Monday, November 30, 2009

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
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
Mindy never fails to shine
and that night her light was set to sparkle.



I finally had the honor and pleasure of meeting
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.....

ReDeemed button
My true love gave to meeeeeeeeeeee!

A giveaway that was sooo neeeeeet!!!!


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.


Wednesday, November 25, 2009

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.


Monday, November 23, 2009

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.

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