:: ms cool boots, if you're merry ::

i got this envelope (there was a card inside, too) in the mail the other day.  it made me smile. 

:: man boots ::

it's been a while since i've posted anything from my one of my favs, the sartorialist.  shoot, it's been a while since i've really had time to keep up with his blog.  at first i thought he was posting a lot more than usual...then i realized i've just been incredibly busy. 

but when i saw this shot today, i knew i needed to come here to "record" it.  dig this look.  the big plaid on the broad shoulders, the colors, the way his cap goes with the bottom of his bag, the jeans...normally i wouldn't like the tapered roll on the bottom with such broad upper body and thick calf muscles, but it's perfect with the height of the boot!

click image for front view

:: home sweet home ::

5 years ago this month i started the process of buying my little yellow house.  back then, i would drive around, looking at houses for sale (who am i kidding, i still do that!), but this was the first and only house i'd looked inside and really considered purchasing.  i was in the midst of the hardest and most rewarding period of my life.  mom was on the heels of her chemo and radiation treatments and i was spending most of my "free" time taking care of stuff at maunga & poppy's house.  on top of that, we had just discovered that one of the caregivers had been stealing from them (check fraud!) and i was working with the detective on that stressful situation.  i was in no place mentally and emotionally to buy a house.

but it happened.  despite the emotional breakdowns with my mortgage broker (who i didn't even know), my realtor, my realtor's sister, my banker...and pretty much anyone else who crossed my path in that time...it happened.

God absolutely and undoubtedly blessed me in that mess.

in the 5 years i've lived here, i've had 7 short-term roommates.  it moves me deeply to be able to provide a place to stay for someone - whether it's between homes before getting married, while visiting from another country, home-hopping while trying to figure out what comes next in life...the reasons have been as varied as the durations.

this week i've welcomed the 8th.

and the blessings continue.

:: notes from smalltown, sc ::

today we visited 92 year old maunga buck.  as many of you know, she is famous for asking, "julie, you ain't got no boyfriend, yet?" when she sees me.  (note that i have never gone by the name "julie.") 

last time i saw her, i actually did have a boyfriend and it was the one time in the past 10 or so years that she didn't ask.  well, today i turned to my sister and whispered, "she's gonna ask...wait for it..."

a minute later she pipes up, "juuulie, you ain't never gone get married, are you?  don't look that way."

kelley jumped in and said, "you don't want her to settle, do you?"  the look on her face was a bit like, "well, yeah, kind of." 

i just said, "i'm married to Jesus" and went back to talking to the delusional woman by the piano who thought she was going to be home by 6. 

(i hope that she isn't "home" by 6...they already had one death this week.  and that was maunga's roommate - whose husband, i believe, was the tv repairman in joanna when dad was growing up.) 

a little while later i was putting my hair up (because it was 108 degrees in there) and maunga said, "julie, what are you doing to your hair?"  i said that i was pulling it back because i was hot.  she said, "law, you need to run a comb through it. ha ha ha."  then, "i ain't never seen a head of hair like that." 

so.  um.  yeah. 

:: great gift ideas ::

 cravestudio.etsy.com

check out crave studio's amazing  collection of ceramic goodness.  one thing i especially appreciate about artist jennifer bedenbaugh's work is its sincere simplicity (and simple sincerity!).  her clever and creative ideas speak for themselves, without a bunch of frills and fluff.  from her immensely popular "just between you and me" necklaces (mine reads "servant's heart" and is one of the most treasured gifts i've ever received) to the mini houses which are now available in a larger size as Christmas ornaments!  (30% off in-stock ornament sale now through dec 18)

swig

"drink from the bottle" takes on a whole new meaning with these terrific examples of upcycling from this new local business, swig.  creator christina blackwell turns wine bottles into lovely and interesting drinking glasses.  they come in three sizes (small, medium, large) and a variety of colors (clear, green, brown, olive and yellow) and make wonderful gifts for wine lovers who, well, do drink something other than wine from time to time!  (great idea for housewarming gifts!)