Snow White and the Seven Photos

I pretty much love all fairytales, not a big surprise there. I like the spooky sad old original versions, like Brothers Grimm, AND the sweet, nice, sugar-coated ones, too. Actually, if I'm going to be super honest, I kinda like the nicey ones most. Yep, even the Disney cartoons. Confession: I love the old Disney cartoons!

I went to the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco recently, and it sparked a whole re-watching of the classics. We started off with Snow White, and, aside from the unbelievably high-pitched sound she makes when she sings, it is a beautiful film. Confession: I love her high-pitched mouse voice, too. It kinda sounds like the mice that sing between scenes in Babe, which I also....love.

I guess I love Snow White so much that I've collected Snow White stuff. Shocking, right?! I know, I know. So here's five pictures of Snow White things I own, and two pictures of Snow White things I want to own.

My original Snow White book from 1938.

Inside cover of my Snow White book. I love the old-style illustration.

My vintage German Snow White bank. It still works and has its original key to open the bottom.

My apple ring I got at H&M!

Vintage Japanese Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Snow White fabric by Heather Ross. 

My Paper Crane's Snow White cross-stitch pattern. Adorable!!! Buy it here.

Stargazing

I decided to finally try my hand at curating-- in the form of an Etsy treasury. It was nighttime, for once there were stars out as opposed to the usual San Francisco summer fog, and so I titled my treasury "Stargazing" (which sounded more poetic than just "stars" which is what I originally had).

What to put in it? I decided to go for a kind of ethereal look with this, hope you like it:

'Stargazing' by katykristin

meluseena $18.00	RoyalMint $35.00	onegarnetgirl $150.00	giantdwarf $15.00
JolieEnRoseVin... $18.00	PearsonMaron $35.00	ParisCoutureAn... $460.00	LaBohemeBijoux $26.00
shipwreckdandy $19.00	efinegifts $34.95	handmadebyblue... $23.00	iowajewel $12.99
handmadebyblue... $21.00	DonnaJeanVinta... $125.00	RetroClassics $69.99	BrooklynGrace $32.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

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!