Thursday, May 19, 2011

Bloggy Break...

"The play months of the year are here, so let us take our jobs as lightly as possible, keep house as little as we can, experiment not at all with doubtful things to eat.

Play.

At least, rest."

Quote from The Complete Home, published in 1879



Hi Sweet Friends! I am going to take a little bloggy break...summer activities are starting up and I don't want to miss a thing! Hope you all get some "play-time" in as well!! Blessings to you!! ;-)

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

White Wednesday


Today for White Wednesday I thought we could re-visit out guest room...as it was before our son moved back in to finish college. It now looks more like a dorm room!! Ha-Ha. It's fine, tho, we're glad to be able to provide a place for him. Caleb will be graduating this December and we are so proud of the man he has become. He has gone thru some fiery trials recently and he has come through them without even the stench of smoke on him. God is faithful.
This is a wall vignette of family things...heirlooms passed down to Steve and me from our family.
A wedding photo and cake topper from Steve's parents are nestled the the old glass case

I covered a journal for guests to sign..it's so fun to look back and see what memories friends and family wrote in it!
Be sure to check out other White Wednesday's over at Kathleen's Faded Charm. And enter her fabulous giveaway!!

Family life is full of major and minor crises -- the ups and downs of health, success and failure in career, marriage, and divorce -- and all kinds of characters. It is tied to places and events and histories. With all of these felt details, life etches itself into memory and personality. It's difficult to imagine anything more nourishing to the soul.
                                                                      {Thomas Moore}

Monday, May 16, 2011

Faith..Part 2

Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.

{Henry Van Dyke}


Well, I did it. I taught my first art class.(See previous post). It went extremely well. I have no idea what I said or how I explained the project, but I was told I did a good job, so I am happy about that. I had all the supplies laid out and had colorful supplies available too, and was pleasantly surprised that everyone wanted to do their collage in neutrals! Everyone jumped in with both feet starting their project and we all had a great time!













Thank you so much to all you kind souls who left me comments and emails of encouragement! It meant so much to me and really helped me relax, focus and have fun at the HAVEN event!!

Friday, May 13, 2011

Faith

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. {E. Roosevelt}



There's a fairly new ministry that started at our church called HAVEN. It's all about art and worshipping God thru various forms of art. We meet once a month and I started attending last January. One day way back then in January, I was asked if I would teach a class in May. It just so happened that I was having a good self-esteem day that day~you know the kind~ your hair looks good, you weighed yourself that morning and found you'd lost a couple pounds, all was right with the world.....and I said "YES"!
GULP. So now May is here and I'm teaching the class this Sunday afternoon! I am a wreck. I have never taught an art class before. What was I thinking? Who do I think I am? Are they gonna 'get' the kind of art that I do?

Yesterday I made the example. I started with an 8X10 canvas, covered in in old dress pattern that I got at the thrift. Layered old sheet music, wallpaper scraps, rubber stamped various places, framed the word 'Faith" in an old tart mold that sits on a snippet of lace.

I printed out this scripture and then covered it with more dress pattern paper. I love how it gave a parchment look to it.

I am scared to death. I don't like getting up and talking in front of people. And it's a vulnerable thing to show your personal form of art. Not everyone is going to like it. But then, I don't like all art..it's just a matter of personal taste. And I don't judge the artist just because I don't care for their art. In fact I appreciate the artists that follows their passion..and I appreciate their creativity and their own personal talent. Maybe that's what the people who come Sunday will think.  We all just want to be accepted, don't we?
And I think one of the deepest longings of people is to just be accepted. Me included.
 Bottom line, this is where FAITH comes in. I know God accepts me just the way I am. I know He delights in me because He created me and He knows me so well. So why do I concern myself and work myself up in worry for fear I am going to disappoint some people? What if I do? I am still loved. In the broad scheme of things, it's really no big deal after all, is it?
I agree with Paul where he wrote:



 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (New International Version)


Sigh. I feel MUCH better now. Thank you for our little chat! I am going to be okay! ;-)

I am linking up to Debra over at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday








Tuesday, May 10, 2011

White Wednesday

Recently, while on a motorcycle ride with Steve, we va~roomed into Old Town Fair Oaks where there are many quaint stores. We ventured into this one called Bungalow, and I just snapped away~there was just beauty everywhere! Fair warning..lots of pictures ahead. You may want to go refill your coffee cup and come back.. ;-)


























Aren't the displays just fabulous? Hope you enjoyed the tour!! I am linking up with Faded Charm's White Wednesday...
Have a great day!