Saturday

Rebecca on the brain......


Woke up pretty early today since James had to shower and get out the door to work opening shift at 6am. Not that I actually said anything at 5:30 but the brain was roused and working. After reading my Somerset Studio mag last night I had planned on a trip to my favorite antique market to see if anything was CHEAP and available to fill my craving for vintage fabric & needlework.
Shortly after my Saturday morning ritual of coffee and Jaime Oliver (English bloke that has a fantastic garden and is an incredible chef) my birthday boy James called to tell me he was having problems with his wisdom teeth and in "excruciating pain." Knowing full well he would not go get the ambisol I suggested until after his shift ends, I put it into speed gear to get out the door. If you missed it, today is sort of James' birthday. Sort of because he is my leap year day baby born 21 years ago....... Any hoo I dropped off the ambisol to my guy in the orange apron as he mixed paint for customers and then I chatted a little with an older Depot employee who had such nice things to say about my kiddo..... "Boy he is a really good kid, works hard and smart" to be exact.
I finished my other necessary errands before I treated myself to an antique escape..... To my surprise, they were having a semi annual sale with everything being 15-50% off marked price. Now since everything with a vintage or antique label in my town is marked way too high to begin with, it was hardly the bargain I read about in the south. With an eagle eye for only things that were garage sale pricing and calculator in hand I found the above goodies. The score of the day was the antique photos and the big bag of embroidery goods and saffron tin. As I opened the bag of yarns I found a crumpled up old note about the cost of taking the autobahn from Yugoslavia to Austria then Hungary. Yugoslavia? Seeing that was an omen that it was meant to be mine and not to feel guilt in the selfish indulgence. See I am 1/2 Macedonian aka part of Yugoslavia. I showed great restraint and kept my total purchase to less than a 20 spot for all the goods above.
So I have had a great morning but now I must get back to my painting. Today is James door and casings day...... Since he won't be home much he can do without the door. Everyone I am asking a favor. James is going out tonight with his buddies for the official "21 run" so I could use some prayers that they do nothing really stupid and they stay safe. I know I will be a bit tense until I hear him come through the door tomorrow or get a phone call that they are at least off the streets!
See you tomorrow for Sunday inspiration!!!

Sunday

sunday inspiration

since Sundays are typically known as a day of faith & reflection I thought I would feature different things that inspire me on this day each week. My intent is to include a wide variety of inspirational subjects including people, places and things.

When I began exploring the papercrafting world I found Rebecca Sower to be a creative scrapper with a twist. I noticed that she used a lot of fabric, beads and antique elements on her pages. I also found her scrapbook topics and journaling extremely unique and sentimental so I devoured everything I could find from her. I discovered her blog a few years ago and have continued to enjoy watching her art change through the years. I don't believe she scraps anymore but has ventured into the mixed media world of Art. Her thoughtful little creations just plain tickle my senses. Lately she makes me want to pick up needle and thread and gather old fabrics and findings. You can find her blog by clicking on her name above and expect to get lost for a while. Her reflective style of writing brings a calm to my ever chattering brain. She has an incredible garden section on the sidebar that you can't miss (especially here in the NW where we are needing the garden inspiration). She also has a lot of pics of her little goodies under different sidebar categories.

You can find her most recent book available HERE. She is also featured in the Somerset Studio magazines on occasion. I hope you enjoy her work and her writing as much as I do.....

I am very grateful I found her as early in my art experience as I did and will always look for more inspiration and graceful thought provoking prose......

Thank you Rebecca!
You make me slow down and count my blessings!

Friday

bring it on.....


I know that my local grocery clerk and I agree (on a weekly basis) that we are ready for the next season..... Tired of the cold and snow showers of winter. I am really ready for spring and the rebirth that it signifies..... I am looking for daily signs of an emerging garden while cutting out what winter has destroyed (I lost the two rosemaries pictured here to the freeze).

Did you know that our seasons are coming earlier than they used to? 1.7 days to be precise. Did you also know that seasons change at different rates over land vs. over ocean? There are several explanations for it and I have attached an article from National Geographic Here so you can decide for yourself.

Any how, I am ready for the sun and ready for the renewed spirits that the sun can bring to ones soul....

Wednesday

Thursday

Oh My! WOOHOO!

I am really not a techie.....
but I figured this thing out....

enjoy and see how many people you can relate to!




Cardboard Testimonies from Overlake Christian Church on Vimeo.

Wednesday

that scary G word.....


I finally got my tail back to church this past Sunday and even though I didn't see anyone I knew, it really felt like a loving family reunion. I am trying my best to get out of the dark days of my disintegrating business and midlife health issues so who better to turn to than my God? Ultimately my higher power is my true source of support and unconditional love. I know he remains active in my life even if I don’t listen all the time. I am in awe of his enduring patience even though I have the habit of taking back the control. At least I have learned to recognize his work in my life sooner than in the past, which is a great step in the right direction. I have really worked hard at increasing my communication with God through prayer. I believe this is bringing a bit of hope & peace to the current storm.

I ask everyone to check out my pastors blog at http://mikehowerton.blogspot.com/
Yesterday he posted a video from this weeks service and the music is from my church band. I am so encouraged and blessed by both…..

PS- someday I will learn how to insert videos to my blog.....

Tuesday

well sort of a break...

not really much to say but I did receive this today from a dear friend,

Dear God,
The lady reading this is beautiful, classy and strong, and I love her.
Help her live her life to the fullest.
Please promote her and cause her to excel above her expectations.
Help her shine in the darkest places where it is most impossible to love.
Protect her at all times, lift her up when she needs you the most,
and let her know when she walks with you, she will always be safe.


I hope everybody has a friend like this one has been for me......
Someone that knows your heart and has your back!
I love you Jen.....

Monday

taking a break....


There is really nothing I want to share so I will be taking a break from blogging....