Song Sung Two

Hi again, Vixens!!!  Thanks for tuning in for the second song of the Christmas season.

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Ogden City Village, Utah

Today’s tune dates back to 1943.  It has been covered by singers like Perry Como to Frank Sinatra to Kelly Clarkson to Michael Buble.  With so many diverse artists covering it in the last 70 years, a lot of people do not realize that the roots of the song go back to World War II and the soldiers stationed overseas who could not be home to celebrate the holiday with their families.  Hence, the last line of the song:  “I’ll be home for Christmas if only in my dreams”.  And with so many of our servicemen and women still serving our country on foreign soil far away from their families, the song’s original meaning holds true for them today.

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New York, 1942 Photo by Alfred Eisenstaed

At this moment, the song can be used as a prayer for the people of Tennessee who have either lost their homes or have been forced out of them because of the horrific wildfires raging near Gatlinburg.  So it was easy to pick the version of today’s song by the Tennessee native who just set up a fund to help the people of her home state who have lost everything because of those fires.  Not surprising for this powerhouse of a woman who is a singer, songwriter, musician, actress and author.  This year marked not only her 70th birthday but her 50th anniversary as an entertainer as well.  One of her other major humanitarian projects, “Imagination Library“, has provided close to 80 million free books to children.

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Courtesy of Imagination Library

She is also one third of an unbelievably great “Trio” and starred in two of my all-time favorite movies, “9 to 5” and “Steel Magnolias“.

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STEEL MAGNOLIAS, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Daryl Hannah, Dolly Parton, 1989

Dora Lee & Truvy.

Sa-woon x 2 on day 2!!!

So as you listen to her beautiful rendition of this song, please say a prayer for our servicemen and women & all the people being displaced by the wildfires.  Let’s hope they are all safe at home soon.

Dolly Parton:  I’ll Be Home For Christmas.

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing the things that I love with you.

Until next time, fellow Vixens, happy listening!!!

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Local Store Stop: Maison St. Germain, Woodbury, CT

Hello, Vixens!!!  While I was patiently waiting for the summer to pass, I discovered a gem of a store in Woodbury, CT.  While the town is known as the “The Antiques Capital” of Connecticut, I have not had the time to check out too many of them yet because I have been distracted by junking, estate sales and my new favorite, barn sales.  But that is for another post.  Maison St. Germain is so beautiful I cannot help but share it!!!  (I am still without my SLR camera, so please forgive me if the quality of some of the shots is not the best).

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Owned, run and designed by the extremely talented mother-daughter team of Debra Germain and Nicole Germain-Perez (below, left to right), their store is 3,300 square feet of sheer loveliness.

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Both designers, these ladies are bursting with creativity, and it shows in every part of their store which they describe as “vintage style with eclectic flair”.  I think of them as the east coast version of the Junk Gypsies.

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Their philosophy?  “If you like it, buy it. It will work”.  Just look at the adorable table I snagged.  Debra said it was made from old cheese boxes.

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The women decided to open a store after doing various antiques shows for years. “It just wasn’t fun anymore,” Deborah said. “So we wrote a business plan on a napkin in a restaurant after a show & we opened a store.”

They still attend shows like Bouckville and Stormfield, but they admit they do not have time for too many estate sales. “There just isn’t time because this is a seven day a week job. If we are not in the store, we are out buying or home painting what we buy” said Nicole.  This dining room set is a perfect example of their painting skills.

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The painted furniture pieces most prominent items throughout the store but there is so much more, like one of my favorites, White Ironstone.  I love the look of the pristine white platters against the chippy old door.  The perfect combo, in my humble opinion.  And that pumpkin sign is perfect for fall, right?

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They have a big collection of punch bowls which they use for so many things, including floral displays & centerpieces for Christmas with ornaments & lights.  .

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And so many adorable items like this sink or the doll’s chair/stool.  Too cute!!!

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There is even a spot to enchant the men.

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The women love being inventive with their displays and designs which includes their own line of clothing with the best name I ever heard: The Vintage Vixen   🙂

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Their clothes line features hand-dyed & hand-painted clothes. “I saw something on TV about Ralph Lauren is doing hand painted clothes now, too,” said Debra.  This pair of shorts reminded me of a Jackson Pollock painting.

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They also carry accessories like these “Vogue” inspired purses & an array of footwear including cowboy boots.

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IMG_1028[1]And as a Rock & Roll chick myself, I appreciated all the music posters throughout the clothing section!!!

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The store does not just look good, it smells good, too, thanks to a line of beautiful soaps displayed just in front of the check out counter.

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So, for a treat for your eyes and nose, check out Maison St. Germain!!!

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