NEAT Ideas for Antique STAINED Glass Windows

We have always had antique stained glass windows in our homes. I am usually the pick-it-out and tell-him-where -I- want- it window person...while my husband is the do-all-the-work window person. He usally claims all the credit once it is placed somewhere. I figure he deserves about 75-85 % of the credit for all the work . The window above is an antique sunburst window, that he placed in an upstairs bath. I am missing my regular window here, so am trying to talk him in to putting this one somewhere else. I would like to have a regular window to see out into my garden below.

This is how it looks in the early morning, or later at night. Antique windows are a wonderful accent in any room.

Here is one where he busted through a wall, and simply added more light into a bedroom by installing an antique window. He says you have to make sure the electrical is not in the way, working without load-bearing beams or studs in the way is also helpful. But he can work around those and reframe the area before he puts in the window. All the windows he cleans up and builds a frame around, and then  makes a support frame in the wall...and there you have my bright idea.

Oh...and all his hard work.

The view at night.

Here is one of my favorites. I wanted some more light in the upstairs bedroom, and of course , there was no where to put a regular window...but I saw a nice spot in a wall...and my husband put this here for me. I like to have mirrors to reflect views, and views of stained glass windows in walls are unique.

Plus...

You get a view coming and going...from both sides.

We almost always buy the dimpled stained glass windows for the inside walls, to afford privacy still.

We have a very large one downstairs, about 4+ feet tall that was used to replace a very ugly view into a brick wall that used to be here. These old houses had garages built directly to the side, and so when you look out you just saw brick.

Not anymore.

Lots more light. Really like this one. Mr. Do- all -the work , worked hard to replace the other windows with this. Often, if you are replacing outside windows, you will need a brick mason to come repair your wall from the outside afterwards, if your home is brick.

My small stained glass window I move up and down ( there is a hook at center too ), to be able to see my garden outside. If you look to the far right you can see my windows on my outside brick wall.

You can hang windows on brick walls too.

You have to use a masonry bit to drill through the brick or mortar though. You can't just nail a big nail into a brick. Learned that the hard way. I think my hand vibrated for two hours after bending 4 or 5 nails a few times.

A large one for a back picture window , that is out towards the back garden. He hangs all these with eye hooks and chain or just one eyehook into another hook.

I also like to mix and match the windows , instead of draperies or blinds. Make a tier of stained glass windows. I'm not a perfect matchy-matchy woman anyway in decorating.

This one has the eyehook and hook holding it up. The one below has the eyehook and chain.

One we bought to put in a downstairs bath to replace regular window. Now what do I spy in the window ?

A snake and animal sponges courtesy of my 10 year old. I left them there, one day I will have a house without any rubber snakes to surprise me...I need to enjoy them while I can.

This was one he fussed and told me would never work, I didn't want to know how he was going to do it, just thought it would look cool up in the brick instead of the unattractive wood slat vent that was there. I think he fussed for about 3-4 months before he made it work.

Now he claims the idea was his . He put a light in the attic to show it off at night but I always forget to turn it on. I'm more the one walking around turning off any extra lights anywhere.

That's my excuse.

Beautiful one in my eBay room . It is not totally finished , mainly because my husband can no longer reach it with all my stuff in here. I will not show you a wide shot of the surroundings or you would never read my blog again.

It is a great light giver to the room, and furthermore ' gives ' light to the adjoining room.

That is what is so special about adding stained glass to your walls, or your windows.

Brighter ...lighter.

I am working on my husband to put another one in a wall upstairs.  Typically takes me 4-7 months of asking before he does it.

I have to have lots of natural light in my surroundings, a must for my psyche.

Have a good one ,

Gina

Latest VINTAGE & Antique paintings I have for SALE:

Going to show you a few of the antique and vintage paitings I have for sale, with a few thrown in that are sold--but I really like them so much I want to show them to you anyway. The one above is a antique early 1800's oil on wood panel, European , Dante and Beatrice-and I believe it is a Italian painting. Look at her eyes below...

She is listed in eBay now, you can find here here.

I found her in Charleston, SC a few weeks ago...and I also found this unusual, interesting- looking gentleman

below...

He caught my attention right away, plus his frame, in a fancy-schmancey antique mall in Charleston...and I made an offer , and after some haggling it was accepted. It is a large very old, early 1800's or before, Old Master's style oil on canvas in a killer Renaissance style HEAVY antique frame. Here's a close-up..

Isn't he something ? Long hair ,intelligent gaze , a true find for antique portrait collectors.  He can be found here.

This 1940-50's geisha portrait is SOLD.

This was a really neat find, a view of Charleston , SC , a vintage painting circa 1960's...a view from St. John's Island, right outside of Charleston. Any vintage paintings of famous or historic cities are valuable. Snap them up if you find them. You can find this one here.

An absolutely killer deco portrait,  1940's , very large , that I sold to a nice lady  in a 5 day auction. For ebay sellers, I recommend 10 day auctions for very unusual items. I was leaving town , and could only do a 5 day auction--as I believe she would have sold for much more if I had listed her longer. Too, too cool. SOLD.

Another gorgeous original oil portrait that is SOLD. 1940's big-band era beauty.

Here is a 1970's oil of a Spanish dancer , more naively painted , but has that ' look' that certain retro homes like. She is listed here.

Here is a fun,  French avante-garde, mod 1960's oil on canvas of a red-haired woman done in a Expressionist style. If you have checked out my auctions ever, I have a penchant for redhead portraits--buy them whenever I can.

She is listed here.

Wanted to show you I also sell very traditional antique and vintage artwork as well as all the portraits I list. This one is a pastel painting of a man fishing in a secluded river. Colors are beautiful, late 1800's -early 1900's time frame. It is listed here.

A lovely antique seascape, appears to be sunrise to me,painted in oils on black academy board. Late 1800's to very early 1900's time frame. You can find it here.

Beautiful pair of oval frames, circa 1920-40's time frame. In very good condition, I always try to find vintage and antique frames in good condition when I can. People now use antique and vintage picture frames for all sorts of decorating ideas, not just to frame their art. They put mirrors on them, they hang then on the wall in groups, they lean them up on apiece of furniture...all kinds of fun ideas with old frames. You can find this pair here.

A 1950's abstract/impressionist/modernist portrait of a woman with an attitude, check out her raised eyebrow. You can find here here.

Another very fun vintage, circa 1950's oil, done in a slight Illustrator style. She is SOLD.

Here's one that is for sale. A 1940-50's oil of a woman with a curly mop of blonde hair. You can find her here.

Here's a sweet soda-shop girl, 1940's oil on canvas. For sale here.

I see this entry is already too long, wanted to show you some French romantic engravings, but will do so in another entry.

Hope each and every one of you is having a really good day,

Gina

A Picture can say a THOUSAND Words

I have not written in awhile, as the last few months leading up to the anniversary of my youngest daughter Sarah's death , has been wrought with much emotion. None productive , all draining in every way. I have had some nice bloggers write me and tell me they miss my posts, and so I decided to write a fairly simple one.

Simple, but infinitely deep to me.

Let me tell you what the picture above is. It is me, leaning back on a railing about 14 or 15 years ago , in Cherokee , North Carolina...somewhere on the Blue Ridge parkway. That is Sarah, about 6 or 7 years old, showing the scenery. I remember taking this picture, the wind was blowing , the air was crisp the mountains were beautiful ...and it was June. I also vaguely recall feeling nervous leaning on that railing, as there was a huge drop below.

Isn't she cute as a button ? I have always liked this picture, we were all happy taking a family vacation up there...and I always liked it how when Sarah was young she would be such a ham-bone for the camera.

I was exactly like that when I was young too.

Since her accident, I have had this picture up on the bulletin board behind me where I work on my eBay site. I can see it reflected in the mirror back at me, if I scoot over to a certain degree , and it has been ' saying ' something, if pictures could talk..everytime I look at it.

What I feel it says it says to me is , well actually what I feel Sarah is saying to me is, " Look ! Look at your future , see how big it is. Look how beautiful it is . Look ! "

She is full of joy in her young eyes and her smile. Her young arm stretched out, showing the vast majestic mountains to the future, to encourage me.

I am smiling , I look happy here.

 The process of grief has been very, very slow for me. I believe I am part snail as I am hanging on to the past with her tight.  I feel like I have hardly gotten out of the intense stage of grief , but I do have days that are better than others. I still, continually, always miss her and long to hold her in my arms.

The lesson here, in my picture, the message I have not grasped or remotely attained so far is this:

Every day ,each one of us, has the choice to look more in the past or more into the future. Since I am a melancholy , romantic fool most of the time...I tend to always keep looking back. Not to discount the value of our lives memories , but I am aware that looking back so much leaves less room for looking at the present day or future.

This post was to encourage anyone , that feels hopeless, depressed , anxious and deep in their own pit,

to look at what my Sarah is showing you,

you have a future,

it is beautiful,

Look !

Blessings,

Gina

Black-RUDE-Berrys & Too Much CLEAVAGE

I'll begin this entry with a familar scene we are all encountering daily.

Let me take you with me to the post office last week. I go in with a giant box ( inside a beautiful antique still life), heading to Malta ( the box,  not me ), and I go stand in the obligatory long line at the main post office. I lean my box against the railing, smile in the direction of the man in front of me, and park myself there until I have to scoot up.

Above is what I see. He is engrossed in his device. Then a young woman walks up behind me, I say , hello...she acknowledges me, but quickly whips out her I-RUDE-phone and starts pressing buttons.

Pretty soon the line is about 20 + people long, and about 1/2 or more are dabbling with these devices.

Black-RUDE-berrys

I-am-RUDE-phone

I-am-a RUDE-pod

I-am-a-RUDE-Smart-phone

etc.

Our entire society is consumed by displaying either how busy they are, how popular they are by the messages they receive, or how much money they have by the price of their electronic devices. I am not Miss Chatty-Kathy out in public, but it has gotten almost rare to have somone acknowledge with a simple hello , or even a nod of the head , when we stand in lines, go out shopping, even walking the neighborhood I see people ,even mothers with strollers...checking their phones and texting !What about talking to your baby about the birds and the trees and the trash truck roaring by? I also am amazed how many parenst have these at the kid's baseball games. Checking whatever the heck is more important than their little Junior playing ball. Conversing with whomever is more important than the real flesh and blood person on both sides of them on the bleachers.

I used to have a Blackberry , I now just have a little regular phone. I do not chat on it in lines anywhere , I do not chat on it while a store clerk rings up something for me. I have considered getting another one for when I go out of town to be able to check my eBay site, but am considering the downside of the cost, and the temptation to spend too much time checking online.

I believe no one has a clue how much of a blessing they can be to someone standing in line next to them, not blah-blah on and on, but for Pete's sake people--we can at least put down, or leave in our purse or pocket, or holster, or car, our personal phones, blackberrys, smart phones, etc., and acknowledge someone's presence in this world !!

Ok...now on to too much cleavage. I bet you thought I was going to tell you a story about a woman with too much cleavage talking on a blackberry.

Wrong, but it has definitely been sighted by someone before I can wager that.

Real Housewifes of LA ' stars', all of these women are 40's-50's

Instead I want to rant a bit about another pervasive social sighting I keep encountering.

Women, young and old, showing WAYYYYY too much cleavage out in public. I am more upset with the older woman than the younger, but both sets need to stop allowing their  'assets' to take center stage in public. I am using the term assets very loosely here, but I have been seeing women in their late 30's-50's crowd , showing enough of their breasts that they look like hookers. I know that is harsh and mean to say, but seriously, there used to be a difference in the way women dressed. Prostitutes were known for  wearing very low-cut,very short dresses and very high heels attire. Unfortunately, that is how many young women ( and older women ), dress today to go on a regular date or to a special occasion and sometimes church . A group of beautiful women, heading out the door dressed to be very 

 hot-sexy ', and not really revealing how beautiful they are at all.

I used to fuss , many times, at my youngest daughter to dress showing less cleavage, not such super short skirts. She used to say that is what is in style.

I tried to explain to her that revealing what she and her friends like to reveal so much only attracts men who want one thing. 

And you men know that...but it is now accepted by men that their daughter's ,  daughter's friends, or wives, dress like this and it appears to amuse and even tittilate many of you.

Protectors of women are few and far between these days.You need to put your foot down and say ' Hold on , what are you wearing, or not wearing  , out the door today ?" Parents need to express their disapproval , but I find many parents just accept this.  I know it is very hard to do this, all the girls want to be so darned sexy all the time.

Almost through with this rant, so bear with me.

Getting to the older woman that reveal too much, I also don't want to hear the excuse that you are just big-busted and you can't find clothes that cover you up completely.

Malarkey.

Double-malarky.





I saw a beautiful woman, early 40's the other day at the the UPS shipping store, push-up bra, low -cut camisole shirt, leaning over filling out forms...showing any and all men , and women around her everything she wanted to show. I think most of us know that if a woman dresses like this, she wants tons of attention.

And men gladly give it to her, which in turn makes her do it more. I wanted to walk up to her and say, " Do you know you are so gorgeous, but revealing 3/4ths of your bust to all of us , and the entire world, makes you less attractive ? "

Women, mothers , need to set an example and not dress like you are 25 out looking for a man in a bar ( if you are reading this and your are 25 and about to go out to a bar dressed like that, since I am Mom I would love to stop you ). Gee-whiz women , we need to show some difference in what the world is displaying as beautiful, the porn-star/LA -too-much-cleavage-wives/streetwalker look , and dress with a semblence of class. We need to treasure ourselves.

I always told my daughter Sarah, if you are big-busted, you can tell in anything you wear, like a man who is well-built and muscular. You can tell it in anything he wears usually. You don't need to hike it up ( I say that as my 25 year old son heard me ranting about this one day and he told me ALL young women wear padded-push-up bras these days to try to look as busty as possible), and put them out for the world to see all the time. 

Whew, I'm exhausted from all this fussing at cleavage.

I think what is so attractive is a man that is NOT carrying a blackberry everywhere and a woman who is dressed with some modesty , not frumpy/fuddy-duddy...just leaving parts of her body covered to show she respects herself , and respects people around her.

Be blessing out there , with your presence ( and put down your electronic device and get a higher cut blouse ) ,
Gina