Remember those elegant lace doilies like your Grandmother made

In my opinion, there is nothing with more style or class than the doilies like my grandmother used to crochet. The thread textures were fine and exquisite. The patterns were elegant, intricate or even  dazzling. Ladies decorated their homes with these lovely hand made table covers to accent their finest furnishings or to make the simple handmade cabinet look luxurious. Vintage doilies are more than an accent piece for your home. They are collectible items. They are treasured keepsakes. That is why they can be found stored in the family cedar chest or in that trunk in the attic.

It is a common occurrence to find stacks of these underneath linens in old cedar chests. The smell of the cedar takes me back to my grandparent's days. I used to look at the old doilies that I found and daydream about those days as I fondled the thread and studied the patterns. I always wondered how different my life would have been if I had lived one hundred years earlier. Nostalgia pulls me into another place where I can travel for hours in my thoughts. It must have been quieter in those days without the distraction of television, radio, the internet and the bustle of automobiles outside the window. Crocheting in a rocking chair is a great form of meditation, at least in my experience.

Have any of you ever found a trunk full of old doilies or table scarves or baby layettes made from delicate thread? Would you care to share your stories here on Trunk and Attic Treasures?

The Midnight Writer

Old Letters and Old Postcards are intriguing

Have you ever found a box full of old letters and/or postcards in the attic of an old house? I have and it is an exhilarating experience! The musty dusty box is intriguing at first. When I first found a box like this, I gingerly pulled out the bundle of dusty letters that were faded with a musty smell. I savored the scent of antique mystery for a few minutes before I spied on someone's personal life. I read the details with the utmost respect for the writer and the recipient. I always felt a little embarrassed at first for snooping into another's private life but that always waned within the first few minutes. The words took over and carried me into a time machine.

I lingered in that dusty attic reading one faded musty letter after another. My hunger for more mystery, history or intrigue could not be satiated. I became a serious seeker for the old box of letters in the attic of old houses. My Dad was a carpenter who often remodeled such houses so my opportunities were not too rare. I collected these antique remnants of history with a sense of pride that I had salvaged a piece of history from one lifetime that had already left this earth. It was a surreal emotion that I cannot rightfully explain. You had to be there to see and feel the precious words like I did.

So the next time you get the chance to explore an old house, check the old desk then head straight for the attic and seek out that dusty box of letters and postcards. You'll either find it at the bottom of a trunk because personal letters were very private in bygone days. If you don't find the box of letters there, look for an old cubby hole in the attic and check far back in the shadowy corners. Enjoy the adventure!