Fall Back...Spring Forward

Since we all gain an hour tonight, I thought I would use that extra hour to visit with you all. The air turned very cold this evening and while snuggled on the sofa, I started to go through some old image files and clean them out. I discovered that I never shared with you  our visit to Abe Lincoln's home in Springfield, IL.

It has been a few years since that visit, and as I started to look through the images, I discovered something kind of funny. I began to notice how familiar Mr.Lincoln's home began to look to me. While it is wildly decorated (and you will understand the term "wildly" in a moment once you take a gander at the wallpaper), there is a vague sense of familiarity to it as well. I also find it ironic that I made this discovery on the night we all turn our clocks back an hour. It might be only an hour we turn back, but as I look around my room, here, I think my clock has turned waaaay back, so far so, that I am finding quite a few things in my home that are also a part of the Lincoln's home. 

I thought you might like to visit Abe's home, and maybe you might find yourself feeling a little familiar with some of the objects you see as well.

Here is Abe Lincoln's home. And while it isn't as grand or stately as many brand new homes today, it does have a feeling of purpose...shutters that actually work and close off the windows. Not like the new ones today which are just ornamental. Windows galore, as there wasn't electricity back then. A strong fence to keep IN the kids, rather than to keep out strangers. Two chimneys to house the several wood stoves...the only source of heat. Yes, a very pretty house, with lots of purpose.

Upon entering, there are two main rooms. One on the left and one on the right. This is obviously the room for visitors who came calling. For a man who is always shown wearing black, his house is very colorful. Mary Todd Lincoln, I am sure had something to do with the decor, as she was determined to be fashionable.

This is the other main room, on the other side of the house, where little light was getting. I apologize ahead of time for some of the dark or fuzzy photos. We were on a tour and had to "keep moving" along. But this room is more of the family room as you can see much plainer furniture...

The wallpaper is different in every room. And the rugs all seemed to have some sort of red pattern as well. 

The bedroom were very cozy and all had wood stoves...

But as I began to zero in on the items in the room, and not the room as a whole...that is when that feeling of familiarity started to creep in. (Who is that in the mirror? :-)

I zeroed in on the ironstone, of course. And the linens? I have some just like these right next to me almost within arm's reach.

And being married to a barber, yes, we really do have a razor strop hanging in our bathroom (and he uses it), along with a straight razor as well.

Of course, I spied the soap and the ironstone soap dish...how many times have we all spied those dishes at antique stores...and while we might like them, it is neat to think that Abe's dish is as common as those we find, collect, and even use.

And I thought how funny to see his old books on the table, and how many of us LOVE old books and stack them on the table for decoration? I really wish I had brought my big purse that day...never can have too many old books...I'm just say'n...

More old books. I tried to get a better pic of his items in the cubby holes, but the desk was too far away and I'm stuck behind the rope...but I really relate to the cubby holes...as I have cubby hole shelf on my desk, and it is filled with goodies too.

Heading towards the kitchen now, I stop in my tracks as I eye the beautiful ironstone and even smile as I realize I have very similar plates and soup tureens as well. Now I REALLY wish I had my giant purse with me...

Now the kitchen is where I really felt at home! I cook with cast iron all the time...Have a French towel hanging on my wall just like the one in the back. Jars, jugs, and crocks...yes, those too. And the cutting board, well, I love very old cutting boards.

And the mortar and pestle? Have several and I do use them. I have no doubt that many of you have these items as well. And I even have an oil lamp hung on the wall, over my stove, with mercury glass behind it that I do light in the winter. Suddenly my "stuff" seems a little bit more regal, and not so ordinary.

After my visit with "the Lincolns," and revisiting these old images, it is apparent how much we, as a culture, have changed. And yet, how many of us grasp for a bit of the past? Why? Do we want things simpler, even though harder to do and inconvenient? In my very limited knowledge of history, culture, and anthropology, it is in my humble opinion that while life may be "easier" now than back then, we do more. Period. 

With a quick flick of our finger, we have light. Back then, the lamp must be filled with oil, the wick trimmed, and the flame adjusted periodically, as well as the glass cleaned after it cools down. All for a less-than-perfect light. But the thing is, lighting an oil lamp took time. And while we can just flick a switch in seconds...what exactly do we do with all that time we just saved from not having to light an oil lamp?

See where I am going with this? Easy to flick a switch and it saves loads of time, but what exactly do we do with all that extra time we just saved? Want a hot bath? Turn on the faucet. Back then? Chop some wood,start the wood stove, heat up water, and fill and refill the tub over and over again. After our quick bath...what do we do with all that extra time we saved? 

I think since we get to have an extra hour tomorrow (Sunday), I am going to suggest we all use that time to really think about how exactly do we spend all these extra hours that we have in our day that Abe and Mary just didn't have? (Or rather, their servants, really.)

Abe and Mary got 24 hours just like we do. But how those hours were spent in their home were so different than today's homes. Not better. Just different. But if we seem to gravitate towards the past, the antiques, the "old way" of doing some things...then maybe our heartstrings are being plucked for a reason.

Turning the clock back one hour is always a neat treat. But we don't need to turn the clock back to slow down. We can do that at any hour. We just need to decide what we are slowing down for.

May your extra hour be spent well while you enjoy the gift of time.

From my house to your house,

Precious Project in the Making

I have this beloved old wooden box with its original gray, weathered paint still on it, that I find myself "displaying" it instead of tucking it away out of sight. While I know it is the "in thing" with artsy gals to love the old, the chipped, and the worn, but I didn't grow up that way at all. Something like this, my mother wouldn't have allowed in the house. It may not even have made it into the shed, but instead, straight into the garbage can.

But I digress. 

As I am still on my new, little adventure, which I will be able to share with you in the near future, this box does play a part of it. As I sort through my various treasures, of all kinds, I needed to find a place for those few lost souls, that I couldn't part with, but I am sure, I "will need them for a project." But I am trying very hard to organize and sort my treasures and really eliminate those that have been waiting for such a project for years now, and let's be honest, some of those projects I am either not interested in any longer, or they aren't "me" any longer, or, I just can't remember what the heck that fab project was going to be in the first place!

But for those few trinkets, that I am still convinced that belong within arm's reach for that sudden spark of frenzy when I am sure my next idea is exactly what I need to do...I needed a place for those trinkets that I never tire of because if at the very least, I love to look at them, touch them, and remember where, when, and how I came across them.

Sometimes, I think the older I get, the more simpler I get. Not to be confused with simple-minded, mind you. Although, there are those that may argue that. And it seems that the more complicated the world gets, the more I rebel against it. The elderly are becoming a lot more understandable to me in their way of thinking as I get older, it seems. I remember hearing dad, sometimes grumbling about the world, and its lack of morals, or how people just don't talk to each other anymore (ha! way before the invention of cell phones and texting!). But then again, he rode his mule to school and graduated with only 12 kids from a one-room school house in rural Nebraska. But for the most part, he adapted pretty darn well from riding a mule to owning a Harley Davidson for about a week when I was about 13, for what I am assuming was his very short-lived mid-life crises that mom quickly ended.

But I digress again...

I remember one time, many, many years ago, while living in Texas, when I was seeing a wonderful counselor who was helping through a very difficult and painful time in my life, he had me do a break through exercise. It was the coolest exercise...

Here you do it and then I will explain:

Have someone read the following to you, you need a partner:

(In order for this to really work, you HAVE to stop reading right now, and go find someone to read this following. If you read ahead to my experience, then your experience will be tainted, and I promise you, you will be mad at yourself, because this is such a cool exercise, and you will have ruined it for yourself...so stop right now...come back when you have someone and the time to do it...it really is cool!)

Have your partner and you get relaxed and have her/him read:

Close your eyes and relax. Now imagine a box, any kind of box at all.(Pause) Take your time and really, really study your box and really see it. Don't rush, take your time and really see it. Do you see it? (Pause) Study it really well. You got it in your head? (Pause) What size is it? What is it made of? Where is your box? After several minutes of really seeing your box, keep your eyes shut, and just watch it for a minute or so and see what the box is doing.

Now, look inside your box...what do you see? Look around inside and really study what you see. Describe in detail what you see. Does it have a lid? Look at the inside of the lid if it has one. What do you see?  

Now before you leave your box, take note of the environment around your box. Is it outside, inside, the weather, anything you notice all around the box...scent, noise, everything that has been going on the entire time around the box...

Okay...open your eyes and tell your friend exactly what you experienced that you didn't already share...starting with the beginning of this exercise. Go over the list of things I asked you about your box and go over in lots of detail...take notes...

I may have forgotten some of the exercise, as it was years ago, but I will tell you what I saw, as I will never forget. Remember, I had no idea what this exercise was for or for what reason we were doing it...this is how I described my box at that time:

My box at that time was covered in precious jewels, emeralds, rubies, diamonds and covered in gold. When I opened it, it was lined with purple satin, but there was no bottom, and it was floating, actually, sort of being whipped around a little in the wind. Inside there were tons and tons of papers that were falling out of the bottom, one by one and flying away. I wasn't grabbing at them at all. When asked to look at the lid, there was a mirror and when asked what did I see, I saw myself! I was just normal, not crying, not laughing, just looking. The sky was blue and sunny. The box never landed or crashed to the ground.  

Okay, what does this all mean? The exercise is to help you sort out that whatever you saw inside, is the answer to whatever personal issue you may be having. You (or the counselor) will have to decode it. How you described your box, is how you are currently feeling about yourself at this moment. What your box is "doing" is how you feel about your issue and how you feel it is taking place in your life. And other details can tell you (or predict) how you are going to (or may) handle your issue. So now that you saw how much detail I had, go back and fill in any other details you may have left out before you read on.

Well, I can only tell you how my therapist decoded my descriptions, and it helped me more than I ever thought a silly exercise ever could for self-awareness:

He said that he was extremely happy that I described my box with so many "precious jewels" and gold...that meant that I still valued myself and I had felt I had self worth (I had been going to therapy almost year, and that was not the case when I first started). He said he liked that I used the word "precious jewels" and not just "jewels"- which words we actually use to describe this exercise really tells us things about ourselves. The purple satin inside meant that I hadn't turned hard like I thought I had (something I worried about at the time) and "purple" which was not my color at the time (nor now), but a color of royalty, meaning that my heart was still true, pure, even though I felt I had been tainted by this hard and painful season. He was trying to show me that my real self had not died. I remember tearing up when he had told me that, and he said, he hadn't told me that, I was telling myself that with my very own words...

He said that he was not surprised to hear that my box did not have a bottom, as my problem still seemed overwhelming to me and not having a bottom means I was feeling that my issue would never end. But when he asked what was I doing, I was only looking at the papers...not interfering with them...which is good, letting life take its course. So you see, what you were doing is important in the exercise too.

However, he felt very encouraged that my box was in a bright, sunny, blue-sky environment, which meant that I was more hopeful about the future than ever before. However, it was whipping about somewhat, but not blown apart. That shows that I am still anxious but not out of control. The box was in tact, and showed no signs of falling apart (he asked me during the decoding session if the box showed any signs of weakness, and it didn't).

He said he felt very happy that I wasn't grabbing after the papers that were falling out one-by-one. He said he had wished they were falling out at a much faster pace, which would have meant I was shedding my hard season of life quicker, but they were leaving the box all the same, and I wasn't grabbing on to it, thinking I could still save/do/change/ the situation. I was letting go.

And finally, he said the good news is, I was realizing that my hard season of life was almost over, and it was up to me to move on - hence my reflection in the mirror. I am the answer to moving on. No one else but me can do this. He was glad that my reflection just showed me...no one behind me, no shadow, me not crying, just me. That meant that I was willing and able to handle this on my own. 

These are all subconscious thoughts I was having, which showed me I had more strength than I realized and helped me to grow in that moment.

I was so impressed and excited with this exercise so many years ago, I remember doing this exercise on my brother. Of course, he had no idea what this exercise was about, and I just said, "hey, do something for me..." and I had him relax and did the whole thing and did it very slowly and so on. My brother had just been through an emotional divorce, was trying to get back on his feet, and tends to keep things to himself. He tried to pretend that all is well by joking all the time, but this is what he told me about his box:

Here is how some of it went:

Me

Imagine a box, any kind of box. Got it? See it?

Okay, tell me about your box.

Brother

It is a cardboard box. Sort of medium size.

Me

What else? Is it a strong/sturdy box?

Brother

No, it is beat up. Dented. Like it was kicked around

Me

Where is your box?

Brother

In a garage

Me

What kind of garage?

Brother

I don't know, it's pretty dark

Well, you can see where this is going! He went on to say it was empty. Nothing inside, and so on. He was floored when I told him what the exercise was about. And very eye-opening to him, as he was convinced he was doing okay, but actually, I could see he wasn't. And he then could see he needed to take better care of himself and do some things to make himself happy again.

Where am I going with all this? Well, I am not sure, except all I know is, that when I got out my beat up old gray box with my trinkets, I had very strong sense of contentment. And for some strange reason, admiring its rough exterior, its very sturdy bottom, and feeling its heavy weight as I placed it in a very happy, new area, I had a flashback of that box exercise so many, many years ago during a season of pain. 

And how ironic that during that season of pain, I described a jeweled box of gold, lined with satin. And now, during a season of contentment, joy, and happiness, I should find such pleasure out of a rough, worn, old, wooden box filled with old things. But this season of happiness is following a short season of much, much physical pain and some unexpected changes in life. 

And maybe, this time, at this moment in life, this box just simply means that a little worn and a little rough on the outside, only means there is a really precious project in the works on the inside.

And maybe that is my true project...

May your precious project always be in the works from The Greatest Protector of all...Christ who saw me through all of my life projects.

from my house to your house

Big Girl Playpen

Big Girl Playpen

Ever see a content toddler in a sandbox? Or a little one banging pots and pans completely happy with nothing but a wooden spoon? Well, I don't think we ever really grow out of those moments. We just either overlook them, or we are convinced our "toys" just get bigger, more costly, and just don't keep us occupied enough to justify the time and energy to engage them.

I am getting my camera back in hand, and I am discovering "toys" all around me, which is nice, as I really need to sit a lot on the sofa, with my knee still secure in a brace for hours at a time. So, I find my "playpen" to be wherever I happen to be, and in this case, it was on the sofa of my good friend's home, Debbie Dusenberry. One early evening, she had fabulous light coming in near her fireplace, and I found all sorts of "toys" to play with within arm's reach, and out came my camera...

I shot these photos in an "old world" style, as I am craving old England lately. My barber husband and I have been online watching some fabulous documentaries and I realize how I so miss certain design elements of the old world that I experienced while living in Europe. And this chair, the plaster, and the sun coming in as it did, gave me a moment of playtime and some daydreaming as though I were living in another era for a moment.

I think sometimes, we forget that the simplest objects around us are made beautiful by the simplest of all things: sunlight.

Sometimes, I wonder if dawn and dusk are mother nature's Botox...

...because no other light could make a simple oil can seem regal. 

I think old objects get even better with age. I am not one to want the new and the shiny. I think because I like a good story and the new just haven't been around long enough to collect one. I hope you enjoyed my little playtime with my "toys." I took several more photos that I may share with you later. It is very late, and I realize that I am still "playing." 

My mother used to tell me often that I was a "night owl baby." She said I would wake up about midnight and yell from my crib, "Hey! Hey! I want to play!" And my dad said I would keep yelling this until one of them would pick me up and carry me downstairs to a special playpen that they set up just for me for my night owl outings. Mom said they could hear me banging, and laughing and gurgling all night long, all content. Then about 5AM, she said, my banging of toys would get slower and slower, as I finally nodded off, just in time for them to wake up and come down and get me to take me back upstairs to my crib again. She did everything she could, she said, to get me to sleep. I would be up again about 8AM, playing all day long. I have been this way my entire life...a true night owl...playing long into the night.

Except I don't bang around so loud now...more like tapping on my keys of the computer. But in my head, I do feel like yelling sometimes late at night, "Hey! Hey! I want to play!" But my barber husband isn't a night owl...heck he is barely a dusk owl! So, like my toddler days...I play contently alone late at night and I am happy. It is quiet (but no Botox sunlight to play with!) and peaceful.

Here is to your playtime - day or night. No big toys needed...just a little playpen and some time to look around a bit...and then go have a ball...or two, or three...or...

from my house to your house,

Elizabeth

Shoppin' Gabbin' Drivin' and Laughin'

Hello my friends!

There is something about a pair of hanging ice-skates that just screams Christmas to me. I grew up in Texas and remember wearing a pair of shorts, not ice-skates one Christmas and the only ice that I saw that year was in my mother's ice tea she was drinking as she basted the Christmas ham. I didn't wear a pair of ice-skates until I was almost 43 years old...I always wanted to learn to skate and finally one brave soul took mercy on me and tried to teach me. While I am sure I looked liked a middle-aged toddler taking her first steps; in my mind, was gliding gracefully over the ice. When you have a creative mind, you can do that sort of thing...pretend you are doing one thing when in fact you are not. It's wonderful! However, in 25 years they will call it dementia. But let's stick with the present and leave the future to take care of itself, shall we?

I saw this pair hanging in the Miss Frenchie's show in Carol's booth, Raised in Cotton. I know I promised in my last post that I would show you a New Years shoot that I did two years ago that I felt my new readers would enjoy (along with some photos that my long-devoted readers have never seen), but I promise that post is coming soon. Instead, I had a quick trip to Kansas City with my good friend, Debbie (from St. Louis) that I thought I would share with you instead....you know how I like to share my travel adventures with you.

Debbie always wanted to go to the Miss Frenchie's show in KS City and never got a chance to see me as a vendor there. So since I wasn't doing the show this Christmas, she asked if I wanted to go with her and do some antique hunting in KS City as well. Besides that, her neighbor (and my friend as well), Renee, was going to be in KS City with her sister and how fun it would be if we all could meet up at the show. So, I am all for a quick trip and we agreed we could do all this in a day.

Now, let me explain the geography a bit in case you haven't driven this part of the country. St. Louis is a solid four-hour drive to KS City. Debbie and I are wanting to drive there, shop around town, go to the infamous Curious Sofa, eat some lunch, and go to an antique mall. Then I want to take some photos of the Miss Frenchie's show, then we want shop the show when it opens at 5PM, visit with friends, and then drive home after the show...another four-hour drive. What are we? Twenty? No, we are just two giddy middle-aged (okay, maybe we are beyond middle age, but who is counting), friends who will yak non-stop for four hours, drink gas station coffee, eat crispy creme doughnuts and get lost once we arrive in town, but find the best time while being lost.

Our morning starts out early at 6AM where Debbie picks me at my home and we take off. She is the driver and I am the lucky passenger. We talk non-stop (hard to believe, I know) and cover all topics imaginable in a four-hour drive that two women could cover: men, food, weight, decorating, family, shopping, food, vacations, sex, health, aches, pains, food, fabric, getting old, buttons, linen, food, how we must go to Paris together, food, how we must go antiquing in Belgium together, food, getting a turkey neck (what is that all about?), food, food....did I say we talked about food? Getting up so early and so much talking can create a huge hunger pang. So we stop at a big truck stop for breakfast. It is one of those cool, old vintage eateries with the old booths complete with the old men drinking coffee and smoking. We are the only women when we arrive and we are starving and yakking. A big plate of pancakes and several cups of coffee later (and a box of fudge to go), we are on our way again.

As we approach KS City, I whip out my Garmon (GPS system) and I have saved Curious Sofa's address from a long ago visit and we decide we are going to go there first. Soon, we discover that we are no where near the right location....we are at the old location. I still had the old address in my Garmon which led us downtown...but no matter. We found a fantastic architectural salvage store that was calling our name. Below are some photos that I took. The lighting selection is fantastic. The location is on the corner of Southwest and Broadway. 2045 Broadway is the address.

I just loved this wall of sconces. This is just one wall of many!

Debbie is in light heaven and appears to be gasping for air as she clutches her chest after each "OMG! Elizabeth, get over here and look at this one!" :-)

The above photo looks upside down, but the chandeliers make you look twice to see that it isn't. This photo doesn't do the lighting justice. It was such a pretty room.

I have a thing for "piles" of stuff. Whether it is door knobs, hardware, fabric, thread, your name it. If there is a pile of it, I will usually think it looks cool. Junk, trash, crap....it can all be cool...however, being a Texan, a "pile of crap" has a whole different meaning that isn't so cool.

We then discover that Curious Sofa is not that far after all and we head over there. If you ever get a chance to visit Debbie Dusenberry's store, Curious Sofa, you must! But, you should also know that the little "strip mall" (which isn't really a strip mall at all, but rather a beautiful little "village" of stores) is easy to miss if you aren't paying attention...so keep an eye out for the busy intersection of streets that surround the area. Below are a few photos that I took while on my visit. Debbie Dusenberry (from here on out, I will call her Deb to avoid confusion with my St. Louis friend, Debbie) was not in, but busy setting up at Miss Frenchies.

Only Deb could roll out the red carpet so well....her store never disappoints!

Simple ornaments always quietly say "Christmas" and that never grows old.

Is this fantastic or what? Love the crochet balls hanging off the chandelier.

I love bedding...and this little setup is so pleasing to the eye that it took all my will not to crawl in it for a nap. Don't you just love the snowy light above and the tree behind it? The colors are so soothing and yet rich at the same moment.

Now is this a kicker or what? I was walking through the store snapping my photos while my friend was shopping away and I come across this vase (above). Upon closer inspection (below) I see that Deb has taken sweater parts and covered her urns! Now I know what to do with all those old sweaters - cut off the arms and stick urns in them. I am dressing mine up! I later met with Deb at the show and we laughed how we could take old tube socks and make beer cozies or a wine gift bags. But what a brilliant idea, with the vase, don't you think?

After shopping Curious Sofa, I then ask Debbie if she would like to squeeze in some time to go to an antique mall before we head out to Miss Frenchies...of course she isn't going to pass this up. But it has been hours since we had our pancakes and as we drive towards the mall, we pass the Salty Eguana and decide that Mexican food would do the trick. After a quick lunch we head to the Mission Road Antique Mall, which is very deceiving. It looks normal on the outside, but inside, it is a friggin maze. Hallways that turn this way and that are everywhere that lead to no where and in circles. Debbie and I were inside, I swear, not more than five minutes, and I lost her. I mean, she literally disappeared. I came across a booth that had such great stuff that I thought she would love and I turned around and she was gone. So I called out her name, and no answer. I walked down several hallways, and again called out her name...no answer. I mean, how fast can someone get away? And the mall was quiet, surely she could hear me...An employee was looking at me as I raised my voice and sort of called out, "Debbbiieeee!!!" I am not joking, I really did that, my hand cupped to my mouth and everything...the employee gave me "the look" and then she told me they had an electronic intercom system at the front desk. I know, I know, but all because I want to live an elegant life, doesn't always mean I am elegant...I shouldn't admit that now that I see it in print. Oh well. But seriously, I have never seen anyone disappear so fast in my life. Right at that moment, I get a text from my friend Gretchen, who is doing her jewelry show back in St. Louis. She texts me: "What have you found? Anything good yet?" So I text her back, "I lost Debbie in the antique mall..."

Several minutes later, I call Debbie on my cell phone, and we are on two different floors and we finally find each other. We laugh and then we put out heads together as I snap a photo on my camera and send our photo back to Gretchen with the words: "I found something great!" At that moment, the employee walks past us and tells me she is glad we found each other, and gives me a smile as well as "the look." Debbie leaves with a fabulous vintage cream Christmas tree in an urn that we both fell in love with. I told her I want to use for a photo shoot after the holidays...she bought it for only $28! I didn't buy anything, but I did see a few goodies I may go back and get on my next visit if they are still available.

We are now heading to Miss Frenchies and get there early so I can take photos before it gets too crowded. The vendors are pretty much set up and ready, but look pooped and I know exactly how they feel. Having done this show, I know all too well the amount of work that goes into it and for that reason, I passed this show. Late last spring my health was "interrupted" once again and not knowing exactly what to expect, I notified Deb of Curious Sofa to let her know to make plans for another vendor. I wanted to give her plenty of notice. It was a difficult decision, as I love the create my space and participate in such a lovely show, but I didn't want to have to pull out at the last moment and put Deb in a spot of having to fill my space. However, it was great to be able to attend and relax and visit with the vendors and see all the beautiful merchandise that I never had a chance to as a vendor.

Below are some photos of the fun event and if you ever get the chance to attend, you should. Everyone has a great time and it is an exciting way to jumpstart your holiday shopping. Enjoy the photos:

Willow's Nest had the most beautiful tree - little vintage coin purses clipped to the tree with small roses in side - so lovely!

Karla's Cottage always has the best "little stuff" that anyone would want to dig around for. The prices are great and the goodies are even better!

Carol with Raised in Cotton and Willow's Nest were "neighbors" and their styles went together so well. It was soothing, and yet so lively. I loved the looks and the creativity of the two being next to each other.

Above is my friend Renee (right) from St. Louis and her sister Wendy, from Wisconsin. They met us at the show and I met Wendy only once before. I could have listened to her all night long. Renee is so vibrant and fun beyond belief and her sister is the same WITH the Wisconsin accent which is hilarious! If you have ever seen the movie, Fargo, then you have just heard Wendy. (By the way, I love the movie's character, Marge. She is one of my favorite characters ever written.) I just kept laughing and I finally had to answer her back in her "lingo." I know I must have been so rude, but she was just a doll. Our conversation went something like this with a VERY heavy northern (think Fargo) accent, lots of smiling expressions and gestures:

Wendy: Ah!! Now! It is so gud to see ya, Elizabeth!!

Me: Laughing

Wendy: I follow yor blog all the time, don't cha know!

Me: Laughing

Wendy: Oh! The way ya write! Oh.... Now! I'm serious now....

Me: (trying to do an accent) You are, are you? Well now... You don't say?!

Wendy: Ah! Yes! I do! Don't cha know I read cha all the time! All the time, mind cha!

Me: Laughing (can't stop)

And so it went. I just loved listening to her. She was the sweetest and most sincere person I've ever met. What I really, really found hilarious is that later, when I was alone with Renee, I told Renee how much I loved her sister and Renee said that she loved her as well, but it is hard to get a word in to which I really BURST out laughing because if you have had the privilege of knowing Renee, you will definitely know that is the kettle calling the pot black, don't you know! :-) Sisters!

They are the best because we blame them when it is convenient and we take credit when we shouldn't and they never let us get away with either.

I should know - I have one.

It was nice to see that other shoppers were as busy as I was!

Look what I scored! (Below) I bought this fab sink from Curious Sofa's booth. It is just tiny enough for me to squeeze in the corner of our tiny bathroom next to our claw foot tub to hold all our soaps and sponges. I love the shaving mug - which is so fitting for a barber husband!

Love this giant ball of string (don't know why, I just do), and I love the simplicity of the little tree under the cloche. Sometimes, we just love what we love and that is all there is to it.

Beautiful felted pins (above) created by Julie Reed that my photo does not come close to doing them justice. And what is a show without the ever-so-sought baby head? Creepy, funny, however you view it, a show isn't a show without at least one.

Deb of Curious Sofa is busy checking out customers, which she does all night long. The show was busy and the shoppers kept coming. No sign of the recession in this barn....

I ran into many friends, customers, readers and other dealers in the biz. It was so nice to see everyone. I met, Jan, one of Leola's owners (below) and I hope she forgives me if I got her name wrong. I am horrible at remembering names, but in my defense, there are several dealers at Leola's (Springfield, MO) which is a wonderful shop that is worth a stop if you are in the area.

Deb of Curious Sofa managed to stop for a sec to snap a pic, but she was back to her customers right after this photo. As always, she works hard, and does a great job.

Carol of Raised in Cotton, is the woman of my kindred spirit. I feel as though I have known her my entire life. She and I were next to each other at the last show. Her stuff is great and her sense of style is very creative, fun and elegant all at once. If I lived in KS City, I would be glued to her side (and probably have her glitter on me).

And here is my lovely Debbie who did all the driving. She was my Louise and I was her Thelma...except we had a better ending. We had such a fun day (and night). We managed to get back to my home by midnight. She drove safely (she avoided all cliffs), we talked about all the treasures we found, how there wasn't enough time and how we must "do" Paris, Belgium, or London.... Or maybe we can just meet up next week for an estate sale...and pretend we are in Paris. I don't speak French, but we could eat chic croissants while waiting in line for the sale to open. And if it is cold, we could even wear chic berets.

Or better yet, we could just wear our chic berets and eat our chic croissants in a warm, chic cafe and get out our datebooks and start planning our trip abroad for some serious flea-marketing! Who knows? Plenty of fun plans have been made while munching on a croissant and looking chic in a beret.

Beret, no beret. Flea-marketing awaits which means treasures to be found and I considered myself one keen explorer. While in Curious Sofa, I caught up with my friend Debbie, who was shopping and after I snapped some pics I went over to her and she was looking for some things for her kitchen. I knew her style and so I looked down, under a table, on a shelf and I pointed and said that a basket under there would be perfect for her kitchen. She bent down and looked and gasped and asked me how in the world did I see it and find it so quickly? I held up my arm and made a muscle and told l her I am "one keen explorer." She loved the basket and bought it.

And I once again proved my hunting skills - Ta Da! :-)

And I wasn't even wearing a beret.

I hope you enjoy my little visit to Miss Frenchies - please visit the site to see all the vendors and their websites. There are many more worth visiting. May these next few weeks of shopping be a fun hunting expedition rather than a chore. For it is the laughter and friendship that is created along the way that is the true gift that lasts. Take a friend with you and laugh, eat, shop, and eat some more. (The diets start in January anyway, so who are we kidding?)

Thank you for taking time out of your very busy day to visit with me...I hope I made you laugh a little and if I did, then go get a piece of fudge and call a friend and go shopping. Really, go do it. Stop reading and call her....go call...she is waiting... :-)

From my house to your house

Elizabeth