From My Heart

Canton-Junkers Delight!

I haven't battled my asthma since a trip w/ my best friends to Boone, NC a few summers ago.  I haven't missed battling my asthma either.  Had to pull out the big guns too: advair, albuterol.  EVERYTHING is blooming here in Texas and I must be allergic to all of it.  I'm on the upswing though.  So no bigfatcomplainerhead...

Canton, TX (East Texas in the Piney Woods) is much more fun!

Canton...

There are more than ten miles of trails through the Canton First Monday Trade Days grounds.  Seriously, it's like Disneyland for the junking enthusiast.  It is impossible to see it all in one day.

I was so overwhelmed by the amount of "stuff" that I didn't take a lot of pictures, but I bought a lot of stuff.  We brought Mr. Fix It's little red wagon (from his paper delivering days in the late 70's) and some bungee cables.  We loaded that poor wagon!  Then I bought another cart to transport the rest of the stuff.  And I still haven't taken pics of all the stuff.

I will leave you with these pics though...  Just a sampling to wet your whistle.  This is a must see event.

If you're ever in East Texas you should stop by.  It was well worth the 6 hour round trip!

JUNKERS DELIGHT!

KITCHEN UPDATE COMING SOON!!!

Pink & So Blue...

RACE FOR THE CURE!  April 26, 2008.

Miles and miles of people.  See all that pink.  It was so inspiring!

That's me w/ the big cheesy grin waving!  I really was THAT happy to be there.  All the people in the picture are walking for our friend, Jo Ann. 

Even Miss Meg showed up w/ her messy bun 'do!

That's me w/ the white cap and hair down to my waist.  Kinda curly and brown (3rd from the far right).  Can't believe how long it is now.  I kept watching as brave people in the middle of treatment walked by (or were pushed by in their wheelchair) with no hair.   Or hair that was just coming back after chemo or radiation.  More than one person made a comment to me about my hair.  I found it very touching.  It makes me thankful even when it takes me fifteen minutes to comb it out after a shower.  It truly is the little things we take for granted.  I want to weep when I think about it now.  Women are so courageous.

Here we all are ALMOST @ the finish line!

If you look real close you can see the 7:19 timer.  I thought that's how fast I walked!  Turns out the timer was for the real athletes doing the 5K Run!  Mr. Fix It (aka my loving husband) and our handsome son participated in the run for they are real athletes.  Anyone who gets up to run @ 5:30am in the moring (esp. on a regular basis is an athlete in my opinion).  Mr. Fix It had a fab run and came in 12th in his age group.  Z-Man was not on his best game, but he still came in 12th.  Must be nice.  I was happy I walked without injury!

Uncle Greg and Miss Meg at breakfast.  Everyone got ears...  Only they wore them!

It was a beautiful day.  And my privilege to participate.  May we find a cure for breast cancer...  Your continued prayers for J woulld be deeply appreciated.

This past Saturday was National Scrapbooking Day.  I missed out on the festivities because I was out of town @ the Canton, TX Flea Market w/ Mr. Fix It.  And then my son, the runner, and I took a mini road trip.  I have sooo much to post, but I'll end with this today. 

In honor of NSD:

The black and white house belonged to my maternal grandparents.  They bought it in 1968.  GaGa and Grandaddy.  While home for Christmas in Boulder we took a little driving tour down memory lane.  We stopped by this tiny house where I spent a great many days.  I always felt very loved and protected here.  In it's heyday you would find tulips and marigolds and peonies in full bloom.  You'd find my grandmother stationed in a lawn chair on the front porch just resting after pulling weeds or sweeping the front "stoop" as she called it.  She swept a thousand times a day.  My Grandfather was usually watering something.  He and his garden hose were firmly acquainted.  I often thought he escaped my Grandmother this way!  Sadly, they both passed away between 92 and 96.  My sister lived here for awhile.  After she graduated from college the house was sold and it went through many, many owners.  The next worse than the first...  And the little tiny black and white house looked sadder and sadder.  And this past 2007 it had been foreclosed on.  The snow covered much of the neglected ugliness.  And seeing the house in this melancholy shape just made me feel SO BLUE...

Pink and so blue...

Vintage Toy Love

  I was all about the Fisher Price!

One of the first toys I ever remember playing with is the FP telephone.  You could call your Grandmother while you took your phone for a walk.

I learned to tell time with my Hickory Dickory Dot clock.  The hands were moveable.  I loved my radio.  I found the handle especially convenient.   I loved that it played "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" which  was the second song (right after "Delta Dawn"!).

I loved the dog the very most.

Remember, the school house???  With it's chalboard, and merry-go-round and the bell that actually rang on top.  This is how I learned my ABC's when I was a little girl.

Please take notice: EVERYTHING HAD A HANDLE!  Easy for little hands to manipulate.  Those Fisher Price people were gems weren't they?!

My ALLTIME FP toy was my house.  It was made in 1969.  They had the A-Frame and the grand ole Tudor, but I had the two story tract house and I loved it to pieces.  Me and my imagination took flight here.  In my house Daddy's never went away.  Mommy's never went to pieces.  And there was a black and white dog who loved you unconditionally and you never felt alone.

Remember the staircase???

And the secret hiding place underneath them.  My FP people never had to hide.  There was nothing to fear.  It was all fun.  You slept in your little bed next to your little brother.  And you got up and had breakfast in the kitchen by the fireplace.  You loved the braided rug on the top floor.  It meant continuity, dependability and safety.

And every weekend your FP Dad took you out on the FP boat!  Remember the diving board?  And the little yellow life preservers.  I had no idea how these icons of my childhood would arouse so many memories.  I lived in my head a lot as a small girl.  Making up happy scenarios with my little plastic people and my little plastic black and white dog that made me feel so loved.

After I got too old for Fisher Price I moved on to other worldly pursuits: Barbie Dolls and houses made out of shoe boxes.  Board games like Trouble and Clue.  I was the Jacks champion of all five elementary schools I attended.  I loved my record player and played all of my mother's 1950's hits on it when I didn't have Grease in 24/7 rotation.  Pretend was big with me: playing school, Charlie's Angels (I was always Jaclyn Smith), lost on the prairie without Ma and Pa, living on an island by myself...  That sort of thing.

I can't end this post without mentioning books.  They saved my life.  I could get lost in a world that took me far, far away from my own reality.  From Golden Books to Judy Blume...  I loved them all.  And luckily for me my own story had a happy ending so do not worry.  It all ended really, really well!

Thank you for taking a trip down memory lane with me.

And thank you to Jessi for hosting.

Happy 100th Birthday

To Karla's Great Aunt Caroline!

(The card measures 4 1/2 x 7 1/2 in a tag style.)

What a milestone!  I am so happy to have particpated in the celebration.

A picture of Aunt Caroline in her youth.  A real beauty huh?!

Take A Trip Down Camille Court!

Just a quick trip.  Right past the garden gate.

Just down this path.

Stop and sit a spell.  Listen to the birds sing.

Feel like a catnap?

We have always a little something on the stove!

Stop and smell the flowers.

And admire the herbs.

Peek in the cupboards!  You never know what you might find.

We have A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING including the kitchen sink!

Visit often.  The door is always open!

And thank you Main Street House for all the photo ops...

You keep me dreaming big!

Congrats Tiffany!

Tiffany from Shabby Scraps, is the winner of my HANKIE GIVEAWAY.

I just need your address Tiffany!

Thanks to everyone for playing along.

Here's two lovely blogs doing Spring-themed giveaways.

Why don't you stop by? 

Laurie Charming Designs and Sweet Nothings!

And a spectacular quilt giveaway too! 

Tell Camille that Camille from Heart-Shaped Rock Cottage sent you!!!  I've met so many Camille's in my blog lifetime.  I even met a dog named Cami because of fabulous artistic, cottage-y, spirit-filled blogs all over the world. 

And one more really cool giveaway.  A retro banner!  Stop by Daisy's Little Cottage!

And how can I forget to mention Charlotte Lyons and her wonderful gifts to share.  Click away!!!  Pays to keep reading!

Welcome Home Alice!

She's here!

And isn't she pretty?  My sweet Fireclay Apron Farm Sink!  We debated about the divided sink or not.   And we decided!  And she's been mounted at this point.

I took some more BEFORE pics before the countertops go in and my sweet Alice (yep, named the sink!) is fully functional.  Lots of noise coming from the kitchen.

Good-bye ugly sink. 

Yep, the view I'll keep.  Even better above the window you see is another window.  Love the light in this house.  Just love it!  Good-bye mega-ugly countertops with your faux marbling.  You weren't fooling anyone! 

A length wise look at the long side of the kitchen.

The bar area when the kiddos eat breakfast.  And a close up of the ugliness!

What about the floor you're wondering??!  Well, LONG STORY!  Ordered black and white tile.  Think Mary Engelbreit, but less exuberant.  Brought it home, put it on the floor and the dirt that showed on the black tile was sickening.  So back it went.  Ordered a natural stone.  Changed our mind.  Finally, decided on a brick looking tile in 5 sizes we were going to put in a random pattern reminscent of New Orleans during Mardi Gras.  We waited three weeks for the order to come in and Monday they called and said they couldn't get it.  Ever.  So {DEEP BREATH} we went to one more place and made a decision.  Chose it yesterday.  Pick it up tomorrow.  It will go down next week when Mr. Fix It has a couple days off.  And we're on our way.

If you walk under the first arch there is a pantry to your left and a guest bathroom to your right.  Walk under the second arch and straight out the door and you're in the garage.  Take a right and you're in the laundry room. 

We're progressing though!

Good-bye countertops!  FOREVER!!!

Welcome home Alice!!!

It's Sunday: Bring On The Bling!

It's that time again...

My collection is also known as "inventory"!  Meaning I list the majority of my vintage bling at my store Heart-Shaped Rock Cottage.  The only blingy jewelry left is this cute terrier puppy and this sweet teddy bear!  Oh, and this adorable poodle!  I am really attracted to animal brooches.  Oh, how I love the bling too!

Here is my personal collection:

I have a thing for black and white.  My studio colors.  I also happen to love my .75 cent old frame from Goodwill. 

I remember my favorite Great Aunt, Lillie Mae, wearing a brooch (similar to the rectangular one at the far right corner) at the top of her dress every single day.  It was given to her by the love her life Jack B. Bryan of Wichita, KS!

The black and white beauties match my decor.

These match my mood most days! HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!

Thanks to Cerri and Analise for hosting.

You can find a ton of links in their comment section if you'd like to take the bling blog tour.  Pour yourself a glass of homemade lemonade.  Or if the mood dictates a warm mug of tea.  Or even a glass of red wine.  Use a pretty glass though!  I'm having Rasberry Passion Tea over ice in a lovely vintage glass.

And don't forget to sign up for my blog giveaway!  All you have to do is leave a comment in the HANKIE GIVEAWAY post.  You have until next weekend. 

I've added this hankerchief and brooch to the collection in honor of BLING DAY today!

Pass The Hankie: A Springtime Giveaway

I really appreciate all the kind souls that stop by.  The ones that leave comments.  And the ones that don't.  And in the spirit of appreciation I'd like to kick off my first ever blog giveaway...

HANKIE LOVERS UNITE!

On my junking forays today I came across some lovely vintage hankerchiefs.  Some are cream colored and more on the simple side.  A couple are floral and bright and happy.  One has gorgeous cut work.  Most have been well-loved and show their age.  They are all lovely.

I would love to share the lot of them with another like-minded soul.  Spread the joy!!!

Just leave a comment on this post and I will do an official drawing next Saturday, 4/26.

And I'm sure there will be a surprise treasure in your box as well!

Feel free to spread the word.  The more the merrier!

And again, thank you for stopping by.  It is much appreciated.

I'd like to mention how much I'm enjoying being a part of:

and

and

And a quick peek at a couple of my favorite vintage treasures currently listed at my little store Heart-Shaped Rock Cottage. 

She is an aquarium ornament from days long ago.  I find her lovely.  She's posed on my new butcher block countertops!

And this young lady is ready to waltz in the most glamorous of hats.  She's posed in front of my favorite curtains.

Have a wonderful weekend ya'll.

WARNING: Serious Post Ahead

Today I felt like a balloon that someone pumped full of too much helium.

On edge.

Ready to burst.

Fearful of the loud P-O-P that sounds like a shotgun has gone off.

The moment when someone/something scares you out of your own skin.

That out of control feeling that throws you into a tizzy.

A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.  Full mastectomy within days of the diagnosis.  One day fine.  One day fighting the fight of your life.

I didn't know what to do with all this emotion so I put it in my art journal.

Please, add J to your prayers.

And bless all the folks who have been affected by cancer in any way whatsoever.

We're doing the breast cancer walk/run next weekend.  The whole family.  It seems like such a tiny thing, but I had to do something.  Anything.