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The two rose paintings hanging over my fireplace — and over my indoor rose garden — are so very dear to my heart.

I fell in love with them the moment I saw them at an auction house last year. So, bright and early, I got up and went to the auction … and sat … and waited … and browsed the other stuff … and waited … patiently, but they didn’t get to the floor.

Determined Obsessed, I returned the following week. Again, I waited … and sat … and browsed … and waited. Once more, the paintings were left hanging and I left disappointed. Not empty-handed, mind you. Really — who can ever leave an auction empty-handed?

Well, the third week I arrived at the auction early and spoke to the owner. Politely peeved, I was, that I sat through two auctions when all I really, really wanted were those lovely rose paintings. The wonderful man brought the paintings up FIRST.

I fought for them, won them and headed home in victory! If you’ve ever desperately wanted an item at an auction, you can probably relate

What makes these paintings so special are the signatures on each back.

They read:

Painted for a lovely lady, Treva Estes. 1955. Leonard Woodruff.

Awwww. Doesn’t it make you wonder if Leonard won the lady’s heart with these sweet paintings?

If you’re familiar with Colorado, the town Estes Park may ring a bell. It is just the loveliest little town nestled in the mountains just outside Rocky Mountain National Park.

Treva is related to THOSE Estes.

I scored with these paintings! While not museum quality by any stretch of the imagination — it stretches MY imagination to wonder about Leonard and Treva’s romance.