Copenhagen Bookmark

Well, it's spelled differently on the bookmark itself, being made in Denmark and all. Love finding homemade....well, anything! How many things are homemade anymore? I remember being very little and my mother being at the sewing machine making clothes for the 5 of us. The four of us really, by the time the youngest came along, I think she had gone from making clothes to sewing blankets. I remember a particularly pretty dress, pink and white with black lace in various places. Oh, that thing itched like no other. Just seeing a picture of my small self wearing that dress makes me want to scratch myself. Rambling as per my usual. Cool bookmark.

Faded Memory

Literally the most faded photo I have yet too come across. Beach, boat, water, sign me up! I wish this had a date or beach name or anything. Someone probably spent a lovely holiday in a tropical oasis and turned to have one last look, pulled out the camera and created a lasting memory.

 I recently discovered that people used to take photos of loved ones after they had died. They prop them up and make them look as though they are still alive. It's morbid, on the one hand. I totally understand it on the other. But, if you know someone is ill and may not live, why didn't they take the picture at that point? Accidental deaths, sure, that I can kind of see. But, still morbid.

There was a movie I just adored as a child, it was Disney's The Parent Trap, not Lindsay Lohan, the original with Haley Mills and Maureen O'Hara. There's a scene where Haley's character "makes a memory" with her grandfather, recalling that he smells of tobacco and peppermint. I find myself doing this when a moment is just perfect. And, it's not at all morbid.

Denmark 1909 Christmas Seal Julen

One would think this stamp came attached to an envelope, but it was found a folded half sheet of paper. It is currently selling for a whopping 5 dollars online. It seems like it should be worth more, doesn't it?

I've tried to find who they used as a model for this stamp, but no avail. Isn't she lovely. Her moppet blonde hair, the perfect choice. Although, I do think this stamp looks a little more like springtime than Christmas. The star at the top is its only saving grace.

Beautiful Baby Antique Photo

Beautiful baby, look at those cheeks and that bow shaped mouth. Throw a little blonde hair on top of her head and she looks just like my niece. I all at once love to find pictures in my books, but at the same time it saddens me that it lost its way from the family who loved them.

 As a resident of Southern California, I have more than once packed up all my most important things to run away from a fire. Twice, actually. Which I think is more than enough for one lifetime. That said, photographs are the first things I go for. The old ones from my childhood, but more important to me are the photos of my children. The things that really matter, not truly the tangible things, but our memories.

WWI Postcard 1918

 This little card is from 1918, at first glance I thought the little guy was Hitler, but I had the wrong war. The postcard asks if Herold needs help at the store anymore and asks what he did for Easter. The writer also mentions a camp, military I am assuming. Love when I can actually read the writing.

Isn't it funny, the card about going to war? I think throughout history there has often been a sense of adventure  associated with going to war so of course little boys would be annoyed at being left out of the fun. These days, with the Internet and it's bringing the true violence and horrors of war right into our homes, we are not as woo hoo about going off to fight the good fight. Certainly we do. Of course we do. But it's a different kind of creature. Shout out to military people everywhere who do indeed fight the good fight.

Oscar Wilde Fan?

 Possibly the coolest postcard I have found to date. Possibly.It's definitely old, late 1800's to early 1900's would be my guess. But that isn't what makes it cool. First of all, what is written is hilarious. Let's start there. The postcard reads, "My dear Miss Prism, Visiting my old stomping grounds at Oxford and wanted to send you a quick note. The weather remains charming. I got a chance to read you 3 volume novel - I found it grotesque and irreligious. I did, however, enjoy the illustrations of the Fall of the Rupee - too sensational!! I'll visit soon, we'll have tea and cucumber sandwiches. By the by, thought you should know that the stain on the lining*? was not from a temperance beverage, but from baby Jack's incontinence! warmest regards, Algy."

Alright, first of all, telling her friend her books were "grotesque and irreligious" was pretty bold. But mentioning that any stain on the card was definitely the product of baby Jack's incontinence was too good. You'd hate to have someone think you had consumed a "temperance beverage." Total scandal.

So I read this postcard a few times, and something started to seem familiar about the names. Oh, my goodness. I started putting the names into Google and low and behold guess what came up? Algy, Laetitia, and baby Jack all match characters from Oscar Wilde's last and most popular play, The Important of Being Earnest. The play debuted in London on February 14th in 1895.  Was this why the postcard was never sent? How badly do I want to meet whomever it was that wrote this! Too funny.

Cloetta Chocolate

Cloetta was established in 1862 in Copenhagen by the three Swiss brothers Bernhard, Christopher and Nutin Cloetta. The movement expanded and in 1873 a factory was built in Malmö. This factory was moved in 1901 to Ljungsbro. The Cloetta family sold the business in 1917 to the Swedish Chocolate Factory AB with Svenfelt family as majority owner. There's the nutshell history. So, the question is this, how old is this paper, ad, bookmark thing I found in one of my books? 
                                                                                                    

I am going to guess the 1920's to 40's. Mostly based on my absolute love for that time period, and this girls hair and clothing. The card says Gourmet Bitter chocolate for connoisseurs, new healthy and tasty, among other things. I believe this particular box of chocolates might be dark chocolate covered gooseberries. Sounds good, cannot say I have ever had a gooseberry. Bucket list add right there. 

This card is in Swedish, which is really cool because my grandfather was 100% Swedish. 100% anything is kind of rare anymore. Perhaps I should have a chocolate covered gooseberry actually IN Sweden?! Madness or brilliance, I can't decide. But either way, Sweden is definitely on the bucket list. The bucket list currently has things scratched out and completed, and there are always new things going onto it. Just as bucket lists should be. And no, I am not old nor do I have a fatal disease, but waiting to start knocking out a bucket list makes no sense to me at all. Insert sappy, cliche sayings about living life to the fullest, don't wait til tomorrow, etc. here. They do have a point though.