Warrenton Warriors 2012 - Part Two

I'm home sick today--a stomach virus hit last night and did a number on me. I'm feeling much better this morning, and I rarely miss work for being sick, but thought I'd better give myself a day to recuperate, just in case. In the meantime, I'll show you a little more of the fun we had at Round Top.

The Round Top Antiques Festival is held twice a year in the Hill Country of Texas. Vendors from all over the country set up booths in the fields alongside the country roads and all the small towns in the area get into the action. It's a little hard to see in this picture, but the tents and booths seem to go on forever.

Every year it seems to get bigger and bigger. Most of my buddies collect glassware, dishes, etc., but I seem to also be drawn to the shabby and industrial salvage. I am always inspired by seeing how the vendors display their wares. Valine and I also had a good time digging through stacks of old postcards and other ephemera that could be used in our Project Life Albums.

At one of the booths, there was a very old piano and a young man playing it. If you closed your eyes, you could almost picture yourself sitting in a saloon scene in one of the old western movies.

Pam B's daughter, Kendra, drove over from Austin to join us on Saturday so it was good to see her. Yes, we wear matching shirts---and get lots of comments from other people. It does make it easy to keep up with everyone, though.

Here are a few more random photos that I took throughout the weekend. Stacks of things obviously appeal to my photographic sense.

I'll leave you with a styling detail that was . . . um . . . questionable, at best . . .?!? (Valine, aren't you proud of the way I cropped that photos???) :-)

Warrenton Warriors 2012 - Part One

I spent another fun weekend with my antiquing buddies, the Warrenton Warriors. This year we stayed in the downtown metropolis of Fayetteville, TX---population 279! In the past we've stayed in a small farm house a few miles from town, but this year we moved in town--and definitely moved "up" in our standard of living.

The house we rented was named the Country Star and it was wonderful in every way. There were two bathrooms, enough beds for everyone and a beautifully landscaped yard to enjoy. Here are a few photos of the place:

We spent Friday and Saturday shopping the fields that were filled to the brim with antiques of all shapes and sizes. We all have favorite things to collect or look for and the thrill of hunt is always lots of fun.

Thursday evening, we walked into town for supper.

I loved the front porches, white picket fences and gingerbread trim of all the nearby houses.

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Even the old, run-down houses looked pretty with all those details.

Gifts for the Girlfriends

By the time you are reading this, I will be on the road with my "flea market friends", heading towards Round Top. One of our traditions is bringing a little gift for each person. Over the years, we've fallen into different roles in that regard--Pam and Sandy get us a shirt, Pam W brings us some "bling" accompanied by a toothbrush or something similar (she's a dental hygienist) and I bring something made of oilcloth. Given the current state of my hand, I waited until the very last minute to decide what I was going to make, then got them sewn up last night.

Using leftover scraps of oilcloth, I covered tiny composition notebooks, making a loop to hold a miniature pen. Over the years, I've learned that scotch tape is a great way to hold things in place on oilcloth while I sew. (I also discovered it is a bit challenging to pull off using just my left hand)

And here they are completed.

On a completely different note: After breaking my favorite sunglasses back in the fall---the ones I bought at Canton that have a reading bi-focal at the bottom---I knew I needed some new ones prior to this trip. I've been unable to find any locally, but after doing a quick search online, I found Reading Glasses Shopper. I ordered two pairs--the Brandi Bi-Focal and the Omni Bi-Focal. The prices were good and the shipping very reasonable and fast. I ordered on Thursday and received them on Monday!! I especially love the Brandi glasses--the transition between the bifocal and the other part of the lens is much easier for my eyes. The Omni lenses are much darker (and possibly better for your eyes in that regard), but I really had to concentrate on focusing more as I switch between the two areas, so I think I'll take the Brandi's with me this weekend.

A new pair of glasses calls for a new case. This morning, I used a few more scraps of oilcloth and a little scrap of white knit fabric for the lining and whipped up this up.

It's perfect---I think I'm ready to go now! There will be more to report when I get back. Keep your fingers crossed for good weather.

My Ballerina

Today was officially the first day of my spring break! Hooray! Despite that, however, I woke up bright and early to get Emmi to her appointment at the groomer. After a day full of all those errands that are impossible to run during a regular work week, I finally arrived home tonight. As I got the mail out of the mailbox, brought the trashcan in from the street and put the key in the door, Emmi was going crazy, clawing at the door and barking her head off. I was getting really frustrated with her and as I worked to get the door open, I was prepared to fuss at her. However, my frustration quickly gave way to laughter as I watched her twirl around in excitement with a bow in her hair (that she was totally oblivious to).

Sparkle tulle, no less!

I mean, really. . . who can be mad at this face?

Cue the Music . . .

Cue the music,

Drum roll please . . . .

I present:

Grancy Greybeard!

Every Spring it happens and it always makes me smile. Just as the days are getting warmer and the azaleas begin to fade, the little tree in my front yard dons it's fanciest clothes.

Quite a few years ago, I was gifted this tree, when it was little more than a twig as a thank you for some sewing I'd done for a friend. I had never heard of a Grancy Greybeard tree and had no idea what I was in store for, but planted it in the front yard, near the street. I'm so glad that's the spot I picked! It's a favorite spot for mockingbirds when the branches are bare, but when Spring arrives , it seems that it is magically transformed overnight into a lacy wonder.

(this photo was taken just a little over a week ago)

And now:

Several of my older neighbors are familiar with the species and almost always stop by to comment on her lacy attire. While rarely used in landscapes around here now, apparently, the Grancy Greybeard is frequently found in Southern forests. The root & bark of this small, ornamental tree were even used by the native Americans to treat skin inflammation.

While I certainly have never tried that, I can attest to its medicinal powers in bringing joy to my heart and a smile to my face.