Portraits of Revelation

Bags and Tags part 2

Yesterday I told you I would post a second part of Bags and Tags. There was so much to show-n-tell for one post. I wanted to show you a really fabulous Tag book Carmen made for her  mom.

 

                     

And HERE IT IS

                        

Love this front page but what's inside is just as incredible

    

Bless the Lord who is my incredible rock....

 

     

My hiding place from every storm of life ...

       

 

I hope as you read this verse today that you know and understand how much you are loved, how much our Savior loves and thinks of you. He could not love you more, He could not love  you less. Truly you are blessed with the perfect love of the Savior.

                        

What a compassionate loving Father we have. I am thanking Him today for you, my friends. May His love cover you with joy and blessings today.

Bags and Tags

Bags...
 Being a faithful blogger requires a lot of time and being near a computer. Maybe that is my excuse, that for the past few weeks and months I have spent more time with my bags packed than unpacked. These are a few faithful old friends but not the ones I pack to travel with. Don't think a single one would fit in an overhead bin.

                       

I don't know what it is about old bags that are so appealing, but I love them.  The red leather bag belonged to my grandfather and bears his monogram. The trunk was a gift to me from my mom when I went away to college.  What could be cuter than this red plaid bag. It belonged to adopted grandparents.  

                      

Here's one of its matching bags. Now that is one heavy bag, or is it all that is stored in it that makes it so heavy.  I recently moved these stacks of suitcases to the foyer. They have been in a lot of locations in my house. They hold a lot of treasures and if they could tell us they would tell of of many places they have been. Maybe that's part of their appeal.

                          

That's the character of old bags that make them so interesting. Makes you think of family vacations and far away places.

I recently made these little bags for traveling. I think they are a little old fashion but oh so practical.

Whether you have new bags or old ones here is a fun way to pack those shoes and unmentionables.

If you like them let me know I am thinking of making more of them to sell on ETSY.

 

Here's another one of my bags I made recently. Now who doesn't like a chubby little bird and a sweet reminder that the Lord always watches and cares for me. 

Not sure if I will part with this one or not but I could make you one if you like.

 

 Stitching up some fabric and ribbon one of my favorite pastimes, here's just a couple of more of my recent creations.

Tags....

I am so excited about the new  projects my friend and co-heart Carmen has been making with her new best friend, "Charlie, the cricut"! I know you are going to love her "Tag" projects as much as me. Her projects will soon be in our shop and she is happy to take special orders as well.

This is a Tag Book in its own special bag. Let me show you what it looks like.

 

click on the images if you'd like an up close look at this book.

 

This Scripture Tag book is just one of Carmen's latest creations. 

Here's one she made for a baby named "Ross"

 

What a special baby gift this will be.

Carmen has made several other tag books that I just love.

 

 

This is part of a very nice tag book, I'm sorry I did not get pictures of the whole book but I still wanted to share a few pages. I like how you can see that many of the pages and tags are sewn together. It adds a really nice touch I think.

Carmen is a true artist and I am blessed that she is my friend and partner at Present Grace. She made most of these Tag Books as gifts for her family, but let me share a few things I am getting ready to put in our shop at ETSY.

These are a couple of note books or small scrap books for you coffee lovers. Yes they are made from real coffee cups, can you believe it?

How fun would it be to carry your grocery list to the store with one of these unique little notebooks?

Maybe its just me but I think they are a little too nice for a grocery list, maybe I'd rather have it on my coffee table with a few black and white photos or a few nice scriptures....

Just a couple more notebook ideas.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Well, a really great place to put a picture or at least a few words  might be this little tag book.

Here's a glimps inside. There are several pages inside with their own tags.

These are some book tags, a bookmark and note book for a few book notes. They can slip over the page to mark your place and then add some notes to keep as reminders. I heart this idea!

I know it is getting easier and easier to turn to the internet for recipes but there is something more than nostalgic about old handwritten recipes that have been passed down through the generations. Here's a great place to store them or to copy and give them as a gift.

This tin is filled with blank tag cards ready for your own recipes to be added.

I've always been fascinated with tags, love the shape of them I guess. 

I've saved the best till last! Carmen's mom will be visiting soon and she made this beautiful Tag Book gift for her.

 

But that will have to wait till tomorrow. This blogger has made this blog too long already.

Check back for part 2 tomorrow!

 

 

Aprons

THE APRON A FOREVER CLASSIC!

I received  an interesting email on aprons a few days ago that started me thinking about the vintage aprons I have stored away. It was fun to look at them again. I was sad to see that a couple of them have some of those brown age spots, not sure if those can be removed or not. Guess they are just like us when we get older. Not sure why that happens but I could use a few of those erased as well. 

Back in the 50's and 60's when I was growing up, housewives wore aprons as an accessory as much as for protecting their clothing. Holiday homemade aprons were popular and often times very elaborate. A typical housewife took her aprons seriously and not only had a few seasonal one but several in a variety of colors to match her outfits. 

That's my mom and my grandmother on a picnic away from the kitchen and their aprons.

This is  one of my grandmother's aprons. It pinned at the shoulders and was trimmed with little blue rickrack. My grandmother was a great seamstress, mom, not so much. Mom preferred to do the little fancy work, like smocking. She said she did not know how to thread a sewing machine so she used a needle and thread and always a thimble. 

This is a really cute apron my mom embroidered with cross stitch for Christmas, with little reindeer leaping across it.  Cooks have used aprons for many years for work and decorative reasons. My mom probably would have been more in the decorative reasons she made and wore aprons.

 

I decided to wash and iron this one and display in my kitchen this Chirstmas. I was really impressed with the attention to details it has. Even the tails of the band are embroidered.

 I think that pink and black one is my favorite. The stitch work actually is applied over the rick rack.

I gave a couple of aprons to friends last year for Christmas and they were so well received that this year Carmen and I made and sold several aprons through Present Grace.
Pink and black are popular today and aprons are having a come back I think. Here's a couple of our pink and  black ones.

That's my kitchen, and that is my friend Michelle. She is not only showing off our aprons very nicely but she is standing in front of  my new cook top. I love that it is white like my countertops but not so sure about cooking on it.

Aprons have been cooks companions for hundreds of years. Worn by men and women for many tasks. But I think it was in the 1950's when they became kind of a status symbol of the perfect housewife. Maybe its that nostalgia that makes them so much fun.

Some might say today's aprons are a bit more stylish. But they can't beat the details of  handwork that our mothers and grandmothers put into theirs. Maybe we just don't find the time or energy to do such tedious work. All those machines and gadgets that are suppose to save us time seem to eat it up. Irene, my embroidery machine, does great work, still it is not the same as the time and skill of work done by hand.

I love my new appliances and gadgets and love the new stylish aprons we made. But this Christmas the apron in my kitchen is the one my mom made years ago that brings back a flood of happy memories.

I  might wear a new one but I will always cherish the old ones.

This is the email I received  this week about aprons, that got  me to thinking about them. So I thought I would share it with you as well.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few.  It was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.  From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.  Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.  Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.  In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.  When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

People would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.  But you know what?  I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that ' old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

 

Notice that a Medium is a size 14-16. Times they have changed!

Whether you are busy making new memories this Christmas or spending some time reflecting on Christmases past.  I hope you holidays are filled with great blessings and love.

Serendipity Grace

I heard Dr. David Cooper, pastor of Mt. Paran Church of God, Use the phrase " Serendipity Grace" as a way to describe, How a loving heavenly Father knows  our hearts desires and often times just wants to please  us by sending us those  gifts, just because it gives Him pleasure. It may not be even something you have asked for in  prayer but just a hidden wish in your heart. When I heard him speak about Serendipity Grace, I could think of many times in my life when my Father poured out" Serendipity Grace " on me.     
Friends are certainly one way God's Grace is pour out on us. The way we get  connected,through where we live, and work. I have seen God's hand move in my life so many many times this way, this group is only a few of the wonderful connections God has made for me. Now aren't they cute!

                        

                              

This was my classroom at Eiland Elementary where I taught for last 12 years of my teaching career. I not only worked with the best professional that were my friends. But I also had wonderful students that filled my days with laughter and grace.
 

This is a cabin where I spent some time in the Georgian mountains. It is just one of many where I have found the desire of my heart for quiet resting places. As a teacher, summers were special times of catching up on peace and rest. For more summers than I can remember, grace led me to great cabins in great places.

 

Now I think grace has been following me all the days of my life.

That's my brother, Robert and me. A couple of school kids  heading off to one of the greatest schools of all time. It was a country school named Brick Monroe. It was in a small town outside of Kansas City, Missouri.

                            

I don't have any pictures of the school, but maybe you can picture it if I tell you a little about it. Brick Monroe was a country school that only had two classrooms.  One teacher, Mrs. Moore, taught grades one through four. The other classroom was for grades five through eight, was taught by Mrs. Weddle. There were four students in my class and not more than 40 kids in the whole school. We had a swing set a baseball field and a see saw, 3 recesses a day and the teacher always read to us after lunch, great books like Caddie Woodlawn, Little House on the Prairie and my favorite Anne of Green Gables.

 

I loved school and maybe that is the reason I became a teacher, that too was God's grace leading me.

It was good to be a kid in the 1950's and 60's. Our teachers taught us to be proud to be Americans. Maybe life was just simpler back then or maybe time just makes it seem that way. I think it was God's grace to grow up in that age and time.

Ps. 37:25 says," I once was  young but now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken"

That's the great thing about grace, it never runs out. So what is this thing called "GRACE"???

I think it is much more than God's Kindnesses, although it is that too, but "Grace" is also very powerful.To Zerubbabel In Zech. 4  shouts of 'Grace, Grace' could even move mountains.

Amazing Grace.... God's power, motivated by His Mercy, that gives us strength to do what we could not do without Him. 

 

When I see this picture, taken on the shores of Lake Michigan, I am reminded of "Grace", the double rainbow, a picture of restoration and grace but this rainbow in this  picture reminds me of His wings from Ps. 91, for under them is safety and healing and blessings.

                              

I don't know what mountains are standing in the way in your life, but lets be encouraged to rise up and shout 'GRACE,GRACE' to those mountains and Let God make those mountains into a plain. What you can not do  on your own, God's grace can do through you.

Ps 84: talks about "Present Grace" in the amplified Bible. I liked that thought, " It is grace that is always present" That's why Carmen and I named our new business adventure,Present Grace. It's our greatest hope that through our creativity  we can extend God's grace, and reminders of His grace into many people's lives and homes.

Have you experience the Serendipitous grace of God?  I am not sure that Serendipity and grace work together. But I have seen God's hand in grace in so many ways in my life, in many ways, when I needed joy, when I needed truth, when life just seemed impossible. Sometimes through answered prayer and  sometimes just getting the answers to my heart's desires.  

  
  
 

Mothers

All over the nation Mothers will be celebrated this Sunday. It is a fitting tribute to the gift of Motherhood. The greatest gift I've ever known is God's gift of  eternal life, and next to that  is the gift of children.

I don't think you can fully understand the sacrifice that our Heavenly Father gave us through His Son Jesus, until you understand how much you love your own children and the gift they are to us.

These are my two beautiful children,Jason and Callie. And yes, they are a gift and a blessing.

 

I'm not sure we fully appreciate our own mother, until we have  children of our own. My mom has been gone now for over 10 years but I still think of her and the legacy she left behind, almost daily. I also appreciate that the Lord made provision for us to one day be reunited.

This is my mom in the 1950's she was a lot like those TV mom's we liked to watch back then.

 

That's my mom in the middle, now those 3 mom's could have been on a tooth paste commercial. Great smiles and happy times. Those were some pretty  typical house dress fashion, they are wearing,not sure the pincurls and head scarfs were quite the TV mom look. But you have to appreciate those trendy drapes of the 50's.

 

A typical Midwest family in the 50's. Well at least that is the way I remember it. Mom always wore a dress, never pants. The pants of the family were always on the dad. Little boys thought it okay to wear bow ties and little girls liked wearing dresses to school.

 I remember mom, really liked this snazzy pontiac almost as much as she liked wearing wrap around dresses. This is her standing out front of the Flamingo Motel we owned and lived at. Whether at work or at play that wrap around dress was the fashion of the day. It could however provide a sneak peek at what was underneath on a windy day, but back then a lady always wore a slip. That's an undergarment for those of you who aren't as old as me.

 

That's my grandma and my mom and me inside the office of that motel it must have been summer and those are some of my best memories. Picnics on the porch, swimming all day and having both my grandmas living right next door. Grandma's and mom's making summer time fun is the best kind of memories. I think plaid was pretty popular back then, too.

 

See, another plaid dress! I think it was important back then to always wear earrings! A woman wasn't fully dressed unless her ears were!

My mom and her mom, see what I mean about the earrings! I don't remember ever seeing my  grandmother without her earrings on whether she was working or just out for a picnic, I think it was just a part of her. But remember back then we always dressed up if we went to town or out in public, even in the sixties. Hats and gloves were popular too!

Telephone booths, now that is a sign of the past. You  might wonder why my mom does not look so pulled together as my grandma does. Well this picture was taken at a motel on the beach of Florida, and my mom probably lost those earrings at the bottom of the sea. She loved to get on those air mattresses out in the ocean and ride the waves, she just never got the hang of it and spent most of her time laughing her  head off as she flew off the mattress into the sea. That might explain that crazy hair style.

    

Whether she was on vacation or

 

at home, My mom knew how to seize the day and be content in it. I think sometimes in our busy world today, with cell phones instead of phone booths we simply don't take the day and just enjoy it the way we used to.

 

Pearls, that is another timeless adornment. Pearls, ageless, charming, sophisticated, elegant, graceful, just like my mom. I  hope all the great memories you have of your mom will bring you as much joy as mine have. Thanks for stopping by and sharing my memories with me. Take some time today and remember your mom, and I hope  you will share some of those days gone by with me.
 
 

  

 
 
  
 
 

Tassels, tassels and more tassels

I thought I would show you what I have been up to lately. I have always liked tassels, the more the merrier, I say. I like them on my lamps.

  

  

I like tassels on pillows

  

And tassels on bags

     

So for the past few weeks I have been making tassels! Not just for fun, although it is fun. But also to add to our ETSY store.

  

  
Country and western, boot kicking tassels

   

Cute little bunny tassels

   

Nice little bird tassels

   

 

Tassels and More Tassels

   
 

And if that is not enough tassels, mosey on over to ETSY and you can see more.

http:presentgrace.etsy.com

I am linking up with:

  

http://www.thegirlcreative.blogspot.com/? 

 
 
 
 
 

 
  
 
 

 
 

 

 
 
 
  
 
 
 

Queen of hearts

Happy Valentine's Day!

Remember those Valentine parties you had at school, and how you picked just the right valentine  for all your friends and how everyone you received you looked at over and over trying to decided if there was a hidden meaning it it for you! Now if you had those sentimental pieces of paper they might just be worth more than memories.

Well there is no hidden messages here, just wishes for you to have a day filled with blessings.

And that someone one will treat you royally!

 

That you have some good times with good friends or your best friend.

 

May your heart be filled with thankfulness for those who love you,

 

 

 and faith for things hoped for to  come  your way

 

 Faith,  hope and love, the greatest is love.  So I Pray for  you  that love will fill your today, tomorrows and always.

 

That  you know, no matter what may come your way , or where you are. That You are loved!
 

 
 
 

 

Whatsoever is lovely

Psalms 119:114 You are my quiet retreat, my refuge, my hope is in your word. That's kind of my translation, just  in case you were looking it up in your  Bible. Ever feel like you just needed a quiet retreat? Sure you have, we all have and a place where we could just rest and think on whatsoever is lovely.

So grab a cup of tea with me and lets think lovely! Have you ever notice what a cheerful color pink is? If you need a little pick me up, just look for something pink and  you automatically feel cheerier. It works for me.

         

See that big pink bird, perhaps that was the beginning of my love affair with pink. That bird stood right outside my bedroom window from the time I was five or six till I was a teenager. We lived right there at that motel, after my mom and dad bought it in the late 1950's.      

Living at a motel had its advantages. People back then did not have their own pool in the back yard, like I did. There were a lot of sunny summer days spent there, and thinking about them bring  lovely memories to mind.
 

I love this picture of my father.  Surrounding yourself with favorite things helps to make you home that retreat you like to spend time in. When you look at this picture you would never know that that little boy would go through incredible trying times that would shape his life and put a tenacious spirit in him that would make him an overcomer.

 

Days gone by, oh my, so many days gone by.

          

That's me! Something about those red shoes and blue socks has to make you smile and think about the good ol days. I remember a small school house filled with many lovely memories that probably put a love of learning and school in my heart.Could that sweet little girl, have a little  mischievousness  in those eyes? There was no way back then to know the trials and troubles that would lie ahead, there was just a peace in trusting that I was loved and blessed with a mom and dad who loved me and hoped and dreamed with me that I would someday find my place in the world and it would be good. 

          

Now that is my family back in 1958 or about then, I suppose that was really lovely decor for then. I do wonder why our pictures would be taken on the day Mom pin curled our hair, mine and hers that is. You may not be old enough to remember pin curls, but they worked pretty good back then. Curls, curls, lovely curls. SEE!

   

Do families still take vacations together? We did, I think those were a  time of growing  our relationships, you just can't spend that much time in a car together and not learn a thing or two about getting along. That is what relationships are about, and I am grateful for learning about relationships in my early years. In this day of technology I am wondering if time as a family is losing that relational quality we had back then. Hey that's my brother in the lower corner, wonder where  he is going?

 

 My dad was a hard worker, usually working more than one job at a time. He was strong, quiet kind of man. He lived his life in such a way that truth and integrity were taught to us by example. He didn't have a lot of  education but he was very wise and very creative. He worked hard and he played hard. He always smelled of "Brute" that was a popular cologne in the 1960's.

           

When I was a teenager we moved to Louisiana, we joined a church there and my father, brother and I were baptized, we didn't just join a church we actually began a wonderful journey with the Lord. My dad was never raised in church when he was a boy, in fact he had a rather troubled childhood. But when  he came to know the Lord it really changed his life. It changed all of our lives.

            

My dad liked to have fun. He loved roller skating, that's how he and my mom met. I remember when hoola hoops came out, he was pretty good at that too. He always loved the latest electronics  and country music. He knew duct tape was a great invention and found a lot of great uses for it, including hemming up his pants when they were too long. He knew how to laugh and how to have a good time, he and my mom always practiced thinking on lovely things and keeping a positive attitude. they always encouraged me and spoke blessings over me, telling me how great I  was.  Hmmmm, glad they thought that way about me, and oh yeah, my brothers too.
 

            

That's me and my first car,isn't it lovely, it was a Rambler, anyone ever heard of them? My dad gave me that car and he was the one that taught me to drive. He was very patient, I was very scared. My dad was generous with me.  He knew how to give good gifts, but perhaps the best gift was spending time with me. My dad taught me how to fish, I wasn't very good at it but I treasure those times we spent together. You can't have a relationship if you don't spend time together. Now aren't I lovely, those were black kid leather gloves, hope you didn't think I had deformed hands! Ladies always had hats an gloves in those days gone by.

 

I don't know what the face of God looks like,  Exodus 33, tells us that Moses spoke face to face with God like a friend. I would like that I think, but when I speak to God it is not hard to see this face. Don't get me wrong my dad was no God. But his gentle nature and his lovingkindness makes it easier for me to understand a heavenly Father, a generous, loving Father, that protects and makes a refuge for me. I love Psalms 27:

The LORD is my light and my salvation: Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?.. One thing I have asked of the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, and to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent. He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me and I will offer in His tent sacrifices and shouts of joy; I will sing, yes I will sing praises to the LORD.  Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me,  when Thou didst say, "Seek My face," Thy face, O LORD, I shall seek. Do not hide Thy face from me, You have  been my help ... my salvation! ...Teach me Thy way, O LORD and lead me in a level path... I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD;Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

I realize that many many people can not relate to God the way I do, because their father never sowed into their life protection, love, relationship, and kindness like my dad did. But that  doesn't diminish who God is, it just makes it much harder to relate to Him.

Philippians 4: 8-9

Whatever is true, whatever is pure, whatever is right, WHATEVER IS LOVELY, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let you mind dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and  heard and seen in me practice these things, and the God of peace shall be with you.

So beloved, take some time today to seek the Lord and think on those things that are lovely. You will find that He is that place of quiet retreat, your refuge, you can hope in His word.
 

 

  

 

http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/ll236/Ettolrahcoj/?action=view¤t=6056.gif Spiritual Sundayshttp://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/

Its in the BAG

I'm joining Metamorphosis Monday over at "Between Naps on the Porch". You have to love the name of that Blog. It just kind of makes Monday seem exciting

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com

I bought this bag at TJ Maxx last week. I needed a  new gym bag well maybe need isn't the right word, since you might call me the Bag Lady. Bags, bags bags, you can never have enough bags.

I just loved that this was in toile, I may love toile maybe more than bags. Put the two together and you definitely have a winning combination.

I had in mind that I would add a little bling to it, to jazz it up a bit.

It didn't hurt any that it was on sale.

I cut open the lining at the bottom on the inside so that I could put the embroidery hope inside and make a monogram.
 

    

After monogramming, It needed a little animal print ribbon at  the top. Not enough, not a problem, that  little space was just right for this pin. Kind of classes it up a bit, don't you think!

            

Now for a  little more bling  to the zipper.

 

As luck would have it I just happened to have a piece of fabric of the same print as the ribbon , so I covered a large button and added it to the pocket.

 

and "VOILA" a finished jazzed up gym bag!

 

Now wouldn't a jazzed up gym bag make it easier to get up and go to the gym? Well, I have to let you know!

I'm also linking up with 

Show Off Your Stuff Party

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Pillow party

That's my workroom. And you guessed it, that is a very large picture of me, not sure why my mom wanted one that big, but as you can imagine it was taken a very long time ago. These are some of my pillows in all different phases of completion.

These two pillows are on the bed in my guest room, but most of the pillows I make I sell.

 

  

I like to pray over the pillows I make and find a word of encouragement from the Lord for those who get them. I tuck a little letter in the back of the pillow with those scriptures and inspiration I have received.

   

This was a pillow I called healing, the front and the back. If you want to read the word just click on the pictures and they will enlarge. This pillow is based, on Faith, Hope, and Love.

         

This too was a pillow that represents healing. It is called "Redeemed".
 
 
   

I love using vintage pieces in my pillows, mixing new machine embroidery with beautiful handwork from someone's talented hands.

   

These are a some  of children's pillows I've made, I add a pocket on the front or back to be used for the tooth fairy.

  

 

  

  

You might have noticed the little tags I like to make to go on my pillows. It's a great way to leave a message or add a personal touch by adding a person's name. 

 

I just love covered buttons and use them on the closure on the back of most of my pillows.

  

I suppose one of my most favorite embroidery pattern is the one that says "this is the Day the Lord has made" I have used it many times over and it just lends itself to such a cheerful pillow.

 

 

See how happy it made my friend!

  

This is a sample  of one of the letters I put in the back of this pillow:

This pillow is named “This Day” and was designed for you,  based on the scripture of Psalms 118:24. This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    May this pillow be a visible  reminder that no matter what the day may hold the Lord is with you. May every day of your life be filled with joy.  Joy is not the same as happiness, it is much deeper. Your joy is not from the things of this world or even from each other, but your joy comes from knowing the Lord and that His promises is to never  leave you or forsake you. So in every day,  Rejoice knowing that His plans for you are for good and not for evil for a future and a hope.   Jer. 29:11        

 

 

This pillow is my interpretation of the Scripture from Esther. " For such a time as this" 
 

 

 

One of my friends bought this for her daughter, a special gift of love. This pillow is based on 1 Cor. 13. 

When My niece got married last year she asked me to make her ring bearer's pillow.

 
 

This pillow is called Gift of God.

  

If you asked me what pillow is my absolute favorite. I would have a hard time choosing, but perhaps it would be this one. "Grace poured out", I love the strawberry teapot and the vintage embroidered piece, it just makes me smile when I see this pillow.

  

Tell me those high heels aren't the cutest thing! I say better on a pillow than on your feet! But maybe that's because at my age those things could be dangerous.

 

 

Made this pillow for my friend who is a writer, a scribe so to speak!

 
 

   

I love making pillows but lately have had a good deal of fun making bags as well, this lucky friend got both!

  

  

Now if your last name starts with "H" or if your first name starts with "H" then you might be able to talk me out of this one, it is still sitting on the shelf waiting for a home.

    

Who doesn't like pink and brown, those colors are too cute together.

     

A friend of mine had a great embroidered work shirt she had bought on a Montana  vacation with her husband. She didn't wear the shirt any more but wanted it preserved as a special memory. What a fun way  to keep that memory visible.
 
 
 
 
  I love making pillows and bags and all kinds of crafts. Hope you have enjoyed stopping by and seeing a few of my creations. Sweet dreams I am off to enjoy my own pillow!

 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  

 
 
 
 
 
 

  
 
 
  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Red hot!

Today is New Years eve. A good time to look back and reflect and a great time to look expectantly at the New Year. A time to say Good Riddance to those things we don't want to take into the new year and to resolve to do better next year. 

This is a picture of my Mother's family. That's my Grandma White on the right. Now that was one fine woman. She was a great seamstress a wonderful cook and she always had a sense of style. You remember when women flew out of bed at the crack of dawn and put on their pearl necklace and earrings to set about cooking a hearty breakfast for their family. Well that was my grandmother. She even set the table before going to bed each night and the toaster always set on the table. Growing up close to her was a treat, she's the one who taught me to roller skate on her big concrete driveway using crochet mallets to keep from falling. She was a Godly woman and I am sure that the prayers she prayed are still rolling around heaven and keeping her family close to God even today.

I suppose I get a lot of my sewing interest from her. She and her Singer sewing machine were really good friends. I think that interest must have skipped a generation, since my mother never did know  how to thread a machine, although she used a needle and thread to make many wonderful hand me down creations.

       

Don't you just love vintage aprons. That yellow one is my grandmothers, She always liked those full aprons and big pockets. That cute blue smocked one my Mom made and I think it probably didn't get that much use, maybe because it was so cute or maybe too much trouble to make that you didn't want to mess it up. There is something nostalgic about old aprons that take us immediately back to a simpler time and treasured memories of days gone by.

  
 

 My Grandmother, taught me to sew and I learned a thing or two in the kitchen from her as well. Now I will never be as good a cook as she was but I remember a lot of her favorite recipes and still try to use them today.  She made a lot of things that took a good deal of time and those are the ones I avoid, but her Red Hot apple recipe is one of my favorites. I like to make it during the holidays, maybe because it just looks so festive, or maybe because that is when I remember my Grandmother making them most often.

 
 
 What could be easier! A few sliced apples and a package of red hots and just a tad of water. And voila a big pot of Red Hot Apples! Well you do  have to cook them awhile but not so long that they become apple sauce.

 

Ohhhh so good on a hot pice of toast with a little butter.

  

Mmmmmmm, just like the ones my grandma use to make. My grandma lived way into her 90's, she always rose early in the morning, usually around 4 AM, she always took a good dose of Geritol and she said "Goodness Gracious Me" a lot.  She had white hair a beautiful smile and a big heart. I have very fond memories of her and the times I spent with her. Perhaps in a few ways I still carry on her legacy and reflect a little of what she was like. As I look forward to 2010, I will be anticipating making memorable moments with my children, they are the apple of my eye. And I will be expecting Good things from the Lord as I am the apple of His eye. And So are you. So expect that the plans the Lord has for you will be for good and not for evil for a future and a hope as Jeremiah 29:11 promises. May 2010 be filled with His blessings for you and your family.
 
 

 

Light in the darkness

 Today is the fourth day of Chanukah. Chanukah is an eight day celebration that celebrates light over darkness, a triumph  over oppression  with remarkable overtones of miraculous heavenly intervention. Against all odds  a small band of faithful Jews  overthrew the  Syrian-Greeks that  had ruled the Holy Land, defeating one of the mightiest armies on Earth. They took back their Holy Temple and found only a one day supply of oil to rededicate the temple in service to their God. But the One day supply lasted 8 days which was the length of time it took to prepare new oil  under the law of ritual purity. 

 The story of Chanukah happened between the Old Testament times and the New Testament times. Jesus seemed to celebrate Chanukah as recorded in John 10.

To me the Menorah is a beautiful symbol of Jesus, who himself declared 3 times that He was the Light of the World.

 The ninth candle in the Menorah is called the Shamash, or Servant, it is used to  light all the other candles. Jesus said I came not to be served but to serve. I see Him in the Shamash, as the Light that is extended to each of us that we might go and be servants to Light the world.

Christmas is the time of year we celebrate Jesus, the King of Glory who came to serve. We celebrate the Good Gifts that  have come down from the Father of Lights. What better symbol of the Light of the World than the Menorah of Chanukah.

In years past I have celebrated Chanukah with my children. We prayed, and read scriptures each  night as we lit the candles. It was a  time of reflection and remembering  the blessings of God in our lives. It was a good time of just gathering as a family and focusing our attention during the Christmas season on the real reasons we had to celebrate. It did  not take away from Christmas but added to its meaning for us.

 

Here is my untraditional Chanukah Menorah this year. I suppose it might break more than a few traditional Chanukah rules. First of all its only the fourth night of Chanukah and all the candles are lit. I just needed to see how it would look all lit up. Of course you see the Christmas tree in the background as well as the Nativity scene and the Christmas star. In all these things I see Jesus. I see Jesus in the Menorah candle as servant, teaching us to serve others. I see Jesus in the gift giving, He is God's gift to us.  I see Jesus in the star, a proclamation to the world that a Savior had been born.

I hope during this busy time of year you will  look around and see Jesus. you  might be surprised where you might find Him. It might be  in the joy of giving, you  might see Him in your children's faces, you might feel His presence as you pray. It might be in the old familiar hymns you hear this time  of year. Where ever you go and however you celebrate, may the Light of His love, and the joy of  His presence fill your  holiday. 
 

Tis the season

I love the holidays. What a great time to visit with friends and catch up with some that you only hear from at Christmas. 

            

So grab a cup of tea and lets talk Christmas!

Do you have some great memories of Christmas past to share. I would love to hear them. Maybe some new memories you have made this year. Leave me a message on this blog. I love to read  your thoughts.
 

Dragging out all my decorations bring back such pleasant memories of Christmas past.

           

It always feels like the season when I see this Nativity set in place. It has been around since I was a teenager, so you know it has seen a lot of Christmases. When I look at it, I remember how much my mom enjoyed decorating for Christmas. I think the year she bought this, was back when those Aluminum trees were all the rage, with those lights that rotated in different colors, lighting the tree. Anyone remember those?

            

This is my big old tree, but after it fell over 3 times, after being decorated, I did consider taking it down and giving up. I guess fourth time was the charm, I think that those big letters that say joy and having decorated only one side might have been its demise. Thanks to my daughter, Callie and her perseverance this tree is still in my living room and not out in the garage!

                

So what brings you joy this season?   

                 

These are my little friends, Anya and Gabriel, going home with their new Christmas tree. Seeing Christmas through their eyes brings me a lot of joy. Now you might ask what was in the trunk of that car, well suffice it to say it was full and my little friends will be finding out on Christmas what's been hiding in there!

           

Love, love, love this snow village! It  has all the important things a village needs, a bank, a church, a school, a toy store, a house, and just a few people! Some of the pieces came from Lake Louise, Canada where we truly visited a great snow village one Christmas several years ago. It reminds me of many white Christmases growing up in Kansas City. This past week it snowed in  Houston, yes, right here in Houston.

                

This is how it looked outside my front door! What a treat!

                

You  have to smile when you see this jolly ol elf! He was around in the early 60"s and probably looked a lot better back then. I use to cringe when I would see my  mom put him out in later  years thinking he looked too shabby. But, now he has enough shabby to be fashionable. Or maybe I am just old fashioned enough to enjoy him now.

When we were kids, presents seemed like the best part of Christmas, with age you are reminded that the things that are really important can't come in a box. I am not sure I remember very many gifts through the years. I do remember as a kid staying up most of the night with my brother, I think we made enough noise to wake the whole house, especially when we knocked over the bicycles and scratched the coffee table.

           

But what would Christmas be with out giving and remembering the greatest gift the world has ever known, Jesus.
 

              

Comfort and Joy, that's what I am wishing for you today.  The kind that God brings to your life with His amazing Grace.

            

This is Maddie, my amazing cat, she brings me a lot of joy. She likes to gently tap me on the arm to remind me her food bowl is empty. But lately she has started reminding me when it is time to go to bed. She likes to lie right by my pillow while I read over my healing scriptures. She purrs gently till I am finished and goes quietly to the end of the bed for a peaceful nights sleep.

 This cabinet holds a few of my favorite things, but the things I treasure most I hold in my heart, like good friends, happy  memories, my family, and my Lord. 

         

Peace, joy, and love a great sentiment, not just for this season but all year through. I pray that your new year will be filled with the Peace of God, the joy, of His blessings and Love that will over flow in your home and hearts.

Now jot me a note and tell me about your Christmas!

 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

 
 

O Give Thanks

O that men would give thanks to the Lord for His mercy endures forever, for He is Good...

 

My heart overflows with Joy and rejoicing in the blessings of the Lord for His faithfulness.

 

I am grateful for all of you who enrich my life with encouragement and friendship. I am thanking God for  you.

 

I am thankful for many many happy memories of Thanksgivings past that were shared around tables with friends and  family. This  little turkey has been around for many years. I remember when my mother bought it along with several other treasures to decorate our home and celebrate the season. She would arise just  as the sun came up to prepare our feast that usually included many of our extended family.

 

I love traditional foods. Celebrations of the season at my house starts with a big jar of "Texas Trash"  that's what we call party mix here in Texas.  And a big jar of "puppy chow" some of you may call "muddy buddies.  Made this batch just last night, just seeing it in those big glass jars makes it feel more like the holidays.

 

There is something so comforting about traditions. We always like to start holidays with a breakfast of Chocolate gravy and biscuits. We always thought it was a family  secret but Paula Deen told the whole world about it on  her cooking show and I have heard tell that it is one of Dolly Parton's favorites. 

   

There are so many ways to celebrate the bounty of this season. Like this mother hen, I like to gather my family close to me and share with them a lot of love and good food.

 

From my kitchen to yours I send my hopes and wishes that you too will be gathered with your loved ones for good food and fellowship and a great time of thanksgiving.

     

May your tables be filled with a bounty of love and beauty.  I was recently invited by a close friend to a delightful evening of welcoming in the season with about 600 hundred beautiful women from a local church. These were two of the bountiful tables that our hostesses prepared for us.

 

Whether you stay home or join your loved ones by going out. May your hearts overflow with Thanksgiving for all the blessings that have filled your life.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good: For His lovingkindness is everlasting...

For He has satisfied the thisty soul and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.

Times and Seasons

I would find it difficult to say which season I like the best, but Autumn may be my favorite. It brings back memories of wondering the woods behind my home when I was a girl. Feasting on persimmons and running through the leaves. I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, where  fall was truly a feast for the eyes.

Its not just the beautiful colors of Autumn  I love but the change of the weather and the expectations of holidays that are ahead. Its a time to slow down, to stop awhile and take in the glory of God's masterpieces before they fade away into winter. 

 

Seasons are quite like tunnels, you aren't quite sure what they will hold or what is on the other side but there is an air of expectation.

 

I suppose Autumn looks different in different parts of the world, but here along the Blueridge Parkway in October it was a road to great beauty.

 

What a stunning vantage point to view the changing of the  season, what majesty and beauty.

 

So come along with me where the landscape beckons us to drink in its astounding colors.

 

Scientist don't fully understand what makes a perfect display of color in the autumn, but you don't have to understand it to just enjoy it. I use to read a book called Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf to my school children every year, as a way to welcome fall into my classroom. Now the seasons have changed in my life and I hope this little trip with me will bring fall  into you hearts and homes.

 

If you look far enough down this road, right around the corner you see Winter trying to take over Autumn. 

 

On this journey up the mountain Autumn melted into winter in the luscious display of the best of both seasons. Well, I suppose you would not call it winter, it only looked that way, but isn't that how some seasons of our lives seem to be. You think you are in one season when all of a sudden you are surprised by how you have been transported to a whole other time and season. I suppose the older you get the faster those seasons seem to change.

 

 

This journey through the mountains is not so unlike life. The path of life has many seasons, the Word of God says to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven. I think what is improtant is to just find satisfaction in the season you are in and enjoy it. 

 

In every season of our lives it is the people we love that make it richer and more vibrant. This is my friend Bethanie, she makes me laugh and feel young when I am with her. And of course you know my son Jason,  he is such a blessing to me and the reason I was able to take this adventure this autumn.

  

Many years ago my  teacher, Mrs. Weddle,  made me memorize a poem by Joyce Kilmer called

 "Trees"

I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree

A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed against earth's sweet flowing breast

A tree who looks at God all day and lifts its leafy boughs to pray ...

    

The book of Revelations talks about the tree of life. I am not sure what it looks like but it is said that the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.  If ever there was a time when the nations needed healing it is now.

   

Psalms 1 tells us about how a righteous man will be like a tree planted by the waters that will bring forth fruit in every season, whose leaf will not wither and what so ever he does will prosper.

      

So what season are you in, where have you been planted? Do you need healing?

Isaiah spoke these words as encouragement to a people who were living in dark times and were discouraged."Arise shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you."  A reminder that the Light of the Lord and His glory was all they needed to change the world around them.

   

If God's glory is seen in the array of splendor that he clothes the lilies of the field or trees of Autumn how much greater will he clothe us in His glory, and heal us.

Crafting

 Autumn  leaves and kids going back to school, reminded me once more that I really am footloose and fancy free. I have always loved the fall and it is really great to fill the days with those busy  projects I never seemed to have had time for before. Passementerie is the art of making tassels.  

 These ribbon tassels were some of my first try at this art.

 

 Making tote bags, is one more fun way to spend time. I don't know if you can read the tag, it says "Wild Thing".That's me, just wild about my retirement time. I'm still making pillows and other embroidery work and just recently started working with my friend Carmen, who is one of the most creative people I know. So if you take a fancy to any of these projects, you will be able to find me at a new site on Etsy, where my friend, Carmen and I are opening a shoppe! Check out some of Carmen's art work on her site http://www.dewaldviljoen.com/art.htm 

Here's a preview of some other things you might find at our new online shoppe:

        

Now who wouldn't like to sport one of these stylish hair bobs! Soon you will be able to find these and many other artsy, creations at our store on Etsy, called Present Grace. I love partnering with Carmen, she is so creative and talented. Not to mention a good friend. We wanted the name  of our store to represent our mutual love for the Lord which we hope is translated through our work.

Georgia on my mind

It has been a long while since I have visited my blog. I spent a good deal of time this spring and early summer in Georgia. I helped my son move from Minnesota to Atlanta.

I called these two my Canadian friends. They were residents of the pond near my son's home in Minnesota. I wonder if they flew north this summer while we traveled south.

You can't visit Georgia, without a trip to the mountains. How gorgeous is this!

This is part of the square in Atlanta where son number one is putting down roots. Everything in Atlanta was clean and green. This is actually the part of Atlanta called Buck Head.

Now tell me that this little bird isn't cute! Not quite the same caliber as my Canadian friends but still mighty cute.

Now up the hill from the square is this door to the  apartment but wait, you still have 3 flights of stairs before  you enter the abode!

But now that your inside, don't  you like  it?

Day or night, you had to be impressed with the beauty of this place.

Home again, but Georgia  is still on my mind. There are things I learned while I was away, like how to get by with the contents of one carry-on bag for two months. You know I am queen of many things, but coming home to many things made me realize that when you have a lot, you have a lot to take care of.

Maybe life would be a whole lot easier and simpler if we didn't have quite so much stuff. Maybe its not what we possess but how those things possess us. Just maybe it is time to let somethings go so that what is important can be seen.

For  me, anyway, I think it is time for a change. Time to clean out and clean up, not just my home but my life. Maybe it is time to find out what really is important to keep and what needs to be removed. We hold onto things, for many different reasons, A reminder of something fun or a treasure from friend or family, but if you hold on too tightly, you soon realize it has a  hold on you and before long there is no room for anything new, or time to spend doing the things that are important.

What really is important is spending time with those you love not the things you love. This is my brother and sister-in-law. I got to visit them  in Florida. I had not seen him in almost 8 years.  

Taking time to just enjoy life, and finding  rest for your soul. Just looking at this picture puts a smile on my face, I can still remember what a pleasant day that was. A veranda, maybe that is what I am missing in my life????  I hope you find some time to smile today and find some rest for your soul, even if you don't have a veranda and a big rocking chair!

Reflections from the Queen Mother

I picked these gardenias from the garden this morning. They are so pure and white and nothing smells as sweet. Somethings in life are just a pure joy. That is what I remember most about my Mom. She was one of my greatest joys. I think if there was a Mom contest, she surely would have received first prize. This is her silver tea service, a treasure I inherited. But the true treasures I inherited from my Mom are the numerous memories of days gone by. My mom had an infectious laugh that always filled our home and lives. She had a way of looking at every day through rose colored glasses. She knew how to find joy in everyday blessings big or small. 

As angelic as my brother and I look in this picture I can assure you, we were not. I knew how to really bug my brother just by raising my eyebrows. But when we tried my mother's patience  she had a way of brining us under control with just a point of her finger, as amazing as that sounds. She always had a smile and a kind word for everyone she met. She knew how to keep her spirits high even in the midst of trials. She was an inspiration to all those who knew her. 

  

I made some new bags and I am getting them packed because I am headed for another adventure this Mother's day.

   

Actually this is from my last adventure with my son to New Mexico. No, I didn't really go up in a hot air balloon, and if I tried to tell you I did, I know he would have let you know the truth. This is a picture from the hot air balloon mueseum.

We had a great time in Santa Fe. Now isn't that just the most smashingly handsome guy, and to think he is my son!

 

We loved the mountains and took several scenic drives.

       

The arts are a very big part of Santa Fe, these were a few of my favorites.

We had some really good food, now wouldn't you like a bite of this fried ice cream?

It was a  great adventure in New Mexico, and now I am off to the next adventure.

I will be flying to Minnesota to help my son, Jason, pack up his home and move. I enjoyed  helping him decorate this place he has called home for the past 18 months. Now he is being transferred to Atlanta and I will help him get settled in a new home.

This Mother's Day I am thanking God for my two beautiful children. They fill my days with joy.  If you are at least  half as blessed as I am then I know  you will have a great Mother's day, too!

Good Gifts

I had two birthday parties to attend this weekend. After making the  gifts I decided it would be fun to make my own gift bags. Using some fabric samples given to me by my brother years ago. I fashioned these gift bags

 .

The  words "gifts, give and giving" appear in the scriptures more than 2100 times. I suppose we should not be surprised that a Loving Father who would give His only Son to us, would want us to share our love through giving gifts.  James1:17 tells us that "All good gifts come down from the Father of Lights" I have been a partaker of many many good gifts sent to me by my Father.  Some big ones and many little ones.  Now that I am retired perhaps I have more time to enjoy even small ones that seem to come every day, like

the presence of butterflies

     

 

and the unexpected birds that grace the garden on wings and songs.

 The treasures of friends who share their hearts and laugh with you,  and 

Children that teach you not to take life so seriously.

Life is full of gifts all around you each and everyday. The other morning when  I awoke the song, "Angels watching over me" was on my mind. A gentle reminder that no matter what comes our way, the Lord has sent his Angels to watch over us day and night.

This was a pillow I was working on at the time, based on  Psalms  91.   It tells us that He sends  His angels to guard us in all our ways, but it also promises that there is a place where we can abide that is under the shadow of His wings, a place of safety, now that is a great gift. May we remember to open up and enjoy all the gifts God  sends us each day

Legendary Dogwood

 

I took this picture last fall of my English dogwood. It bloomed when by all accounts it should not have bloomed, it was fall and the leaves were dying and yet against all odds it bloomed. It is a beautiful plant that has been in my yard for over 30 years and a source of great beauty every spring, but never had it bloomed in the fall. I received its unique display as a sign of our gracious Heavenly Father sending me a ray of hope in a desperate time of my life. 

Once again  as Passover and Easter arrive  its leafy branches unfurl in glorious blossoms. This bush is called by many names, a mock orange, a mock dogwood an English dogwood, but its blooms ever reminiscent of the legend of the Dogwood tree.

In the time of Christ, or so the legend goes, the Dogwood tree had attained the size of the oak and other forest trees, with its wood the strongest and firmest of all the hardwood trees. Thus it was chosen as the timber for the cross upon which Christ was crucified.

And the legend continues:

The trees were greatly distressed at having been chosen for such a cruel purpose and Jesus, sensing their regret and pity for his suffering, made this promise:

“Never again shall the Dogwood tree grow large enough to be used for a cross. Henceforth it shall be slender and bent and twisted, and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross — two long and two short petals.

All those who see it will remember it was on a Dogwood tree that I was crucified, and this tree shall not be mutilated nor destroyed, but cherished and protected as a reminder of my agony  and death upon the Cross.”

Looking at this display of beauty today reminded me of a bridal gown. A promise of His return for His Bride. I find myself longing for the beauty of pure white , though I am always impressed with beauty of every color. Still there is something so comforting about white, a portrait of holiness and purity. I am reminded of Revelations 3:5 " to he who overcomes will be dressed in white," I am grateful for the overcoming victory purchased at the cross and I pray that whatever trials you and I may endure in this life, will afford us the right to be dressed in white for eternity.  As you celebrate this season I pray that you will remember the cross and the purchase of our salvation, but I also pray that you will know and walk in the promises of the power of resurrection.

Antiques and Adventures in Bluebonnet country

It's Bluebonnet time in Texas and the hillsides are covered in blankets of blue.   The weather is perfect and a wonderful day to go and explore the adventures of Round Top. Twice a year they have the biggest Antique fair of Texas. Yesterday my friend Carmen and I took a most delightful road trip to see what we could see and as the picture will tell we had an absolutely delightful day. Of course there is far  more to see at Round Top than one can do in a day but the things we found were truly wonderful.

Round Top is a sea of vendors of all different kinds.

This is a very talented artist, don't you love the "fruits of the Spirit" chair. Now why do you suppose she put "Self-control" on the top?

This is more of her work. What an interesting way to share the Gospel!

I just love these bags! I think they may inspire me to do a little bag making myself.

 

You have to admit this artist has a way of putting beautiful textiles together, and for a mere 225 dollars you could own one of these bags.

What an interesting pillow. You know a pillow maker like me had to take a pillow picture.

Of course I loved this pillow, doesn't it say it all!  Look at all those beautiful pillows on the bed as well.

Oh my, there was so much to see.

Love those polka dots and especially when they are in pink and brown.

If you love pink and brown like I do, wouldn't you just feel like a queen sitting in this chair. Notice the pink and brown toile! Oh how I love toile! And no I did not buy it but even looking at the picture gives me a thrill.

 I suppose linens were one of my biggest attractions. This vendor had plenty of them.

If  you love linens like I do, then you would have been very tempted to purchase some of these white ones. There is something so luscious about crisp white bed linens. I think if angels ever sleep they must have clean white crisp linens on their beds. Those little pillows were filled with lavender now how heavenly is that?

Now I wonder  how they made those lamp shades, they are really fantastic!

Couldn't you see yourself having a great dinner sitting at this table. This was Carmen's favorite. Everywhere we went she saw tables she absolutely loved, but these chairs were the best.  As you can tell a lot of other shoppers were admiring it themselves. I wonder who will have this in their home. I am sure someone will buy it, I will just have to dream of owning it though.

Here is Carmen at the Junk Gypsies'  booth. We both really wanted to see what was inside.  Alas we did not buy anything there, but what fun it is to do an adventure like this with a friend. We had such a good time. We lunched on a nice open deck under an umbrella, we strolled all over the place and drove down roads covered in bluebonnets, all the while laughing and ohhing and ahhhing  over ever so many treasures. It was an absolutely fabulous day. If you have not seen the bluebonnets this year and if you have never made it to Round Top in the Spring then you must put it on your "To do" list. Its not too late, they will be open all week and next weekend, too. 

Don't you want to go?????

After a full day of shopping and seeing the sights of Round Top, wouldn't this be the bed you would like to come home too?  I loved this shop, filled with the most gorgeous linens you can imagine. 

It isn't the bed of angels but it is MY bed and after all that fun it was good to come home and crawl into this comfy bed and remember all the beautiful things I saw, all the fun all the laughter and all the wonderful treasure that were part of this great Texas adventure. This truly was a day the Lord had made and it was an easy one to rejoice in.

mountain moving faith

I am not sure what mountain moving faith looks like exactly but I have been thinking about it a lot lately. I do love the mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains are probably my most favorite. Having lived here in the flatlands of Houston, I  have been known to get excited over mole hills. Well not that kind that we tend to make into mountains. Maybe going up in the mountains makes you think you are that much closer to God and maybe being closer to God is just what it takes to move mountains.  I have to say that there certainly seems to be mountains that have stood in my way more than a few times in my life.  The Scriptures tell us if we have faith we can move mountains. I think it has more to do with the Faith of God than to have Faith in God. I don't  doubt that God can move mountains, after all didn't He make them. When Jesus  spoke to the Fig tree  it withered up.  Jesus told us to Say to the mountain be  removed into the sea and it would move. I really haven't seen the need to change the architecture of the East Coast. But I have had some pretty big obstacles that have stood in my way of living life the way I  wanted to. There are a lot of things I could say to try and move those stubborn obstacles but the most powerful words I could ever speak are the Words the Lord has spoken and already recorded in my Bible. Aren't His promises Yea and Amen. Doesn't He watch over His Words, to perform them. I think I will keep His words in my mouth and keep on trusting that those mountains are going to move.

JEHOVAH NISSI - The Lord My Banner

As most of you know I have been making banners for many years  now. This weekend has been a banner weekend. I took banners to Dickinson Texas for a conference. While I was there I decided since I have not posted pictures of banners on my blog that I would take a few pictures of the banners after I set them up.In Psalms 20:7 it says Some trust in Chariots and some in horses, but we will trust in  and boast of the name of the Lord our God. Banners are a statement of who He is so that we can remember who we are in Him.

I  don't know what weaknesses you have but I know that through Him you have the overcoming victory.

You are more than a conqueror. Revelations  is a picture of the throne room of God and the Lion who was  worthy to open the  scrolls, pictured in this banner is also the harp and the vial representing the new song and the prayers of the saints. Isaiah 11: 1, 10 And there shall come forth a  rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and in that day there shall be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an ensign ( banner) of the people...

The Lion who also the Lamb pictured  here is the sacrificial savior. Who purchased our salvation with His blood that was poured out on the mercy seat of heaven. The sacrifice that split the veil, that we might enter boldly face to face into the holy place of the Most High God. Seen here is the emerald rainbow mention in Rev. 4 and a crown, depicting His status as the Alpha and Omega. 1 John 5:4 says "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Jesus is at the Father's right hand in heavenly places, far above all principalities and powers. "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus"

Ephesians 2:6

Behold I send  you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be as wise as serpents but as harmless as doves. Mathew 10:6  So what does that mean? I believe that the Lord is telling us that in this world we will have  tribulation, but He has overcome the world and that we are not to walk in the flesh but after the Spirit that we are not to walk around unaware but armed and dangerous with the Sword of the Spirit and the Shield of Faith.

Through the empowering Spirit of God, He gives us the triumphant victory over all situations. He has made us a more than a  Conqueror, He has clothed us with His Righteousness. He abides in  us making every weakness a  strength.

Ron Kenoly wrote the song Ancient of Days, It is a beautiful song and many times I remember lifting up this banner and proudly carrying it in triumphant procession as we sang:

Blessing and Honour

Glory and Power

Be unto the ancient of days
From every nation
All of creation
Bow before the ancient of days 

Every tongue in heaven and earth
Shall declare your glory
Every knee shall bow at your throne
In worship
You will be exalted oh God
And your kingdom shall not pass away
Oh ancient of days 

 This banner is a display of JUSTICE! 

Here is another version of the Lion of Judah, done in Spanish and this weekend is headed for a church in New Mexico. God has opened churches all over the world to house banners that lift up His Names. I am honored that once again He is opening new door of opportunity to bless His Holy Name.

Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our provider. He has truly provided all we have needed. Even as he provided the sacrifice for Abraham as a pre-shadowing of his provision for us through His Son, so we know that  no matter what our need is that He His  hand has already provided.

This banner says: " The Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing in His wings"

I have been standing on this promise for many years now, and that is the good thing about His promises, they never change. He is a God that is forever the same. Proverbs 4: 20 -22 says. Attend to my words, incline your ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all flesh.

I don't know what kind of healing you need, whether it be physical or emotional but The Lord Our God is a Healer and He can not fail. Blessed be the name of Our God!

Friendship

Friendship is like a shower of flowers, its a special gift of life.  I am blessed with many good friends and each one is unique in their own special way but when you put them all together they make a wonderful bouquet.

Friends add the color and fragrance to life. I  am thankful for each of my friends and the laughter and joy they bring are like an instant vacation.

Isn't this flower cupcake just scrumptious? I just love it! It was a birthday gift from my sweet niece.  Truly the best things in life are not just  just "things," they are moments of joy shared with others. 

There is nothing better than the encouragement that comes from a friend and the paper flower is just that a "Word of encouragement, ' shared at a table of friends that laugh and pray together.

Now this would be a group of friends that don't mind sharing a laugh or two over lunch. Even though I am retired and don't get to see this group of friends everyday, they still bless my life by making time in their busy schedules to share fun and laughter away from school.

Years ago a good friend started the tradition of the friendship ball.. In the spirit of an old English tradition, it is told how a special favor is passed back and forth between friends. - to be exchanged through the years as the occasion arises -  Well, I have been known to call this the dreaded friendship ball, as it has been passed back and forth so many times it is difficult to find anything worthwhile that is small enough to fit inside that ball. It is always a challenge to find it bounce back into your life and yet over the years it has held many treasures and some not even worth mentioning! So here it is, right before I sent that ball bouncing right back to my friend.

YIPPPEEEEE! I found something small enough!! And here is where I found that delightful treasure. 

This is a great little shop in Woodbury Minnesota  called Blissful Bath. You can visit them on the web at http://www.blissfulbath.com/

It's a great shop and everything is displayed so beatutifully. I had to go back a couple of times, I enjoyed it so much.

The ball is back in my friends court now. I sent it back with this heart key chain and book. Wonder when it will come back and what it will house next. Thats the joy of having friends, you never know when they might surprise you with the next gift of their friendship. I have heard it said that friends are a gift you give yourself, but I think friends are a gift that just keeps giving and giving.

Here I am with a few of my friends last summer. Friends create memories we will cherish for a lifetime. And when this life is over I am grateful I will spend  eternity with a friend that sticks closer than a brother, My Lord and Savior.

The Beauty of Love, The Love of Beauty

Kara Rosiana writes:

I think the reason that love is such a beautiful thing is because it is a lot like beauty itself. It is that unspeakable connection to certain people or things for unexplainable reasons. It is very abstract, can be hard to describe, and is something that everyone defines differently and applies to many different types of things. It heightens our emotions and makes us feel truly alive. People will never lose their fascination with it, because it is inside us all to feel it, to share it, to let it fill our lives. 

Love is beautiful. It is the mysterious force that binds people to those around them. It has infinitely many forms, and each of the forms never stays the same for long. Love is always evolving, and changing intensity.

This is my niece, Jennifer, what's more beautiful than a bride on her wedding day. So symbolic and  so beautiful in its joy and celebration of Love and hope for the future.

Love is like a butterfly, it seems to flit all around us beckoning to  us to fellowship in its beauty. 

Love can not be contained in a vessel. Love is meant to be given away.

Is your heart a garden  where love can bloom? The purest form of love is unconditional love, 

 a love born out of mercy and grace and so undeserving.  A love that washes us " white as snow." in its purity.

That kind of love even allows winter seasons in our lives knowing that we are en-powered by His Spirit to overcome every  difficulty we encounter.

 It is during those times you search the hardest to find the beauty of love. But seasons always change and winters always turn to springtime and in the sunshine we find that just like the butterfly we emerge with new wings that cause us to reach higher than we had before. There are new springs of life that have risen out of the trial we have overcome.

Love comes in many ways and its beauty is seen through many eyes.  The beauty of friendship is  love.  I would  never say that "Dogs" are man's best friend, but neither would I say that about my cat. I have seen friendship in so many forms. Friends that have entered my life for just a season, friends that the Lord placed in my life for a reason, but few are the lasting kind of friendship I have found  with the Lord. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. That is love in its most perfect form.

This is a picture of a really good friend. She has been a Proverbs 17 kind of friend that loves at all times, even when I am not so lovely.  I am glad she calls me friend. I hope you have many such friendships and love. May this season of your life find you full of faith, hope and the beauty of love. May you find love in all the seasons of your life. If you look for it, you will surely find it.

It's a New Day

I love roosters, maybe I inherited that from my mom, she loved roosters too. In fact some of my roosters are hand-me-downs from her. When I see a rooster it reminds me that they awaken the day proclaiming it is a new day! I like what author Lucy Maude Montgomery said in her book Anne of Green Gables, "Today is a new day with no mistakes in it yet!" I guess we could say that about a new year as well. 

A new year, seems to  be a time to look forward and think about what we want to accomplish. It is a time of letting go of the  things of the past and setting new goals so that the new year will bear more fruit than the past year.

This  crewle picture is one my Mom sewed  years ago, I told you she liked roosters too!  Every morning when I was young and lived at  home my mom would awake me by singing "Arise and Shine" I don't know if she meant it in the Biblical sense that Isa. 60: 1&2 proclaims. But I  was reminded by a dear friend that this is a word for this year, so I pray that 2009 will be a year where this scripture will resonate in  your spirit  "Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people: But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon  you.

I have to say that of all my roosters, this lamp is probably among my most favorites.

I guess you could say this is a collection of some of my favorite things. That old time picture of my mom, the youngest girl and her sweet sweet sister Helen, remind me that though this is a new day and a new year that many of the blessings we walk in is because of the Godliness that was sowed by our ancestors who walked in Godly ways and followed the Lord. My Aunt Helen still sows into my life each day with her prayers. Though her eyes have failed her over the years she still has eyes that see into the Spirit and blesses us.

If you know me very well you know that I am very fond of tassels. They remind me of the tassels that hang from the tallit, prayer shawl,  a reminder of the special covenant we have with the Lord and His covenant promises. In 2009 it is good for us to remember the covenant we have with the Lord.

Remember that He is our Sun and Shield, a Light that guides our way.  His word says that the steps of the Righteous are ordered of the Lord. Sometimes we walk through valleys, but I am reminded that even in the valley of Bacca, the valley of tears, He is our well Spring of Joy that sees us through.

I don't know what doors God will open for us this year, but I know who holds the key and He has given us the keys of the Kingdom. May we unlock all the doors of opportunity He sets before us in 2009.

Kisses From Heaven

I recently listened to a message entitled Kisses from God and it was a gentle reminder to focus on those kisses rather than my troubles.  We have a Good God who kisses us daily with blessings and encouragement. Sometimes we  just need to be looking for those kisses.

These flowers were a recent kiss from heaven, sent to me by my brother,as I returned home from the hospital. Friends and family that traveled here to be  of support through surgery and recovery were a blanket of kisses and love.

 

Roses from my friends garden and her visit with homemade scones, yet another reminder of God's tender mercy poured out through his willing servants. Friends who send you  loving messages through emails and cards with just the right encouragement to lift your spirit are definitely a kiss from heaven.

Christmas can be such a busy season that we seldom stop long enough to just enjoy the blessings of simple things like a cup of tea with  a friend.

Recently one afternoon the Lord kissed us from heaven with a snowfall, a very unusual event in Houston.

The snow village is one of my favorite Christmas decorations. We did not see this much snow in Houston but what we saw was still a blessing.

I am reminded every time I see this birdhouse and all the tiny little birds that have been hatched there, that if God's eye is on the sparrow, I can know he watches over me. This birdhouse has housed many many families over the past 10 years. One more kiss from heaven.

This birdhouse hasn't seen any birds but is a sweet memory from years past. Sweet memories of years gone by and remembrance of good times and good friends help us to realize, that all through our lives we have had kisses from heaven.

The seasons of our lives change, but there is a constant abiding faith that no matter where we are or what we are going through, there is a blessed assurance that He watches over us.

This is the time of year for us to remember our friends and family, to give gifts of love and to celebrate the kisses of heaven that was sent through Jesus Christ who came to earth and as the scripture tells us Loveingkindness and truth  met and righteousness and justice kissed.

This precious nativity set belonged to my mother, I am reminded each Christmas when I put it out, how much she always enjoyed Christmas. When you have a great mother, you can truly say, heaven kissed you, and I had a Great Mother who left me a great heritage.

This Santa has been around almost as long as I have. Yes, that's me in the photo with my brother, Robert.  I hope this Christmas you will take time to think upon all the kisses of heaven God has sent your way and my Christmas wish for you is that the new year will be filled with many many kisses from heaven. Don't miss them!

So where do we go from here?

A very long time ago, a young lady dreamed of what she would do one day when she grew up. She played with dolls and dreamed of a day when she would be a mommy and maybe a teacher.

Those dreams came true and now its time to dream again!  So where do we go from here?

One would hope that every day would be as fun filled as all the holidays wrapped up in one, right?

So new adventures begin!

Perhaps we will have time to travel now!

Whatever the future holds, I am glad I know WHO holds the future ... "I For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer. 29:11

Retirement

With the news of surgery ahead, I made the decision to retire. It wasn't the way I had planned, but it seemed the most sensible. After heading off to school for more than 55 years, it might seem a little strange not to go there daily. I work at a wonderful place called Eiland where I am surrounded by great colleagues and adorable children. Its a  place where one can get more than your quota of hugs each day. I am thought of as the Queen Mother and so not only do I get hugs but a good deal of curtsies as well. There is lots of love and laughter at this school and many many friends that I will miss seeing everyday. I wanted to share with you a little of the outpouring of their love from my retirement party on November 12th.

There was a generous amount of giftcards to pamper me while I recover from surgery. Someone must know that Pei Wei is one of my most favorite places!

New towels, and sheets and even a body pillow, a new purse, now those are gifts for a Queen for sure.

The generous gifts and well wishes by so many friends is overwhelming.  

Now if I can just find someone to wait on me that bed tray and bell could really get some use. I wish I had the photos from the party to share but all of them are in this great photo album. Memories of a great party and good friends.

The days and nights are turning cooler now and this snuggly bath robe will wrap me in warmth and remembrances of friendships that will forever warm my heart.

Life is full of changes. At each new turn in our life we face new and challenging experiences. Perhaps these slippers are a sign of the walk ahead being a little more casual, a little more soft at least for a season. Whatever lies ahead we take comfort in knowing that the path of the righteous are ordered of the Lord. I look ahead with a renewed hope and thank God for the paths that have lead me down a road traveled with many faithful friends.

The seasons

We go through many seasons in our lives.  It seems this fall season has brought more than just a hurricane to stir up trouble. After having nine years of being cancer free, I received troubling news from the doctors and now face more surgery. How grateful we are that His mercies are new every morning. When I awoke on Saturday and looked outside my window, I was greeted with the sight of flowers blooming. You may think that is nice but you see it really is a miracle.  These are two bushes that only bloom in early April. It is a mock dogwood and the lower branches bear seed pods as they would in fall, but the upper portion of the bushes were new growth and covered in blooms.

I looked around and saw there were many blooms in the garden.

I remember a difficult time my Mother went through, she cried out to the Lord, asking if every thing would be okay. She had an African Violet that never bloomed, but after her plea to God,  it began to blossom. To  her it was a sign from God  that it would all turn out all right. Miracles happen every day, sometimes we just aren't looking hard enough to see them. All good gifts come down from the Father of Light.

I made this  pillow for a friend who has been through a very difficult season in her life. I called this pillow "Gift of God". We look expectantly to our Father who can do exceedingly beyond what we think or ask. And we receive His precious gifts.

I call this pillow "Truth". When we go through trials and difficult season, only the truth of God can sustain us with His Truth. Psalms 103:4 says  " He redeems our life from the pit and corruption. He beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy"

May we walk worthy of the high calling on our lives:

Surviving the storms of Life

It is four days since Hurricane Ike hit the gulf coast and roared through Houston and many many other parts of our state and country. It is heartbreaking to see such devastation. Yet in the midst of so much destruction are pockets of hope and restoration.

Here is a true story:

BOLIVAR PENINSULA, Texas —  Many years from now, a small group of Hurricane Ike survivors will probably still be telling the story of how, on the night the storm flattened their island,

 they took sanctuary in a church _ with a lion.

The full-grown lion was from a local zoo, and the owner was trying to drive to safety with the animal when he saw cars and trucks stranded in the rising floodwaters. He knew he and the lion were in trouble.

He headed for the church and was met by a group of residents who helped the lion wade inside, where they locked it in a sanctuary as the storm raged. The water crept up to their waists, and two-by-fours came floating through broken windows. But the lion was as calm as a kitten.

When daylight came, everyone was still alive.

 

In times like these we are reminded that we are not left without a Savior. Yes, these are hard times and for many who have lost their homes and businesses and no doubt families who have lost their loved ones we must remember that when we have hope in a Savior we are not destroyed but we have the promise of redemption.

There are blessings even in the midst of storms. After 2 days of no electrical power the morning dawned on a cool crisp fall day, unheard of in September in Houston. The temp was only 59 and it was refreshing and sweet. I longed for a nice cup of coffee and found a tin of International French vanilla with just enough for one cup, I heated water on my gas grill and Thanked God for that treat and the many blessings of surviving the storm with no real damage.

This is the birdhouse in my back yard it suffered a bit of damage but still stands. It has been there for over 8 years, many of you know the story behind this birdhouse and the perpetual sanctuary it has been to hundreds of bird families over the years, I wonder if any of them rode out the storm in this little house.

Here sits our house among the tallest of trees, I believe angels must of held them up in the midst of 100 mile an hour winds. Our neighborhood was littered with fallen trees and fallen fences but not even a shingle blew off our roof. We were blessed.

This shows how big some of those trees really are. 

These are some of the trees to the left of my house, not one of them fell either.

These are indeed troubled times. Hurricanes are not the only troubles facing this nation. In these times we must put our hope and trust in a loving God who hears our prayers and  makes a way for us when we don't see the way.

When I see the vast devastation of this hurricane,I was reminded of what Zerubbabel must have felt like when he saw the devastation of the temple and wanted to rebuild it. He was told to speak Grace Grace to that mountain of rubble. So we shout at the top of our lungs, O LORD, grace grace to our land.

And we put our HOPE in the Lord and believe that He will heal our land.

The calm before the storm

As most of you know I live in Houston, Texas, and most of you probably know that there is a storm in the gulf named Ike. As the city sits and waits to see what it will bring, we hope and pray for all that stand in its path. I thought I would take a few pictures of my house and post them on this blog.

The words on the wall says, " We don't remember days we remember moments" what does that really mean? I think there are some days we never forget but certainly there are some wonderful moments we remember as well. This used to be my daughter Callie's room but she recently moved into her new apartment, so now I have a new guest room.

These are two pillows I made for this room, with the powerful  declarations of the Lord's words.

A wall of family photos grace the walls of this room. What a legacy of blessings they represent.

More family photos. This is a picture of Jason and I when he was first born, it was around that time the last big storm hit Houston, named Alicia. The other picture is of my dad. It is one of my favorite pictures.

These pictures sit in front of one of the few paintings I actually did. I think paint is not my favorite medium of art.

This marble fireplace I found at a garage sale. the chinese figurines belonged to my mom, I love waking up every morning to this room that is very cheery.

 This dressing table and the bust of the little girl are childhood pieces I have had with me for many years.  They date back nearly 40 years or more, as do these two blue chairs below.

Of course you recognize Gladys in this photo, don't you?

You might get the idea from some of my photos, that I like chickens, and you would be right. Some I inherited  from my mom who loved chickens too, not sure why, maybe that is where I get it from.

More family treasures. the marble top table and tea service along with the big white clock on the wall are all heirlooms from days gone by.  It is fun to pass down treasures and they bring with them happy memories of family and home.

This photo is of my brother and I and hanging above us is a painting done by my Aunt Juanita, as you might have noticed, I am a toile girl at heart. I say you can never have too  much toile!

These are a few of my pillows, some in progress and some waiting for a  new home, this is in my workroom and the picture is of me a very very long time ago.

As you can see, my workroom has a whole lot of supplies still waiting to be made into new things.

This is a healing banner, made right here in this workroom. At the time I made this it was for my mother. I wanted her to have a visual of God's promises for her, this banner went to Washington D.C. for the Washington for Jesus call to prayer and has been in many hospitals and nursing homes across this city. It is my prayer for this city and this state that no matter what destruction storms may bring, that the Lord will restore double for what is taken away.

Summer's end

It is always hard to say good bye to summer. I have been very neglectful of my blog since my last vacation. There is always a flurry of activity before school starts, and then a deluge of activity once it begins. I suppose labor day is a day to reflect on summer and then move on to embrace fall.

Here we are in Georgia. Friends laughing and loving the summer away in the most picture perfect place.

Dinner at the top of the mountains was a highlight of our trip to Georgia. Here is Theresa and her beautiful sister Elaine.

As a thank you to our hostess Elaine. I made this Ester pillow for her.

Candles and seashells a soft reminder of summer and favorite things. A cup of tea a bit of beauty the soft scent of a fragrant candle and sweet memories of the summer gone by.

Summer is over and soon Gladys will exchange her crown of shells for autumn flowers and once again summer days drift into memories of laughter and friends and the joys of vacations.

But let us remember that  each day of our life is a day from the Lord and let us fill each of them with praise for all He has given us and thank Him for the days gone by and the days to come but most of all for today.

Summer Fun

Summer Fun comes in all kinds of ways. Getting  together with friends, travel, time alone, doing things  you never have time for during the busy school year.  I just love summers. I'm packing my bags and  heading off on another summer adventure tomorrow. I am leaving for Georgia tomorrow with some of my friends. I know I have been very neglectful of this blog and you would think with summer here I would have learned a few new things to make this blog more exciting but alas I am still struggling along, spending more time with Maxine the sewing machine than with this blog.

Here are a few of the things I have been working on with Maxine. This is a blessing pillow for a baby named Chase. His mother is expecting his arrival any day now. 

This pillow is named “SHINE” and was designed for Chase, based on the scriptures of Isa. 60:1-3 Arise, Shine ... the glory of the the LORD has risen upon you, and 2 Cor. 4:6 For God who said  “Let light shine out of darkness” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. Psalms 4:6 says The righteous will shine like the sun. 

 
This is a healing pillow I made based on the scripture " By His stripes we were healed"

This healing pillow is for a dear friend's mother. We are praying for a swift recovery for this dear woman.
This is a favorite of mine. I call it Grace poured out

This pillow is named “Grace poured out” , based on the scriptures of  Zech. 12:10 and Ephesians 1:6 “WE praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us.” Paul speaks of God’s grace poured out to him as  he wrote to Timothy in 1Tim. 1:14 “ The grace of God was poured out on me abundantly along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Grace derives from the Greek , “Chairis,” meaning “to rejoice” it denoted “sweetness.” It came to signify “favor,” “goodwill,” and lovingkindness. Our Lord is rich in kindness and grace that was purchased for us thorough  His blood. He poured out on us  his kindness along with all wisdom and understanding.

May this pillow remind  you of the Favor of  God that rests on your life. Favor with God and with Man.  May you see the Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living! This is my prayer for you. 

Oh what Fun

It has been awhile since I have made a post, I have been away visiting my son in Minneapolis. It was a great way to start the summer and get some rest after a  long school year. There was time for rest and time for fun. We started off the visit with a trip to Lake Minnetonka where we had a delightful lunch by the Lake. A double rainbow greeted us as we came into Grand Marais the following weekend. We stayed at a condo right on Lake Superior. This was the view right outside our condo. It was great to hear the geese and wake up to this beautiful view.This part of Grand Marais is called Artist Point. The weather was cool around the upper 50's a great treat for this Texan.I had hoped to see a moose while we were there. We did see a gangly animal cross the road but since it was too far away we call it our UNCONFIRMED moose sigting. This trip up Gun Flint trail was not  without its excitement. Here is the view of one of the Twin Lakes.Not only were the lakes beautiful and the birchtrees majestic, when we came around the corner of the  road there was a Mama bear and four baby cubs, they scrambled away before I could grab my camera so the best I could do was get a picture of a bear at the local coffee shop.One of the best parts of this trip was cascade waterfall, even if I did have to  hike up the side of a mountain to see it.Actually Jason took this picture, I didn't want to hike up as high as he did, I wonder why???This is snoqualmie waterfall near Seattle, Washington where we traveled the following weekend. It was spectacluar and no hiking involved. My kind of view!!!A visit to a local winery was really a highlight in Seattle and the wine tasting was great.  And the grounds around the Chateau were gorgeous.While we were there in Seattle we took the ferry over to Bainbridge Island where we had brunch at the Cafe Nola, the same place Giada visited on her TV show. The food was fantastic.What would a trip to Seattle be without a view from the space needle so of course we visited there.We had a great visit to Seattle and before we left we had another great brunch at the Barking Frog.Seattle was beautiful with the mountains and the water but the greatest beauty is probably their lush flowers. I snapped this photo at the grounds of Columbia winery.Vacation times are  special and store up memories for a lifetime and spending time with your son is even more special. We had a great visit and a great trip.

Pillow talk

• _{^{Pillow Talk sounded like a good name for a pillow business, don't you think? Maybe a cottage industry, if I should ever retire from teaching. Well until then Maxine the sewing machine and I have been having some real together time lately. Making pillows that talk about the Lord is my way of giving people a little reminder that we have a future and a hope in the Lord. I pray that these little pillows with speak to peoples hearts and cause them to look to the Lord each and every  day.}}

Schools out!

School is out! Summer is here! It has been a good year but I always look forward to the summers. Here are some friend and one of our principals. She is leaving our school to be principal of her own school so we say good bye and wish her well. Here she is holding her pillow we gave  her as a reminder that we love her  we pray for her to be blessed. 

New pillows

• Maxine and I have been very busy lately, so I thought I would post a few of the special projects we have made for children's rooms. Jacob is going to have a room decorated with trains so this wall  hanging will welcome him into his new room when he is born in  July. The bi-plane pillow will go in Tucker's room, the little pocket on the front will make a good place for a tooth to rest while waiting on the tooth fairy. Of course the little pink pillow will be a welcome home for a baby girl, this pillow has a pocket on the back for the tooth fairy to fill._^T

Faith Hope & Love

This pillow is named “Healing”  , based on the scriptures of 1peter 2:24, Mark 5:34, and Acts 19:12, Roman’s 15:13, Psalms 107,as well as 1 Cor. 13: 13 Amp.

And so faith, hope love abide ( faith- conviction and belief respecting man’s relation to God and divine things: hope- joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love- true affection for God and man, growing out of, God’s love for and in us) these three: but the greatest of these is love.  

No pillow can bring healing but is only a visible reminder of what  Jesus has already purchased for us. It is a gift that represents the love and prayers of a faithful friend. If you are suffering from infirmity my prayer is that even as you visit this blog and read these words that you too will find the healing virtue of Jesus in  your life and be made whole.

Blessing Baskets

These are blessing baskets I make. There are four elements in blessings in the Bible, they are salt, wine,oil and bread. These baskets are made with those elements and a prayer of blessings for a new home.

Mother's Day

This is a photo of the Best Mom in the world. Of course you probably think that about your mom too. As my mom grew older that youthful beauty faded but the inward beauty only grew deeper and deeper. When I think of Mother's day I will always be blessed with the best of memories that I shared with her for almost 50 years. She has been gone now for almost 8 years but the thoughts and memories she left us with will last a lifetime.I keep these fun pictures of my mom on my desk near my computer where I can enjoy them every day.
These are some mother's day treasures, a sliver teapot that belonged to my grandmother, a recent find from the flea market, my mommie mug. and flowers, gifts from my own children, a rooster, which always reminds me of my mothers collection she loved, and a big bowl of fruit, all of which are just a few of my favorite things, that remind me of the joys of motherhood.

Graduation weekend

Yesterday was a big day in our family. My daughter Callie, graduated from Texas A&M with honors. It is always a blessing to have your kids graduate but really special when they graduate with honors. A very special Mom and daughter moment.
A day shared with family and friends.
We celebrated wth a diinner at the Grand Lux Cafe in Houston.
After dinner shopping at the Galeria, where Callie got a pearl bracelet from Tiffany's.
An upclose view of that beloved bracelet, a nice end to a great day.

How to recycle

Here's a way to recycle some of those favorite things in your closet. A friend asked if I could make something out of a favorite old sweater and a shirt she bought while visiting Montana. Here is the result. The first one has the embroidered piece from her sweater in the center and then the back of the pillow fastens with the buttoned part of the sweater. The Montana pillow is a nice momento of a wonderful vacation land she and her late husband loved to visit. The old work shirt had faded and seen better days but the pieces of embroidery work and beads were salvaged and turned into this fun pillow.

Meet Gladys

Meet Gladys, I call her Gladys because she makes me glad when I just look at her. I think she is suppose to be a planter, since she has a whole in the head. Wonder how Gladys would look with a plant coming out of her head???? perhaps a bit strange. Maybe thats why people with less imagination did not buy her when they saw her in the store. I spied her a few weeks ago and thought she was extrodinary but it was until she went on clearance that I picked her up for a song you might say! I suppose she is suppose to grace your garden but she hasn't made it out doors yet, she sit atop of my TV cabinet.
Here's a better look at where she sits. Any ideas what would look good if I put a plant in it???

Here are a few pillow portraits

This is a friendship pillow, it says friends are a knot tied with Angels hands, a good sentiment don't you think? It is very sad when such a friendship comes unraveled.
This is the second friendship pillow. I like the first one best, both were made using an old embroidery piece I bought at a flea market. It makes you wonder whose loving hands did the first embroidery work. I think it makes it special to save it and repurpose it for someone else to enjoy. This is another mother's day gift, it is a pillow based on the scripture from Ps. 121, My help comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and Earth. It was this mother's favorite scripture. I call this pillow "Redemption." Yes, I name pillows as well as my sewing machine.

a Maxine adventure this weekend

With Mother's day fast approaching it is a busy season for Portraits of Revelations. Maxine the sewing machine and I have been hard at work, here is on of the Mother's day gifts we made.

Meet Maxine

This is Maxine the sewing machine, she and I have been very busy this weekend. You might wonder why I call my sewing machine, Maxine, especially since she is a brother and not a sister! Well, Maxine just seemed to be a logical name to rhyme with sewing machine, I suppose. Well Here she is, we do have a lot of good times together!

Lady of leisure

Oh to be a lady of leisure!
Instead here we are working women.

A New Adventure

These treasures were from a new adventure at Round Top. What a delightful day. Now it is on to a new adventure in blogging. This may be a little more challenging than fighting the crowds at the flea market.
So if you have any help for this new blogger just let me know!