Organized Clutter

Do you remember when I framed four old clipboards? If you don't remember, click  HERE  to see my inspiration for this project.

If I made a list of my most prized possessions, this old trunk would be near or at the top of the list.  It is a family piece passed down to my Grandma, then my Dad, and now me.   The aged patina of this wooden trunk with it's worn Rosemalling, is just perfect.  The date of  "1817" is painted on the circle on the right.

Today I am using another of the photo gallery quality frames that I purchased at a consignment shop,  here.   This one was $4.

I saved this photo on my Pinterest boards a long time ago.  I loved the clipboards with vintage photos in their original folders. Pinterest Slowly I found three old clipboards at rummage sales, and luckily my Aunt had one to give me too, to make four. Three of them were A & W Crown clipboards. Here are my four clipboards on my kitchen table.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!   Here in northern Minnesota, there is still a long winter ahead of us.  The older I get, the less I like the snow and cold.  I always wonder what possessed my ancestors to settle here in northern Minnesota.   When many of them immigrated in the late 1800's, the winters had to be even more brutal without snowplows, central heating, and heated automobiles. The Minnesota DNR has compiled this climate data on Minnesota: Climate Average annual precipitation  -  Average Annual Precipitation Map Northwest: 19 inches/year Southeast: 34 inches/year Average annual snowfall  -  Average Annual Snowfall Map Northeast: 70 inches/year Southwest: 35 inches/year Latest spring freeze  -  Median Frost Date Table April 29 - metro area May 27 - far north Earliest fall freeze  -  Median Frost Date Table October 5 - metro area September 16 - far north Average temperature Spring ...

I have a lot of old family cards.   I have shared baby cards sent to my parents and I, when I was born.  Old valentines from my school days and some older valentines from my Grandma's family scrapbook.   These baby announcements are also family cards. A GB Bell Baby Announcement  This birth announcement if marked only Made in USA. Inside message.  A Forget Me Not Baby Announcement for my brother. Inside Message. A Quality Card Birth Announcement Inside.  This is a very old postcard for "Baby".  This was not a birth announcement but was sent to my Grandma in 1909. That's Day 26, only 5 more days to go! Thanks for following along with my 31 Days of Nostalgia Series! Follow  ORGANIZED CLUTTER In A Reader. Follow  ORGANIZED CLUTTER by Email. Follow  ORGANIZED CLUTTER on Facebook. Follow  ORGANIZED CLUTTER on Twitter. Follow...

This entry is being re-posted from a previous post. While working on a family history a few years ago, a wonderful old photo of my family surfaced. My grandma was one of eleven children, and the photograph was one of the few times all eleven brothers and sisters, and some extended family were all together in one place. The occasion, a 1940's family gathering for a WWII navy seaman. The sailor, Art, is one of the eleven children. Also making the photo endearing, are my 30 something year old grandma and grandpa, and my mom and her two sisters as children. I was planning to just enlarge the photo, when I saw an advertisement for Canvas on Demand. I scanned and emailed the company my old picture, and they shot me back a price quote, and some advise about how much I could enlarge the canvas without losing photo clarity. It may seem kind of unlikely, but I decided to hang my large black and white canvas in my laundry room. First of all, my laundry room is right off fro...

When I was growing up, I was quite proud of my heritage. I was one half Norwegian, three-eighths German and one-eighth Danish. If I were to do the math on my children's heritage, it would be much harder. The melting pot has been stirred up again and again so that I would be dealing in fractions of sixteenths and thirty-seconds. My dad's mother, Grandma J, was the child of Norwegian immigrants. All of her life, my Grandma spoke in Norwegian with her brothers and sisters. I never met her father, my Great Grandpa, but I did visit with my Great Grandma a few times, and she did not speak much English. A couple weeks ago I attended an estate sale about a block and a half from my house, and picked up these delightful little wooden figurines for $4. Nothing says "Norwegian" like Henning hand carved wooden figurines. Keeping with the Norwegian theme, here is a trivet that was made from a Suzanne Toftey tile, Krum Kake Girl. I bought it at a consignmen...

I have been busy planning some posts for the "Christmas In July" linky parties coming up next week. In my preparations, I came across this vintage card with a photo of my Grandma's niece and family. I think this photo is from the late 1950's or early 1960's. It is a "Photocraft" Roanoke, VA, 2203-V Litho in USA card. The cover of the card. Inside cover of the card. Page 3 of the Photocraft card with my Grandma's niece and family. Photo inset card page 3 I want to point out that this relative is on my DAD'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY! This is not the "ORGANIZED CLUTTER" side of the family, which is my MOM's SIDE. This was definitely a contemporary, minimalist style not practiced by my Mom's side of the family. All kidding aside, don't you love the clothing and furniture? I need my "Organized Clutter". See you next week for the "Christmas in July" parties!

A lot of you have commented on or emailed me about how special my old photo of my Victorian great great aunts or great grand aunts is in my recent post.  I have a distant cousin that has used this special photograph as well in projects in her Etsy Shop.  One of the ladies is her Grandmother.  If you would like to have a look, check out my links to her shop Home Town Arts: Easter Bonnets 1  http://www.etsy.com/listing/94979257/easter-bonnets-1 Easter Bonnets 2 http://www.etsy.com/listing/94980302/easter-bonnets-2 Easter Bonnets 3 http://www.etsy.com/listing/94981075/easter-bonnets-3 Easter Bonnets 4 http://www.etsy.com/listing/94981600/easter-bonnets-4 What would life be like today if we women still wore those hats?

A few years ago, while I was deeply involved in preparing family histories, I was lucky enough to find this great old photograph of my Grandpa's aunts. Great Great Aunt Lena. Great Great Aunt Lydia. Great Great Aunt Alma. Also Great Great Aunt Alma. Sister in Law of Great Great Aunt Lydia, (unfortunately this original photo was slightly blurred). Great Great Aunt Lizzie. My Aunts' are dressed in beautiful lacy, very proper high collared Victorian Era dresses. AND the HATS! I love them. The original photograph was a card stock postcard in black and white. I had the photograph enlarged, and the details on the hats colorized to accentuate them. The enlargement hangs in the foyer/entryway of my home. It's framed in creamy white painted wood, and matted with ribbon. I decided to post the photograph just before Easter. Don't the hats remind you of Easter bonnets!