HAPPY NEW YEAR!

You are not going to believe this, but I am not much on having New Year's Celebrations away from the comfort of my home.

I have always been of the idea that is the night for amateurs, and it is safest to stay home, even as a young adult I subscribed to that idea.

call it the odd side of me I suppose.......

I will not see you out tonight to wish you a Happy New Year, so I am sending my greetings here.

Me New Years Eve 1977

This photo was taken in December 31, 1977 getting ready to usher in 1978, and I believe it to be the last time that I have gone out to a public location for a New Year's Eve Party! Oh, dear I just figured out how long ago that was......maybe I should have kept my big mouth shut.....oh dear....too late now.

It was spent one snowy night at a disco club called Disco International! I know some of you who are going to read this were in fact there with me..... try not to remember! :)

It was in the height of Disco Music, disco dresses, platform heels , mine were shiny and a beautiful bronze color! Oh, my gosh I waded snow in shoes like these....I could not even walk in them now!

Hey look how far we have come in our photography and our cameras.. isn't that little Kodak 110 camera a hoot!

Oh, I have been to friends houses for New Years Eve, but normally it is just spent at home and my husband has usually already gone to bed........

That is how it will be tonight. . . . . z z z z z z

may the new year bring you all you want and need!

A remembrance of Grandpa

I love old spurs, but these are special to me because they are about the only thing I have that belonged to my Grandpa. He was such a character and a live wire, I know my mom gets her personality and characteristics from him.

A Beautiful Garage/ Guest House

This is one of my very favorite structures in and around our town. I just love the style and it looks like a version of a Spanish Mission to me, but the owners say it is styled after a South African barn. The owner-builder has been living in it while waiting to build their home, but I guess the plan has changed for them because it is currently up for sale. I would have loved to have seen the house they planned to go with it! I guess that will not happen now....It is fairly close to the road, but if it were located in a diffrent place I would want it! I just think it is so darn cute!

From the Oklahoma prairie I wish you a Happy New Year full of Good Health, Cheer, Wealth, and Happiness!

Cheers to 2009

& may God Bless Each of You!

Merry Christmas!

12-1-06 092, originally uploaded by ktsparks.

Our decorated deck in the backyard December 1, 2006.
Thank goodness we are not going to have that type of snow for Christmas travelers this year. Everyone have a safe and happy holiday with friends and family. I am going to start my Christmas cooking so I might not be posting for a few days.

OU FAN & AN A DREAM OF HEISMAN

Well you all know how dedicated sports fans can be? I have 2 friends who are OU Fans clear to the core. I think they would bleed little OU droplets if they got cut. Well they had the neatest experience this past week and I am so excited for them. Here is the email and photos I got from Sherri today, which she fails to explain she had just had surgery and was really not suppose to drive to Wally World, and she said it was freezing...it was way below freezing... but all for the cause. Joe, you know how lucky you are to marry a gal who loves football and OU as much as you do! :) She is a sweetheart!

Merry Christmas K.T. !

As you know, my spouse Joe and I are big OU fans. We purchased a 2008 Honda Gold Wing back in August 2008 with the intent to have it custom painted in Crimson and Cream - the University of Oklahoma Sooner's colors and logos. We contacted Jesse's Auto Body in Dewey and along with Rod Holland in Branson, Missouri, and they went to work on our bike.

Sherri & Joe

On Sunday, December 21, Joe got a phone call that 3 of the 5 OU Heisman Trophy Winners were at the local Wal-Mart signing autographs. Joe had a great idea, let's take the bike up and see if we can get their autographs. The temperature was freezing, but away Joe went on the bike, with me following in the car with camera in hand.

When we got inside, they had just cut off the line to possibly get an autograph. The autograph session was scheduled for 1:15 pm to 2:45 pm. We were told by Wal-Mart security that most likely the people before us would not get an autograph. Joe asked the security person if an exception could be made. The security guy suggested that Joe ask the PR guy who had scheduled the event. He manuvered closer to the Heisman winners and was able to ask their PR guy if he could get his motorcycle autographed. The PR agreed, but because they were on a tight schedule, Joe would need to move his bike behind the store where the Heisman's winners would be exiting the store to their vehicles.

In the meantime, Joe had called Jesse and told him what was happening. Jesse joined us behind the store with his silver sharpie in hand and his own autographed football in tow.


Joe and Jesse outside Wal Mart

As we waited anxiously in the freezing cold, who would exit first, but Jason White, the 2003 OU Heisman Winner. Facing the bike, Jason autographed the left side of the front fairing as I took pictures, he then had to leave in a hurry.






Joe, PR guy, Jesse, and Jason White

Following him were Steve Owens the '69 OU Heisman winner, (right signature) along with Billy Sims the '78 OU Heisman winner (center signature). Of course, we hope to get the 2008 OU Heisman Trophy Winner - Sam Bradford's signature sometime in the future.

Billy Sims shaking Joe's hand, Jesse admiring his OU Football, while Steve Owens signs Joe's fairing.

Billy Sims signing Joe's bike as he and Jesse look on in awe!

We were thrilled that Billy and Steve were cordial and glad to let us have pictures with them. As you can image, Joe is still on cloud nine. As he has told everyone, all he wants for Christmas is a 8th National Champship!

Billy Sims, Sherri, and Steve Owens

OU NUMBER ONE


The bike in safe keeping until the BCS National Championship Game on January 8, 2009. If the OU Sooners defeat the Florida Gators, we will have to have the bike upgraded from 7 time National Champions to 8 time National Champions. At that time, Jesse will make the changes and clear coat the signatures for safe keeping.

Thanks for letting me share our fun experience. Hopefully you all will come by and see the bike in person after the final clear coat is applied.
Happy New Year!

Love ya!
Sherri Sue

Joe, I hope you get your Christmas wish!

The Doe & Her Fawns

Last week we had a light snow and the Mama and the twins were up near the house, they were hanging around today also, but the snow is gone. It is hard to believe these are the same fawns of the summer with their mama!

YES, ROBIN THE TREE GOT DECORATED.....

My cousin was here just after Thanksgiving and was worried I would not get my mom's house decorated for Christmas because I am so slow this year I guess....well it took all my effort :)

Well I got the family room one done,

and the keeping room one,

and the dining room one,

I even got the tree in the bathroom up,

the mantel in the living room,

I got the nativity on the buffet,

Oh, and I got the kitchen cabinet done too.

We fixed the food and then the company came to feast!

It was a good time and Mom has a great group of long time friends.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

SIXTYFOUR

Larry had a birthday......

Larry


cute Larry!

Beth

Bill and Carolyn

Hubby and Me

More tidbits from the basement

This is my new desk! We finally made a decision for some more of the basement furniture! We also bought another matching one to go with it, pictured below. We are working on getting all the lighting done in the ceiling and I am so ready for that project to be done! I bet it takes us awhile to get a contractor to come and do the windows....so don't hold your breath that it will be done anytime soon. Soon is not in our vocabulary lately..... I know in the photographs it looks like they are 2 diffrent colors, but they are not, the bottom picture is the color that they both are.

Christmas Shopping Fun!

My cousin Robin, and her mom Nan, were in town with us for the week from Kentucky, we had a blast Friday, just shopping for Christmas, and running into and visiting with everyone we knew.

We went out to our local longstanding hamburger joint for a hot hamburger at Murphy's. When

you live in Kentucky you want some of that soul food you grew up with from back home in

Oklahoma.

Then we went out to my friends store out on Highway 60 east of Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

They have the cutest stuff if you love Cowboy decor anywhere I have been. My girlfriend Rhonda andher husband Rick Yocham started this business about the mid 1970's right out of high school as a young married couple.

Rick started making saddles at about 12 years old, under the internship of local Saddle maker Ono Hill who recognized he was so gifted.

The business has morphed a couple of times, they used to be more of a saddle shop selling custom make tack, along with boots, clothes, hats, then fire struck several years back and burned the place down.

They rebounded with lots of tears and hard work, built a new building, with a new vision, and it became what it is today.

I have a fascination for dishes.....I love cowboy dishes. I don't have any but I want some! I would love to have a cowboy decorated Airstream trailer! I would even settle for a motor home done in Cowboy! :) I just think these are some of the cutest ones out there!




This set of dishes are so adorable! I am almost tempted to want them instead of my old favorites!





Pictured below are my all time favorite dishes! Want want want!!!!!

I have wanted this set for such a long time! They remind me so much of the 1950's stuff I remember as a really little kid!

Here is Rob and her mom looking everything over! The piece in the background is a hand tooled Murphy bed done there in Rick's leather shop. It is so beautiful!

This a a different Murphy bed open.........can you believe the detail work on this piece of furniture! The knobs are spurs cut in half on the large doors. Rick and Rhonda have a limitless supply of ideas, and they are so cute and so full of energy. They truly love the craft and what they do.





We ran into a friend of my Mom's from church when we were there shopping.




Up in the loft is where the beds and bedding are. They have so much to choose from it is mind boggling. This is little Miss Jayme..... (taken earlier this summer)



This is the view of the store from the loft. Can you believe that huge inventory of everything Cowboy!



Robin and Nan are still checking out all the pretty things. Nan is relaxing in a steer horn chair.



Totally wild west!




Well Robin decided she loved this chair and took a break in it. How about that Moose antler lamp and the table top it is on was topped in Crocodile hide. It is very beautiful and had the nail head trim all around it.



How about that bob cat reaching for the pheasant behind her. . . . . .




But if you truly want a very beautiful piece of western art you need to be looking at the magnificent work that Rick Yocham and his other craftsmen do in the saddle shop. Who would not love a custom hand tooled rope can with the beautiful detail work on it?

Rick Yocham working on a custom saddle.



But then this is also another one of the shop masterpieces.



A custom roping saddle with a colored Stingray leather seat to look like Tiger!








Bartlesville, Oklahoma
http://www.customcowboydecor.com/