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Goodbye for now!

"Here Comes Santa Claus"

Halloween came and went so fast that I didn't even post pictures of my orange and black decor. You will see a picture of the festive goodies being wheeled away for storage. I found a vintage shoe rack which is excellent for maneuvering the goods...it reminds me of the new merchandise cart at TJ Maxx which I always raid!

My Christmas decor seems a bit pale compared to all the orange color which adorned our home for two holidays, Halloween and Thanksgiving. This year, I decided to display some of my collections. The ironstone pitchers typically take up residence in our master bathroom. They are great for storing shampoo, wash cloths, soaps and anything spa-like.

Most of the Santa collection is handmade. The one hanging on the wall is from TJ Maxx, but the other ones were gifts or purchases from incredible artists. The Santa painting holding the Christmas packages was painted on a slate tile by my art teacher, Ann. She is my mentor and inspiration for all my creations. Speaking of my creations, I made the snowman sporting a JFG glass jar attire. My hope is to fill the jar with something white and yummy, so it gives the illusion of a snow body.

We are so thankful for all the blessings this year. We wish you and your family a very wonderful holiday season!

P.S. Thank you for all your support for our diabetic cat, Roscoe. He is doing great and has adjusted to his daily insulin routine and special diet.

~Lovin' Yellowware - aka " Martha" Bowls~

When I started my collection of yellowware bowls, molds, plates, etc., I just started learning how to rug hook. I thought a primitive hooked rug displaying a nesting set of yellowware bowls would be fun to create. Yes, it was fun, but it took many, many hours to finish. Going forward, I decided smaller rug projects were more satisfying since they only took a few months not an entire year.

Collecting art is also one of my passions. Kim Skeen painted the crow dough bowl and her mom, Janet McCarter, painted the spooky-eyed owl. The coverlet fabric covered stars are from Home Goods. I might try to cover some of my metal stars with old quilts or vintage french linen.

My very favorite find is the vintage metal heart with bells. I stubbled across a picture of these bells on Flickr and saved the image to my computer. After a year or so, I found the bells at a local thrift shop for $12!

Three Angels & A Poem

Touched by An Angel by Maya Angelou
We, unaccustomed to courage

exiles from delight

live coiled in shells of loneliness

until love leaves its high holy temple

and comes into our sight

to liberate us into life.

Love arrives

and in its train come ecstasies

old memories of pleasure

ancient histories of pain.

Yet if we are bold,

love strikes away the chains of fear

from our souls.

We are weaned from our timidity

In the flush of love's light

we dare be brave

And suddenly we see

that love costs all we are

and will ever be.

Yet it is only love

which sets us free.

Yellow - First Sign of Spring and My Favorite Color!

We had the most beautiful yellow daffodils this year. They seemed to be everywhere I looked...our yard - neighbor's yard; along the country road - along the interstate; in the fields - in the woods. The ones I picked from our yard only stayed pretty in my pewter vase about 7 - 10 days. I actually lost count of the days, but it felt like a week. Tomorrow I plan to pick some more. I can only imagine they will be gone soon since my tulips are starting to take their place.

Valentine Swap ~ Primitive Doll Candy Container

The Valentine Day Swap has come to an end and the primitive doll candy container I made is on its way to my Valentine, Sharyn at sharynsowellartblog.blogspot.com. As usual, Lil had to check it out and make an appearance in the picture. I am sure Sharyn is not ready to share her candy!

The hooked penny heart and decorated box is for my dearest friend, Kelly.

"A friend is one who knows who you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still gently allows you to grow." William Shakespeare

~Happy Valentine's Day~

Little Tokens of Love - Valentine Swap

Please join me in participating in the Valentine Swap hosted by Prim & Whimsy Girls! Last year was my first year being part of the swap and I just loved it. My gift or "little token of love" was completed this weekend, so I am anxious to find out where I will be sending it.

Happy New Year!

WE WISH YOU A VERY SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or simply "Santa"

Decorating for Christmas is as much fun as decorating for Halloween. Everything sparkles just a little more and we get to enjoy some cooler weather. We received our first mentionable snow last weekend and it just puts me in the holiday spirit.

I love collecting vintage Santas as well as beautifully handmade ones. You will probably recognize the work of some extremely talented artists. The tall Santa with the skeleton key is made by Cart Before the Horse. The gourd Santa was made by my friend, Janet McCarter. The whimsical Santa is by Johanna Parker. The Old World Santa dough bowl painting is by Kim Skeen. The carved Santa is by Johnny McGrew. The other items are part of my vintage Santa collection.

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world”

A Lovely Life, A Lovely Farm

We spent the weekend with our good friends, Shawn and Kelly. They have the most beautiful farm. Kelly and I could talk for hours about shopping (primitive antiques are our favorite), decorating, cooking and our love for animals. They just adopted a bird dog and named her Babe. She stays in complete "puppy mode" and can hardly be slowed down to get a little lovin'.

Our baby, Jack, had a nasal polyp which was surgically removed from our local animal hospital last week. He was starting to sound like my neighbor's pug...not a good look on a little orange kitty! His regular vet had him on antibotics and antihistamines for months. After determining the drugs were not making a difference, I decided to see if I could locate another reason for his symptoms on the internet. We visited a different vet and I discussed my internet findings with her. She was completely receptive and did an incredible job locating the polyp. She referred us to the animal hospital to have it removed. The surgery was successful! However, Horner's Syndrome is one of the many complication from this type of surgery and it causes him to pull to the right. It creates dizziness, so he stumbles and cannot walk straight...he walks in circles. Also, he is not able to close his right eye. We were told his problems are temporary, but it is certainly tough to watch him struggle during his recovery period. Once he has completely recovered, I will be back to my studio...I really miss it!

A Whole Month of Halloween Fun!

Rain, rain and more rain did not keep Kelly and I from antique shopping all day Saturday. We were in search of fun, festive, spooky goods to decorate our homes. Our search revealed some incredible finds, but the old marble-eyed, black tin cats are definitely my favorite. The shop owner was holding them behind the counter until Halloween. But, I was absolutely determined to take them home and start enjoying them immediately which is exactly what I did. They are displayed in the windows as a backdrop for the festive decor. The sun shines with such an eerie sparkle through their marble eyes. As usual, Lil wants to be part of the fun, so she made an appearance while I was snapping pics of the black cat lanterns!

The Mermaid

My good friend and very, very talented artist, Kim Skeen, gave me a wonderful idea on how to finish my Mermaid which I started many weeks ago. I wanted to add sequins to her tail, but I could not decide on the best technique. I was at Kim's house and she had some antique sequin pinned fruit she gave me since she knows how much I love antiques. When I saw them, I immediately knew it was the final inspiration I needed to complete my Mermaid doll!

The Mermaid Poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Who would be A mermaid fair, Singing alone, Combing her hair Under the sea, In a golden curl With a comb of pearl, On a throne?
I would be a mermaid fair; I would sing to myself the whole of the day; With a comb of pearl I would comb my hair; And still as I comb'd I would sing and say, 'Who is it loves me? who loves not me?' I would comb my hair till my ringlets would fall Low adown, low adown, From under my starry sea-bud crown Low adown and around, And I should look like a fountain of gold Springing alone With a shrill inner sound Over the throne In the midst of the hall; Till that great sea-snake under the sea From his coiled sleeps in the central deeps Would slowly trail himself sevenfold Round the hall where I sate, and look in at the gate With his large calm eyes for the love of me. And all the mermen under the sea Would feel their immortality Die in their hearts for the love of me.
But at night I would wander away, away, I would fling on each side my low-flowing locks, And lightly vault from the throne and play With the mermen in and out of the rocks; We would run to and fro, and hide and seek, On the broad sea-wolds in the crimson shells, Whose silvery spikes are nighest the sea. But if any came near I would call and shriek, And adown the steep like a wave I would leap From the diamond-ledges that jut from the dells; For I would not be kiss'd by all who would list Of the bold merry mermen under the sea. They would sue me, and woo me, and flatter me, In the purple twilights under the sea; But the king of them all would carry me, Woo me, and win me, and marry me, In the branching jaspers under the sea. Then all the dry-pied things that be In the hueless mosses under the sea Would curl round my silver feet silently, All looking up for the love of me. And if I should carol aloud, from aloft All things that are forked, and horned, and soft Would lean out from the hollow sphere of the sea, All looking down for the love of me.

Hannah and Humphrey have a new home & friend, Phoebe!

I was the lucky winner on eBay of Tonya Renee's (Back Porch Pickins) first fully detailed dollie for Halloween, Hannah and her friend, Humphrey. I also ordered a little white pumpkin doll from Kaf at Olde Cape Primitives. They all seem to be getting along nicely and are looking forward to seeing their new friend, Newcomb Hollow!

Lil gets upset if she doesn't make my blog post, so she gave me her ususal pose in my bent willow apple basket!

We just got back from a great Virginia Highlands Antique Festival weekend in Abingdon, VA with some very good friends, Shawn and Kelly. I will post a few pictures of our recent finds in the coming days!

Stars & Stripes....striped cat anyway!

Memorial Day to July 4th is all red, white and blue around our home! You will probably recognize some of the original art I have collected, so I want to give the artists some recognition. Gritty Jane painted the patriotic angels. You can always recognize her work by her spiritual style! The primitive dolls and eagle are by Starla Myers at Briar Rabbit Primitives. The decorated boxes and painted trinkets are made by me, Kristin Lily!

A Hare Raising Experience...

Two weeks ago our cat, Molly, blessed us with this sweet little rabbit. Once we released him from her clinched jaws, he lay limp in the grass. We thought his hind legs were paralyzed as he lay there starring at us with those big brown eyes. We immediately treated his wounds (bites, scratches and one deep puncture). Next, we rounded up one of our many cat carriers to serve as his recovery room. The next day, we took him to visit our vet who gave us an antibiotic and wished us luck. He said wild rabbits get infected easily and do not adjust well to captivity. But, we were hopeful. I picked purple clover and fresh strawberries for him twice a day. Oh my, what a big eater...big eater! I started worrying I might be overfeeding him, but I figured two square meals a day would help speed his recovery. With each passing day, his wounds improved until the day finally arrived. Today was the day for him to see the world again. We kept all the cats inside for the entire day to make sure he had plenty of time to get acclimated. We released him at a neighboring farm. Hopefully, we will not see him again anytime soon. But, we will continue to enjoy the pictures since we got extremely attached to him.

Memorial Day ~ In Flanders Fields

Poem ~ In Flanders Fields:
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead.
Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie?In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders fields.
— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)