Vingnettes

I love vignettes. For me, when little vignettes are added or put together at Country Roads, it pulls the whole space together. It doesn't matter if it is a small area, or a large area. Adding those little eye appealing vignettes brings the whole picture together, if that makes sense. These vignettes today are creations by Sue Lennon in her space. She magically puts all this "eye candy" together for us all to enjoy!

 I LOVE when Sue brings in these little chairs, or big chairs, or small couches that she has recovered in these old grain sacks. I have to confess, I have a few pieces in my own home. On another note, for all of you that shopped with us over the week-end, I just want to say "thank you"! Please know that all of us here at Country Roads sincerely appreciate your business. Have a great week!! And if you get some time, stop by my friend & dealer, Stacey's blog. She put together a really nice slide show of Country Roads with that "really" nice camera of hers! Thanks Stacey.

Before The Battery Died!

One of my favorite little areas to visit at Country Roads is Sue Lennon's space. She has a unique look and wonderful, wonderful "eye candy" as well. She just did a makeover and I was so anxious to take pictures. Between being so busy (no complaints about that), and my  camera on the ready to commit suicide, I somehow was able to take a few quick pictures. My camera, what can I say? I loved it when it worked like it should. Now, since it doesn't work correctly, it makes things twice as difficult. I was looking online yesterday at cameras. Just browsing, and then I saw my camera. It was listed at a great price, almost half off the price I paid for the one I have. So, I did what I had to do, I ordered it! Hopefully it will arrive soon and make my life just a bit easier. Below are just a few pictures I was able to capture before my battery died!

I love, love, love this chair! It is so unique. It's made from an old dolly. Sue has a style that is all her own, one of a kind! Check back tomorrow for some more pictures, especially to see all her awesome vignettes. That is assuming my battery & camera will let me take some pictures today. And to all my customers that shopped with us yesterday, "thank you". I slept really good last night. Please know that all of us here at Country Roads are grateful and appreciative of your business! Take care.

In The Blink of An Eye!

Yesterday Riley hit her first milestone, graduating from pre-school. It was a cute little ceremony and bittersweet for many. She had a great pre-school teacher, Miss Victoria, pictured above. I never knew  the not so nice side of a "co-op" run school. Apparently the parents are allowed to vote the teacher back in. And when you go to school a few block from the beach, well, you have a variety of parents. Sadly Miss Victoria won't be back next year, but on the positive side, I'm so grateful that Riley's first school experience was with a teacher that was so good with the kids, that thought outside of the box, and made not only Riley, but many other little ones first school experience really wonderful. Below are a few random pictures of the special day!

When one milestone passes, we move on to the next. After the little graduation, I went with Riley to her new elementary school to turn in the last of her papers.  There she is above standing in front of her kindergarten room that she will be attending in just a few months. I'm really hoping that "time" will be easy on me and not pass quite so fast this time. As Zach Gill sings in one of my favorite songs, "you watch them grow, then you let them go"! Just for the record, this Gramma isn't letting any of my babies go, ever!!

A Place in the Garden

Last year at this time, I had been working so much that I kind of let my garden go! This year, I decided to get back to my place in the garden. One of the first steps was to let the "mow & blow" gardener go and get a new one that new about gardening. You know how I always have a story, here's a quick one about the "new" gardener. Katie and her family bought my folks homes, the one I grew up in, after my they passed away. She remembered that my Dad had always wanted to have the gardener that did the yards across the street. He was to stubborn to hire a gardener. This gardener is now Katie's gardener, and just recently he became mine! He does an awesome job and has helped me get my garden back in shape so that I once again can enjoy it! 

 Above by the white petunia you can see that my pumpkin seeds are starting to grow. I listened to Brande and soaked them first and have them in the flower beds as well. I love when the small pumpkins finally appear and I'm able to write my grandbabies names on them. As the pumpkins grow, so do their names! I've also got some seeds planted in different spots in my garden and am anxious to see if I can get them to grow as well this year! Below is a red rose that is called the "Mary Lou Heard" rose. As many of you know that live out here, the rose was named after this wonderful gardener that owned Heards Gardens. Sadly she passed away much to soon from cancer a few years ago. What an honor to a gardener than to have a rose named after you! Here are some more pixs of what is blooming in my little garden.

I'm so happy that not only is Country Roads a great place to shop, but that we also have our own little place in the garden out back. If you have some free time this week-end, stop by and see us, and then step out our back doors to our own Johnnye Merle Gardens & Nursery, named after my Mom. It is looking pretty good too and is filled with some unique and different plants that are just waiting to go home with you, including Annie's Annuals! Hope to see you over the week-end. Take care.

My Old Red Quilts

I was sitting yesterday rocking my little grandson, Bohdi, to sleep in an old glider that I have in my bedroom. I haven't paid too much attention to this old screened cupboard of mine. Once Bo was asleep, I started looking at it, and opened the doors and once again fell in love with all of its wear, its patina, the old newsprint on the inside doors, and how warm it feels. I can't even remember the last time I bought an old quilt. It's been years and my interests have changed. The quilts really don't even fit into the colors and style of my bedroom, and I pondered the idea of selling them. Then I remembered one very special one as I looked closer.

Above are pictures of different parts of my favorite quilt. I found it in this kind of junky antique store in the middle of nowhere. It was under a $100 in price. It wasn't so much the price that attracted it to me but the handwritten note pinned on it that was dated 1899. If I was smart I would have "left" the note pinned onto the quilt so I could find it rather than put it in a safe place that I can't remember where it is! The note had the old handwriting that I love so much. The woman wrote about the story of her quilt. When she began it, and how it was all put together after over the years. Herself and friends would work on their "penny squares" for the quilt until they had enough to put it all together. Apparently, if I remember right, the "penny squares" were patterns that were sold for these quilts, for a penny, and often groups of women would get together at churches or socials and work together on these quilts. I really am thinking about selling most of my quilts at "the store". But I know one very special quilt I will not be selling. Nor can I ever understand how a family could sell an old quilt like this one in the first place. I could never sell that quilt, the one with the "story"!! I admit it, I'm a sucker for the old stories and history of stuff. I guess that is what draws me to this business of mine.