The TOES, the RING, the MAN.

These are the "Diver Down" TOES that are attached to the body that stretches to a left hand

that is wearing the RING that holds within 60+ years of a parents marriage

and was given by the MAN who the Sea Witch will marry

on Thursday, May 28th in a ceremony sanctified on the sands of a Bahamian beach.

Thursday, May 28, 2009 - 5:00 pm

Port Lucaya Beach - Grand Bahama Island

With sons and daughters, their husbands & wives, a sister and a cousin, a granddaughter, and in-laws in attendance, we will declare our love for each other in front of family, the sea, and our Creator.

Road Trip Part Deux - Athens Antiques

I’m afraid the days have gotten away from me again. I won’t complain as I have been blessed with a rich and full life full of wonderful friends, old ones and new ones and ones to be met…road trips for antiques, cool junk and whatever catches my eyes. Following my visit to The Factory Antiques in Statham, I went 8 miles further up the road and stopped in Athens Antiques. My sister and I met two delightful dealers from Athens Antiques at the Statham outdoor market and had to make a visit. Keep watch as you travel down the road just before you get into Athens proper as it can be easy to miss. It’s not that the location is difficult, the building has a big sign, but it is set back with trees in the background so you can easily drive by it and have to do a turnaround. Lots and lots and lots of wonderful things reside within and the building is much bigger than it looks from the outside.

If you are looking for traditional, elegant pieces, then you must visit Athens Antiques. In addition there is artwork, lovely transfer ware pieces, civil war items…lots of true Southern antique pieces.

Wonderful, large advertising piece. Showcase item for a home or office.


Your favorite tea or coffee always tastes better when served from a pretty silver set.
My favorites, wonderful primitives.

I'm afraid my camera battery ran down before I could take more pictures. Still, these should whet your appetite for true antiques with Southern charm. I did walk away with a lovely Victorian Battenburg parlor piece. Antique Battenburg is dear to come by and when I can find it, I have to have it. Athens Antiques is worth the drive to visit. You won't be disappointed.

Antiq’in in Statham, Again!!!

Sorry for the delay in this posting…I do have my reasons, though. I’m getting married in the Bahamas next week and I am running amuck trying to figure out how to make 70 pounds weigh in at 50 pounds per checked bag. So please forgive me for running behind with this posting.

My sister and I attended the Antiques & Garden Event in Statham two weeks ago and had a wonderful time.

Sweet, little community with character and charm. I had a wonderful time but did not get to really "junque" the way I like to so I had to return to spend a few hours at The Factory Antiques owned by Evelyn Myrick. Located across the “tracks” in a beautiful brick building, she offers you two floors filled with antiques, the genuine articles. The high ceilings, exposed plaster lathing, and the sloped wood floors showcase the charm of this lovely old building and enhance the treasures held within. There was plenty to look at.

I arrived early on a Saturday morning so it was quiet and I could really roam each and every booth on both floors. I took lots of pictures and came away with a few treasures for myself. I can’t wait to see how Evelyn has this building decorated for the Christmas holidays. It will be a visual treat.

Pretty aqua trimmed hoosier cabinet. Original paint.

Shabby white and bits of aqua...one of my favorite combinations.

Heavy Victorian Dresser - probably walnut under the soft yellow paint.

A birds-eye view of the treasures found upstairs. There is another aisle on this floor as well.

Wonderful pair of life size cast iron horse heads.

Everyone needs a casket size cowboy bathtub.

The Factory Antiques is located at 1910 Railroad Street, Statham, GA 30066. Phone number is: (770) 725-8011 and hours are Monday thru Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. If you are looking for a nice, day-road trip to junk and antique, then Statham is a wonderful place to visit as they have two other antique shops as well. One is perfect for the men in our lives as it is filled with war memorabilia, guns, and lots of other "man stuff". If you need more civilization, you can drive the 8 miles towards Athens for lunch but do stop by Athens Antiques (will post tomorrow).

I left The Factory Antiques with two treasures for myself. One an aluminum tongs with advertising on it that my mom used to use for summer grilled items and another was a huge, 1950s Coca Cola poster that had seen better days but was still spectacular.

Hag Swag and Paying it Forward Project!

I see a priority box at my door as I pull into my driveway after a long day at work. Could this be the gum paste sea shells that I ordered for wedding cupcakes? Nope, even better, Hag Swag! YES! My wonderful and talented friend, “one vintage hag” at Vintage Village Antique and More has finished her Pay It Forward project to me and two other lucky bloggers who were first to comment on her Pay It Forward blog. One vintage hag had promised the first three bloggers to comment would receive an item created especially for us by her. You didn’t have to tell me twice, I was off to the races…or to her blog and left a comment and became one of the first of three.

I mentioned in one of my previous blog postings how much I love “bloggie swag,” these wonderful little unexpected snail mail boxes that just show up at your door. Truly simple pleasures for the giver and the givee, so much so that I will be sending a monthly bloggie swag package to anyone who has left a comment on my blog each month. (Any comments left in May will also go into the blog hat and I will pull out a commenter and send them a box with blog swag in it.) Back to my package, I couldn’t wait to open it and keeping with the rules of the game, I immediately snapped a picture for posterity.

What’s inside, Kota? He can hardly wait. I recognize the red handmade paper I used in the bloggie swag I sent one vintage hag. Could that be the smell you recognize? I think Kota smells the toastie dog scent of Sebastian, one vintage hag's puppy, because he is wagging his tail and burying his nose in the box. Amid the packing peanuts and the red paper I pull out a huge, “road trip” binder made just for ME!

How did one vintage hag know that just two weeks ago, I had just dumped my old, falling apart binder that I use when I road trip? I never told a soul. She is so clever. As much as I love technology, I tend to be a little old school with some things…my road trip binder is one of those tools. I like to keep my maps and restaurant coupons handy. I always travel with a small magnet to test “real brass”, a high powered pocket magnifier so these old eyes can read hallmarks on jewelry, and a small pocket knife to pry open stuck treasures. All of these things will fit in the pockets and the case that is inside my new road trip binder with enough room to spare to tuck in my favorite guide, Schroders Antiques.

What really makes this special is all of the work that one vintage hag went through to make this “MY” binder. It is full of my sea shore, diving, let’s get wet things with great big letters spelling out SPLASH and Sea Witch! Miz Hag, you apologize in your letter that you are not very crafty. Not true. You are not only crafty but you have insight into what every road tripper should have…a traveling binder. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. This is a wonderful piece of “hag swag” that I will treasure.

In keeping with the Pay It Forward Tradition, the first three bloggers (folks who have a blog) to comment on this posting will be my pay it forwards and I will make something especially for each of you. Thanks one vintage hag for starting this wonderful posting tradition.

I Think Dogs Are...

the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive." ~~ Gilda Radner (1946 – 1989) American comedian

How true these words are. I cannot imagine my life without dogs in it. They keep me honest, forthright and remind me that life should always contain a broad sense of humor. I have had many wonderful 4-legged’s in my life; most being rescued animals. Kota, my laughing coyote, is one of those wonderful souls. I was living in Flagstaff, Arizona and had returned home from having my other dog blessed for the feast day of St. Francis. I walked into the publishing house that I worked for when I saw a coyote run into the building and hole up in the Editors pit.

I always kept cookie bones for the warehouse drivers who traveled with their dogs so I grabbed the box and ran to the Editors pit hoping that I could bribe the frightened guy out of the building. There in the center of the room was this skinny, dirty coyote mix with a nose full of porcupine needles. He looked like a pin cushion. He looked up at me, his tail began to wag and he creepy crawled over to me like a little furry commando. I knew he was what the locals called a “rez rocket” or a tribal dog running ferral. If their dogs killed their chickens, they would usually drop them off in Flagstaff for locals to take them in rather than destroy them. Porcupine needles are tough to remove and require surgery to be done safely and without future infection. I called a local vet who said they would see if he could perform the surgery or if he would have to put the animal down. I receive a call from the vet several hours later saying that over 200 porcupine needles were removed from his face and he should pull through. Well, this sweet boy had me at “woof”…actually more like a whistle as he never did bark. Sierra, my other dog taught him how to bark as he would communicate in whistles, howls and popping sounds. Kota came home with me as soon as he was released from the vet and has been a member of our family ever since. I am grateful that the Navajo left him in Flag to find me.

He is the sweetest canine I have ever owned, easy going but with a keen sense of pack protection. He keeps watch over the back deck ensuring that the squirrels do not run off with the patio furniture and no one makes it into our yard without Kota alerting us.

March 1, 2009 snowfall in Lawrenceville - Kota was howling he loved it so much. He thought he was back in the high desert of Arizona.

I share this love of God’s creatures with many of my antique dealer friends at Vintage Village. In fact, we dedicated a link to our pets featuring their favorite picks. This continues to be our most visited page. http://vintagevillageantiquesandmore.com/Petspick.html or if you are visiting the Vintage Village Website, look for the picture of Sebastian at the bottom of the menu bar, double click on his sweet face and you are there. I hope you will take a peak at it.

Laughing at the squirrels in the sun.

So in the words of the great American philosopher, Will Rogers - "If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Amen.

Blog Sale by Gypsy Mermaid

Here is a shout out to all fellow bloggers from the Sea Witch. You are invited to a blog sale.

Yes, a blog sale...and just when you thought you couldn't possibly find another buying venue. Gypsy Mermaid, a blogger who loves the sea and vintage embellshments for her altered art, is having a blog sale.

GM lost her home and belongings from Hurricane Ike (2008). Coupled with today's precarious financial climate the things she is selling today are things special to her and it is hard to give them up. She and her hubbie had to move because of the hurricane and locating a job has been difficult. Until that happens this is her way of putting her 2 cents in so her hubby doesn't have it all depending on him! Her blog link is as follows: http://gypsymermaidlife.blogspot.com/ so check out the great buys.

The prices are more than right and I just purchased a bunch of terrific ephemera and I can't wait for the goodies to arrive. Here are a few pics of what she is offering on her blog (she may want to update because she has some really cute items that will go quickly. )

You just email Gypsy with the number of the pic that you see and she will give you a total, (shipping is also reasonable) and then provide her with your address and trot over to PayPal to send her the cash. So help a wandering mermaid out and acquire some neat bloggie stuff at the same time.

Bloggie Swag!

Who doesn't like swag -- a parting gift -- an unexpected freebie? One of the things I love about blogs and bloggers is bloggie swag. When I first visited blogs for spinners and knitters I commented on a New Zealander's blog about her beautiful spinning fibers. About 4 weeks later, I received in the mail a small package of this lovely fiber. So unexpected and what a delight.

Swatch from the New Zealand wool I spun, hand dyed, and knitted into a baby sweater.

Blog communication is a paradox of how we have always communicated. We use the web and email to instantly send our thoughts, feelings and life's observances all with narrative, photos and miscellaneous links. We have replaced the phone and snail mail with instant electronic communication. Ahhh, but until we can teleport physical items, we are stuck in snail mail land. But I like that we must utilize snail mail to send out bloggie swag, little items - gifts - handmades - all from the heart to elicit surprise, joy and fun.

I have just mailed my first bloggie swag to an unsuspecting receiver.

It will be a few days before it's in their mail box. If you leave a comment on any of my posts, you will be added to the "who can I send unexpected blog swag to list."

What fun this is!

Road Trip - Junk'in in Statham, Georgia

I've got a half tank of gas, my sister and her blackberry, and we are wearing sunglasses! Okay, so were not the Blues Brothers, but we are bluesy sista's and if we work hard at it, we could have several dozen troopers chasing us down the highway too. It could happen! Several of my Vintage Village (http://vintagevillageantiquesandmore.com/) dealer gal pals were showing at the Antique, Art and Garden Market in Historic Downtown Statham Georgia. So I grabbed my sister (her hands filled with her road trip necessities), filled my junk'in bag with my usual stuff and we headed out to Statham.

Sis can't function without her Starbucks so this was our first stop before taking that drive down highway 316 on this lovely Saturday morning. We arrive in Statham and I can see the tips of the tents beckoning to come shop. I had forgotten to fill up my tank before heading out...too deep in conversation with my sister, so I pulled into the local gas station to fill up. Vintage pumps with the digital numbers screamed 1970s and this pleasant gentleman walks up to the car and asks if I would like regular or high test. What, a full service station still exists! Was I back to the 1970s? Well, Mr. John Louis Thomas, with a smile that lights up a room, personally filled my tank. His equally as nice grandson took my card and completed the transaction with recommendations to come back in September for the Sunflower Festival. So, if you are ever in Statham, be sure to stop by and get personal, full service with a smile from Mr. Thomas.

Statham is a small, railroad community that is pretty much a small, main street but lined with lovely old buildings where the community has kept their historical integrity. I love these small communities as they are the lifeblood of America. Always filled with good, hardworking folks with open hearts. We come upon early booth sales of local folks who are selling everything from home furnishings to old paperbacks. The Georgia standard of big, sweet Vidalia onions is always a take home item. Slice them thick and plunge into ice water before covering with your favorite beer batter and deep fry them into the best onion rings you will ever have.

Lots of local organizations and churchs were raising donation monies selling all kinds of items including a selection of flannel nightgowns as well as an alternative choice.

I noticed several big antique stores but wanted to make the outdoor rounds first. I have always been lucky with the outdoor sellers and immediately saw a pretty little vintage biscuit jar among tools and other automotive items. The man said make me an offer and I did and this little beauty was mine. Pretty little transfer ware violets and a sassy handle highlight this sweet little biscuit (cracker) jar. The perfect place for your favorite Pepperidge Farm cookies.

Further on down is a booth full of repurposed coke, absolute and other bottles that have been melted and reformed into spoon rests, lemon servers, and pickle-olive plates. These are fantastic and are made by a very clever woman of CNC Bottleworks. If you are interested in these unique pieces you can contact her at: clcnorman@comcast.net.

I see "My Vintage Heart", my fellow dealer from Vintage Village offering many pretty things. MVH has a gift for showcasing her items in lovely vignettes of display. She always finds the most unique pieces and I often purchase more from her for my personal use then I should, but I can never help myself ... if those words escape my mouth, "Oh, I need this" it's a done deal.

You never know what you will find at these small community shows and true fans of "the King" are always hoping to catch an "Elvis sighting." My sister is the first to spot the handsome face of Elvis (right down to the dimple on his chin) and insisted upon a picture for proof and posterity.

I come across other treasures that I must have. A smashing Art Deco, matt white Royal Haeger (Wickman) double shell planter - a late Victorian, American pattern glass syrup dispenser and a pretty tea pot, creamer and matching saucer set.

I see in the distance, the sun dancing off a mosaic carousel horse. I grab sis and we navigate our way to a side street where Barbi Hoy, a truly gifted artist, who takes found items and transforms them into beacons of light using broken china, mirrors and tiles. Guitars, shoes that Elton John would die for, vintage coffeepots and old bed frames are among the items that the artist Hoy has used.

In addition, she creates darling and comical cats, horses, and dogs from clay and fires them with glazes of muted shades of seafoam, turquoise and lilac. Had to purchase one of her grinning dogs for my home and would have taken them all if I could. You can contact the artist at barbi@bellsouth.net

The sky is turning gray and as they say in the south, "It's comin' up a cloud" so I head inside The Factory Antiques, sponsors of this outdoor event. The great old building is baring its plaster lathing and exposed high ceilings and is filled with wonderful things. The old wood floor is no longer level and the sound of footsteps walking these old boards is a good sound. My sister immediately says to me, this building is full of old souls. I heartily agree...one of the reasons I love old things, they come with their own personal histories. Factory Antiques is owned by Evelyn Myrick and her lovely daughter who was helping lots of customers. Wonderful things reside in this shop and I will be back to hunt future acquisitions.

I couldn't leave without making at least one purchase from this wonderful shop and found this lovely vintage shell cameo. Angel skin, the favorite of Victorians, showcases the deep relief carved woman with pearls at her neck and grape leaves and grapes entwined in her hair set in a rolled gold frame. I was delighted with this find from Factory Antiques.

The rains had begun and it was time to head back to the car and home with our treasures. Statham is a lovely little community and a perfect day trip for future junk'in outings.