These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

hey y'all,

i fiddled with this dang slideshow much, much longer than i intended. it was meant to be a quicker, easier project than uploading individual pics to my blog. huh. that didn't happen.

anyhow, i wanted to show you some of my christmas decor around the house. not much different than last year, save for the cmas tree itself. it's old and small, something i bought a few years ago in my futile attempt to scale down cmas decor. i keep the white lights on it and the ornies too. just cover it up with a large trash bag and toss it in the garage until next year. however, last year i found an old silver tree at the goodwill, and i just had to use it. not this year, though. back to simplicity, ease and a little peace.

hope you enjoy the slideshow. pictures speak a thousand words, so i'll be quiet. but first (heh heh), i'd like to say that i really wanted music with this slideshow. in particular, the song, "my favorite things". instead, i'm embedding another video with lovely julie andrews singing it for you. click play and then WATCH my slideshow. get it? got it? good! :)

love and hugs and a v. merry christmas to y'all,
terrylee

 

LIFE

hey y'all,

right. everybody i know wants an ironing board, santa! who even irons anymore?! and if you do iron, certainly don't waste a christmas wish on an ironing board, of all things!!

it's impossible to believe that i haven't posted in almost a month! what the what?! well, i'll tell you what's the what. L.I.F.E. not sure why i used periods. it's not an acronym. hey wait. give me a sec and i might get creative and think of one.

how about ... Life Is ******* Exhausting! or, maybe something not so profane (for my sensitive readers out there) ... Life's Insane, Forego Expectations. hmmm. still not what i'm looking for.

how about this? submit your favorite L.I.F.E acronym suggestion (in the comment section) and i'll choose a winner! of what? who knows. to be determined later, depending on the winner's preferences. vote early and vote often. wait, that doesn't make sense. never mind. it was the vicodin talking. (haha)

anyhow, have been junking, junking, JUNKING like a wild woman. sheesh! dragging stuff home every weekend. and now it seems during the week as well. somebody needs to come over here now and put a STOP to my insanity!!!!!!



lots of estates sales ... almost every weekend. who can resist?! not me. and certainly not the regulars i see at every sale (hey, coopers!). some have been a junker's paradise, some a complete bust. but isn't that the nature of the beast? you just. never. know.

here's one example then i'm dashing off. the harker heights GW barn is open today. gotta hit chick-fil-a and get myself out there. muy pronto. lots of vultures at that particular barn and they show absolutely NO mercy on those of us who aren't exactly ... well ... early birds.

last weekend, the FAGs were out in force (please, please, i implore you to click that link if you don't know what/who the FAGs are. no disrespect intended. it's just an(other) acronym that was born one day and has been our adopted name ever since).



so we landed at a yard sale, one of many on our hit list that day.
after a cursory glance about, i determined it was mostly gewgaws and whatnots that didn't interest me. however, i did notice a chandie sitting outside its box on the driveway. i moseyed over to it, with little enthusiasm. on closer inspection, i saw that it was a rather pretty glass chandie and inside the box, i spotted quite a few glass prisms. whaaaa?!

i asked the seller about it and she said she didn't know anything about the chandie except that her hubby found it in an empty house and dragged it home. it'd been sitting in their garage for a while and she never attempted to use it.

she priced it at $8, which i promptly paid her, we (the FAGs) loaded the heavy box in my camry and hightailed it out of the neighborhood. i'll be honest. i still didn't know much about the chandie, but i had enough sense to suspect that i had a treasure worth much more than the $8 i shucked out for it.

it took me 3 days, but i finally unwrapped all the pieces of my chandie (tons and TONS of crystal prisms!) and then it dawned on me to look for a name/brand on it somewhere. sure enough, on the inside of the top piece where it attaches to the ceiling, i found a sticker that said "tomia bohemia, emily".

ASSembly in progress. ack!! it's taking me forever!

some of the gorgeous crystals

so pretty! so blingy!!

they're so sparkly!!! yummy!!

lord help me getting it all sorted out! i'm not complaining, just sayin'. :)

i've been researching it and this is what i've discovered: if bought NEW, it's selling for over $2000. it was made in bohemia, czech republic where they make hand-cut crystals. here's the website which tells all about the history: tomia crystal chandeliers .

couldn't find ANY prices on the tomia website, so i looked around. here's one who's selling the "emily" on SALE:

almost makes me feel guilty that i paid a mere $8 for it. almost.

as i said, you just never know what you're gonna find when junking. that's why i love it so much. it's a lot like LIFE, eh? every day is an adventure. some days you hit gold, other days you hit rust. it's a crapshoot. either way, you wake up the next morning, put one foot in front of the other ... and try to remember to count your blessings.

"i have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days i do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. and for that i am grateful."

isn't it amazing what one woman and her friends can do?" ~~ both by elizabeth edwards (1949-2010)

i leave you with an adorably sweet santa from last weekend's estate sale:



love and hugs,
terrylee

Old Friends, New Faces

hey y'all,

for the few of you who actually follow my blog (and for those who lurk ... you know who you are!), y'all know my posting is, at best, erratic. i try, i really do, at least once a week to report on my latest junking finds if nothing else. but hey, sometimes life gets in the way.

i'm happy to report that my eye infection (see gory details in previous post if you dare) is all better. thanks for all the kind words, good thoughts and prayers. i appreciate them all v. much!

now that the blahblahdiddyblahblah is out of the way, i wanted to share some thoughts with you about junking (or for those of you with sensitive sensibilities ... collecting vintage treasures).

i love just about anything that's old. that doesn't mean i want to collect it, but i certainly appreciate it. because i have the romantic notion that everything has a story. a history. and if i can extract even a tiny bit of information from a seller about an item, i do it.

while rummaging through a goodwill bargain barn bin the other day, i uncovered this little beauty. not that it's a good idea to judge a book by its cover, but just LOOK at this sweetie pie:

i probably won't ever read this oldie, and that's okay. but just take a look-see inside and see how precious it is.



yes, this chapter title was my iNsPiRaTiOn for today's post. old friends, new faces. that's exactly how i feel about junking. it's like collecting old friends. the faces may be new to me, but they feel so familiar to my soul. there's a palpable, kindred spirit when i'm surrounded by antiques.

when i find the perfect treasure, it's like an old friend who's been waiting to be rediscovered ... and allowed to enter my heart and home. case(s) in point:

i defy anyone to say this precious lil baby girl doesn't belong to me. just look at her! she's got a blonde ponytail, for pete's sake! i didn't care one whit that the clock didn't work. i fell in love the moment i saw her. and she's soooo thrilled to be in my home, among my other pretty vintage clocks.

this gorgeous treasure is brand new, to me. found at the lampasas city-wide yard sale last weekend. how sweet, how delicate, how delightful! notice the little blingy inside the flowers!

okay, okay. ugh, right? not v. pretty. but but but but ... it's old and has special sentimental significance for me. for those who don't recognize what it is ... it's an old telephone stand that was inserted into a wall in the house, usually in the hallway. my childhood home had one and there's no telling how many hours i stood there talking to friends (and boyfriends)! no privacy whatsoever. loooong before the days of cell phones, texting and the interwebs. one house, one family, one phone. in the center of the house. ack!!!

i've seen these occasionally at my junking haunts but was never willing to pay the price. this one was all of $3. sold! to the crazy lady driving the junk-filled, over-loaded camry!

i know what y'all are thinking. yes, i do. what in THE hell is she going to do with that thing?! the answer is: i. don't. know. but i had to have it. it spoke to me. it needed a loving home. one thing's for sure: i'll be sanding off that awful finish and repainting it. would look cute on a wall with some vintage gewgaws, whatnots or tchatchkes, no? also, i could hunt down a vintage/retro telephone for it!

here's an extra sweet picture i stumbled across ... where, i don't remember. probably the barn. i meant to paint the frame, but got distracted.

and here's an awesome find, at only $4. a vintage tole tray. i have several but none in this shape (round) or with the scroll-work border. gorgeous!

hello. my name is terrylee and i'm a vintage salt and pepper shaker hoarder (hello terrylee!). seriously, i do collect them ... but they have to be pretty, like these. soooo frickin' sweet.

see the two lil green and pink ones? those are my newest old friends.

so darling. so small!!

two of these precious babes are recent finds. you might recall a recent blog about them (thanks again elisabeth!). the baby on the far right is mine from childhood. i believe we got her in germany when i was five. they all fit in the lil blue crib nicely, don't you think? they have lots of fun together when i'm not around. heh heh

i know nothing about this piece except that i got her for $1.50 at a marble falls thrift shop last summer. vintage? no. fun? yes!! big ol' white straw top hat with a pink feather boa! woohoo!!

and this. well, this is something else. what would possess a person to purchase such a thing?! i don't know. but i have an affinity for dress forms and the like. imagine my shock when i spotted this beauty ... in, of all places ... the goodwill bargain barn!! there she was, just lying there all forlorn, with that hangdog expression on her ... er ... well, she was definitely down in the mouth (that is, if she'd had one). "somebody notice me! pick me up and take me home! put some clothes on me!" okay, lest y'all think i'm totally insane, she didn't really say that. not the part about putting clothes on her, anyway. i think she likes being naked ... such an exhibitionist.

maybe, just maybe, if i had that 6 inch waist, i might go around naked too. geez. what real woman has a waist like that?!

i like those crazy arms too! they're all bendy and twisty. can't wait to figure out what the hell i'm gonna do with her! someone told me to decoupage her. another suggested i paint her and add bling. my hubby just wants me to hide her.

a fun and funky chest of drawers, an unexpected find at a yard sale. wasn't in the market for one, but c'mon people! it's pink and turquoise (my two fave colors!) and it has fuzzy fru fru on the knobs (that's what she said ... sorry, couldn't resist). it was screaming my name so i had to get her. at $8, not a bad deal!

a homer laughlin bowl in mint condition, picked at a yard sale for $3. it was meant to be mine ... all mine! :)

okay. that is all. new friends, old friends and kindred spirits ... i wish you all peace and happy junking this weekend.

love and hugs,
terrylee

Friends + FleaMarkets (minus infection) = Felicity

hey y'all,

wow. a lot has happened since i last bloggity blogged! let me catch you up.

i went to visit my sweet pal dana in georgetown last wednesday! we've been junking together but i'd never seen her house. oh.my.gawd. this woman is way too humble and modest about her decorating skillz!!



not only is she the sweetest, gentlest and generous soul in all of central texas, her house could be (and should be!) on the cover of better homes and gardens!











after The Tour (of her lovely house and grounds, including the chicken house!) we headed for a quick bite to eat before hitting the junking haunts of georgetown. she insisted on chick-fil-a (because it's my favorite) and we were both surprised at the ... well ... less than efficient service we received there.

normally, chick-fil-a employees are young and eager to serve you. they snap to attention when taking and delivering your order. not. the. case. on wednesday. oddly enough, there were three elderly ladies (sweet in nature, but still ...) who were manning the front counter. whaaa?!?



okay, fine. no worries. i'm not age-ist. i rattled off my order to "joyce", who responded with the most befuddled of expressions. you want what? she asked.

oh dddddear. i repeated my order, slower this time. a look of recognition flashed across her kind, crinkly face ... and then she went into full force, sloooow-motion mode of preparing my order. yikes. i'd never seen anyone fill a cup of ice soooo me-tho-di-cal-ly (read: slowly).

i nudged dana and darted my eyes over to the sweet old ladies. by the time they delivered the food to our table, we were in a full fit of giggles. dana explained the demographics of that area of georgetown: retired folks.

huh.

fine with me, as long as my waffles fries are still warm when i get 'em.

after lunch, we went to collector's market, just down the road. it's full of vendors with a lovely array of vintage items. we had sooo much fun perusing the booths!

sadly, it was time for me to head back to the ranch (not really, i don't have a ranch) ... but not before dana loaded me up with homemade strawberry preserves, a hand-poured coffee bean candle in a vintage cup, some yummy home-baked caramel apple cake and a few other treasures.



i had a terrific time, dana. thanks for your warm, southern, charming hospitality. you're THE best!

soooo when i got home that night, i noticed my right eye was itching and burning. it'd been bothering me for several days, since my punctal plug insertion of two weeks ago. go ahead. click the link ... if you dare!

when i woke up on thursday morning, this is what i saw in the mirror:





ack!!! and just in time for halloween!!

my opthamologist saw me right away and mumbled phrases like ... severe, fast-moving infection, aggressive treatment necessary, could spread to the brain, hospitalization with IV antibiotics, triangle of death (while he made a triangle over his face), blah blah blah blah.

eeeeeeyikes!!!!!!!!

mainly, i understood that i. was. sick. and very. he promptly removed the punctal plugs from the right eye and felt the need to inform me that yes, pus oooooozed out of the punctum when the plug was removed. can't say that i was surprised. the entire right side of my face was swollen and red.

got my antibiotics going (like a good nurse and patient) immediately and took to my bed for the next 24 hours.

while in the drug-induced stupor of the infected and infirm, the upcoming st. mary's flea market kept calling my name. i had committed to participate on saturday and figured that i'd have to give it up. but by saturday morning, i had reached the honeymoon phase of antibiotic relief ... and convinced myself i was healthy enough to DO IT.

so in the gawd-awful pre-dawn hours of saturday morn, hubby followed me to temple and unloaded all my wares. it took me a long time to set up ... but ice packs, covergirl, keflex, motrin and vicodin got me through it. yea!!! i made it to the flea market!!!





precious and few were the customers, but i met a couple of really sweet ones that made my day.

lisa from belton, who's a blog reader, stopped by for a visit. i love meeting new folks out there who read my blog. lisa bought a few of my home-made cards (which i made with my sewing machine) and seemed happy with them ... which made me very happy! it was soooo nice to meet you, lisa!



and sweet lil savannah came by with her mama and baby brother in tow. she was a girl after my own heart. she oooo'd and ahhhhhh'd over so much of the stuff, that i simply had to give her some of it. mama bought some things too, so i think everyone was happy at the end of the day. keep reading your books, savannah!



by the time i got home, i realized just how sick i still was ... and took to the bed again for the rest of the weekend. on monday morning, my opthamologist was pleased with my progress but reminded me that i still needed several more days of rest for complete healing. oh, and his final word to me before i left? BEHAVE!

whaaa?!?! i'm always being have.

love and hugs,
terrylee

Out of My Gourd

hey y'all,

well, i was going to start this blog with something else ... but after a morning of irritating, agitating and downright frustrating phone calls with companies, medical offices, banks, etc. i am out. of. my. gourd (a little autumnal pun for you).

i'm not even sure what out of my gourd is, exactically. but you get the idea. i have spent the better half of this morning ON. HOLD. arghhhh!!!

for those of you who know me, you know that i despise being on the phone. i loathe it. i'm a texter, emailer and blogger. i don't mind short, perfunctory phone calls with friends or family. but i'd rather eat dog poop than do business on the phone.

sigh.

anyhow, now that my rant is over (for now), i've come to bloggie land to impart some very special news to you!

i will be at st. mary's church/school in temple, tx this saturday, oct. 23rd for their fall festival flea market. i hear from reliable sources (hi cindy!) that there will be over 30 excited vendors at the flea market (yes, including me) who'll be on hand to help you find that perfect SOMETHING that you want, need or simply must have!

if you read my blog, you'll know what kind of junk vintage collectibles to expect at my booth. if your tastes are simpatico with mine, then you do NOT want to miss it! wonderful vintage pieces, terrific prices and my smiling face. what more could you ax for? heh heh.











don't like my junque?! no worries. plenty of other vendors to visit. there will be something. for. everyone! and all proceeds go to a great cause.

and thus ends the news flash portion of today's blog.

i'd like to thank sue of vintagesue for the lovely box of vintage yumminess she sent my way last week. thanks, girl. you're the best.

see that darling lil girl?! sigh! and that vintage pink jewelry box!!



and dana, thank you for the GORGEOUS tote you made for me (a blog contest prize from dana's chicken scoop). i love it!!

how sweet and creative! what talent!

a close up

lots to do before saturday! as much as i love my stuff, i'm excited to see it move on to other loving homes ... folks who'll treasure and enjoy it as much as i did. which in turn makes room for the new junk for me to love!

junk in, junk out. it's the way my world goes 'round.

love and hugs,
terry lee

~*~*~Flea Market Info:*~*~*

Date: Saturday, October 23, 2010
Time: 8:00am - 12:00 noon
Where: St. Mary's Catholic Church School, 1018 S. 7th St., Temple, TX