Spring junkin trip...

That's just what I did when I got home with my truck full of fun and my daughter and my dog no worse for the wear.

Yes there were snow storms all the way to Altus OK... ( once every five years, and this was the year...) and there was a little bout with a flu bug for mom, daughter , dog and self... yes even the dog, but these we mere blips on an otherwise amazingly full and fun trip.

Now for your viewing pleasure I will leave comments to a minimum...

Breaking news... This just in... The LULU purse has just been featured on Etsy and Haute Handbags... It sold out at once, be sure you check my sweet friend Jeanne's shop frequently to see if it is back in... it is AMAZING.

http://abushelandapeck.etsy.com/

http://bushelandapeck.typepad.com/

drool- swoon- sigh.

Now back to our scheduled eye candy...

Thank you for looking, Enjoy your spring nesting.

Come visit at

http://www.thebarncastlerock.com/

I would like to thank my new friend Angie Mitchell at Whispering Pines Antiques in Amarillo TX- Her hospitality and kindness made for a great shopping experience, her shop is darling and she is a gracious hostess.

http://www.whisperingpinecottage.net/

2727 W. 6th Ave

Amarillo TX 79106

Happy Day friends.

Road trip

3 days. Then we're off.

It has been a long time since I had a road trip, actually 3 years ago, when we packed up our "Dream" home into a POD and sold or gave away everything left that did not fit... literally took out a loan to walk away from our house and drove over night...with 2 cats, one dog one scared 5th grader and our broken hearts

We have not been in a season of leisurely trips or toss- your- care travels.

We have been in the eye of the storm, the details are all very interesting but not for today.

Sometimes our struggle becomes so familiar that we forget how to let go.

Today is about the giddy anticipation of a new season.

Today is the countdown of a realization of a longing I've had for all 3 of these years. A road trip with my daughter. I love my husband very much, but I wanted a trip with just her.

I have not cared where or what for I just wanted to spend some kairos time with her not just chronos. The difference being : I don't want to just log minutes with her I want to avail my self to where time loses it's linear perception and just is.

Not only will we be visiting VERY special people to us upon our destination -( it's a surprise, so more on that later.) but we will get to sneak in some junkin... all the way home! YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

I am beyond thrilled. I truly understand grateful- in a whole new way.

We have my big red truck. We have a hotel that likes dogs! We have each other!

I love the people we are going to see so much they make my heart burst. This is a good trip.

We will have a BBQ. We will have cake and we will remember the time we stopped fretting, stopped clock watching, stopped volleyball practice, and just delighted in each other, the scenery and our loved ones.

Oh yeah- and I will remember what great treasures I rescued all the way home.

Her - not so much. ( insert 13 year old eye roll here!)

That's ok... 10-15 years from now she fondly describe our treasure hunting together.

questions.

Sometimes Life presents information that is so true, painful, unsearchable that I am left... speechless.


In my mind I know that I will lose people I love. My heart sometimes is slower to process that reality. I submit that this is by design. I don't believe God intended us to bear that truth fully day after day... His plan is to meet you when and where you have to accept this fact.


I was listening to my dad last night. He has had cancer for 9 years. He has lived really well and mostly normal since his stage 4 diagnosis all those years ago. That in itself is extrordinary.

He has valiantly taken control of his health and body and tried every form of nutrition, healing and self care that made sense to him... and enlightened a lot of others a long the way...
He even became a wellness coach for others as a profession.


In the last 6 months a sudden series of health related events has brought in the beginning of a new season.

He was sharing his frustration with not feeling like he normally does. - He is very run down, very lethargic, subdued by a lot of pain meds, and really just glazed over. He can't walk without a cane, and he has other day to day liberties eluding him as well.
He is a vital- intentional- very health conscious, active man.

His favorite thing - I would say -is dancing into the night at concerts, weddings, parties... He loves to dance... I loved to dance with him... we did a lot!


He was expressing sadness at knowing the end is quite near and... secretly wishing it would just get it over with. Not really- but kind of.


He has always had a thoughtful, melancholy philosopherish attitude but I was hearing him last night really just query... and not exactly form questions. I was hearing him unlocking the truth that he may never get all his questions ( on this side) satisfied. My prayer for him is... to know that he knows that he knows that he is loved with an everlasting , sacrificial love, and that it is ok to not have the why questions answered.


He is the pinnacle of the sixties love child hippie through and through. He has questioned everything and -most of the time- I am glad he taught me this as well. I am sure that he has a seekers heart and has loved God every step of every day... He has loved others and been a voice for causes that are noble and needed.


I pray though- for childlike faith...acceptance and knowledge of the one love that defies death. I pray that like C.S.Lewis his inquisitiveness will introduce him to the fullness of Gods plan. That he can set aside the worlds misgivings of a broken and frankly weird church and accept the love that sets captives FREE.

The key to the restlessness... is true peace. To KNOW peace. The person.







8 months ago we were hiking up Red Rocks amphitheatre. He beat us all. He was jumping on his re bounder every morning, and swimming at the Y.
( He lives out of state)
He says now he sleeps a lot. He does not want to walk outside much and risk breaking a bone ( Omaha is slippery this year!) He takes pain meds... when before, a ibuprofen was very foreign.
Things change rapidly.


I pray each of you Love with abandon those who are RIGHT in front of you, and forgive or accept those who are not. Extend grace, receive it if need be. Don't miss an opportunity to connect in love with a family member or friend.



I am going to ask for your help.



I want to give him a list of questions to answer before he dies.
I have a lot in mind but I would like to have you forward this to friends and family and help me come up with questions a lot of them....that I can type up and ask him to answer ...( he will be a good sport... ) ones that after he is gone I might regret not asking...I start crying when I type them so I thought if you all forward them to me then I could copy and paste a list of the ones that I choose...



Like what is your fave color.
Best memory
First girlfriends name?
Worst job
What scares you?
Who was the love of your life?
What do you regret...





You get the point.

I think we all seek to be truly known...and I would love to bless him by trying to REALLY know his answers...

Please help me and forward to friends who will give some good questions... I get overwhelmed with emotion after I start so I could use the help.

Make sure that the ins and outs of your individuality are no mystery to Him, and one day they will no longer be a mystery to you.

C.S. Lewis.

"The Problem of Pain."

Emmalynne.etsy.com_ photography credit.

Busy Busy!!!

I think I have mentioned before... I NEVER met a chair I did not like.

Somebody please stop me...no don't.
When you love something go with it...which is what I did.
And went and went. My sweet Sophie.. helped the with unscrewing, painting and moving... she is a natural upcycler- who knew?

I love these little perch's all different personalities and attitudes... all beautiful.

I must make mention of the obscenely fabulous yardage on the larger black chairs...lip smacking delicious. I have a bench I'm working on now... A piano bench with that same yardage... ( insert angel chorus here)


Part two...Next is a little project I've been diverted with instead of blogging...

It's actually in large part my job.

One of the purposes of my shop -MAGPIE- is to be a touch point for design/redesign consultation... my first love. I meet people on the hunt and offer my services - voila. Everybody is happy!
I can work myself up into a lather discussing possibilities with clients... I love making space make sense..using what you have, find and love... rethinking the obvious...I can't imagine doing anything else!
The home below is a project I have been mainly consulting on... the homeowner- is so talented in her own right that she inspires me... together it gets better and better.

Look on her island- a table top removed from base CLEVER!

LOVE the bird cage. LA CAGE!

Every where is the harmony of fresh, light, worn and useful.Really livable.

Sweet little pug bed in built in niche... great use for that!

The lunch box is one of my favorite touches..It came from "Coming Home" one of my fellow retailers in the Barn... it's so cool!

Perfectly worn cup board...drool.

It's the details that make the difference.

I can not accept any credit for this darling RE PURPOSE. A bench made form a vanity...The homeowner did this... ( I said she had "it"...thought of this all by herself.) So stinking cute.

Notice how large the Aspen trees are right out side the window... they are beauties.

The sweet little lamp with the more rustic lines of the table... refreshing.

Long view of the great room... this home is nearly 20 years old, it looks so fresh and cozy and livable (3 grown men -dad -2 college age, one teenage guy and two ladies... have to keep it practical)

This is such a special project... I share a friendship with this homeowner, a passion for finding and rescuing treasures, I am certain this will be an evolving design project- we like each others company and ideas too much to stop!

Don't you love her fresh eye... usually when I consult with someone they are the type who know what they like but do not know how to translate it! This is just the opposite... she is just so open to more ideas it's what makes her really good at this herself... as a matter fact this project has inspired me to pay a little more attention to my humble abode... more on that to come.

The use of a lot of white -while still remaining warm, and rustic. I think we have struck a great balance if I do say so myself.

What do you all think... I love feedback!

http://www.thebarncastlerock.com/

Most of the live plants, some furnishing...a lot of the accessories are form The Barn in Castle Rock. ( imagine that!)