Mollie Makes U.S. Edition Magazine, Part 2

As if I wasn't over the moon enough to be featured in the Mollie Makes Maker Faire article in the August issue, they decided to do a little profile on me in their October issue#5!

Really grateful and honored. Thanks Mollie Makes! Here it is:

Painted Wood Cuteness! Part Two

So, as promised, let's talk about Irmi. First off, lots and lots of people love Irmi. Check out this Flickr group called "In Love With Irmi". My favorite is the super rad gnome lamp (oh, how I wish it were mine):

The little mushroom lights up as a nightlight. This photo belongs to sewdeerlyloved.

Who was Irmi? Irmi (also called Nursery Plastics) was a company formed in 1948 in New York by a couple, Fred and Irmi Bering. Fred and Irmi met and married in the United States after each had independently escaped Nazi Germany. They started with nothing and gradually built their company into a thriving business. As a child, Fred's father had given him a note stating, "If you should ever find yourself in a position where you have more than you need for yourself, think of those who are less fortunate." Honoring this in later years, Fred donated $2 million to the Danbury Hospital in Connecticut in memory of his beloved wife.

Isn't that a cool backstory? 

Irmi produced really cute and well-made nursery and children's decor, primarily lamps, switchplate covers, music boxes and wall hangings. Mother Goose and fairytale stories were the most common themes and virtually all the products were hand painted in wood.

Obviously, our house had to have some Irmi magic. It probably looks like only a 5 year-old lives here.

Jack and Jill switchplate in our bedroom.

My bedside table lamp. You twist the cat, music plays, and the girl's chair rocks back and forth.

Cat Playing the Fiddle Switchplate in my studio.

Humpty Dumpty lamp in my accessories closet (yes...I have an accessories closet).

Humpty Dumpty switchplate in our study.

Noah's Ark wall hanging in the upstairs bathroom.

Painted Wood Cuteness! Part One

When I was a kid, we used to go to my grandmother's house fairly often, as she lived across the bay in Oakland. Gram had an amazing 1920s era apartment that overlooked Lake Merritt. She had a penchant for holiday decorating and always created these great displays in different rooms. 

My favorite displays, however, were the dining room centerpieces. She had a large collection of Erzgebirge figures which she arranged for holiday decor. (Erzgebirge is a region in Germany that has been producing beautifully painted wood figures for centuries.) One Easter centerpiece that I remember well consisted of a manzanita branch and lots of little painted wooden bunnies, some up in the branches and some on the tabletop. It was like a little Easter rabbit workshop scene. They were kind of like the bunnies in this photo I found on UncommonEye's flickr photostream:

The only figures I have from my Gram are these two: a rather cross and prim looking lady with an umbrella and a large boy in lederhosen with a tiny balloon.

There's an incredible store in Berkeley called Castle in the Air, and if you're ever in the area, you definitely need to check it out. They carry lots of these Erzgebirge figures, Swiss and German cuckoo clocks (don't even get me started on how much I love cuckoo clocks), beautiful toys, and fine art, stationery and craft supplies from Europe. It's one of my most favorite stores, and I'm not allowed to go there very often.

But in case you're thinking you might want some of these Erzgebirge treasures for yourself, and you can't get to Castle in the Air, here's a few from online. 

Ladybird Musicians from Xvoto on Etsy

Mushroom Gnome Incense Smoker 

Flower Girl with Doll

Star Child on Moon Music Box

Next time I will blog about some American painted wood cuteness made by a company called Irmi. Until next time!

Vintage Charms

I've always had a thing for charm necklaces and bracelets, and I love collecting the charms themselves. When I say collecting, I really mean hoard. Most of the time, it takes me forever to get around to putting them on a necklace, etc. so I just display them in trays and dishes on my dresser.

My friend has been adding to her charm bracelet lately and got me to searching for some more myself. Here's my top pics that I can't justify buying:

Antique German Gnome with Mushroom

Silver Acorn with Squirrel Inside

Same as above but in closed position. Rad, right?

Vintage Hedgehog Smoking a Pipe