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.)

Simple Joy

hey y'all,

okay, i admit i've been in a spiraling funk the last week or so. i shall spare you the sordid details of said funk, and only mention it because i'm better now. in large part due to dear friends and loved ones.

matt (my caboose ... that would be my last child) and i went to fort worth this past weekend to visit my sister belinda and our joint custody pooch, domino. we had a great weekend together and despite the 6 feet of snowfall (heh heh) we had a safe and uneventful roadtrip.

but as always, there's no. place. like. home (go ahead. click your heels together three times). done? okay.

so this morning, as i'm perusing the internets, the doorbell rings. twice.

yes, it was mr. postman and he delivered unto me a box. whaaa?! i'm not expecting a box, i think to myself. i glanced at the return label and i see vintagesue box treasures!

oh.my.gawd. did i forget that i'd ordered something from her? i don't think so. one simply doesn't forget something that important.

so i scramble for the scissors and tear into it like a, well, wild woman, where i see a lovely note on top explaining that it is a GIFT from a dear, sweet blogging buddy o' mine, dana.

sue, in her infinite wisdom, had written, "stop crying." haha. i really wasn't crying, i was feeling rather queasy because i was so frickin' overwhelmed with emotions ... touched that dana would do something so sweet and thoughtful for me ... and excited that it was more goodies from sue!!

ladies and germs, it was a box full of lovely ribbons that sue had created. i mean, you look at them and think, WTH?! why didn't i think of that? but if i did try something like that, it'd look like crap. it's pure and simple genius, these ribbons. strips of vintage yumminess that she's embellished with lace, pearls, buttons, notions, stamps. sigh. you just have to see the pics in order to believe me.

anyways, a big ol' shout out to dana!! thank you SOOO much. you're way too kind and generous ... but you know i LOVE the ribbons and will treasure them always. and to sue, thank you for sharing your creative talent with the rest of us who drool over whatever you make.

and if THAT wasn't enough to float my boat, i also received a package from another angel whom i dearly love. miss mary valentine. yes, that is her name and it fits her perfectly. she sent me some sweeeeeeet linens that are to. die. for. i LOVE them, mary. they are simply perfect. thank you thank you thank you!!

and finally, a large box arrived today from my sister. it's a gorgeous christmas wreath made from fresh evergreen with pretty pomegranates and pine cones. it's hanging on my front door, the very first of my cmas decorations to go up.

guess i'm finally in the spirit. thanks again, dana, mary, sue and belinda. and as always, dear FAGs for praying me through a rough week. love you all!

love and hugs,
terry lee
sue's ribbons ... a group shot. lovely!

see what i mean? simply divine!

sigh!

yummy!!

love 'em!!

the pink poinsettias are from belinda's house ... thanks again, sis!

sweet, precious linen from mary v. ... love the lil blue bird!!!

lovely and dainty!

this piece is tooooo perfect! i'm a pianist and a bird lover! note (heh heh) the staff and treble clef and the flowers as notes!! precious musical birds!! i adore this one mary!!

close up of bird and notes

gorgeous wreath from LL Bean. thanks belinda! okay fine. yes, i added some snow ...

close up of pomegranate ... gorgeous!

love this sister picture! the sun's rays coming down right on us.

matt, belinda and domino (the arrow's just in case you can't find him ... heh heh)

yes, this is my baby!

Let's Play!

hey y'all,

okay, since we all have so much extra time on our hands during the holidays, here is something for you to do. you know what they say about idle hands and all (somethin' about the devil).

i found this christmas putt-putt game a couple of years ago and bookmarked it. believe me when i tell you that it. is. addictive. i even played it after the holidays. yes, i'm a dork.

anyhow, i started up again and since i love to share all my fun secrets with y'all, i'm including the link, below.

enjoy.

oh! and stay tuned. next post: my vintagesue treasure box arrived!! pictures are in the making.

oh.my.gawd., people. listen to me. and listen closely. if you haven't ordered one of her box treasures, you should stop whatever you are doing right now, click on her link and order yourself (or someone you love) a box full of the yummiest, most delightful pieces of heaven in. this. world.

just so you know HOW wonderful her packages are, i CRIED as i opened each and every treasure that she lovingly wrapped up for me. honest to God. i was in tears. but as my youngest used to say, they were "happy tears".

so. there you have it. be watching. and be ordering. you'll love yourself for it. trust me on this.

love and hugs,
terry lee

here's the link to play christmas putt-putt online.

Blog Busy-ness

hey y'all,

just wanted to take care of a little blog business before i post again about my most recent treasure hunts.

first up, i want to announce ... that ... ahem ... i ... well ... i WON my very first BLOG AWARD! it is from betty over at blossoms and lace! thank you SO much betty for thinking of me and especially for thinking that i would even deserve such an award! i am honored and touched ... thanks again, betty.


The Splash Award is given to "Alluring ... Amusing ... Inspiring ... Bewitching and Impressive" Blogs
secondly, i want to share some more exciting news with you. if you've been reading my blog for awhile (and if you haven't, catch up!!), you know how wild i am about the creative magic of my dear friend sue, aka vintagesue. she used to have a booth at crafter's corner over in the cave. okay i mean cove. but she recently moved to maryland and so i (and many other texas vintagesue fanatics) have been suffering from the dreaded sue withdrawals. it's awful and v. damn painful, let me tell you. yes, i was/am addicted to her loot. i admit it. i'm sick and weak and need her stuff.

okay, so where's the good news in THAT?! i'll tell you if you'll stop interrupting. heh heh. vintagesue, bless her heart, is now selling "lot boxes" of her loot and shipping to anywhere in the country. that would be THIS country, which is, of course, the not-so-united states. of. america. which includes texas, i might add.

i'd like to invite you to visit her website for a preview of some of the yummy items you could receive in one of her lot boxes. you'll see all manner of lovelies such as vintage plates, gorgeous vintage linens and fabric, vintage cards, buttons, notions, lace, jewelry, baubles and on and on. check it out. you'll love yourself for it! click on the vintagesue icon to the right!

and that, my dearies, concludes my blog business. any new business? yes! i went FAGGING today and oh dear lord, did we get into some serious junking/treasures/bargains! think frank sinatra, dean martin and other oldies crooning from a vintage hi-fi. but all that'll have to wait till next time. :-)

love and hugs,
terry lee

the following were taken recently on my sabbatical up north somewhere. enjoy! :-)