Tennessee Magpie

In keeping with a recent  post where I talked about my admiration for Rebecca Sower, I continue, in a sense, here with a recent trip to Tennessee. My husband's mother lives there and we've visited a few times. I absolutely love Tennessee. It is familar to Oklahomans in that the pace is like home and the people are friendly. However, it is greener and rockier. I just love it.

Three things were nice about this trip. First we got to see the new house that Phyllis and her boyfriend built. Boyfriend? Partner? Husband-ish? Gorgeous place with sunrise over the ridge. Phyllis is really a pleasure to be around. We just don't see each other often enough, not even every year. If I didn't like her we would see her constantly right? She has such great personal style as well, especially when it comes to jewelry. She isn't afraid to wear big artistic pieces. Lovely.

Second good thing is that when we got there I was just coming off my Silver Bella experience and two Rebecca Sower classes. Knowing that she lives in Tennessee, I kept thinking we were traveling the same roads she does. I love Tennessee. She loves Tennessee. It does explain her sweet, clean ways, really, to see her home state. I looked in all her windows, but she never answered the door...

The third great thing about this trip was going to antique stores I'd never been too. Also, it was good to be flying with the concomitant limited space for purchases. That helps inhibit my impulse control issue and limits how much I drag home. While there, I started buying buttons. Like jewelry, you can collect many, many buttons and they do not take up much space. A brilliant new obsession. Here is a calendar plate, another obsession, with earrings, another obession, and buttons that I found on our day. Look, travel size!

Phyllis gave me some buttons once she saw what a freak I was being for them. She let me look through hers and take what I wanted. I had to use such restraint not to just take the whole box.

I mean, I liked Phyllis before, but now...are you kidding me?

Finally, I did realize there was a fourth good thing. The taffy. Also, I did not go to nor look in the windows of the Sower home. She won't tell me where she lives...odd.