"Out With The Old, In With The New" Sale/Clearance -- 50% Off All Sale Items!

Only a few more days until the new year 

and there are lots of new things on their way

to us and some are already in store waiting to go up 

on the site!

But we gotta make room there on the 

site -- don't want to hog all the bandwidth in cyberspace

with our site, so we're having a big sale to free up some

room online for all the new year's new things!!

The Sale/Clearance page is packed with great deals,

and nothing on the page will be restocked so 

it's a first-come, first-served sale, as quantities on a lot of

the things are already quite low.

I'd love to be one of the first to wish you nothing but

fun, laughter and blessings in 2011!'

The sale is HERE

  

Merry Christmas To You All -- My Sweet Blog Friends. True Friends Indeed.

Time to say Merry Christmas and wish you all --

my sweet and beloved blog friends,

a wonderful Christmas.

It will be no surprise to those of you who know me, 

that I wish to share my wishes by song,

so without keeping you any longer,

here is my song for you this Christmas.

A beautiful rendition of 

In The Bleak Midwinter by James Taylor.

And, a BEAUTIFUL story read by Paul Harvey...

Perhaps you can listen to them both as you surf the internet

or busy yourself about the house.

Either way, enjoy and see you after Christmas with lots of great new 

shop items to share.

But for now...

enjoy.   

:)

**PLEASE FIND THE MUSIC PLAYER ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE BAR

AND PAUSE IT FIRST -- BEFORE PLAYING EITHER OF THESE.**

My Burning Question Of The Day: To Bare Or Not To Bare Soles...

{If you're wondering what this image has to do with anything,
read on..}

Well here we are -- at almost one week until the
BIG DAY...

We wait for and long for it all year it seems, but now that it is just
around the corner I almost wish I could go back at least one month -- just to have
THAT MUCH MORE time to savor the anticipation.

It has been a busy time with the store, but fun as always.

I love this time of year when I wonder who is getting the things people buy
as gifts -- knowing that the box we ship ultimately will be placed under someone's tree

and be
privvy to the warm, loving family times and gatherings up until the 25th, wondering what their expression will be like when they open it, and then thinking of how the person
will use or display their new gift.

Yes,  ALL those "deep ponderings" and more with each gift that is wrapped
and shipped from here.

And as we near Christmas, the shipping gears are finally going to
slow to a halt and rest a spell.

As my sweet friend, Maylene, said to me tonight:

"You need to take some time for yourself this season, Ruth.  You don't want
Christmas to come and go and just run off your back without any of it
settling in at all...."

Wise woman.  Great words!   :)

She also asked me if my tree was up yet.  Yes, it is but not as many as some years.
And as we were closing our conversation I concluded that perhaps instead of
putting anymore TREES up, maybe I'd concentrate on putting my FEET up.

You know, you can almost solve the problems of the world with a chat with a friend.   :)

So, in keeping with her sage advice, beginning at noon this coming
Saturday, the 18th, orders received in will likely not ship out
until after Christmas.

SO, if there is ANYTHING you still want to purchase, please try and do so
before noon on Saturday.
Much obliged.  ;)

Now.... A BURNING QUESTION FOR YOU....

I am a very avid Facebook user and one day last month a question was posed by
House Beautiful magazine, inviting the readers to weigh in on this:

"WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE 'NO-SHOES-IN-THE-HOUSE' RULE?"

Well... THAT question certainly incited quite a response!

I delivered my "two-cents' worth" on the subject a few times throughout the dialogue
and boy was it interesting to see the diverse opinions on what proved to be for some
a VERY hot-button issue!

And at this party-prevelent time of the year, when having guests in and out of our homes is
the norm, it was especially interesting to
read how many staunch shoes-must-come-off responses there were.

For what it's worth, these were my contributions to the discussion:

 "For the living-in-the-house, immediate family, fine, whatever they choose; but when they try to extend the house-rules to guests... no way, total faux pas and very presumptuous to assume that your guests are going to be okay with baring their "soles" to the world when visiting you. I say RELAX, people... it's not like we plan on marching through mud-flats before entering on your precious floors! ;) 

Hospitality first... over-the-top concern about your floors is not hospitable 
in my humble opinion."    ;)


A woman brought up a great point when she said she wears 
corrective shoes and it is just very difficult to get them off and on and rarely 
does someone have a bench at their front door to sit on, making her have to
resort to sitting on the floor to remove her shoes.
{Okay, I have to say, if someone is making her do that, then...
shame on them. My goodness...}

Then there was a gal from Canada who commented that up there it is the norm and 

no one would dare think of wearing shoes inside!  {Okay my Canadian friends,

is this accurate?}


So I wrote...

 "Okay... I have a serious question here... I live in Florida, so I guess I never considered the whole snow/slush thing, but... what about if you have a nice party? People are dressed up, etc... tell me you don't make them take their shoes off even then. Please. Tell me you wouldn't."


There were more than a few who voiced great concern over bacteria and germs
being brought in via footwear and even clothing.  One even commented that they
change out of their clothing and shoes immediately upon arrival back home, into
their "house clothes" in an effort to keep away contamination.


Now let me say here that I completely understand special situations in which there may be
a person in the home with life-threatening conditions that require the utmost care in
keeping contaminants and bacteria to a minimum.
Who on earth would argue that they of all people have every right to make
any special request they care to when a life is at stake.


But to ask visitors/guests to remove their shoes at the door (especially for some on just
their first or second visit) would honestly almost be a deal-breaker for me.

One person readily admitted holding to the no-shoes rule because they have

nice new white carpeting and didn't want it soiled.

{I have soooo much I would say here... but I will be good...}

Well, I actually think I did reply to that person's comment -- 
something to the affect that unsuspecting guests to their home should not
be penalized for their guest-unfriendly choice of flooring, and perhaps
they might like to have their guests simply hover over their precious
pristine carpets while visiting, if such an ability existed.


My thought was that mandating a no-shoes policy for anyone other than
those living at the home was akin to elevating the home, it's contents,
and it's furnishings above the importance of genuine hospitality.


My daughter used to occasionally visit a friend's home that had the 
no-shoes-inside policy and it was also awkward for us.

And there was ALWAYS a huge pile of shoes outside the
front door of their otherwise gorgeous home.


At the end of a visit, one was left clamoring through a pile of 
shoes not belonging to you and it was rather, well.. 
icky.


I have a feeling this subject may be divided even down
regional lines.  I suspect that in the South we may be a bit less
prone to require shoes off upon entering
I don't have this as scientific data, but as a girl from the 
South, it would just never fly to stop someone at the door
and ask them to remove a major article of clothing.


Don't get me wrong -- if you could secretly video me during any given week,
you'd find that my shoes are off 90% of the time.
UNTIL...
I find out someone is coming over.
Then, the mad rush to grab shoes, fix hair, makeup, etc.
begins... but there will ALWAYS be shoes found and
worn.


And when the person leaves, OFF go the shoes again.   :)


But it has nothing to do with anything other than it just feels good.


Unless.... and here is where it gets personal to the situation.
If you are family, or super-long-time friends, and you've been here
a "billion" times before, chances are we'll relax our rules a bit
and perhaps visit sans shoes.


But for the most part, I'm taking the side of wishing to 
keep my shoes on, please.  For me it just seems awfully 
personal to ask me to remove my shoes at your door.
I guess that's more of me than I care to share ---
and it sure ruins the otherwise great, pulled-together look
of an awesome outfit!  Hee - hee!!   :)


So do tell, friends ---
what's YOUR spin on the issue?


Are you shoe-less in Seattle?
Barefoot in Bakersfield?
Well-heeled in Williamsburg?


I'm dying to know!


:)

  

Faux Real - I love this Faux Fire.

Here in Florida we are having some wonderful cold weather -- the kind you'd expect to

have this time of year, instead of our usual temps in the 80's in December 

and if you've read my blog very long 

at all

you have to know I am just 

OUT 

OF 

MY

MIND 

HAPPY about this!

The house we live in now is old (1891) and has character galore 

but what it no longer has 

are working fireplaces...

It used to have three of them --

two downstairs and one upstairs.

But...

When the house was cut in half and moved out here to the country from it's place

in our town's historic district, 

well...

a lot of things had to be compromised and the fireplaces were one of those things.

All but one of the three still stand and have their mantles, but a peek inside 

the hearth shows that they are now an integral part of the HVAC system

and house the A/C returns.   

Sad.

BUT!

Instead of a crackling fire in the hearth during this wintery weather week,

I've been enjoying 

THIS

FauxFire.com is FABULOUS!

Okay, before you turn your nose up at it and declare it's admittedly hokey 

nature, give it a shot.

It has that beautiful crackling "fire" sound

AND

an INCREDIBLE, long playlist of some 

EXCELLENT CHRISTMAS TUNES!

Just click it on and leave it!  The music will play, you get the

continual crackling of the fire with the music, and the fire

"burning" on your screen as long as you leave it up.

It's been my mainstay as I've been decorating the house

and I thought I'd share it with

you.  

Be back soon to chat!

Love,

  

We're Stylin', Passing The Love, And Sharing Some Fun Facts...

I got the sweetest blog award and I'd love thank Adrienne of

"A Whole Lotta Love" blog 

(don't you just LOVE that name??)

The award is the 

"Stylish Blogger Award"

and it completely made me smile.  :)

Thank you, Adrienne!!  How fun!!! 

:)

Along with the award, I am constrained to share 7 fun facts with you

then pass the award on to 7 other stylin' bloggers.  

Super fun!    

Sooooo, let's get this party started:

1.)  I am a city-girl through and through.  I never want to go camping a day in my life.

Ever.  There's a reason we've made improvements through the centuries to include indoor

plumbing, electricity and running water.  If I ever get a hankering for the 

"good old days"... take me antique shopping.  ;)

2.)  Though I am a city girl... I do harbor a secret desire for the more

simple things -- things with the character that only history can give.

Wooden screen doors slamming as guests enter.  Large farmhouse-style kitchens

with a big gathering table and lots of "elbow room" for guests that will 

inevitably congregate there.

Or...

Like this old truck... man, I'd love to have this or one like it...

We used to pass an old (Ford? Chevy?) truck on the way to church each Sunday morning that was for sale out in someone's yard.  It was there for years... until one day it was gone.  I secretly hoped that maybe it was gone because my hubby, having heard my dreams of having it, secretly bought it for me and it had disappeared from the man's yard and was out being restored for me...

It did sell, I suppose, but it does not reside with me.  :) 

That's ok -- my "dreams for it were silly anyway.  I didn't want to drive it, I wanted to park it in our

yard, just like you see in the picture above.  I wanted to decorate it for the seasons/holidays...

hay bales in the truck bed with pumpkins, etc. for Fall.  Decked out with little white twinkle lights and

a gorgeous big wreath for Christmas.  Flags and bunting for Summer.  And tubs of flowers and

Spring flower garland for Spring.  Hearts for Valentines Day, Shamrocks for St. Patty's day, etc...

And when we have outdoor parties -- fill the back up with ice for drinks!  

So, as you can see... I only wanted it for a glorified lawn ornament.

No wonder I didn't get it.  ;)

By the way, the 1959 Land Rover pictured above is a fully restored one of a kind that 

the good folks at Orvis.com have up for auction this month.  If you are so inclined to

participate in the online auction, just be aware that as of an hour or so ago, the highest bid

was at just shy of $100K.  

Just sayin...

Okay... #3.)...

Well... hmmm... Some of you may remember a year or so ago I was still sporting

blonde hair.  I'd been blonde for about 12 years or so and then I decided to go back to my

"roots" (haha -- hey, it was just sitting there, I had to go for it).  So, now I am back 

to my very dark brown hair.  I happy with it, but now my secret wish is to go for 

hair extensions.  Everyone always rolls their eyes when I say that... "But you already 

have long hair, what do you need those for?"  

Since when does a gal need an excuse for wanting an even more lush crowning glory??

Do any of you have experience with extensions?  The woven-in kind?

The clip in kind?? Do tell!

4.)  We are about to embark on a MAJOR home repair project.

Our poor old gal of a home (born in 1891) is going to have to have at least

half her downstairs original hardwood floors yanked up and replaced.

Ouch.

Termites have had their way with the wood and we can no longer put it off.

But, I'm excited about it.  The old floors definitely have character but they have seen their better days

and it will be fun to have new, good solid wood back down again.

Super dark, hand-scraped, wide planks.  

Can't wait.

Good thing, too.  Because this house has no foundation and no subfloor.

So... one false move on these rickety floors and someone is going straight 

through to the dirt below.

And... I will DEFINITELY be blogging about it -- before/after pics!

5.)  I have a keen interest in the whole raw food diet.  But no clue how I could ever

truly incorporate it into my life.  I stay so busy I barely cook a "real" meal anymore,

and from what I've seen, the raw food way requires a lot of planning, special buying

and prep.  By the way, for those wondering what a raw food diet is, it is NOT where you

eat anything gross like raw meat.  It is a plant-based diet that involves no cooked foods --

everything eaten in it's most natural state.

Anyone have experience with eating this way??  I'd love to hear your story!

6.)  In the wake of what I said above in #5, I am the same gal who

at any given moment will suddenly crave a wonderful steak.  Not often, mind you,

but when I do, it's like I MUST get one.  And then there is my love of 

coffee.  And candy.  And baking sweets.  See now why #5 is probably going to just

stay a pipe dream for me??  ;)

7.)  I would have another child in a heartbeat if I could.  When I saw the wonderful

news about Kelly Preston and John Travolta having a new baby a week or so ago, 

I was so thrilled for them!  No doubt, they faced naysayers since they are no longer 

within society's guidelines for what is considered the proper age to still bear children.

So I congratulate them for choosing to bring life into the world again -- I imagine

that their new little boy will bring only joy, love, and healing to their home.

Yippee for them!   :)

And now for the seven other bloggers I'd like to pass this award of style on to...

1.)  Melanie from The Musing Magpie

2.)   Lila from Pretty Prowler

3.)   Laura from Verbena Nested Treasures

4.)  Barbara from Hampton Hostess

5.)  Katie from The Girl In The White Dress

6.) Leigha from Elle Oh

7.)  Maryanne from Beadboard Upcountry

I think you'll enjoy each and every one of their blogs -- there is

something for everyone at each one.   

Enjoy!

And thank you again, Adrienne, for passing the

"Stylish Blogger"award to me!  

Sooo fun!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

It's December and it's chilly here (finally!) -- great weather

to get out of the house.   

:)