Surprised by Romantic Country Magazine!

Those sneaky little tricksters at  

Romantic Country Magazine!

 I just adore the new Editor, Mary Forsell,
so I e-mail her regularly asking her what sorts of things
they might be looking for in the coming issues.

Well, a few months back, she gave me a short list, and among her wish list

was dress forms or mannequins. I sent her a few shots I had taken in Warrenton

this past September, and that was that, or so I thought.

Bless Mary's heart, she had been so busy that she forgot to tell me that

the art department had chosen two of my photos
for the Spring 2012 feature, on newsstands now!

I only found out this week, as I am still recovering from a nasty throat infection,

and had sent the Mister to the store for some meds, yogurt, OJ, and the new issue 

of Romantic Country, as I knew my super talented friend Shell of Bungalow Bling

was featured in the new issue.

You could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw

that two of my photos had indeed made the issue.

I shot the photo on the top of the page 

at my sweet friend Christie Connelly's

space in Warrenton ( get a blog, will ya, Christie?! )...

 and I shot the beautiful bald headed gal below at my buddy

Theresa Cano's space at Zapp Hall.

The Spring 2012 issue also has inspiring features

on my friends Rebecca Ersfeld  and Tracie Truran,
written and styled by Miss Fifi O'Neill herself!
It's a really great issue, be sure to grab it!

This happy news, along with my antibiotics, should be
the BEST medicine.
Back to recuperating, have a wonderful weekend and a
Happy New Year!

linking with 

common ground for vintage inspiration friday 

french country cottage for feathered nest friday

Learning a New Art

Painting.

I've never been any good at it,
not even a little bit.

I find a lot to admire
in the art of painting, however...

how a bold stroke of red, or the judicious use of just a hint

of pale blue can convey wildly divergent emotions, and depths of feeling.

One can use a heavy hand or light, feathery strokes,

each technique imbuing the work with a

contrasting mood, taking each viewer to a different place.

I'm not planning on learning to paint,

but I am planning on learning a new art.

It's called the art of letting go.

Letting go of 

Worry.

Fear.

Impatience.
Unforgiveness.

Anxiety.

Self-Recrimination.

Condemnation.

Depression.

Apathy.

and most of all,

letting go of

Regret.

I can't change the past,

but with my new set of tools in hand,

I can  paint a bright and cheery canvas on which

to build a happier 2012.

THAT is my New Year's resolution.

Wish me well,
and share your own resolutions
here with me, and us all.

Happy Wednesday, Sweet Friends.

An Ineffable Light

painting: 

Nativity at Night

by Geertgen tot Sint Jans, c. 1490

______________________________

"...the virgin knelt down with great
veneration
in an attitude of prayer,
and her back was turned to the manger....

And while she was standing thus in prayer,
I saw the child in her womb move
and suddenly in a moment she gave birth to her son,

from whom radiated such an
ineffable light
and splendour, that the sun was not comparable to it,

nor did the candle that St. Joseph had put there,
give any light at all, the divine light totally
annihilating the material light of the candle....

I saw the glorious infant lying on the ground naked and shining.
His body was pure from any kind of soil and impurity.
Then I heard also the singing of the angels,
which was of miraculous sweetness and great beauty..."

 From a vision of
Catholic mystic
Saint Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373),
which served as the inspiration for this painting.

May His ineffable light illuminate your path
this Christmas season, and always.

Signing off for a few days, my friends...
With my love and very best wishes for you and yours,

originally posted 

Christmas 2009 & 2010

Christmas Prayers Needed

I am beyond frustrated right now...

My dad is now being rushed back for his FIFTH hip surgery

in 3 months. He keeps having complications, and he's due for

a lengthy hospital stay this time, with multiple surgical procedures

scheduled to help aggressively treat this.

And yes, he will be hospitalized over Christmas...
and New Year's. Beyond that, who knows?

He remains positive, but it's taking an emotional toll...

on him and me both.

Believing for better days ahead...



update

dad came through surgery fine, but he is still facing

several more surgeries and months of rehab.

thank you all so much for your prayers and kind words.

love you ALL!!!

Christmas at Lisa's

Happy Wednesday before Christmas!

Today I am so pleased to be able to take you

on a festive home tour of my good friend

Lisa Moran of Bilancia Designs.

Lisa is a gifted artist in many different mediums,

so it came as no surprise to me that her home would

be every bit as divine as her art.

Let's pay Lisa an impromptu visit!

Can we all say dream home ???

One of Lisa's delightful handmade
paper cones, which can be ordered here.

See those gorgeous rose tress flanking the china cabinet?
Another stunning Lisa creation, available here.

One of Lisa's colorful red cockscomb stars sits atop
a dining room cabinet.
You can have one just like it by clicking here.

And I am completely in love with Lisa's
vintage button tree there on the right, which can be ordered here.
Again, all handmade by the lady of the house herself!

A festive white kissing ball, one of Lisa's
specialties, available for order here.



Above is the kissing ball Lisa created for me last year.
Isn't it gorgeous?

*** sigh ***
When can I move in Lisa?  ;-)

Lisa recently pointed out to me that my photo of her
fabulous button star creation is one of the most pinned
photos on Pinterest!

I simply love the star she created for me, and I attribute all
that "pinning" to her lovely work rather than my photo skills.
You can have one of these stars of your very own,
just by clicking right here or here.



I hope you enjoyed the tour, and if you'd like to peruse Lisa's
online shop, click HERE to indulge in a little Christmas shopping
for yourself. After all, you deserve it!

 

Merry Christmas, y'all!

all photos not bearing the

anne lorys or fiona & twig watermark

courtesy of lisa moran

Exciting News and a Giveaway Winner

Happy Monday!

Boy, do I have some thrilling news to share with all of you!

You've heard me rave about her and her marvelously talented

family on this blog many, many times...

And my own home is filled with many a priceless treasure

from their iconic store Homestead, right here in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Well, the end of an era is rapidly approaching.

Homestead is closing its beautiful doors at the end of this year.

However...

 An incredibly exciting new era is upon us!

My sweet and unbelievably talented friend  

Carol Hicks Bolton and her husband Tim

are embarking on a fabulous new adventure,

which is sure to be a feast for the senses.

Introducing the soon-to-be-open

Carol Hicks Bolton 

Antiquites 

 

I got a sneak peek inside the new building as I was doing
a walkabout in town the other day,
and it looks like it's going to be perfection.

Be sure to follow my lovely friend Binky's blog,

as she has worked alongside Carol and Tim for years,

and has an extra special feature planned on the new shop

after Christmas!

Oh, and in other news?

The lucky winner of my

Vintage Rescue Squad 2012 Calendar Giveaway

along with a copy of the new Artful Blogging featuring

my article and photos is

Donna from Brynwood Needleworks!

Congrats, Donna!

I'll be back in a couple of days with a gorgeous house tour,

so be sure to pop back in.

Happy Christmas Week!

Happy New Year 2012 Giveaway!

Giveaway Closed

 

Okay, I know I just had a giveaway a few weeks back,

but I have something really extra special that I can't wait

to share with all of you!

Once again, my good friend Sue of Vintage Rescue Squad

has put together an absolutely amazing calendar...just

chock full of month after month of images of all those treasures we

vintage lovers simply drool over!

I was lucky enough to be featured in the 

2011 Calendar

and Sue has included me in the 2012 Calendar, too...

including the cover photo!

Introducing the

Dreaming of Junking 2012 Calendar!

That cover image was actually a collaborative effort

between me and my friend and photographer extraordinaire,

Thomas Adams, so I was absolutely thrilled to see that it made the cover.

I also have another image featured in the calendar, the month of October,

so again, thank you Sue!

Per Sue's description...

" Satisfy your junking jones with VRS' new 2012 calendar! 
This year's theme is ABUNDANCE; most photos show multiples of all the vintage treasures we adore. I've included dates of most major US flea markets and antique shows nationwide—from Warrenton/Round Top and Brimfield, to smaller local and regional shows! 
Plan those junk jaunts in advance. But remember: if you see me at a flea market, I've got dibs on those skeleton keys!

They are standard 11" x 8.5" calendars and are spiral bound. "

And to once again share the love,

I'm giving away a copy of this fabulous calendar,

along with a copy of the current issue of Artful Blogging,

featuring my eight page article and photos.

Again, no hoops to jump through.

Just leave a comment.

If you want to follow, please do, but it's not required.

I'll announce a winner 

Monday, December 19th.

In the meantime, be sure to visit Sue's Etsy Shop
if you just can't wait to get a copy of this terrific calendar!

Good Luck
and
Have a Blessed Week!

linking with

vintage inspiration friday at common ground

feathered nest friday at french country cottage