Angels Come in All Shapes and Sizes

I admit I have been obsessed with Angels lately (see my December post). Maybe it is just the signs of the times, or heartfelt concern for those who are struggling right now, those who are close to me and those around the nation. I am looking heaven-ward, and even my collecting is reflecting it. I mentioned to the other Red Shed Girls that I wanted us to present a "Love takes Wing" collection for Valentines and Spring. I know that real angels don't have wings, and I don't love all winged beings (hate fairies, and hate hate winged dragons), but as I have felt comfort in finding these cherubs, I have been reflecting on the other angels in my life, and how thankful I am for them.
Many of you have met Mitzi, Michele Jone's mom, at our sales. She works tirelessly to help me check people out quickly. I appreciate her so much, and never tell her enough. She has only missed one sale in 3 years and that was because she had a broken pelvis! (and she called to say how sorry she was!)

(Mitzi, above..dressed for the occasion! EVERYONE who knows her knows she is an ANGEL!)

Many of you have also met Michael. Mike has helped us set up, carry furniture to cars, made Starbucks runs, and has shared his talents as a photographer for our web site for years. He never asks for anything in return, and I always know if we need him, he will be there ("Mike, I just bought a 500 lb white velvet couch and I can't get it out of the SUV, can you be here in 5 minutes?")
You may not have met Andrea or Lynn. Both of these dear women help us set up and merchandise the night before the sale. (Sometimes ALL night before the sale). Lynn says it's "fun", but I know better! Both are happy and positive, and have no idea how much we appreciate them. Neither Mitzi, Michael, Andrea or Lynn, have ever asked for (or received!) a penny of compensation. They are friends. They are Angels.

Sometimes Angels come bearing gifts. Donna B, below brings us the most fabulous gifts for absolutely no reason. (She says it's because the Red Shed (Girls) brings so much joy into her life). It started with homemade coffee cake last Christmas.
This Christmas she brought us each a package which she had decorated by hand.

Inside were these soft snuggy slippers, with a note that read "Use these for a little R&R after the big sale!" How divinely thoughtful! We are always saying how bad our feet hurt, and in December they are cold too!
I just had to take a picture of my very happy feet:

Some Angels just HAVE a Gift........
Tracy Dunn has been a long time Red Shed customer and friend. She mentioned that she does Reflexology Massage (keeping with our "feet" theme), and so we talked her into trading a few antiques from Paris for a couple of "sessions". Let me just say that she got the raw end of the deal. It was Heavenly! Tracy has a GIFT. She is one of the most kindhearted, loving, and spiritual people I have ever met, and she brings all of this to her Reflexology. She comes to your home, you get into your PJ's, she rubs your feet for an hour, then quietly leaves while you pour yourself in bed. If you are in the Dallas Ft Worth area, and want to give an Angel as a gift to someone, (or yourself), you can contact her at tdunn123@verizon.net for more information.

(Tracy, above, not only is an Angel, but I think has an angel. Notice the orb in front of her leg in the photo)

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Finally, Angels come as cherished friends that we meet along the way in this crazy business and in our big-little blog world..

Theresa Cano, of Garden Antiques. I think Theresa almost started this whole blog thing among those of us who love all things white, and chippy, and rusted. The first time I heard the word "blog" it was in the same sentence with Theresa's name. I think she may have single handedly put Country Home out of business, because she some how covers more territory, takes better photos, and now I get my daily "fix" from her instead of my magazines. Her camera broke recently and though her son beat us to the punch, I really think she missed the boat by not ACTUALLY taking donations towards a new one. She probably could have bought a new car. Though I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting Theresa in person, I consider her a friend. When I first started blogging, I sent her an email and said "PLEASE CALL ME! I AM READY TO PULL MY HAIR OUT!" (ie. why do the photos load backwards in blogger?) and she called me right back. If you are not visiting her blog daily, you should. We should all recognize her as our Angel of Antiques.

I also want to mention my dear friends, Donna, Rhonda, and Randi, at Curious Goods in Malakoff, TX. The whole lot is talented but Donna (below) has more creativity in her little finger than I have in my whole body. And talk about sincere and kind. Last summer I was in their shop with my grandson and Rhonda (who also happens to be a championship fisher-woman) mentioned that they were going to have a "Fish Camp" for some of the kids in their family the first week in August, and Brandon was invited. Well I didn't think much about it, because it was a family thing, but my grandson called me up the last week in July and said "What time does Fish Camp start?". I called the CG girls and they said "Of Course, he is invited!". Well ,they took those kids fishing to a private lake, out on boats, came back and watched videos and played video games...He had a ball! How do you say "Thank you" for something like that? We took them a small, homemade gift to the shop at Christmas time, and when we got back in the car, I found out that Rhonda had slipped Brandon a whole sack full of fishing lures, including some vintage. I told my husband, "there's just no way to get ahead in the kindness game with those ladies".

Thanks for letting me share a few of the Angels in my life. And you may not know it, but you also just got a little preview of the "Love takes Wing" collection that will be for sale soon.

We are actually FINALLY doing the painting and floors (ourselves) in the Red Shed this weekend, so pray for us and look for lots of new inventory soon!

Best and Blessings Always,

Valarie

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Next Saturday Sale: Feb 28th 8am.

Lazy (Red Shed) Girl's Christmas Decor

The sum, total of My Outside Decorating.........

Two Wreaths.........

Our friend, designer GiGi Ewbank, starts decorating for Christmas the day after Halloween (Maybe she will bless us with some photos...that's another post). She has 16 Christmas trees gracing every room of her house and decorates NON STOP for 10 days! I am not GiGi.

I'm also not Michele M. who normally spends her Christmas out of town, so her decorating usually consists of whatever tree and ornaments she finds at a garage sale before Christmas, then she puts the whole thing in a trash sack the day after Christmas and out it goes.

I live in a little yellow cottage in the country. "Little" being the operative word. The interior is true to the Shabby Cottage style of the Red Shed, but I am not a decorator either. The walls of the kitchen and living room are a light yellow and usually most of the furnishings are in whites and pinks. When Christmas comes (I wait until the day after Thanksgiving). I swap out some of the pink for RED. It feels warmer...and I usually let it stay until Valentines Day.

So here is my simple swap out, with an emphasis on SIMPLE....

I only decorate the kitchen and living room. In the kitchen, first the normally bare floor gets a rug with some Reds.......

The comforter on the white slipcovered couch in the kitchen is flipped over to look like snowflakes...

Probably the oddest thing I do is I have this shelf that holds flea market paintings of pinkish roses and gardenias.......I bring out another set of paintings in reds and switch out the whole shelf..

This is the most fabulous picture. Michele M and I found it at a Goodwill for $8.00. It has lived at her house and at the shop, and now my house. It has been framed, but I love it unframed. We have been offered lots of money for it, but we just can't part with it!

Pink wreaths come down, Red wreaths go up................

In the living room, I mostly add reds with fruit and greens from my yard....

(I'm still looking for a fabulous red rose, vintage nativity or Santa picture to switch this one out...any suggestions?)

The corner cupboard gets some pomegranates, apples, and cranberries.......

A few finishing touches.......


I've been experimenting, making these vintage crystal fan pulls. I love em! And they will be available (in various styles) at our Christmas sale on Dec. 6th.

And finally the tree. We always get a live one, which I let my DH pick out. I think he got a little confused on the height of our ceilings, because we had to chop a bit of the top and the bottom to get the angel on!Decorated with vintage crystal icicles, crystals, and of course, roses.
Hope you had a great and Thankful weekend!

Don't forget the White Christmas Sale at the Red Shed on December 6th.....Preview to follow...

Valarie