May all the doors of your desires open in the New Year!

1. An old door 2, 2. A closed door, 3. Doors are back :) , 4. * Doors All Around *, 5. Magic Red Door, 6. red door, 7. Door, 8. 50 Doors in Crestview, 9. Door Lock :: HDR (Explored), 10. Behind the door, 11. Red door in morn, hockey players be warned, 12. Door to freedom, 13. ~~there is a door that you are looking for~~, 14. Mosaic Door, 15. OLD ARABIC DOOR, 16. Christmas door, 17. Detail from a Dublin door, 18. Don't Open that Door!, 19. 4 Doors + 4 windows V2, 20. initials


I am happy to share that the goal to start a blog in the year 2009 brought to my world more that I could imagine. Old friends found and new friends made. A world of ahh to be had.

In 2010 I look forward to the doors that will open...some I can imagine and yet others unknown.

Peace and good health to one and all as we say goodbye 2009 and hello 2010. Joy to each of you.


Joy...................always

These are a few of my favorite things....when the

The song Favorite Things enters my mind when I step on the threshold of this shop! It is my toy store shall we say. I think that I could go without eating for weeks to save money to spend in this shop( OK, that might be a little much, however point well made). I have to quite my excitement to allow myself to take in all the wonderment. The shop.....Pairs Market, in Savannah GA.
I only brought in my Iphone so the pictures are not the best...but well enough to get you intrigued.




There is always a bit of let down as some items are props. Like a moth to a flame you can bet my eye is drawn right to those items. So they become ideas tucked into my breast pocket for my hunting trips! What an awesome paper press this was! How clever a little table it made.




This table lined in zinc looked as someone had to run an errand in the middle of their holiday baking.

What great cupcake displays these would make...I think I need a dozen!

Breast pocket idea....right??? How many times have you passes up spindles?

Me peaking with excitement, peeking in the window from street side. You see the little espresso and dessert bar. The day we were there they were giving out cones of cotton candy....I share mine with the corner cop who gave us hotel tips...we had not planned to spend the night... it being Savannah at holiday time...cotton candy was a cheap price to pay for that kind of tip!

Burlap, burlap, burlap...it was all over...pillows, lampshades, table runners.

So if you should find yourself in Savannah be sure to visit one of my favorite shops...I will post some of my wonderful finds tomorrow.

Now if you are anything like me you will click on each picture to see every single detail of what is pictured!!! Oh LA LA!




Joy.......................always

Wishes for a very Merry Christmas

He knows if you've been bad or good!!

How funny is this picture. I was shopping at Target when I came upon this mother just beside herself! This little girl would not sit down She was mad because her little brother had pulled a banana from the bunch! I asked her if I could take her picture. As you can see she was more than willing to allow me to catch her Grinch moment. I asked her if she would like to see her picture...not losing one moment of frown she agreed to see the photo...a moment of smile came upon her rosy cheeks...and then you guessed back on to full pout! Hope Santa was busy somewhere else that day...I left the poor stressed mother continuing to coax the Grinch like elf to PLEASE sit down...and the dear sweet brother in distress that the bananas where removed from his wee hands..... Sure glad Santa isn't watching me anymore!


Joy.......................always

Great Expectations dashed

I had great expectations of replicating a tree that I had seen in Country Living. At the end of the year I kept and eye out for the perfect tree. It would be a discarded tree found curb side with great bones. I found it and sent it out into the forest in my backyard. I watched over the months as the needles dried and fell to the ground. One side seemed to be holding on to it's needles so dear sweetie hung the tree upside down in the forest to encourage the dropping of needles. The idea was to paint it's bare branches a lovely color of red, string it with lights and decorate it with everything vintage!!!! But, alas....it still clung to it's needles and try as I may...it was not to be. So...it has come into the house El natural...decorated with thread spools that serve as candle holders, vintage lace, dried hydrangeas, a birds nest and garlands of raffia....well really how fit for a blog touting itself as Uncanny Festoon....the mantel awaits it's festooning so stay tuned!

Joy.........................always

And now back to the cold

I have been off to Florida and returned to rooftops of white! Lots of things to share just need a bit of time to capture it all.

Happy Thanksgiving................I send you Blessings

Joy......................always

Junkin Monday

A warm amber willow picnic hamper to heighten the stack...when I brought it in the house dear sweetie was admiring it...I took it to his study and added it to the stack...he chuckled and said"you knew right where it was going" he is right I knew the minute I saw it at the rummage sale that it would rest with the other baskets in his room. How high to stack...now that is the question?????

a candle lit day with a light drizzle outside making the glow warming to the soul. The fairy lamp and thread spools were a great find at the rummage sale. The spools are just the right size to house a candle in the top hole. Can you believe the Autumn colors of the taller spool?

I always have my eye out for items to add height to my vignettes. Marcela from Nice and Easy antiques has had a hand in me seeing things a bit different. This little pumpkin rest on an upside down silver compote dish layered on top of another pedestal...

Kid leather gloves...from the Dollar store! Not really, but they were only a dollar! The fit...perfect! I needed a black pair of gloves, I always seem to get brown??? Perfect timing as our evenings drop into the low 40's.

Tea cups for a quarter at the rummage sale...priced by the Mad Hatter himself I believe!!! You must be mad to sell tea cups for a quarter....all made in England and vintage! MAD I SAY!

Six hand painted tea cups ...............$1.50 and no tea tax!

My mind won't leave this alone.............ideas a plenty

BOOKS AND BERRIES

Emergency candles in a lovely shade of honey

and what is Junkin Monday without a little junk???

Joy.......................................always

As promised

As promised here are some of the other photos I took of Abby...I know how sweet...right!

This is her grandmothers nurse's cap. The photo will be a holiday gift...we also took some shots of her in her grandfather's fire helmet...what a gift it will be to see their sweet Abby in these photos.

Where's the horse? I thought she looked so Alice in Wonderland.

I adore shooting children's hands

Abby is a girl after my own heart. You can see how she loved these vintage cowboy boots. They were my son's boots and I believe that he slept in them a few nights!

Lessons learned

First lessons in the studio. Sunday I gave my first lesson in the studio. I have taught classes in my home just never in the studio. I was teaching Meri Elle to solider. It is a treat to watch an artist learning a new skill. She brought some wonderful images to capture behind glass. It will be a wonderful time seeing what she does with this new gained talent. It helped me as an artist teaching just how to help others move past hesitations and free them self to just DO. It was a wonderful time. We have already decided what her next class will be. Fine silver fusing. Yes, Meri Elle with a torch!