One of These Days

Yep, one of these days, 

I'll do a proper blog post again.

Just not today. Or tomorrow.

Friday isn't looking too good either.

I'm busy, but it's a good busy.

It's busy with photo and writing projects,

and having the opportunity to work with new

publications and new editors.

It's up to my eyeballs in photo editing busy,

and having to crank out a feature article by the weekend.

That kind of busy.

It's also having to work three consecutive

12 hour shifts at the hospital the next few days.

So.....

if any of you friends and followers are still out there,

hang in there. I'll be back!

Have a restful, stress-free week!

Photos from one of my
Romantic Country features ( I have three! )
in the Autumn 2012 Issue, taken at
Fredericksburg Trade Days 

linking with
french country cottage
common ground
at the picket fence
faded charm 

savvy southern style

Home Sweet Home

Home at last!

Back in God's country, aka Texas,

and I miss my girls already.

Give me just a bit more time 

to get re-acclimated,

and I will provide my own re-cap of my most

excellent adventure with Debra Oliver and Elizabeth Maxson.

But until such a time, please enjoy their  uniquely

entertaining takes on our 

wonderful time spent together.

You can read Debra's versions

HERE
and
HERE

and whatever you do, do NOT miss

Elizabeth's re-cap

HERE

Just be aware that sweet Bitsy's version 

comes with a decidedly 

PG-13 rating.  ;-)

Be back soon!

XO,

P.S.
BIG giveaway just around the bend....

linking with

common ground
french country cottage
at the picket fence 

Vacation

Having a blast in the heartland,
Springfield, Missouri, visitng my bestie
Debra of Common Ground.

We've been shopping, and eating and shopping,
and laughing and shopping, and then there was
this bit of drudgery we were subjected to
yesterday afternoon...

Debra has a fabulous home and a fabulous pool.
And yes, Mr. Twig has a farmer's tan.

And yesterday at lunch,
I got to meet some of Debra's junking besties
from Springfield, Kenda and Jan of
Leola's Vintage Home and Garden.

What a gorgeous shop!
I took lots and lots of photos,
so perhaps I'll share a few in the days ahead.
I'm thinking Leola's is such a treasure that it
deserves a magazine feature, so I'm
exploring the possibilities there, too!

Off to St. Louis this morning to hang with
the one and only
Elizabeth Maxson

See you again
next week!

"Do-Over"

Remember when you were a kid,

and you'd either be playing a game, or just doing

some random thing, and you'd call a "do-over"?

 And just like that, you would begin again.

Oblivious and impervious to what had happened before,

a giant cosmic eraser would swoop down

and wipe the slate clean.

Ahhh, that life were only that simple.

 In antiquing circles, there is a healthy market

for do-overs.

We routinely recycle, re-use, repurpose...

it is our mantra, our avocation.

 But as it applies to life. Real life?

Not that simple.

Which got me thinking,

is there any place or time in my life

where I'd like to call a "do-over"?

How about you?

 Would you have married later?

Or perhaps not at all?

Would you have majored in business

rather than education?

 

Or would you have swerved left

instead of right on a particular patch of road?

 So many questions,

so many choices.

 The easy answer is of course, with all the mistakes I have made,

a do-over would be a no-brainer.

A chance to re-write the past and save myself a whole lot

of grief and heartache.

But the truth is that no, I wouldn't choose the easy out, the do-over.

And you know why?

He Is Risen.

Yes He is.

This photo, as well as every other photo in this post

was taken at my friend Carol's shop,

Carol Hicks Bolton Antiquties, Laboratoire de Design.

The Bolton's live out the gospel of Christ in their lives

every single day, and clinging to that hope...the positive belief

that He is indeed risen, compels one to also believe

that nothing happens by accident.

That every so-called misdeed and misstep is all part

of His plan, and is somehow, someway,  

all part of the bigger picture.

As wretched, fallible humans, we will muck it all up undoubtedly,

but Someone else has our back, thank goodness.

He will deal with us.

He will teach us.

He will correct us.

A do-over?

No thanks, I'll take a pass.

P.S.
I'll be off on vacation very soon,
so this will be the last post you will be getting
from me for awhile.
Have a great Summer. Be back in a couple weeks!

FOLK Magazine Preview

I'm really excited to share with you this special

sneak peek of the upcoming issue of FOLK Magazine!

It's Issue #6, also known as the High Summer

or Vintage Issue.

And it's also my first issue as a contributor, too!

Here's a special sneak peek, with the story I've written

and photographed on pages 26-27...go take a peek!

 I've also been lucky enough to have the inimitable 

Deb Kennedy do a feature piece on me which is in

the same issue!

 FOLK Magazine High Summer Issue Preview

As per the website...

FOLK Magazine

the Vintage Issue 

ISSUE VI . July/August 2012

Releases July 1, 2012

Now Available for Single Copy Pre-Sale and Subscriptions

You'll find your favorite FOLK columns from our staff & contributors and 

all of the fresh, inspiring, and engaging features and photography that you love -

in our biggest issue yet at a whopping 178 pages!

In Our Vintage-themed Issue you'll....

Enter the inspiring worlds of Whimsy and Spice, Fiona and Twig, and Jennifer Paganelli's SisBoom Fabric Empire.

Applaud the longevity and history of American businesses Longaberger, Graeters, and take a look back at Tupperware. 

Find fabulous vintage-themed goods
from Onion Grove Mercantile
and New Victory Garden of Tomorrow.

Discover blog trendsetters Krafty Kash,  
Duct Tape and Denim, and Caroline Fontenot
of Back Down South.

Meet singer Cameron Ernst.

Celebrate Style as our fashion column 

goes the beach with Vintage-inspired swimwear, 

and our home decor and entertaining sections 

bring you ideas for turning your junk finds 

into re-purposed accessories from past eras.

Dig into Summer, with recipes for the foods 

that memories are made of.

Connect with the stories shared by readers 

across the country, and relive the past 

in photos of vacation locales to remember. 

Head on over to the FOLK Website 

to subscribe or order your copy of this issue now!

More Country Living, Austin

Happy Wednesday!

I still have a ridonkulous amount of

photos to share from the Country Living Fair

in Austin, Texas last month,

so here's another handful to satiate your hunger

for fab vintage junque.

Here we go!

 Suitcases...

....Suitcases...

...Glorious Beautiful Suitcases!

 And who could resist that jaunty little fellow above?

Gotta love a man in tights.

Off to price some items for the shop

and get prepped for Friday's photo shoot.

Happy Trails!

linking with

common ground 

at the picket fence

french country cottage

The Red Door Antiques at Country Living Austin

Happy Monday!

I've got a lot of irons in the fire these days,

so I'm running a little behind 

in getting my photos posted

from my trip to the most excellent

Country Living Fair in Austin last month.

But where better to start than with the

fabulously talented folks from

The Red Door Antiques,

Tricia and Jerry.

Based out of Eddyville, Kentucky,

they describe themselves as

" Antiques & Uniques: 

A blend of Country, Urban, Industrial, 

Architectural, Garden & Quirky! "

Me?

I just call them plain old wonderful!

Their collection of vintage ephemera is

pretty much unrivaled anywhere,

at least to my mind.

A little of this,

a darlin' little bit of that...

And then there are 

the flash cards.

Lawdy Mercy, did I mention 

flash cards ???

Uh yeah, they've got a few.

Pretty much any and every 

word under the sun, no doubt.

And not just words, no sirree,

they've got vintage pricing cards...

old political propaganda...

pretty much something for everyone,

to my mind!

And all styled with finesse and grace

by the beautiful Tricia...

Along with the always smiling,

word wrangler supreme, Jerry.

Great folks, and I can guarantee you that this

talented team hasn't seen the last of me!

I'm a fan for life now!

The Red Door Antiques

35 US Hwy 641 North, Eddyville, KY 42038

red_door@bellsouth.net

More Country Living Show images

in the days ahead, along with more photos

from Smitten, Carol Hicks Bolton Antiqüités,

our country farmhouse...

and news about

seven new magazine features I have 

in the pipeline and scheduled for publication 

during the upcoming Summer, Fall and Winter months.

Lots of exciting stuff going on,

but only so many hours in the day,

so.....

Today's post is brought to you by

the letter "P" for patience.

{ grin }

Love y'all!