Let's Put it to a Vote

There are lots of changes going on
behind the scenes of mine and Mr Twigs' life...

As a science teacher, he has decided to make a change this next school year,
and has been testing the employment waters in other school districts.

With this, comes the possibility of relocation, and being the
opportunistic enterprising
wife I am, I've been scouting out homes in other areas.

So, also being the thoughtful, inclusive blogger that I always aspire to be (hehehe! ),
I'm putting this next decision to a vote.

Yep, you, the faithful Fiona & Twig  readers,
can help Mr. Twig and I with this next decision.

I found this home. In Texas. Not all that far away.

In a word, it's stupendous.

And it's less than $250K.

Get a load of this...

Without giving away the exact location, here's the listing:

Attention University Parents, Bed & Breakfast Owners and Lovers of Charm Galore! 

This fabulous 6 bedroom, 4 bath home was built in 1907 and received the prestigious Historic Landmark Preservation Commission's Award for Excellence in Residential Restoration. 

A fabulous property that you must see for yourself!

Squeeee! There's more!

Doesn't this blue room just scream photography studio???

Pretty stinkin' incredible, right?

Oh, the possibilities...my mind just reels thinking about them all.

It's a longshot, but not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

Besides, what's life without having dreams and goals, right?

And what fun is it if you can't share those with your friends?

That's what y'all are, after all!

Lemme know what you think.

Although I do believe I know you people well enough
to know what the consensus will be!
And stay tuned....if you don't like THIS house,
I have a plan B already lined up!

Have a lovely Sunday!

Weekend Plans

The weekend!

We're almost there, and with it comes
sunshine, grilling, junking and just plain relaxing!

For me?
A combination of all of the above,
as well as starting to get ready for
my next adventure...

Paper Cowgirl Altered Art Retreat

That's right, this non-paper-crafty gal is going to a three day retreat
surrounded by nothing but paper-crafty gals!

Am I going to embarrass myself with my third-grader crafting skills?
( no offense to third graders )
More than likely!
But I don't care, I'm just gonna go with the intention of having FUN!

Just need to get my supplies together, hit up the crafting and scrapbooking shops
to actually purchase said supplies, maybe practice some basic techniques
to get up to speed with the rest of the gals abilities, and then....

PARTY TIME!

But for now?

The checkbook is crying out to be balanced,
and the bed is showing no signs of making itself, so off I go.

And for you?

What's on your plate this weekend?

Oh! One mo' thing!

Have you entered my

CSN Stores Summer Giveaway yet?

If not, there's still time!

Just click HERE to win an $80 CSN Stores Shopping Spree!

Happy Friday!

HANDS

The boy only wanted to give mother something

                                            And all of her roses had bloomed

Looking at him as he came rushing in with them
                                           

Knowing 

her 

roses 

were 

doomed

All she could see were some thorns buried 

deep

And tears that he cried as she

                                                                     tended his wounds

And she knew it was 

love

It was one she could understand

He was showing his love
And that's how he hurt his 

hands

He still remembers that night 

as a child
On 

his 

mother's 

knee

She held him close as she opened her 

Bible
                 
And quietly
                          started
                                            to read

Then seeing a picture of 

Jesus 

he cried out
"Mama, he's got
some scars
just like mine!"

And he knew it was love 

It was one he could 

understand
He was showing his love
And that's how he hurt his hands

Now the boy's 

grown 

and moved out on his own

When 

                Uncle 

                             Sam 

                                           comes 

                                                          along

A foreign affair, but our 

young men 

were there

And luck

had 

his 

number

drawn

It wasn't that long till our hero was gone
He gave to a friend what he learned from the 

cross

But they knew it was love

It was one they could understand

He was showing his love

And that's how he hurt his hands

It was one 

they could understand
He was showing his love

And that's how he hurt his hands

"The Hand Song" 

music and lyrics

Nickel Creek 
please listen...it's hauntingly beautiful! 

(all photos taken by me at Der Stadt Friedhof Cemetery, Fredericksburg, TX)

A Fiona & Twig / CSN Stores Summer Giveaway!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Is everybody having a fabulous Summer?

Would you like to make it even better?

The fine folks at
CSN Stores

contacted me recently, and have generously offered one of my followers an

$80 Gift Certificate

  to ANY of their OVER 200 online stores!

I don't know about YOU, but that sure would make MY Summer better!

If you're already familiar with CSN Stores,
then you know that you can find absolutely anything
you need in their shops, from slipcovers
to farmhouse sinks to chandeliers to sectional sofas...

These guys have it ALL !

If you've not been properly introduced to CSN Stores,
here's just a small sampling of the chic wares they have to offer...

and SO much more!
Just pay them a visit HERE and see for yourself!

In the interest of expediency and getting this $80 gift certificate
into your hot little hands, let's just cut to the chase, shall we?

You want rules, we've got 'em!

1. Leave a comment on this post-let me know which items you'd spend your $80 on!
2. Be or become a follower for a second entry
3. Blog about this or post on your sidebar for a third entry
4.  Attach a photo of you juggling seasonal fruit for a fourth entry

Ha! Just seeing if you were paying attention on that last one!

 Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry.

Oh, and grab the button, too! It's on my sidebar!

Giveaway ends Sunday, June 13 at midnight.

Winner will be announced Monday, June 14th.

Good Luck!

Rachel Returns...a Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Giveaway

Tattered Elegance

Time-Worn Beauty

Faded Grandeur

and, of course...

Shabby Chic

All words that describe the timeless style of the one and only
Rachel Ashwell.

 

She pioneered the classic look we all know and love,
and now the style icon is back and better than ever!

Ms. Ashwell has long been known
as the arbiter of all things effortlessly elegant.
Her influence has been felt far and wide...
often imitated, but never, ever duplicated.
The lady is truly one of a kind.

Today, you can acquire a taste of timeless grandeur
of your very own at one of Rachel's three
Shabby Chic Couture shops
in either California, New York or London.

And did you also know that you can stay plugged in
to all the latest news from Rachel via her fabulous blog?

Speaking of blogs and bloggers, the truly exciting news
is that my friend Lu Tapp, from the wonderful blog DustyLu,
was contacted by Rachel's organization to photograph and style her latest project!

Many of the product photos you will see on Rachel's
incredible new site and the entire bedding line were taken by our very own Lu!
Apparently Rachel saw Lu's work, loved it, and the rest is history.

Who says dreams don't come true?

Behold just a few of  the amazing images my friend Lu
contributed to Rachel's new project...

Incredible stuff, but would you expect anything less from the grande dame of 

perfect imperfection?

Now, thanks to the fine folks at

Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture

and my friend Lu of

DustyLu

I am pleased to announce HUGE giveaway news!!!

One lucky winner will have the choice of receiving one of the following:

Her latest book, 

Rachel Ashwell

Shabby Chic Interiors

My Rooms, Treasures, and Trinkets

*** AUTOGRAPHED BY RACHEL HERSELF! ***

or

a copy of Rachel's best-selling book,

Rachel Ashwell

Shabby Chic

Sumptuous Settings & Other Lovely Things

 As per Lu, here's what you need to do to enter and win:

Visit Lu's post HERE to enter!

1. Post about this giveaway
2.  Add the giveaway to your sidebar
3.  Follow Rachel's blog
4. Follow Lu's blog
5. Visit Rachel's site, Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture

Giveaway ends June 30th, 12 noon, PST. 

Don't miss this fabulous opportunity to rediscover
everything that made you fall in love with the
Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic style all those years ago!

She's back, and she's better than ever!

White Wednesday From the Archives

 Still feeling under the weather, so I reached back into the dusty, musty Fiona & Twig vaults and cleaned off this Wednesday post from August of 2009.

 I had a whopping 8 comments on this post, and 4 of them were my own!

Enjoy!

I do tend to anthropomorphize my belongings, I believe I mentioned that in an earlier entry.

My divine Carol Hicks Bolton couch is named Babette.
And even though I most certainly do not consider my cat Winnie a belonging (she is my daughter, after all ), I do have the odd moment every now and again when I feel certain she's a tiny little human inside a cat suit.

But it goes beyond that.....look closely at my small vase above.
Where the crackling is on the glaze, the slight darkening resembles nothing so much as veins and arteries.
"It's Alive" she exclaimed!

After all, I'm positive that she spoke to the very core of who I am and what I love when she came home with me 12 years ago. And she's been speaking to and inspiring me ever since.

They speak to you too though, don't they?

That whispery yet persistent voice which tells you that home for them
is whichever way and wherever place you're heading.

I mean, how else to explain the absolute "right-ness"
of that one very special piece we all own?
The one we were sure we couldn't afford
yet could not imagine leaving the market without?
It's their fault....they speak to us.

They can be pesky and strident little boogers
when they find their mark....even so far as haunting our thoughts
and dreams in the days and months to follow should we
not heed their supplications and invite them back to our domicile.

Armed with regret and hopeful anticipation,
we invariably head back to the marketplace and find, to our utter dismay, that they spoke a bit more loudly to someone else....who listened.

Shhhhhh, I think I hear Babette.....back for my next post
after I learn what's on her mind this fine Wednesday.

Visit Kathleen at Faded Charm to see
all the bloggers posting whites this Wednesday!