If This is Heaven....

Then God saw fit to move it to Athens, Texas.

The Divine Mr. M knew how bad I wanted to go

to Winnie and Tulula's Rememberance of Christmas

so he hog tied me and threw me in the truck.

Not really...I was already in the truck with the motor running yelling....

"Let's Go Alreadeeeeee!"

(all while honking the horn and waving my arms.)

Along the way there were two hitch hikers who seemed kinda friendly

mainly my sis

Six Divided by Two

and my niece, Morgan.

After five.....yes, I said five.....

long hours we arrived.

My mouth hit the floor when I walked in.

Nothing....and I mean NOTHING

could have prepared me for the beauty that was present.

I was drooling like I had a mouthful of novocaine.

My heart was skipping all kinds of beats.

I could barely move when I got inside...it was that spectacular ladies (and Troy .)

My very first beeline destination

was to see my fairy blog mother

and daddy.....

Cat Daddy that is!!!!!

Debbie and Cat Daddy of Talking Trash took my breath away!!!

Between the TO-DIE-FOR angel

and the smelling salts worthy dining room table

I felt weak....

My sis wanted to share my fairy blog parents...

UHHHH ...NO MAAA'M!!!!

Next to Talking Trash

was Curious Goods.

Her booth was divine.

 ( I really thought I was going to have to sit down.)

Of course the night wouldn't have been complete

if I didn't get to see Mindy

from Primitiques and Poetry.

Mindy never fails to shine

and that night her light was set to sparkle.

I finally had the honor and pleasure of meeting

Margo from Margo's Junking Journal.

I bought a great deal of items from her booth.

I have this thing for architectural salvage.

Bolts, springs, rust, and God help me

if there's a doorknob or a faucet around.

Margo had ALLL of that!!!!

It was a merry christmas indeed for meeeee!!!

The hostess with the mostess

was of course

Gloria from Sweet Pea.

Her custom bedding and finds are

simply exquisite.

I honestly don't have enough words to describe how awesome

this venue is.

Everyone sooo outdid themselves.

I fell in love with this look....

Keeping Christ in Christmas.

This daybed under this canopy of gentle branches

and soft lights stopped me dead in my tracks.

I literally caught myself going

"OOOOOOOHHHHHHH"

out loud.

I did hear snickers behind me.....

I didn't care.

I am sooo in love with this table.

Cat Daddy giving

the Divine Mr. M

some sage advice on being married to a junker.

On my christmas list...

Santa??????

Winnie and Talula's

wasn't simply a christmas open house.

Gloria and the other ladies raffled prizes

to raise money for the

Rescue Rabbit fund.

the Divine Mr. M became quite smitten

with this little lady.

We are discssing adopting her and bringing her into the fold.

Jewelry and junk....my favorite things.

This fine gentleman was our DJ for the evening.

He definitely kept the evening festive.

From blues to country to christmas....

the atmosphere was phenominal.

Theresa's window display was beautiful

and so serene.

I am in luuuuuurrrve with that mantle.

This tree was soo inspiring.

As the evening sky lost its rosy hue

and darkness settled in for the night,

the lights in Winnie and Talula's

continued to glimmer.

There was much laughter

(especially by Mindy....."Both of you?"....LOL)

and smiles.

In the midst of such beautful treasures and gorgeous finds

were even more beautiful friends

and wonderful family.

I was overjoyed to be amongst people

that I can call my friends

and to have made new friends as well.

As I left that night, I was happy.

Mr. M said that I slept all the way home....with a smile on my face.

On The First Day of Christmas.....

My true love gave to meeeeeeeeeeee!

A giveaway that was sooo neeeeeet!!!!

Noel from [ReDeemed] unique art

has asked me to be a guest blogger

for her

12 days of Christmas series!!!

WOOOO HOOO!

I am soooo excited that I am doing my spazzy dance right now!!!

(Once again....Shuga is looking at me like I have lost my mind.)

Every day, a guest blogger will host the blog

and many of them are doing giveaways!!!!

I will be joining the ranks of some extremely talented ladies

such as Aprons N More

and The Brocantess.

( I have on big girl panties and am trying not to look tooooo intimidated by the awesome women.)

Come by every day and enter to win some fabulous prizes

as well as be inspired.

I am (of course) the Sixth Day

and will be providing my spin on some egg layin' geese.......

So.....

Come on by and partake of the Christmas extravaganza going on!

You will not be sorry....I promise.

If you happen to see me there,

just pat me on the back and smile.....

I'll be the girl tossing back eggnog in the corner.

White Wednesday and Many Thanks

While the Divine Mr. M and I

were in Breaux Bridge Louisiana,

we parked across the street from a catholic church

with a cemetery next to it.

I know...huh?

"This isn't halloween."

No..It's Thanksgiving...you are not crazy.

Some of the statues were simply beautiful.

There was a certain peacefulness that I found there.

(Death is pretty peaceful...right?)

I was reminded of all that I have in my life

that I sometimes take for granted.

When given tragic news, sometimes your life is put into perspective.

While many people will partake of turkey, dressing,

and enough cranberry sauce to kill a small pony,

I will be at work caring for the ill

and the stupid.

(You know...the ones who try to fast fry a turkey in a vat of waaaay too hot grease

or get drunk and get into a fight over a borrowed screwdriver with their brother -n-law.)

 (If it hasn't happened...I wouldn't say it...trust me.)

I will be thinking about all of the blessings that God has given me

such as all of the wonderful angels he has placed

in my path that have blessed and encouraged me

as well as inspired me to step out of my box

and take chances in my life.

Debbie, Mindy, Anne, Adrienne, T, Gloria,

Lillia, and sooo many others that I don't have enough space to type....thank you.

I am thankful that I have had someone with me

every step of the way during all of my triumphs

as well as trials.

Misty, I do not have enough words in my heart to tell you

how much I love you.

You're my better half...my best friend

and we have had a crazy time since the womb and I know it will continue.

Terry, you're my LOML.

I love you more than you'll ever know.

I never knew how much I could love one person until I met you.

You are such an inspiration and my greatest fan.

Thank you for getting the courage to come and say "hi" to me

as you changed my life forever.

I am so thankful for my family and friends

as well as the physical blessings that I have been given.

The one thing that I am most thankful for

is my Saviour.

Without him, I would be nothing.

I hope that everyone has an awesome Thanksgiving.

Enjoy the food and festivities

as well as your family and friends.

As they are very better than any turkey or cranberry sauce could ever be.

Facing the Storm

I feel like this little bird.

Small, insignificant and alone.

This week has been very hard for me.

It is one of the roughest moments in my life to date.

I thought very long and hard about sharing my situation

with anyone outside of my immediate family and my dearest friend.

I have prayed even harder.

For the last month, I have not felt so hot.

I have this low grade constant fever with no other symptoms

except bone pain in my right thigh...deep bone pain.

I saw a doctor who told me I had the flu?

Not likely......I don't have a single symptom of the flu.

I was seen in the Emergency room because my pain was excruciating

and I felt like "what the owl left on the limb."

I was told I was severely dehydrated.

Not possible.....I eat and drink okay

(my appetite sucks lately...but not that bad.)

I returned to Houston to see my doctor.

She did an xray.

I have a lesion on my femur.

We do more tests...

It's a tumor of some sort...cancer most certain.

I don't know what type of cancer it is or if it's even the primary tumor.

(I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005....been okay since....now.)

I shared my situation with Adrienne of The Flying Bee yesterday

when we were shopping together.

She encouraged me to share my story with ya'll.

Because Adrienne says that I'm in need of prayer

 and that there are so many people who would want to lift me up in prayer.

I have many reservations about sharing my ordeal.

I'm not big on people doting on me.

I'm very open about my life in regards to alot of things except things that are dead serious.

Then, I'm like an old dog..I want to go under the house and be left alone.

The Divine Mr. M is trying to be a trooper.

He feels that it's not fair..maybe it's not but it is what it is.

There have been many tears shed this week and lots of kisses on the forehead.

My family has rallied around me and have offered so much love that I am grateful

but I still feel like that bird.

No one truly knows my pain...or my fears that I have.

There has been talk of amputation....

(which has been followed by jokes of making my prosthesis into a table lamp...

like on A Christmas Story.)

These are the friends and family that I have...gotta love them...it did make me laugh though!

As a nurse who used to be on an oncology floor, I know all of the possible outcomes.

90% of those terrify me.

I am not writing this for anyone to feel sorry for me....please don't because I don't feel sorry for me.

I just had to share what's been weighing my heart down.

I hope to continue to keep sharing my ideas and inspirations with all of you

as ya'll keep me sane and have given my life a change for the better.

I don't know what the Lord has in store for me...no one does.

It was once said that each burden is a blessing.....I sure hope that's true.

I'm just going to be like that little bird.

I'm gonna hold on and face the storm.

I hope that ya'll will understand

and if anyone wants to volunteer

to hold up my branch for me...thank you.

O Tannenbaum

I have a love for christmas trees.

There was nothing more magical to me

at Christmas than when my mama drug

out her 7 1/2 foot tree and

boxes upon boxes of ornaments.

My mama never did a hodge podge tree.

Each year her christmas tree was decked out

in wonderful color combinations

with coordinating ornaments and lights.

My sister and I would sit and watch her decorate with much ferver.

I will never forget the christmas when she said my sis and I could help decorate.

I will also never forget how mad she was when I broke one of her

really nice and pricey ornaments that she had.

(to see my mama mad.......is not pretty.......at all.)

My sister and I would stand in front of the tree

in all of its christmas splendor and sing to it.

 "Oh Christmas Treeee, Oh Christmas Treeee,

Oh Christmas Treeeee, Oh Christmas Treeeee....."

We could belt out every single note of that song...with the only three words we knew.

My love for gorgeous trees has not subsided...not even a little bit.

This year will not be any different.

I've donned my tree in its Christmas finest.

With succulent golds, warm browns, and gorgeous silver.

I've also incorporated some of my junky goodness as well.

These door knob plates once guarded the doors

to my great grandmother's home.

They remind me of so many memories and christmases (is that a word?) that have past.

I can't imagine a single Christmas without the

rememberance of angels who sang the first carol.

The natural beauty of the earth

to remind me that the Lord

had no wear to lay his head but in

a lowly manger.

I'm french ya know....couldn't let

my heritage go without being remembered.

This antique shaving brush

reminds me so much of my great-uncle Eugene.

My sister and I were simply fascinated

by watching him work up his own shaving cream

and shaving with a straight blade.

(I just kneeeeeew he was going to cut himself...he never did.)

This photo is so precious.

I reminds my spirit to keep toiling...one day there will be rest.

Some clothespins that I antiqued.

They will soon hold old photos as

soon as the Divine Mr. M gets them out for me.

(Right Honey???)

My son's old teddy bear sits in an old baby walker

that was once my fathers

reminding me to always keep my inner child alive.

An old and broken pocketwatch

that reminds me that time is precious....enjoy it.

I have incorporated more items into my tree that

I didn't get pics of yet

like my tarnished silver sugar bowls

and mercury glass ornaments.

I have way more decorating and more trees to put up.

(surely you didn't think I would only do one tree?)

Keep checking back for more junky christmas ideas.