Packing Away Holiday Decor....

 Happy New Year!

2012 was filled with happy moments, sad moments,proud moments and inspiring moments that when combined all together defined my so called life.

Packing away the holiday decor doesn't necessarily mean packing away the memories of 2012. Here are glimpses of the Carey home holiday merriment along with some of the special moments of 2012.

2012 surrounded me with the never ending support and love of my family ....

and tried and true friends....

 2012 reconnected me with old friends....

(Patty - thanks for taking the time to see me when you were in town.

My dear friend Mie - how lucky am I that we ran into each other at Ralphs. A true blessing!)

2012 introduced me to new acquaintances ...... who I now call friends....

2012 brought moments of panic when 2 of my loved ones 

were diagnosed with cancer ....

(My dad and my BFF Cheryl)

2012 brought inspiration as I watched my dad and friend battle back

 from their respective cancer diagnoses....

2012 took our son Riley to study abroad in Spain for the Fall semester....

Picking him up at the airport was one of those heart racing moments as we waited to see him for the first time in 3 months.

2012 left me so sad when we said good bye 

to our dear friend Todd M. who passed away.

(April, I think about you and the kids often.)

2012 allowed our daughter Chelsea to fulfill a dream when she went to Paris 

for a 10 day school conference....

2012 had me feeling so proud of our youngest daughter, 

Ally,who was selected to play #1 singles for SM's JV tennis team 

and battled to win most of her matches.

2012 brought me the incredible gift of Frontier International and introduced me to 

 a group of people who are some of the kindest 

and most caring individuals I have ever met....especially Gitte and Randy.

2012 blessed my husband with another year of continuing to work at a job he loves and enjoying the simple pleasures in life like a good cup of coffee while reading the sports page.

HAPPY 2013!

Define BFF?

 Define BFF?  Is it the family member you often take for granted, a new acquaintance who you adore and believe will be in your life forever, the unexpected friend that develops out of business or maybe the friend who played a significant role in your life in the past, and no matter how many months or years go by without seeing each other, it seems no time has past at all the next time you do see or talk to each other.  I say a BFF is all of the above and so much more.  

I believe friends come into our lives for a reason, and whether their friendship last a short time

 or life time, each one is a gift in its own unique way.

I couldn't start this blog without mentioning our friends, the Matthews family. When my son Riley was 4 years old and attending Chapman University's Child Development Center, he became BFF's with a little boy name Scott Matthews. Soon the Matthews family (April and Todd) and our family were inseparable. As the boys got older, life took us down different paths and now some 16 years later April and I still share a phone call once or twice a year.  So when she called me several weeks ago, I initially thought it was just our annual catch up call. Then she told me Todd had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Not a day goes by now without a memory sneaking into my day of those years of kid sleepovers, trick or treating together, swim days, t-ball.....The Matthews family holds such a special place in my heart, and right now they need friends and friends of friends praying for Todd's health. 

It's been really fun watching my daughters become friends in a new way since going to high school. This summer took them to a leadership camp together.  I hope their bond will just grow stronger and stronger as they grow into adulthood.

A real highlight of the summer was the vacation my husband and I took to Cancun.  

At first I felt REALLY guilty about planning this trip without my kids, but my friend Debbie Watts was the first person to say (with so much care and sincerity),"Rose, you work REALLY hard. You deserve this trip with your husband.  You should go and not feel guilty at all!" 

Soon those same sentiments were echoed by all of my family and friends.  

 So off Paul and I went to Cancun to enjoy lots of R and R,

 lunch at the pool,

late night evening spirits,

 and above all else, a rekindled friendship.

Summer time always means birthday time for Ally.

So many of you have watched her grow up over the years as she has come out and helped me at the markets. Hard to believe she is 15 and a sophomore in high school. 

This year's celebration was an invitation for her friends to get a little dressed up 

and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

All of these girls are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside!

Ally and some of her BFF's. 

Another one of her BFF's - my sweet Brooklyn.

Let's face it girls, no matter how cute the dress is - it's really about the shoes!

In the blink of an eye, the summer months were over and September was here. The girls went back to school, my son completed his summer internship, prepared to leave for his fall semester study abroad program in Spain,

and I got ready for the Vintage Oaks "Rustic Romance" show.

I am so lucky to have met some wonderful friends through this crazy flea market world.
Together we relate to one another in a way that only junkers can do.

(My next blog will be a recap of the Vintage Oaks show)

One last happening this summer was my decision to leave my space at The Urban Barn. 

My decision was strictly based on the need to cut back!  Linda Carpenter, owner of The Urban Barn, has an amazing talent for putting together an eye candy store of refurbished goods. Over the years,  Linda has continuously offered her friendship to me in all my endeavors and for that gift, I will always wish her and The Urban the greatest success!

An Invitation to the porch

It's still early and the house is quiet with the girls sleeping and my son and husband off to work.  I steal this time to grab some juice, my laptop, and head out to my porch.  Nothing says California summer more than being outdoors and my porch, accented with white iron rusty chairs, comfy down filled pillows and chippy paint urns, provides the perfect place to create a post that links to the wonderful Kathleen's White Wednesday at Faded Charm.

In just a few hours this time of sitting on my porch and taking in the surroundings of white english roses growing wildly out of control, hydrangeas bursting into bloom and old glory standing tall and proud, will be long gone. The fresh air will melt away into a typical summer day of daily tasks...driving Ally to tennis lessons, picking up Ally from tennis lessons, driving her to a friend's house, picking her up from the friend's house, stopping by the grocery store, preparing dinner...

And even though the morning serenity will be gone before I know it, I look forward to heading back to the porch later in the evening with a glass of wine to take in the last moments of this long summer sunlight day. I hope you will join me on my porch this Wednesday morning or evening as I link up with #158 White Wednesday.

One of my favorite items on my porch is this Rose Cottage sign which was a gift from my friend Rita, of Mammabellarte .  She designs and creates a wonderful selection of signs in every shape, size and saying.
A must have for everyone!

Happy Wednesday!

HuGs,
Rose

Decoration Day

Please join me in taking a moment to remember what Memorial Day is really all about.  

Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day 

is about remembering those who have died in our nation's service.  

To all men and women who have served in any of the armed forces,

 and especially to those who gave their life, thank you.

There is no easy way to transition from Memorial Day to the other part of my blog entry 

which was just an update on some new goods I took to my Urban Barn space. 
So I think I'll just leave you with some pictures of my Urban Barn redo.

Yes, I'm still crazy about the Tiffany blue color.

Last but not least, I have The Oaks show coming up this Friday and Saturday.  

I've dubbed my booth theme "Sea la Vie" for this show-

 a wonderful mix of summer time beach accents with a twist of french flare.

This is such a great show set within a backdrop of wonderful Oak trees.  

Hope you will come out!  You will not be disappointed.

I will be posting some photos later this week on my Tarnished Crown facebook page previewing some of the items that will be at the show......

Join my facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/TheTarnishedCrown