the holidays are coming!

please, oh please tell me where I found this~

There are so many times during the year when I feel like it simply must be my favorite. When autumn arrives, I love my need to nest - the cozy weather, the falling leaves, rustic breads and roasted vegetables. When spring peeks out from the cold, dark, wet winter weather, I rush to take photos of every bud and tiny bloom.

found here

However, the holiday season really fills me with great anticipation and joy~ The thought of baking endless cookies, bringing out decorations from years gone by, as well as adding to the collection, and getting a feel for this particular season and what it means this year - there are times when my head feels like it will burst with all of the thoughts and ideas!

found here

This year I am feeling strongly that less is more. I am also big on comfort. I am on board with the handmade holidays plan - I love the idea of crafting something for each person and giving them a little piece of myself in their gift. I also could spend hours on Etsy looking at the incredible treasures that others have created.

I am also enjoying my "grey" year. I don't know what it is, but for me, grey seems to have taken over - whether it is clothing, decor, or accessories, grey fills my heart these days. And that is certainly not a bad thing! Do you have any idea how many shades of grey there are ?!?

dave coote found here

This morning I am listening to the storms that are blowing through. The wind is howling - blustery does not apply here today... The rain is coming down, and it puts me in the absolutely perfect frame of mind for working on projects indoors. I have chicken stock on the stove, tea steeping, and cookie dough ready to bake when the boys arrive home from school. I think I will pull out my sewing machine and some of the soft, worn fabrics I have been collecting. Today is definitely a day for creating~

found here

Have a fabulous week my dears~ This happens to be my "birthday week" - something the men in this house simply do. not. understand. Week - you heard me - week...

xx

Porch Magazine

With so many of my favorite magazines disappearing, I am happy that there is a new selection of them arriving lately.

Porch Magazine is one of those that I am already looking forward to arriving in the post box. I can't tell you how excited I am to see some of my images from the Barn House Fall Show and the Funky Junk Sisters extravaganza in it!

You can go here if you want to purchase one of your own~

xx

the extraordinary Tarte show~

This past weekend, it seemed that the stars were aligned and I was able to make the last Tarte show of the season. While it was a VERY long day - 4:15 am - 12:30 am - it was worth every yawn and nearly falling asleep on the way home!

Cindy definitely has a way of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. She creates an experience when you visit her barn, set in the gorgeous Oregon countryside. The magic of Christmas found its way to that barn this weekend - from the beautiful white backdrop, to the mercury glass ornaments, to the sparkles, and the glitter, and the white lights, and the vintage treasures.

And for me, it wasn't only about the incredible shopping. Visiting good friends that I hadn't seen in far too long was the highlight of the day~ From chatting with Tiffany all the way to and from Oregon, to seeing Joe and Jermonne as well as Cindy at the barn, and ending our day with a gorgeous afternoon tea at Lara's beautiful home with her girlies two~ It was definitely one of those days that recharges a girl's soul...

Have a fabulous week!

xx

(and a quick poll - is it too early to be playing holiday music...?)

:)

I need to make a SIGNIFICANT correction in this post. When posting all of these gorgeous photos, I completely omitted Annie, Fannie, and Abigail - the creators and vendors of nearly half of the beautiful barn experience. Many of these photos need to be credited to them - their beautiful creations, their styling, and their eye for creating gorgeous vignettes. I feel awful about not giving them proper credit, as they certain deserve it.

new prints and happy friday!

It has been quite an inspired week around here. Well, aside from that bout with the stomach flu...It is amazing how productive I feel after laying in bed for an ENTIRE day!

I have also "met" a couple of people whom I find incredibly inspiring, which in turns gets my creative juices flowing, and my mind racing with all of the fabulous things I want to work on.

I was able to sneak in a couple of fun photo afternoons, and wanted to add a couple of prints to my etsy shop - which I have done. I really love working with textures and want to do more with them in the coming months.

I am also looking forward a wonderful day tomorrow with this sassy farm girl~ We are going to visit a couple wonderful, fabulous friends - stopping by to visit another inspiring lovely, and hopefully seeing one or two incredibly talented ladies. Crossing fingers!

Have a marvelous weekend mes amies - whether you are in for glorious sunny skies or cozy, blustery time indoors~

xx

Friendships

I had wanted to post something this morning that I had seen on a friend's site recently - something moving and quite inspiring, in my opinion. However, I will save that for another day.

You see, while on her site, looking for the wise words she had posted, I came across another wise woman that she had linked to, and on her site, found the following. As I feel I am in a time of change for me, of great growth, and amazing discovery, this writing speaks to me. It gives me comfort in a time when I feel like there is a shift happening with some of my friendships. A shift that has caused some pain, some tears, and a lot of questioning of my own growth. Sadly, while my growth has brought such joy and excitement to me, it has also caused some around me to have feelings of anger and to feel hurt or abandoned. Of course that makes me sad, but I also know that my growth - the changes that I am making, the things that I am learning, the wings that I am spreading - that is about ME, no one else. I know that we each have our own path, and not all of our paths are going to follow the same road, at the same speed. Thus, there really is no way that we are all going to spend the entire journey together. Our roads will part, and yet, some may meet up again one day. And what I need is to live my journey as richly and fully as I can. I do value the friendships that I have with me along the way, and I am so grateful for the friendships that I have held dear for many years. I am also excited about new friendships - the ones that give me such inspiration to fly.

A Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or
a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you
will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON . . . It is
usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have
come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you
with guidance and support, to aid you physically,
emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a
godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason
you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an
inconvenient time, this person will say or do something
to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die.
Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realise is that our need has been met, our
desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you
sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON . . .
Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount
of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things
you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional
foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the
person, and put what you have learned to use in all
other relationships and areas of your life. It is said
that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Author Unknown

~my new chippy cabinet

I found this gem of a cabinet at a sale I went to this past weekend. I was thrilled to see a friend who had it in her booth! While I know it isn't exactly my husband's "style", he is a wonderful man who is so supportive of things he finds, well, junky. Funny but that is exactly what I loved about it!

I plan to store all of my favorite serving platters and ironstone in it. It sits adjacent to our dining area, and it also near the kitchen, thus making it ideal for storing those sorts of things.

It currently is a few different pale blues, with chippy white paint underneath. I think I will live with it for a bit before I decide what I want to do with it. I just may leave it as it is~

Have a lovely Tuesday~

xx