Category — LUVin’ 2 LiVE. LiviN 2 LUv.

on this day 43 years ago, janie patterson & phillip sikes were wed…here’s their story i wrote back in november of 2010.

happy anniversary, mom & dad.

*******************

have i ever told ya about mom and dad?

{mom and dad...in the courtin' days...circa 1964}

let’s start at the beginning…way back when…

DaD was born and raised in southern arkansas … waaaaaay out in the country. Where the pine trees are tall, the twang is thick, and the Little River dances through the farm.

{dad in his favorite Hopalong Cassidy pearl snap}

He was the youngest of 7 boys. Yep, that’s right…SEVEN boys…(God bless my granny’s pea-pickin’ heart)

{granny and her boys...ages 7-23...circa 1952}

{the sikes boys...uncle ray, the oldest was serving in the Army at the Korean War in this shot}

Papa was the county judge and Granny was a nurse…Papa never missed his daily game of dominoes down at the store (there was, and still is, only one store that served as the post office, general store, market, hardware store, gas station, and local domino hall).

Granny was famous for her homemade cinnamon rolls and good ole down-home cookin. At every meal, she would serve enough plates to “feed the boys and the ‘stranger at the door’.” There was no indoor plumbing, no air conditioning, and no video games…just wide open spaces, and ponds and creeks and cows and everything else a little boy needs to let his imagination run free.

It’s the place we love to be more than anywhere…it’s where we learned to put peanuts in our glass coke bottles. Where we ate orange push-up pops and where we were taught to be good stewards to the land.

{me and amie at our farm...cliffside by the LiTTLE RiVER...and yes, i'm sportin the super-stylin' leg warmers}

 Where we learned how to shoot a gun…

ride a 4-wheeler, and appreciate all of nature.

It’s about family. Love. Good times. Being free. Loving life.

Mom grew up like a texas gypsy…moving from town to town.

{little janie on a carney mule ride...circa 1951}

 Mom, her older sister, and older brother were raised by a hard-workin’ single mom (that always held multiple jobs at one time).

Bargain shopping and thriftstores were a way of life and she developed a serious passion (borderline obsession) for the thrill of the hunt, bargain stores and recycling old into new. She had a wild spirit and a beautiful way of bending the rules.

She would spend her summers in Arkansas…and play with a cowboy about her age named Phillip…..

{janie and phillip (ages 6 & 7) on the Little RiVER at the farm...with her big brother and sister}

PhiLLip & JaNiE sittin’ in a tree….

By the time they both headed to their respective colleges in different states, they had spent many summer days together….baling hay, cane-pole fishing, riding horses, having fried-chicken picnics, and cruising in Mom’s brother’s convertible.  Life was sweet and good.

{mom and dad...circa 1969...the year they wed}

 they wed, became business partners, raised 2 daughters (whom, i would like to add, have never given mom a stress-filled, sleepless, night…ever)…and now find themselves on a series of crazy adventures as their story continues….

off into the sunset they ride with their 2 daughters, 2 grandkids, a son-in-law, a dog named birdie bluebell buffay, a truckload of junk, and no hopes for retirement anytime soon….and we think, they couldn’t be happier.

Long LiVe the LoVE story of the COwBoy and the GyPSY!!!

XOXO!!!

one might ask what is it about an airstream? why are they so appealing? why, after 80 years on the road, are they still timeless?

and i think, i know the answer.

airstreams are romantic. they are mysterious. they infer adventure and freedom and wanderlust.

from the griswalds to rockstars & movie stars…

they are the great american roadtrip.

our love affair with airstreams began long ago…it began with our love of the road.

“keep your eyes on the stars & the stars in your eyes.” ~wally byam

from roadside eateries…

{grabbing green smoothies from happy belly cafe}

to filming our HGTV series….

from MiRANDA LAMBERt‘S roadside bar on wheels we designed for her…

and now…DiERKS BENTLEy‘S junk gypsy-fide airstream will be featured this SATURDAY, MAY 12 on HGTV…

and did i mention…

that airstreams are sexy?

 (and yes, i do realize this is not an airstream buuuut it’s james dean, y’all…so for the sake of my daydreamin’-airstreamin’-james deanin’ blog…i’m calling it an airstream. so there.)

tonight is the night. TONIGHT is THE NIGHT. which would explain why i was awake all night last night. awake with my head spinning… filled with a thousand thoughts…big and small (mostly small…i’m a simple girl). awake worried. awake excited. awake nervous. awake. awake. awake.

and awake realizing that we have not extended our huge SINCERE apology to y’all. so here it goes…

we are sorry. we are madly, deeply, sincerely sorry for something that you will witness in tonight’s episode on HGTV.

we. were. forced. against our will to use the word….cola. that’s right. there i said it. southerners everywhere may revolt and not claim us but trust me when i tell ya….it took no less than 27 takes before we could actually say it without stuttering. (in fact, my lips get numb just thinking about it)

{don't they look like a vicious group? just kidding...our crew seriously was OUR FAMILY}

because down here…as it is in most parts of the south, any cold bubbly beverage (barring the alcoholic celebratory kind) is referred to as a COKE. doesn’t matter if it’s a pepsi…or something generic…or even a dr.pepper…we call ‘em all COKE. except of course, the amazing and wonderful BIG RED. and that one, my friends, deserves it’s own category.

but i digress…yes, we say the word cola. yes, we were violently forced. but the show must go on.

that’s it y’all…just had to confess my sins before the NATION sees ‘em. please forgive us. and please watch us at 7pm PST/EST & 6pm CST on HGTV. that is all. :)

#hgtvjunk

tomorrow night.

it’s all happening.

on HGTV!

AND we could go on forever. . about how wonderful this life is. how blessed we are to have been on this wild ride. how BLESSED we are to have ALL OF YALL WITH US! and SUPPORTIN’ us . . . we are SO dang lucky.  and then . . just now. we read the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. . . and now. . we’re really just cryin’ our eyes out. our hearts feel like they might burst. and i think we are all just HiGH as kites on this excitement. this pure d nervousness. . . . whew. . . man o man. . . .

and we gotta say THANK YOU SISTERS in blogger-sphere for LOVIN’ us. FOR PROMOTING OUR HGTV SHOW!!!  . . for gettin’ our BAck . . . and for flat out makin us laugh . . .

THE BIG mama blog  . . that’s givin away $75 in jUnk bucks TODAY!!!!

AND on ANNA LEEPER’s  blog you can win $50 in JuNK BUCKSS!!!

ANNNDDDDD on FARMER’s TROPHY WIFE  you can win $100 JuNK buCKsss!!!

so go swiftly young women, TROT yer hiney’s to those blogs, ENTER and WIN!!!

The TALKIN TRASH blog . . that is just FLAT OUT so funny . . . you GOTTA read it. . . debbie describes our show as  ”NACHO everyday decoratin’ show”,  right on sister!

and for some of the most GORGeoUS, delicious, mouth-waterin’ photos every. . truck it on over to KEELY MARIE SCOtt’s blog. . . aaawwwwwwwww. . . . .

and to LISA LOVE HARRIS’ BLoG, PEACE, LOVE & ALL the GOOD stuff . . . thanks sister for humblin’ us . . for makin’ us cry. for being a FIGHTER!!!!

and thank you RUSTED GiNGHam for always FEEDIN’ us . . bringin’ us the cutest cookies and the sweetest COWGIRL SISTerHOOd WIne . .

and our neighbor from ZAPP hall GARdenANTQs !!!

and to APRiL  PIZAnA’s  beautiful world of images!!! . . . who just like keely marie continues to document our world thru pictures. . . yummy, decadent photos . . . THANK YOU!!!

see y’all tomorrow night!!!!! THaNK you sooo much from the bottom of our HEARTS!!!!

#hgtvjunk

yeee-hawwwww!!! here we come!!!!

well, i guess this makes it official. last night, under a little peer pressure, i clicked ‘search’ on my TV. i held my breath. gripped the remote a little firmer. and typed in the words ‘junk gypsies’….

and there it was.

it’s official, y’all. the junk gypsies series on HGTV premieres saturday, may 5 at 6pm central /7pm pacific & eastern!! set yo DVR! call yo friends! it’s cinco de mayo & the premiere of our hot off the press TV series! let’s eat tacos & celebrate!! ole!

here’s a review from our sneak peek back in novembER from the AV club & dish network.

yep, every saturday night we’re comin at ya…it’s saturday night fever on HGTV! 13 weeks of pure-dee junkiness, TeXAS roadtrippin, and power tools! get the TV dinners ready and have a family picnic EVERY saturday for 13 weeks!