Weigh-In Wednesday

You don't know just how hard it is for me to hit the publish button on this post, but here goes.....

Yes, I know this isn't Wednesday, but I wanted to let you know about a weekly post I will be doing beginning next week.

I have wanted needed to do this post for a long time, but always chickened out. It's hard to face the reality of not being what you want to be, and face up to what you are, and finally do something about it. At least it's hard for me. It's even harder to go public with the reality. I have changed my mind on posting this so many times. How would I be judged?

As long as I stayed in the background, behind my words, you could picture me, Lana of Honeysuckle Lane, however you wanted me to look... perhaps you thought I was a tall, slender blonde, or a feisty red-head... or maybe a dark-haired country girl looking lean and fit in jeans, boots, and a flannel shirt (considering all the chicken and turkey posts I've done in the past). But if you've read the rare past posts with photos of me, you know that I am none of those. I am still the person, the artist / wife / mom, who wrote this blog for the last 5 years or so, but I have always held back in some way or another. For many years I have been embarrassed of the way I look, of my weight, and that has caused me to stay on the sidelines, to turn away opportunities, to miss out on so much... all because of how I felt about myself. Silly, I know, but that's just the way it has been.

{taken in February of this year at my son's wedding rehearsal}

I have been overweight for over 20 years and I am so tired of being overweight.
So I am finally.... finally..... doing something about it.

There are many reasons why I decided to blog about this, but here are a few:

• posting this on my blog will make me feel more accountable
• this will be a journal that I can look back on and see my progress
• hopefully, by sharing my experience, I can be an inspiration to someone else

Each Wednesday, I will try to post about my progress on losing weight and getting healthy. I'll share photos, but I'm not sure yet if I will share a weekly photo of myself or maybe once a month... we'll see. I am no expert (obviously) but I will share what I am doing, what's working for me, how I am doing, how I am feeling, etc.

I appreciate your comments and encouragement and will try to respond if there are any questions.

Wish me luck and I'll be back on Wednesday to report in! :)

Take care and God bless,
Lana
~*~

To Let Go or Not To Let Go

... that's a hard decision!!!

I've been thinning things out even more... yes, I am an expert at storing three times as many things in a space that you would think could possibly fit in said space... and it feels good to make room... but I am having second thoughts about some of the items.

For instance, that old tobacco tin at the top... don't you just LOVE the graphics on it? I would keep it if the entire thing was black and cream, but years ago someone painted the lid and rim a sea-foam green. I suppose I could paint over it, but then there's one more thing I would have to work on and I already have many more big projects that have been waiting for months.

And this ironstone gravy boat with the light crazing and faded gold trim....

I collect ironstone, but all my other pieces are just white... no gold on them.

But if I also kept this little fancy teacup...

...and this pretty chocolate mug.... then I'd have a collection of gold trimmed pieces! ;)

Sigh... I'd better not, I still have a lot of pieces that I'm not sure will fit in the kitchen once we finally renovate it this summer. You know, the kitchen renovation I have talked about for the last few years here on my blog. I have high hopes that it will come to pass in the next few months... fingers crossed!!!

So, if you would like to see some of the items I am letting go, just visit the Vintage pages of my website. Who knows, you just might find something that you've been looking for! :)

Blessings,
Lana
~*~

Saturday Sundries

typo in title now corrected... {insert red-faced smiley here}

sundries: miscellaneous small articles, details, or items

I have some very talented friends... wonderful ladies I met through the folk art groups that I have belonged to over the last several years. These little sundries are just a sample of the many handmade items I have received from them... some I purchased, some were sent as surprise gifts, and some were gifts in secret sister and secret santa swaps.

Who created these fantastic folk art items?
photo 1 ~ Patti Gagliardi of Winding Vine Designs
photo 2 ~ BJ McCart of Daughternature Primitive Folk Art
photo 3 ~ Sherry Harrell of Blair Creek Cabin
photo 4 ~ Stacy Nash of Stacy Nash Primitives
photo 5 ~ Jenny Hoffman of Country Rustic Primitives
photo 6 ~ Susan Pilotto of Mouse Droppings Fine Folk Art
photo 7 ~ Shelly Auen of Primitive Stitchin'
photo 8 ~ another Sherry Harrell design! {I made the little paperclay sheep underneath the stand}

I could have #2 and #7 mixed up... if BJ or Shelly are reading this, let me know.... and start signing your work! lol! ;-)

I hope you enjoyed seeing these. You may see all of the Saturday Sundries posts here.

Thanks for stopping by ~
Blessings,
Lana

~*~

P.S. This weekend is my last Vintage update for a few months. Click here to see the items I've added and to read about the special discounts!

For You

Dear blog reader(s),
I know tulips are long gone this season, but I love how the light filtered through these in the early spring and I wanted to share their beauty with you.

Have a blessed weekend,
Lana
~*~

Vintage Native American Beadwork

A few months back I purchased a box lot of items to acquire of a couple of pincushions that were in it. One of them I will keep (sorry, I forgot to take a photo of it but I'll share it at a later date) and one of them I am a bit iffy as to whether or not it stays or goes. It's the pincushion shown in this post.

I like having a varied selection of antique and vintage pincushions, but I'm trying not to collect them unless I really, really like them.

The dealer stated this was made from pinecone seeds. Which are the pinecone seeds: the reddish brown ones or the black ones... or both? I'm not really sure, so I am in the midst of trying to learn more about it.

It's completely covered with the seeds. Can you imagine the time involved? And this is only a small item compared to the much larger, more elaborate pieces found in Native American bead work!

In the box lot was a couple of vintage dolls and a few vintage hand-woven miniature rugs:

a multi-strand, white (though a bit dirty), glass seed bead necklace with an interesting silver beehive barrel clasp:

..and a couple of zuni dolls. One of the zuni dolls is a necklace that isn't very old, but could be vintage:

However, I do think this zuni doll is an old one:

It's a little over 2" tall and has an old leather cord still attached to it. It is made from teeny tiny glass seed beads. From what I've read, they were often beaded over a rabbit's foot. I think that's most likely how this one was made because I can see a bit of fur and some tiny bones sticking out the feet of this doll.

My mom would have loved these items. She was told we have some Native American ancestors a few generations back. She was very interested in anything pertaining to Native Americans, their history, their customs, their art, etc. I do think it's interesting, but I can only collect so many different things... or someone in my family will be calling Hoarders or Clean House to come see what's going on, lol!

So, all of these items I mentioned (including the pincushion, I think) will be listed on the vintage pages of my website, probably next Saturday evening.

I'd better get back to work. I'm trying to get down to business on building up inventory for the Lavender Festival... which is only a month away!

Take care and God bless,
Lana
~*~