Grandpa's Childhood Treasures

 I would like to start out this post by saying thank you to all of you who left comments and sent messages to me after my grandfather's death.  This was a completely new experience for me and all of the kind words, thoughts and prayers that were sent my way really meant so much to me.  It is still such a weird feeling to know that he is gone, but the memories we have of him will stay with us throughout our lives. 

 My whole family got together the day after his death to go through pictures and share more memories.  My grandma pulled out an old metal box and the treasures that were stored inside were absolutely amazing!  Since I couldn't steal them and take them home, I grabbed my camera and took pictures...maybe someday all these things can be mine!

 My grandpa was born in April 1928. Just a year before The Great Depression was in full swing.  This little nightgown is so precious.  Someone lovingly cut linen into the shape of a nightgown, sewed it together and then hand-stitched pink and blue flowers onto it.  Since there was no way to tell if the baby was going to be a boy or a girl until it was born, pink and blue would have to work for either! 

 The lace trim is so delicate and tiny.  It took all my might not to sneak this into my purse.  It would look so perfect in a shadow box with all of the other treasures that my eyes quickly fell in love with!

 This sweet little grooming set is in fantastic condition for being almost 85 years old.  There is a soft bristle brush, a comb and a little soap box.  The soap box contained a lock of hair from my grandpa's first haircut.  It was the prettiest golden honey color.  This set has hand-painted blue and pink roses on it.  The brush has a pink velvet ribbon tied to it.  Again, so hard not to steal all of it away!

 This rattle is pink and white...again, there is no way to tell if the baby was a boy or a girl, and I am sure my grandpa didn't care what color it was when he was a baby!  The plastic felt so flimsy but it has lasted for almost 85 years!

 One side of the rattle was white with pink letters spelling out "BABY" and the other side was solid pink.  I bet my grandpa loved playing with it!

 Look at his sweet little glasses from when he was just a tiny little guy.  I can't remember my grandpa ever not wearing his glasses.  He even had a little dog stand that he put his glasses on every night.  I love that his mom saved all of these things and gave them to him so that someday, someone would cherish them!

 Can you believe these sweet vintage cards?  They are seriously in pristine condition and I really, really, really wanted to steal these too!  They have just been sitting in that metal box for years and are like brand new.  I think my cousins thought I was crazy when I went nuts over these.  There were also letters and old pictures/cabinet cards in the box.  Please Grandma, give them all to me...I will cherish them forever!

 My grandma told me that this was my grandpa's grandpas shaver.  It is dull to the touch since it hasn't been used or sharpened in years, but it is amazing.  The box is original and the handle is made of ivory.  It is vintage perfection!

My dad now has this little toy pistol that belonged to my grandpa.  He is going to make a shadow box to put it in.  I can see my grandpa as a little boy playing "Cowboys and Indians" with his brothers, using this gun to shoot them!

 See the notches carved into the handle of this gun?  My grandpa always told us that he kept track of all the outlaws he killed while living in Colorado.  Oh, my grandpa had the most amazing personality and told the best stories.  He claimed to know how to speak Indian and outran Indians on the day he was born.  I will miss hearing these stories, but I will never forget them!

 Here is a picture of my handsome grandpa when he was just a young man...WOWZERS!  No wonder my grandma fell head over heels in love with him the first time she saw him!  I always remember thinking he looked a little like Ricky Ricardo, James Dean and Paul Newman all wrapped into one amazing man!

And this is my MOST FAVORITE picture ever.  This is my grandma, my dad, my aunt and my grandpa circa 1958.  My dad was dressed in a little suit but just before they were to go into get this picture taken, he had an accident and my grandma had to change him into these overalls.  He is adorable!  What a cute little family they were, often compared to a 1950's sitcom family.  I have loved this picture since the first time I ever saw it and I am so thankful to have my own copy now.  It is framed and proudly displayed in my house now!  

My grandpa's death has definitely changed me.  I can't tell you how many sympathy cards that I have signed half-heartedly, never really knowing how these people truly feel.  I also never knew how much that card could mean to someone in their time of loss.  The hardest thing for me was seeing my dad break down in tears or thinking about my grandma being alone after 59 years of marriage.  But I know that my grandpa is now with all of us, all the time.  I am so glad that I got to spend time with my family going through pictures, sharing memories and reminiscing about what an amazing man my grandpa was!

Linking up with:
Knick of Time Tuesday
ColoradoLady: Vintage Thingies Thursday