Just a Thought

 

If you would have told that girl, at this time last year, that she would and could be happy again, she wouldn't have believed you.  But that girl believes you now.  Amazing what a year can do to heal your soul.  I can't remember what he looks like anymore.  Other than my dogs and chickens I left behind, there's nothing about my previous married life that I miss.  I sure don't miss him.  My life is so peaceful and quiet.  It's almost dang perfect.  And I've recently met a new fella who I've been dating and getting to know.  He's sweet and kind and kisses me on the fore head when he hugs me.  We go to diners and some times he slurps his coffee when he drinks it, which makes me laugh.  I use to catch such hell for slurping my tea around someone in my past life.  Now I look across the table and laugh...life sure is funny...imagine getting upset just because someone makes a slurping sound when they drink something hot.  I'm so lucky to be sitting on the other side of that table, across from someone, who some times, slurps their coffee too.

XOXO,

Mary "Slurpy" Deluxe

Grateful

Life is good.

 
Kitschmas is coming!  Getting my crafting on!

 




Bring on the holidays!

A Kitschmas Obsession..

I've been really buying up the vintage Christmas decorations when I've been finding it at auction for a good price lately.  I'm a bit obsessed you might say.  Not as bad as some but worse than others.

 

 

 I've been adding all my new goodies to my old goodies!  My goal is to once again craft some super awesome vintage Christmas wreaths this year!  Making wreaths last year was the last fun thing I did in Jersey, cuz shortly after my crafty fun, the shit hit the fan...no shit will be hitting the fan this year, cuz this year, it's all about the crafty fun and not about someone else's fucked up drama! 

 

  

And since I'm feeling nostalgic for my drama free Christmases past, how about some fun kitschy Christmas shots of yours truly from back in the day...what a young sassy lassy I be! 

 

I wish you all drama free holidays this year!

~MaryDeluxe

And She Lived Happily Ever After.........

....in a little house named DeluxeVille surrounded by five fabulous cats and lots of her favorite things!  I apologize in advance to all the little girls out there, no knight in shining armor in this fairy tale, just awesome little MaryDeluxe saving herself! 

 

 

Don't ever feel bad for making a decision about your own life that upsets other people.  You are not responsible for their happiness.  You're responsible for your own happiness.  Anyone who wants you to live in misery for their happiness should not be in your life to begin with.

If you don't like where you are, then change it....

...you are not a tree.

 

 

"If you don't make the time to work on creating the life you want, you're eventually going to be forced to spend a LOT of time dealing with a life you don't want."

~Kevin Ngo

  

XOXO

 ~MaryDeluxe

Goodbye Summer....

You were an amazing time of year for me once again.  I can always count on Summer to re-energize my spirit and send me off in new creative directions.  No other season gives me the wonderful mental boost quite like Summer does.  Summer I will miss you!

 
I grew Veggies and ate my veggies and shared my veggies!!

 
I road my bike!

 
I fell in love with a few tractors.


I lost something I will never be able to replace.
He was the best thing that has ever happened in my life.  

 
I bought stuff I didn't need just for fun!

 
I glowed...I nested....I rested....I met new friends...I hung out with old friends...I spent time with myself....I licked my wounds and healed my soul just a bit more...I spent time with my family.... I gave and got lots of hugs...I let go...I laughed more than I cried (even though I cried for days)...  I remembered how to love...I grieved my losses...I proclaimed that all this me time is absolutely awesome...I got a new nickname from a special fella....I jumped through flaming hoops of fire...(okay just kidding I didn't really do that)...I did however start running again (slow like a turtle but I'm moving so who cares turtles are cute!)

Thank you Summer you came along just when I needed you!  See ya next year Summer!!

XOXO,
MaryDeluxe

 

Happiness Is Just A Paint Color Away!

 

"It's your road, and yours alone.
Others may walk it with you,
but no one can walk it for you."
~Rumi

 

 



~When one door closes,
sometimes you want to get a hammer and nails
to make sure that Bitch stays shut. 

 

Expect nothing
Appreciate everything.

xoxo,

~MaryDeluxe

Tiki Gods, Veggies, & the Wall of Shame...

The Tiki Gods were smiling on me at auction last weekend and I got to come home with two very awesome wooden carved tikis. They look fab hanging out in the garden by the fish pond. I can't say I've ever run across wooden carved tikis at auction before, so this was quite the find. The son of the family said his Father spent a lot of time on vacation in Key West, so I'm guessing they might have come from there? Where ever they came from, I plan to enjoy them for a long while! 

 

 

 

The veggie gardens have been doing great and as you can see above, giving us lots of yummy colorful produce!  
 

 

I still have not finished painting Deluxeville and it still remains a sea of boring beige.  As you can see, I did start removing plaster from the wall behind my stairs.  Removing plaster is a very messy pain in the butt.  My progress has been slow.  I refer to this eye sore as my wall of shame! What can I say, just like my life, my wall is also a work in progress.  But I am most certain that very shortly my wall will be finished and so will a certain chapter in my book of life!  I'm looking forward to finishing them both and getting some color back into my life!

XOXO,

MaryDeluxe

The Gatchellville Store Adventure Again!

If you live anywhere remotely close to The Gatchellville Store and haven't yet visited...well then, not much more for me to say other then you have no idea what you are missing!  Seriously!! Really!! I mean come on...do I need to rent a bus and go pick everyone up?  I can do that if you want but you're going to have to help me pay for the bus!

Now, if you have been a faithful DeluxeVille reader, you will remember my first visit to the store back in 2009...The Gatchellville Store Adventure, yeah I know my post titles are so original!  Well, I'm happy to report it's gotten even better!  I didn't think it was possible...they proved me wrong!

 

"With over 6000 square feet, The Gatchellville Store has a bit of something for everyone.
Created by husband and wife, Carroll Swam and Linda Sarubin, and combining their vastly different collecting tastes, ( his, country..and hers, city ), the store is the kind of place you can lose yourself in for hours at a time, just wandering among the thousands of interesting items.
Country furniture, vi...ntage musical instruments, old books, unusual ephemera, pottery, advertising...the town's old post office, circa 1900, is filled with Carroll's impressive collection of antiques tools. 

Linda's interests run towards jewelry, textiles, and a world class collection of thousands and thousands of vintage and antique buttons. Circa 1850 - 1950.
Two little dogs sit in thrones in the center of the store, ordering customers to pet them, while bluegrass-and blues-music plays throughout. 

By the way, The Gatchellville Store began its life around the time of the Civil War when a Union solider named Mathew McCall came home from the war to set up a mercantile and dry goods business in Gatchellville. He was only 19 years of age....and now almost 150 years later, Mr. McCall's Name is still on the stained glass transom above the front door. 

When Linda and Carroll bought the store in 2002, it had been closed since the 1940s. They are the 4th owners to operate the store since the Civil War."

 

So, what did MaryDeluxe find this time at Gatchellville?  I'm sure this is the question you are all pondering at this very moment...ok just humor me and pretend like it was!   Well kiddos, I went with this wonderful barkcloth fabric.  As a person who use to design fabric back in another one of my life times, I really like vintage textiles! A LOT!  I really like mixing them together too...textures, colors, and patterns...makes no difference to me.

 

 

To continue with my theme of textile purchases, I also grabbed this old rainbow rag runner while I was there!  Love the colors and after cutting off the bad ends, was a perfect fit for my kitchen! 

Later that evening we christened the rug with popcorn treats and hairballs!  I had nothing to do with the hairball part of that equation!

 

 

In other fun news...if you want to follow me on IG you can find me as some of you already know under _MaryDeluxe_ !

Until next time!

XOXO,

MaryDeluxe

Hello Summer!!

June came around and brought with it my happiness!

Hello happy! 
It's so nice to see you again!

Thank you June :)

 

 



 



 







 

I'm done grieving.
I survived!
Thank you all for your love!
XOXO,
~MaryDeluxe