Sunday, February 28, 2010

Spiritual Sundays

Welcome again to Spiritual Sundays, to read other inspirational blog posts visit http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/.

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord.
"They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you," says the Lord.
Jeremiah 29:11-14

It can be easy to see God in the big things, the majesty found in nature, Niagra Falls, the Grand Canyon. We see His hand in the big moments of our lives, the birth of a child or at a wedding or funeral. We even see Him in the tragedies that befall us, we feel His presence when we get news of a terminal illness, or in the heartache of a broken relationship, He provides us with His strength.
What about the mundane everyday moments in your life? Do you see God's purpose when you 'coincidentally' run into someone who needs your encouragement? Is He present when you clean, garden or simply provide a loving meal for your family to share?
God is with us always, if we fail to see Him in these moments it is not that he isn't there, it is simply that we have failed to notice. Nothing is too insignificant in your life for God not to care. Today I encourage you to notice God in the small details of your life and then thank Him for His gifts. As you go through your day look for the small things, for when you see God in the small things your life becomes more meaningful.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Who's Happy About the New Snow???

Why my youngest son Alex is of course!
Why would he want any more of this...
so he could go here !
His Ski Club at school finally got to go night skiing
at Big Boulder in the Poconos.
He's been rather bummed out because while
we've had lots of snow this winter
every time they were scheduled for a trip
there was too much snow!

Well too much for the buses to risk driving
to the ski resort that is.
So yesterday my sweet son finally got to use his skis,
and he was very happy!
My husband and I have been skiing for quite some time
and we made it a point to get our kids to the mountains
 to learn to ski and snowboard.
This was extremely smart of us because
they became good enough that
we could send them off with the Ski Club
and not be too worried.
Now we can stay in the warmth
and comfort of home while they go out and do
their thing!

Not everyone was so happy about the weather,
this poor robin mistakenly thought spring was
arriving soon. He arrived here earlier in the week
when our temperatures rose to the mid 40's.
 He was in for a SURPRISE on thursday when the snow
started to fall. It's saturday and still snowing here.
Some of his friends like this chickadee
are waiting to hit the bird feeder,
while this cardinal
and junco
forage beneath it for any fallen seeds they might find.
While I usually don't appreciate the mess
this guy makes and how he disturbs my gardens,
I even felt sorrow for this poor squirrel!

How many weeks until spring???




Friday, February 26, 2010

If You Too Love Vintage...

then you'll definitely want to check out the author
of these wonderful books, C. Dianne Zweig,
who just happens to have her own blog!
you can visit her by opening up the link below.

Well go on now...go see for yourself!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Now Where Was I ???

I think when I was sharing some of my favorite
things to collect I left off right about here...
you remember now don't you? I have a thing for green and basketweave.

Anyway, since things that catch my eye
pretty much run the full gamut, I sometimes
cross over into other styles like
any green planters...


these just happen to be McCoy
but not all my planters are.


I have a large skylight
in my master bathroom so houseplants
of all kinds thrive there. My favorites are my
african violets.
They can be found in any supermarket
or home improvement store
for little money and they bloom all year long!
I simply pop the little plant into
my vintage planters and
I'm a very happy girl!

These are a few of my other planters.
Now while most of my houseplants sit either
around my tub or elsewhere around my home
not every place is condusive to good
plant health so when I need a touch of
green I place some artificial ivy
in a wall pocket and hang
it wherever I like!

...of course they're vintage as well !
Hope you enjoyed viewing these favorites of mine.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

A Joyful Celebration!

Today I am excited to share that my very special friend
PJ
will be celebrating her One Year blogging
anniversay on March 1st...
you simply must stop by her blog today
and visit as she is having the most generous
give-away to commemerate
this joyous occassion!

simply click on the link and you'll be taken
to her door staight away.

(banner reprinted from PJ's blog, hope she doesn't mind)
While any giveaway is usually reason enough to visit a blog,
 I can tell you, you will be enhancing your own life
and blogging experience by getting to know
PJ and learning along the way.
I started blogging in June and was welcomed
to blogland early on by PJ. I had no idea until
today that she has only been blogging for one year.
Her gift of the written word coupled with
her amazing insight and infectious sense of humor
belie the fact that she has only been doing this
for a year. Now don't get me wrong,
as a newbie I realize what a milestone this is, I just
figured with her wealth of knowledge and her huge
 following that she had been at this for years!
PJ is a special woman and a loyal
friend to her followers, if there is any chance
you haven't met her or know of
someone else who hasn't you simply must
go and meet her and share her link.
You will not be disappointed!!!

Monday, February 22, 2010

More Baskets???

...well not really, but you see my love of baskets
carries over to my love of vintage pottery so
I am drawn to pieces that have a
basketweave pattern...
The pattern is a little hard to see on this piece
as it's a small egg cup but I love
the handpainted flowers.

This is another 'made in japan' piece,
you can see the basketweave a little better
in this photo.

...anothet 'MIJ' piece and

another.
I think it's not only the muted colors
and handpainted accents I'm drawn to
but also the textural element.

Here my love of green pottery overlaps
the love of basketweave.

The textural elements are also carried
over to this beehive pattern...



Are you starting to see how one thing leads
 to another ???
These were too cute to pass up and since
one of my favorite books is 'The Secret Life of Bees'
well I had to bring them home!
(if you've never seen these before, they are vintage
stackable measuring cups)
I started out sharing basketweave patterns
and somehow ended up with beehives...
this is precisely how I end up spending hours scouring
antique and vintage shops whenever I can.
One last basketweave piece,which also
happens to be green is this McCoy
planter, I have a few in several
different sizes.
I'll stop here for today because you just know
this is leading somewhere else...

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Spiritual Sundays


'Humble yourselves in the sight
of the Lord, and He
shall lift you up.'
James 4:10
 
 When life knocks you down to your knees
Remember...
you're in the perfect position to pray.

One is never so high as when you are
on your knees!

for more inspirational thoughts and to share
some of your own be sure to visit Spiritual Sundays
at http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Made in the USA

Many years ago I had the wonderful oppotunity
to travel to Dresden Ohio, home of Longaberger.
If you've never been and love baskets
and handmade products it's a trip I
highly recommend!
Upon driving into town and seeing this
amazing building you know you're in for a treat.
While visiting the 'Homestead' I encourage you
to take the time to tour the factory
and watch the weavers at work.
Watching each basket be woven by skillful hands
gave me an appreciation for 'Made in the USA'
that had eluded me before. After each basket is made it
is marked with the Longaberger logo and dated
 and initialed by the weaver.
While in Dresden I visited this site...
I have my own scaled down version at home!
Over the years I came to own
many of these handmade baskets,
some were gifts others I purchased myself.
 Here are just a few others I own.
While I admire the craftmanship, these baskets
are made to be used and stand the test
of time. I have had my baskets for
over 10 years and use them
around the house for everything from
storage to serving food to guests.
If you like to read non-fiction and autobiographies
then this book is one I highly recommend.
It not only tells of the humble beginnings
of this now large American company
but also gives you some insight into
great business practices and 
how this country can and should support
'Made in the USA.'

(photo courtesy of Amazon.com)