Chilly Night-Warm Hearts

South Carolina is full of "Historical" Towns. There is a lot of pride in their history and traditions, many of which are still practiced. MJ and Willie enjoyed a night of "Family Fun" in one such town, Fountain Inn.  

 



This is the scene of the great date

 

CEO and president of the Chamber of Commerce was the ambassador of the Family Night. He knew he had MJ in his pocket from the very beginning

 

MJ recognized these folks right away! She remembers seeing them on the Steve Wilkos show in November 2013! I sure hope they reconcile with Granny one day.

 

MJ is sitting pretty on Mr. Squarepants' nose

MJ is cool as a cucumber riding on Larry the
Cucumber.

 

Pooh literally had MJ in the palm of his hand.

 

I think there is some kind of rule in South Carolina that you MUST have funnel cakes at every fair and function

OK, so what are the Oreo's for?

Ever hear of fried Oreo cookies?

Nothing like a romantic horse and buggy ride...sigh!

 Or the excitement of a carousel ride...giddy-up! (turn down sound...very loud!)

Just because it takes a teacher to appreciate a teacher :-)

I don't know...because he is so beautiful I guess! lol

Set next to the outdoor activities is this center.

 

MJ had to get a little closer to that gingerbread man to make sure he wasn't another dessert
 

A tribute to the original inhabitants in this area

Many Cherokees lived in the "upstate" area of South Carolina  



This display memorialized one of the first store owners in Fountain Inn...he owned a "meat shop" and lots of land when it was extremely cheap

 

Peg Leg Bates was known all over the world for tap dancing with just one leg!  He hailed from Fountain Inn.



Peg Leg Bates never let losing his leg stop him from dancing! Here, is his first wooden leg he used .

 

These are real cotton balls just as they grow in the field

Tools and other items from history

Is that a tiny gift
Santa is holding with care?

 

Awww it is MJ!

MJ's bio said she loved Christmas and knows in her heart that Santa is REAL! Oh well, I guess there is no argument here!

 

Taking a little time getting to know one another better.

 



PEACE!

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Holiday Shopping Everyday Gossip

 MJ's first stop in Home Town is Carmen's house. This is the house which got me back into the hobby. My first two granddaughters were born and I wanted to refurbish it with them. I am on my second remodel and still working on it. LOL Two new windows were added on the second floor. You can see the one on this side.

 

Most of the locations you will see here and for the rest of these special posts are in progress or repair. You may see some of the progress or changes. Some, are the homes of the regulars, but may be used for something else while MJ is here.

I made the brown coat Carmen is wearing last year.

 

MJ and Carmen have a good laugh about her travels.

MJ describes her encounters with some of the handsome men she has met.
They talk and talk and talk

 Carmen and MJ get up early, after laughing and talking late into the night, to go shopping. Something they both enjoy. We will see a few familiar faces and places along with a few new ones.

Carmen took MJ shopping at Niecy's boutique

Customer to Niecy: Is this on sale too?

Niecy: Yes, this is also "buy one get one free." Will this be all?
Customer: Yes.



The shop is bustling. It seems everyone is doing their holiday shopping. MJ and Carmen leave to go to the shoe store next door.

Carmen made an excuse to come back to the boutique to price the necklace MJ liked. She just might buy it for her going away gift. Then she leaves again.



GLADYS BELL!
 Thank goodness MJ is in the shoe store next door or else she might have been the subject of a little gossip! Who knows?

 

Gladys  Bell waits until everyone has left. She is up to something I can tell!

Gladys Bell: Well, hello there little mama!

Niecy: Gladys Bell! You startled me! How are you?
Looking for something for Beth for Hanukkah?

Gladys Bell: Oh, ah YES, That sounds like a great idea!

Niecy: I have something she might like.
 Look at the look on Gladys Bells' face!

Niecy: These new bangle bracelets just came in. She might like these. I know she usually wears gold




 

Gladys Bell: So, uh, how have you been feeling these days Niecy?

 

Niecy: Well, to be truthful Gladys Bell I have been a little tired lately. This must  be the busiest holiday season I have had since I opened! I am not complaining! Just tired.

 

Gladys Bell: Oh, I see.

To be continued...

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UNITED STATES MINI STAMP OF APROVAL!

Here is just a quick post to show how miniature making can stretch beyond being just a hobby. These are the latest United States Postage stamps!

"Baker Teresa Layman created each of the houses featured on the stamps over a period of two weeks. They were constructed out of gingerbread, royal icing, and various candies, including sugary fruit slices for shingles, peppermint sticks for support beams, and round, candy-coated chocolate for doorknobs and holly berries. To keep the houses from sagging in high humidity, Layman watched the weather forecast to know when to bake and decorate.

The four Gingerbread Houses stamps will be released on November 6, 2013. Look for them online and in a Post Office near you." (USPS website)"

From what I have read in a NAME  Yahoo group, Teresa is a miniaturist and appears to be a member of  the National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts (NAME)

"Renowned gingerbread house architect Teresa Layman built the actual gingerbread houses under the direction of stamp art director Derry Noyes. Stamp artist Sally Anderson-Bruce photographed the houses." 

READ MORE HERE:

http://www.wusa9.com/news/photo-gallery.aspx?storyid=281729

and here:

 http://www.uspsstamps.com/blog/2013/10/23

KUDOS TO HER!

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Superior workmanship

Sunday July 29th, I went to the National Convention of the National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts show. It was the 40th anniversity of the organization. Unfortunately, by the time I decided I would be able to attend the week long celebration it was sold out! So we just went to the public day that Sunday.

Two years ago I bought three of my grandaughters a dollhouse on their birthdays. Those are the three I took with me to the show along with one of my daughters who enjoys viewing miniatures rather than making them.

It was held in a hotel that was a very beautiful combination of provencial and modern updates. A room set up as an exhibition hall was across from the sales room. My girls oooo and ahhhh their way through both. Their first surprise was a free gift at the door. From there is was giggles and pointing for hours.

I met so many great people and some whose work I had heard of previously. I came away with more than a few goodies. (pictures soon to come)

 After shopping, I decided to whip out my camera and take some great pictures of my girls next to some of the booths and exhibits. Uh, no go. My battery light was on indicating a dying battery, so I was only able to take pictures of this one fabulous roombox.

If I had to capture one thing, this is certianly the one. The International Guild of Miniature Artisans (IGMA) artist was so friendly and took a lot of time to explain the details.  Something he also shared was that along with him and his wife, he has two daughters who are also miniaturists.


Please view this lovely work done by Ron Gill and April Gill of Wildwood Dollhouse and Miniatures:

I wish the picture could do justice to this fine piece of work. The shelving is glass...tell you what...why don't you just scoot over to their site to see and read more about it.

You may see more of their work at:  http://wildwood-dollhouse.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=9

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