Surgery was a SUCCESS

Hello blog friends.  I write this with tears of joy and am happy to share with you that my granddaughter's brain surgery to remove an AVM was successful. 

 My son posted on his FaceBook page the following:  "Kaitlyn arrived back in her room at 1810 (6:10 pm) after a LONG day of surgery. She is doing awesome. Awake, talking, and has the use of most of her motor skills. She came back into her room upset because the boy (i.e. neurosurgeon) who did her hair, did not do a very good job with her ponytail. At least her priorities are straight.  Best news of all: the AVM is gone. 100% gone.

Angiogram confirmed it. "

  Leave it to my granddaughter to be upset with the neurosurgeon because he did not do a good job with her ponytail. That is my girl. Thank you all, everyone, for your continued vigil of prayers and thoughts these past few weeks.  I know that it was your prayers that aided the medical team's hands and ensured that Kaitlyn would come out of this with flying colors.   She will have a long night this evening as she has so many wires and probes on her to measure her post surgery vitals...something that she hates.  But then a feisty patient is a healing patient.  This is the best Christmas present I could ever receive.  Blessings to you and those you love.  Sea Witch

Kaitlyn Update and Candlelight Open House

Finally came up for air after an emotionally exhausting week with Kit Kat's AVM scare.  She is doing well and the swelling is reducing nicely.  Her speech is back to normal and at 100% and she has nearly all feeling in her right side returned.  She still has right hand grasping problems but they will return with physical therapy and time.  She went through her angiogram testing like a trooper and based on that test, she is scheduled for brain surgery to remove the AVM next week.  I want to thank all of you for your prayers, emails of support and all of the good energy and strength you have sent her way.  Next week will be a critical time in her life so please continue to keep her in your hearts.

I made her Pumpkin pies (her favorite) and daddy was making her laugh by putting whipped cream on her nose.

Got back into town in time to take in the First Annual Candlelight Christmas Open House at My Sisters Antiques in Loganville, Georgia.  WOW! and WOW! again.  It was lovely and festive and colorful and musical and just a feast for all of the senses.  These ladies and their wonderful dealers left no snowman unturned as they decorated the store for the season with lots of pretty holiday lights and candles throughout.

Two entrances to this lovely shop and everyone's favorite seems to be the double red doors all decorated and light up for welcoming friends.

So  many beautiful wreaths to choose from. Both old and new.

My kind of decor...American primitive.  Love the simplicity.  I really should go back and purchase these cake molds...I bet they are gone as I write this.

From the same booth.  Love this dealer.

Marvelous table decked out for the holidays.  Paul and Jeanine are terrific folks and they have exquisite taste.  Excellent prices, I buy from them quite often.

Don't you just love a trunk full of Christmas?  I purchased the shabby looking gold foil wreath with the teeny tiny mercury glass balls on it.

Now that is a bird cage perfect for the partridge in the pear tree.

Candles along the check out desk.  So festive.

Faboosh crystal chandelier captures the mood of the holiday.

Pretty green goblets and red beads.

Looking through the front window into the shop.  Enchanting.

This glorious Victorian bed was made and I just wanted to crawl under the covers, pull the quilt to my neck and just dream. 

My Vintage Heart, another favorite dealer (and friend)...I walked away with a few of her treasures too.  Susan has a gift for display and you will want to carry the same flair into your own home.

Dinner's ready or at least it will be once you put your best china on this lovely antique dining room table.

More holiday treasure.  The store was packed with folks and not a space was available in the rear parking lot.  I was so glad to see so many folks as this is My Sister's Antiques first Christmas.  I could tell by the folks shopping in the store that this was going to be a Christmas ritual for them going forward.

So hard to select from so many wonderful things.

The front entrance.  Had to dodge the cars pulling out of the Walgreen's across the street. They just didn't understand that I needed a good photo of the front of My Sister's Antiques. 

Well I walked away with a vintage gold foil wreath, a vintage gold sled with original angel hair, a pretty little Victorian mustache cup with the transfer ware phrase, Happy New Year, and a to die for, had to have it, late Victorian, black marble parlour table.  It was hard not to purchase more but the seawitch minds her budget. 

If you ever have the opportunity to travel to Loganville, you must stop in at My Sister's Antiques.  You will adore their hospitality and all of the wonderful treasures found inside.  My best to you and those you love.  Sea Witch

I promise to pray every night for her sir.

These are the words left on my son's facebook page from one of his soldiers.  Simple words that touch my heart and ease my soul.  I have never wanted to post about the difficulties that may come my way as everyone has hardships.  However, I am asking for any prayers, any strength and good wishes you can send my granddaughter's way.  She is in the hospital from a clot on her brain and has just been diagnosed with AVM or Arteriovenous Malformation. An AVM is a tangle of abnormal and poorly formed blood vessels (arteries and veins). They have a higher rate of bleeding than normal vessels. AVMs can occur anywhere in the body and never come to the surface.  Brain AVMs are of special concern because of the damage they cause when they bleed. They are very rare and occur in less than 1% of the general population.  Who knows why these things happen and to the smallest of us. The most innocent of life are children.  I will not dwell on the why but on the how we can help and support this sweet child so she is back to her princess dress imagination days.

Mom and dad are with her and will be living at the children's hospital for the next few weeks.  She has an MRI in the morning to see how far the swelling has gone down and how far the bleeding has diminished.  Once the bleeding has stopped, she will undergo an angiogram to determine the next step.  It appears that surgery to correct the AVM may be necessary.  My sweet 5-cheese ravioli has a long row to hoe and I believe in the power of prayer when it is given with love and care to one who needs it.  We will know more as the days go by.  Sea Witch   

Funky Friday

Funky, freaky, faboosh, either way it is Friday and I posted a mixed bag of items today.

FIRST:  Musings of a Sea Witch was noted in a blog article, "Top 50 Blogs for Yard Sale Aficionados" !  Whoo hooo.  Alex Deeds created a blog titled Associates Degree and provides collective data to students who are pursuing an Associates degree and also offers interesting side items.  My blog made #13 and he writes "This blogger sells antiques, creates jewelry, and even sews her own creations. Visit her blog to see them all, or get a few tips for your own. A recent entry was on a trip to Georgia."  What is neat about this blog article is that it lists some fantastic sites that I was not familiar with and really opened up my yard sale blog connections.  I hope you enjoy visiting the link and checking out other tag, garage, yard salers sites and a shout out and thank you to Alex for putting this together.

SECOND:  Wanted to share a recent acquisition that I found at the Vintage Village Candlelight Open House.  I was actually standing in line waiting to get checked out when I came face to tail with this item.  Had to have it and I hung a pair of balls from it and now it is a festive item for the holiday.  I know, I laughed outloud when I saw it and I hope you do to.

Yes, this is a tree rats tail (or grey squirrel).  My sons always called them tree rats so it has stuck.  The perfect gift for the "big game" hunter who thinks he has prize trophies.  Well without this, your game room is incomplete.

View from the side, sorry, this just makes me burst into giggles every time I see it.

Wanted to take a better photo of the child's Victorian chaise.  So lovely.  I wish it was adult size, I would have kept it.  I think it is perfect for a sea witch to lounge her tail on.

Found this lovely vintage silverplated water pitcher at Goodwill. Got it for $2.00 as it has a split seam but I thought it would make a lovely holiday floral display.  I dropped in pine florals and a pretty red poinsettia and really liked the way it turned out.  I'm always amazed at how found items like this always looks so good with a little bit of repurposing.

THIRD:  Can't wait for this day to end so I can begin the weekend. Sis and I are gonna road trip to Lexington, GA and check out the little shops there.  Grab a bite at one of the local cafes and just gossip until we drop.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.  Sea Witch

Candelight Open House - Vintage Village

The season of Christmas Walks and Open Houses is here and my favorite way to start off the holiday season is to visit the annual Vintage Village Candlelight Open House.  Vintage Village does something that not too many shops do.  They turn off the main store lights and only the lights from trees, chandliers and candles are allowed giving off a marvelous glow throughout.  Glitter and sparkle never looked better with the warm hues of pink and yellow from candles and holiday lights.  So join me as I take you on my visit.

I arrive around 7:00pm, and the Open House was already filled with shoppers, visitors and beautiful things which began at 6:00 when the doors open for this first night.  Debby, one of the vintage hags directs me to the only parking space they had left.  Wooo hooo!  I've got a space, my camera, a budget and see the darling "Santa Shops Here" sign that greets me at the front door. The dealers at Vintage Village all partake in this celebration.  Door greeters in pretty aprons hand you a shopping bag so you can put your items in and carry your treasure around with ease.  Others are carrying trays laden with home made goodies and hot spicy cider.

Lovely pink vintage box.

How lovely. Shiny bright mercury glass thermos inserts of all sizes, nestled in sand.  Wonderful display.

A country Christmas display accented with splashes of red and green.

This lovely gold leaf angel is about 30 inches tall.  Magnificent for a table centerpiece or your foyer entrance.

Be still my heart.  This is a child's Victorian chaise in rich red velvet fabric and lovely hardwood frame.  I couldn't resist and purchased it. Can't wait to put it in my Victorian booth.  Such a marvelous piece and wouldn't a photographer love to have this as a prop.

The candles give such a wonderful glow. Really sets the holiday mood.

This sweet Dachshund almost looks real on his holiday bed.

Love me some Mrs. Claus and Rudolph.

Glitter stags against a red backdrop says Christmas.

Pretty little chandelier is a beauty.  
 

Vintage aluminum trees are always a find at Vintage Village and they also had a few rotating colored lights as well.

Crazy about that huge wreath and my gal pal from My Vintage Heart was doing some serious decision making about it.

There was a Christmas Lake on the second floor complete with a boat.  Lovely lake house scene.  The booths here always have such whimsy about them.

The pretty pink glow from lights against silverplate is lovely.

Delightful chalkware candleholders of a choir.

How clever to create a Christmas tree out of a small, folding bed.

Another lovely wreath made entirely of vintage ornaments.

Pretty trees enhance this Christmas Holiday scene. 

I spent about 90 minutes looking at of the marvelous things and another 30 minutes in line waiting to be checked out.  The line is always fun because you get to see what everyone is buying and we all swap stories about the "deal" we couldn't walk away from.  The ladies of the shop ensured that we had plenty of hot cider and cookies while we waited.  I then loaded up my car with my Open House treasure and I hit the road to come home.  The Vintage Village Candlelight Open house is now a two-day evening event and stretches out for five blissful holiday shopping days during the day, so if you can make it tomorrow evening, please do.  They also continue the open house spirit with cookies and hot cider through the weekend.  Holiday blessings to you and those you love. Sea Witch

Getting ready for Christmas Walks

Hello blog friends.  Finally came up for air since my last post 11 days ago.  Like you, I have been slammed with getting ready for family events, end of quarter issues at work and then of course, my favorite thing of all...the local Christmas Walks and Holiday Open Houses that so many local shops have beginning this week. Queen of Hearts holds their huge Holiday Open House on November 18-21st with lots of celebration, decoration and marvelous food displays.  I have been working both booths getting ready for the open house and feel like I'm still behind.  So much to prepare and what I bring in sells before I can have a cohesive look.  That is one of those good problems to have.  So it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Queen.  Enjoy the photos.

Huge Wreath in booth that sells amazing florals.

Delightful rag snowballs.  These beauties never melt.

Pretty mica covered angel.

Love this large angel with pearls.

Warm western look for your favorite cowboy at Christmas.

Cowboy wreath made from lasso.

Sweet penguin table display.

Display at one of my favorite booths.  I had to have one of these snowman and purchased the one in the silver top hat at the lower right of this photo.

 From Sassy Trash's booth...these adorable, laugh out loud bottles are "Snowman in a bottle".  How cute are these.

Now a few photos of my two booths.  Let's start with the Victorian booth,

The tree is filled with vintage ornaments.

Sold my walnut, Eastlake parlor table so had to come up with replacement quickly.  Purchased this pretty, white two tiered table from a dealer friend and added a Victorian wicker 3-tiered tray.   My sister said it looked like a huge wedding cake.

Victorian, man's nightshirt and festive top hat. Love the Dickens look of Christmas.

Closeup of top hat tricked out for the Christmas holidays.

 Set this up last week and the black velvet jacket and the top hat sold.   Had to come up with another hat for the Holiday Open house and it now sports a huge Edwardian hat.

Wonderful Edwardian hat. Brushed cashmere with saucy ostrich feather.

Decorated mantle with union suits and long handles.

Mantle holds a sweet princess carriage, a small toy dog and a corn cob pipe.

Sweet pair of copper clad baby shoes.

 Closeup of antique child's union suite and adult male long handles.  I think these make the best stockings.

Magnificent mink stole.  Circa 1950s

Lovely pair of Victorian prints.

Lovely Mark Roberts wood fairy.

Adorable elf doll.

Pretty stone ware and salt glaze mugs and a pair of sweet, Lefton Mr. and Mrs. Claus banks.

    

 Christmas on every self.  Still so much more to do this week but it was a lot of fun even if it made the weekend short.  Hope you get to visit a Holiday Open house near you.  Blessings to you and all those you love.  Sea Witch