What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Wednesday Treasures: Vanity, Oh Vanity! (not what you think)-Recycled

Good Morning Friends! Today is my Wednesday Treasure day, and I thought I would go back in time to a previous post about one of my favorite treasures.  This was originally posted on November 1, 2013, for what was then a blogging group called "Random Journal Day".  I am not sure if the link to that will still lead you anywhere since many of those bloggers have moved on to different blogs and may not have the same posts still available...so just disregard that part of this recycled post and move on to the real story, which was an excerpt from one of my old journals.  I hope you will enjoy this story about another special treasure.  I may make a few edits throughout to update it to today.

Original Post 11/1/2013:

Today is "Random Journal Day", when many of us old journalers look back through the dusty volumes of our past and randomly choose something to share with the rest of the world.  You never know what you are going to get on Random Journal Day!  It could be something sweet, or something sad. It may even be profound, or words written from a struggling soul...or like mine today, just some pleasant memories that were meaningful to me and I hope will have some lasting value for you as well.  So here we go...

I thought I would look for something written around this same time of year, so I landed upon a journal entry written on October 30, 1990 at 8:21 p.m.  However, in my first paragraph of this particular journal entry I referred to a previous entry, written a couple of months earlier, but referring to this same topic..."My Vanity".  So, in order to help this little story make sense, I must go back to the previous writing and go from there...please bear with me...this may be a long post!

August 4, 1990:

My bedroom at the time of this writing, 1990.
(Remember to click on pictures to enlarge for viewing)
"Right now I'm sitting in our bedroom on our lovely country blue and white bed and comforter, enjoying the freshly finished mahogany vanity.  I have a blue candle and sconce (chimney) centered in front of the mirror, and it's so lovely to watch the reflections of the flickering candle. It gives off such a soft glow which reflects on the shine of the rich wood and the many glass bottles of perfume and jars of pot pourri on the vanity.  Such a warm, cozy feeling it gives!  It helps me to enjoy and appreciate this little corner of my room.  I also have the lovely cut glass vanity lamps lit on my Grandma Tedlie's dresser~and they add a romantic and nostalgic aura to the room.  Someday perhaps my granddaughter (?) will enjoy and appreciate these links to the past!  I hope whoever receives them will feel a kindred spirit with the author of this book!  It would be fun to watch and see!  I wonder if we'll have that privilege from heaven?  Perhaps heaven will be too full of glory to be concerned with such things.  I hope to leave more of a heritage than just old furniture. Perhaps a love for the Lord."

Move ahead to October 30, 1990:

"After re-reading page 80 about my corner of the bedroom, I see I failed to give the details of the history of my newly-refinished vanity.  So, just for the record~the lovely mahogany vanity was given to me by my Dad for my 18th birthday~my last birthday at home before I got married!  Only when Daddy gave it to me he had "antiqued" it in the popular style of the day~a sort of light avocado green antiquing.  It was lovely, he did a wonderful job of finishing it.  I was so proud of that gift~the only piece of furniture I was to take with me from my old home to my new home.  The only gift I can really remember that my Dad prepared especially for me.  I remember the day he bought it.  We were shopping at a used furniture and antique store in the little town of Eustis.  I bought a special old fashioned plaque for my Mother...to give to her on Mother's Day.  It still hangs in her bedroom (at the time of this original writing...I have it back with me now.)

Anyway, as we were browsing around through the dusty, dark storage rooms of used furniture, Daddy discovered this vanity, and called it to my attention.  It was rather worn and faded looking, somewhat forlorn among all the cast-off furnishings of days gone by.  But it had a "regal" look~a graceful beauty that beckoned to me.  I'd never owned a "real" piece of furniture before~my room at home was rather simple~2 twin beds with no headboards, a large desk Daddy had made for my sister Doris and me to share~and a built-in dresser and closet. Neat, but plain.  The vanity had curves and style~I loved it~it made me feel like a princess.  Daddy bought it.  I don't remember how we got it home, but he set to work on it right away~smoothing down the rough edges and scratches~and then the finish~it was beautiful!  What a happy birthday it was for me!  18!! I don't remember anything else about that birthday, but about 12 days later I met my husband to be...and less than one year later~we transferred that vanity in a U-Haul trailer from my old home to our new apartment~our first home together!  It really didn't match any of our other furnishings, but then, none of our other furniture matched anything else!  We set up housekeeping with odds and ends of used furniture~which is another story in itself.  My Dad again came to the rescue in seeking out "good sturdy furniture" at a low price!  But the vanity stayed with us~through some 24 moves (then...many more now)...from house to house, apartment to house, state to state and back again!

For 21 years it sat in my room and held my jewelry, scarves, perfume, knicknacks and other special memories.  The right top drawer had bits of rice that was from our wedding day...

It sustained many knicks and bumps~the antiqued finish began to chip and peel off.  The mirror frame sustained a major injury and lost one of its Queen Anne curves~but I held on to it in hopes of someday restoring it.

Finally, after realizing it had become quite an eyesore, I determined to refinish it to its natural beauty.  So I began the process of stripping off the green antiquing~under that was a white coat of base paint more stubborn to remove, and under that a coat of varnish-and finally the original mahogany veneer.  During the stripping process I accidentally splashed some stripper into my eye and had an awful time waiting for it to heal.  You can believe I wore safety goggles after that!

Then we moved again~I had only finished the vanity table...not the mirror or stool.  So once again we move it, careful not to put any new scratches on it's freshly stained and tung-oiled surface. It sat in the corner of our new bedroom about eight months without its mirror or stool.  Finally during the summer I made up my mind to get it finished once and for all.  I took the mirror and stool to a professional stripper to remove the finish.  Then I brought it home and stained and oiled it to match the rest.  I covered the cushion of the stool to match our new bedspread and drapes, and then I stood back to admire this "old" friend who had become like new again! Transformed into a thing of beauty and pleasure to behold!
The Refinished Vanity, as she looked at the time of this
original journal entry in 1990

Oh, I know an antique dealer would probably snicker at the "value" of this piece of furniture~it's really not that old, or that good, but to me it is a treasure chest of memories--an old friend who's been by my bedside now for 22 years ( add another 23  30 to that today! (10/14/2020)...a precious link to my past...and my Dad."



 Well, today, this vanity has been with me for about 45  (52) years!  (I really was only one year old when I first got it! Ha!!!!)  It has a few more scratches and bumps and lots of dust.  It has traveled quite a journey with me...and I still hope to pass it down along with my Grandma Tedlie's dresser to a granddaughter someday...if I ever get one...(I currently have one wonderful grandson, and he just may have to take it someday)  or maybe to a great-granddaughter or niece.   I hope this little story will go with it wherever it goes...and that the recipient of this inheritance will possess something even more precious than this story:

1 Peter 3:3-4- A gentle and quiet spirit
"And let not your adornment be merely external-- braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. "
Proverbs 31:30- Fear of the Lord
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
This is how my vanity looks today...a bit cluttered...and
the bench disappeared sometime ago, and I think I
finally cleaned all the wedding rice out of the drawers.
I also have added an antique chamber pot...just in case...

I know that my Daddy, who is now up in heaven, would be pleased to know that I still treasure this gift and honor his memory by sharing this story.  I know my Heavenly Father, Who is also up in heaven, would be pleased to know that I treasure His gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ...and that I honor HIS memory by sharing His Story every chance I get!

I hope you have enjoyed this little journey back into my past.  What kind of special treasures and memories do YOU have to share?  

Here's a link to another story on restoration that you may find interesting as well: "Cracks in My Soul"

39 comments:

  1. Taking a small break today and came to read this wonderful post Pam! I certainly hope you print this out and tuck it deep into one of those drawers so it will always be with this lovely vanity. Susie

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    1. I feel honored to be one of the posts you took time to read in the middle of your busy day! :) That is a great idea...printing and putting in the drawer. Actually, the original journal with this story is already IN the drawer of the vanity, but I think this printed variety may be easier to read than my handwriting! I'm so glad you came over for a visit...now back to work! :) Love ya girlfriend...Pam.

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  2. Such a precious story you've shared with us, Pam. I love how you carried those pieces with you wherever you went. Your dad was a special man to take you antique shopping and giving you such treasures. I can relate to the "antiquing" technique" of those days. My mother bought me a beautiful rocking chair with all of the carving on the headrest part of the chair...and did the "antiquing" in blue. :)

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    1. Thank you, Dianna! Funny how old furniture can be such a connection to our past and to our future generations as well. Yes, My Dad was very special, as was my Mother. They are both missed every day...but I look forward to seeing them again someday. In the meantime, I will remember them with much love. Thank you for coming by for a little visit today!

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  3. I so enjoyed reading your post about your vanity, I could feel the love that you have for your father. What a special relationship you had with him. My mother gave me her wash stand that once belonged to her mother after I was married, I still have it today. I have loved it, painted it several times and used it for differant things. I took the top part off that was once used to hang a hand towel on and have regrated doing that. It now sits by my front door. Precious memories and I do believe our loved ones are watching down over us!

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    1. Oh yes...I feel that close connection with my sweet parents...I miss them so, but I really don't think heaven is all that far away. I've made some mistakes with other special antiques that are family "heirlooms" as well that I regret, but I have to keep things in perspective...as special as it is, it is still only wood that decays. Thank you for stopping by today and sharing this time with me.

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  4. This reminds me of the important old pieces we have in our home--ones we haven't lavished quite the love you have on your vanity. You encourage me to get going and return them to their original glory. Even in their dinged and tarnished state, they are greatly loved, but your post reminds me what they are beneath. Also what WE are beneath our dings and blemishes. Good stuff. Thanks.

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    1. Ah yes...you saw the underlying message that I didn't really capitalize upon in this post, but it was running around in the background of my mind. I was thinking I may have to expand this for another time, although I sort of already did in one on restoration http://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2012/05/cracks-in-my-soul.html Thank you, Carolyn, for visiting today. I've had you on my heart and mind...praying for your healing and "restoration" of body.

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  5. Pam: I have a couple of pieces of antique furniture. My grandmother's cedar chest and my great-grandmother's small library table. I have given my son instructions that if anything happens to me, the cedar chest (hope chest) goes to him. The library table goes to my dad's youngest first cousin. It belonged to her grandmother. This table was in my home as I grew up. The cedar chest was at the foot of my parents' bed. Someone made it for my grandmother who died as a result of childbirth complications a few days after my dad was born.

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    1. Oh, that must be a very special cedar chest. Such a treasure especially it must have been for your father. A connection to his mother who apparently didn't live to enjoy and raise her precious son. Wow. I love knowing the history of special pieces of furniture. That's why I wanted my future heirs to know why this vanity was so special to me. Thank you for sharing this with us.

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  6. Pam: I'm on a blogging sabbatical, but I couldn't miss out on the great posts from the faithful RJD crew...so glad I stopped by...I got wrapped up in your story and just enjoyed the journey! All the special memories...I love that God gave you this "altar of remembrance" to carry His faithfulness to you through the gift of a earthly father and your family moving around, yet clinging to Jesus all these years...you give me courage to keep walking with Him!

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    1. Thank you Kel, for stopping by even during your sabbatical! I feel honored by your presence here! Yes, we need to keep walking with Christ no matter where He leads us, because with Christ as our guide, we cannot go astray. Even if we try to...He will gently pull us back on track. There is no better path to follow than that! I'm glad you enjoyed this story. It is one of my favorite memories of my Dad here on earth. My Father in heaven continues to create special things for me every day...I've been truly blessed by both.

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  7. Beautiful Pamela! I love the chamber pot, grin. Have a great day friend.

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    1. Thank you, Linda. I actually have two chamber pots like that, one for each of us in case of a dire emergency! LOL. One can never have enough chamber pots as far as I'm concerned!!

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  8. Now, I can just tell you right now that I LOVE everything about this vanity and your story. The vanity is beautiful and just the kind of furniture I dreamt of having when I was in my teens. I am lucky to own some of that style now. Your story is my kind of story. I would rather have a piece of furniture with a story than anything new.

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    1. Thank you so much, Sandy. I am so glad you liked this story AND the vanity itself! Yes, I would have loved to have had it even younger as a teen, but as it was it became my special piece that came with me from my childhood home to my newlywed home, a link to my past into my future. It has taken a beating with all of our moves, but it still serves me well and I wouldn't trade it for a new piece of furniture for a million bucks. Thank you for loving it too!

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  9. Oh my goodness! If you did Random Journal Day then we have probably connected long before the last year or so. I wasn't a faithful participant in RJD, but I did join in at times and was a pretty close follower of Dawn P. back then. In fact, I'm mentioned in the dedication of her book. She's gone in a direction that just isn't me over the years so I have kind of faded out of sight. I do like the 200 day prompts she's doing now. Anyway, I bet we've crossed paths more than once over the years!

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    1. We did! I was curious so went and looked at Dawn's old RJD posts and in 2014 we were both featured monthly journal keepers!

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    2. We probably did...and I agree...I'm not into the journaling direction she has gone either, but we remain friends on Facebook and I do check in with her blog from time to time. I enjoyed doing the Random Journal Day until I kind of ran out of journals that I could share publicly! LOL. I do have Dawn's book...I will have to look at the dedication...okay, just checked...It is in the acknowledgements: I am in the first sentence with her "original RJD ladies", and you are in the next sentence with others who "offered up their talents, gifts and support..." So there we are! We must have rubbed shoulders and bumped elbows and didn't even realize it at the time!! That's great!! I need to check out her day prompts right now...I guess I haven't paid close enough attention to those. Might give us some new inspiration for writing! Dawn is wonderful and a great encourager! Glad we have made this connection now!!

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    3. I will have to go back and see the featured monthly journal keepers. Can you still get to Dawn's old blog?

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  10. Wonderful history to this piece. Anything that provides a connection to a beloved father is a very good thing. Perhaps I am particularly charmed as my attic will become housing for my grandmother's dressing table (and bedroom suite) in wait for my niece who very much wants it, but has no place to put it. My daughter is passing it on since she no longer has room for it in her new home.

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    1. I am happy that your niece will get to enjoy the special furnishings from your grandmother. I do not have any prospects of a granddaughter on any foreseeable horizon, so I hope there may be a great-granddaughter some day. If not, maybe my daughter in love will love it. I guess once I'm gone I no longer am concerned about it, but I do hope it will find a happy home where it will be loved. Do you have pictures of your grandmother's suite? Would love to see it and hear more about it. I am sure it is very special, especially because of who it belonged to.

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  11. Your vanity is gorgeous, Pamela, and is definitely one of those treasures worth hanging on to. My grandmother used to have a vanity in the twin bed room where my brother and I would sleep when we were young and visiting with my grandparents. The unique feature, at least to my mind, were the two side mirrors that you could swivel forward in order to get a more complete look at your features. That's fascinating to a little kid! I don't know what happened to it after both my grandparents passed; possibly, one of my cousins held onto it. I'll have to ask!
    Thanks for this story and all the memories it holds.
    Blessings!

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    1. Oh, I know what you mean about those special kind of mirrors! What fun that would be for your little granddaughters! I do hope someone has held on to your grandmother's vanity. Wouldn't it be neat if they wanted to pass it on to your girls??? Just a thought if it even exists. Either way, it's wonderful that you have those special memories from your childhood connected to your grandmother. That is priceless.

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  12. Pamela, Pamela, Pamela! You better BELIEVE me when I say I cherished every word. And, I love the piece. You did a beautiful job refinishing it. I still have my vanity too sans a stool...and a matching poster bed from my childhood....it's in the spare bedroom. I love it (60+ years ago)

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    1. Oh Anni! How wonderful that you still have your childhood bedroom set...and a poster bed to boot! That is something I always dreamed of having! You were a blessed little girl!! So glad you still have it. What a treasure to get to sleep in your spare bedroom!!

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  13. Another charming memory and lovely pictures. My grandma had a similar vanity, even with the same drawer pulls. Oh yes, avocado green antiquing once was very popular. Such a sweet memory of your eighteenth birthday gift from you dad. None of my nieces wanted my moms vintage china and when I downsized, I was fortunate to be introduced to a lady searching for the same pattern to add to her grandmas China, she wanted me to write down all the memories I could about the China and special memories of holiday meals, etc. that was a blessing to me that moms China meant so much to her,

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    1. How neat that the lady who got your mother's china was interested in the history of it. That really tells you that she will treasure it and carry on the tradition of how it was intended to be used. That is neat! Oh, how wonderful that your grandma's vanity was so similar to this one! That is really special too. I am happy this brought back happy memories for you today.

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  14. I didn't expect to be so moved, but ya. Here I am with a bit of saltwater in my eyes. Thankfully, I'm long past the age of appreciating only those pieces that match or look 'just so.' Come to think of it, there's a couple articles of worn wood in the very next room, patiently waiting for their moment in the spotlight.

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    1. Well, maybe it's time! If we don't treasure these special treasures then who will? I write these stories hoping that someday my kids will discover them and appreciate the value of these things all the more...but I'd best be telling them out loud because once I'm gone, most likely no one will ever find things I wrote or take the time to read them. That's just the way it is. I don't have any daughters or granddaughters, and sons are just not quite the sentimentalists that we girls are. So I guess I tell these stories to you all so someone out there will also enjoy them and hopefully they will bring up happy memories for them as well. Thank you. Sorry for the saltwater... <3 (((hugs)))

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  15. Pam, thank you for sharing this again. What a special treasure you have and such precious memories to go along with it.

    Love and blessings!

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    1. Thank you, Kim. I share these stories hopefully so that others can also enjoy these things and perhaps stir up some happy thoughts or memories about special things you may have in your home. Thank you for joining in here with us today. I do hope you are doing well and having a wonderful week. (((hugs)))

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  16. I love your vanity and I hope you get a granddaughter to gift it to one day. As for my treasure here I only have 2. One very old enamel plate that belonged to my great grandmother who died after I was born but I wasn't old enough to remember. Another is an old radio that had been converted into a small china cabinet. It belonged to my mom and she had the work done by her youngest brother. Lately I've been thinking to ask one of my brothers if he wants it as I've been downsizing and he has a large house.

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    1. Oh, that china cabinet/former radio sounds interesting. Maybe you should take some pictures of that and the enamel plate and tell us about them. That would be interesting to see. And I hope your brother will appreciate having the cabinet. That does sound like a special treasure.

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  17. The vanity is beautiful. I am not one for refinishing furniture, so my hat's off to you for all your efforts. That story about the stripper getting into your eye -- that's a lesson to benefit us all when doing things of a potentially dangerous nature.

    Rice in the drawers. Hmm. My bridesmaids dumped rice into my suitcase sometime during our wedding reception and for many years afterwards, I would find more rice hiding in the nooks and crannies of that red piece of Samsonite luggage. But I didn't mind. It was all clean fun.

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    1. Yes, I also had plenty of rice in my suitcase..red samsonite? Hmmm, I also had a red suitcase and little train case...not sure if it was Samsonite, however. In my mind it was something called foremost or something like that from Sears. But isn't that funny that you and I both went off on our honeymoons with red suitcases? Love it. As for refinishing furniture, I used to love to do it and have done many pieces, but that eye issue really made me take a pause on working with strong chemicals ever again. That, plus when stripping the Hoosier cupboard I breathed the strong fumes too long in a garage that was not fully open and took a very LONG nap afterwards...that was also scary. So, yes, it is not something for the faint of heart of the ones lacking good sense (like me) to do! LOL. But I have beautiful old pieces of inherited/antique furniture to show for it. I am glad I lived to tell about them.

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  18. What wonderful posts you do on memories and your treasures. You have a lovely home filled with beautiful things that you love. Sure makes life better and less stressful. Enjoy your day and this summer like weather!

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    1. Yes, Diane, I agree. Having things that we truly love and appreciate around us is calming and pleasant. I enjoy having things that remind me of dear loved ones and the sacrifices they made for their families. These things are a link to our past, but also a way of looking to the future when we will all be together again someday, thanks to Jesus! Their lives helped to mold our lives for the better. Thank you for understanding that.

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  19. Pam: I enjoyed re-reading about your vanity. It is always nice to read about your treasures in your home. Peace and blessings to you.

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