Shed a Little Light

When I was little the attic was a place where I dumped all my old crap that I didn't want cluttering my room anymore. It was the room that occupied the space over the three car garage, so it was quite large. It was not insulated and therefore got very hot in the summer and freezing in the winter. It was a place that drove my mom nuts because it was never organized and the family "dumping ground". It was a place I visited often because I was always redecorating my room and moving around furniture. Chairs, dressers and side tables would often come and go, so when they were not in my room they lived in the attic.

When my Grandparents on my Dads side passed away, all the furniture from their house was split up and what my parents didn't use in the house went up to the... you guessed it, the attic! When my Grandparents on my Moms side moved from their house to a small condo, lots more furniture went up there too. So, needless to say the attic is quite full.

Since I have moved into my "big girl" apartment I've needed lots of things to furnish and accessorize it and the attic at my parents house is no longer a dumping ground to me, but a treasure chest full of old family items just waiting for a new home. My favorite things in the apartment have come from there, and I love them because they all have such great character and history.
(I've posted about a few of these things before, so sorry if you have seen them already)


The farmhouse kitchen table and the brass William Shakespeare wall thing lived in my paternal Grandparents kitchen for over 60 years. The table was built by my great grandfather and my Dad says its over 150 years old.



My paternal Grandmother was an artist and my grandfather was a photographer- so needless to say there are alot of paintings and photos around from both of them. When they passed away all of the items got split up among the three children, and then split again among the oodles of grandchildren. I was lucky enough to score the above 4 paintings, photo, and etching and I love them all! (actually one is on loan from my bother till he gets his own place, and the framed one is my parents but I'm borrowing that too)


I love the two sterling silver Paul Revere bowls from my parents house, not sure where they came from but then again I don't really care because they are mine now and I love them.


I must have posted these lamps a million times, but I love them that much. The pair came from my maternal Grandmothers side. I'm not sure how old they are or where she used them, but I LOVE the detail on them. Again, like everything else they came from the attic.


This sterling silver initialed pocket watch was my paternal Grandfathers- when he passed away my Dad got it because they have the same initials, and then somehow it ended up with me. I couldn't just keep it in my jewelry box because its too pretty, so I hung it on this black grosgrain ribbon and it hangs from my closet door.

The lamp in the picture above was my paternal Grandparents, it lived on their porch for as long as I can remember (actually as long as my Dad can remember too, so thats really old). I love the detail on it, and the large round base. This was not actually in my parents attic but in the basement, so when I moved it quickly found a new home in my apartment.

Now on to how I got started on this whole post in the first place- my new (old) glass lamp.

Come to find out my sweet attic find was my maternal grandmothers when she was a child. There are actually a pair of them, and she used them next to her bed growing up in Brooklyn all those years ago (the black shade is new of course). I loved the lamp before, but how could I not love it even more after I heard that story! Every night when I turn it on I think of her now- thank you Grandma!

Now I have reminders of both my Grandmothers on this wall


So, while I love junk and antique shopping if I need something specific or am in the mood to change my decor around, my parents attic is the first place I go...and usually a one stop shop since I've found so many amazing things up there.

Its definitely my little treasure chest.