Recently I have found myself wanting to play board games…is this a summer thing…no, I think a year round thing! While visiting friends at their county cottage a few weeks ago, I found they love to spend weekend evenings entertaining friends, after a divine home cooked supper, playing board games. Imagine actually sitting with “real” people at a table and moving game pieces, tossing dice, stretching your brain and enjoying a giggle or two or three!! We have gotten so use to playing games on our gaming systems or on our tech devices…think PacMan, Candy Crush, Words With Friends, Jeopardy, the list goes on and on and grows daily…let alone the zillion versions of solitaire (I’ll address card games and collecting decks of cards in another post!) we are losing the camaraderie of being with people. Well, that is true of so much of today’s culture isn’t it!! How modern to enjoy the challenges the many versions of board games give us.
Let’s look at their history and then talk about what you might find at the monthly Randolph Street Market….who knows! Board games have been found in Egyptian tombs and, as shown at the top of this post, painted on the walls of the tombs. They can be traced back 6000 years. Senet, as shown in this fresco and in the painting below, dates to around 3500 BC.
Backgammon originated in Persia 5000 years ago. Chess, Pachisi from India. And The Royal Game of Ur, the oldest game known with surviving original rules, is over 2000 years old.
The Royal Game of Ur
Hounds and Jackals from 13th Dynasty Egypt.
Snakes and Ladders began as an ancient Indian game still widely played today.
A modern Snakes and Ladders…
As a child I loved all games, most especially Monopoly….we certainly did not want to land in “Jail” but rather acquire the most prestigious real estate….what could be more fun. There are dozens of versions of this one of the all time best selling board games. Conceived and patented as The Landlords Game in 1903 by a feminist, Lizzie Magie (she wasn’t credited with creating Monopoly). Here is the original patented design….
And the original design for Monopoly….1935.
Books….
And other games….
Photos, taken by me, of a few of the games I have found from vendors at Randolph Street Market…
Some decorating ideas…..
Another book suggestion, two editions…..
And a board game Café….they seem to be everywhere…who knew!!!!!!
Dig out your games or find vintage ones at RSM what could be more fun for a lazy day by a body of water, to past the time at a picnic or barbecue or to play inside on a rainy day…a perfect way to conjure lots of nostalgia and giggles along the way….enjoy!!!!!
REPRINTED FROM RANDOLPH STREET MARKET BLOG WITH PERMISSION FROM FOUNDER SALLY SCHWARTZ
All photos, unless otherwise credited, from Pinterest credits unknown.
Our inspiration, Sally Schwartz, Founder of Randolph Street Market.
I have mentioned that I am asking my friends to be guest contributors to nenasnotes so on this special day, Halloween, I am featuring several stories from Virginia Heaven, a historian, teacher, author, curator, raconteur and very good friend, which she has entitled “Halloween: Culture Is Everything”. You are in for a treat.
This vitrine is up all year in Virginia’s home. She likes to use her huge collections differently each year and, of course, constantly adds new items…that is what a collector does! Speaking of collections be sure to check out the Halloween blog post I did for the 
All above photos courtesy of Virginia Heaven….a million thanks for the wondeful Halloween memories and the awesome decorations….what a way to begin my guest posts!!!!!
These could be mounted on your wall for decor or to hang bags, jewelry, belts, whatever’s….I think they would make an interesting art instillation.
Or you could top a cork and use as a bottle stopper like I have done….here one in my kitchen, photo by me.
A very close up photo (!!!!!!) of one of the knobs I got years ago at 
All photos unless otherwise noted found on Pinterest photo credit unknown.
No this post isn’t about tiny Coalport, Meissen or other small collectibles (I can do that later) but rather actual tiny houses!!!! Yes, ones you live in. Full disclosure, I already live in a tiny house…what you say, “I thought you live in a high rise condo”, true but it is 700 square feet…so I am qualified to discuss the subject…just saying! As a child I adored my doll house and, of course, spent many hours making many log cabins with my Lincoln Logs with Daddy.
But I envision something more Pygmalion or actually Beaton’s My Fair Lady decor… 
If truth were told I would love to retrofit a Vintage Airstream….some thoughts…
Too much…in my mind never….and I would have to consider where to house ALL my books.
How I see my caravan in its pastoral setting….I can dream can’t I…..
Love this study of the Dunes painted by Jo Ergstrom.
A painting of Rosie’s grandchildren by Rosale.
Dunes and Lake Michigan waves by M.F. Meyers
Of course there must be a lighthouse another charming Lake Michigan scene this by J. Cornell
A Monet print of sailboats that remind me of all the incredible boats getting ready for the Annual Race to Mackinac July 21st this year. The best place to watch is at Navy Pier unless, of course, you are sailing! Check Michigan Avenue’s Ashore Thing for all the details on this annual event. All above paintings and art quilt pieces photos taken by me on my iPhone7.
1950’s Miriam Haskell shell necklace
Looks like a perfect day for a picnic. Not only can you find the right bicycle but you can find all the “fixings” for your picnic as well at RSM. All you need is a beautiful setting, some yummy food (yes, you can also get some goodies at the Market!) and good friends. Chicago and all the suburbs have wonderful spots to picnic, or go to Ravinia for one of the fabulous concerts, Harbor Country or neighboring Wisconsin for all their summer events…you can picnic every weekend through October.
I’ve been anticipating doing this post forever…..if you are like me, I think of Ironstone as white….well silly me. The stunning platters are just the beginning of a connoisseurs major collections. Photo by me on my iPhone. This is my favorite pattern from the several groups in this treasure trove of Vintage Ironstone. Foolishly I didn’t match the makers stamp to the patterns but many of the items in this collection are Mason, the father of English Ironstone. You knew I would find a book or two for your reference!
A print found at 
A beautiful sleek American Robin, I do see them occasionally. Image from Pinterest credit unknown.
A basket of Robin’s eggs photo found on Pinterest credit unknown.
A charming watercolor (one of two) of an English Robin given to me by a dear English friend who is no longer with us….I have it close to where I can constantly see it to remind me of her and our weekly Sunday chats! I found the hand carved destressed white wood frame at RSM and feel it compliments it perfectly. I love the difference between our Robins…ours sleek and their British cousins, short and stout!!!! I love both. (My photo)
One of my vignettes, I try to group like items together, here you see several variations on the bird theme, a book of poems given to me by another dear friend, two already framed pictures…the larger a lithograph print with metal frame, the small round carved wooden Italian frame surrounding a delightful miniature watercolor of a bird’s nest. The concrete bird is the lone element left from my Evanston garden (and Mom’s over two hundred English roses plus other cutting flowers!) part of the birdbath shell with a cherub (which now reside in a friend’s country estate). I used one of my iPhone filters to distress the image, I think makes it a bit moody!
Silver plated Woodcock mounted on a wooden disk.
I’ve been fascinated with paisley forever and in my very eclectic home it works perfectly in many ways from draping the back of a chair, to pillows, to the layering of authentic vintage pieces, Ralph Lauren textiles, and modern fashion shawls on my day bed (I’ll feature the “made” bed in another post, it is a pillow explosion!!!!) to many other renditions of the paisley pattern.
One of my window ledges with vintage bamboo shelves (mostly holding novels and to be read books) collectibles (of course, many treasures found at 
The elements of the top of my painted antique French daybed one of my first purchases for my room when I was in high school. One piece I would always keep. The upper right you can see a peek of the base which is a fitted sheet from a long ago Ralph Lauren linen collection (I have several just in case one wears out) the stripe is a mix of pattern (I often use it as a table cloth especially for Christmas time dinners) on the bottom left the tradition paisley pattern which layers over the stripe and the black banded piece is a challis shawl from a Gloria Sachs outfit (worked with her on many personal appearance trunk shows at Saks Fifth Avenue, Chicago). The outfit was three pieces, jacket, slim skirt and this shawl each a different paisley coordinating pattern, loved it, wore it, wish I had it now…more to the point wish I could fit into it now! At least I can enjoy, and wear the shawl!
This pillow sham is at the head of my bed and holds my guest bed pillow love the combination of paisley patterns 
Interesting assortment….actually three paisleys the base is yet another vintage fragment that I used to “upholster” a love seat in the library area of my apartment, a few of my vintage pillows and two bolsters one more vintage paisley and the smaller piece made from a watered velvet paisley that I found in a remnant bin that I also had upholstered on my antique dining chairs (my point here is don’t walk away if there are holes, tears, small amount yardage, think of how you can use them in your decor…use your imagination and creativity). The lily of the valley rug drapped over the caned settee is one of my many needlepoint projects. Most of my pieces I do from charts rather than painted pieces. I will do a story on my needlework later (of course I will!!!!!)
I showed you this pillow in another post it was a gift from my friend and former boss, Michael Hawley (you can check the nenasnotes archives on his profile) he had it made for an Antiquity piece when he was at Gumps in San Francisco, yet another of my treasures. At the moment it resides on one of aforementioned watered velvet dining chairs.
