MY VINTAGE CLOTH...LOVELY!

Oh my, it's been over a month since I posted...

just about forgot how to! 

I am still absorbing that Jared will be 

off to Colorado in the next few months, 

I've had my entire family, on my mama's side, 

for our Christmas get together and,

then of course there has been school, and 

all that comes with the holidays at work and at home. 

But here I am now 

and 

I've got great news...

I WON!!!

I did! 

I won the Vintage Tablecloth from Amy at into vintage! 

I love it and I am so excited to add it to my collection! 

Well, I only have one vintage Christmas cloth, 

so it's a small collection, you understand?

But now there are two!

The cloth arrived right smack in the middle 

of all my family 

Christmas festivities 

last Saturday! 

Everything came to a complete halt as we all  

"OOooOOooooOOO'd and Awhhhh'd" over the cloth.

Amy is a beautiful soul! 

When she emailed, to tell me I had won,

she said she was just going to 

"wad it up" 

and 

send it to me. 

You know I got a kick out of that!!

I would have taken that beautiful cloth 

any way I could have gotten it, 

but...

she ironed it;

she folded it beautifully; 

and 

she sent it wrapped,

and tied with a gingham bow, 

adorned with a Christmas card. 

How sweet is that?!

It really is a beautiful piece, 

and I will enjoy it for years to come!

My Christmas is 

off to a very blessed start!!

 

     I hope you'll pop over to see Amy! 

Amy has a beautiful blog, and a wonderful Etsy shop with lots of vintage items!

So...what do you think?

I hope you all have 

a Christmas 

filled with His love, 
and joy!

Merry Christmas!

Vicki

I'M WITH THE BAND!

When I was 32 years old, 
life as I'd always known it 
became amazingly more blessed. 
A precious little boy 
became my center of attention 
and it's been one blessing 
after the other since 
that day almost 26 years ago. 

Bill and I were married 3 years 
before he was born, 
but I had his name picked out 
before we ever even started dating. 
 
I knew one day I would have a Jared Micah, 
even though the last name was up for grabs.  

My Jared Micah is a dear, sweet,
typical boy in many ways. 

He definitely has God's favor 
and most things seem to go his way. 
I truly can not think of anything 
he has set out to do that he didn't achieve. 

He decided one day 
when he was in Middle School 
that he wanted to play the bass guitar. 

We ordered a very inexpensive one for him 
and he never looked back. 

While in high school 
one of his band director 
steered him in the direction 
of an old Double Bass 
being stored 
in the band room attic.
 
Jared basically taught himself to play,
and it has been his 
constant companion ever since. 

He now has a 
Masters in Jazz Performance.

However, for the last year and a half 
he's been living back at home, 
searching for a job in the music field, 
and making my heart happy 
every time I look at him
and think of all he has achieved. 

Just before one of his symphony concerts.

He's never given us 
any problems of any kind. 

He was always an honor student 
and kept a 4.0 or very close 
all the way through college.  
Even at FSU 
while holding down a job 
as a Grad Assistant 
in the Jazz Studies department. 

I'm certainly a proud and boastful mama, 
but of course he is not perfect...
He does prefer to keep a messy room 
and he tends to leave a trail 
of empty glasses and shoes 
throughout the house. 
All things I can live with, 
but a trait that I pray over for him. 

Playing with the Encore Coda Band in Maine... 

he's spent the last two summers on faculty there.

Now to the point...

My Jared has just recently 
become a bass player for 
the Air Force Band 
in Colorado Springs, Colorado!! 

My heart breaks that he will be so far from home, 
but that does not take away 
from the pride I have for him 
and his new adventure.

Our Thanksgiving family photo from 2010...
we are all about 40 pounds lighter now...whoohoooo!

It's all been worth it, Jared! 
I love you like a rock!

I hear Colorado is 
a beautiful place to visit!

RACCOONS ARE STILL VISITING

The two raccoons are still visiting and 

still eating ALL of the cats' food!

I have to find the humor somewhere...

this is it!

Hope you got a giggle from it too!

It's the Georgia National Fair time here, and I am on Fall break. I've been home the entire week, cleaning and messing around. I have until Tuesday to play.

Bill works year round at the fairgrounds, he has a real job, but this is his play job...he got to be on stage with Blake Shelton last night, working the crowd, and the night before he escorted the Spinners...

the man has a tough life.

I won't go to the fair until later next week, 

I'll post pics!

Have a great holiday tomorrow and a great week!

Keep your eye out for raccoons and cats:-)

 

NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS!! WooOOOooooooHoooOOOooooo!

It's time to brag...

My little Primary school is now in the

National Report 

for the 

National Council for the Arts!

We have our own page representing Georgia!

How cool is that?

Last March as part of our 

Youth Art Month 

celebration 

we had Monet Day in the gym...

we had a blast!

The students drew and painted on 

Promethean Board boxes,

as they watched 

Linnea in Monet's Garden.

A box was used for Monet's boat 

in front of the video screen, 

so students sat in his boat 

and watched the video. 

The kids are always fascinated by his boat and bridge.

The students used the inside corner braces from the boxes

to build Monet's house

or the bridge 

over the waterlily ponds. 

 One year we used these corner braces to create frames,

and the students posed as 

the Mona Lisa or The Scream

inside the frames...

lots of fun!

 

If it can be recycled I recycle it!

Nothing is safe from the art room...ha!

I'm very honored that the 

Georgia Art Education Association (GAEA)

allowed my students this recognition, 

and that we have had a part in promoting 

the ARTS!

I'm also very proud 

to be an art teacher, 

and have the blessing

of fostering 

the love of art 

in such a wonderful 

group of little ones.

ART ALWAYS,

VICKI

 

I WALK THEREFORE I JUNK...

I walk therefore I junk.

HA! crack myself up sometimes.

 Thought I'd share a few of my most recent JUNK ANGELS...

I'm working hard trying to restock my booth a bit for Christmas and Fall shopping. I've been pricing my burlap sacks and bringing out the dried gourds, as well as, my junk angels. It's hard to part with the angels, but that passes 

as soon as I have my little check in my hands...greedy bugger that I am.

I've posted pictures of the geese I feed when Bill and I are out walking, but our secret fetish while walking is junk hunting. Side bit...I've lost 40 pounds from walking and eating better...apologies for bragging and gloating will come later.

We walk from 2 to 3 miles each time, and as we walk we scout out the ground beneath us. We find all kinds of little junky trinkets, each with the vision of becoming an adornment for a JUNK ANGEL.

The rusty, smashed flat bottle tops are my favorites, with some of the twisty, bent up wire coming in a close second.

Right now, my dining room table is covered in bits and bobbles of junk pieces...actually that has helped in my weight loss...can't get to the table...HA!   Not really!

Here's a couple that are still in the works...

The thing is...

I'm in love 

with New England. 

As a mother weeps for the heartache carried by her child, I weep for the heartache that is now carried by the people of the place 

I have come to long for. 

Less than two weeks ago, 

my family was traveling 

the now washed out 

roads of Vermont. 

We crossed every state line,

twice, 

between Georgia and Maine. 

Most states belonging to those lines are now ravaged by Hurricane Irene. 

Wilmington, Vermont, 

one of our favorite burrows, 

was likened to an island today on NPR.

Let us pray!

 Today on NPR one of the town officials was describing all the damage, and things that are gone now. The interviewer said 

"What about your Main Street?" 

He replied "All of that was our Main Street".

So sad that most of it is gone.

 I had my picture made sitting on this bench.

 We ate here on our second trip to Wilmington. I almost bought a T shirt that read EAT AT DOTS...wish I had it now.

 Irene's helper.

 The bricks were on a path under the wonderful pergola and near the stone bench.

 Are you listening Hurricane Irene?

Wilmington memories

Found this link on the Wilmington website...amazing photos of the devastation. The Baptist church and Dot's restaurant are shown.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2274706863833.129550.1133521629&l=1d2b3227f5&type=1

more later...

Best, Vicki