THE DOWNING HOUSE - PART TWO...

Well girls, are you ready for Part Two of The Downing House? I so hope I'm not boring you with pictures from our home. If not, come along with me. Up the stairs we go! At the top of the stairs, there is an old, old frame with the stitchery of The Hollyhock Fairy - one of my favorites.

This little cubby is cut out in the stairway. My son got me the little willow a few years ago for Christmas. The silouette on the bottom is of my mother in the 1940's.

On the landing I have an old ironing board with my special angel hanging from it. (Another gift from Chad and Kim) The stitchery is done on an old feedsack about generations gone by in another old frame.

At the top of the stairs is a sitting room that our kids used for their t.v. room when they were home. It is soon to become my new craft room when I can get someone (please Dick) to help me carry the loveseat downstairs to the den.

I love this old vintage dollhouse. I got it at the Breckenridge show many years ago with Connie. (Great memories.) I pick up dollhouse furniture when I see it for the girls to play with. Abbey is quite the decorator! The old spindles behind it were the original porch railing on the front of the house - many years ago.

Debbie gave me this beautiful Arc a few years ago for my birthday. The "boat" is a wooden swan and the roof of the house part is aged copper. Another treasured memory.

Had to show you this silly doll from Rich and Val! Since I make a lot of dolls, they couldn't pass this one up as a joke one year.

Little entry into two bedrooms. I don't know how well you can see the doors, but they are original to the house. So is the hardware - although it has been painted.

Here we are in Abbey's room (also for all the granddaughters: Abbey, Elise, Sydney, Caroline and soon to be Lucy). This is way too frilly for Gannon and Jack! Got the old cradle in here today and it is just waiting for Lucy. The cradle was found in the basement of a previous house and my dad stripped it and repaired it when Ashley was coming. It is so very special to me!

We bought this little dresser from the previous owners of the house. It is so sweet with the two little doors in the front.

Our next horse girl (Abbey) is taking after her mom. Let me introduce you to Thunder! Santa actually delivered this to Gannon quite a few years ago, but Abbey has adopted him and he is her prized possession! My dad built the little barn and it is FULL of Breyer horses.

These little dresses were mine when I was a little girl in the early 1950's. I'm so glad my mom kept them. The doll on the end was my Betsy Wetsy doll. I brought back one Indian doll from California and one from Colorado.

Little built-in book shelves - great place to keep toys!

Come on in to our room. I bought this old bed from an old real estate client when they were moving for $75! This room is another soon to be changed project. I want to paint the walls a darker color and I'm working on a "family tree" quilt made out of old feedsack material, but I can't finish it until Lucy arrives! I also want to make curtains out of old feedsacks. Can't wait, but this will be later in the summer.

Shelf at one end of the bedroom. The red long-johns and white nightie were Abbey's when she was little. I've had the little chairs for years. Dick bought the black doll in the chair for me a long time ago - and I honestly couldn't believe that he did it!!! Guess he's getting used to my quirky collections.

I've had this old butler's wardrobe for about 30 years, but I've never gotten tired of it. Isn't the little door at the top a cutie?

Another old dresser. Chad and Kim bought the old Victorian round puzzle for Dick and I for a wedding present in 1991. Sorry about the fan, but I'm sure you understand about HOT flashes!

This towel rack was also a purchase from the previous owners of this house.

This little cupboard is meant to be hung on a wall. The nightstand is really the base of an old sewing machine made into a table.

So there you have Part Two. There is another bedroom upstairs, but it is the playroom for the grandchildren and I NEVER open the door for anybody to see it. It is filled with Little People and toys, toys, toys! Maybe one of these days I'll do something different with it. I didn't show you our den yet either. It is presently being used for my crafting supplies and is a MESS (waiting to be moved to it's new location)! I wanted to get outside pictures, but it has been pouring rain all day, so I guess we'll save that for Part Three!

Hope you all have a wonderful evening and the sunshine comes back soon...