Three years ago I asked my husband to make a corner china cabinet for me.
I asked him to make it out of a walnut tree.
Finally, after planing a lot of walnut wood, reclaiming wormy chestnut trim from my great grandfather’s house, and somehow making it all work together…
It. Is. Completed.
A beautiful piece of furniture with ties to five generations of my family…
…is finished and filled solely with family treasures spanning more than 100 years.
The doll my grandfather sent from Paris to my mom during WWII…
Paint by number renderings from my grandmother and her mother’s pin cushions…
Shape note song books that belonged to a great uncle…
Great Grandmother’s hat, cape and handmade blouse…
My mother’s diary and well-worn Laura Ingalls Wilder books her mother gave to me…
Pearls, lace and photos from a simpler time…
Grandmother’s lace, hatbox and my dad’s sweet little cowboy boots…
…everything used and loved by someone dear to my heart.
…all safely tucked in my newest treasure — made lovingly by my husband with help from my son; from wood cut by my father with wood trim carefully taken down and stored by my grandfather; from the house my great grandfather called home in the cool, mountain summers of Balsam.
There are some things money cannot buy. Those are the only things worth having.
Thank you for joining me on this journey to reclaim the past:-)
To see how we made it, click HERE.
Anita
I’ll be joining:
Before and After (Thrifty Decor Chick)
That is one AMAZING piece of furniture Anita!!! And love all the treasures you have stored in it – just beautiful!
XOX
Where do I start? What a treasure your talented husband built for you, gorgeous corner cabinet. I love that you have filled it with family pieces. All pieces are just priceless, your Mom's doll is so sweet. Congratulations on preserving you family heritage.
Beautiful treasures in a beautiful piece of furniture!
Oh Anita, it is beautiful, and your husband did a wonderful job of crafting such a stunning cabinet for your home. Simply lovely.
Your photos are so pretty, they could be an entire magazine! I use to get Victoria magazine for years….it just reminded me of how thrilled I was when it arrived.
Truly enjoyed my visit today, thank you for sharing!!
I bet a lot of women are going to be putting their husbands to work!!
Sandy
WOW! What a beautiful "TREASURE"! How wonderful that it all came together as you had imagined.
Have a great week.
Jan ♥
I am speechless…what a gorgeous piece and tribute to your family. Loved this post.
That is perfection! You guys are amazing and creating such a wonderful home for your family filled with love and memories! You are awesome!
A legacy piece of furniture to be cherished for generations……how blessed you are! Thanks for sharing!
It's absolutely beautiful! What special treasures and the history of the wood should be passed down through generations to come.
~Adrienne~
Your china cabinet turned out beautifully. What a wonderful 'new' treasure to hold all your old treasures!
What a talented Mr. FAR! Wonderful job! I love that you used old wood from previous generations. I love everything you put into it, what wonderful memories. I can't believe you have your Mom's diary…what a treasure. Lucky you.
Beautiful cabinet and even more special being filled with treasures of the heart!
Blessings,
Cindy
Anita, it's absolutely beautiful and I know you and generations to come will cherish it. You hubby is such a good carpenter. Thank you for sharing your beautiful home with us.
What a treasure trove of sweet memories!!! Be sure to write it all down for future generations!!!
What a beautiful piece of furniture. What talent to make something that wonderful. Is that one picture you holding that same doll. So many mmories in that cabinet.
Wow! What a great place to store all your treasures! I'm sure it makes you very happy to look in that beautiful cabinet. You have it styled beautifully too.
Anita- What a gorgeous cabinet and even better how wonderful to tie 5 generations of family together. You have some absolutely beautiful bits and pieces- xo Diana
Oh Anita.. I am emotional looking at all your treasures. What loving memories. I am such a collector of family memories.. but every time I am so in awe of yours.
The story behind the wood that made the cabinet… the craftsmanship of Luis and the help of your son. Such a luvly story.
Thanks for sharing.
Hugs, Gee
Anita,I'm almost wordless.This cabinet is beyond gorgeous,what an amazing job.Love all your wonderful family treasures.You are so blessed to have these.
OMGoodness, I am almost speechless. What a TREASURE!!!!!!!!!! AND, it can be passed down to future generations! I love, love that you have filled it with things from your family and that you treasure all of them so much. You are right: they ARE the only things worth having. I LOVED this post and tell Luis and your son, BEAUTIFUL JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XO, pinky
What a special piece of furniture for you to use and admire.
God bless,
d
What a beautiful and meaningful cabinet! How lucky you are to have such a gifted husband! And how special to have all that wood from your grandfather. i love to read your posts about it. So poignant!
You have so many beautiful memories there and what a stunning piece of furniture he has built!
Have a good week.
Anita, treasure to hold your treasures for your treasures now and your precious children's future. Beautiful, I hope you and your daughters enjoy the pearls, books, lace if possible.The namesake, from Germany originally of both my names, her brother handmade what is my Victorian china cabinet with curved glass panels, priceless to me as well.Thank you for sharing your beautiful world and vision.God bless your husband's work too…..so creative and gifted you and Mr….. can't believe Victoria Magazine hasn't contacted you for a photo shoot and article package. They need to not hop over the "pond" and look at our own treasures. Bless.
I love your wonderful corner cabinet, such fabulous craftsmenship. I enjoyed seeing the beautiful vignettes of precious family treasures that you are blessed to have. You display everything in such a lovely way, and so lovingly. So glad you shared this with us.
Love, Linda
Truly classic and priceless trinkets hold dear memories are far more precious than any other. Love them. Got my eye on your next posts.
Oh Anita! You know how I love when you show this beauty of tying it all together…definitely priceless. I have to say that I love the reflection caught in the one pic of the chandi and that cabinet just makes it all so perfect, perfectly Anita, perfectly family. Hugs to you and yours:)
It is BEAUTIFUL! I can't imagine being blessed with such talent! And your vignettes in it are beautiful as well. ~Zuni
Hi Anita! Oh, your cabinet is gorgeous and your hubby did so well! You're so fortunate to have a crafty hubby! I love seeing your treasures inside too and to know everything has a history! Hope you're doing well,
Be a sweetie,
Shelia;)
Your husband is a treasure. The cabinet is great and made more perfect by the mix of materials and memories. How did he mill the tree?
Hello Anita! Your cabinet is gorgeous! and it's really full of treasures… those vintage dolls are lovely!
Such a nice story about your family and so many memories together now.
Congratulations!
Besos, Silvina
Your cabinet is just gorgeous and I LOVE that it is filled with such wonderful sentimental items. So enjoyed looking at everything.