Always Expect Something Wonderful to Happen

I have a journal that I pretty much keep with me all the time and written on the cover are the words, "Always Expect Something Wonderful to Happen". To be honest over the last six months it's been hard to hold that light in my heart. In February I received the notice that I could not have any more sales or events in our renovated barn. After various meetings, applications, tears and prayers it seemed all we were doing was taking one step forward and being forced two steps back. I could barely look across the road and look at the barn without feeling sick to my stomach. We even at one point considered selling our house and renovating the barn and making it our home. It was the worst feeling - I loved it so much but at the same time I hated the situation we were in. 

I guess the most frustrating part was looking around and seeing so many others doing exactly what I was doing but now was being told I could not. I've never been the kind of person who gives up on something I love so I kept researching and figuring out a way to make Carolina Moon more than just a hobby but a legitimate farm operation. (More to come on that in the spring of 2018). And then one day an email came to me and a meeting was set up and all of a sudden ..... I'm good to go. You can call it what you want .... a miracle, patience, magic, luck - whatever you want to think. I'm just thankful and so excited for the future of my hobby. My business - Carolina Moon. 

I can't even say I wish it all had never happened. The old adage, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger" definitely applies to this. I may have never had the feeling of loss that I had when I thought my dreams would not even have a chance to come true. Now I know Carolina Moon will be stronger, better and sustainable as a business. 

So now I'm abuzz with the excitement of planning for a barn sale on November 25th, a wedding show in January and "sowing the seeds" of something wonderful growing in the spring. There will be missteps and mistakes and failures along the way but now I know for sure if you always expect something wonderful to happen then it will. 

Five Days 'Til Christmas

Five days 'til Christmas 

 

So, I finally got the guest bedroom back to looking like a place someone might actually want to sleep. Not like we have a lot of overnight guests but my mom does sleep here when she comes and helps with the Carolina Moon sales. Mom deserves a beautiful place to sleep (and occasionally I wind up here when the "hubs" snoring shows no end in sight. This little cabinet is actually a piece my mom found and it didn't sell at the December show. In fact almost everything I decorated with were leftovers. (Y'all left some amazing stuff behind :)

It's a little record cabinet and it is perfect to store all my flea market decor magazines! 

 

I can sort them on the four shelves by season and pull them out for inspiration. This room is full of inspiration and Christmas cheer. 

 

I'm not a "put a tree in every room person" but this room needed some love. I absolutely love the way White artificial trees look after they have sat s while. I added some cream beaded garland and several of the old window candles like my Grandmas used to put in the windows of their houses. The stocking was an inspiration by Sarah Coffey Designs. I bought several from her a couple of sales ago so I made some for gifts. There are actually three on the mantle now but I took the pictures before I finished the project. I'm actually going to give one away to any new instagram followers I get today 12/20/16. Details to come on Instagram and Facebook in a bit. 

   The old doors filled up a blank wall behind the bed and I love how they turned out. 

 

Whenever we go on a trip I always look up antique stores. I try to find old feed sacks. These are from our trips to Pennsylvania, California, and Florida. 

 

That mantle!!!  It was a score from Salvage Sisters in Burlington. Complete with the tiny window that was salvaged from my Grandma and Granddaddy's house and some vintage celluloid reindeer. 

Next blog post will be the kitchen. I have my eyes set on doing something to the window over the sink and sharing my favorite vintage fruitcake tins. 

Merry Christmas! 

Regina 

 

Seven Days Til' Christmas

Seven Days 'til Christmas

This was the pantry door in my Grandma and Granddaddy's old house in Richlands.  

To say I'm a sentimental old soul is an understatement. So, at Christmas my tender heart beats with the memories of Christmases past and the people that are attached to those memories. I had a dining room rearrange after the Carolina Moon sale last weekend. The catalyst for the rearrange???  An amazing old 1800s church pew I acquired from Sarah Coffey Designs. So after I moved things around I had room to add in some pieces I had collected and saved, including the little pantry door from my Granddaddy and Grandma's old house in Richlands. 

The moment I saw this church pew I was in love. It reminds me of the old pews in my childhood church, Whaleys Chapel Free Will Baptist Church. I loved singing Christmas hymns the weeks leading up to Christmas. My Grandma couldn't sing a lick but her off key voice was music to my ears.  

I also included the ceramic Christmas trees I've gathered since my junking adventures began. These two were some of the first I found and I knew immediately they would stay with me. I've found better ones over the last couple of years but these were the first and I remember how happy my heart was at the memory of helping my Grandma decorate for Christmas. 

 

This is another piece I acquired from a vendor at one of my shows. Homestead Furniture and Design. The tiny "putz style" church reminds me of my little hometown church and the old fruitcake tin reminds me of a cake my Grandma would make for my Granddaddy. It was called "Icebox Cake".  She would mix up all the ingredients and then pack it into an empty ice cream paper box and put it in the refrigerator. Granddaddy would slice off a piece and share with me. The cake was filled with nuts. It was delicious. I wish I had the recipe. 

So during this Christmas season I hope your heart and home is surrounded with the memories of Christmases past and that you share these memories with your loved ones that didn't have the chance to have them too. 

Merry Christmas!

Love, Regina 

  

The table at Grandma's house was always filled with potatoes, cabbage or collards, skillet cornbread and ham. It was always the same dishes but they tasted so good!

This dresser was in my Grandparent's bedroom. Now it holds baking pans and cake decorating supplies.