Today I wanted to share my latest seasonal shadow box. My DIL Nell, found this basic box at a second hand store for me. I was so thrilled, not just that she found it, but that she knew I would want it.
This fun 'Summer' assemblage is replacing my spring shadow box that I made from the door to an old furnace.
I tried to include things that made me think summer when I was a child as well as things that say 'summer' to me now. The idea of bathing beauties, like those shown to the right have always held a fascination for me.
As have small town patriotic exhibits like those we all 'experienced' in the musical The Music Man. Now that I live in a small town, I feel connected when I see pictures like that of the unhappy royal to the right, and definitely a summer event!!
I know that circuses now occur in indoor arenas and happen all year round, but for me a circus really only feels like a circus under a tent, and that only happened in the summer in Utah. Thus my funny circus clown to the left.
The doll head and tin type to the left represents the ever present, summer or not, little girl and her doll. There is also a set of tiny toy guns that are crossed in one of the boxes, but I couldn't get a good picture of them, they of course represent the little boy.
Still another 'Patriotic Royal' with a doll roller skate as a reminder of the hours spent skating on smooth sidewalks ... I still remember the clack of the metal wheels hitting the lines in the sidewalk.
The little girl gathering blooms reminds me of the flowers that were brought in from the yard, and placed in mason jars and tall tumblers of water. We had bridal wreath and I loved them better than any other flower ... well, maybe other than the bleeding hearts, but they were not for cutting ... as I was oft reminded.
And here stand the reigning Queen and King of game playing. Summer always meant time for playing games. I was really more of a checkers player, but I was always awed over the miniature characters that served as chess pieces. (... and I never recovered from repeatedly loosing at Monopoly to some ruthless assortment of my five older brothers.)
I definitely had fun gathering my menagerie of old and odd objects for my summer shadow box. I have decorated by season and by holiday for years, so maybe this gathering is cutting back ... I do, however love being able to bring out some of my collections of tiny, miniature, and small collectibles, that managed to worm their way into my permanent collection.
This sweet little assemblage has been so enjoyable, and I hope it has brought back some fond memories of summer for you as well.
I also wanted to send many thanks Karen at Graphics Fairy for the old photos and the little girl with flowers that I installed in the paper weight. 
P.S., the antique Victorian spice tin got included because I love it and it was the right size ... however we could think of the fun time we all had baking cookies with our Moms back in the day when most every Mom was a 'Stay at home Mom', right?
How very sweet! And boy do I remember those old roller skates. I don't know how we, as kids, never broke our necks using them. Lol!
ReplyDeleteJeanine
We usually "shared" our skates with a friend...we each got one, so we did a lot of one-footed coasting! =D
ReplyDeleteI am in love with your artfully appointed cubby! I was just visiting another post from your blog this week, so I've signed up as your newest follower.
ReplyDeleteDarling blog header, BTW. :@
Thank you ladies .... one of my favorite things about antiques is how that one thing will take you back to a special moment in your childhood ... My theory is that one can only love antiques if one had a happy childhood and 'wants' to go back to visit it.
ReplyDeleteLove it so much! That red crown is adorable. Mimi
ReplyDeleteAll your little goodies helped me remember alot of things from when we lived in Cleveland, OH til I was 10 yrs. old. I loved to collect little things also and had to hide them out in back so my brother wouldn't take them and destroy them. He was mean turkey.; Him and his friends liked to shoot me with their beebee guns. We lived in a 2 story house, we lived on first floor and we had this huge porch on side of the house. I spent many an hour or day on that porch. We also had a woods in back of the yard with a big swing. I can still to this day picture in my mind that house, the yard and woods. My Mother had a big family so I had lots of cousins. aunts and uncles and we had many a party in the back yard.
ReplyDeleteYou have such fun and funky items in your display. I love the circus clown. He just reeks of FUN.
ReplyDelete