More Manic Musings ...

hey y'all,

why can't i be like that sweet, adorable little lamb without a care in the world?! you can just tell he's got nothing but bubbles of air floating around in his sweet li'l noggin. instead, i feel like screaming and running around in circles with my hands over my ears ... because my brain is so overwhelmed with thoughts and worries and projects and more worries. aaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!

whew. okay, now that that's off my chest, i'll try to pretend i'm a sane person just blogging away a ccccccold february afternoon.

went FAGGing the last TWO weekends!! how much FUN can a girl have?! maybe i'm a little overstimulated from all my junkin' treasures (including that precious lamb, above), good food (little white donuts are a must when we go out) and all the laughs we shared in the FAG-mobile.

i have the movie citizen kane on in the background. i watched the first hour or so because it's always listed as one of (if not THE) best movies in history ... always in close competition with my beloved gone with the wind.

well, let me tell you. meh ... it was alright. but it's no GWTW. i had to get up because i couldn't hack it anymore. maybe i'm missing something, or my tastes are skewed.

but i digress. perhaps i need to number my thoughts. that always seems to help me focus what i'm writing. so here goes.

1. i got a haircut/color/style last week!! this is the first professional salon 'do that i've ever had in my almost 50 years! which is probably why i decided to do it. the big 5-0 is coming soon.

it's a big change (for me) and i'm pleased with it. so is everyone else who's dared to comment on it. ;)

2. found a GREAT new junking haunt! i don't normally release this top secret information to just anyone. but since there are so few who actually read this mess of a blog, i thought i'd share. it's called the annunciation maternity home thrift shop and it's open only on the first and third fri/sat of each month.

it's located in a warehouse type building just off of state hwy 195, south of killeen/florence. turn right onto shell road just before you reach I35 and the maternity home is on the left.

they have TONS of items and terrific prices! and all proceeds go to a wonderful cause.

all they ask is that you DON'T drive over 17 mph. huh. i hate odd numbers.
3. i received my blog prize from vintagesue. a box of sweet vintage loveliness ... pieces that she knew i'd love, meant just for me! thanks soooo much sue!

sue, i hope you received the email with my effusive thanks for this lovely box o' treasures!!
4. was driving around, junkin' solo one day last week and drove past a white wicker daybed (!!!!!!!) sitting waaaay out close to the street. it was meant to draw attention, as it happened to be at a mini-flea market thingy. i nearly broke my neck gawking at it as i flew past (it was on a business highway).

without hesitation, i performed a quick (and slightly illegal) u-turn and pulled in right next to it.

a guy named fred met me before i even got out of my car. geez. like stink on a dog. he spoke broken english (meaning, not much better than me, heheh) but enough to communicate that the daybed went with the dresser sitting next to it, for a total of $175.

ouch. not my price range. plus, i didn't want or need the dresser. i've been in search of a daybed for my daughter's vacant room which is now my craft room/guest room.

anyhow, i told fred that was more than i could pay and he quickly informed me that i needed to speak to maria, the head-honcho lady. sadly, her english was worse than fred's so all i got from her was a lot of "no, no, no!" and violent head gestures.

ummm, methinks she no like my offer. but she did finally agree to split up the set and sell me the daybed after some serious and frustrating negotiations, with fred in the middle performing translation duties. poor guy. he earned his money that day, which i suspect isn't much with maria as his boss. yikes.

BUT, i am now the v. happy owner of an adorable white wicker daybed, complete with a serta mattress.

can't wait to get it moved into its new home and gussied up with chenille and pillows and lace and such.

5. saw my primary (doctor, that is) yesterday. hate going, mainly because i'm not a patient patient. which is to say, i don't like to wait 2 hours for my scheduled appointment time. i know it all boils down to the healthcare crisis, managed care, insurance companies and HMOs running the show. so "small business" doctors like mine, feel the need to make up for the loss of $$ by overbooking. i know this because i've been on the inside of the system. triple booking (scheduling 3 people for a 2:00 appointment) is a reality.

ANYways, i don't like it one bit. the wait, that is. when i'm in the waiting room with all the other poor souls, i have to play nice. but once i'm alllll alone in that exam room, it's game ON. nothing is sacred. latex gloves, the exam table, instruments, brochures, posters on the wall. anything i can access is fair game for my personal entertainment. why read a book when i can do this?!

perform a self-tonsil exam. don't try this at home, kiddies. i'm a professional. heh

make-believe you're teaching a health class: take notice, class ... if your liver is on the outside of your purple dress, something is amiss. consult your physician immediately. good luck.
6. tomorrow is groundhog's day. just sayin'.

y'all stay safe and warm. it's cold everywhere ... even in central texas! brrrrrrrrr.

love and hugs,
terry lee

ps. for your irreverant amusement, i conclude with the following:

spotted this little angel at the expo center recently. couldn't resist taking her picture ... in a not-so-angelic pose. if you know what i mean. and yes, i'm going straight to the devil for it.

Things: On My Mind and Around My House

hey y'all!

much, much too much on my mind today. and yet i feel the need to bloggity blog. so here i go.

i never really plan what i'm going to write ... it's usually just a stream of consciousness, if and until i get to some sort of point.

but there are a couple of things i want to write about before they fly out of my head and are gone. with. the. wind.

1. my dear friend sue at vintagesue recently held a blog give-away (drawing) ... and **I** won!!!! couldn't believe it! she had lots of entries and since i'm not known for my good luck (gloom, despair and agony on me), i never dreamed i'd be chosen. but i WAS! woohoo!!! what'd i win? don't know! but if it's coming from vintagesue, it'll be lovely vintage yumminess. i'll keep you posted!

2. my dear friend dana of dana's chicken scoop recently asked me to post some pictures of different vignettes around my house. honestly, i'm afraid she might be a tad delusional in thinking that A. i even have "vignettes" in my house ... and B. they're worthy of sharing with others. but since dana is such a sweetie pie with a heart of frickin' gold (oh, and she named one of her blonde chicks after me!) i am obliging her. thus the random photos throughout the post.

my mantel ... the white lights stay up year-round. one of my favorite things to look at
3. oh, and back to my dear friend sue. she also recently tagged me to post a list of "7 things you don't know about me". due to sheer laziness, post-holiday recovery and low hemoglobin, i've yet to make my list. until now! check it out below.

4. the girls and i went junkin' last weekend and hit an estate sale in temple, the goodwill bargain barn and the "garage sale" at the bell county expo. it was a cold, rainy, dreary day. but those two and all the junking brought lots and lots of sunshine and happiness my way. thanks for a great day!

terrific treasure pick, this vintage dresser was $28 and in dire need of a make-over. i spruced her up with a greenish color and topped her off with a killer vintage painting of luscious roses, salvaged from the goodwill barn for $2. gotta love junkin'!

laughter is great medicine. i take it as often as possible in large doses. love this sign as part of my bird vignette
5. i have totally forgotten to announce the winner of my v. own blog give-away contest from before the holidays! i asked for ideas for the acronym of LIFE. my sister (no nepotism was involved in this decision!!) belinda was the winner. her entry was: Literacy Is For Everyone. she's a librarian. huh. congrats, belinda! you won a delicious smelling candle which i've already given you! :)

6. all right. i guess that was more than a "couple" of things, but i hate to waste good blog space on just two things.

love and hugs,
terrylee

7 things about me (which i'm sure will thrill and excite you!)

1. i was born and have lived in the same central texas town for all of my almost 50 years.

2. i was named after my mother's "terri lee" doll, which was a popular brand of dolls in the 40s and 50s. oddly enough, the correct spelling of the doll didn't translate to my birth certificate.

3. i sang in the school choirs and took piano lessons from age 7 through high school. i really couldn't sing a lick, but because of my piano training, i was a fine musician and sight-reader.

4. i started college with the intent of becoming a teacher. after my first two babies were born, i decided to pursue nursing. i've been an RN for over 25 years.

5. i make the best darn cornbread dressing in the 48 contiguous states. actually, in all 50 states, but i just wanted to use the word contiguous.

6. whew. didn't imagine it'd be this difficult to think of 7 things about me. oh! i'm addicted to blistex ointment. but that's cheating because i've blogged about that before.

7. okay, i'll admit it. i suffer from the dreaded scarlett o'hara syndrome, and the middle child syndrome, which i believe are related. if i have to explain either of those, it'd only make my symptoms worse. so google it for yourself if you're really that curious. ;)

(and thus ends The List. thanks a LOT, sue. haha!)

sentimental old mirror, which hung over my childhood piano. i sat staring into it for hours as i hacked out scales and sonatas that'd make beethoven cringe ... if he could hear me (heh heh)

pretty as a picture. lamp is captured by a vintage frame ... one of my favorite corners.

ask not for whom the bell tolls ...

we all need to daydream more ...

vintage loveliness. i so wish i had the figure for this and the one below ... i'd wear vintage fru-fru poufiness all the time

vintage pink fru-fru to die for.

another favorite corner. can you have too many vintage rose paintings?!

fun and adorable. i'm the proud mama of this baby, which i picked for $5 at a yard sale. painted her pink and filled her head with baubles and beauties

my precious parents adorn the mirror above my piano now, along with vintage sheet music and assorted treasured pieces

sweet vintage gloves and vanity hand mirrors

i've always had a love/hate relationship with these shelves, which are next to my mantle and the back door. no matter what i put on them, it never felt right. a few years ago, i painted them pink. it helped ... but still i wasn't happy. this is the first time in my almost 20 year affair with these shelves that i am finally happy. i love the collections (old tins, old boxes, etc.)

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