Have you recently felt like you were up against the wall? Maybe it would be better described as between a rock and a hard place. The Apostle Paul describes it this way in 2 Corinthians 4:8 NIV: We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair. Oh boy! This week I sure felt like I was hard pressed. Paul acknowledged that he was hard pressed...on every side. Do you identify? Some days, weeks, or months can feel like that. When there are no answers, when there is no cure, when we have no place to turn, when we feel backed into a corner...we are hard … [Read more...]
Mason or Ball Jars are a quintessential summer favorite of mine. As I was cruising this week's Monday Funday Link Party, I noticed there were several terrific jar ideas. Here is a round up... Mason Jars 7 Ways! Starting at the top left and going counter clockwise here's our fabulous line-up: Posed Perfection: Patriotic Fruit Ice Cubes Shaken Together Life: {create this} mason jar BBQ sauce ~ Fathers’ Day gift Joy is at Home: DIY Travel Mason Jar Tutorial {5 minutes start to finish}! Clean and Scentsible: Cherry Lemonade Raspberry Slushie Love Grows Wild: How to Make Mason Jar Soap … [Read more...]
Can you believe this.... was this? Found clam turned glam with gold! Darlene of Fieldstone Hill Design has had a weekly post where she challenges her readers to {DITTO} something in home decor or fashion. Last month, she invited a select group of bloggers to her first bloggers' {DITTO} challenge. A few of my favorite bloggers like Edie and Melissa were in the group. For June, Darlene opened the invitation to anyone who wanted to participate in each month's design challenge. You, too are invited to take the challenge and link up your … [Read more...]
Lovely pink peonies were blooming in my back yard. Their heads were heavy. Rain was in the forecast. What a beautiful excuse to pick these ruffled lovelies and enjoy them indoors. Once inside, they beckoned me to play with my camera and a few antique pretties. Pink is not one of my favorite colors. But, I do adore pink flowers in the garden....along with shades of blues and purples and white and everything in between. Together they all make my heart sing. As does this love quote by Browning: Who so loves believes the impossible. Elizabeth Barrett Browning If you are … [Read more...]
God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways, the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways! Search high and low, scan skies and land, you’ll find nothing and no one quite like God. The holy angels are in awe before him; he looms immense and august over everyone around him. God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you, powerful and faithful from every angle? You put the arrogant ocean in its place and calm its waves when they turn unruly. You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand, you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist. You own the cosmos—you made … [Read more...]
The Lord is the one who is going ahead of you. He will be with you. He won’t abandon you or leave you. So don’t be afraid or terrified. Deuteronomy 31:8, God's Word Translation If you would like a free downloadable print, click here, and save it to your computer. Print on your printer or have the image printed by your favorite photo printing service ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Catch up on all that's Extraordinary... this week at An Extraordinary Day: Here are this week's … [Read more...]
It's rare to hear someone say, "It's the bee's knees." It is, however, a very fun expression. I love whimsy and this expression is whimsy all the way. Do you like bees? Most people run whenever a bee buzzes by. Me? I think I just put on these boots. [wink] Now I must admit that I'm not a fan of yellow jackets and wasps, though I am no entomologist, I don't think wasps are bees. At least not in my world. Bumble bees of all sizes, and honey bees and their cousins, are frequent visitors to my garden. And if one chooses to garden, one must make … [Read more...]
Sometime ago, I was reading how a family decided to put themselves on a spending freeze for something like 3 or 6 months. They allowed a small amount of money for fresh items for the month and that was pretty much that. It seems that they realized that they had a full pantry, and yet were still filling up their cart at the grocery store each week. The goal was to only eat what was in their pantry and freezer and not run to the store. That seems like a really good idea. I notice on Pinterest and other blogs that people are always organizing their pantries. And there seems to be a LOT of … [Read more...]
“Eating, and hospitality in general, is a communion, and any meal worth attending by yourself is improved by the multiples of those with whom it is shared.” Jesse Browner Have you noticed when you gather for a meal with friends, the food always tastes better? Eaten alone, food is nutritious...it feeds the body, not the soul. But, eaten in community, it is a communion, where body and soul are fed. That's the point of hospitality. It's a shared table. It might mean taking what you have prepared and offering it to someone in need. Or it might entail opening your home. It's the sharing … [Read more...]
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13 Today...I will remember those who are, and were, willing to pay the price of sacrifice. So that we may have liberty. When we see the stars and stripes of our national flag waving in the wind.... Let us remember the sacrifice paid for our liberty. And with grateful hearts give thanks. May we stand against tyranny and for truth. "...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and … [Read more...]
Are you waving the flag for Memorial Day? I thought it would be fun to share a super easy little project to add a little patriotism to a wall or front door. Easy Flag Ribbon Wreath & Tutorial Here's the "how to"..... One. Gather some red, white, and blue ribbon. You can see that I got mine on deep clearance a while ago. Keep your eye out for out-of-season trims for the best prices. And...really when I bought it I had no idea how I would use it. But, the colors were just right. It would be great to use three solid colors, too. Two. Use an existing wreath that is … [Read more...]
Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 Okay. I'll admit it. This waiting is really hard. Really. I don't like it one bit. I have never, ever, prayed for patience. Maybe that's why God has put my patience to the test. What do you think when you read the words, be strong and take heart? I know....they don't seem too helpful do they? And more waiting! Really? It's easy to see a pretty picture like the one above and think, "That's nice." And move on. I decided to … [Read more...]
Wow! Talk about a fast change in the weather. Two days ago I set up a space in the basement to work where it's cool, because it was in the high 80's. And today, I don't think we got past 45 degrees and there are winds gusting up to 30 mph. Oh, and there's a freeze alert tonight too!! I know, it's May and anything goes, but I am so ready for just plain spring. Summer can take her time. I just want to relish in a bit of spring. I want to enjoy the Rhododendrons, the Iris, and the Cornus Kousa Dogwoods for more than a day. How about you? Having said all that. My level of discomfort is nothing compared … [Read more...]
Don't you love these Snowball Viburnum blossoms? My neighbor has a huge bush of them and I was able to clip a few stems to make some floral arrangements for the house. You might remember last week I shared about Snowball blossoms in the post, Look what the wind blew in. This time, I wanted to do something that was more traditional, dressy even, for the chest in my great room. The Snowball bush's stems are not very orderly in nature and I was trying to figure out how I could arrange them in a compact, as opposed to floppy, manner. So, I went scouting through the cabinets … [Read more...]
It's hard to believe. Memorial Day celebrations begin in just a few days. It's the official weekend to kick off everything summer. One thing is for sure, many families and friends will be gathering to enjoy delicious food. With that in mind, today I wanted to share with you a few... Patriotic Tablescape Ideas It's easy for me to set a patriotic table because I have dinnerware in red, ivory, and blue. Red and white is great for Christmas and Valentine's Day. Blue and white is terrific for the snowy days of January and Hanukkah and Thanksgiving. And then, I … [Read more...]
Do you open up magazines, or scroll through Pinterest and dream of having beautiful window boxes or container gardens? Last week I teased you with some inspiring container garden possibilities. My goal today is to show you how you too, can create a magazine-worthy window box. This is a full-blown tutorial filled with planting tips, hang on!! How to Plant a Window Box Garden To make it easy I'll be sharing lots of photos and easy instructions, and "how to" tips for creating a successful, gorgeous, window box. We'll talk about plant … [Read more...]
I am so very excited to join in the FUN tonight at MONDAY FUNDAY! For six weeks I'll be tagging along with the extraordinary ladies that regularly host this inspiring link party. Because I know that some of my readers are not bloggers and may not be familiar with blog or link parties, I just want to give you a brief intro into what my excitement is all about. Several times a week you pop by and enjoy my latest project or inspiration. Thank you!! How would you like to see 10 or 100 or 300 more ideas? Sounds like fun? Yes? There will be everything from DIY to recipes to home-keeping tips to … [Read more...]
