A Wedding in the Family!

Yep, my daughter, and only child Jenny decided to take the plunge a year earlier than expected..on Friday, July 22, 2011 she and Scott became husband and wife. The original plan was to marry on May 26, 2012 in Las Vegas but apparently the time was right, the stars were aligned, and so they headed to the Courthouse.

As this was a second marriage for both and the children were in town for the Summer, it was perfect timing. Took me a little by surprise, but I was happy that the kids could be included. I would like to have seen her get married, but she wanted it to be just the two of them and their children...

Although it wasn't exactly a reception, we did celebrate afterwards with a nice dinner at Sakura (a hibachi grill) which is always a fun place to gather. The kids think the chef throwing food at them is just a riot :) Plans are still in the works for a more formal wedding next year, with a reception for family and friends to follow.

For those of you who don't follow me on facebook, or aren't members of the Old Farmhouse Gathering, I'll post some pics here..gotta show off my pretty girl and her new hubby, as well as my adorable grandchildren :)
Hugs,
Debbie

Vacation is Over :(

We just arrived home from our week-long vacation to our cabin in Pigeon Forge, TN so it's back to the real world for us! It was a great week..hotter than Haites with the humidity out of this world, but other than that the weather cooperated with us. We only had one day of rain, which really didn't interfere with our plans..we just worked around it.

The trip down and back in the truck was interesting to say the least. We had our almost 15 year-old grandson and the two dogs with us, so we looked like a clown car when we'd stop at a rest area..two huge dogs piling out and three adults. The dogs are always a big hit wherever we go..everyone wants to stop and pet them, asking all kinds of questions about what breed they are..what they're like, etc. so our stops are usually longer than we plan :)

I was fortunate to time it so I could attend the Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair while we were down there, meeting up with one of my Old Farmhouse Gathering sisters, Mary Alice, who had a beautiful booth there, Sugar Ridge Creations. She has been a vendor at the show for years, and I am one of her best buyers;) This year was no different, and I came home with the neatest raggy beige jacket!

We always take in Dolly Parton's waterpark, Splash Country, which is as clean as a whistle and extremely nice. Not being one to enjoy parading around in my bathing suit all day I still managed to hit almost all the waterslides and rides with grandson Brendan. There're no flies on this Grandma! He loves that his Grandpa and Mom-Mom are willing to act like goofballs for the day with him..even though we woke up the next morning with muscles aching that we never knew existed!

Our favorite miniature golfing spot, "Hillbilly Golf" is always a highlight because Brendan knows he's going to beat me every time...and he did. We also hit the bowling alley at the rec center in town where he managed to cream both his Mom-Mom AND Grandpa..I won't mention scores but I will say mine was pretty much in the toilet! A bowler I am not :)

We always manage to find the time to do some work on the cabin while we're there, even if it's for vacation, and this time we worked on the landscaping, planted perennials, cleaned and redecorated one of the bedrooms, so we did actually accomplish a lot besides having a great time. It's just hard to leave when it's time because we love it so down there. The folks there are so friendly, the weather is beautiful and the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful.

Tomorrow I go back to work...and the cabin is all fixed up and "purdy" for the lucky people who are staying there this week, and the weeks to follow. Our next trip there won't be until October, when the cool nights will have changed the leaves to Fall's gorgeous colors...so I guess it will be worth the wait!
Hugs,
Debbie

Our "Neigh"bor down the road:

Hmm..Dollywood or Splash Country?

Hillbilly Golf





Fun with Grandpa Chuck at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company


Mary Alice and Me at the Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair

If Ya ' Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em!

First of all I hope everyone enjoyed their long holiday weekend. They just seem to fly by so quickly! We had family and friends over for a long-awaited picnic..fired up the hot tub for the youngsters to "go swimming", and altogether had an enjoyable Independence Day.

My husband has apparently tired of being a "craft widower" and has decided to join with me in a new venture. Too many long nights of tv-watching all by his lonesome while I sew and stuff, paint and stitch must have gotten the better of him, so he is now collaborating with me in designing and creating primitive wood "smalls"...something he is very talented at, to say the least.

With a workshop loaded to over-flowing with sanders and saws, drills and do-hickeys, he is well prepared to produce some lovely things, all of which are original creations. Many are based on antiques we have throughout our home, the rest are created somewhere deep inside his noggin'...he'll draw out a plan for something, get the okay from me, and before I know it he has it made! I am in charge of completing the items..the final hand-planing, sanding, painting, and hand-finishing each item to appear as though it has been around for a few decades and has been painted and re-painted again..lumpy and bumpy, chippy and very appealing to the primitive lover.

It has been a good collaboration for the two of us..we bounce ideas off each other, plus we have more time together this way! So far I have three of our one-of-a kind items listed in my Etsy shop, and there are plenty more to come. He chooses not to make more than one or two of the same design so we are not offering custom color selections. We are keeping with traditional primitive colors, using two shades of premium quality Caromal Colors™ paint on each piece in order to allow the base color to show through, giving the illusion of a well-used piece of furniture.

Here are some photos of our goods to date..hope you enjoy a look into our newest venture!
Hugs,
Debbie