I Love my Library

I have several favorite rooms in my house, but the Library is unique. I'll show you around so you can see its character for yourself.

When we were designing the house, I knew I wanted a library. I have always loved books and sentimental things, and I knew this room would fill that need. The Library is located directly left of the front entry. The French doors allow plenty of light to shine through its panes of glass and has a warm welcoming effect. The Library is where guests are invited to sit and visit.  

I designed the room around an early 1900's chandelier. I love to thrift shop and found this treasure unexpectedly a year before we started building the new house. The story...

I was at the State Surplus Warehouse looking for a vehicle when I noticed a sign that said "half off sale inside". I couldn't resist and went in for a look. I opened the double doors and saw the most beautiful patina chandelier I had ever seen sitting on a table surrounded by.... what?  JUNK! Sure, it had some dangling metal parts, electrical wires exposed, and a crack in one of the glass shades, but I know a good find when I see it. Besides that, it had character! I couldn't get over to it fast enough. It was if it were speaking, begging me..."hurry, hurry, come and get me!" I scooped the tag off of it as quickly as I could so it would be mine... and mine alone! I could not believe that someone else had not scooped it up long before I got there. What was wrong with them! My heart was racing. The price... $25.00. I knew I found a treasure... but it gets better than that!  I paid for the chandelier and a gentleman picked it up and followed me out to the car with it.

He said, "do you want me to tell you the story behind this chandelier." 

"Yes, please do". I said, trying to contain my excitement.

"It came from the Carriage House behind the Governor's Mansion when they were remodeling it."

"Oh, Really!!!", trying my best to keep from jumping up and down and clapping my hands!  

So... now I have a piece of State history hanging in my Library, and I love, love, love it!

The upper walls of the Library are painted a soft sea green/blue to match the chandelier. The furniture was hand picked from a very LARGE furniture manufacturing company in North Carolina, while we vacationed on the East Coast. Eight months later, after the house was built, our long awaited furniture was delivered to us in the West. A sofa, an armchair, and two slipper chairs. Perfect for the Library!

I love beautiful pictures. I have one of Christ on an easel and a couple of sentimental pictures (LDS temple and George Washington at Valley Forge) hanging on the walls. The round rug is pure silk, hand made from Afghanistan. The teal and red colors complement the surrounding colors in the room. The dark hardwood floor is a lovely contrast to the soft, billowy hues of the furniture and walls. The Plantation Shutters are the perfect window dressing in my Library. 

I'm not afraid to mix and match old with new. In fact, I like it that way.The coffee and lamp tables were purchased for $30.00 (set) from a painted furniture thrift store. I love them. The beautiful plate from Nauvoo, Ill, on the coffee table, was given to me by my mother. Large picture books are usually on the table for looking at and easy reading.

A rolling ladder was a must when designing the bookcase. The bookcase is built in and reaches from floor to ceiling (10 ft. tall). I have since added many more books and am in the process of moving the displayed treasures to another display cabinet in the house.

I am so sentimental and love things that remind me of home. In my Library, I am surrounded by treasures past and treasures from around the world. 

A couple of my children took pottery classes in Junior High and High School. They are my absolute favorites. They were made with great effort and love. 

The roller rack, a replica of the one I grew up with, has a special place and the grand kids know just where to get it! 

The rocking horse has been in the family for generations. It was made by my grandfather and given to my brother in the mid 1950's. 

My mother has always loved cardinals. I purchased some to remind me of her. They sit on a work bench my dad used for years. I sat on that bench many times growing up. I left it just the way it was. I love it! 

The drumsticks are mine. I played drums in the band in school. The other musical instruments are from Iraq, as well as the oil lamps. 

The flag, bullet box, and certificate are from my dad's funeral. I feel so honored to have them. He served in the Korean War with valor. 

There are many other treasures... water from the River Jordan where Christ was baptized, wooden shoes from Holland, a music box from my mother in law, a porcelain LDS temple made by my grandmother, round wooden boxes that hubby made at wood working class in school (1960's), and other collectibles from around the world and from ancestors. 

I have purchased many books, but the ones I have pictured above have added meaning. 

Starting on the left - after my mother passed away and we kids were going through the books, I found one that I had given to my father as a very young child (1960). It was signed "to daddy, from Carol", by mother of course. 

I grew up on Reader's Digest. I often took one of the books off our bookshelf and read a story or two out of it. 

The small photo on the left, just above the Reader's Digest books are all horse books I had as a child. My dad gave me them to me a couple of years before he passed away. I was pleasantly surprised by his generous offer. 

The books just to the right of them, contain one book I am very proud of. The second from the bottom is my Master's "project" Book. Instead of doing a thesis, I did a project that was directly related to my field of study. Looking at and reading my book brings back many happy memories of college.

The books on the upper right hand side are from my mother's library. She loved reading Historical Fiction... and I am loving it, too. 

The books just below them are a set of Childcraft books that hubby (1) and I purchased in 1976, a year after we got married. The kids grew up on them and often pick them back up to browse through when they visit. Books... they connect generations in a very special way. My favorite books as a child were Childcraft, as well. Especially book 1 - Poems, and book 2 - Children's Classic Stories and Fairy Tales.

I love my Willow Tree angels. A daughter gives me one on occasion. This delicate angel sits on top of a stack of old church books and scriptures. The scriptures, or Standard Works, are the most read books in my Library. 

The books in the bottom right hand corner are personal history books written by my dad and great grandmother. Their stories are full of adventure and color. They are my favorite books to read! I have been inspired to write my own personal history because of them.

Many other books sit in my bookshelf... inspirational, doctrinal, bibliographies, dad's college books, books from mother's collection, hubby's collection of ancestry, college, and military books, fiction, Christmas books, idea books, childrens' books, picture books, and so on. Too many to list. I know the world has moved on to electronic reading... but for me.. BOOKS I can see, BOOKS I can hold, BOOKS I can smell, BOOKS that have been passed down through the generations, BOOKS that were written personally by my ancestors, is the only way for me! I may add, move, re-arrange, but I'll never outgrow the love for my Library.

One of my greatest joys is watching a grandchild disappear into the Library and pick up a classic book, or even a picture book, sit in the arm chair, and read. Especially when they think no one is looking! It makes my heart so happy! 

I have pictures displayed around my Library. My favorite one is of my children. My sweet daughter, Shaniel, second from the left, is no longer with us. She tragically passed away a few months ago. But having the picture with all five kids in it brings me great comfort in knowing our family is complete... we're tied together in both life and death. A picture of the LDS Manti Temple hangs above the picture and reminds me daily that families are eternal. I wanted to create a beautiful, quiet, peaceful space in my house where I could read scriptures, ponder, and reflect on the important things in life. My family. My Library provides that. I love my Library! 

Writing prompt #2: Give us a tour of a room in your house you love.

Mad Hatter Tea Party.. inspired by Pinterest

Every year my daughters and I have a Mother's Day Tea. Since the family lives in two different areas of the state, sometimes we invite the boys if we are planning an adventure for the day. This year, we met at Thanksgiving Point to visit the tulip gardens. Keeping that in mind, I decided the best place to start searching ideas for a tea party that wouldn't be too girly... was on Pinterest.

In my search, I came across a spattering of blogs dedicated to the Mad Hatter. Perfect... a Mad Hatter Tea Party! I created a board just for that and pinned idea after idea. After gathering pictures and formulating ideas for my party, I narrowed my list down to just a few things and the ideas were soon adapted into my own liking with my grandchildren in mind.

From invitations and hats to tea cups and cake stands... the Mad Hatter Tea Party came together. The following pictures are the things we did taken from ideas inspired on Pinterest.

Invitations

Materials - light brown cardstock, clock stamp, 3-D paper clocks, ribbon, charms, brads (Michael's, my own stash).

Mad Hatter Hats

Materials - plastic hats from (Zurcher's) a Party Store, spray painted in a variety of colors and decorated with ribbon, silk flowers, charms, feathers, netting, garden tools (Michael's, JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby, Tia Pan), etc.

Accessories

I've collected a variety of tea pots, tea cups, and plates over the years. This year I added a large tea cup and saucer (JoAnn's), miniature glass bottle (Hobby Lobby), and cake stand (Tia Pan). 

Tags tied to tea ware.. Eat Me, Drink Me, White Rabbit Crunch

Mad Hatter Tea Party

Writing prompt #5: Pinterest inspired! Share something you pinned and actually tried.

Friendship

The sun was just setting in the west over Willard Bay. It had rained for the last twenty four hours. The grass was greener; the flowers more vibrant. The sunset a brilliant combination of pinks, yellows, and oranges.  It was a beautiful evening for Ali Bear and Buster Boo to sit on the edge of the grass, taking in a special moment together that only the best of friends do! 

The Old Coal Furnace and Baby on the Way

It was the year 1957. Dad was working on his Masters Degree at Utah State University In Logan, Utah. Working for the Utah State Fish and Game Department and on his thesis demanded long and rigorous hours. Dad worked hard to support his growing family. And.. it didn't matter where life took my parents, dad always bought a house. He didn't believe in renting. And he was right... buying a home always proved to be a wise investment. Mom said dad was drawn to the small homes... fixer-uppers. There were sacrifices to this strategy, but the payoffs in the end were huge. 

The house dad bought was a small cottage-type located just two blocks west of Old Main Hill... underneath its majestic and towering shadows. The house was in need of repair, and remodeling was a part of life. Mother was pregnant with me at the time but was always willing to help with the repairs. An old coal furnace in the house didn't work well enough to keep the chill of the morning air from making its way into the uninsulated house. It was September and the early mornings were quite chilly. Dad hired a furnace company to replace the old coal furnace with a gas one. It presented quite a challenge. There was no basement under the house; just a crawl space. So it took some time, longer than they wanted.

Mom and dad returned home from visiting family in Price on September 19. This is when the story of my birth begins... written by mother.

"Jim left and went back to work. The day after we got home, I cleaned house and pulled out my washing machine and sorted our clothes and put the whites to soak before going to bed with the intention of getting up early to do my laundry. Early in the morning, my baby decided it was time for her arrival. There I was home alone with my two small children and in labor. I lay there as long as I could, then got up about 6:00 a.m. The only thing I could think of was go get my neighbor. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew lived next door. They were a very nice older couple. We had a friend of Jim's tell us if we needed them they would be glad to take the children. I went next door and asked Mrs. Andrews if she would take me to the hospital. Which she agreed to. I got Patty and Billy up and dressed and we took them to Ralph and Barbara Cisco's two blocks up the street. They were still in bed. They had a baby at the time. I was so glad I had someone to help me. I checked into the hospital about 7:30 a.m. I guess someone contacted Jim. He was at White River trapping.

 Well the day progressed on as did my labor. I finally had my baby at 3:50 p.m. in the afternoon (father's were not allowed in the delivery room at the time). She was a beautiful baby girl, almost a carbon copy of Patty except she didn't have as much hair. She weighed 7 pounds 6 ounces and was 19 inches long. Dr. Cragun, our family doctor, delivered her. She was a beautiful little girl. Her hair was dark and she had the cutest little rose-bud mouth and great big beautiful eyes and was so cuddly and sweet. I don't know when Jim arrived. He had taken the other kids to stay with Aunt Ruth in Salt Lake. We named our baby Carol Ann. We were so happy to add another precious angel to our family. She was born 21 September 1957 on a cool crisp but sunny beautiful Indian summer day. She was my baby that loved to be cuddled and I enjoyed her so much.

Grandma Bates came to stay and help me with the kids. They came to pick us up at the Logan hospital on September 24. It was a beautiful September day. It was sunny but crisp and cold. Grandma had done the washing I had ready to do. When we got home the furnace men were installing the furnace. The house was quite cool.

Jim and Ross Butler had gone up the canyon and thinking they did us a big favor and picked 2 number 10 wash tubs full of elder berries. Grandma didn't feel well and I wasn't much up to canning yet, but between the 3 of us we got them washed and made into juice and bottled it. Later I made jelly with them, but it didn't set up. I can tell you, though, it was the best elderberry pancake syrup I ever tasted. Jim and I managed alright after Grandma left. The days began to get quite cold and the furnace still wasn't in. 

I bathed Carol in a wash pan sitting on top of the heater. I really had to do it fast because she was so cold and blue. One morning as I was bathing her, the furnace men were under the house in the crawl space. I heard one of them say "We'd better hurry and get this job done, they have a new baby." It wasn't too long before the new gas furnace was in and the house was warm and toasty. I sure was glad. No more house full of smoke and scrubbing down walls every week."

Well... I am here today partly because of a new gas furnace! Thank goodness the old coal furnace was replaced and mom was able to bathe her new baby girl in a toasty, warm wash pan in a toasty, warm home!

Writing prompt # 3: tell us about the story of your birth

Mother

In Honor of my beautiful daughter.... Shaniel

Motherhood is the greatest potential influence either for good or ill in human life. The mother's image is the first that stamps itself on the unwritten page of the young child's mind. It is her caress that first awakens a sense of security; her kiss, the first realization of affection; her sympathy and tenderness, the first assurance that there is love in the world.

                                                                                                                           -David O. McKay

Mother's Day is coming up and I've been thinking about my beautiful, sweet Shaniel and the wonderful mother she was to her children. Her life was taken... her life far too short. She had so much more to live for. Her journey as a mother.... so young and just beginning. Her dear sweet children will now have only the memories of those few short years they had with her on earth. Oh... my heart. As bad as it hurts, with the sorrow also comes joy... joy in knowing that she loved her darlings with all her heart. As a mother, she did all those things that will have a lasting influence for good in the lives of her children. She cared for them. She nurtured them. She played with them. She cried with them. She taught them correct principles. She encouraged them. She gave them opportunities to develop their talents. She hugged them. She showered them with kisses. She had fun! Her positive influence and unconditional love will continue to be felt for eternity. Her image of faith, love, hope and charity will be in her childrens' countenances all the days of their lives. As well as mine, her sisters, her brother, her dad, and all those whose lives she touched. We have a lot to live up to. My darling, sweet Shaniel.

Shaniel... my daughter, my friend. A wonderful mother. Miss you sweetheart. Love you forever.