A Special Post.....

Good Morning Girls.........I am thinking of my sweetie this morning as I post this picture....he took it earlier in the week of a print we found recently at an old friend's antique store......he LOVES the ARTS and CRAFTS style of design....Frank Lloyd Wright....the Green Brothers...any thing Stickley....part of that era offered amazing paintings of what they called "Plein Aire" style ....this style is really about the artist taking their easels ....paint...and talent into the big outdoors...finding a point of view that wowed them and painting it...this painting is done by Marion P. Sloane she was born in the 1800's around 1884 she died in 1954....I know it's difficult to see it up close....but it's really a wonderful scene of the Vermont hillside....this is in our family room which was originally..... in 1941..... when our home was built the garage....it was changed into a family room in the late 50's( as I understand the house's history) Anyway I am happy to share this with you ....happy to have my sweetie's input for this post....I'm hoping you all have a Fabulous Friday....we are suppose to have a "RAINY" weekend according to the weather folks....so if your on the East Coast...stay dry......bunch's of hugs .......Karena

That remind's me of.... Knott's Berry Farm

Yesterday I spent some time with my "angels" ....we went to Cracker Barrel for dinner....it is a FAVORITE eating place for our whole fam....when we were done eating we looked around the store ...as I was looking at Christmas things....fall stuff.... I happened to look up to see an old stove sitting above their registers ...Cracker Barrel is full of antiques....hanging from the rafters in the shop.....nailed to the walls of the restaurant... This stove took me back to the Saloon at Knott's Berry Farm in California I found some pictures from the Knott's Museum ...I thought we could share the experience of this great theme park together... when I was little...you could just go in ...ride the train....see the stage coach....walk down the western town of "Calico"...even go on the "Calico Mine Ride" FOR FREE....I am so dating myself here but its true....I can remember all of us driving down Beach Blvd .... our cars lined up down the road like a caravan....I have GREAT memory's of this place ....so come along with me...these old pic's will be fun to see....

Photo's Courtesy of Jay Jennings:
                          
         WELCOME TO KNOTT'S BERRY FARM....

Mr & Mrs. Knott

When you rode the train sometimes "Robbers" would come and steal from the passengers...Great Fun...thankfully all pretend...

There were LOTS of eating places ....we always ate at the "Cable Car Kitchen" or the " Chicken House"...

They had a sweet white clapboard reproduction chapel in the park ...they sold this card of Jesus...I still remember the MANY times my sister and I hid in our closet with it...when you took it into a dark place Jesus would open his eyes....if you look close you can see the outline of his eye behind the lid.....for us as kids...this was AMAZING

I still love Knott's Jams and Jellies

I have a picture of my sister and I sitting between these lovelies when we were little....

THIS GUY IS JAIL HOUSE JOE....he was... SHOCKING ....to my sister and I... he would "talk" to us as we stood on a bench outside the door calling us by name asking us question about things that were REALLY happening in our life...a great memory

Well girls that's our tour for today.....thank you for popping in......I hope you all have a blessed day....

Hugs....Karena



                                 

Well ....Well...Well....it's Wednesday

This rose bud is so perfect....it made my heart sing.....

Hi Girls...how are you ...I'm fine .....before I show you  some pictures something is on my mind this morning I'd like to share...I was talking to a friend earlier ...she called me because  I accidentally called her a few days ago I think the kids call it "Butt Dialing"...I knew I had called 'SOMEONE' over the weekend but I couldn't tell WHO....until I received G's call ......my friend is going through a divorce...she's hurting....feeling unfamiliar with the waters she's treading ...we have talked about this recently....I have been down the same path....it is the hardest place ever....I think the Lord used that inadvertent "call" so G would have a chance talk this out..... today is her Wedding Anniversary.........OUCH.........The sting of that special day is a hard one to get through...this is the first time she won't be celebrating.....in her concern to check on ME to make sure I was okay... .The Lord gave us a chance to TALK...he knew 3 days ago she was going to need a MOMENT of encouragement ......after we hung up....I was reminded how awesome friendship is ....how many of us experience similar seasons in our lives..  I wanted to talk to you  because some of you may be going through the same thing today.......I want to tell you....YOU WILL GET TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS....the hardest things ....the things that cause us pain...can sometimes be the BIGGEST BLESSING in disguise.... you are beautiful .... talented...unique....worth loving and being loved....whatever challenges lay ahead.... you have everything you need deep inside your own heart to make it.....Hugs from me to YOU today........OKAY ...now I want to share some pic's with you....

These photo's aren't my best...mostly because I took them through the  screen out our attic window...these precious "bird friends" are so adorable...they come all day long to nibble on the safflower seeds....

This is a soup terrine lid and a Buffalo plate that cracked in half....all three make a perfect background for the verbena I planted in front....I think it's the voice of my grandmother I hear saying.... WASTE NOT WANT NOT....

One of my favorite sittin places in the back yard

This is a favorite lampshade of mine from the  RACHEL ASHWELL line "SIMPLY SHABBY CHIC'....Just love it...sadly I missed out on this beauty.....

Last but not least a pic of the "Jenny Vine" we planted in the back.....it is a happy thriving mound of luscious green....the bits of pink are flowers that have rained down on it form the crepe myrtle above....

So.... girls....these are my thoughts for you this Wednesday....I hope you have a wonderful day....thank you so much for stopping by.....hugs.........Karena

I spy with my little eye......

Hello girls........I had a wonderful day yesterday spending time with "MY FACES"...my sweetie was home for the day ....always special.... we went to have lunch with our kids which was fabulous...then off to Michael's and Garden Ridge to look at FALL STUFF......all of us love fall....we get a head start appreciating what's coming ....by September....were all set to re-do the house with pumpkins....fall flowers....cuddly throws and fires outside....I was busy in the morning yesterday taking pictures to share with you of things I have spied with my little eye through the years along with some newer finds I am "OVER THE MOON ABOUT"....my favorite NEW THING  is the picture above of a mail box we found on our trip to Mechanicsville last weekend....I saw it  peeking at me in a  corner beside lots of stuff ..... I was so excited because I'd been thinking of how cool it would be to find an old metal mailbox .....I thought it would  look great on our back porch standing on end with a plant in it...when I found  this little treasure I squealed especially since the owner of the shop knocked off five dollars so we got it for almost nothing....I JUST LOVE IT...

Can you tell what this green bit of square metal might be.....it is the bottom to a turn of the century "RECEIPT KEEPER" missing it's metal skewer....we have one just this color WITH the skewer but I loved this one because I thought I could use it in so many different ways....like this with silk baby's breath I found at a yard sale ... turned over on top of an old wine glass as a pedestal topper....nailed onto an old box as a flourish....the more I stare at it the more ideas pop into my head....

THIS BEAUTY ...is one of my favorites....it is a Victorian plaster flower basket...very old and fragile...It hangs beside the door in this house.....it's precious...

I can't remember where I found this little winter chickadee but I fell in love with it....the frame on it is not the pink one ....it has a dark frame...I just leaned the pink metal frame in front of it cuz I liked the contrast....

This metal tulip is an old piece of 'WIND CHIME".... I'm nutty like this ....I save LOTS of bit's and pieces to use in some way ....this looks cute  next to some bird houses I have hanging on the clothes line frame....I have roses and a vine growing to eventually bring some lush green height to either side of the yard....

This little gal is a "CHALK WARE" piece ....I found her at a favorite antique store years ago in North Carolina...I thought she was lovely....so old and fragile ....still  in one piece...I just had to bring her home....Well girls this post has come to an end....I hope you all have a ....SPLENDID SUMMER DAY....I will be thinking of you.....thanks for sharing some of my "FAVORITES" with me........hugs.......Karena

                  

Did I say I liked that Bunny.....

Good Morning girls....how are you all this morning...I'm fine...except for feeling a little "blue"....I went out to the garden this morning to check on my flowers...we had a wonderful drenching day of rain yesterday..I was excited to see how "PLUMP AND PERKY" the garden looked ...what I found made me... sad...remember when I showed you this sweet little bunny....how excited I was to SHARE OUR GARDEN with her....well yesterday evening my sweetie said "look the bunny's in the flower bed"...I couldn't see her then...but I got a really good look at what she was doing ......SHE ATE MY BEAUTIFUL COSMOS.....I walked up on the flower bed ....something seemed missing....then I looked down where my sweet cosmos HAD been ...I found this....

Just a few days ago it looked like this.....

I still can't believe how fast she chewed this" beautiful little friend" to smithereens....I have been so excited about sharing the garden with her I totally missed the fact that she would.... LOVE TO EAT MY FLOWERS....I have made a conscious decision this morning....I am going to continue to share my garden with her....mostly because what choice do I have....and because she needs sustenance....my cosmos wouldn't have lasted forever anyway...so if they helped her feel FULL...then I guess it's worth it.....however ....my childlike abandon to know "WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE"...has been tainted...Oh well.....live...plant....learn....what are you girls going to do today...I might be able to spend some time with my "baby girl" today....that is ....ALWAYS and FOREVER.....my happy place....whatever your day is like today I hope you have fun......lots of hugs...thank you for popping in.....Karena