Friday, January 30, 2009

Little Things I Love

Almost four years ago, we downsized to a much smaller house and got rid of lots of stuff that we didn't use and certainly didn't need. One of the pluses of downsizing is getting to keep only what I really love...things that are meaningful because of where they came from or because I love the person that gave the item to me. Today in my blog, I thought I share some of those things with you.

My Fiestaware Dishes. I first began collecting fiestware because I wanted the burgundy Cinnabar set. Red being my favorite color, I just fell for cinnabar. Then I decided I needed to add some color to my red kitchen and decided to collect several colors to go on the china hutch. Now, I'd love to have a place setting of each color that The Homer Laughlin China Company makes.














Our Kinkade Prints. I have never been one who wants original paintings or even prints of famous artists until Thomas Kinkade came along. We purchased our first, Blessings of Christmas and had it highlighted by a master highlighter. It is gorgeous with the art light so that it can be dimmed or brightened as the light changes. It actually looks like a bright sunny snow day or a snowy day when the sun is setting. Our second is a larger print of a scene in in the mountains, A Peaceful Retreat. We also had it highlighted; it makes the print come alive. The third is a Charleston scene of Rainbow Row at sunset and is appropriately called Charleston Rainbow at Sunset. Love, love, love it! The fourth and probably last one is Mountain Retreat and is a peaceful cabin scene with Mt. LeConte (Gatlinburg) in the background. We love our prints.













Our Fireplace. I don't think there is anything more calming than sitting by a roaring fire. The only thing better than a roaring wood fire is a set of gas logs. I can sit watching the flickering flames all day long.












My Angels. How it all began I don't remember, but somewhere along the line, someone gave me my first Willowtree angel. I was immediately hooked and have collected them since. My favorite Willowtree is the Nativity that my family gave me for Christmas several years ago. Along the way, the angel collection evolved to include Jim Shore angels also. Being a country girl at heart, I love the quilted look and colors of the Jim Shore angels.


Pure Shea Butter. I have written about pure shea before but I can't say enough about it. From childhood, I have the most horrible heels, rough, cracked, peeling and at times even bleeding and sore. At a street fair in Hendersonville, I bought my first pound of pure shea with the guarantee that it would heal my heels. At that point, after having spent tons of money on creams and even prescription drugs for my heels, I would have tried anything. But to have a GUARANTEE, I couldn't pass it up. My heels today are as soft as a baby's bottom. I will never be without my shea again.




Mosaic painted glass. When we were last in Brazil, Kristy took me to an art studio where various and sundry types of art are taught and sold. We were most interested in the painted glass mosaics. We bought one of my favorite pieces and since then I've been toying with learning the art. I've done several pieces and want to do lots more. This is the piece we bought in Brazil.





This is a piece I made.




















My Tea Cabinets. Several years ago, Maggie gave me a little tea cabinet to hold tea bags. The small drawers are just tea bag size and are made from painted porcelain while the cabinet itself is wood. When she came to live with us, she brought hers with her, so now I have two on my cabinet. I love the designs and colors of the drawers and it adds so much to my kitchen.








Our Desert Rose China. When Tim's mother and aunt died, he inherited their Desert Rose by Fransican china set. For years, Aunt Flo had worked at a department store in Union and along the way she had bought many many of the serving pieces. Especially serving pieces that are odd or rare. We rarely use it but are so glad to have it because of whose it was and what it meant to them.

















Antique Old English Candle Stand. My first husband's mother became friends with an antique dealer who gave her a candle stand that had been brought from England. I have no idea how old it is although it is definitely an antique. I would imagine it was made in the 1800s. Again, I love it because Azalee loved it and wanted me to have it.




If you know me well, you know that earthly treasures mean very little to me. I'd rather store my treasures where moth and rust can't decay; however, I love these treasures because of the love the person who gave it to me has/had for me or the precious memories I have of places visited.


Sunday, January 18, 2009

Ram-Dumb Things Again

Back in September, I posted 25 Ram-Dumb Things about myself on my blog (www.mvaughan408.blogspot.com). Recently I have been tagged on facebook to post 25 random (dumb?) things again and have now set-up RSS feed to my facebook so that what I post here will show up in notes. Thus, I am repeating the post of September so it will show up in facebook.

  • I love being by myself. Maybe that's because I rarely am!
  • I'd rather listen than talk.
  • My favorite color is red; my least favorite color is blue.
  • I love word games. OK, ok, you already knew that.
  • I always thought when we were growing up that I was adopted and my "real" mother lived in Hawaii and feared she would come to get me to live with her.
  • When I was a child, I dreamed (many times) that I was on a zip line of the power lines and being chased by flying witches. What in the world is the deep meaning of that dream?
  • My favorite author is Karen Kingsbury and loved "Sunset," the last book of the Baxter series.
  • I have gone the entire summer through 106 degree weather with no AC in my car AND the automatic window "roller-downer" on both sides is broken. Yep, I'm cooked well-done.
  • I love our church family.
  • I eat my bananas over-ripe.
  • I like Pepsi better than Coke...drink only Diet Pepsi...Love Diet Pepsi MAX...think Coke tastes like a medicine I had to take as a child.
  • In my mind I am organized. In reality, I am not.
  • I love summer because I love to wear sandals. Hasn't always been this way though. I once wouldn't wear sandals because I thought my toes were ugly. They still are ugly but I've gotten over it.
  • I would love to become a minimalist. I hate clutter. Tim on the other hand is a collector so we are totally opposite in this respect.
  • I can change a flat tire, change the oil on a car, change out electrical sockets, install light fixtures, and fix leaky faucets...all because I had to do it when Don couldn't see to do it.
  • I never drove in the mountains or drove in snow until I had to do it for the same reason.
  • If I'm shopping with someone else, I have to be the buggy pusher.
  • I collect angels, especially Willow Tree and Jim Shore.
  • I love fall mornings with the faint scent of woodsmoke in the air.
  • I get really really angry when window shopping.
  • This one will be long...for years and years and years, I have had hard, dry, cracked, drive-me-crazy heels. I have used every over-the-counter remedy and even a prescription (Keralac) that the dermatologist gave me, all to no avail. This spring we were at the flower festival in Hendersonville and a family from Stone Mtn, GA were there selling pure shea butter. Now, I've used shea products like lotion and cream before (they didn't work), but never pure shea butter. I'm here to tell you that it is a miracle product. I first went for a pedicure where Erin removed as much as she could of the dry dead skin. Then for about 2-3 weeks, morning and night, I would rub my feet with the shea butter. Now, I only use the butter at night and my feet are as soft as a baby's bottom. About every 2 weeks, I also use one of those sander things when I'm in the shower in the morning. Ah, blessed relief!
  • In my mind, I'm still 40 years old but my body is screaming otherwise.
  • Mama thought when I was a child, that I wouldn't live to adulthood. I was a puny, sickly child. She said that once when they drew blood from me that it looked like orange kool-aid.
  • The waist of my wedding dress in 1963 was 22"!
  • I hate grocery shopping. I hate putting groceries away when I get home more.
  • I'm really really grateful for a husband who does most of the grocery shopping.
  • I'd rather drive than ride.
  • I love long trips.