S is for a Sofa in the Sunset.

The Saga of the Beloved Sofa from San Francisco

Down, down, down the stairs.

Into the sunset ...

Down, down, down the stairs.

The cushions went down, down, down the stairs.

The Beloved is in the truck.

Arrived in Lindon.

Unwrapped.

Landed in a room that seems designed for the +8 foot long, beloved, Oma Stella blue, modern, low sofa.

M & favorite pal SP playing in the sofa's shell.

Once the shell was completely kaput, the cardboard was used for tie dye. No part of the sofa and the souvenirs of its saga were wasted.

Oma Stella had great taste. She collected beautiful minerals, ancient (art) glass, rugs, stamps. She loved her friends and was amazingly open minded. She once told me about meeting the leader of a Satanic group (!?) who slept in a coffin. As hard as that is to believe I think it is true. She was familiar with the Dadaists. Everything was worth knowing about. I remember reading the encyclopedia with her, she kept them by her bed.

I wondered why she didn't have more antique furniture. She wasn't interested in collecting it. All of her furniture was new in the 40-50-60's. When she and my grandfather moved to SF they took a lot more than most from Germany, but that didn't include any furniture. She had a friend (Freilander?) who was a carpenter and I think she had him make several of her pieces. None of it was reproduction. All was very modern, streamlined. Her eye was toward the future!

I miss her a lot.

Yesterday was Grandma Ream's birthday! I miss her too! I put up pictures of her in our entry way. So vivacious. Gorgeous. Smart. Way ahead of her time. More about her another time. I have a rocker of hers... it needs to be re-reupholstered, so that it looks more the way it did when she reupholstered it with loud flowers and bright colors. Brilliant!

a settle

G is for GARAGE SALE!

Hey WOW. I'm cleaning stuff out and have filled up our Garage! Also stuff from our office... come check it out. Saturday 26 April 2008 7:00-1:00

That is Hailey O'harrah~the Dummy. Ugh. My mum bought her for me about 25 years ago and she has been haunting me ever since. I might just keep her just to keep her haunting my kids. She freaks S out.
Charming.

I hired Marie Ricks to help me organize my home/family. (see earlier posts for more details about that.) Perhaps we really need counseling but this is a start. She is really fantastic and pointed out a lot of interesting things. One of the many things she suggested I do is get rid of half my stuff. Go to DI twice a week. Less stuff means less to clean. AMEN to that.

I was going once a week and was about to give away some nice things. I didn't grow up having garage sales. I've never had one before. Then it occurred to me that this is a great exercise for the kids. Now we are all into it. Suddenly I could throw our that 25 year old creap-o-rific doll that happens to share my first name! (I have no clue why else my mom bought me that thing. I have no NO interest in ventriloquism. When I moved out it didn't move with me. EVER.)

With new eyes I saw all the extra winter hats, lunch boxes, clothes etc. that we have stashed away. Antique things, old doors. Baby blankets that need to be (crochet) edged, that I'm not going to do. Expensive gifts that I've never wanted yet had to keep. A lot is new and I could get some money for it. In the past I medicated myself with toys, and too many toys for my children Ugh... hopefully I am growing out of that a bit.

S is for Star Mill Antiques fire.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_7655704

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695233686,00.html

Last night my sister-in-law MVL told me that she saw on the news that there was a big fire the Star Mill Antique store in American Fork. My heart sank. Daniel Copper is a friend of ours, he has always been very kind to our children, us and very generous. What is he feeling? What will happen to his store? How is he doing?

I read that the main building, the mill itself was not harmed. Yet... smoke is an insidious neighbor. I will go visit today with some fruit and a note from all of us. K especially loves Daniel's place! It is a treasure trove of beautiful old things, lots of wonder and great combinations. In one corner of a warehouse he might but a collection of globes, hanging upside down from the ceiling. One room is white. Doors on doors on doors. Jars of old bottle caps, pennies, rubber balls, random mystery relics of past simple consumer goods.

Daniel Copper is an architect and a very nice man. He reminds me of a starling (the bird). Simple and practical on the outside and then with closer look you see all the colors and depth, talent and grace, strength, and the fragility of a bird. He has restored the mill and several of the surrounding houses. I was also saddened at the possible loss of another historic structure in Utah, especially one so cool. Old buildings are torn down here like the owners/cities are swatting flies... witness downtown Provo in 2007.

Another reason my heart sank: What about the 15th? A while ago I bounced into Daniel's store and told him that I was painting our living room purple! and our handrail red, and our entry green, a bathroom yellow, the kitchen gray, the outside blue... Without a pause he said, "Then you'll be on our Christmas home tour right?!" I said, "Sure!" before I knew what I was getting into. Every few years he hosts a home tour of/for friends of the store, of homes that decorate with antiques, or "junk" as he sometimes calls it -- especially "junk" from his store. I prefer Nanette's reference to my "authentic" style, a combination of Daniel's style of junk and my sense of humor & history. The house is shaping up into a glittery house of ORDER! Complete with cupcakes, and gingerbread, on the 15th.

For Daniel, who has told people if you only go to one house go to [ours]... I have been dolling (literally), lighting, glittering, gingerbreading this place up. My studio, with a large shelf from his store, is even scheduled to be cleaned up for the tour! And I'm serious about the cupcakes. Until he tells me otherwise I am still planning on an open door on the 15th, it might be a good way to help him out.

Since I don't know who is reading this blog, the good, the very good, the bad and the ugly, I'm not posting the details (addresses) here. The other homes are far flung about Utah County. If you want more information leave a comment or contact me.

Wouldn't be a bad idea to include Daniel Copper in your prayers.