Traveling in Time and Faves

I am linking with my regular weekly meme hostesses, Beverly and Laurie for Pink and My Favorites Saturday, respectively, at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/ and http://bargainhuntingwithlaurie.blogspot.com/.

And of course, it's time to take a trip but we will take a different kind of trip today. We will take a trip down memory lane, except we won't remember this lane since it is before our time.

I am also linking with Susan at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ for Metamorphosis Monday since I am showing you places how they were before and how they are now.

and Mary for Mosaic Monday at http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/

I think as many people as possible should see these old pictures because they are very educational and historical so I am also linking with Rose for Nostalgia at http://www.meetourclan.com/.

First, let me show you my favorites.

I have shown our new table here a few days ago and it's become one of my favorites so I will show you again. I started organizing but I am not quite done yet. I filled all the drawers in one side and I have to work on the other side next. The size of the drawers are really perfect for flatware and they are very heavy and sturdy and able to hold the heavy sets of flatware, some of them are in 12 settings and they really get heavy. Even after placing settings for 12 plus extra servers in 1 drawer, there is still room left. I love getting organized.

I used to keep my flatware in those boxes you see on top of the table below and placed in overhead cabinets in the laundry room. It was always a hastle picking which I wanted to use. And I could never remember what was in each box so most of the time I had to climb up and open each box until I saw which ones I wanted. This is really a lot more convenient now.

I also mentioned that I have been busy painting so let me show you with the ones I started with. I use the kitchen breakfast table. What a mess huh! I took a picture of the flower blooming from our small magnolia tree in the back yard, printed it and drew it on a canvas, then painted it. For a while I could not decide on a background. I only really wanted to paint a plain one but John wanted me to put trees and make it more complicated. Well, ok, I will make him happy this time but next time, I will do a plain background cause it will be a lot faster. So how did I do? As you know, magnolia is Mississippi's state flower. I have only brought one magnolia painting in the store and it sold the second week after I opened, so the landlady adviced me to do more for the upcoming Fall Pilgrimage and Balloon Festival, when lots of tourists come into this area. She also said she will display them in the front window. Mmmm, I don't think they are good enough to be displayed, lol. It might be embarrassing. Here is another one I painted, it's Mammy's Cupboard, which is a restaurant locally. It is listed as one of the most unusual building in US. My Mammy looks happier, lol. Ok now, it's time to travel through time. Antiques Forum was held last weekend and John and I attended 2 lectures: Glass in the South and Natchez Furniture. Included in the package is a coffee reception at the Presbyterian Church. I have been wanting to go there since we moved but you know how we tend to take things for granted when we know it is just there. They have the most awesome display of actual photographs taken during the 1800's of Natchez and its residents and how life here used to be. It is very interesting. I will go back there for sure and take my time to absorb everything. We were rushed because we had a meeting to attend to. I advice anyone who visits here to not fail to go there. The building below still exists. It is now the Cock of the Walk Restaurant, located along the Mississippi River and the left half is Old South Trading, another must see when you come here. They sell Natchez souvenirs and really good jams and preserves, my favorite of which is sweet potato spread and apple butter. The photo above is the "before" and the one below is the "after". Just look at how pretty everybody, especially the children, used to dress.

and the gentlemen too.

The women were always all dolled up, complete with pretty ruffled umbrellas. Love their buggy transportation!

I thought this was very interesting. The description is below. I am glad they do not do that now anymore cause I would be so terrified of snakes.

I love this picture. It was taken in my favorite antebellum house here, which is now a B & B. We were put in there when hubby came for an interview and to check out the city. The picture below is before. I don't think it has changed much. The steps, columns and the ironwork are still there.

Under the old picture below is now.

This is something I wish they would bring back, the Natchez Steamboat. They did really nice tablescapes inside anchor Lines. Can you believe that this was in the 1800's? The steamboats transported people from Natchez to New Orleans on the Miss. River. Can you believe this was inside a boat?

Look at all those chandeliers!

Another one that I really found interesting was the cotton business, which of course you all know was a prevalent industry at that time. The first picture shows them cotton picking. The second shows the cotton bales being weighed. The third picture shows dealing on Franklin and Commerce streets downtown. This location is the next corner from where my store is so I am sure they were peddling in front of the store too. Cotton bales were transported through the MS River in barges.

Thank you so much for traveling in time with me and thank you to our other hostesses for these fine memes. I hope you learned something from this post. I really enjoyed sharing the photos with you.