Giveaway Winners and Vintage Thingies Thursday - Glassware

I have three winners folks! Sorry it took me so long. Lots going on in my little world and I will update on that soon. First, let me say thank you to all who entered my one year blogoversary and for all the sweet comments regarding my blog and of course my baby Oscar. He seems to be the hit of the show! Drum roll please.........................................................................

Winner of the Vintage Ruby Red Stone Necklace: Busy Bee @

MY OWN BLOG SPACE

Winner of Vintage Black Beads: Paige @

PAWPAWS FOR THE MASSES

Winner of Vintage Faux Pearls: Ruby @

NEITHER BRILLIANT NOR BEAUTIFUL BUT A REAL GEM

Ladies, I'll be sending you an e-mail!

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Vintage Thingies Thursday is my favorite meme. I love vintage thingies and the folks that treasure them. Suzanne at Colorado Lady is truly great at finding and displaying Vintage Thingies so be sure to visit her and see Part 2 of her Forgotten Mountain Treasures.

I have a few glassware pieces to share this week. I wish I had an interesting story to go with them. Something like "I found these buried in Uncle Elwood's backyard" or "I was at the river and a glint a sunshine on something shiny in the water caught my eye," but alas, they came from Klepto Aunt Audrey's house. They probably belonged to Colorado Lady's grandmother. Too Bad!

I do not know anything about the pattern of these pieces so if anyone recognizes them, I would be eternally grateful to hear the information.

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

One Year Blogging Anniversary and Giveaway

FOR MY VTT PALS: I AM HAVING A VINTAGE JEWELRY GIVEAWAY THIS WEEK. BE SURE TO READ THIS POST AND ENTER. TO CONNECT BACK WITH COLORADO LADY AND VTT PLEASE CLICK HERE.

One year ago today, I wrote and published my first blog post. Actually, that is not completely true. I set up a Blogger account six months prior. I wrote and deleted several posts. I puzzled over gadgets, widgets, fonts, headers, titles, columns, html codes and then bought the book "Blogging For Dummies". Don't waste your money. I tried TypePad and WordPress and then came back to Blogger. I finally chose a basic template and decided to teach myself. I must say it really ticked me off whenever I viewed cute blogs and wondered how the heck it was created. Then I started figuring out most bloggers do not create the graphics themselves; there are more than enough web-sites with free downloads. But being the "home-school-learn-it-on-your-own-kind-of-girl" that I am, I wanted to do it myself. I read more, experimented a lot, got headaches, threw things, caught myself swearing OUTLOUD, forgot to fix dinner, clean house or bathe, and although I know more about this venue than I did a year ago, I still have tons to learn. Anyway, here I am, none the more wealthy for my efforts like the "A Lister's" (you know who they are), but satisfied with my small accomplishment. Along the way, I challenged myself, reconnected with old friends, made new friends, and PO'd a few others. I hope in the process I have caused you to laugh and enjoy life a bit more. If you suffer from anxiety and depression as I do, I pray I have helped you see you are not alone and humor can be found even in "crazy." If you home school, I hope you have found you do not need to be perfect to teach your children. Truly, if I can do it, anyone can. Furthermore, do not let the government make you believe that the public school system is the only hope for America (no offense meant toward public school teachers or parents who choose public schooling.) I hope you have read a book that I suggested and that you grew personally from the experience. If I could recommend just one book to read, "Same Kind of Different As Me" would be the one. You will never think the same (not that I have ever thought the same as most.) I hope you have enjoyed the pictures of Oscar. What a dog! My boys and MDH have allowed my free spirit to rampage this year, unfortunately that may have been a mistake. My Father, who loves me more than anyone ever will, gives me the freedom to be myself yet is always wooing me to Him. It is Christ I have chosen to follow, not the religious community. He is what gives my life purpose. I have many more things to share and feel that I am just getting started.....so hang on with me.....it could get bumpy.

To celebrate my one-year blog anniversary, I want to give stuff away. I love giving stuff away. I am always giving someone something. It is how I show friendship. Honestly, nothing makes me happier than to give away stuff. Here we go......

Item #1: Vintage necklace with two sets of clip earrings. The earrings actually have the little "screw" type clips, so they will not pinch delicate earlobes. This is in beautiful condition and the "ruby" glass stones are lovely. Perfect for that Christmas cocktail party.

Oscar feels like a royal prince when he wears this collar.

Item #2: Triple strand of long black beads. Depending on your height, these could drop to your waistline. They can be worn many different ways. They are old, the beads are plastic, and they still smell like your grandmother's talcum powder.

Oscar prefers the choker version. It makes him feel sexy or sleepy. However you see this photo.

Item #3: Faux pearl triple strand necklace. A Barbara Bush classic. These beauties go with anything. Every time I wear my pearls, even with jeans, I get compliments. You can never go wrong with pearls. They make you feel beautiful.

Oscar says no matter who you are, you will feel elegant wearing them. If he just had breasts, I think he would look like one of those reclining nude portraits.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post and tell me which item number you prefer. Or send me an e-mail at RosieReads@gmail.com You can enter for all three, but you can only win one. I will close the giveaway on Tuesday, May 26th, draw three names and hopefully post the winners that evening.

One more matter of business: I have a high school friend who is relatively new to the blogosphere. He is smart, witty and makes me grin every time I read anything he writes. He also pens beautiful poems that make women weep. He is a little shy about putting himself "out there" but I personally think he has real potential. His blog site is a "work in progress". As a favor to me, or not, stop by his site and peruse some of his posts. Leave him a word of encouragement, tell him Rosie sent you, or tell him he stinks. Whatever!!! Here is the link: http://tracyisjustsayn.wordpress.com/

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Berat Ware

Happy Vintage Thingies Thursday! First let me give Colorado Lady a GREAT BIG THANK YOU for hosting VTT but also for this cute charm she snail-mailed me! I entered her "Name That Photo" contest and she chose my entry. I won a subscription to Family Circle magazine but she also sent me the charm and I just got to say, I Love It! I have a perfect chain for it and I have worn it every day since receiving this cutie. Suzanne, you are great. Thanks so much. Peeps, you will want to visit her site and check out what she is growing in her garden. He! He!

I went antiquing last Saturday. That is just my fancy way of saying "looking for junk." Around these parts, the saying, "One man's junk is another man's treasure," rings true. People see beauty in different things. One person may discard something old and outdated while another person may see it as something for which they have always been looking. Odd isn't it? Anyway, Saturday found me at an Antique Barn in Sevier County, Tennessee, full of what "some" might call junk. True, there was a lot of junk, but from the piles of junk, I found this treasure......a piece of Baret Ware Art Grace Design #119 Made in England.

This tin probably held tea biscuits at some point. I love the colors, art work, and the oriental flair. What I like most.... it is a "sister piece" to this tin....
I have owned this tin for years and keep buttons in it. This is Baret Ware Art Grace Design #121 Made in England. Here are my babies together and you can see how they match. Aren't they sweet?????

On a more personal note, today is my 23rd anniversary! Twenty-three years ago on a Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m., MDH and I "jumped the broomstick." It was a very quiet, private ceremony. No, I was not pregnant; just a practical girl. I still am. Wedded domesticated bliss for 23 years, hard to believe.

You cannot read the paper, but this is our Marriage License. We thought this was funny for reasons I can't seem to explain now.


Guess where we went on our honeymoon? Kiawah Island off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. I was a Southern Belle. Here are the dress, straw hat w/silk scarf, sunglasses, seashell purse w/matching belt and high heels to prove it. Talk about vintage! Just give me jeans and a tank top now, thank you very much!

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Charleston - Part 3

Homes Along The Battery

One Of The Many Old Cemeteries

MDH Standing in the Charleston Park Fountain

Antique White Roses Growing Along A Courtyard Fence

…Thursday evening, after walking no less than ten miles throughout Historic Charleston because every wrought iron surrounded courtyard at every ten-million-dollar home and every old grave marker had to be looked upon and respected, we made it back to Folly Beach. My encounter on the elevator Thursday evening was with a tattooed, eyebrow pierced young man who wanted to know if I had “seen the crabs.”

Excuse me? I question.

Have you seen the crabs?

What crabs?

On the beach.

Where?

Where the tide meets the shore in the driftwood.

Well, no I have not yet been down on the beach after dark.

You need to go down and look, it is amazing.

How big are they?

Some are the size of a quarter, some the size of my hand.

No way!

Awesome, go look.

So where you from man?

Chicago.

Really! Chicago? Great city!

Well, not really Chicago, I just give that as a general marker, I am about one-and-a-half hour away, but nobody would recognize the name of the obscure little town from where I hail. I had to laugh at this because it cannot possibly be anymore obscure than from where I reside. I thank him for the crab info and exit the elevator.

I turn to MDH and ask, “Did you bring a flashlight?” To which he replies, “You are not seriously going to look for crabs this late on the advice of a guy from Chicago are you?” To which I tartly say, “You heard him, he was not exactly from Chicago and if there are crabs on this beach, I am not leaving until I catch one!” Which does not sound nice at all shouted loudly in the hotel hallway late in the evening. Turns out MDH brought his trusty Maglite. What a man!

After a quick wardrobe change more appropriate for night crab viewing, we trek down to the beach shining the light along the driftwood. We walk for several yards, no crabs, we walk several more yards, no crabs. Then suddenly, from the distant edge of the circle of light I see movement! There among the driftwood, broken shells, and cigarette butts are crabs zigzagging hither and thus. When the spotlight hit them, they would pause and burrow slightly in the sand. This was just too much excitement for me so I find a sturdy piece of driftwood and a large piece of broken shell and go to huntin’ as we say in East Tennessee. I did a lot of crab poking but those darn little critters are fast! I never did catch one, even more reason to return to Folly! In addition, I can honestly say, “I did not catch crabs on Folly Beach.”

Friday evening found us on a three-hour dinner cruise around Charleston Harbor. We left the dock at 7:00 pm, went under the Cooper River Bridge (an engineering work of art), passed through the shipping docks, and saw the Battery from a distance before and after sunset. Truly beautiful! Our meal was wonderful but the Jazz band, High Tide, was freaking great. Anyone who has read my blog with their speakers on should know I really like Jazz music, so this little band was a delight. The lead singer sounded like Van Morrison something I was compelled to tell him. He took this as a great compliment and played “Bright Side of the Road” for me. Whew! Made my skirt fly up! The bass player had a 1957 Fender Jazz guitar that looked brand new! The thing had to be worth a fortune. He wiped his hands before he touched it and wiped the baby off whenever he set it down. Sweet thang!

I could tell you a few other stories, but I think you get the point. I love people! To sum up this whole adventure and to explain why I share these particular encounters, let me say that being a Christ Follower is all about people. When Christ was physically on Earth, His ministry was about relationships. His ministry is still about relationships. We are now the physical tool He uses to establish relationships and introduce others to Him. The people I encounter while I am traveling will never have more than a quick surface relationship with me, but I want to make that quick encounter memorable enough so that when they recall that nice person they met, they will wonder why I was different. The world is full of hurt, sour and angry people. If I can heal a heart, sweeten a life, or bring happiness to someone, if only for a moment, I have reflected Christ. That is my purpose.

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Something that I found oddly out-of-place in Historic Charleston but somewhat artistic....

colorful gum stuck to a light pole. I am always looking for beauty in the odd.

Charleston - Part 2

I spent most of the day on the beach Wednesday. The beach at Folly is wide with plenty of room for sunbathing, biking, volley balling, and jogging to name only a few of the activities I noticed. The other activities I cannot mention in the presence of minors.

This is also a dog friendly beach. Dogs! Dogs! Dogs! Everywhere! It is fabulously funny to see folks enjoying their vacation with their furry pals. I can safely say I have seen every AKC dog breed! Chihuahua, Great Dane, Saint Bernard, Dalmatian, Dachshund, German Shepherd, Poodle, Cocker Spaniel…….on and on. Dogs are allowed anywhere their human can go. They must be on a lead, well behaved, and potty proper. Oscar would be banned.

Surfing is also popular on this stretch of East Coast Beaches. The waves break high and surfer dudes are everywhere. They are very interesting to watch. It amazes me the sports people have thought up over the years. How did the first surfer dude decide that standing on a board in the waves would be fun? I often ponder odd things.

MDH managed to get the top of his feet badly sunburned. He is the only person I know that SPF 75 Sunblock Lotion has no effect on whatsoever. Lobster feet! It is not pretty.

There are many good eats around here. I have eaten calamari, crab, tomato pie and fried green tomatoes (yummy), Carolina grits and shrimp, and medallion sized scallops. Sushi bars are everywhere! Good sushi seemed like an oxymoron to me, but upon the recommendation from a good friend, I decide to take the risk, live on the edge, and rock my conservative palate. I am a new woman and now live in the “Sushi is Good” world. My Korean sister-in-love makes her own sushi and she will be giving me sushi-making lessons upon my return to reality.

On Thursday, I ventured into Historic Charleston. God, when I die, could you make my little peace of paradise look like historic Church Street in Charleston, SC? Really, had I dropped dead on the sidewalk, know that I would have died a happy girl. I spent time at the open market watching many cool things made by locals. I talked to some great people, ate lunch at Hyman’s Seafood, rated number one in Southern Living Magazine for best seafood, walked the entire length and width of the historic district, ate blackberry Gelato (please somebody put a Gelato establishment in Kingsport). If you do not know what Gelato is, go here. I also had one of those divine encounters that seem to follow me around. Things like this happen to be all the time!

I am walking down South Market Street window shopping, soaking in the atmosphere, minding my own business. I just happen to glance up and this young woman is smiling at me.

Hi! she says.

Hi! yourself, I say.

Where are you from? She asked.

East Tennessee, I say.

Really, anywhere near Kingsport? She asked.

I live in CH.

You are kidding me, she squeals. I graduated from DB High School and went to college at ETSU.

No kidding, I say.

Yeah, man the only thing I miss about Kingsport is Pals. I would give anything for a sauce burger and sweet tea on most any given day.

We laugh and agree that Pals sweet tea is the best anywhere.

So how did you end up in Charleston? I asked

I graduated from college, my parents moved away from the area, I had no ties to keep me in the area; I like the beach, so here I am. Where are you staying, she asked me.

On Folly Beach, I reply.

OMG that is where I am living now. You chose a great place. That is a local hippy beach. Are you staying at the new Holiday Inn?

Yes, I am.

Girl they just remodeled that place. It is fabulous!

Indeed it is! I love it and never want to leave. I laugh.

Oh, you have to eat at Flapper Jack’s and The Crab Shack while you are there.

We’ve already tried them both. Very good eats!

Have you tried Linda’s sushi?

Not yet, but it is on the menu for later this evening.

Great, tell them Chelsea Fly sent you. Linda is a popular Sushi chef downtown, but works some evenings on Folly for the locals to enjoy.

I’ll look her up. (I did and she is great).

Somehow the fact that she had been a cheerleader at DB cropped up. DB’s cheerleading squad won the National Competition the year she graduated. So I ask, you must know Suzanne Ress and Brittney Tiller.

Loud squeal! OMG YES!

Did you go to Brittney’s half-million dollar wedding?

No, I couldn’t make it.

You missed an unbelievable event!

When you talk to Brit again tell her Chelsea Fly says hello.

I am actually friends with her on Facebook. I’ll let her know I ran into you.

That would be great.

Come in my office I want to do something for you.

Okay I say.

Look, I work for a travel marketing company. If you will go over and listen to their thirty-minute presentation, I will cut you a check for $100.00. No gimmicks, nothing. Just listen to the guy, say you are not interested, go down stairs, pick up your check and have dinner on me.

Sounds great!

This is exactly what I did. I listened to a very short presentation, I said I was not interested, no pressure was given, I was handed a check for $100.00 plus a beautiful print of Ashley Street by a local artist, I went to Bank of American across the street and cashed the check, and am now $100.00 to the good for smiling and taking the time to make conversation with girl on the street.

Thousands of people in the area and I bump into a local girl who gives me $100.00. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Divine? Absolutely.

Listen to the still, small voice that whispers in your ear. It will never mislead and often takes you places that only HE could lead. Sweet!

More later……

Thanks for reading, Rosie.

Aristocat!