How I Spent My Christmas Vacation

This is a rare sight in Jasper, Alabama, a rural southern town about an hour west of Birmingham. But it's what we woke up to on Christmas day, nonetheless.

Jasper is so vastly different from Kansas City in so many ways. I enjoy taking it all in through drives around town and stories from my father-in-law, Lee. Below is a cabin belonging to Robin and Carmen Roberts, some really nice people who are part of Lee's church family.

Needless to say, I was enthralled and couldn't wait to take pics. Robin and Carmen had friends in from Auburn to watch a football game and there was a roaring fire in this tiny cabin of not much more than a couple hundred square feet upstairs and down. They were so kind to invite us in (how giddy was I?!).

Many of the furnishings came with the cabin, which was built in 1860 as a Confederate recruiting office - WOW!!!!!

The walls are made from rough wood planks/logs with a concrete type mortar in between. Can you spy the skull on the wall? Just my speed.


Upstairs was a bed and bath in one. Very roomy with a large, rustic bed.

And I was feeling right at home with the deer mount.

The stairs were so cool - you could see the axe marks - these were NOT sent through a planer, that's for sure.

And this was a weight that aided in closing the trap door to the upstairs.

A picture of the man who built/worked in the cabin, Captain William Felix Hanby.

Decor to make you swoon.

I gave Carmen a card to the blog and Carmen, if you're reading this, I'd like to thank you once again for letting us interrupt your game for the tour. You don't know how much I enjoyed it. If you take a walk through the blog, you'll see that my love of all that is old and has a story to tell runs deep.

I also spent the week catching up on my husband, Jason Aaron's, creator owned comic book series, Scalped. Jason and RM Guera have spun an amazing and at times heart wrenching story of life on the fictitious Prairie Rose Indian reservation in South Dakota. Jason and Guera have received much critical acclaim for the book and just the other day, Jason received an email from "Jack the Stripper" in London, professing his (her?) love of the book and told Jason that if he came to London, she would "spoil him rotten". I think Jason is on the next flight. I am also THRILLED that Jason and I will be going to Spain in September for a convention and I will be able to meet Guera and his family and hang out with them in Barcelona. Yeah!!!!

And speaking of life on the Rez, here is Dash in his daddy's old Indian costume hand made (of course!) by my fabulous mother-in-law, Betty Aaron.

Okay, and elle and Nina wanted me to bring back some kudzu vines. Those in KC, have no fear, these are dead and will be indoors, so no fear of a kudzu takeover. The one on the left has ensnarled the branch of a tree - this is a very fast growing vine that was brought from Japan to prevent erosion and it has taken over portions of the south. My husband makes fun of me because I think it's "pretty".

Sales at the mall have soared after Christmas. I attribute this to the hipsters receiving gift certificates and flocking to my booth - I've sold lots of larger items which isn't the norm with folks still struggling in this abysmal economy. Thanks to those who support local business. Speaking of local business, I am very sad and shocked that the Curious Sofa is closing. I never knew the owner, but I loved her staff, especially Heather and Dana, and I am in awe of their interior design skills. I have shopped in this store since it was in the old location on Southwest Blvd and my home is filled with all things Curious Sofa; there is no store like it in Kansas City. Cheers, Deb and staff, you may be continuing online, but your brick and mortar will be missed.