Fiona and Twig

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Imaginarium on Main Street

These days, I am on a mission.

I have always believed that we have a responsibility to support local businesses.

And no, I'm not talking about your local Target or Wal Mart...

I'm talking about locally owned, independent retailers.

As the incredibly worthwhile 3/50 Project puts it,

it's all about saving the brick and mortars our nation is built on.

Which is why, now that I call Fredericksburg, Texas my hometown,

I plan to make it my mission to support, encourage and promote

local businesses I admire.

I can't think of a better place to start than with the store that started it all for me...

Homestead

My love of all things vintage began here

and my beloved couch named Babette

was even born here...

I mean...look at her.

Do her curvy, flirtatious lines not call to mind

an, *ahem*, decadent French courtesan?

But back to the store.

The building itself is huge...

three magical stories of pure vintage bliss resides here

My creative aesthetic was formed

walking the aisles of the hallowed Homestead stores

Things I had seen many times before...I began to see in a new light

I was challenged

to dare

to dream

to imagine

to take chances

to see the beauty

in the unconventionally lovely

the romance

in the cast aside

and the possibilities

in the once forgotten

It all started with this fearless visionary...

{the incomparable Rose Hicks}

and continues with her progeny and their families

{big props to owner/treasure hunter Tim Bolton}

The next time you are in the Texas Hill Country,

heed my advice and make a pilgrimage

to a store which quite simply gets it right every time...

Homestead and Friends

230 East Main Street

Fredericksburg, Texas

And remember the darling little yellow clock I showed you above?

It made the trip home with me!

Thank you Tim Bolton, and the whole crew at Homestead,
for allowing me to roam about clicking away this week...

You know that I'll be back in soon!

***

The winner of my

Spring Romance Giveaway

will be announced Friday...

see you then!

linking with Tricia at

A Rosy Note

and

Debra at

Common Ground

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Portrait of a Week

Happy Tuesday!

My week in a nutshell?

go to work, save lives

help friend learn his new camera

watch Dancing With the Stars

ask husband for foot massage

drop important papers off with accountant

go visit a shop owner about doing a photo shoot

visit sweet friend at Homestead in Fredericksburg

{and hopefully snap a few pics for you Rose Hicks fans}

move stuff over to new house

look for a new camera strap

cart more stuff to new house

write checks and pay bills

watch American Idol

declare Thursday as national "sleep-in-late" day

sleep in late

cart even more stuff to new house

sit and ponder the why's and how's of
how i came to have so much stuff

share these pics from my
Romantic Country photo shoot with you
{for the confused, and you know who you are, I was the photographer;this is not my house}

oooh and aaah over how lovely
Ludmil and Linda's

home, art and creations are in these pics

hope that once we get settled in to the new house,

that our place looks half as lovely

remind y'all to enter my

SPRING ROMANCE GIVEAWAY

by clicking

HERE

Remind you that one lucky winner wins a copy

of the Summer issue of Romantic Country

featuring my Willow Nest photo shoot...

and a personally autographed copy of

Romantic Prairie Style

signed by Fifi O'Neill herself!

{the three pics above taken at MY house!}

Encourages you to not be discouraged that thus far,
there are almost 750 entries...go ahead and try!
It just takes one.

And finally,

invite everyone to link to this wonderful new party,

starting this week...

Tricia at A Rosy Note

invites you to join her at

Photo Feature Friday

To quote Tricia:

"The point of the party is to get better at using the camera
that you have and, of course, to have fun.
Just do a quick post focusing on a few of the best photos
you were able to take and if you want to tell us
about anything you did to your photos that's always good too."

I'll be there, hope you will, too!

See you again in a few!

Friday, April 8, 2011

What Needs Doin'

I'm expecting a lecture and maybe

even a bit of a scolding from y'all today.
All well deserved.

I have a confession to make here...

I've been avoiding something

Putting it off

Hiding beneath the covers, so to speak

I was supposed to go to a six month follow-up appointment

to check out something

which my doctor has been monitoring for a couple of years now.

Yep, I was supposed to go to that six month follow-up...

six months ago.

I've used the excuse that I was

too busy

too overwhelmed

and

too preoccupied

too.....everything

to schedule that appointment

when the real truth was

I was simply scared

I made that appointment today

six months late.

But at least I did it.

I am a health care worker, so I really have no excuse.

Except maybe the fact that I see things most of you will never see,

which makes the fear of
"what if"
even more palpable.

Keep those appointments, ladies.

It's okay, even normal to be scared.

Do it anyway.

Thus ends my PSA for the day.

:-)

Happy Weekend!

P.S.

photos are from my Romantic Country photo shoot,

click HERE to enter my Spring Romance giveaway!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

My Little Blue and White Farmhouse

Hello Friends!

Just a few peeks at how the new house is coming along.

I'd say we're about 75% moved in, but there's still much to be done.
MUCH.

I haven't been able to foof and primp and really style the house yet.
Virtually nothing has been hung on the walls.

But I still felt like I owed y'all some pics, so here they are!

The dental cabinet I got for my birthday last October.

It is so darling!

I had given up on ever finding one for an affordable price,

but this one was a steal.

It needs some shelves added,
but The Mr. says that he'll get on that right away.

Speaking of....

There he is right there,

measuring for living room curtains!

The kitchen is coming along...

I'm not sure if all the stuff going on above the cabinets will

stay put. I'll be rearranging all that mess in the days ahead.

I titled this post "My Little Blue and White Farmhouse"

because that really seems to be the theme in the kitchen.
The sweet little backsplash tiles were already here,
and I just ran with the theme.
I just think blue and white are quintessentially "farmhouse", don't you?