With Joyful Abandon

dive into your life! This child will be covered in leaves rich in autumn's colors and he will emerge laughing, shaking off a few leaves and will dive in all over again. Can you think of any better metaphor for life?

This photo makes me smile in a big way. What memories it invokes of my dad raking leaves into piles all over the yard (no blowers back then) and then pretending like he didn't want his three daughters messing them up by diving into them. We would laugh and giggle and roll around in them until our hair was full of nature. Dad would pretend to grumble that we wrecked his work and he would have to rake them all over again...always making a bigger and deeper pile for us to jump back into.

Even God's four-leggeds know a good time when they see it.

Go, find a pile of leaves and send nature fluttering all around you. Have a wonderful Monday. Sea Witch

100th Post Winner is...

can you stand it? Who is the lucky winner of my 100th post drawing that my dog, Kota, selected by his cold, wet nose???? Why it is:

Catnip Studio

Whoo hoo, lots of horns, noisemakers, dogs barking, cats screeching, small children screaming with glee! Confetti dropping and cake for everyone! So Kathy of Catnip Studio, please send me your snail mail address via email and I will pack your goodies up and send them on to you. If you are not familiar with Kathy's blog, http://www.vintagecatnip.blogspot.com/, you must visit. This is one talented woman with a lot of oars in many seas as my hubby likes to say. It is her joy for life and her willingness to share her many talents with all of us through her blog that lured me to her site and kept me as a follower and a favorite. Congratulations Kathy!

The 100 post stash but wait, there's more!

I had a total of 93 entries and I thank all of you who left comments, became followers and noted my 100 post giveaway on your blog. You made this lots of fun for me and I enjoyed reading all of your comments.

Here is Kota sniffing out the names to pull.


And the winners are:

Catnip Studio (www.vintagecatpnip.blogspot.com)

Winners? Did you say winners?
Why, yes I did. As I added a few more goodies to the larder, I decided to pull 6 other entries and send you a sand and sea glass (mermaid's tears) in a tiny bottle necklace. I had made these while sailing in the Bahamas with my honey a few years ago and sold them all over the Abacos to the local shops there. Legend says that if you take some sand from your visit to a beach, that you will return one day. With this simple little necklace and the bottle of island sand hanging from it, I wish the wearer the opportunity to travel to the Bahamian island chain and enjoy their lovely beaches as I do. Here are those winners:

• Brocantess (http://www.brocantess.blogspot.com/)
• Deb Sea (http://www.dyingtobeyours.blogspot.com/)
• Tracy (http://www.athomeontheridge.blogspot.com/)
• Gypsy Purple (http://www.gypsypurple.blogspot.com/)
• Barb (http://www.thefrenchelements.blogspot.com/)
• Karen Valentine (http://www.mydesertcottage.blogspot.com/)
  
  Ladies, please send me your snail mail via an email and I will have these wrapped and packaged to send to you. Excited to know that these are going all over the world, perhaps one day I will meet up with all of you as I adore travel.

The sand and the sea glass were all taken from Elbow Cay, Abaco, Bahaamas. Kathy, you will also receive a necklace.

Closer look at that tiny bottle filled with Bahamian sand and sea glass.

Just a few more treasures I have tossed into the 100th post package. Sweet, ladies china hand ashtray...yes, I said ashtray....too pretty for nasty ashes but perfect for rings or hold some fresh lavender. A vintage millinery bouquet that I repurposed into a blazer pin. It will always be spring when you wear this. And the pretty little doily under both of them.

So, I thank everyone for participating in my 100th Post Giveaway. I enjoyed reading all of your comments and making new friends. Have a wonderful weekend and blessings to everyone...and Happy Friday the 13th! Sea Witch

Is that a Parrotfish on my header?

Yes, I've switched out my header again. Just wasn't feeling the love with the spotted moray eel and needed a "lighter" feeling to the header, something more welcoming. What better way to welcome visitors then the sweet and funny face of a Parrot Fish. They have powerful jaws and teeth that look like the beak of a parrot. I adore these goofy looking, brilliant colored species with their parrot shaped beaks that give you the appearance of them grinning right at you.

To me they are the closest thing to swimming cartoons with their bright colors and funny faces. They are the most common and most colorful of species living on coral reefs around the world. All sizes and colors (I have seem some as big as a 50 pound dog), friendly and unafraid of divers, they will often follow you as you move around in their world. (photos enlarge when you click on them.)

Stoplight Parrotfish - male. Named for the brilliant yellow stoplight on its tail (pectoral fin).

A sex changing fish, the colors of the Stoplight parrotfish in the initial phase (below) when it could be either a male or female are dramatically different from when it is in the terminal phase (above) sporting brilliant colors when it is definitely a male.

Stoplight Parrot Fish either male or female in initial phase.

Princess Parrotfish with a cheeky grin. Always a brilliant blue and the face of my latest header.

Bi-color Parrotfish - male How can you not be passionate about this species with so many brilliant colors to choose from?

The parrotfish diet is primarily algae extracted from chunks of coral ripped from a reef. You can actually "hear" them crunching the coral while swimming with them. These coral crunchers pulverize the coral with the grinding teeth in their throat and most of the sand in their region is actually the ground up and undigested coral they excrete.

Wishing you a colorful day and thanks for stopping by. Sea Witch

Let Us Remember

On this Veterans Day, let us honor all of those who have given their lives in the pursuit of freedom, thank those who have previously fought, and those who continue to protect us today.

Oxford University prominently displays a letter Abraham Lincoln wrote to a mother who lost five sons in the Civil War. Scholars in England claim that Lincoln’s letter provides a “model of the purest English, rarely, if ever, surpassed.”

On Nov. 21, 1864, President Lincoln wrote to the widow Lydia Bixby:

Dear Madam,
I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.
I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
A. Lincoln

You may recall hearing these words in the movie, "Saving Private Ryan." I cannot think of words truer that bring tears to my eyes, weight to my heart and thanks to my lips. Please join me in thanking a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine today for their commitment to this great country of ours and to what they give to the world.

Proud mother of a US Army Captain. Sea Witch

Christmas Booth Display

Hello everyone. I have two big open houses on the same night this season so I'm running amuck trying to get as many holiday items in both locations as fast as I can. Of course, they need to have an appealing look to entice folks into my booths. I got started this weekend on my larger space at Queen of Hearts and after a lot of restructuring of pieces, got quite a lot of inventory in. Still, I have lots more to place as I like to have a really filled booth during these open houses.

A glass case filled and a farm table loaded with items.

The perfect gowns for the "new moon" movie to premiere next week are hanging in the corner.

Tree with vintage beaded ornaments from the 1960-70s.

I am crazy about this old farm table with its layers and layers of old paint. Neat little drawer in the center has original metal knob that is delightfully bent. I wonder how many home cooked meals were served on this table?

Antique wicker tiered server, mica house, depression glass green bowls, serving trays and more.

Channeling the Temptations or the Miracles...I adore this white linen and sequined tux from the Motown era. Hand made from a local tailor in Atlanta and original owner's name is sewn in the jacket.

Large gold leaf letters of the Child's message on a Victorian settee.

Love the old playpen and shutter on top that converts this into a functional buffet. Perfect for showing off you favorite holiday serving items.

This week, I add more to my Vintage Village booth. Will be drawing for my 100th post this weekend with the winner announced on Monday. You may still leave a comment to enter into the 100th post giveaway. Have a wonderful Tuesday. Sea Witch

100th Post and Buford Junction Antiques

Whoo hooo, this is my 100th post!!!

I still can't believe that I have posted 100 thoughts,words, and photos and people actually came and stopped by to read them. What a terrific ride this has been so far. Now, if you have not already done so, please look at my 97th post to get a peak at the 100 post giveaway. I have actually added to it and those items will remain a surprise for the lucky winner. If you leave a comment you will be entered once, if you add yourself as a follower (or are already an existing follower AND leave a comment, you will be entered twice and if you leave a comment, are/become a follower AND mention this giveaway in your post, you will be entered three times.

In keeping with special posts, I am delighted to also share with you some photos of one of my favorite local antique shops, "Buford Junction Antiques"...just across the tracks. Buford Junction Antiques is owned and run by Linda...a delightful woman who you will instantly bond with. She has a smile a mile wide and very knowledgeable about the antique field. I met Linda five years ago and have made lots of purchases for myself and for resale. If you are ever in Buford, GA, then this shop is one not to be missed. (photos enlarge if you click on them)

Located next to the Buford Train Depot (and the train does come by several times a day with the rush of wind and the loud whistle, this shop has an inviting and comfortable front entrance.

You will often find Linda along with friends both new and old sitting out front and enjoying the day and good conversation. You can see how easy it is to want to visit here often...it's like meeting up with your neighbor for local gossip and good conversation.

Lots of garden and outdoor items abound. If you like garden pieces, this is an excellent place to shop and the prices are fantastic.

As you enter through the antique door into the shop, you are bombarded with so many wonderful antiques and for every decor imaginable.

Where to begin, so many wonderful things to look at...and purchase!

Pretty white deacons seat with drawers.

Lovely old french cupboard with original Prussian blue paint. One of my favorite pieces in the shop.

A saddle and antique stoneware jugs.

Whimsical blue stool and paper mache pumpkin.

Lovely pie safe.

A mantle full of pretty things and a wonderful Winter scene in an old frame.

Nice Bessie Pease Goodman print in original round frame.

A pile of soft and warm quilts with vintage axes. Calling Carrie Nation!

Besides these photos of what's inside the Buford Junction, there are two other rooms. Special rooms. One is the outdoor shed and it is a treasure trove of all things eclectic. The second room is the basement work space where Linda brings vintage pieces back to life and also designs and creates furniture commission. Linda is a true craftswoman and the pieces she creates are amazing. I can't say it enough, if you are in Buford, then you must stop by Buford Junction Antiques and say hello. Thanks for stopping by and for making my 100th Post so much fun. Sea Witch

99 and counting! ...and free tutorial courtesy of The Feathered Nest

One more post after this one and I've hit my 100th post! If you haven't left a comment, please do and you will be entered in my 100th Post Giveaway. You can get a sneak peak at some of the giveaway treasures two posts below this one.

Now, I have two Holiday Open Houses to set up for and every spare minute has me slowing changing over my two booths. Just started on my largest one last evening and wanted to share some of the photos I took. So much to do and this is only the start. I need more time...the words spoken by every dealer at this time of the year.

Red and green is splashed everywhere, still so much to do.

Edwardian shoes and angel candlesticks.

Love the corner cupboard from an old farmhouse. So many decorating ideas.


Starting to fill in the shelves with holiday items.

Cowboy Christmas things.

Thanks for stopping by, I have to go price more holiday items now. Sea Witch

p.s. I was stopping in at my favorite sites and the delightful Dawn of The Feathered Nest just offered up a free tutorial on how to create a lovely gift box http://the-feathered-nest.blogspot.com/2009/11/free-gift-card-box-tutorial.html. Dawn is "uber" talented and you can purchase her delightful tutorials on her blog However, today, Dawn is offering this "box to gift box" tutorial for FREE. Click the link above and she will show you how to turn an ordinary box into something extraordinary. Just in time for the holidays!

100th Post Giveaway and Station Wagon Ducks

First and foremost, I am 2 posts away from 100 and am excited to reach that milestone. Please leave a comment to be entered in the 100 post giveaway, if you follow my blog you will be entered a second time and if you mention the giveaway on your blog you will be entered a third time.

I woke up to a pair of mallards in my back yard this morning, something that I don't usually see in suburban Atlanta. Lots of Canadian Geese but not mallards. Seeing their swishing little tails and hearing their low quacks reminded me of a story I posted for Dances with Flowers http://danceswithflowers.wordpress.com/ back in July. She had taken to her bed with an illness and asked several of her blog friends to submit a story as a guest poster. Jennifer has a natural green thumb and all of God's flora truly dance for her. I submitted the below posting and I hope it puts a smile on your day and perhaps makes your laugh:

Jennifer has asked me, the Sea Witch, to be a guest poster of which I am shamelessly flattered. Having read two guest postings so far I feel I am a wildflower in a garden of orchids as these folks that I have been asked to follow behind are knowledgeable and passionate about plant life. My only “expertise” is that I love anything that Mother Nature so willingly gives us, and having spent many days watering my dad’s pair of personal greenhouses when he and Mom were on vacation.

My dad was a New York City boy, born and raised, but somewhere in his soul he had a horticulturist’s heart. He adored flowering plants and especially roses. I remember growing up in New Jersey, surrounded with the over 100 different rose varieties and colors that dad tended to and nurtured around our yard. When the flowering season began, our yard would smell like a perfume counter. The heady scent of roses was everywhere.

Dad was also obsessed with the Jackson and Perkins contest for nurturing the perfect white rose and spent years trying to cultivate a pure white rose, but never quite accomplishing that because deep in the center there always remained a gentle hue of lilac.

When we were transferred to Minnesota in 1966, attempting to nurture flowering plants in a short, 6-week summer season was frustrating. So Dad turned to water plants, as we had a huge pond in our back yard. All I remember is that I had my own pond which meant I could swim in the summer, skim rocks and fish all year long and skate on the frozen water in the winter… even then, always a child of the sea… my mom used to say I would find a water world in a rain puddle. Dad wanted mallard ducks for the pond so he grabbed my sisters and me and we piled into the 1966 family station wagon and headed off to a duck farm.

Dad purchased 6 female ducks and 2 males. Being a “city boy”, he thought it was a perfectly sound decision to put one daughter up front and the other two in the back seat and then put the ducks in with us. Hey, how bad could this ride be as it was only 8 miles to the house? The minute Dad turned the engine on the ducks began flying all over the inside of the car. The quacking noise was deafening and this transplanted city family learned firsthand what happens when ducks get nervous.

Dad set land-speed records in getting us back to the house with my two younger sisters crying and screaming at the top of their 6 and 10 year old lungs… which did nothing to soothe the mood of the frightened ducks. The minute we pulled in the driveway, I opened the door and the ducks flew out and ran to the pond, quacking loudly and anxious to settle into their new digs.

My mom heard the commotion, came out of the house and looked at her ducksh*t and feather covered and crying daughters, turned to my dad and said, “Paul, what the hell did you do to the girls?” At the grownup age of 12, I recognized how funny that sounded and how we looked and I began laughing — which only made my sisters wail louder. All my dad could do is turn the outside water on and hose us and the car down. Needless to say, we city folk never picked up ducks in a station wagon again.

Have a wonderful day and watch out for station wagon ducks. Sea Witch

100th Post Give Away Sneak Peak

What to give away, what to give away? I'm 3 posts away from 100 and very excited. It feels like I just began this blog yesterday and not so long ago on a Friday, April 24th, 2009. My first blog, motivated by a girlfriend's blog, contained no pictures, only words. http://musingsofaseawitch.blogspot.com/2009/04/and-she-blogs.html

It was like jumping into the ocean deep, would people read what I posted? Would I have anything to say? Would what I say have any value to me or to the reader? I took a deep breath and said to myself, "Go to it girl, at least you will have one constant reader...yourself." What I received was unexpected. I have reaped friendships, far reaching and wide. So many talented folks out there and you have all blessed me in so many ways. I've never looked back and have enjoyed every minute of it. So on to the give aways:

A hardbound copy of Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews. You gotta love the adventures of an antique dealer looking for love and the perfect acquisition all in Savannah, Georgia.

An ice cream scoop worthy of a Sea Witch with a pretty shell handle.

A Sea Witch designed necklace wrought from faceted adventurine beads, Swarovski crystals, 14k dipped seed beads and a hand blown center bead by my lovely stepdaughter.

Looks good so far, but wait, there's more!

I'm crazy about beautiful ribbons and trims. This is a one yard strip of a silk, rayon lame tapestry ribbon with tiny mirrors embroidered on it. So many uses.

Christmas is just around the corner and everyone can always use another Christmas stocking (or sock as we say up north). Sea Witch made, this is gro-grain taffeta in the color of the sea and hand embellished with antique lace, kicky little tassels and tiny bugle beads.

An assortment of pastel scrapping papers for your altered art or mixed media work.

So that is the start of my 100th post giveaways. There is more to be added over the next day or two. Leave a comment on this posting and you will be entered in the 100th post giveaway. Mention the 100th post giveaway on your blog and you will be entered twice. Become a follower on my blog and you will be entered again. I want to thank everyone who has stopped by my blog since its beginning. You have all made this such a wonderful experience for me. Sea Witch

Vintage Village is turning holiday & I'm four shy of 100 posts

This is my favorite time of the year at Vintage Village. We are all preparing for the Candlelight Open House that will run on the evening of November 18th and 19th and then carry through Sunday, the 22nd. Dealers out do themselves decorating and bringing in their best to offer to our customers and the prices are always affordable. So below are a few pics of what is in the shop now BEFORE the Open House. These items will all be complimented by lots of holiday pizazz shortly.

You may view videos of last year's Candlelight Open House at this link: http://vintagevillageantiquesandmore.com/openhouse.html. Please allow a few moments for the page to load as it contains three short videos but they still need a moment to cache.

On another note, I just realized that this is my 96th post. Where did the time go? I can't believe tha I am 4 posts aways from 100 posts. I will have to start putting together my 100th post giveaway TONIGHT. Look for photos in my next post. Have a wonderful Monday. Sea Witch