookbook tip, btw. Will keep my eye out for it.

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  21. Hi Kylie, what a fabulous post. How lucky you are to have such special pieces. Lucy Violet is such a pretty name. Tamara x

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  22. This is such a sweet post. I love family history, even if it is not my own. And Lucy's past treasures are absolutely gorgeous. I also enjoyed the old pictures.

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