12,000 ft to Sea Level. . .

24 hours in the Amazon. . .

So So thankful for THESE FRIENDS and their hearts!

Join us in Sponsoring a Child!

Join me in sponsoring one of these littles. . .

The Junk O Rama Prom was (as usual) – a HUGE Success!

Thanks Junk Gypsy Gals for another fun night!!

Can’t wait to share more Pics Soon. . .

Until Then off to find more finds in the cow pastures of gold finds. . . Think we will shop Warrenton this afternoon!

THREE of my favorite flags hang at the entrance.  . .

The Prairie welcomes you right away. . .

The open rusty fenceThe Vintage Prairie truck

  Parking spaces labeled Dale Evens, Roy Rogers, Tom Mix ( and other western heros) beckon you arrival.

 The Laundry lines are full of linens

Rachel Ashwell’s Shabby Chic Couture in Round Top is officially open for you to visit!

So get your calendar ready, I see a weekend trip in your future!

  We headed to the Rangers Lounge for lunch  Our gracious and fabulous hosts:

Kelley, Bud and Rachel

 Bud Royer provided a wonderful lunch

His famous Shrimp BLT and my personal Fav the grilled chicken house salad with the cilantro ranch- that ranch is HEAVEN!

and of course no Royer meal is complete without pie, especially the chocolate chip pie AND with Amy’s ice cream OF course!

  After lunch and in between chatting, we ooo’d and ahhh’d at the Ranger Lounge and all the details.

 The Wedding Cake on the left has been used at many weddings including J.LO and Pamela Anderson ( just to name drop a couple)

Sketches by Rachel and her sister

 Then Rachel sat down and shared a bit of her vision and what brought her down to Texas.

“The Prairie is part aesthetic inspiration from Marie Antoinette, part authentic detail from Coal Miner’s Daughter, and part passion from Gone with the Wind. The Prairie is my Tara. And my deep rooted love of country music now has a home.”

Rachel has been coming to Round Top to shop  Antique Week for years always staying at this property ( a former bed and breakfast) and last year she became the new owner and her “. . .long held dream of having a small, perfect hotel became real”.

The main homestead (seen below) was built in the early 1800′s and the other buildings on the property have been moved / added over time.

I love how Rachel talks about cherishing every restored element on the property and plans to continue adding to this property making it a creative space for her future furnishings and fabulous fabrics.

As we walked the property she told us her inspiration for each building.

Now remember it IS antique week so she was full with guest. But she and her staff graciously welcomed us into their haven in the “liliput lodge”.  She said she wanted to show more than lilacs and lace

So throughout The Prairie you will find a Wagon Wheel chandelier, deer, Antlers and horse shoe decor.

Things you will probably not find in her LA, NY or London hubs.

She wanted the Prairie to be a blend of her Style. . .

“In the same way I have brought the shabby into chic for two decades, at The Prairie I am embracing the diversity of my aesthetics, while still keeping my common threads.”

Love this drape, with that blue wood wall. LOVE.Rachel collects watercolor paintings, loves to paint herself and is welcoming that inspiration at The Prairie. She

“. . . .realized that having art in our soul gives us all a forever safe place in minds.”

We then went thru the horseshoe gate to the new shop. . .A cozy porch swing and sweet Pearl ( the Prairie dog) set the mood. . .

Relax!

They even have their own scent out on the Prairie.

I definitely grabbed one of these to burn when I am feeling homesick in Nashville.

It smells AHmazing!Obsessed with these pillows. . .

Union Jack and The Lone Star flags

Ahhhh! How does one choose which one??

After leaving the store Rachel had pointed out her “finds” from the antique week (so far!):

Vintage Christmas wares. . .

A collection of Florentine – which might I add I have been picking up lil pieces of Florentine for the last few months on my “estate salin” journeys! Glad to know I am not alone in this Florentine hunt!

And all her fun pieces awaiting paint, repairs and shabby rehabs. . .

We headed back to the Lounge. . .

I loved getting to chat with so many sweet ladies!One of her inspiration boards hangs in the office:

Her inspiration board inspired me for my inspiration board that needs inspiration ( oh the irony)

“. . . . It’s an ongoing process of adding and deleting elements. Scraps of fabrics, sketches and personal bits and bobs…The end result is what I consider authentic art.”

I SO wish my sister Kelsey had been there too! Looks like another trip to the Prairie is needed!! Thanks Again Bud and Rachel

( and Kelley & Dwell with Dignity too)

It was a memorable and inspiring day!And I am already looking forward to YOU visiting The Prairie SOON!

For Reservation info check out her site Here!

Deep in the Heart of Texas.

I shall now rename this as

THE BEST WEEK IN THE FALL EVER. . . HANDS DOWN!

( other than Thanksgiving weekend, because its Thanksgiving and that means family and Aggie football, but back to

THE BEST WEEK IN THE FALL EVER. . . HANDS DOWN)

I have written about it HERE and HERE ohh and HERE and plenty more

Saturday

I can be found shopping the fields ( a nicer term for cow pastures) with my mom and my dear friend Brandy from Nashville plus a 100,000 new friends.

Sunday

More fields. Miles upon Miles of fields!

 Monday. . .

OHHH is it Monday yet? I have been so excited to share this with yall!!

Monday I get to hang with 30 other women and chat about blogging, our love of junk, antiques, and all things rusted. . .

and enjoy lunch from one of my favs – Royers

as we sit on a Prairie, but not just ANY Prairie.

Its “The Prairie” the  newest adventure from Rachel Ashwell.

I have loved Rachel’s eye for design, texture and photo for some time and I cannot WAIT to see what she has added in my favorite little Texas town.

I have to give you a sneak peak of the photos from her site cause I . JUST . CANT . WAIT! And seriously aren’t these photos DIVINE!

I apologize in advance if you find me sleeping in this bed after I eat Royer's Pie. AMEN.

Look at all the places to stay!

umm yeah, if I go missing after Antique Week I am more than likely HERE.

The chair and the deer. . .just did me in. LOVE!

Clawfoot tub?? Don't mind if I do!

And. . . the award for best pullout couch goes to THIS ONE!

And here is one of the best parts. . .a portion of the cost of the lunch is benefiting ‘Dwell With Dignity‘.

They are all about inspiring lives with design! I Love what they are doing!

Dwell With Dignity was recently featured on the Nate Burkus Show.  You can see a clip HERE

But please take a second to click over and check out the Dwell With Dignity blog.

Okay welcome back, good to see you again! Wasn’t Dwell with Dignity great?? Told you so!

Be sure to check back in as I will have the full lowdown on The Prairie with pics, info, and I am sure so much more!

Seriously . . .IS IT MONDAY YET???

AND Thanks in advance to Kelley at The Hidden List for organizing the day!

Ohh there is still a WEEK left sooooo. . . .

Tuesday

The Marburger Farm Show will start. Get ready for that blog! It takes two days just to feel as though you MAYBE saw it all! MAYBE!

So Tuesday will probably carry over to Wednesday too!

WEDNESDAY

Here we go. . .

But not before fueling up on coffee and maybe some pie ( fruit pie for bfast anyone?) at the new PIE HAVEN. The newest addition from Team Royer! Yall I have seen some pics of the décor and I have tasted the pies so I know this will be THE PLACE to be (it’s in the NEW Henkel Square). Go visit my friend Tara, You will be glad you did! I hear the muffins are a MUST too. Save one for me Tara!

There’s still so much to see: Warrenton, Excess, Blue Hills, The Red Barn …. My heart is starting to skip beats just thinking about it.

But Thursday

SWEET Thursday!

I will be hanging with my dear friends the JUNK GYPSY Gals!

If you are in Warrenton that day you do not want to miss this invite. . .

ZAPP HALL . THURSDAY . AT TWILIGHT . THE JUNK O RAMA PROM!

Trust me the “Junk o Rama Prom” is calling your name. . .

And your dancing skills are needed!!

I will be around that day and prom-i-fied by night, but don’t ask me what I am wearing, cause I don’t know yet! That old prom dress is hopefully hanging in a cow pasture ( I mean field) waiting to be found and I just know it will match my turquoise and boots!

EXCITING NEW NEWS. . .

This year there is an addition to Warrenton, Tx that I am excited to check out! HGTV will be there. Be sure to follow them on twitter #hgtvjunk  I hear they will have some good tweets about their new Texas Adventure and all the happenings in their tent! They will be at Zapp Hall near the Junk Gypsy Tent!

Friday

I think you know by now. . . more fields to walk and finds to be found.

Saturday

The show starts coming to an end and the sweet quiet town of Round Top begins to breathe again. But just for a bit cause we gotta start hunting for the Spring otherwise known as THE BEST WEEK OF THE SPRING EVER… HANDS DOWN!

Will you be at Round Top this year?? If so let me know! Send me a tweet @keelymarie maybe we will bump into each other as we are looking for our

NEXT BEST FIND!

Some filled with writing, some with diagrams. . . but every wall was Art.

We walked into a room that had a handful of beautifully painted canvases displayed on the shelves. . .I was in awe and quickly knew someone at the project had talent and sees talent.

Admiring the art I asked one of the project staff members who the art teacher was. . .I had to meet them!

With a big smile they said “Our director Susan, she is an artist”.

I saw Susan in the next room and I had to know more. . .

Susan was a vice president at a large bank in Manila and 7 years ago she left knowing she was called to join her church and become the Compassion Development Center Director.

Soon after arriving she saw that some of the children were suffering, some abused. She began to focus on using simple art to help “get them out of their shells”.

During our conversation she explained how she sought out artists in the community to help her build a program and stock her materials.

She began experimenting with the kids and their moods using music, texture, space and color. Quickly she found that children have so many ”unfinished stories” that need to be expressed and one way she could help was thru art.

Art has been so effective in her center that they just started a Creative Arts Ministry.

A Creative Arts Ministry!

OH . HOW . I . LOVE . THAT!

AND they just had their first student graduate from the Compassion Program and move into the Leadership Development Program. She is now studying Fine Arts at a University in the Philippines.

“Art isolates a Child from the world for a moment. And they are able to express that moment in a way they couldn’t before. . .And like a landscape God is painting THIS center’s stories together”.

There is even a wall full of paintings and open spaces. . .supplies are available where kids can fill “the expression wall” . It is a space where they can go to “express” themselves. . . their emotions . . . their art.

I loved everything Susan said today.

I was

hanging

on

each

word.

And as she ended the story of art at their center she said, “Everybody has stories – community workers, family, children, even bankers and together it is a melody to God”.

Be a part of a Child’s Story thru Sponsorship. . .

Next week I am off to Texas for the big ROUND TOP, TEXAS Antique Show!

If you have been here for a while you’ve probably read about it here and here Oh and seen some pics here.

Well, I am writing a week in advance to say. . .

Dear Texas Friends,

If you live nearby . . .

Get Thee To The Cow Pastures filled with goods THIS WEEK!

xoxo,

k

Vendors are setting up and some of the show is already in full swing.

I am coming in next week in time for. . .

Marburger Farms

To walk the fields of Warrenton and dance the night away at Zapp Hall with my friends the Junk Gypsy’s ! Thursday night at The Junk-O-Rama Prom is the place to be!!

Let

the

Countdown

BEGIN!!

Mine. . .

The Andrew Peterson Christmas Concert at the Ryman.

My husband has been a part of this concert since its birth 11 years ago and SO… it’s a part of our Christmas Season

Here’s the Husband playing the dobro-OHHH!

There is a tour that starts the first part of December, but then towards the end of the tour the show makes a stop in Nashville.

AND it’s at The Ryman. My favorite venue in all of . . .well. . .  All Time / Everywhere!

It is beyond beautiful and musical history, art, photos, Hatch Print Posters and more can be found in every lil nook of that place!

LOVE.

Sidenote: everytime before the show we meet in one of the dressing rooms. Hatch Prints cover the walls and EVERYTIME Gabe finds a way to say " ahhh good to see that aunt Jill has played here" get it... "Scott" we are Scotts ( yup heard it for SIX years! that is LOVE)

So many friends and favorite songwriters & musicians Come together for the Ryman show and share the stage that night. . . Jill Phillips, Andy Gullahorn, Andrew Osenga, Ben Shive, Todd Bragg, Randall Goodgame, Jason Gray, Paul Eckberg, Cason Cooley, Ron Block, Stuart Duncan, Sierra Hull, Claire Indie, Buddy Green and More!

You need to Download Behold The Lamb Of God album and then Book Your Ticket to Nashville Next year for the Ryman Show!

And to close the night. . . everyone sings as the artists leave the stage . . .

O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

I promise the Ryman has never sounded more beautiful!!

Let the Christmas Season Begin. . .