Empty Spaces

I look at these marvelous and grand  empty rooms and I marvel at the endless possibilities...

I think of a fresh new pallet, how exciting it is in the beginning...  Filling it up is so much fun.  But what we fill it up with can matter even more.  And once it is full there is no more room, unless things are purged and taken out.   I think of my own life and heart,  how careful I must be in filling up the spaces within.  How much is filled with love and care, peace and joy, and how much of the  worries and cares of this world.  I must purge what does not fit every once in a while ( and  that can be painful ) to make room for hopes and and dreams.  So be careful what you fill your home with, your heart with and your life with. 

Booth Redo at Hillhouse

Several of my displays sold, so it was time to bring in new inventory

Bold colors and fun accents

the booth is packed to overflowing, come on in and take a look...

A little Splurge

I have company coming in a few hours and I decided to do something I never do.  I splurged on buying myself flowers.  The gorgeous flowers my husband had bought me last week were fading fast and I really loved having fresh flowers in the house, so I decided to buy myself some with the excuse that company is coming and we won't be the only ones enjoying them. That is of course the excuse I am using...

I love them so much that I may even start giving up some of my coffee allowance to splurge on flowers for a time, who knows

Does anyone else love having fresh flowers around?

Fabric and More Fabric

So I took on what I thought would be a simple and easy project yesterday...sorting through and getting my excess fabric ready to sell.  It only took up one corner of one of my closets (so how much could there possibly be), but as I started to pull it all out, the pile grew and grew.  It never ceases to amaze me how many times I've underestimated how much stuff I really have.  I seriously believed that it wasn't that much and it wouldn't take very long to get it ready to sell at my booth.  How thankful was I when I talked to my mom and she was willing to come and help for the day.  For those of you who know my mom, she is the queen of fabric, so she was the right lady for the job.  Anyway we spent most of the day yesterday, measuring, folding, ironing, fluffing and tagging all of this...

I want to say thank you to my mother.  I could have never done it without her, now all there is to do is make room in my booth to put it all in.  It may take some time, a piece here and there, but eventually gone it will be...

Needless to say when my husband came home he was shocked to see how much I had, he said "you do realize we have company coming and they can't sleep on top of all of  that" (with a smile)

Does anyone else have this much (extra) fabric just sitting around? 

Now you can see why I've been desperate to get my house in order and everything in its place.

Take Time

 Wouldn't you love to take a stroll down these streets?

 Lanterns lighting the way at dusk

 quaint cottages to find refuge in

wondering what is behind those windows

Finding a quite space to do a little reading

Take time to explore somewhere new today

Take a stroll if weather allows

Stop and do some reading just because

Be a little adventurous, it is amazing what it will do for your soul

Hearts full of happiness

 Whatever this day brings you, have a heart full of happiness and love the life that you have been given

To my dearest husband John, whatever this day brings...

it is a gift from God

Flowers aren't the only way to say I Love You!

This valentine's

Flowers are beautiful but what about...

 Baking something special

 writing a special song

 crafting a precious something

 writing a handwritten card (not just buying one)

Lighting candles and drawing a bath

what creative things do you have planned? I would love to hear about it.

Coping with Cleaning

 So the other day I was cleaning house all day in my pajamas.  My husband comes home for lunch (I'm in my pajamas), he comes home from work that night (yep, you guessed it! in my pj's all day long).  I did take a bath that night to scrub off the filth but it was a hard day nonetheless. 

I just don't understand how 2 people who are not even home that much can get a house so...dirty.  I always keep it picked up, but I'm talking about the monotonous stuff that you have to do every week or so just to keep up.

Sweeping and mopping

dusting and disinfecting

bleaching and scrubbing

laundry and dishes...

it truly never ends.

I'm sure there are a few people out there that actually like those household duties, but for me I have to invent ways to survive them.  I just don't do well, with repetitive tasks that really never end.

So, I've learned to take many coffee breaks

Listen to my favorite music (loudly)

and stay in my pajamas if I feel like it.

I was however feeling guilty that day when my husband knew I wouldn't be getting dressed and certainly not going anywhere, but I figured at least he knew the house would be clean:)

Anyway, the very next morning I read in Ecclesiastes 1:24 "So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work".

After reading this, I didn't feel so bad.  These are the ways I cope with having to do stuff I dislike and it ends up being satisfying in the end. 

Can anyone else identify with this?

Do you have coping mechanisms to find satisfaction in your work?

The Back Porch & Company

While I was in Bend this last week, I took a trip up to Redmond, to visit some of the ladies with shops up there that I have blogged about before.  Well, the last time I was at the Back Porch I wasn't able to meet the owner, but this time I was.  And I just wanted to say what a pleasure it was to talk shop with her and introduce myself.  I also took some updated pics of  her shop so enjoy her french prairie style:

 Love the industrial pulley's

 Love this bag!

The front display window

I'll refer you to the last post I did on this area for shop details

Thanks to all of the ladies in Bend and Redmond who I had the pleasure of spending time with,

Ruth

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my mothers birthday

I will not tell you how many candles will be on the cake

or that they certainly wouldn't fit on here!

 

My mom loves flowers, but hates the wasted cost of buying them and then they die, so mom here are flowers the way you like them, priceless...

She is not big into gifts, (being the practical woman that she is)

So instead I will take a few minutes and tell you about this wonderful women:

She has laid her life down for her family countless times

She is the embodiment of practicality and purpose

She shows love through action, not just words

She feeds her family not just physically but spiritually

She is intelligent, yet practical

She is energetic and strong

She fears the Lord and lets others know it

She is all of these things and more

but to me, she is Mom.

My best friend and confidant.

No words can describe the wonderful relationship that we have been given.  It was not always this way...and for that reason I am even more thankful everyday. 

Thank you mom for all that you have done for me,

 for all the ways that you have blessed my life.