Thank you Fifi and Romantic Prairie Style!

Happy Monday!

Just a quick post to start the week off,

as many projects await, chiefly a mountain of photo editing.

But I wanted to encourage all of you,

if you haven't already, to grab a copy of

the incomparable Fifi O'Neill's brand new magazine

Romantic Prairie Style

I've barely been able to put my copy down 

since grabbing it last week, and as an extra added bonus...

I was fortunate enough to have one of my photos

featured in the premiere issue!

I myself collect white enamelware, 

but I snapped this photo

of some of Linda Marcov's 

lovely pink  French enamelware

during my shoot last year at their home.

 Thank you so much, Fifi!

You honor me by including me in such fine company....

Congratulations Fifi, on a job well done!

Now...on to photo editing!

Coming up in the days ahead, many images from 

my visit to the Country Living and Junk Salvation

shows this past weekend.

Have a great week!

Warrenton Round-Up, Spring 2012

It took me long enough,

but I'm finally posting some of the images from my

quick trip to Round Top and Warrenton last month.

I only had time to pop over and see two of my favorite gals,

but they always provide more than enough beauty

to quench my thirst for gorgeous junk!

Both these ladies have had their wares featured in the pages

of Romantic Country, so you know they're doing something right.

First up is my lovely friend Christie Connelly's

space at Sommerfeld Place in Warrenton.

And no trip will ever be complete unless I head over

for a visit and a hug from Sweet T herself,

Theresa Cano of Garden Antqs Vintage.

Here's just a taste of Theresa's brillinace...

 And then there was this  member of the royal family,

third cousin, twice removed...

Gorgeous Sue of Vintage Rescue Squad.

She's the real deal...a fantastic writer, quick witted,

a helluva pool player, and just a fabulous gal with a killer

eye for fantastic junk.

I don't have as many photos of my quick trip

to Warrenton as in years past, but it's one of the trade offs 

I've had to make of late. I'm not able to stay as long, don't have time

to edit as many photos, as life is pulling me in about

a thousand other directions.

But I will never be too busy to make the trip

for Antique Week to support these fabulous friends

and glean some much needed inspiration

from these brilliantly creative minds.

And now, it's off to the amazeballs

Country Living Fair

in Austin this weekend!

Photos and full report to follow.

Have a wonderful day!

linking with

french country cottage 

 common ground

at the picket fence 

savvy city farmer

Wink

{ photo taken April 20, 2012 }

Remember this pretty girl?

That's our baby, Belle.

Well, not really a baby. She's 10 years old, which technically

makes her an old gal.
I can relate.

This past Thanksgiving, Belle lost her right eye in a tragic

scuffle with our other pup.

Ouch.

He is happily reunited with his former owners,

and our old girl Belle is carrying on as if

nothing ever happened.

Ahhh, to only be that resilient myself.

She is forever smiling and winking at us,

which serves as a constant reminder not to

sweat the small stuff.

News Flash: Ultimately, it's all small stuff.

Hug your fur babies today. :-)

Giveaway Winner, Etc...

Happy Friday!

As seen outside one of our barns...

And old tractor seat, a random brick, and an old

mailbox that I found with the letter "A" on it.

Just like it was waiting especially for me, I like to think.

Lots going on here.

I joined a gym the other day after 5 years of relative inertia.

That last ten pounds is hella stubborn, so I'm gonna

just elliptical my belly away. That's the plan, anyway.

Headed into the big city Saturday for a class on

advanced indoor or studio lighting for photographers.

Considering myself primarily a natural light photographer,

I really need to work on my lighting skills, especially

as I'm shooting more and more homes and interiors.

I'm on the verge of hiring a highly recommended

local seamstress to whip me up some lovely

linen roman shades for the living room.

It'll be pricey, but I've seen her work, and it

will be sooooo lovely!

Oh, and the bestest news of all!
This June, me and my husband are planning a road trip
up to Missouri, so that I can meet face to face
some of my absolute besties in the whole world!

We will be bunking with number one bestie
Debra of Common Ground,
and have plans to meet up ( again ) with another bestie
and mentor, Carol Spinski, with hopes to connect with
sweet Debbie Dusenberry who I had the delight of finally
getting to meet in Round Top earlier this month.
And last but not least, my undisputed sister from another mother,
my idol, my prayer partner, my texting and e-mail and phone buddy,
the incomparable Elizabeth Maxson.

I'm super excited for this trip,
as it is sure to be a week full of wonderfulness.  :-)

Oh, and you say you want a winner?

Okay, I've got one for ya....

Judy at French Laundry,

you're the lucky winner of the tea towels,

courtesy of Sheila at Tattered Goods.

Just send me your address and I'll get those

right off to you!

Have a fabulous weekend in your

little corner of the world!

Making Progress in Our Living Room

It's been a looooooong time coming,

but I finally have a few new photos to share

of the progress we've made on getting the cottage

decorated and fixed up.

I've had a handful of vintage mirrors I've wanted

to get hung over the sofa, and The Mr.

was always more than willing to do it,

but I kept dragging my feet. Until yesterday.

Here's the finished result!

There's a nice shot of my most beloved
Carol Hicks Bolton designed sofa.

There is still much to be done,
but I'm reveling in these small victories.

Have a wonderful week!

My Spring Giveaway!

Giveaway Closed

Happy Wednesday!

I am so happy to finally be sharing my extra special

Spring giveaway with all of you!

I've teamed up with the lovely Sheila at

Tattered Goods

to offer you a pair of her exquisite tea towels

available exclusively in her wonderful Etsy Shop.

 Aren't they divine?

Sheila calls this lovely creation her
Shabby Chic French Flour Sack Towel with Ruffle,

and it is even more beautiful up close and personal!

I actually own a pair of these same tea towels myself,

and I thought you'd like to see the creative way I use mine...

Yep, as a curtain for the back door in our kitchen!

It's just perfect there.

So, how can YOU win a pair of these pretties?

Simple.

1. Just leave a comment on this post.

2. Leave an extra comment if you are or become a follower.

3. Leave yet another comment if you grab the giveaway button, found on my sidebar.

4. And leave additional comments for blogging, facebooking or tweeting about it.

I will choose a winner 

Friday, April 20th.

Oh, and before I sign off,
I also want to share with you this photo
that my best friend and photographer extraordinaire
Thomas Adams shot of me a couple of weeks ago...

It's a bio photo shot to accompany
an upcoming article feature on me
in a magazine I'm not at liberty to divulge yet.
But many of y'all know the writer, and she has done
a WONDERFUL job on the piece.
Details coming soon!

Good Luck on the giveaway!!!!

Beloved

I lost a most precious family member this past Saturday,

my beloved Uncle J.B.

He was my mom's oldest brother, and was in many ways,

the father I should have had.

Having lost my mom just 7 short months ago,

my family is struggling to process this second loss.

I am re-posting this from November 2009,

when I paid him homage here on my blog

****

My beloved Uncle J.B.

That would be short for John Broadus, 

named after my beloved Pappaw, John Broadus Christian.

"The Old Chevy"...that's the title my Mammaw gave this photo. 

There he is on the left, with his little brother, my uncle, 

cradled in my Pappaw's lap.

My Uncle J.B. has always held the 

softest of spots in my heart...he and my Aunt Betty never had children,

 but oh, how he doted on me!

 How tiny I was! 

And yet how safe and completely adored 

I have always felt while in his presence.

How tiny and completely adored he looks here, 

as my Mammaw proudly gazes on...

He has had a rough road of late...he was widowed last year, 

and has suffered other set-backs as well...a car accident, 

a hospitalization and lengthy rehab, moving into assisted living.

But how I love to remember him as this...

What joy!

I love all my uncles, my mothers three brothers, 

but my Pappaw's namesake, Uncle JB, has always been my touchstone.

I received this letter from him as a young teen. 

Kept it safely protected all these many years. 

It's worth more than gold to me now.

Beloved Uncle, 

you are indeed truly beloved.

John Broadus Christian Jr. (1923 - 2012)

J. B. (John Broadus) Christian Jr. was born in Fort Worth, Texas April 13, 1923 and passed away in Dallas, Texas on Holy Saturday, the Eve of Resurrection, April 7, 2012 at the age of eighty-eight. He was preceded in death by his wife of over sixty years, Betty Jo Owens Christian. He is survived by two brothers, C. W. Christian of Waco, Texas and Jimmie Sams Christian of Dallas, Texas and by nieces and nephews. J. B. graduated from Sunset High School in Dallas. He served aboard the U.S.S. Goss in the Pacific theater in World War II and was in Tokyo Bay during the surrender of the Empire of Japan. He studied music at Baylor University, served as Minister of Music and Choirmaster at several Baptist churches in Dallas and Mexia, Texas, and was organist at Calvary Baptist Church in Garland for twenty-five years. He worked also for Lamar & Smith Funeral Home for many years, providing music and other services for thousands of bereaved families. He was a talented painter, an athlete and a lover of the outdoors. J.B. was a wonderfully gifted man. He was a superior tennis player, an able writer, a man of endless curiosity about life and the world about him. Above all, he was a musician who loved the harmonies of life.

ETERNAL rest grant unto him, O Lord, 

and let perpetual light shine upon him. 

 May the souls of the faithful departed, 

through the mercy of God, rest in peace. 

Amen.

Give my mama a hug from me, okay?

Home Again

It was a blast!

Although my  

Round Top - Marburger Farm

adventure ended a day early due to illness,

it was still a wonderfully memorable experience,

and I had a blast.

One of the absolute highlights was FINALLY

meeting this junking goddess diva...

That's my junkin' sista from another mother,

Sue of Vintage Rescue Squad.

I've loved her since I began stalking her blog three years ago,

and next year, I plan to get to know
my long-distance buddy better by getting into
some certified junkin' mayhem with her!

The lovely Magnolia Pearl folks were a joy to work with,

and my two days spent with them were so much fun.

Thank you, my sweet friends!

I also had the chance to attend the wonderful Bloggers Luncheon

held at Royer's Cafe, which featured an inspiring talk from

my precious friend, Carol Hicks Bolton.

Carol was a revelation to listen to,

as she shared her design philosophy with those of us

lucky enough to attend.

It was also fun to see that my photos are being used

on the advertising materials for Carol's new shop,

Laboratoire de Design.

I'll share those with you soon!

And finally, in super exciting news,

I am pleased and thrilled to announce that I have been

added to the editorial staff of  

FOLK magazine

as a regular contributor!

This is such an honor,

and if you haven't subscribed yet, you really should.

It's chock full of all those things
we bloggers hold near and dear...

Per the blog...

FOLK magazine is....

"Devoted to presenting a fresh and youthful interpretation of simple country lifestyles.
We focus on the stories that make America our collective home sweet home.  
FOLK reaches across the many representations of American Country style
to celebrate personal expression in our homes, businesses, and lives.

We are all about the country, sweet tea, indie music, antiques,
roadtrips, small towns, comfort, home, artists,
locally grown and locally made, one-of-a-kind art,
open spaces, photography, patriotism,
simple living.... and the little things."

Sounds great, right?

You can subscribe

HERE.

More exciting news in the days ahead,
including a wonderful giveaway that I'll be announcing
the first part of the week.
You won't want to miss it!

Happy Weekend, and have a Blessed Easter!