Wednesday Thoughts

I ran into my Hallmark store to pick out a birthday card for my sister. Beautiful cards are my thing. They are expensive but a thoughtfully selected card conveys just the right sentiment for the moment. I noticed the slogan on the bag when I got home. "Life is a special occasion." It stopped me in my tracks for a moment. Even though I know it's a Hallmark promotional phrase, I love it! I hope to have this philosophy when I am old and gray ( oh wait, I already am graying)...let me re-phrase this. Throughout my life, no matter how long it lasts, I hope that I have this attitude. Some days are tough to get through and some days are like a beautiful summer breeze.

I was styling some photos for my etsy shop the other day, when I decided to take a few shots just for the beauty of it.

I hope you take the time to make today a special occasion and simply view the beauty around you and love those in your path.

She Said YES!

My oldest child, my only girl, got engaged this week. Her father and I knew that is was going to happen, because her boyfriend had called us ahead of time! She was so surprised! It was a very sweet proposal with lots of fun and romantic details, complete with roses and balloons and a family heirloom diamond. Her groom-to-be, will be the perfect husband to cherish our special girl. We are so happy for them.

Let the festive planning begin! I cannot wait to fly to visit my daughter and go wedding dress shopping!

We both have lots of ideas already and thankfully we like many of the same things so the planning will be so fun! I definitely will not be one of the infamous mothers on "Say Yes to the Dress.".

Let the fun begin on the journey to forever!

Happy Friday

I've been so busy these last few days. My husband has been away~taking grad classes. While he has been away, I have been running the house, eating junk, teaching children, thrifting, doctor's appointments, reading, finding pretty things on pinterest, and all the usual things moms do. My husband is coming home tonight, so I am cooking a real meal and I am starving already. Just wanted to say hello and share some loveliness with you!

Did you eat too much sugar for Valentine's Day?

Aren't these lovely gifts? Wouldn't you love to give these to someone special?

Wouldn't this be a magical wedding gown? Too bad it's in a museum! :O)

Isn't this the loveliest egg print? I especially love the aqua and the speckled eggs. My style is heavily influenced by my love of nature. I love ruffles and lace and most things Shabby Chic but I definitely love rustic farmhouse treasures the Shabbier the better!

Hope you have your best friend to hang with this weekend!

Frosty February

We woke up to beautiful frozen fog clinging to simply everything! The artist in me, could not resist grabbing my camera and attempting to capture the beauty around me. My hands were freezing but I kept snapping.

The pine trees had been flocked with fog by the hand of the Creator!  It hadn't snowed at all, it was all frozen fog!

Right before Christmas, my trusty camera met with a sad demise. My sweet and kind-hearted husband surprised me with a new one Christmas morning. I loved it but was quite overwhelmed with learning the new technology. Little by little, I have been experimenting with it! On some of these photos I used the Snow setting and some I used the Landscape setting.

Everywhere I looked, beauty abounded! I knew it would be soon be melted off and the lovely frost would evaporate. It looked like a fairy-wedding and I felt like a special guest! 

Even an abandoned farm-yard looked magical! I was blessed to have been able to take the time to capture these images. An hour later, the beauty was gone. The mud and dead sticks were left and they didn't look pretty anymore.What a fun time I had with these photos! Don't you just love it when God shows off just for us?!

Shabby Chic Garland

When I was a little girl my mother would hang out our clean laundry to dry on the clothesline. If there were sweet smelling sheets or blankets hanging on the line, my little sister and I would sometimes make tents of them and eat lunch in our "fort". To this day, I absolutely love the fragrance of bedding that has been dried in the sunshine. It brings back that safe "not-a-care-in-the-world" feeling of childhood.

This Shabby Chic ribbon garland was inspired by this memory. I took a five foot length of cream colored twine and looped the ends. I then added a wealth of tea-stained strips of different cottons with rose prints and a variety of ribbons and laces as well. I added some of my sweet cream blooms, made of a soft flannel,  to layer the roses theme and give dimension and texture to this sweet banner.

I almost had the sense, as I was creating this romantic ribbon garland, that I was rhythmically hanging up pretty fabrics to dry in the sunshine and that little sparrows were chirping sweetly in the pine trees that lined my childhood yard.

This garland would be beautiful for a summer wedding or bridal shower. The lace and ribbons dance in the breeze. This would also be adorable on a fireplace mantle or hanging on a porch railing. I also had a baby girl's nursery in mind for this pretty Shabby Chic cottage banner! You can purchase this in my etsy shop! Hope you are having a sweet weekend!

Love Like Jesus

A little peek into my life.....

The other day I was feeling a little bit crabby and a little discouraged. Nothing big, just feeling blah. I was waiting for my youngest son to get off his bus at school. A young man who obviously had Down Syndrome, came out of the school and hesitated before crossing in front of my van. I smiled and motioned with my hand for him to cross in front of me. His whole face lit up and he smiled at me like I was his best friend in the whole wide world and he waved vigorously at me for a couple seconds as if he hadn't seen me in a long while and was thrilled to see me!  I had never met him before. He then happily crossed in front of my car and got into his brother's car to go home. I cannot tell you how my heart was touched. I felt like smiling and crying at the same time. It was so sweet! He was an angel. My mood changed and I couldn't erase the smile on my face for a long while and I keep thinking about this encounter.

I teach a pre-school class at our church. The Bible story this week that we were learning as a class was this one from the book of Mark. Jesus had drawn a crowd of people with His teaching and many parents were bringing their little ones to see Jesus and wanted Jesus to bless them and touch them. The disciples, who probably thought they were being helpful,  told the parents to back off and to stop crowding Jesus and for them to take the children away. I absolutely love Jesus' response and I love the strong language the Bible uses. Jesus was ticked!

"When Jesus saw this, he was INDIGNANT. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

I talked with my little class of three and four year olds about how wonderful it would have been to hug Jesus and have Him talk with them. Their little faces were so animated imagining this! Jesus would have loved to hug the young man who waved at me! Someday He will! 

I think we all could learn a lesson from this sweet-hearted, special, young man. He had no inhibitions about greeting a stranger like a long-lost friend and making me feel like I was special to him. We do not have any excuse for the way we treat each other and the lack of true emotion that we do not show to each other! Why don't we show those around us how special they are to us!? Why don't we greet each other so enthusiastically? We are too mature and sophisticated! Hmmm.... here is a quote that has blessed me this week as I ponder on these thoughts.

“I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.” Mother Teresa. 

Have a cozy week and take time to love each other.......it's what really matters after all! Remember that your words can either discourage or encourage.....Love Like Jesus!

 

Escape

Happy New Year! I had all of my chicks in the nest this year, so I was a happy and blessed mommy. I shopped, wrapped, mailed, knitted, baked, cooked, decorated, nursed a sick cat, cleaned, laughed, cried, got beat at Scrabble, praised God, traveled, hugged, sipped Peppermint Mochas, listened to political candidates, ( I live in Iowa) and then.....sat in my chair and read for awhile. I am reading a collection of fiction called, "Log Cabin Christmas", it just suits me right now. We had no snow for Christmas. After all the activities that I enjoyed and pushed myself to do.....here is what I feel like right now.

I would like to stay here for a week....maybe by myself! :O) It will never happen, but it is kind of fun to plan a week of solitude, even if only in my mind!

I will need a stack of dry firewood to keep my fire going! When I was a young girl, I stacked many cords of wood just like this. I LOVE the fragrance of freshly split wood. There is something very satisfying about creating a neat stack of wood.

 I will be doing a lot of reading, curled up by the fireplace!

I will put on my boots and take a walk in the crunchy snow and probably see a few of God's creatures!

I will inhale the deep, crisp, clean scent of the winter that is mingled with the tang of pine trees, that are thankful they were overlooked another holiday and did not become a decoration in someone's home.

When I come back in, I will definitely need a hot soak. (don't you adore the movie, "The Holiday"?) I need to watch it again very soon. That one and "You've Got Mail" are pretty much my favorite movie escapes.

I would sip a lot of black tea and some coffee too. I would go without makeup (except I might scare even myself) and wear slippers and pj's all day, except when I ventured out into the snow. I would love spending time in prayer with God.....clearing all the cobwebs away. A dark cozy, warm,quiet cabin suits me right now. How about you?

Okay, so after a few days, I am sure I would be lonely and miss my family, but it is fun to think about and right now it just sounds wonderful to me. What do you think? Would you like to go too? We could stop at antique stores on the way. You could have the cabin next to mine if you like! I think I got this idea when my husband and I visited Estes Park, Colorado. I saw a lot of sweet little cabins that I just adored. God gave me quite an imagination and most of the time that is a good thing! I think I need to go get dressed now and get back to my to-do list!