A Rainy Day in Roundtop, Texas

I went to Roundtop  and Warrenton  on Saturday with my friend, Karen.  She had invited me to go with her a few weeks ago but I spent a lot of time on Friday evening assuming we would cancel because of the impending thunderstorms being forcasted for all day Saturday across most of Texas.  We texted back and forth and she said, "Let's go for it."  I imagined being struck by lightening...but for a good cause.

We went.  We shopped.  We ate.  And we barely even got sprinkled on.  And here is where I thank God for no lightening and for rain boots.  It's amazing how crazy comfortable rain boots are and how one can step in huge mud puddles and wet cow patties (the booths are set up in pastures) and not even give it a thought.  In fact, I stepped in a wet cow patty on purpose.  Bucket list.  jk 

Being the age I am, and not having grown up with cell phones, I forget there's a camera on that thing.  I remembered to take a few pictures about the time we were heading to our car to leave for the day.  As you can see in this photo, dark luminous clouds hung around all day but we never got a hard rain.  While we looked like wet rats from the drizzle and humidity, so did everyone else. 

In my dream backyard, I would have this black and ivory striped umbrella.

I bought the orange and ivory silk pillow case. The girl who sells them goes to Turkey each year to get her fabrics so it is probably too worldly for this house.  I paid way to much for it, but I loved the pop of color.  The last thing this house needs is another pillow but I haven't come to terms with that yet. 

Karen spotted this tray on a table full of junk and pointed it out to me.  She is always on the hunt for a Louisiana one.  Chuck is from Mississippi...Cleveland, in the upper left area near the corn husk...and I spent 3 1/2 years of my high school days in Bay St. Louis...near the M of Mississippi.  So it was a must have and a steal for $5.

The Junk Gypsy booth is a well known booth...they are a landmark in Warrenton.  The Junk Gypsy girls now have a show on HGTV.  I grabbed this photo off of the Internet but it was taken by Heather Bullard...one of the people I met at Silver Bella.  She has a beautiful blog.  By beautiful, I mean her photography is gorgeous...she is a production and photography stylist. 

We went through the booth and the first person I saw was Rachel Aswell!

 Rachel Aswell, of Shabby Chic fame, was talking to someone and I walked by and said HEY! And she looked at me and say hey.  And I kept walking.  But she did look at me!  And then I proceeded to pick up a cup on a shelf that was stacked on a lot of other cups.  And as I picked up the cup, the other 15 cups started falling.  Like dominoes.  One, then 3, then all of them came tumbling off the shelf.  A sweet girl behind me came to my rescue and started trying to grab them before they hit the ground.  It was comical...and all I could think of was my moment with Rachel Aswell and was she witnessing this.

Rachel (like we're on a first name basis) has a Bed and Breakfast (more like a compound of many lodges) in Roundtop called The Prairie.  I see from the calendars and events about Roundtop 2012 that she is doing a lot of book signings.  But that day she was just standing around looking like a wet rat, just like the rest of us. 

This antique festival is huge.  So huge that it would take weeks to see it all...there are hundreds and hundreds of booths in the fields and lots of buildings full as well.  The nice thing about going year after year is one gets to know the layout and the areas that you want to revisit.  So to run in to Rachel Aswell was so random.

And another random sighting?  I was waiting for my friend Karen as she went back to her car to get her umbrella.  I looked up and saw a woman who looked a lot like my friend Nancy from my first home in Pecan Grove.  I babysat Nancy's daughter Molly when Molly was 2.....22 years ago.  Nancy and I became friends and like most friends in the past, we lost touch and only kept up through the years with Christmas cards and now on fb.  I watched her for a minute and thought it wasn't her but stared anyway.  Then I walked up closer to her.  She didn't recognize me at all ...but I am a little older and fluffier and had on the hood of my windbreaker.  Then I spoke up and said, "Nancy?" and she said "JUJU?" with her cutest, prettiest smile.  She is a dental hygienist and don't they have the prettiest teeth?

It was good to see her after all these years in person and give her a hug.  And get in a quick 10 minute catch up on life visit....in a rain soaked cow pasture surrounded by antiques and junk.  Nancy was shabby chic, junk gypsy before it was even a term.  She had the knack of taking anything junk and turning it in to adorable.  One of the things I loved and adored about her.

When I think of all the miles of booths and shops and all of the thousands of people there...I know seeing Nancy was a gift from God.  And seeing Rachel Aswell and having her look me in the eye and say hey....that was also a little wink from Him. 

I may just go back this weekend.  It's a little addicting.

After the Move Out

I finally got back up to Cameron's room and set up the full bed that has been "the college bed" for the girls. It may just live in here until August when Will moves back to Stephen F. Austin as he is moving in to an apartment and will need a bed. But for now it's out of the gameroom and made up. So I took a few after pictures as promised.

Before

After

Before

After 

And a few more "after".....

 

This is a picture of my sweet daddy placed in a vase of button flowers sitting next to Cameron's baby shoes.  These are the shoes she had on in her one year old portrait. 

The vase with button flowers was a gift I gave to  Lora Joy, neighbor and good friend of Chuck's family, one year for Christmas.  Right after she died, the daughter gave it back to me....saying she thought I should have it.  Some things I miss ....my Daddy, my one year old Cameron and sweet Lora Joy.

You Silver Bella girls may recognize a couple of the things on here....a sachet from a Swap and a project made in a class in the green frame.  The family in the photo on the left, is Chuck's great grandparents with 2 of their 9 children.  I think Chuck looks so much like this man through the brow and eyes...and this is Chuck's nose for sure.  I spent the first few years of our marriage trying to identify where his nose came from.

Stored American Girl magazines and children's books waiting for some grandchildren. 

 Yes, that's a hint.

Cameron brought me two magnets from her trip that reminded her of me.

Humor is big in this house...so I find the magnets funny....but I do want the world to know I did cook many, many meals for my kids.  Too bad they were too young to remember...ha. 

Our refrigerator and pantry are pretty empty these days with just me and Chuck around.  Everytime the kids come home, I just hand them cash and

ask them to go fill it up with what they want to eat.

And this one? 

I'm not going to lie....I can remember those hectic days of babies and toddlers and preschoolers and kindergartners.....chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese and diapers and bottles.  Cooking and cleaning up the kitchen only to realize it was time to do it all again for the next meal.

Little sleep and lots and lots of needs to meet for others before my own.

Maybe I did wake up every morning thinking about how good my gown and a glass of wine were going to feel when I got through the day.

But I got through the day first.

I really did.

Taken from my back porch.

For some reason, looking at this makes me want to cry.

Because it's so beautiful.

Because I want to see a message in it.

Or maybe it's that my second child is on her own and out of the house.

Or that by the end of the week, I don't work with my good friends anymore.

Or that I had 3 pieces of banana bread for breakfast and I am having a little sugar low.

Not on the Bucket List

I don't even have a Bucket List......officially.  Of course, I have lots of things I want to do before my time's up, but I try so hard to "stay in the day" that I sort of take life as it's thrown at me.  Grabbing opportunities here and there.  Like my trip to London and the arts and craft adventure called Silver Bella.  I didn't go looking for either of those trips.....so they weren't on a list.....but I can look back and say they are definitely highlights of my life...

and would have been on a Bucket List if I had one.

Silver Bella was a whirlwind weekend of food, shopping, fun, conversing with other artists and just being around so many talented people.  I got involved in a few artists' swaps in the months leading up to the big weekend....and this is what I really think of when I think of my Silver Bella experience.  

I wanted to try a swap.  A. Swap.  One.  But I wasn't sure how to sign up for one on the Silver Bella site, so I asked my childhood friend, Doojies, to sign up for one for me.  Or maybe two if she couldn't pick just one.  She so graciously did....but every time she clicked on one, it wouldn't show up, so she would go to another one and click it as "me" and again, my name wasn't showing up.  Eight clicks later....I was signed up for EIGHT swaps!  To say I was overwhelmed and challenged and scared and excited would be an understatement. 

I know now that I could have backed out of one or two of those swaps but I'm glad I didn't.  It was a challenge but I loved every single swap I was involved in.  And after all Doojies put me through, I still speak to her. (Just kidding D.)  I don't think Chuck ever figured out where all our money went that fall...but Hobby Lobby and JoAnn's had a record year. 

I didn't even know back then about all the other fabulous places to find incredible paper arts and such.

Okay...honestly, I didn't even know what a swap was

or what an ATC was at the time.

Do you?

One of the swaps was to create a page for a book of the 12 Days of Christmas.   The colors and the size of the pages were given to us by the Swap Hostess Gina Grable....as well as our "day"...I was Day 8.

 And the book was to be called

 The 12 Sparkly, Vintage Days of a

Most Glittery, Glamorous Christmas

so I knew I would need lots of glitter to complete my page.

Fifteen books were made, if I remember correctly, so that means I made the same page 15 times.  I sent my pages to the Swap Hostess by a certain deadline and she bound all the pages together into an unbelievably beautiful book. 
Twelve days of pages
 and the glittery cover
plus a couple of extra for the leaders
of Silver Bella make up the 15.

One of the other artist in the swap is Kim Allistair Caldwell.  She submitted the details and pictures of our finished book to Somerset to be put in their Holiday publication.  This swap was done in the fall of 2008.  She submitted in the spring of 2009.  They turned her down.  We were all a little disappointed but were so appreciative of Kim for even trying.  It was a huge undertaking for her. 

Oh well, it wasn't on my Bucket List

 to be published in a magazine anyway.

But

guess

what?

The 2010 Somerset Holidays & Celebrations

 just came out. 

And guess what is on Page 17?

I would love to show you the picture of my art on Page 21....but I really want you to get your own issue.  I will send you back to my blog post about it and if you go to Gina's blog, you can see all the pages there, too.  Not all of the pages were featured in the Somerset issue but I was one of the lucky ones that got chosen.

So I'm feeling very proud.  Very appreciative.  Very lucky.  Thanks Gina for your incredibly cute idea and to Kim for getting it published for us.......and to Doojies for signing me up for this swap.  Now I know how those Oscar winners feel.  There's way too many people to thank.  I really need to thank my mom for always allowing us to paint and glue at the kitchen table.  And Chuck for supporting my habit.  And my 7th grade Arts and Craft teacher who I have long since forgotten her name or face. And of course, my ...............

Time's up.  Go to commercial.  Actually.....go get the magazine.


POST SCRIPT:  You can find this magazine at JoAnn's or Barnes & Noble.
This publication includes Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter and 4th of July
projects.....you will not just look at Page 17 -21, I promise!

Scrappin' Saturday

First of all, I want to start this post with a fact.  The fact is this big world is really small.  Six degrees of separation and all that. 

Through a childhood friend, I was inspired to start a blog.  Thousands of hours later, I was encouraged to attend Silver Bella in November of 08....all because of blogland.  While at SB 08, I met several others that were from Houston.  We exchanged names and blog addresses and have made a poor but true attempt at keeping in touch.  We read each other's blogs and sometimes even comment.  

A few weeks ago, one of my Houston SB/blog friends sent me an email inviting me to a Scrapping Saturday at her house.  I almost declined.  Why? Because it was sent to several people...and I only recognized one other name....but mostly because it was a SCRAPPING Saturday.  It's not that I'm afraid to attend something where I only know one other name......but it was the SCRAPPING part. 

Oh, I have scrapbook paper.  I even have glue and scissors.  I have even done a scrapbook.  A.  Scrapbook.  Meaning ONE.  And if I learned anything from Silver Bella (a 2 day retreat full of one workshop after another....all things artsy and crafty....glitter floating through the air the entire 48 hours), it's that I can NOT create with others. 

I can create.  But when I am sitting at a table full of other artists creating, I am mesmerized.  Watching them create.......and talking to them is way more fun for me.  And that little ADD thing I leave untreated is at an all time high during these situations.  I spend more than 30 minutes digging through my bag looking for .........uh, what was I looking for?  (I took a tote bag with me yesterday, but I must admit these women put my little packed bag to shame.)

Okay. I went.  I had a blast. I felt like these strangers were friends.  As the day wore on, more and more random connections were made.   I created for 3 minutes and spent the next 6 hours walking around Peggy's house.....looking at eye candy, talking and listening to the others, petting on dogs, eating delicious appetizers followed by a wonderful meal and dessert, and even hanging some pictures.  But mostly I just sat in awe of women who really scrap. 

I grabbed my little camera and tried to take pictures of some eye candy for you.  Thanks to a generous host, Peggy, who allowed me to take pictures. 

All that goodness displayed on these shelves....

I did my best to take it all in.

The youngest one there. Turns out she's from Sugarland and I started throwing out names of people I know from Sugarland......and she is good friends with the son of my good friend. 

 Small world?  Small world.

A professionally packed tote bag.  This is not my tote bag.

But now that I have a picture of one, I can copy it. ha.

This most precious sweet dog is named Killer. 

 Should be named Stealer.  Stealer of hearts...this one.

Mama's favorite.

This banner captures my feelings. 

I didn't have to leave Houston to feel like I had escaped. 

A corner of Peggy's desk.  Full of goodness.

Things she loves and loves to look at.

A finished page.  So it can be done.  I sat beside this woman.  She could talk and scrap at the same time.  Very meticulous work.  The picture doesn't do the page justice.  The magnolias are 3 dimensional.  I watched her cut each petal....punch each dot....place gently together...until those scraps of paper became magnolias.

This sweet dog is Grace.  And while it looks like Grace is nursing.....she is not.  But we all got a good laugh at this....as from a different view it did look like one of the women

was a Dry Nurse for Grace.

You had to be there....it was funny.

One of Peggy's prized possessions. 

 Vintage handkerchiefs on each pocket. 

 Beautiful storage.

And check out that huge yellow No. 2 pencil. 

It even had Peggy's name on it. 

Needs to be hung somewhere....

next time I will do that for Peggy.

I love to put holes in other people's walls. 

Another artist.  Another page.  Almost finished.  This artist was working on this page for her son, the swimmer. 

 I love the colors and

the way she made them play together.

It ended up being titled "Calm Waters"........

In a drawer, there was a bowl.

  And in this bowl, there was a collection of religious medals/trinkets. 

 And it is this bowl that I wanted to steal.

  But stealing religious medals

 just screams bad karma.

I didn't take a thing.

But if Peggy wanted to do a give-away,

 I would certainly get involved.

More goodness.

Tiny dancer.  Tiny waist.

Wooden cherubs. 

 I could have walked out with one of these for sure.

Actually, I could have walked out with alot of things. 

 It's wrong to covet.  I know.

Meet Junior.  Junior was looking at scrapbook magazines thinking about what kind of retreat would be good for dogs who like to scrap.

Every Third Thursday looked good to him. 

Mama would be at work and the dogs could really party.

And Grace watched Junior....

wondering if she would be included in Junior's plans.

I can assure Grace and Junior and Killer, that there will be another scrappin' day ahead ...and they will be included in that one.


Thanks Peggy. 

One more thing......just recently I read a quote that sums it up for me. 

"Happiness is an inside job."

Within 5 minutes of each other, Peggy and I both said this quote.  I hadn't even been in the room when she said it....then within 5 minutes and me coming in the room, I said it.  It had to do with the conversation going on but I hadn't heard Peggy say it.  How's that for a connection?

And it's true.  Happiness is an inside job.

Dixie Has Done It Again....

If you come by here often, you might remember that Dixie has been wanting to pick a winner.....as I posted about here. She doesn't care what they win....she just loves picking a winner. I made a few photo blocks and rather than have them sit around, I told Dixie she could pick a name from the commenters who wanted one. My assistant, Chuck, decided how Dixie would pick this winner.....so if you have any complaints (Carol), please talk to my assistant. He handles all complaints.

So without further adieu.... a dew.....a doo...a do?

Here's how it all went down.

So you know the drill....Peggy and Linda need to send me their mailing address. Carol...I got you covered, too. My assistant wants it taken care of. Now for the rest of you.......I would love to see a comment now and then. I know you stop by....and I am just as guilty about not commenting on all the blogs I read daily. But a little shout out now and then would make my day....and Dixie's.

Dieux it for Dixie. Dew it for Dixie.

Doo it for Dixie. Do it for Dixie.