in the fields

so monday was the first day patricia and i went wandering through the fields of warrenton...and it was hot. Hotter than i expected and there was no shortage of folks sharing that same or very similar sentiment. i can tell you though, that there was one very smart fellow who had the right idea...here is a photo of rascal, enjoying a big breeze from his favorite fan.

the rest of us were not so lucky but it didn't keep us from stalking the best and brightest. After several hours of hunting and pecking, Patricia leaned over to me and said "i love stuff".
well, i absolutely loved it, because so do i! and that is the beauty of just meandering around the fields...you just never know what you might find that you can't live without, or something that a customer can't live without and you certainly never know when you will stumble upon greatness.

And we did that a few times, two of which i want to mention.

Allen Jancik and Donna Youngkin have a precious corner up there called The Gilded Peddler. Just wonderful design ideas, and great, great items of all kinds. We especially loved their cherubs...here and there, on lamps or not. And wonderful lighting...lighting is so important, often overlooked, but so important.

and another surprise was Reborn Rubbish, by Donna Fussell. You might know Donna from her other enterprise, Virgins, Saints and Sinners. She is from Baton Rouge and is focusing this area of her talents on sustainable, recycled, reborn rubbish, to be exact! You cannot imagine what a great spread of delectable goodies she brought to show. Great apparel, home decor and jewelry. and her tag line is the best...
"it's never too late to be what you might have been"
Thinking that that is true in all areas, at all times of our lives.

Wednesday was not at all like Monday...Wednesday was cool...read as COLD, and wet. Refreshing, yes!! A little too cool, yes!  Fueled by steaming hot Earl Grey tea from the Coffee Bug, we made our way with umbrellas in hand. It was a great day and we loaded up on vintage linens, a few excellent furniture pieces for the new front room, and some 'project pieces'--those things we buy and let sit until a moment of inspiration hits and bodda-bing-bodda-boom! we make magic happen.

Speaking of magic, you better have your calendar marked for October 1st! From 6:30 until 8:30 we will be having a magical time at the shop with our Fashion Fiesta. You must come, we will have snacks and swag bags and all sorts of most excellent values on our amazing new fall fashions. And with a little bit of help from UPS, we will have our new fall arrivals from Maria de Guadalajara that everyone has been waiting for. So make it a date and we'll see you then.

Course there will be more blogging and updates from Round Top before then! Have fun and see you shopping!

today is sunday

propped up in my soft cotton bed, a solitary hummingbird sipping nectar from tropical salvia just beyond the window...it's sunday morning, i am quiet.

my dear friend dean harmison is a wizard in so many ways, but easiest to convey this morning is his way with a camera lens. i have always loved images of leaves on water; i sometimes float leaves in shallow containers to achieve the same  visual depth of serenity in my space. my mind sometimes ventures to my to-do list, but i gently guide it back to just being right here, right now.

the hum of the air conditioner, the infrequent sighs from Bhakti, or Girlie, as she is most often known around the shop, punctuate the otherwise city-silence that surrounds me.

i imagine sitting, looking across a pond as a single leaf falls from the tree above. it glides to the surface of the water and takes a slow, leisurely ride. such is life...a ride, be it slow and leisurely or more like a torrent. as the leaf takes to the watery ride beneath, with no resistance, today i take to the day, likewise with  no resistance. at least that is my intention for the day, the rest i leave up to God.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning:

Earth's crammed with heaven,

And every common bush afire with God;

And only he who sees takes off his shoes;

The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.

done!

i keep musing on those sayings about 'a job well done' and the like. i do enjoy sitting in the 'new front room'...could be because i am tired! so i need to hear from you--when you come in, tell us what you think of our new space.

here we are at the door step to the autumnal equinox and the weather has felt different, the oaks out in the county are shedding a few yellow leaves. Dare i say, the forecast even mentions a nighttime low in the low 60's this coming week. and i am loving the cloudy days.

...and here we are at the door step to another Round Top Antiques Festival...it is always such fun both to attend and to host our regular shoppers who venture from the Festival to our Downtown Area. Many shops will feature late night hours and i will post those shortly.

i will be rousting-about Round Top and neighboring Festival surrounds myself- it is always a fun time, an inspiring time and a time to walk about in the fresh air, meet new folks and connect with some you haven't seen in awhile. hope to see you there!

just comtemplating this morning about silence and how little of it there seems to be these days. either the hummmmmm of the refrigerator or air conditioner seems to be ever-present. outside in the garden, the discernable noise of the freeway, even at a distance, but there.

so much to distract us from ourSelves...so much activity, so much to read or listen to. and alas, here i am creating more--more content, more more more!

today is a holiday--hope you'll indulge yourSelf and observe some silence, some serenity...honor the activity you do daily by taking a moment, savoring the silence, listening to your own breath.

Sink into the peace that is central to your being...just now--turn your listening ears inside, feel yourself settle down and withdraw your attention from the outer. a deep breath lets you relax a bit more...             ...and a bit more...

return here often, it is a safe place to be and to be nurtured.