Out of Town Aventure

I made it up to the North Carolina mountains to get my tree over the past couple of days.  I didn't get to take our truck and felt I was going to be in a pretty bad predicament trying to haul a tree around in the Honda.  But, Tim, the owner at Shady Rest Tree Farm in Laural Springs said to bring it on and he would make it work.  When I arrived at the tree farm, he measured the trunk of the car to the front and advised I stick with finding a 6 ft. tree.  I thought "yikes" - that's going to be a little tree.  So....I found a 7 1/2 ft. tree and without having to say a whole lot, the tree was bound so tight and snug, and without an inch to spare, made it inside the Honda.  I spent the night in Blowing Rock, so I had to drive around with the tree hanging at my shoulder.  I was a little nervous a mouse might have made a nest in the tree and might pop out while I was driving, but I was so in the moment of the beauty of the village of Blowing Rock that I really forgot about the possibility. 

The weather was very dreary while I was there, but I didn't give a hoot.  I imagine if you didn't know your way around up there, you might would want to head home.  I went to school up there and so did my daughter, and we have forever camped and vacationed in the North Carolina mountains, so Plan B was working pretty well for me.  I grabbed my umbrella and pranced and danced all over the place.  It was absolutely gorgeous with all their little twinkling lights and holiday music all up and down the sidewalks.  There were bubbles crisscrossing the sidewalks from a hidden bubble machine tucked away secretly adding to the charm of this sweet little town. 

I know my pictures aren't great, but this is a cute little store called Bless Your Heart.  I would say she has mostly antique and vintage things, some modern with an eclectic flare.  I snapped a few photos of her other store down the road. 

It never fails that I always purchase something in this store.  She just "blesses my heart" every darn time I enter the door with all this inspiration just oozing out of every nook and cranny.  She has a big old drink cooler in the store and you just help yourself to a soda (free !!) while you shop.  There are vintage white night gowns with distressed mirrors and vases, and scarves, handbags, OMG .... just so pretty all put together just right.  I love the look of "light-modern" vintage (I call it), but it doesn't go with my house style - which I don't know what that is either ... I just know what works and what doesn't here.

 I visited the Bob Timberlake store while I was in Blowing Rock.  For those of you who might not know, Bob Timberlake is an internationally acclaimed realist painter from North Carolina.  The list is forever with the awards he has received.  I think some of you love the old barns and houses in the countryside - well, that's what he paints, and they are beautiful. 

Bob Timberlake, besides being an artist, also has his own line of home accessories, books, and gobs of other things. 

If you are a fan of his, this is just an FYI - he is having an Open House for Christmas at his store in Lexington, NC on 12/10.   You can probably get all the info on his web site. 

I bought some animal critter ornaments from his store for my twig tree.

This is a living room display in his store.  He has furniture, lamps, rugs ... all the good stuff I hope and wish could be under my tree Christmas morning.  HaHa & Fa,la,la,la!!!

I shopped mostly for things to accessorize with what I already have and to jazz it up a little bit.  I found a small bag of potpourri called "Primitive Fixins" that was put together in West Virginia.  I'll add that to the pinecones and woodland gatherings I found in my woods.  There is this store I visit ALL THE TIME when I go to Blowing Rock called "The Last Straw", (http://www.thelaststrawinc.com/).  I bet I stayed in there for a couple hours, maybe longer.  I feel like I knew the staff by the time I left.  There was just so much stuff for the holidays and they had it displayed just magnificently.  It took a great deal of time to study it all and figure out how I was going to put it together when I got back to my place.  The aromas were out of this world.  I broke down and bought a little spray bottle of Orange Zest - ummmm, talk about a holiday smell!  The staff suggested one of their candles called, Aroma Naturals that has an orange, clove & cinnamon smell.  I bought a 3" x 3.5" pillar candle and the burn time is 60 hours!  Another heavenly Christmas smell!!

I know this post is long ~ I just had a wonderful time and I could write forever about my trip; just know, it was good.  I needed that trip alone, to lounge around in a hotel room, to shop, and to just BE!  Now tomorrow, I'll BE back to the grind, but full of holiday inspiration.   Debi