Here We Go Again

Isn't it every other day you hear about some family being affected by the dreaded "C" word.....Cancer.  As I

was junking this weekend, I ran into a friend who told me about a friend (Terri Kemper) who had just been

diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and was given only days to live.  I met Miss Terri a few years back at

her cute little cafe, The Veranda.....she had the cutest little cafe in Hendersonville, and by far the

most delicious.  Have you ever found a little quaint cafe you just love to go to......a place you dream of going

to every week.... somewhere you get excited just thinking about it....a place where the atmosphere is so

pathetically relaxing, you could sleep there for days? Well, you should have visited The Veranda.......that cafe

was all that and more.     It was located in an old farm house that she shared with Traci Collins, who owned

One Man's Treasure.  Together they created the most succulent atmosphere.....my favorite place of all

times.....no joke.  I tell you the truth, I have yet to find anything any better. 


Miss Terri has spent the past four years devoting her time to cooking for the homeless...you heard me

right....cooking for the homeless.  So now she lays in a hospitable bed awaiting a very risky surgery that she

must have if she wants to live.  She has no insurance but the hospital has agreed to perform the operation if

she can pay "something." The hospital, for some odd reason, will not give her an amount but she is trying to

raise 2500.00 by next Wednesday, which is the scheduled operation date. 


If you could take a moment and visit my personal FB page to bid on a few handmade items some of my

friends have graciously donated for here benefit,  I know she would be most grateful.  Her faith is strong, yet

I feel we need her a little while longer here on earth. You can also go here to make a donation which goes

directly to her family. 


On a sunnier note, check out this cool junk my husband and i got this weekend while in Nashville hitting flea

markets, yard sales, moving sales and estate sales......no Goodwills this time.

                                          
                                           I have been searching far and wide for these letters.....

                                                  and for these locker baskets.....

not sure what this is but i loved the color....

I got this painting at an estate sale.....I am a sucker for original art!

   And just so you know, I have been working on things for the Fall Barn Sale (Sept. 8-10).

Funky it is. 

I manicured my trees

Do you manicure your trees? 

When my junk amies and I were in Atlanta last fall, we had the opportunity to meet a guy at one of the many

yardsales we hit who happened to be a designer/buyer for Anthropologie.   After much discussion about

 design and other nonsense, he went on to tell us about a friend of his who is a top notch landscape designer

 in Atlanta.  After touring his Anthro Styled condo (yes, we actually got to tour his condo), he gave us driving

 directions to the other dudes place....he said it was worth seeing.  Thanks David!

Sooooo, we paid him a visit....remember this is in downtown Atlanta and we are driving around to strangers

 house all in the name of gettin a little inspiration....boy did we get some.  This man was phenomenol in his

 landscape design.... here are a few shots

of his home....can't believe I didn't get more. 

The moral of the story is that while there, I noticed all his trees were perfectly manicured.  No jibber jabber

branches growing on the low part of the stems....only limbs on the very ends of each branch.  According to

 him, this way you could see the architecture of the tree.....something I had never thought about before.  So

today, I spent half the day cutting all the jibber jabber off of my river birches....they are prone to jibber

jabber brances.  It looked 110% better when I got finished. 

this is the rubbish from the trees....

And this is the new look....don't the branches look so fresh and clean now

from there, I moved onto my garden right off my back porch....this is my little paradise but since I started the barn sale, I don't have much time to play in it.....I had fun cleaning her up today. 

and then, I hired a little help with the sanding.....good help that is.  It is time to start pumping things out for the Fall Sale.....a little over two months away.....lots of new vendors in the works!

I can't wait to see what my imagination works up for this beauty....I love the modern lines on her.

This little puppy is in rough shape....maybe with a little TLC, she can be mended. 

Still a whole garage and barn full of stuff to do......hope my help doesn't quit me anytime soon!

It helps having a father-n-law who likes to go junking more than me....

He managed to squeeze in one auction before leaving for Cape Hatteris (sp), North Carolina .

We were gone with them one week to Kiawah Island, then they came home for five days and then headed

back out to North Carolina this past Friday....my kind of retired living. They really had to take a vacation to

recooperate from the vacation they took with my kids. 

Guess how much for the chair?  $3....yep, $3....and the throw with silk fringe was included. 

He also found two WW2 army helmets and duffle bag that I intend on cleaning up and putting in Stone's

room...pics later. 

Everyone needs a father-n-law like him.....it is Christmas at my house all year round....never know what you

are going to get. 

father's day

what does father's day mean to you?  for me, when i think about my daddy, i am taken back to my childhood days where i remember these things.......

*sitting on his shoulders while he attempted to use the bathroom and swaying back and forth trying to get him to miss the pot ( i know, a little odd....but odd i am).

* I remember crying everytime he left on the weekends when he would not take me fishing with him

*hitting him in the face with my prized fish after jerking a little to hard when i got a bite....(most of all I remember the fear thinking i was about to get my fat fanny busted)

*I remember walking around the house with my panties and his big boots on

*him getting on all fours with me on his back trying to throw me off

*him taking me and my sister in the bathroom one at a time when we were in trouble and banging on the door pretending that was the "whooping" we were getting on the other side

*i remember him spending countless hours at Dale Hollow lake teaching me how to water ski

*him spending time working with my sister and I teaching us to play basketball

*i remember him showing up every Saturday morning while we were at his house for the weekend to bring us cinammon rolls and the big burger and fries for lunch.....all from Hardees. 

*i remember coming home at night, telling him I was home, then waiting to hear him snore again before sneaking out for another few hours of fun.

*i remember daddy taking my sister and I and all of our friends to Myrtle Beach, SC every summer and buying us virgin strawberry daiquiris. 

*i remember him making us take a bottle to tee tee in on the above referenced vacations so we didn't have to stop so much

*i remember my daddy sitting silently in the bleachers for all my basketball games taking notes of the things I needed to work on for the next game but being very proud of me regardless of how many bricks I threw up

That takes things up to about my senior year in high school.  After that, things become a blur....lol.

For those of you who know my father, "you always knew he was a bird of a different feather," and that is exactly how I am.  Though I am not as reclusive as him, definetly not as quite, not as thin, I am a prettier version of him.  He is my daddy and I love him so.  Happy Father's Day Pops.


My one and only painting by Artist Kelly Bentley Ash



BTW, i have two other daddies I would also like to mention....my stepfather (granddad Moe) and father-n-law (pappa).....Happy Fathers Day to you too, I love you very much!



R & R

So I just got back from a much needed vacation to Kiawah Island, South Carolina.  It was really nice there...very relaxed atmosphere.  It was a little pricey...all the restuarants around were a little too fluffy for me, however, we drove over to Folly Beach one day and they had little dives on every corner.  I do wish I could hit the lottery so I could invest in a  tiny beach cottage somewhere.....it is ok for a girl to dream, right. 
This vacation was very relaxing for me....a time for healing, and new beginnings.....and for that I am very grateful.  While there, I allowed God to work on my heart like never before and I am satisfied with the results.  Here are a few of my favorite pictures I made while we were there......

a little in the different direction, look at this vintage shirt my friend April from UberVintageThreads gave me the other day.  I can't wait to dress this up!

Although my peonies have bloomed out, my hydrangeas are in full force...Whatcha got blooming?

I love this can....the colors are such an inspiration to me....a dresser in these colors for a child's room would be scrumptious. 

I am in all different directions all the time.  I hope this post didn't totally leave you in left field.  xo, christy

70's style

By Saturday morning of my spring sale, I had a few bare spots in the "barn" that was driving me bonkers.  So guess what I did.....I started pulling furniture out of my house.  I took the dresser (buffet) out of my bedroom and a washstand out of the upstairs hallway. 

                                                             This from my bedroom.....

Leaving my bedroom looking like this for a whole month......

until yesterday......when I finished my 70's style dresser.  I think it is a perfect fit with much more storage space and not so bulky....and guess what.  I paid $35.00 for it and a matching headboard.  I still have to put the hardware on.  Deal or steal?  What do you think? Sorry, I forgot to do before and after shots....horrible habit of mine. 

Have a lovely next few weeks.  As for me and myself, I will be hanging out at the beach near Charleston, South Carolina.... I can hardly wait.  Peace, Love, and Happiness from me to you!