Thrifting for Treasures

 Mirror mirror on the wall.

Transform thy self.
Once and for all.

This is where Mr. Lee, without gloves or safety glasses, 
cut himself.
Always, my dear readers,
wear proper safety equipment.  

With a little help from our friends.
Garage and side door open for proper ventilation.

shake shake shake
your can of paint

Gorgeous.

Montana spray paint available at Aaron Brothers.
Love Aaron Brothers. Go to their link above just click.
Sign up for coupons and special events. The get-along-gang
highly recommend AR featured art product lines.

Simply divine for REAL artists and just crafters like moi.

Last night, the children and I watched,
Diana Vreeland's The Eye has to Travel.

We were mesmerized.
Completely and utterly captivated.
Glued to our seats.
Not even one request for a pause to go potty.

I woke at 2:00 a.m. to watch  it again.
Highly recommended it for anyone fascinated
by genius, fashion, art or business.

Mrs. Vreeland kept saying she was simply "mad" about this and that.
Can you imagine being mad about anything?
What a love affair.
Mrs. Vreeland had it at home with her beautiful husband and
in her work. 

She simply described her relationship with her mother as unsympathetic.
You will have to watch it for yourself to learn more. 

A fascinating life.    

On turning 6

The hostess Princess Holly.

Partners in antics.

Secret weapons with "carnie" tendencies.

Seek joy.

Sugar highs.

Newton: For every action, there is always an equal and opposite reaction.

Triumph. 

Kid designed and Daddy cut props.  Oma and Opa, the cheerleaders.

Games.

A royal cake for a future Queen.

It is good to be 6.  Thank you for celebrating
with us.

Song Sung Blue

Driving along in Mabel (our minivan).

Holly says to Mr. Lee.

Daddy, will you play
Song Sung Blue, please?

She says, "Sometimes I sing
it in my head at school...When I need to
be brave."

Oh, baby we all sing in our heads to be
brave. 

The Lent Season

The lenten season is intended for
reflection, for prayer, for sacrifice and giving.
A preparation for new beginnings.

Inspiration from Susan Branch.  Painted this little banner.

Heavenly Father,
In your precious loving care we reside;
With love and tender mercy;
We ask for your blessing and healing power

Playing with flash.

This week, Lord, as we prepare for the celebration
of our girl's birthday, we ask for you to be with
us.  Guide us, Lord, in our role as parents.

Yellow sheet for rug.

To plant roots, Lord,
and prepare wings for soaring.

Amen.

Sunday Gratitude

“In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give,
 and life cannot be rich without such gratitude.
 It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements
 compared with what we owe to the help of others.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison

  

















For I know I would be nothing without the love
of the Almighty and all the human hearts who
have raised my name in prayer. 

word of the day: gratitude
 

Happy Valentine's Day

Hearts.  Romance.  Living Happily Forever.

Chocolate.

Love in a pot.

Fat Tuesday

On ordering a birthday cake.
So much excitement.

Deciding with our wonderful baker.

Notice girl is holding on to my cane.
See how we each have a little foot
to the front and side.  Genetics I am
sure. Mr. Candycane is like a bit of insurance for all of us.
Especially when we are nervous or excited.

For our girl it is all about the party. For our boy
it's all about a quiet evening, lots of
presents, and a board game.


A blessed Fat Tuesday.

Pumpkin Cottage Chaos

No matter how over the top it gets around here. 
There is always a little vignette to rest your eye on.

Yes, sirree a little garden trellis as display.  

 

Collected as reminders of spring and summer.

Alma (Soul)

God speaks to me all the time.
I don't hear words but I feel the words in
my heart.  His inspiration.  The weight lays
on my heart until I am moved to action.

Apple Blossom by Holly

 

Joe texted me the other morning.
He wrote: I heard mother call my name & I woke up.

Later he shared, he heard her knock at his bedroom door and call his name.
Joe woke right up and started cleaning.  My mother was a clean fanatic.
Influence from beyond the grave. She was a very charming and
persuasive woman.

Joe is so lucky.

Blossom2 by Holly

I haven't dreamed with her yet. Or sensed her presence in a vivid
why.   I want to hear her voice and see her face in living color.
It simply hasn't happen but I am sure it will, eventually.

Collar Greens by Holly.  These came from my mother's seeds.

Solteiras (Maidens, translated literally:Single women) by Holly

One of the ladies at the beauty shop (cuter than salon) said she smells
her mother's perfume around her some times.

In the book Signals, by Joel Rothschild, a hummingbird is the
presence.

Word of the Day: Geranium (the poor man's rose)

Dreaming of Hearts

This morning I woke up at 2:27 a.m. and got up.  It's only two hours earlier than I usually wake up. 
My mind won't be quiet, it wants to create.  Hearts, hearts, hearts.  Blah, blah, blah. 
Holly's birthday is coming.  Critical projects at work.  So much to do.

Grace and Light

Butcha, know what I did?  Got up a nd have been reading my blog list all morning. 
Feel like a rockstar on the road....doing whatever I wait. 
Having a peaceful neighborly visit.

Mr. Lee just served me yummy veggie homemade ramen with grape tomatoes. 
One blessed woman.

Dancing in my head are paper heart garlands, vintage sheet banners,
sugar cookie hearts for
Valentine dessert party at work, thrifting, and getting my taxes done.

The kiddos and I are making balls of vintage sheet strips
for a round crochet rug for under our dining table. 
Holly rips, I knot and Jacob rolls a little each evening. 
We are making progress.

Got to get busy.  Have a great Saturday dear readers.

Come out of the Darkness

²⁰ “Why is light given to those in misery,
    and life to the bitter of soul,
²¹ to those who long for death that does not come,
    who search for it more than for hidden treasure,
²² who are filled with gladness
    and rejoice when they reach the grave?
²³ Why is life given to a man
    whose way is hidden,
    whom God has hedged in?
²⁴ For sighing has become my daily food;
    my groans pour out like water.
²⁵ What I feared has come upon me;
    what I dreaded has happened to me.
²⁶ I have no peace, no quietness;
    I have no rest, but only turmoil.”
                                  Job 1:20-26 

When my mother passed away.
I wanted something to visually
remind me of  her 
presence.  My mother worried.
Silently.  Today, I understand
how strong she was and how
many sacrifices she made for us.


Shari Elf's art hangs in my office.

It says something like:
I know worrying works because 
everything I have ever worried about 
has never happened.   

BINGO.

 Love this one currently up on Shari's online gallery.


 

If today you find yourself in the darkness, 
understand depression is not a new 
phenomenon.  Not something of our age but 
a human condition.

Affirm daily the love of Christ.  

Know, you alone, have a purpose only YOU can bring to the world.

Read the sentence again.
Don't glide over it. Pause.

YES, you were born to bring your 
special contribution to the world. 
 
Your unique specialness and value.  
If each of us could recognize 
our gift. 
Trust and move forward.
I know,  I have squandered my 
gift because I didn't feel worthy 
and I had the gift as the jack of all 
trades.  So instead of my SPECIAL
gift I leaned on the trades.  It was easier.


On the way to work this week,
I listened to Mariel Hemingway
discuss her new documentary film
"Running from Crazy."  The title
resonates.  Perfectly describing
how I have spent my life. 
Can't wait to watch the film.


Listen to the same interview by clicking on
Mariel's name above.

Every morning at 6:30 am PST I will be praying.
If you require prayer for you or a loved one
leave a comment with a name and/or intention. 

Prayer works. 


Word of the day: prayer

Happy February

What a different a year makes.

Last February, I entered a period of darkness.
Torment and toil.
I'd never been bullied before.
I will NEVER, again,  allow such behavior.

This year, the blessings have been multiplied.
My joy runneth over with appreciation.

Matilda's Mouse.

Love the diversity.  Nun looks really manly.