Victorian House Tour Part 5...

I know that this is not Monday.  I was having some problems with Blogger or my internet connection or my computer or all three.  Oh, and then there was a special project that I started which I will share with you later...


At any rate, it's all good now!


You may remember we saw the outside of the house on Tour one.
Then, we headed to the Dining Room and Kitchen for some yummy treats and a recipe on Day Two!
Day Three found us in the Living Room and Front Parlor.
Finally, we headed upstairs to visit the Frog & Turtle Tree, Tom's Office and the Master Bath on Day Four.
You can click on any of the above to catch up with the tour...

I do have to make a correction about the candlestick telephone in the Living Room.  I said it was a reproduction--which they originally had there.  


However, Tom told me that the one in place now is REAL! 


Not only that, but he drove 150 miles one way to get the phone--in the fog--both ways.  


Then, the phone was a mess.  Yucky!  It was black with filth and had to be cleaned up.


Then, Tom polished all of the brass by hand and had to rework the innards so that the phone would work--which it does.  It was a gift to Nina.


You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them for a better view, too!


So, walk  on down the hallway and we will go into the 

Green Bedroom and Sleeping Porch.

At the end of the hallway by the door to the Green Bedroom is the carnival.  See Tom's collection of Ferris Wheels and Carousels all resplendent on a snowy table?  The metal wheels are kids toys from long ago.  The largest carousel is a cookie jar and the two smaller ones go around and play music.

Below the table is another little train and in the middle is a carousel that my dad made.  Nina painted it and when you twist the horses around the pole the strings holding them wind up and when you let go, it goes around and then back and goes for quite a while.  It's actually fun to play with!  To the right is a Trans Syberian Orchestra program and ticket with a carousel.   Tom and Nina and their kid's and their spouse and finace' all meet up to see TSO at Christmas.  In 2006 Gman and I went with them when TSO was in Wichita.  It was really a great show and worth the price for sure!  In fact, Tom, Nina and the kids are meeting up in KC for the show this weekend.


These toys give you an idea of what the Green Bedroom is about--the kids...

As we walk into the room, we see the bed.  See how Nina made a frame for the bed out of a couple of corbels and a golden scarf with lights?  How easy is that--but so cute!


On the bed is a pair of baby sweaters and hats and a Christening cap.  Those belonged to my uncles--they were twins.  One of the twins died of scarlet fever when he was about 6 months old.


The photo album on the bed holds more vintage postcards that we found at my grandmother's home.  They are so very interesting!  Some of the cards are from a resort that hired my dad to take pictures and then made the postcards for people to purchase as souvenirs.  


You see the red Eastlake settee at the end of the bed?  You can see a Christmas book...

And in this picture You can see a teddy bear and doll that I believe belonged to Nina as a child--so you KNOW they are OLD....lol..just kidding Nina...


This room is always green, burgundy and gold so it is ready for Christmas with just a bit of decoration.


The ceiling fan has red ribbon and dripping greenery and a really pretty swirled ornament.    


The dresser is sporting it's own little christmas tree in burgundy and gold and notice on the floor next to the dresser are some old ball gloves.  They were my dad's when he was young (remember the pictures of him and his brother in their ball uniforms in the hallway?)  I found a picture of me when I was 2 years old with one of the gloves on. 


Above the dresser is a picture of a little girl with her dog.  I LOVE that!


Oh, the door?  No, it isn't a closet, it is the second upstairs bathroom.  It is useable but not completed for decorating.


And the little box next to the doll?  

It's a Nina Ballerina!  Remember, though, that Nina pronounces her name with a long I instead of a long E.  It's her name anyway, though, right?  She got this as a kiddo as well.  (note from Nina--She received the doll from her fellow co-workers recently gave it to her for her birthday after she told them that she never found anything with her name on it as a child.)

Look to the left of the dresser and you will see this piece.  It is a turn of the century humidor as would be found in a store.  The inside shelf is slats which have little pull out zinc trays under them.  These were to hold water to keep moisture in the cigars.  


It actually belongs to me but it doesn't fit in the 5th wheel so Tom is keeping it for me.  


That is only fair since Tom found it in Kansas City.  Gman and I built a house in 1996--this was our "last" house (the "last house" in a series of "last" houses LOL) and it was built for us.  We picked out the lot, chose the plan, changed the plan to fit our tastes, changed the tub to a 9 foot jetted cultured marble tub with cultured marble walls (BOY DO I MISS THAT!!!!) and were there every step of the way.  I changed the floor in the kitchen and dining room to oak tongue and groove which the builder was skeptical of doing, but after it was done, he started doing it in a LOT of his new builds.  


But I digress...


The basement had a bar area which Gman, Gjr and I finished off.  I wanted the bar to be unique and had been looking around for a while when Tom spotted this piece.  It was perfect and became my bar.


Later, when we sold the house, I couldn't leave the humidor behind!  I used it in my office as a display case for my collectibles, with file storage in the bottom.  Then, when we sold our next house and contents to go on the road in the RV there were a few pieces that I just could not part with.  This one went with Tom and Nina to their house.


Let's look more closely at the contents...

See on the top is a semi that looks a lot like one of Tom's big trucks.  The little wooden truck on the right was from Mexico and a gift from my other brother one year.  (Update from Nina--The wooden truck was actually made by my other brother, Terry and painted by his wife, Carol after she took a tole painting class)  In the middle are a selection of Dodge pickup trucks.  Did I mention that Tom is a Dodge man?  Yep--he loves his Dodges.  Come to think of it, I guess I do too, since I have been driving them for years and years and currently have a Durango--which I LOVE!    See the Little Red Truck?  There in the middle with the wood paneling on the side and the chrome stack exhaust.  I remember those from when I was in high school.  They were so cool!  I found some of these trucks as I was shopping estate sales and little shops.  I didn't find one exactly like Tom's but the red one on the left in the middle is similar--just a year or two off.


And inside the case is a collection of little cars and if you look closely, there are even some soap box derby cars that he made in boy scouts.  (Note from Tom--Those cars are pinewood derby cars made by Tom and his son Eric when Eric was in Cub Scouts.  They were always proud to have the best looking cars in the derby race!)  In the middle is a ferris wheel and on either side in the back are headlights.  He said he is not exactly sure what they came off of but look at how neat the glass is in the lights.  If you can identify them for him--let me know!


On the floor to the left of the case is a child's wicker rocker with a much loved stuffed bear.  I'm guessing here, but I think it may be their daughter's bear.

On around the room is this curved glass china case.  At the base of the case is a baby  doll cradle holding a rabbit.  Tom made the little cradle for his daughter one year for Christmas.  Isn't it cute???

Now for the case.  This holds some of Tom's older trains.  He likes trains.  On the top on the left and the top shelf are some train cars that were given to him by my friend Kathy last year.  They are wonderful old cars!


On the bottom two shelves are some trains that have been in our family since we were all kids.


And on the second shelf...

Is Gman's train that he received in the 1950's when he was a kid.

On around to the left is this vanity wearing it's Christmas finery.  Little Santas (Elves???) flank the pretty angel resting on a cloud of lighted gold.


See the toys on the floor there?  I think the little bubble gum machine was made by my dad.  Tom & Nina will let us know if that is wrong.


Now, back across the room to the left of the bed is a window.  Let's go look out...

See the sleeping porch???  Sleeping porches were put in for the heat of summer.  You could go out to the porch and sleep in the breezes but still have some privacy.  Many have beds that suspend from the ceiling like porch swings to nap or sleep on.


In this case you can see that the "kid" has been out there.


See the telescope to the left?  I remember that at my parents while I was growing up.  I remember that and a chemistry kit (and the spots around the chemistry set from when things blew up!!!!) and I believe those were gifts to my brothers.  I think I looked through the scope a few times, but frankly, I was much too crazy to stand and gaze through a scope at the stars--and Tom was not so much willing to have his bratty little sister break his stuff.  


Let's look more closely at the stuff on the porch...

See?  Another train  This is the newest in the collection and hales from Bass Pro Shop.  It chugs and whistles and is just all around fun.  It is a G scale (or Garden scale) train.  Tom has brought some of his garden train buildings and animals in as a village around the tree.  In the summer, those buildings and cars are in the train garden outside by the gazebo.  They are thinking about doing a garden tour this year.  What do you think?  Wanna see the water gardens, train gardens, shade gardens, cutting gardens, vegetable gardens and the secret garden?  Perhaps tour the greenhouse?  Well, that will be later, of course.


See the little peddle car over there in the corner?  And a Tonka truck?  Their son loved his Tonka trucks!  He loved Bob the Builder.  (update from Nina--Bob the Builder became popular long after their son became an adult, but if it had been popular he would have liked it.  His favorite books when he was little were Let's Go Trucks and Mike Mulligan and His Famous Steam Shovel.  He loves all things construction equipment and trucks!  (Note from Nina--The big truck is actually not one of their son's Tonka trucks, but a more recent rc truck--he gave his Tonka trucks to another little boy to play with when he outgrew them, but the more recent truck still looks right don't you think?)


Gosh!  This ended up being a bit longer than I thought it would be, so we will save the master bedroom located in the bay for my next post.


See you then!