PINK SATURDAY - MY SPECIAL GUARDIAN ANGEL

My Dad, one month before he passed away

Good Morning! If you would be so kind to please click on to "Dance with my Father Again" on my Playlist to set the tone of this post. Thank you!

I am posting this early for Pink Saturday because today, on Feb. 26th, it has been 23 years since my Father has been missing from my life. I dedicate this post to him because he is my Guardian Angel. I started to collect Angels after he passed away and you will see , in this post, some of my collection that I have on display throughout our home.

I was just 29 years old and my sons were only 3 and 5 years old when my Father died suddenly at the age of 67 from a massive heart attack.

I am proud to say that I am a Carpenter's daughter. After WWII, my Dad went to GI school. There he learned carpentry, electrical, plumbing, cabinet making and upholstery. He built the 2 homes that I lived in before I got married.

Unfortunately, my sons would never benefit from his vast knowledge. Sadly, Jim, my younger son, has no memory of him. Joey, my oldest, has one memory and it is so typical of who my dad was. He remembers my Dad lying on the floor , playing with him. I am so grateful that this is how he remembers him.

I learned so much from my Dad. Here are a few things:

How to upholster my Dining Room chairs
How to use a roller the right way when painting
How to put up wall paper border

How to spackle the holes in my dry wall so he would not have to come up every time I decided to change my Wall Art around, even though I know he would have jumped at the chance just to visit with me

How to stain furniture
How to plant flowers and shrubs

How to lay a brick walkway
How NOT to step in a paint can

How to decorate for Christmas. You see, it was my Father who could not wait to bring the Christmas decorations up from the basement.

And one of the most important things he taught me was to NEVER let anybody use you as a door mat

He taught me kindness , compassion and understanding. I always said that if my Dad could drive me to the Moon, he would. He drove me and all of my friends everywhere I ever asked him to take us and NEVER complained about it. I made sure I did the same for my own sons and their friends.

I was his Debbie Webbie. When he called me Deborah, I knew he meant business. But that was not too often. He was the teddy bear in the family.

Mitch Album , one of my favorite authors, posed the question in his book " For One More Day", What would you do if you could spend one more day with a loved one? That day would be spent with my Father, just talking.

I started this post by saying that it has been 23 years since my Dad has been missing from my life. I was WRONG! Not a day goes by that I do not think of him.

I hear him saying "That a girl!" when I finish a project in my home. I see him smiling with that tear in his eye when either my sons or I accomplish a particular goal. I have felt his presence watching over me for these 23 years , keeping me safe, keeping me happy.
I carry him with me in my heart and he is with me forever. He is MY GUARDIAN ANGEL.
I miss you, Daddy!

Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read this special PINK SATURDAY post. Please visit Beverly by clicking here to visit all the participants in Pink Saturday.

Also please visit Sandy at www.RomantiqueInspirations.blogspot.com She has a beautiful Blog that I am sure you will love!

Hugs,
Debbie

THRIFT SHOP TREASURES

Welcome to another edition of Thrift Shop Treasures! I am becoming quite a Thrift Shop addict! A local shop , Volunteers of America Thrift Shop, runs a special sale on the last Wednesday of every month. EVERYTHING in the store is half price! And I mean EVERYTHING!!
Here are some of the wonderful things I picked up:



Everything on the table including that cute little cradle came out to a grand total of $12.96!!!! I plan on putting some of my dolls and Bearington Bears in the cradle. The glass dome from an old cheese tray looks like a cloche to me, huh?
Above is a close up of a lovely metal tray.
I thought this would be great at a Tea when serving scones. I could just imagine the clotted cream, strawberry jam and lemon curd in each of these glass cups.
This little darling is a Teleflora Cup and Saucer. I loved the roses on it.

And this made my heart go pitter patter. I saw this a week ago and since I already have so many lamps........... did I tell you I have a thing for lamps............ that I decided to wait and see if it would still be there for half price! It was waiting for me. I almost jumped over racks of clothing to get to it! LOL!! I think it will find a home in my Craft Room. It has a marbelized luster effect and it just shines!!
Speaking of lamps, I wanted to show you another one of my flea market lamps. I bought this at a church flea market. I added the crystals to it after I bought them on Ebay. I took down my Den Christmas/Valentine's Day tree and now this is what is on the end table.

I think I did good for $12.96????? Don't you????

Thanks for stopping by and please come back for a special Pink Saturday Post.

Debbie

REDNESDAY_-MORE OF MY KITCHEN

Welcome to another Rednesday Post! First of all, to see more participants in Rednesday, visit Sue by clicking here

I am going to show more of my Kitchen today. But shown below is a vintage tablecloth that I had on my Dining Room table for Valentine's Day. I wanted to show it to you before I pack it away with the rest of the Valentine's Day decorations! It is in perfect shape!

This is one of 2 stools in my kitchen. It is starting to fade because I must have did this about 10 years ago. I used a paper doily as a stencil and red spray paint to create this design on the stool.
One of my vintage aprons that I bought at a flea market for $1.00!!

The can is a Planter's Peanuts can. Planter's Peanuts was founded here in Wilkes Barre, Pa. The sifter was my Mom's.

This is my counter bar. As I mentioned in my first Rednesday post, the Galley sign is from Red Lobster. They decided to remodel the local one here and had a yard sale in the parking lot. It was $5.00.

The following photos are of a shelf that I have above the counter bar. Some things are vintage and some things are new. The Tru Age Beer tray was my Dad's.

This is the top of my refrigerator. the vintage tray was a yard sale find for a mere 25 cents!!

Well, that is all I have for today.

If you missed my post on the Flapper Party at the Stegmaier mansion, please click here

Please come back to visit for a very special Pink Saturday Post.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Hugs,

Debbie

FLapper Party- A Night at the Stegmaier Mansion

Last night, The Victorian Friendship Soceity of NEPA held a Roaring 20's Party at the Frederick Stegmaier Mansion in Wilkes Barre, Pa. This posting is going to be filled with pure eye candy and if I commented on every photo, you would be reading this forever. So enjoy the photos and I will only tell you about the "people" pictures.


My Hubby Joe ( the gangster) and me!

Joe, going for his tommy gun!

Owner of the Stegmaier mansion, Joe Matteo, playing a little Rag Time!!

A cake for Joe on his accomplishment of being featured in the Jan. issue of Victorian Homes magazine

The cake was made by Soceity member Ann Marie, who is an excellent baker and sells her cakes.

Adele, admiring the ceiling in the Ladies Parlor, Carol and Barbara

Ann Marie, who made the cake, Lisa Lewis, Victoriana Lady and Society director, and me!

Joe, really hamming it up! Check out the rug! Beautiful!

Lisa, Megan, Lisa's daughter, Ann Marie, Sue, Carol and me

Joe and his dames!

To learn more about the Stegmaier mansion and to read the Victorian Homes article, please click here

To learn more about Lisa Lewis, Victoriana Lady and her programs, please click here

To join the Victorian Fashions Tea Party Site, please click here

To read another posting on the Stegmaier, please click Stegmaier mansion on my list of labels.

Thanks so much for visiting and I hoped you enjoyed the amazing details of the magnificent Stegmaier mansion.

Hugs,

Debbie