Hearth and Home

A Quick Update . . .

2011-08-22T21:57:00.000-04:00

Hello! Thought I would stop by and see if anyone was still hanging around here at this old blog of mine! Things are fine. Today is hubby's birthday and we went out for a nice Italian dinner tonight to celebrate. As for what's been happening since I last posted:

I found out one of my cards will be published in the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Paper Crafts Magazine
I am new Design Team member for another card making challenge - Alphabet Challenge Blog
Several of my cards have been featured on other blogs
We went camping at Moccasin Creek State Park
We took a fun train ride with friends Sue and Tom
Mama and I drove to Delano, TN to a wonderful Amish community and bought veggies at their farm market
Friend Phyllis and I drove up to Mentone, AL to check out the southern end of "The World's Longest Yard Sale", then had a great lunch at the Wildflower Cafe.
I've done bunches of crafting

And things that are coming up:

I have three craft shows coming up . . . the first 2 weekends of October, and the first weekend of November - I will be sharing a booth with my friend, Sue
We are going camping at a nearby campground in a couple of weeks to try out our new tent
I am taking Mama to the same campground in Oct. so we can spend some time together and she can spend time fishing.
We hope to go back to Grayton Beach, camping, in late October or early November

I am doing well, just spending as much time working on projects for challenges and for the craft shows as I can. You can always check on me over at my other blog. Thanks for stopping by! Blessings, Becky

All Is Well . . .

2011-06-15T09:30:00.000-04:00

Hello!

I know, I know . . . I am still the worst blogger EVER! Right?

But I just wanted to let you know that all is well! I haven't been sick, I haven't been away, I've just been busy!

Lately, the last couple of months or so, I have been in a very creative place, and most any time you will find me in my little 'studio' playing with paper, ribbon, buttons, glue, ink, etc. And that makes me very happy! Whenever things are stressful, exhausting, boring, depressing . . . I make my way to my little room and the rest of the world goes away and I am content.

One biggie thing that will soon be taking up more of my time is that I hope to start another blog of a totally different kind! It is Moonflowers and Morning Glories, a cardmaking challenge blog focusing on NOT using stamped images on your cards. You can read more about this by following the 'other blog' link below and reading my notes in the right hand column. I have been thinking about this for a long time, did a couple of polls on my crafting blog, and already have one design team member waiting in the wings. This is very exciting, yet nerve-wracking for me . . and I'm loving it!

And I haven't been neglecting my OTHER BLOG, so if you want to see what I've been doing you can check that one out!

So, after much consideration and thought and much guilt over neglecting my duties here, I've decided to put this blog way back on the back burner for a while! When something like this becomes a chore, and no longer a joy, it is time to make a change. If something happens that I want to share, I'll share it with you first right here! But don't get concerned if I'm not around much! I will leave all of my blog links right here, and will continue to read my favorite blogs, I just won't be posting for a while, and I hope you will understand.

For now, and until we meet again . . . wishing you many blessings, Becky

The Gist . . .

2011-05-09T19:54:00.000-04:00

I know, I know . . . I am a very bad blogger! But you know, there are those times when there is just so much going on, that blogging has to take a back seat! I can't believe it's been more than a month since I posted, and I apologize, but I'm not sorry! Here's the 'gist' of what's been going on here at Camellia Cottage . . .

April also brings 'busy-ness' . . .

In April, we spent two wonderful weekends camping on our beautiful Lake Lanier, I had a Sunshine Sisters Farmgirls meeting, my birthday, a visit with an out of town aunt who was passing through on her way back 'up north', and on April 30th, we headed south for a week of fun and sun on Florida's 'Emerald Coast'. And of course in the midst of that I had house stuff, laundry, a vet appointment for the dogs, a doctor's appointment for my mother, and other 'normal' things. And in the middle of that I was in a very creative card-making mode, so I spent as much time as possible making cards.

We got home from our vacation on Saturday night. Sunday we unloaded the truck and camper, got the camper in the garage, and I made a run to Lowes and then bought some much needed groceries. Today, it's been all about the laundry . . . trust me, ALL about the laundry! :o)

The highlights of our trip? Well, the best part was just being 'away together'. Walking on the beach - especially at sunset, riding the tandem bike down to Seaside, a day trip to the Naval Air Station at Pensacola and visiting the Pensacola lighthouse and the National Museum of Naval Aviation - both on the NAS base. And two nights we took the tandem bike to Seaside for dinner - I had salads from Modica Market and hubby had BBQ from Barefoot BBQ, two converted airstream trailers right on Hwy 30A - very special!

That's me - kayaking on Western Lake, a rare coastal dune lake right on the beach!

Oh, and I've been contacted by a couple of people wanting to know if we had any damage from the bad storms in Georgia. Thankfully, no! The night of the storms I stayed up until about 2 am, watching the local weather folks and following the storms on radar online until I felt it was safe to go to bed. The nearest damage to us was on Lake Burton, an hour and a half or so from here. The worst was a couple of hours away in Resaca and Ringgold, Georgia. It is really awful - the damage - and we are so grateful that we weren't hit with the bad storms. One of my dad's best friends house was pretty badly damaged, and one of hubby's customers in Alabama was killed when his home was hit by one of the tornadoes.

The 'girls' LOVE camping!!! Bessie on the left, and Bailey on right.

So everything is fine here, and hopefully now things will get back to normal and I will be able to get back to the yard sales and estate sales this week. And I promise to try to be a better blogger, but I'm not making any promises! Life happens, ya know!

Me, on a sandbar, at the Gulf Islands National Seashore between Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach.

Blessings folks! Becky

PS, we have a new 'Little Gifts' blogger and I hope to have her blog added to the roll ASAP!

Losing Time and Finding Treasures!

2011-04-05T20:53:00.000-04:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been two whole weeks since I posted on here! I'm sorry friends, and there's no excuse other than I've been busy with other things!

Such as, you ask?

Well, the week before last is mostly a blur, but on Thursday I had to take my Mama to the doctor because she had a 'cold' which turned out to be a sinus/upper respiratory infection and she got a shot in each 'cheek' and a prescription for antibiotics. She is fine now, thanks!

Then after I took her home I went to visit my friend, Sue, to help her make a card for her great nephew's wedding shower. We visited the house that they are working on for him and his new bride, and to see her chickens and pigs and to see the baby Rhode Island Red chicks they had just hatched. Very sweet! While we were at the nephew's house, we got to take some lumber scraps, so I hope to do some crafty projects with them soon.

Then, on Friday I went to an estate sale in Gainesville - what a bust! It was just a bunch of well used newer stuff - no treasures for me, so I left there and went in search of yard sales. I had success at a couple of them, too. First was a condo where this lady had TONS of stuff! Apparently she owns or owned a children's party business, and there was lots of things like small games, cotton candy supplies, snow cone supplies, etc. But what I got was . . .

a large bag full of fabric
a box full of ribbon
three vinyl, flannel backed tablecloths

and all for $7. The tablecloths were like new, and I've seen the big green ones for $7 at Walmart, so I think I got a great deal!

Then I stopped at another yard sale and found the deal/treasure of the day . . .

Three vintage canning jars, two of them the aqua blue Ball jars, the third a Hazel Atlas 1/2 gallon jar! Glass wise they are all in great shape, but the metal clamps are very rusty, and part of one is missing. And only the clear Hazel Atlas jar has the lid, but they are so pretty and will look great sitting in my kitchen window!

Here is a slideshow of that week's goodies . . .

Place your cursor (mouse arrow) over the picture and it will tell a little bit about each item.

Then, last week I was in a crazy good creative mode, so I did projects for the next month's assignments over at Unscripted Sketches. Oh, and if you haven't visited over there yet, this is the time because we are celebrating our second blogiversary and 100th sketch with some great giveaways!

On Friday I left home @ 6:40 and drove over an hour to Dunwoody, GA for an estate sale I'd seen online on Thursday. It was amazing! This lady had hundreds of patterns, hundres of yards of fabric, tons and tons of lace, buttons, yarn and other crafting products. I got some GORGEOUS ribbon, lace, some pretty hankies, some buttons, etc.

After I left the estate sale, I started looking for yard sales. There weren't a lot of them out there on Friday, but I did find one that made me very happy! I had been looking for old pillowcases to use for making old aprons and using for fabric for other projects, and I found a stack of very pretty pillowcases, and, the deal/treasure of the day . . .

It is a gorgeous barkcloth tablecloth - in all my favorite bright colors! It was dingy and I actually thought it was beige until I washed it and soaked it for a day in oxiclean, and then I found out it was actually white! Most of the stains came out, and I am very happy! This will be on my kitchen table very soon!

Here is a slide show from Friday's treasure hunting . . .

So, let's see, I guess that's about it! This weekend we just messed around the house, looked for and bought a new grill, and went out to eat. Although we could use the money from hubby working overtime, I am really enjoying having him at home on Saturdays.

And this week is just as busy! Tomorrow I'm going shopping and out to lunch with my friend, Phyllis. She is on her last spring break from school before she retires in June. And then Thursday I'm going to pick up my mother and take her to a restaurant to meet my dad's two sisters for a late breakfast and visit. One of his sisters spends the winter in S. Florida and the rest of the year in either VA or NH, and she is on her way north. And then this weekend we are going camping on Lake Lanier, just a few miles from here.

So if you don't hear from me for a while, never fear! I am doing fine, just being busy with life. And it feels so good!

Blessings friends, and Be Joyful Always! Becky

52 Flea Giveaway!

2011-03-26T23:10:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post to let you know about Laura's giveaway over at her blog 52 Flea! She's giving away a free canvas print (your photo) to one lucky US winner, or a copy of Artful Blogging to an international reader. Please go check out her lovely blog!

Example of canvas print you could win!

Camping, Treasures, and Ohio!

2011-03-22T10:51:00.000-04:00

Camping - Sorry it's been so long since a post! Last week was a busy one . . . we decided on Tuesday that since the weekend was supposed to be beautiful, we ought to go camping. So we did! We went to the beautiful Richard B. Russell State Park near Elberton - one of our favorite Georgia State Parks. And we camped in the tent, which is a switch for us! Due to high gas prices, we are trying to take the camper only on certain trips, and branching out into taking a tent as often as we can. And it was lots of fun!

Saturday was a beautiful day, and we pretty much just sat in the sun and dozed. In between bouts of dozing I was crocheting on dish cloths, but other than that we were pretty lazy. Late afternoon we took the kayaks out into the lake for our only paddle of the weekend, and it was great! The only meals I cooked were breakfast on both Saturday and Sunday - coffee in the percolator, link sausages and pancakes - and it was delicious! We were having cold fried chicken for dinner on Saturday night and suddenly the sky started getting dark, and we began to hear rumbles of thunder, so we rushed around and put anything that didn't need to get wet in the back of the truck. By the time we had everything secured, walked to the bath house for a potty run and got to the tent, the rain began. And we had quite a summer electrical storm - in March! You know we have to pay for the beautiful, warm, unseasonable weather some way, right? But we stayed toasty warm and dry in the tent. And we had the small TV and cable, so we watched an NCIS marathon while it stormed. And it really was a great weekend!

Treasures - On Friday morning, before we left for the campground, I walked around the bend to a house in our subdivision that was having a garage sale. I had ridden by there on Thursday and they were setting up (but not open yet) so I knew things looked promising! First thing I found was in a box marked FREE - which is always fun! I got this . . .

It's from 1994, and it's in really good shape except the cover needs a good cleaning. You know I love learning about my birds!

And next I found these . . .

I'm almost certain the one on left is a snuff glass, and the one on right is a Bama jelly glass. She had them marked for 10 cents each, but when I checked out I got her to drop that so they were free - yippee!!! I really love snuff glasses, and have several of them - they are great for juice.

And next I found this . . .

The color doesn't show up very well here, but it is a pretty soft pink with gold veins and trim. It's about 4 to 5 inches across. Here is a picture of the makers marks . . .

I've googled and looked for marks, but have not been able to identify the maker of this piece. I will have this one up for sale soon, so if you are interested, let me know! It will look wonderful in shabby pink decor!

And I also found this plate . . .

Don't you just love this dinner plate? Here are the marks . . .

I already have a salad plate that I have turned into a pedestal plate that matches this, so as soon as I can find the right piece, I will be turning this into a cake plate. They will both be up for sale on Myrtle -n - Me eventually.

And, the real treasure, and I think - for right now - this one is staying with me!!! It is just beautiful . . .

I think it is considered flow blue, although the colors range more from aqua to teal.

It has a lovely, delicate floral pattern.

This is the largest of the marks, but I haven't been able to find much on this - I'm thinking it may be the store that the plate was manufactured for rather than who made it, because . . .

I was able to identify the marks above and below. The plate was made by Furnival sometime between 1878 and 1888. The stamped 26 and 15 on the lower picture have yet to be identified!

Here is a view of all of the marks - and there are 5 of them!

The plate is in excellent condition, and that small crack appears to have been created in the firing, because it is glazed and there is no sign that it has expanded. And it really is gorgeous!

So that was all of my treasures from Friday. I can't wait to get out and about this coming Friday and see what kind of treasures I can find!

Ohio - We are seriously considering taking a trip back to one of our favorite vacation spots this summer. We went to Ohio about 4 to 5 years ago and just loved it! We have found a state park - Salt Fork State Park - where we think we will be camping. If we go, it will be some time in July most likely. And why am I telling you this ??? Well, because if you know the east central part of Ohio (Amish country, Hocking Hills, etc.) I would love to know of places to visit! Antiques, fabrics, glassware, food (both restaurants and markets), beautiful places, you know - just great places to find treasures or fun things to do! I truly would appreciate any input you can give!

Oh, and back to the camping trip. I only took a couple of pictures, and they were Saturday night when I was watching TV and crocheting while I waited for the storm to pass. Bailey wasn't happy with the storm and stayed as close to me as she could until the thunder stopped. She is our oldest little girl, but she is still my baby doll! Take a peek . . .

She really was not a 'happy camper' that night! And even when the storm ended and I put out the light and laid down in the bed, she stayed right beside me under the covers all night long!

So that is about all for today! I hope you have a wonderful day, full of blessings and little gifts! Be Joyful Always, Becky

What's Wrong With These Pictures???

2011-03-17T21:52:00.000-04:00

I took a little stroll around the yard today, and I am quite concerned. Why? Well, because of this . . .

. . . the vinca in the side yard is blooming, and . . .

. . . and the old fashioned spearmint is coming up all over . . .

. . . the wood poppies, and . . .

. . . the foxgloves are already way up . . .

. . . the little flowering quince that I started from little more than a twig . . .

. . . the sweet rocket . . .

. . . and the hydrangeas . . .

. . . the red pixie lilacs . . .

. . . and the 'old fashioned' lilacs . . .

. . . the Chinese snowball . . .

. . . the spirea, or what we always called 'bride's wreath' . . .

. . . and the shasta daisies . . .

are all coming up and even beginning to bloom! So, what IS wrong with these pictures??? The date! It's only mid-March and we are still about 5 weeks away from Easter! Here in northern Georgia, we can still have a hard, killing freeze until Easter or just beyond. So, here come all these tender perennials popping up, putting out, and blooming. Temps this weekend are going to be in the low 80's . . . IN MARCH! So while I'm loving the warm temps, and everything being so pretty and green, underneath the enjoyment lies a nice sized chunk of FEAR! Fear that comes with knowing how things roll around here, and that while it's really nice right now, there are still about 5 weeks or so before we are really out of the woods temperature wise. But what are you gonna do other than wait and hope and have all the sheets and blankets and towels ready to take out and throw over the roses and the hydrangeas, etc. should a hard freeze be predicted.

That said, I want to share a couple of special jewels in my garden! First up is this gorgeous thing . . .

. . . it's a tulip magnolia, and it's about 6 years old, and this year it has really come into it's own! It's about 10 feet tall and 7-8 feet across, and just FULL of gorgeous fuscia / purple blooms! Here are some close-ups . . .

Isn't it beautiful? And it smells so sweet! I bought this from my Daddy when he was selling plants, and it was in a 3 gallon pot. I think he is tending my garden these days, and that gives me a sweet comfort. I know he is here, I just can't see or touch him. Sorry, but all of a sudden I'm getting weepy, and I don't do that so often any more. I still miss him, but I know he is so much better off now, not in pain any longer. It was a year and a half last Saturday since he died, and I can't believe it's been that long.

Now for the next treasure, and it may not look like much to you, but to me, it is such a treasure!!!

This little thing is a flowering almond. My parents planted it's parent at least 50 to 55 years ago in their yard. I have many fond memories of the sweet, soft pink blooms on that small bush. Over the years it had hung on, but wasn't doing much; a few blooms, but it wasn't healthy or flourishing. About 3-4 years ago we passed down some furniture to my parents, and when hubby backed the truck up to the front door to unload it he ran over my precious flowering almond! A piece broke off, with a bit of a root, and I brought it home and stuck it out in the big island. For the last few years it has just hung on - not growing much and last year it had one tiny bloom. But this year, although it is still only about 10 inches tall, it is leafing out, full of tiny pink buds, AND it has put out a baby off to the side! I was so excited when I found it earlier today! Oh, and the parent plant in my mother's yard? It is doing better, too! So maybe getting run over helped in some way, but I wouldn't advise trying it yourself!

You may think I am crazy for 'treasuring' plants, but I grew up in a family of gardeners. My grandmother had a large yard and it was FULL of all kinds of flowers and shrubs. Her hydrangeas were famous in the neighborhood, and she had some of the most beautiful lilacs! She and my grandfather lived about 1/4 mile from us, and back then it was a dirt road. I would walk down to their house and pick flowers and pretend I was a bride and make bouquets of beautiful flowers. My dad could grow ANYTHING! He had ten green fingers and ten green toes! People would come from all over to ask his advice about how to plant and grow and prune things, and would even bring him cuttings of plants they wanted him to propagate for them.

So having heirloom plants . . . offspring of plants handed down from generations before, well, it is such a special way to remember times gone by! Now tell me, do YOU have any heirloom plants that came from family members? I'd love to hear about them!

Blessings friends, and Be Joyful Always! Becky

Treasure Hunting Season . . . . has officially begun!!!

2011-03-15T19:39:00.000-04:00

Yes, finally, after months of down time, the treasure hunting season has once again gotten under way! (By the way, I call visiting yard sales, estate sales, flea markets, etc. treasure hunts, because that's what they really are!) On Saturday, on our way to Sue's house for the Sunshine Sisters March gathering, Phyllis and I saw numerous yard sale signs, and while we didn't have time to stop, we knew we would be stopping at some on the way home! The gathering was great, by the way, and we now have five (5) members - wahoo!

Anyway, the gathering ran longer than expected, and by the time we headed for home the very large subdivision sale had ended. But I had a secret! I had been wanting to visit Mr. Boling's 'Barn Sale' for a long time, and the time was right! I took Phyllis in the back way, through the winding and hilly narrow road that led to the 'barn', which was really a chicken house. I had been there a year or so ago, and I wanted to see if he still had a treasure I didn't buy that day. And he did! Two of them . . .

I know there is only one in the picture, but I got two of them - for $1 each! They are very old, heavy glass saucers that were used for watering chickens, primarily baby chicks. You put it on top of a jar of water and flip it over. Water runs into the saucer and stops when it gets up to a certain line, but as the chicks drink the water, more goes into the saucer. I remember these from my childhood - we had a chicken house that burned down only weeks before my sixth birthday, and I remember getting loads of new baby chicks in and putting these out with water for them. I also got this . . .

It's an old 'Black Draught' syrup bottle. I loved it for the color and . . . .

. . . the slim size. It is narrow and fits perfectly on my window sill in the breakfast room. And doesn't it display these . . .

beautiful camellias from the bush beside our chimney just beautifully? Our home is Camellia Cottage, after all! This variety is from Monrovia Nurseries and is called 'April Remembered'. I love it - very, very much! Oh, and I paid 50 cents for the bottle.

And I also got this . . . .

. . . a very sweet vintage pillow case. I've been looking for a special one to use to make an apron. I found THIS tutorial online and want to try it out! I think this will make a very sweet apron to add to my collection!

And I also got these . . .

. . . two very sweet feed sacks or flour sacks. They are kind of faded from washings, but are vrery soft and pretty. One of them had two pretty bad spots on them, but I've washed them twice, and soaked them in hot water with oxi-clean for about 24 hours, and all that is left is a faint orange marking and you really have to look for it, so I'm really pleased. Oh, and I got the pillowcase and two feed sacks for 50 cents each.

So I spent a huge $4 at Mr. Boling's Barn Sale! And my friend Phyllis bought me something there, but I'll save that to share with you another day.

Anyway, once again we headed home and saw a yard sale. It was pretty pitiful looking, but we got out and looked anyway, and I found a treasure there, too! Here's what I got . . .

Two pretty china cups; the first one (l) is Royal Devon bone china, is a very pretty shape, and will probably very soon become a pretty pin cushion. Maybe? I really think it's cute! So it's a toss up as to whether I'll make it into a pincushion or keep it!

The one on the right has this mark . . .

. . .a shamrock, laurel, and the word Japan. Does anyone know anything about this marking? If so, I'd love to know whatever you can tell me! And I got both of these for another 50 cents. Love that!

So I spent a grand total of $4.50 and got some pretty cool treasures. But the best treasure I've gotten recently was this . . . . .

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I lost two computers to a virus? Well, the first died on Thursday, the second died on Friday, and I was having a very bad day - until this came in the mail. And this is how it was packaged . . .

A little burlap bag tied up with a pack of sweet n sour smarties, a sweet label telling how my goodie was made just for me. What is it? Well . . . .

. . . it's my Mary Jane's Farm Sisterhood necklace! My birthday is in April, and I told hubby this was what I wanted, and he told me to go ahead and order it (and I did)! It is beautiful, heavy, and has my sister # - 1941 - on the front, along with a pink rose with a bit of glitter.

The back side has a very cute farmgirl image and the words Mary Jane's Farm.

I love it, and have worn it almost ever since it came. To get a sisterhood necklace you must be a member of the Mary Jane's Farm sisterhood, but Elaine makes all kinds of very sweet charms similar to this. You can check them out at her website.

So, not only did I receive a treasure that was very special to me, I also bought some great treasures in the first official weekend of treasure hunting. What a fun weekend! Now it's your turn! What kind of treasures have YOU found lately!

Blessings friends, and don't forget to Be Joyful Always! Becky

Great Website and Little Gifts

2011-03-10T15:14:00.000-05:00

While visiting one of my 'Little Gifts' bloggers (Cathy at Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much) today I stumbled upon the cutest little picture in her right hand sidebar . . .

Isn't that just the cutest retro lady??? Anyway, the title above the picture said 'Tipnut', so I clicked on the picture and landed smack dab in the middle of wonderful town! This website started out as one woman's effort to organize her lists of patterns, homemaking ideas, recipes, etc. into one place. It's clean, cute, and very well organized! Am I the only one out there who didn't know about this place??? Here are some of the things I found there . . .

And trust me when I say, there are many more! This is such a great place, and I can't believe I haven't found it before. So, thank you, Cathy, for leading me to this neat warehouse of timely tips! (Oh, and by the way, Cathy just shared a delicious looking strawberry cake recipe on her blog, so please check it out!)

Finding this website was a neat 'little gift', and I have a few others I'd like to share today . . .

My baby gardenia that I rooted from a stem in water, and then potted, is doing well - she spent the day outside in the rain yesterday, and looks all the better for it! She's inside today because of the high winds, though.
Our Doxie, Bailey Sue has recently discovered chipmunks and their burrows, and has become a happy camper slash Doxie Possessed. It is very entertaining to watch her, and neat to have to literally drag her back in the house when she's on the trail of a critter!
Hubby got his annual review this week, and got a teeny tiny raise. A little extra money is always a big gift!
And speaking of Hubby, he is doing so well! He's more relaxed, feeling better and 'lighter' in spirit. His weight loss has slowed down a bit, but he's still working at it. What a blessing!
Something to look forward to . . . Saturday's Sunshine Sisters Farmgirls gathering at Sue's house, and a ride and picnic in the mountains on Sunday afternoon.

So, what little gifts have you gotten lately? They can come from anywhere, but you have to be looking for them! Blessings, friends, and Be Joyful Always!!! Becky

Little Gifts From Every Direction!

2011-03-07T11:37:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! I know I haven't been around in a while, but I've suffered a terrible blow this last few days! A terrible virus has destroyed two computers AND my external hard drive for backups, so I lost everything computer related! I now have a new laptop and am back in business, but it's been quite an emotional weekend. But! I refuse to allow that evil, wicked, mean-spirited JOY STEALER steal MY joy! So I am working hard at remaining positive and joyful. That's what my favorite scripture says, and what I try to do . . . BE JOYFUL ALWAYS!!!

So, here I am! And also, here is Genie!

I met Genie through the A Swap For All Seasons fabric collage swap, and she was my partner! And now she is going to join my 'Litle Gifts' Campaign! Please join me in welcoming her by visiting her blog and leaving her a comment. I am sure she would appreciate it!

Now that I've got the virus out of here and a new computer, I hope to be back with regular posts again. As for today, I've GOT to go clean up the kitchen and straighten up this messy house! Be back soon, and remember . . . BE JOYFUL ALWAYS!!! Blessings, Becky

New Little Gifts Blogger!!!

2011-03-02T05:06:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Just a quick post to welcome another new blogger to our Little Gifts Campaign! Her name is Bev, she lives in Australia, and she found my blog by searching 'brother country machine embroidery threads'! How amazing that she found my blog by searching such a thing! But I am most grateful - a wonderful 'Little Gift' after a long night of little sleep and a special way to start a new day! Please go pay her a visit in Kainga, Western Australia and leave a comment to welcome her!

Welcome, Bev!!!

Have an amazing day everyone!!! Be Joyful Always, Becky

Strange Blogging Mystery!

2011-02-28T09:16:00.000-05:00

Do you have Feedjit? It's a 'widget' that you put on your blog to keep track of traffic, and where people are visiting from. You can find mine way over in the far righthand column. It amazes me! To think that my little blogs have been visited by people from - literally - all over the world! Thailand, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, India, England, Scotland, The Netherlands, and on and on! It's so much fun to check in from time to time and see these faraway places on my Feedjit!

But, there is one oddity! Every day, at least once but frequently multiple times, I have a visitor(s) from the same place, looking at the same post! The visitor is from Toronto, Ontario, and they always come in on my post Fabulous Fay's Fabulous Cream Cheese Pound Cake! In the last 40 hours, that same visitor has been here at least a dozen times, and this has been going on for at least a year!

Now, why is that? Can anyone answer? I have a theory, but will probably never know the truth! My theory is that it's a 'bot', set out to leave spammy comments, but can't because I have word verification and comment modification. (Sorry y'all, but I've tried one or the other, but it takes both of them to keep the crappy {sorry} comments off my blogs.) That's got to be it, because no one in their right mind needs to look at one recipe multiple times per day! Even an amateur baker should have the recipe memorized by now!

So, I have two requests:

If you are that person, please let me know! I'd love to ask you if you've made the cake, and if so, how you like it, or . . .
Do any of you out there have any other ideas or theories that you'd like to share? I'd love to hear your takes on this strange visitor!

Seriously, inquiring minds NEED to know! Blessings friends, and Be Joyful Always! Becky

A Wonderful Day!

2011-02-26T21:13:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know! Two posts in one 24 hour period . . . unheard of around here lately! But I just had to share my day with you. Joy abounding is such an amazing thing!

First, before I even got up, I peeked out the window, behind the curtain and saw that the sun was just reaching over the house. Our bedroom is on the northwestern side of the house, so the sun doesn't reach this side of the house until way up in the afternoon. But, I could see the sunshine, so I knew it was a pretty day. I put the girls out, let them back in, fed them, then grabbed my wake-up glass of OJ and headed for my computer. I had a post to do on my crafting blog for Unscripted Sketches, really needed to do a post on this blog (see below if you haven't read it yet, it's good!), and had a bunch of sweet comments and emails from folks, and ordered my birthday present to myself. (Yeah! I'm getting my Mary Janes Farmgirls Sisterhood necklace!)

Then I got a bath, got dressed, and hubby and I took the tandem bike (and my Trikke) over to a local school. It had been a while, and we still aren't too confident on that thing, but we are determined to ride as much as possible before our trip to the beach in a couple of months. After that we came home and I got in the kitchen. I unloaded the diswasher, washed up a few dishes that needed it, emptied a couple of shelves that had extra glassware that we never use and put them in the dishwasher to wash - they were really dusty! You know, just 'doing' stuff. I also made a bottle of garlic-basil infused olive oil - can't wait to use some of that in some of my new dishes!

How do you make 'infused' oils? Easy! Find a container that seals tightly. It can be a bottle, jar, or just a plastic bowl, it doesn't matter as long as it seals well. For today's purpose we'll use an 8 ounce 'jelly' jar with a lid and ring. Heat up about 3/4 cup of EVOO until it's just good warm. While it's warming up, place a handful of peeled and crushed (whole, but broken to let the flavor out) garlic cloves (6 or so) and about 6 to 8 nice sized leaves of fresh basil. If the leaves are small, add more. Pour the warm oil in over the garlic and basil, cover tightly, and let come to room temp. Then you can put it in the fridge and it will keep for 2-3 weeks at least. After a few days you should probably remove the basil leaves, but the garlic should be okay. And that's it! You could toss in some peppercorns if you like, or a few crushed red pepper flakes, or basically any seasonings you like. Easy Peasy!

Anyway, back to today! While I was working in the kitchen - oh, did I tell you I had my ipod in my pocket, headphones on, and the ZBB (Zac Brown Band) cranked up pretty loud? No, well, I did! So I was singing and dancing and in general having a blast! Bessie and Bailey freaked out! I guess it's been a long time (honestly, a REAL long time) since I've felt that good and was acting like an idiot! And the dogs didn't understand, and they were all over hubby, not wanting me to go near them. I was okay with that, because I feed them and food - to the girls at least - heals ALL wounds! :o) But I was having a great time.

Then we got ready for dinner, and drove the 45 minute drive to our favorite Mexican restaurant. And it's really not that far, but there's tons of traffic in that area, so it takes that long to get there! After dinner we ran into Office Max nearby, and then into Trader Joe's. This was our second trip there - the first being exactly 53 weeks ago! You can read about it HERE if you are interested. So we went in and looked around. I was really looking for fresh fruits and veggies, but to be honest, their selection was small, and the quality wasn't that impressive. But, we did buy a few things. Take a look . . .

Nice bag of goodies, huh? Here's what we got:

A handfull of bananas and a nice big jar of honey.

A nice big chunk of parmesan cheese and a can of artichoke hearts (LOVE!).

Two BIG bottles of EVOO - I used the last of mine making the infused oil earlier, and theirs is really good. Best part? Only $5.99 (l) and $5.49 (r) per bottle. They are both EVOO, but the one on the left is 'President's Reserve'.

A bottle of red wine vinegar for vinaigrettes.

Two pkgs of shallots - they were only 99 cents per pack - deal of the day!

And of course, I had to buy a bag, and I really like this one - it has a kind of old, aged leather look, and is a more 'horizontal' shape rather than the traditional vertical or taller bag. It was $1.99, and I love the graphics on it!

This bag will be great for picnics! Then after we left Trader Joe's, we headed home. It was such a nice, relaxing drive in the sunset, and by the time we got home it was totally dark. We got out of the car and I looked up, and the sky was just bright with stars! It's been a while since I've seen that many stars, and it was amazing. And yes, that was another little gift!

It was a wonderful day! (And yes, I'm going to leave out the part where when we got home, I found Bessie had pulled their food bin out from it's hiding place and it was open and a good bit of food was gone out of it. And I know it was Bessie, because it would never enter Bailey's head to do something like that - she's just not made that way!) But it was a beautiful day! It feels so good to have my heart be light again, to sing out loud and dance while I'm working around the house. It's been a long, long time!

So that was my beautiful day! Won't you leave me a comment and tell me about your beautiful day??? Blessings friends, and Be Joyful Always! Becky

New Is . . . . . . . GOOD!

2011-02-26T12:08:00.000-05:00

Once again, I can't believe it's been so long since I did a post! But you have to understand, I've been having a really good time! On Monday I went to my friend Sue's home and spent most of the day visiting with her and her husband, Tom. We had a wonderful traipse through the woods below her house, some crafting time, a nice lunch, and more time walking around her home and looking at plants peeking their heads out of the ground and the dozens of birds she has visiting her feeders. It was a wonderful day!

On Thursday I went shopping, and I mean 'big' shopping! Each year this time, after we get our tax refund, I start stocking up on things we use a lot of throughtout the year. because of our new 'healthier eating' efforts, I will not be stocking up on beef from our local butcher, however I will still go to the local chicken plant (Tyson) and buy boneless skinless breasts from their 'company store'. This time I got 20 pounds for $30, and that is only $1.50 per pound! For boneless skinless breasts! Such a great price. I also am stocking up on boneless pork loins at Kroger. I have some cut into roasts and some cut into thin chops. We had the chops for dinner last night in a dijon mustard, garlic, ginger marinade and then grilled, that was just delicious!

I also stock up on paper and plastic products, staples like rice that I keep in the freezer, and detergents and cleaners. Oh, and I bought 9 big cans of coffee, and no, we don't drink a ton of coffee! I drink a cup or two a week, and hubby drinks a cup or two each day. But coffee, in metal cans that are sealed will keep for ages, and Kroger had their brand on sale for $5.99 per can. That's worth stocking up, don't you think! Besides, I store the cans on shelves in our garage, and they stay pretty cool most of the year, so that helps, too.

Buying things like that really helps because it keeps our food and household expenses down throughout the year, and if I run out of coffee (or rice or paper towels) all I have to do is go visit my little market in the garage!

But that's not really new! Here are a few things that ARE new . . .

Cooking and eating better - I am thoroughly enjoying this new focus in our lives! I love to cook, but I had gotten bored with doing the same old things all the time! Now I am looking for new, healthier recipes, and finding some really good ones! Last night I had grilled pork loin chops (very lean!) and sauteed veggies (asparagus, carrots and onion) with chopped jalapena peppers that I roasted and chopped, fresh garlic and ginger, Meyer lemon juice, etc. It was a delicious meal, and we thoroughly enjoyed all the flavors in the food! And as an example of how well things are going, my hubby went to the Dr. on Friday to have blood drawn, and his BP has lowered some, but he has lost about 12 pounds!!! How is it fair that men lose weight so much easier than women do??? But I have to say how very, VERY proud I am of my sweet hubby; he really is trying to do better, and it's showing!

Buying more veggies and herbs - part of my new cooking style is adding lots of flavor, and when at my local Kroger the other day I bought a package of live, hydroponically grown basil! It came from this company which is in my own 'home town' - or the town I grew up in, and where most of my family still lives.

I bought a 'pouch' of live, growing basil, and it is so beautiful and smells SO good, that you won't believe it! I look forward to trying it in many recipes in the future!

I placed the 'plant' into a small glass pitcher that has a narrow enough neck to support the stems, but allows for plenty of water for the roots. Right now it is sitting on my kitchen table where it can get sun from the windows.

Isn't that just amazing??? Here is a picture of the puch it came in. I just love that I can (hopefully) keep this alive and well in my kitchen, then when the ground is warm enough, plant it outside!

So, that is definitely something new!!!

Recycling - Recently someone took our large, wheeled garbage can (provided by the sanitation company) from in front of our house. I mean, SERIOUSLY! Who would do something like that? Especially in the middle of a subdivision! Anyway, I called our sanitation company and they said "no problem" and brought us a new one. And when I was talking to them I asked about their recycling program. Hubby and I have talked about starting recycling, but just hadn't done anything about it, so this was a great chance to start! It costs $1 more per month, and they brought us a large wheeled cart - just like the other one, but with a pink top - just for our recycled items. And the great part? We don't have to sort it! They accept over 40 different types of recyclable items, and we just put it all into the large bin and they sort it after picking it up. They pick up recycling every other week, which saves on gas and traffic in our neighborhood. And they support Breast Cancer Research, which is even better!

So, anyway, we are now recycling. I bought this trash can . . .

. . . just for our recycling and have taped a list of the recyclable items on top, so it's easy to know what goes in there. And it's amazing how much is going into that bin! In just a few days I've over-filled it once, filled it again, and now it's already over 1/2 full! This is definately new, and a 'good thing'.

Gardenia - Last fall my Mama gave me a couple of blooms from her gardenia, and told me to keep them in fresh water and they would root. And one did! It had such huge roots on it and I knew it needed to be potted, so I finally got it into a pot. As soon as it's big enough I will plant it outside in my yard. For now, whenever there is a sunny day, I put it out on the deck so it can get sunshine. I can't wait to have my own gardenia blooms!

Joy - Yes, I said JOY!!! I am feeling so much better, and once again finding joy in doing things around my home! Yesterday (Friday) after having shopped all day onThursday, I had TONS of things to put away. And the top shelf in my pantry was WAY overdue an organizing! So I straightened the pantry, put (almost) everything away, put a fresh tablecloth on my kitchen table, washed a pretty bowl I've had for YEARS but never use. I filled it with grapefruit (our new favorite dessert after dinner), pears and Meyer lemons. I think it's beautiful as a centerpiece!

And speaking of grapefruit, hubby's doctor told him he should try to eat two a day, so we are now on our second 18 pound bag of Texas red grapefruit in three weeks. At night I peel and section them (aka supreming) and put them in a bowl, and that is our 'dessert'. Can I just say how wonderful they are??? They are full of fiber and vitamins, AND are very filling. Not to mention the fact they are a great palate cleanser and don't leave you wanting something sweet after a savory meal. We are both really loving this new addition to our evening!

Little Gifts Campaign Update - Have you noticed over in the sidebar that there are now FOUR people who have joined my Little Gifts campaign??? One earlier this week, and one just this morning! I cannot tell you how happy this makes me! I'd love it if you would visit their blogs! And please join us on this journey to spread smiles to others, all the while being more grateful for the little gifts we receive! A few little gifts I've received lately are . . .

a visit with my friend, Sue
lots of birds visiting my feeders
the joy of doing little things around the house
my hubby once again cracking little jokes and acting like he's going to be okay
finding a little pitcher I thought I'd 'lost'

and many more! Won't you try to start putting more emphasis on finding and spreading joy? I think you will find it is so very rewarding, and will change your outlook on life in general!!!

So, new is definitely good! And things are really looking up around here. And I am so incredibly grateful!!! Will you please leave a comment and tell me what's 'new' with you??? Blessings friends, and . . .

Be Joyful Always! Becky

Better . . . Ramblings . . .

2011-02-17T15:21:00.000-05:00

In north Georgia today, the sun is shining, the skies are blue with puffy white skiffs of clouds, and temps are nearing the 70 degree mark. And it's so beautiful! As soon as I finish this post I'm going to fix me a plate of homemade southern style potato salad with fresh sliced cantaloupe and red grapes, grab my latest embroidery project, and go sit on the deck in the sunsine. Doesn't that sound summery???

I think I just have summer in my soul these days, and I am so overwhelmed at the feeling! After more than 3 years of depression, sadness and almost non-stop worries, my heart is so light I feel as if I could just jump up and fly into the sky like a hot air balloon being carried on the breeze. I had almost forgotten what that felt like! Honestly, it's been so long!

An example of this lightness: Day before yesterday I drove the 25 miles or so to get my mother and bring her here for a couple of days. I didn't immediately turn the radio on in the car to drown out my thoughts, and before I'd been five miles I was finding a rhythm in my head and before long I was singing out loud. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I sang out loud out of pure joy? Me either - it's been that long! And that lightness has just lingered, it's amazing. And I am so grateful, seriously, honestly, sincerely filled with a joyful gratitude!

A few weeks ago, hubby told me that he had been having anxiety/panic attacks again. He used to have them when we were first married, but had not had any in years, or so I thought. But in recent months he had been having them again, and he got scared. For a long time now I've been begging him to go have a good check-up, but he doesn't like going to a doctor. When he had that last big panic attack, it scared him, so he went to a doctor and was put on a mild blood pressure medicine, plus one for his anxiety. Within days I could tell a difference, and now after a couple of weeks, it seems the 'real' hubby is coming back. I was so deep in my own darkness that I really hadn't paid attention to HIS darkness. That makes me really sad, because normally I would have noticed it.

His doctor told him that he HAD to lose weight - no choice if he wanted to live, because it was that serious! He was borderline diabetic, high cholesterol, high BP, and most of it would take care of itself if he would just lose a nice chunk of weight. So I've been trying to cook healthier and we've been eating a lot of salads and fruit. He's already lost a bit I can tell, because last night when he got home from work and I gave him a hug, I could touch my fingers together. We are trying to drink more water, less sodas, and walk more now that the days are getting a bit longer.

These are all good, positive changes - for both of us! And it feels so very, VERY, good! Our lives haven't changed; the money problems are still there, although we are taking steps to work that out, and the world around us is in turmoil. People are hurting and being hurt. But right now, right here in our little yellow cottage, life is feeling pretty good right now. Blessings, folks; and Be Joyful Always! Becky

What I've Been Up To . . .

2011-02-09T10:39:00.000-05:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been over a week since I last posted! I guess it's true that time flies when you are having fun! Well, at least part of the last week has been fun! Most of last week I spent doing a long over due house cleaning! I mean, from the carpet up to the vaulted ceilings and back down again! The reason for the mad dash to clean up the house??? This . . .

Do you know how hard it is to get a decent picture when there are three women, all laughing, talking and cutting up involved? Pretty difficult! These are my sweet friends Sue (l) and Phyllis (r), and they came over to my house for a little gathering on Saturday. The purpose for the gathering? To form a new chapter of the Mary Janes Farmgirls organization.

If you were reading this blog back last spring and summer, you'll remember that I joined a local chapter, and immediately jumped in with both feet, volunteering to create and maintain our blog, and about anything else that needed doing. I became what I thought was close friends with the chapter leader, and spent several months riding the roads in our area, talking up our chapter, and having loads and loads of fun! As soon as school was out, Phyllis (above) joined us in our fun, and we all became quite close, but in August the chapter leader decided she didn't want me around any more, and pushed me out of the chapter. But she wouldn't tell me what happened, if I had said or done something to offend her, and all I got was her last email that said "I don't know what you think happened, but it's all in your imagination"! Now, I know I did not imagine her bringing me all my personal items from the henhouse, nor her asking me for my key to the henhouse! So I still don't know why she pushed me out. I have some theories, but they are only theories, so I'll stop with that. Anyway . . .

Since I left the other chapter, I have stayed in contact with several of the members, including Sue and Phyllis, and over the last few months we've been discussing starting a new chapter and making it live up to the principles laid down by founder Mary Jane Butters:

"A farmgirl believes in the strong arms of friendship, community and the just plain fun of being together. A farmgirl takes joy in the quiet satisfaction of making things with her own hands. She exudes kindness, grace, humility, gentleness, patience and generosity, and loves the simple pleasures in life. A farmgirl is loyal and caring, especially when it comes to her family, friends and community. She gives generously of her time and talents. Farmgirls love to get together to share their ideas. She can be with or without fields and stock. Farmgirl is a condition of the heart."

So we decided to wait until the holidays were over, and the first date we could all get togeter was last Saturday. We had a great time! I had spent a good bit of time with Phyllis, and some time with Sue, but neither of them had spent much time together, so I didn't know how things would go, but they were great together, and we did a whole lot of laughing and talking and laughing some more!

We had a brief 'discussion' of starting the chapter, and I got online and set up our new chapter on Mary Janes Farm website. We are officially now the . . .

Sunshine Sisters!

A chapter of the Mary Janes Farmgirls Organization!

We talked about what we wanted our chapter to 'look' like, and we all agreed that we aren't interested in being the biggest and best chapter, nor being in competition with any other chapters, but we want our chapter to be the most close-knit, caring and sharing chapter! We also call our meetings 'gatherings', because we don't want them to get into a rut of being too 'official', but rather more laid back. And we are in agreement that there is no one 'leader'. I am the official contact person, but we will decide TOGETHER how our chapter is to go and flow!

After our brief discussion, we moved to the dining room table where we took a regular composition notebook and decorated it to be our official 'journal'. And we agreed the label 'Beautiful Journey' fit very well, because we know this is going to be a really special journey. For the time being our gatherings will be on Saturdays, but starting in June they will probably be on weekdays, which holds many different opportunities!

Sue, Becky, Phyllis
(It's so hard to set a timer on a camera and then run, sit and compose yourself before it clicks!)

You can find more info about our chapter on OUR BLOG. If you live in northern Georgia and are interested, we'd love to have you join us for our next gathering on March 5th! You can email us at sunshinesistersfarmgirls(at)yahoo(dot)com for more info as well! I am very excited about this new journey, and I will share tidbits with you from time to time.

Thanks for visiting today! Next post will be to share a very special gift from a very special new friend ~ Genie ~ who was my partner in A Swap For All Seasons fabric collage swap. See you soon, and remember to . . .

Be Joyful Always, Becky

Treasures on Tuesday

2011-02-01T11:07:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday of last week, I shared some 'timely tips' with you, but this week I wanted to show you some of my treasures and a bit of our home. Today we are visiting the breakfast room, which is one one of my very favorite rooms in the house! I love this little nook because of all the treasures I have in such a small space, and because of the large double window that looks out onto our back deck and the yard and woods beyond.

Let me first begin by saying . . . we are not 'fancy' people. We LIVE in this house, and it is NOT a museum or a showroom for how things should be done. This is our HOME, and we love it! When we moved here a bit over 7 years ago, my fondest dream was to make our home a place where family and friends were able to feel welcomed and comfortable. And I don't believe that a place where everything is pristine and showroom ready - for me - is that place!

Syracuse China - Old Ivory 'Lady Louise'

The last four pieces of my grandmother's china. I have always loved this pattern - it is simple and yet 'fancy' all at the same time. Best I can find out through my research is that it was made some time in the mid to late 1930's and was discontinued in 1949.

When we first moved here, the breakfast room was going to be my office. I put a couple of tables there, my computer, and some of my craft things. Before long I moved all of that into the third bedroom which is now 'my' studio and office. At that time my vision for the breakfast room was a 'tea room'. I found and bought a second hand round white table and 4 chairs, and from the moment I brought it into the house, I hated it! The table was too big, round didn't work in the space, and it was just awful, but I was stuck with it - for a while.

A few of my aprons. I usually only have one per hook, but I'm having a get together at my house this weekend, and I thought we might want to wear an apron, so I've added more so there will be more choices.

A few years later, after much obsessing over what 'style' I wanted for the space, it hit me! I wanted a farmhouse kitchen. That was where my heart was (and still is!) but my pocketbook dictated for the present at least, the awful white table remained. Then, in late March about 4 years ago, my aunt and I were at the monthly antique market in our town, and I saw this table and chairs, and just KNEW that this was the one for me!!!

Looking into our breakfast room from the kitchen.

It was an old dining set - table with an extra leaf, and 4 chairs with pressed wood backs. I'm thinking it was probably from the 1930's to 50's, but am not sure. The thing that stood out about this set - it was antiqued in bright red! I loved it! So I called my hubby, asked him if I could buy it for my birthday and he said yes. Oh, and the price? Only $125 for the set. I gave the man a deposit, told him we would come and pick it up later that afternoon, and went merrily on my way, looking for inexpensive accessories for my new farmhouse kitchen. (Note: After we got the furniture home and in place, I took pictures and printed them, and the next day I took them to the vendor who sold me the furniture. He was so excited to see where they had gone, and asked if he could keep the pictures. I told him they were for him, and he thanked me several times over.)

The 'tab top' toppers are from J. C. Penney and by Waverley. I added the vintage ric-rack and the red buttons to each tab. They've been in here for several years, and I still love them!

Anyway, the new red table and chairs went great with the mustard cabinet that had belonged to my paternal grandparents. Eventually I found an old blue bench that fit right in, and now, several years later, this is still one of my favorite rooms in the house.

For as long as I can remember, this was antiqued avocado green. When I brought it home (our previous house) I had yellow, blue and white, so I made a poor attempt at re-antiquing it to this yellow.

During the refinishing process, I found these three patches. They are simply very old duct tape that had been painted over. When I opened the door and looked at the back side I found what looked very much like . . .

bullet holes! Of course by the time I acquired the cabinet it was too late to ask my grandmother about them, and my dad and his sisters didn't know why they were there. So I just decided to honor the cabinet's history and leave them as they were! I will say this cabinet is VERY old, and obviously hand made. I believe the upper shelves also had doors at one time. It fits perfectly into my little nook, and holds my most used cookbooks.

I purchased this little plant stand at an estate sale last year (2010) and had planned on selling it, but it fits here so perfectly, I think it will stay for the time being. The hen on nest was a gift from my cousin, I made the doll years ago from a fabric panel. The bee hive pitcher was purchased at an old, now defunct antique market, I bought the fiestaware cobalt pitcher at a yard sale for $1, and can't remember exactly where I got the house teapot, but I think it was on the same trip north when I bought the little birdhouse.

The sign on top says "Beware, dog can't contol it's licker!" I bought this at a shop near Cleveland, GA called Bessie Maes, because 1)I loved it, 2) it so perfectly describes our Doxie girl, Bessie Mae, and 3)seriously, it's from a shop called Bessie Mae's and perfectly describes our dog named Bessie Mae? Had to have it!

Pictures I took on a trip to Wisconsin and Michigan in 2002. Can you tell I am addicted to barns!

A close up of the 'dinette'. I will put the tablecloth on the table on Saturday morning for our gathering. If I put it on there now, it will be FILTHY before Saturday. Is your husband/significant other a messy eater like mine?

Our every day dishes. I purchased them as a gift to myself when I had surgery in 2003. I still love them, and think they fit in my farmhouse kitchen beautifully! I purchased them from QVC, and I believe they still carry them, but the pieces in the set have been changed.

I purchased this old bench at Lakewood Antiques Market in Atlanta. It was originally from an old textile mill in NC, and is painted in a bright blue enamel paint. I love it, and would never change the color! And yes, it's messy under there, but we have a small home, and this is a perfect place to store drinks and dog food. The papers at the far end are kept handy so if I have to leave the house for a long while, I can leave some down for the girls in case they need to, well, you know!

I have the bench covered with a folded quilt. I purchased the quilt at an estate auction several years ago, and love it there! Two things: 1)see that Romantic Country Homes magazine? My sweet friend, Tara (Blondie'n'SC) was featured in that edition! and 2)see the long apron on the right? It is vintage, probably 1930's or so, hand embroidered, and I love how it is made! When you put it on and tie it, it has a very fitted yoke, but wide, kind of flowing skirt.

My most used cookbooks, plus some local Georgia cookbooks. The old ragged out orange one (2nd from right) is the very first cookbook I ever purchased, a Betty Crocker one from the early 70's. The rosebud teacup was the 'vessel' for a bouquet of pink sweetheart roses that hubby sent me for our 6 months of dating anniversary. Those were the very last flowers he ever sent me! He'll buy me all the plants or seeds I want, but cut flowers only die - or at least that's his story!

More cookbooks!

The old iron stove has a funny story behind it. Hubby and I were at an auction one night, and I liked it, but said I would only pay up to $15 for it. But, I got into a bidding war over it because hubby got in on the act with the auctioneer and kept telling me to bid. I really didn't want it THAT bad, but I thought hubby DID, so I kept bidding (only at his insistance). I ended up winning with a bid of $35~! I would never have paid that much for it on my own! I'm not sure if it's a toy, or a salesman's sample, and would love to know! If you have any ideas, please let me know. Also, I would love for it to find a new home, and will take $60 for it including free shipping!

Is it a toy, or a salesman's sample? Can YOU tell me???

It has a tea kettle, pot, skillet, spatula, cover for the stovepipe, 'lifter' that you use to lift the hot burners, and a muffin tin.

Muffin Tin in the oven.

Thank you so very much for taking this tour with me! I hope you have enjoyed visiting, and look forward to seeing you back again soon.

Be joyful always! Becky

Mosaic Monday - Amazing City, Remarkable Faces

2011-01-30T22:39:00.000-05:00

One of our favorite places to visit is historic Savannah. It is an amazing city, rooted deep in history but full of hope and promise of the future. There's so much to do there, and so very much good food! There's River Street downtown where the tug boats and barges and large cargo ships pass by on their way to the port just a bit upstream. Horse drawn carriages, all those lovely squares and parks, especially Forsyth Park with it's beautiful fountain!

There are several great malls for shopping. Numerous colleges and universities including the amazing SCAD, or Savannah College of Art and Design. For outdoors enthusiasts there is fishing and biking and all kinds of paddling. Our favorite place to stay is at Skidaway Island State Park where the campsites are large, the setting natural, and there's lots of room to walk, bike, or just sit back and relax! There's also all kinds of places to go paddling. We hope to go back down this spring and take our inflatable kayaks and do some paddling through the marshes and streams surrounding Skidaway. Another great thing about Skidaway is that you take a right out of the park, stay straight for 15-20 minutes and you are in the middle of downtown Savannah!

We also love going to Tybee Island and walking on the beach. A couple of years ago we were there on Thanksgiving afternoon, and there was a crew on the beach, huge equipment working to rebuild the beach. Erosion and storms were washing away all of the beautiful white sand. We stood up on the pavillion watching them push sand, lay piping and pack sand on top. It was an amazing thing to watch!

On the way back from Savannah, yet another favorite place for ME to stop is Bonaventure Cemetery. It's a very old, and very large cemetery set among moss draped trees, with a beautiful view of the intercoastal waterway. Last time we were there, my sweet hubby and Mama sat in the truck and waited while I wandered and snapped pictures of some of the beautiful statues and tombstones. The pictures below are a few of my favorites. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

I am linking up to Mosaic Monday, please stop by and check out the many other wonderful stories!

Be Joyful Always, Becky

A Few Little Gifts . . .

2011-01-26T09:01:00.000-05:00

Early dogwood blooms - Spring 2009

Hello! Welcome to Camellia Cottage! It is a dark and dreary morning here in northern Georgia, raining now, but snow expected later in the day. And I was headed down that old 'dreary' mood that usually accompanies such days, and then I caught myself and started thinking about little gifts that surround me right now! Let me share a few with you . . .

Rain that we get at this time of year is essential for this summer's crops, especially things like apples and peaches, and I love me some apples and peaches! Oh, and blueberries! See below!
Yes, there is snow expected to pass through today, but they say it will go through quickly, and the roads and ground are just warm enough that it won't stick around. So I will hopefully get to watch the snowfall without the messy problems!

Early spring violets - Spring 2009

Birds. My deck is covered with birds! Doves, Carolina wrens, sparrows of various types, cardinals, towhees, titmice, nuthatches, even a big old red bellied woodpecker terrorizing the smaller birds on the feeder. And finches! Goldfinches and House finches fighting over the little thistle feeder with two perches. Birds on my feeders make me very happy!
Peace. My 'girls' haven't found it necessary to come out of their burrowed blankets yet. Somehow these little doggies instinctively know when it's raining outside, and it is darker than usual for this time of day, so they weren't ready to get up yet when I went to the kitchen to get my wakeup glass of juice. Hallelujah! Because when it's raining I have to force them outside and down the steps to the yard, and force them (by my presence and urging) to go out and do their thing before I will let them come back in. And it's chilly out there! So I get a little break, but they will be in there whining to be let out soon enough.
Cobbler. I decided this morning while laying in bed and watching the news, waiting for the weather to come on, that today I will make a blueberry cobbler from a bag of the blueberries in the freezer. These blueberries are from my mama's bush - she keeps me in plenty of frozen blueberries! Would you like my recipe for easy blueberry cobbler? Hmmm, maybe! I'll see if I can get some pics made and share it tomorrow for Tasty Thursday - since I don't have anything else planned anyway!

White azaleas - Spring 2009

Enough. Things are kind of tough around here financially right now. But we are working on the situation and taking steps to make things better, and we can see a tiny pinhole of light at the end of the tunnel. But we have enough, and right now . . . enough is PLENTY!
Each Other. In April, my sweet hubby and I will celebrate the 27th anniversary of the day we met. TWENTY SEVEN YEARS!!! And I knew he was special then, but he proves to me how special he is every single day! He works so hard to make ends meet and make sure we have what we need. And he is my very best friend! I don't know what I would do without him, and am so thankful to God that HE knew we needed to be together and He worked it out so we would meet. Having this wonderful man's love and friendship in my life are such a huge gift!!!
Spring. It is just around the corner! Okay, so maybe it's not RIGHT around the corner, but it will be here, one day!

Honey Perfume Floribunda Rose - Spring, 2009

And there are many more. Please tell me . . . "What are some of your little gifts today???"

Double Impatiens Blooms - Spring, 2009

Be joyful . . . always! Becky

Daddy Cardinal feeding baby - Spring, 2009

Timely Tips on Tuesday! Topic - Reuse, Reuse, Reuse!

2011-01-25T01:13:00.002-05:00

Now, I'm not greatly involved in the whole green movement, although I do understand it and try my best to use items that aren't harmful to our planet. But I am a practical minded person, and I've always looked for different ways to use (or reuse) products that most people would consider trash! Case in point, my button collection is stored mostly in glass jars from pickles, olives, jelly, etc. that would normally have been thrown away. Another example is my little bucket that once held an oxygen based cleaner, but thanks to a hole cut in the lid, now holds polyfill stuffing and lets me keep it close at hand.

So today I wanted to share with you three things that normally go into the trash or recycling bin, that in my home will be reused as long as they'll last! Take a peek . . .

The tall one in center is a creamer container. I couldn't get a decent picture of it alone, so this is what you get I'm afraid! But this is going in the garage, and will be filled with fertilizer so I can sprinkle just as much as I need on plants. It's got a great triangular opening that will allow me to sprinkle as much or as little as I need.

And then there are these . . .

Every once in a while my hubby will have a chocolate milk craving and go buy a couple of these full of chocolate milk to ease the craving. I have removed the shrink wrap labels, washed them well, and made sure there is no remaining chocolate milk scent. Because these 16 ounce bottles have such great screw on lids, these babies will be filled almost to the top with drinking water and placed in the freezer. Then, next time we go on a picnic, I'll toss these into our softsided cooler and use them to help keep our sandwiches cool, but then we will also have clean and cold drinking water right there ready and waiting. And I can bring them home, wash and reuse them as long as they last. I have also filled these with lemonade before, and frozen them for a picnic, and that works well, too! (Note: I put bottles of water into the freezer without their lids until they are frozen solid, and then I place the lids on tightly. This allows for movement of the ice and the air in the bottle without causing bulges or splits on the bottles.)

And of course I saved the best for last! Take a look at the cute little round bowl in the first picture above. It's a 'side' container from Kentucky Fried Chicken. Hubby brought it home to me the other day after he'd been to KFC for lunch. The picture below is the bottom of the bowl, and it tells the best part of this tale . . .

That's right! It's reusable, microwave and top shelf dishwasher safe! The bowl holds 1/2 cup (4 ounces) and the lid seals okay - though I wouldn't put anything too liquidy in it if it's going into a lunch bag or backpack for a child! But if you have small ones who take a snack to school or daycare, this would be great for gummies, cheerios, goldfish, cut up veggies and the like. Since we don't have any little ones, I'll probably use this to put some craisins and walnuts in my bag for days when I might need a snack, or may even use it for storing something in my craft room. The options are endless!

And I have to take off my hat to KFC! This is one great idea!

So, what great ideas have YOU found for reusing things that would normally go in the trash? Please leave a comment and let me (and everyone else) know what your favorite reusable items are!

Be joyful always! Becky

A Recent Memory

2011-01-24T09:31:00.000-05:00

Can it be that it was only two weeks ago today that we woke to find this winter wonderland that is so rare here in northern Georgia? And would you belive that after two weeks, there are still signs of the great snow of 2011 lingering in shady ditches along the roadside, and stacked up in parking lots where the snow was shoveled to make parking possible?

Two weeks ago today we woke up to snow and ice, and today I woke to temps slightly above freezing and a cloudy sky with tiny peeks of blue and a weak sun trying to push the clouds away. What a difference two weeks makes!

I am linking up (for my very first time) to Mosaic Monday over at Little Red House. Please pay her a visit and check out many other Mosaic Monday posts.

Be Joyful Always, Becky

Tasty Thursday - Cottage Pie - A Recipe with a Bonus!

2011-01-20T10:21:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since I posted a recipe on here, and I apologize! The reason is that a couple of friends and I tried an experiment called Aprons Across America, and for a while I was doing all of my recipe sharing over there! But things happen, life gets busy, and my friends and I decided to close up shop over at AAA and move on, so here I am, once again sharing recipes with you! And today I have one of my favorite easy recipes for a one dish meal - ever!

I have been making what I called Shepherds Pie for a number of years, but it was only as I was doing my homework for this post that I found out that what I've really been making is Cottage Pie, which fits since this is Camellia Cottage anyway, right? Shepherds Pie is a traditionally British dish made from leftover lamb and vegetables and topped with mashed potatoes. Cottage Pie is basically any potato topped meat pie, and since I'm not using lamb, Cottage Pie it is, and I'm good with that, really! And while I know that what I make probably bears very little resemblance to any of the more traditionally made Cottage Pies, we still love it and remains on my list of foods to make over and over again!

Camellia Cottage Pie

1 pound lean ground beef (chuck or round is best)
1 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil - divided (I use canola)
2-3 cups chopped aromatic veggies (I use 1 1/2 C onons, 3/4 C celery, 3/4 C bell peppers)
1 can condensed Cream of Celery soup
beef broth or stock
1 12 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables (usually has green beans, lima beans, corn, carrots and peas)
2 frozen deep dish pie crusts
assorted herbs and spices
2-3 cups leftover mashed potatoes - REAL ones, not instant!!!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef in a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Remove from pan to drain.

Add another tablespoon of oil to pan and add aromatic veggies and a pinch of salt, and cook over medium to medium high heat until the onions are just beginning to get tender, or translucent.

Add frozen mixed veggies and cook until they are thawed, stirring well to make sure the aromatics are mixed in well.

Add can of Cream of Celery soup (if you prefer, you can use Cream of Mushroom soup) and about measure some beef broth into the soup can. Start with about 3/4 of a can, stir everything together well, and check the consistency. It should be creamy with a little bit of soup-y-ness, but not too thin. If necessary, add a bit more broth.

Add your seasonings! I am listing what I typically use, but you use what you like: 3/4 to 1 teaspoon additional salt, 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian herbs, 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon each of Onion Powder and Garlic Powder, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (we like a tad of warmth, if you don't, leave it out), black pepper to taste.

Once all of this is mixed together well, divide mixture between the two frozen pie crusts. Place them on cookie sheets and put into the 400 degree oven for about 15 - 20 minutes. When the top of the pies are beginning to look a bit dried out, remove them from the oven. Set one of the pies somewhere to cool, and then top the other with mashed potatoes.

Before you place the potato topped pie back into the oven, wrap aluminum foil strips around the edges of the pie crust to keep them from burning!

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until bubbling and the potatoes are beginning to turn color. Remove aluminum foil and continue baking until the crust is browned a bit. If you want, you can sprinkle some shredded cheese of your choice over the top of the potatoes at this point.

Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. This is great with a side salad!

NOTE: Now for the bonus! This recipe makes two pies, and that is enough for 2-4 people. So if you only need one pie for this meal, take that first pie that you put somewhere to cool, and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and then aluminum foil. Label it with name and date, and put it in the freezer! A day or two before you want to eat it, take it out of the freezer and allow to to thaw in the fridge. Make sure you have some leftover mashed potatoes in there, too, and then bake it as above. Whenever I make mashed potatoes I make extras for either this pie or what Mama calls 'potato patties' or potato pancakes, so it's easy to remember as I put away the leftovers, to go get this extra pie out of the freezer! Pie will keep in the freezer for about 3 months or more.

Variations:

Use ground chicken or turkey, and cream of chicken soup instead of celery.
Use 2-3 cups of cooked, shredded chicken meat instead of ground meat.

As I said, this is one of our favorite one dish meals, and is great for those days when I'm out and about and need to come home and make a good meal. I hope you enjoyed this recipe, and if you have any questions, please feel free to let me know!

Be Joyful Always! Becky

Little Things - Straightening Up, My Craft Sewing Box, and A Project!

2011-01-13T13:39:00.000-05:00

As I sit here typing this post, I am looking out of my office window onto what normally is an unusual sight, but is becoming more frequent . . . SNOW! This is our second substantial snow since Christmas Day, and we rarely have one per year! On Christmas Day we had about 5 - 6 inches, and this week we've had about 7 - 8 inches!

It snowed over night on Sunday night, iced over Monday night, and is still here on Thursday. Hubby finally went back to work today and so I am a HAPPY girl! Northern Georgia has pretty much been shut down by this storm, and many of the roads are still impassable. Our low temp here this morning was around 12F, and our high today just might get to the freezing mark! Tomorrow (Friday) may get up to 40, and then after that our temps should regulate a bit so this snow and ice can go away! This is all very unusual for us, so many people were not prepared although they had plenty of warning if they had only watched the news!

But, because of being pretty much housebound for the last few days, I have crafted a good bit, and yesterday I finally tackled straightening up my work table and rearranging a bit. One thing I'm loving, that was so easy to do was this . . .

The wire mesh basket holds the essentials very well! And I don't know if you can tell, but there's a plastic mesh basket in center, a piece of oasis foam holding my Stickles upside down so they will be ready to use, and places for smaller things as well.

This is the pincushion my sweet friend, Phyllis made me for Christmas - I'm very proud of this, and it stays right here handy for me!

Stickles upside down in oasis foam - love this idea!

Here you can see what I have in the basket. It works really well as an organizer for the things I want close at hand!

And here is a closer up view of what is in the old Crystal oatmeal juice glass - my most used small tools!

I think I'm really going to enjoy the way I've got these things arranged. I've also straightened up my storage a bit, and kept a couple of boxes EMPTY to put WIP's (works in progress) in when I'm not working on them.

Another thing I've done is straighten up my "craft" sewing box, and yes, that is different from my sewing stuff! This box is actually a plastic pencil box for children to take to school, and it has a small round compartment on top. I've had this box for at least 10 years, and use it very often! And I think I got my money's worth for this, because I paid about 49 cents for it! Before I got this, I could never find needles or needle threaders, but for some reason this one 'worked'! And I know it's not 'cute', but it's very practical and use-able, so I'm sticking with it.

For years I've kept a denim tote bag filled with crafting things that I can grab on the run, and called it my "hospital bag". It's where I kept bits of fabric, felt, embroidery floss, needles, thread, small scissors, etc. that I could take to work on projects when in waiting rooms or hospital rooms - usually with my dad. This little box has been with me through a lot! And here is a little breakdown of what I keep inside:

Bits of fabric already cut to make yoyos . . .

Yoyo 'templates' or circles cut in 3" to 6" in 1/2" increments . . .

Button and craft thread. It's a bit heavier duty than regular thread, and works great in craft projects. I have white, beige, brown, black, and red. It comes in a few other colors, and I hope to get the rest of them eventually. It is on the same racks as the regular thread in your fabric store.

Needles. Somehow I have amassed quite a collection over the years. Some I've bought, some have been in boxes of stuff I've bought at yard sales, and this little round red box . . .

. . . was in the drawer of a cabinet I inherited from my paternal grandmother - Mama Cliffee.

My eyeglass repair kit! I keep it in here because I always know where it is!

And this is what I keep in the little round compartment on top . . .

. . . needle threaders - I've had that one on far left for at least as long as I've had the box!

And my new 'needle keep' that I just made this morning! For years (8-10 maybe?) I've used this piece of felt, and it has worked well, but it's downright ugly!

If you look closely you can see the marks where needles have been stuck through the felt. I just rolled it up . . .

and stuck a quilters pin in to keep it secured. But to be honest, after all these years it's gotten kind of thin, so I decided it was time for something new! Here's what I came up with . . .

It's made of a soft cream flannel with a little deeper floral print, and it ties with a cream satin ribbon.

This (above) is the back side . . .

And the one above is the inside.

When I have a good bit of thread left on a needle after a project, I wrap it around the needle so it's ready for the next time.

Here (above) you can see how the ribbon is loose on 3/4 of the flannel so when you roll up the 'keep' the ribbon doesn't roll with you!

You simply start rolling from the end . . .

and roll until you reach where the ribbon is attached . . .

And roll it the rest of the way and tie it in a bow. Very simple, and it's only about 2 1/2" wide by about 3/4" thick after it's rolled up.

Do you like my felt needle keep??? Want one for your own??? I'd love to make one just for you, with your initials sewn into the fabric!You can choose from these flannels . . .

The cream floral like mine, or the pink poodle . . .

or the baby blue or baby pink . . .

or the VINTAGE (at least 30 years old) pink gingham . . .

or the baby yellow . . .

or the VINTAGE (at least 30 years old) red, black and white bandana print . . .

If you would like one of your own, simply email me here and let me know which fabric you want, and what initials you want on the outside, and I'll make one for you! The cost is $5.00 each, plus $2.00 for shipping, or a total of $7.00 total. If you order more than one, I'll do 2 for $12 or 3 for $17 including shipping. If you have a paypal account I will send you an invoice, but if not I will give you the address where you can send the money. As soon as payment is received I will get to work making your very own needle keep!

Thanks so much for visiting me today! The ground may be covered with snow and ice, but the sun is shining in my window and warming up my little studio room! I just love these days! Be Joyful!!! Becky

Winners . . . and Word of the Week!

2011-01-09T00:12:00.001-05:00

Before we get to the Word of the Week, I wanted to announce the winners of my "Little Gifts" giveaway! There were only two entries - Val @ Life's Little Garden entered here on the blog, and I'm so excited to send the goodies pictured in the last post to Val! We have been blogging friends for probably close to 2 years, and though we only live a couple of hours (or less) apart, have yet to meet, so I really hope she enjoys her goodies! And my friend Sue, who entered on Facebook. Sue and I have known each other for probably 6 months or so, and she's coming to my house for a gathering in a few weeks, so I'll save her goodies (similar to the ones in the picture) until I see her here. Congratulations, Ladies!!!

And now, for my word of the week for January 9 - 15, 2011 . . .

With this word I'm trying to motivate myself into action! I have a couple of friends, Sue (above) and Phyllis for coffee, crafts and another little project that I hope to share more with about soon! We are very excited about the possibilities; and that's all I'll say right now! Anyway, I've got to get my house in order, cleaned, polished and shined - at least on the inside - before they come, so my word for this week, and maybe next week is determined.

If you would like to join me by choosing your own word, posting it on your blog, along with the button (right hand sidebar), please link up here, and thank you!

Be Joyful, Friends!!!

Signs of hope + Little Gifts = a heart filled with gratitude and joy!

2011-01-06T14:52:00.001-05:00

Do you ever have 'those days'? You know the ones, the days that no matter how hard you try to get down in the dumps, God just blows your socks off of you with his little gifts that fill you with joy and before you know it you are just 'whistling a happy tune'???

As I've told you before, times are tough around here, and today we had a little 'burp' in our attempts to make things better. Nothing major, just a little blip that will eventually be worked out and we'll move on! Well, this morning (late morning) I was on the phone with my aunt - my daddy's youngest sister who is only a few years older than I am - and we were catching up on what had been going on since we last chatted, and I turned to look out the window and there on the deck rail, not 3 feet from the window, was a gorgeous male Eastern Bluebird!!!

Now bluebirds rarely visit my feeders, but this one was perfect and absolutely beautiful and he just sat there on the deck rail looking in the window at me for . . . ummmmm . . . probably a good 1 1/2 to 2 minutes! And yes, he could have been seeing his own reflection in the window, but I choose to believe he was looking at me! And seeing that little fellow, looking so healthy and happy and sitting there for so long just made me feel happier and more hopeful! His short visit was a gift to me, and how could that NOT make you happy! He reminded me that it's going to be okay! We will survive and we will carry on and we WILL be just fine!

Then I noticed several pine warblers out there, fighting over my one suet cake (Reminder to self: add suet cakes to the grocery list!) They would fight over the 1 cake, and then one of the warblers would come over to the empty suet cake holder and look confused as to why there was no suet in there! They are such pretty birds! They are kind of an olive/yellow/green, and small and feisty - and I like feisty!

Watching them just made me plain happy!!! Have I told you lately how much I enjoy 'my' birds? They really are so much fun to watch!

Anyway, just a little while later I was on the phone with hubby and we were talking about the 'little burp' and what we were going to do about it and I looked out the window again and there was a goldfinch on the 'regular' feeder!

(Note: I have been trying for MONTHS to get the goldfinches to come back to my feeders, but they have been avoiding me like the plague! I knew they were out there, because they have a unique 'chatter' and I could even talk to them in their language and they would talk back, but wouldn't come to my feeders!)

Well, the other day the squirrels destroyed another one of my feeders - a small one that I had hanging on a hook with suction cups attached to my office window, so I brought the little finch feeder from the front yard, dumped out 'yet another' pile of un-eaten thistle seed and refilled the feeder, and hung it on the hook on the window. That was about 4 days ago.

But this afternoon, as I sat in here talking to hubby, I watched that little booger just land on the finch feeder and eat away! And he came back later and brought a friend with him! And that made me VERY happy!

So I got to thinking about all the 'little gifts' that we receive each day that we don't even acknowledge as gifts! I mean think about it:

a day when the sun shines
a day when rain soaks the earth in a soft gentle rain
a day when there's not ONE bill in the mailbox
a day when a friend you haven't heard from in a long time calls out of the blue
a moment when the sunset (or sunrise) is so gorgeous that you get a lump in your throat
a child who out of the blue looks up and says "I love you, Mommy" (or grandma, etc.)
a complete stranger who holds the door for you and smiles as he/she does it
a complete stranger who motions for you to go ahead of him at the stop sign

and on and on and on! There are SO VERY MANY little gifts that we don't acknowledge and accept and feel gratitude for that it makes me almost sick just thinking about it! And I'm talking about myself here, folks!

So here's what I'm going to do! I'm going to give a 'little gift' to one of you! And it's really little, but I think for someone it will bring a smile to their face and maybe they can pass that smile on to someone else and who knows how far that one smile could go!

The giveaway is a set of four of my sweet valentines tags made from images of vintage valentine cards, with envelopes . . .

. . . this cute Valentines heart pin that I made from felt, embroidery floss and a few beads . . .

. . . and a dozen #5 manilla tags for you to use in making your own projects . . .

But there is a catch! You have to pay it forward! That little smile you'll get as you open the envelope, you have to give that smile to someone else! Now, you can do that by sending one of the Valentines on to a friend or relative. Or you can do it by picking up the phone and calling a friend you haven't talked to in a while, or you can do it by making cookies and taking a plate full to a neighbor you haven't seen in or a while, or haven't even met yet!!! It doesn't matter WHAT you do, as long as you give a 'little gift' to someone else that makes them smile!

Now, how do you win???

leave me a comment here telling me what your favorite 'little gift' has been so far this year! (Make sure you leave me an email address or way to contact you if you win!!!)
post this on your blog and then leave me another comment. I'm going to post a button in a few minutes, so you can use that if you'd like, but you MUST leave me another comment.
for my facebook friends (and no, I'm not giving the blogoverse my Facebook ID!!!) you can leave me a comment on the post about this blog post, answering this question "what has your favorite 'little gift' been so far this year?' and I'll put you in the pot of names to be drawn from.

And that is it!!! And I will pick a winner on Saturday 1/8 and get the goodies into the mail on Monday!

So let's get going, trying to make someone smile! It really is the little gifts that make us smile, now isn't it!!!

Be Joyful! Becky

* this is part of my focus for 2011 - to live life to it's fullest, be more grateful, and have a joyful heart. Give it a try!!!

Begin . . .

2011-01-05T11:47:00.000-05:00

Do you see something new or different about my blog these days? And no, it's not the new header and background, although I am working on redesigning things around here and so far, I'm liking the new look. The new thing I'm talking about is Belle the bluebird over to the right there!

I am 'beginning' something new, and I'd love for you to join me in this new journey! So many people have been doing a word for the year, and I think that's great and what I'm doing should not change or take away from that! But life goes on, things change, and sometimes we need a little push, a little change in our focus, so I'm starting an effort to choose a word for each week. I'll base it on what's going on in my life and what I need to focus on for the next week and if, from time to time, I need to carry that same focus over into next week, well that's just fine with me!

Will you join me? I'd love for you to take part! All I ask is that you add the button below to your blog's sidebar and link it back to this blog! Then, each Sunday I'll do a post with my new word for the week, and you can link up your blog so everyone can see what your word for the week is going to be! Easy Peasy!

Here is the image you can use as your blog button . . .

and I'll be back on Sunday so that you can link in for the week of January 9-15, 2011.

Be Joyful!!! Becky

New

2011-01-01T12:41:00.000-05:00

new (n, ny)

adj. new·er, new·est

1. Having been made or come into being only a short time ago; recent: a new law.

a. Still fresh: a new coat of paint.

b. Never used or worn before now: a new car; a new hat.

3. Just found, discovered, or learned: new information.

4. Not previously experienced or encountered; novel or unfamiliar: ideas new to her.

5. Different from the former or the old: the new morality.

6. Recently obtained or acquired: new political power; new money.

7. Additional; further: new sources of energy.

8. Recently arrived or established in a place, position, or relationship: new neighbors; a new president.

9. Changed for the better; rejuvenated: The nap has made a new person of me.

10. Being the later or latest in a sequence: a new edition.

11. Currently fashionable: a new dance.

12. New In the most recent form, period, or development.

13. Inexperienced or unaccustomed: new at the job; new to the trials of parenthood.

adv.

Freshly; recently. Often used in combination: new-mown.

No, that's not me . . . well, not totally me! Because I do want to go to 2011, really I do! I just want to spend a couple of minutes talking about 2010 before I cross that line from the old into the 'new'. So, now is time for my report on "What I did in 2010", or what I prefer to call "What I learned about myself in 2010" . . .

As many of you know, my year started off with a bang when, less than 2 weeks into the year, my nephew called me @ 5:30 am, on his way home from spending the night (and all of his money) at a strip club, to tell me that when he got home he was going to kill himself. That's as far as I'm going into that story, other than to tell you what I learned about myself from the experience!

I learned that if he ever did that again, I would say "Sure, fine, hope that works for you, Goodbye!" And that may sound mean or uncaring, but it's not mean! It's realistic, because I know now that he is a coward and would never kill himself, he was just pulling a stunt to see how far he could push me, and he learned that he couldn't push me very far, because I am now 'DONE' with him and his stunts. But you know what? I also learned that, while it's very hard, sometimes it is BEST to let go of some people and your dreams for and expectations from those very same people!

Then in March I got involved with a local community/social group, and from March through August it was a wild ride! I had new friends, new activities and so many things to do that my duties at home took a back seat, and not just a back seat, but imagine the largest concert hall you can imagine, and then the largest balcony beyond that, and my duties at home would have been standing, pressed into the farthest, darkest corner of that balcony! After more than 3 years of extreme stress and depression, I took flight from my nest, and then pooped all over it! (Not literally, but figuratively speaking.)

After six months of working my hiney off, and instead of spending the time and energy on the group activities that I should have been spending on my home, the group's leader decided that a myself and one other member didn't fit in with her vision for the group, and we were silently ushered out, and we still don't really know why, but that's okay! Because here is what I learned about myself

I have a lot to offer! I truly believe that my time and my talents were not wasted, and that I made a difference in the group, but the leader's personal issues and agendas made her unable to see beyond the fact that I didn't buy into her personal philosophies. Her loss, not mine!
Sometimes the best things can come from bad circumstances! While a member of the group, I made some great friends, and though I'm no longer a part of the organization, I still have several great friendships that are growing stronger all the time! Phyllis, Sue and Libby are the best, but there are several others that I have kept in contact with since August, and friendship was my main goal for joining the group anyway, so there!
I love sharing my time, talents and knowledge with others! In the six months I was with the group, I taught craft classes and shared ideas with many people, and I want to continue with that!

From August through the end of the year, life was good! Calmer, more relaxed, more emphasis on 'home matters', a camping trip to the mountains, many Sunday afternoons riding around the mountains of northern Georgia, plus we bought our inflatable kayaks and spent several days on the water. I got a part time job that lasted 2 days because of the economy and my employer/friend's cousin who stepped in and worked for nothing so she could keep the shop open. But that's okay, because as of now, the shop is still open, and that's a good thing! I started doing craft shows and was moderately successful, and I'll take that as a beginner! Also, we had a great Thanksgiving and Christmas here with Mama, and without the three stooges - I can't, stress and drama - that are my brother and nephews.

That last paragraph doesn't mean that everything in our lives has been all goodness and light - oh NO! It just means that things were bearable. To be perfectly honest here (and those of you who know me know that I can be brutally honest), times are tough! This economy has hit us pretty hard, just like it has everyone else. My husband works in a construction related industry, and in the last couple of years he has had a pay cut and lost most of his overtime opportunities, and add to that rising prices on the necessities, and you have a not so pretty picture of our situation! But we are exploring our options and working on changes that we can make in an effort to make things better.

So here we are, sliding across home plate from 2010 into 2011, and what exactly does that mean for me? My focus for this next year is this: "To live life to it's fullest, filled with gratitude and a joyful heart". And it may sound like so much gobbledy goop, but when I break it down, I think you'll see what I mean . . .

"Live life to it's fullest" - I am very nearly 59 years old, and that puts me extremely close to the 60 mark, and do you know what? I think that's a personal challenge!

I refuse to sit back and watch the world passing me by! As long as I can 'do', I'm gonna DO and I'm going to enjoy living! Trying new things, learning new things, and dreaming of bigger and better things is what keeps us going, so I intend to keep on plugging, and enjoy myself along the journey!
Building friendships and relationships is a HUGE priority for me - wanna come along for the ride?
Working harder at making our home a place where we are happy and our guests are comfortable and welcomed with open arms. Cooking more and better meals and doing crazy things like washing windows and spiffing up with an almost nonexistent budget!
Adapting my personal preferences to meet challenges - the big one here has to do with our camping and travel. We have been able to continue travel a good bit in the last few years - primarily because we have our camper. It is paid for, and it costs a LOT less than staying in a motel/hotel/condo! (A LOT!) Most campgrounds charge from $20 - $40 per night. Have you stayed in a $20 motel/hotel/condo lately? I don't think so! And now that gas prices are rising again, pulling the camper with the big gas guzzling truck doesn't work so well for us either! So we're talking tent camping, people! We pulled out our tent and air mattresses and are planning our camping this year around taking trips in my little car, tent and kayaks packed in the back. Now, I hate campground bathhouses - HATE! - but if we want to have any vacations this year, I am having to adapt my personal preferences to suit the occasion, and that means not having my cozy little bathroom and shower in our camper, and using the public facilities. I will survive - PROMISE!
Continuing to focus on my artistic and crafting abilities and putting myself 'out there' to try to sell some things, and teach others how to do what I know I can do well!

"Filled with gratitude" - does that really need any explaining? Times are tough, but that doesn't mean that there aren't plenty of things to be thankful for, now does it?

"and a joyful heart" - I think that goes back to the other two! If you are making a concerted effort to live life to it's fullest, and trying your best to focus on things you have to be thankful for, you should have a joyful heart! Bottom line, I know that God is my Father - he created me and wants the best for me, and loves me beyond measure, and that - my friends - gives me great joy!

So lets' get this new year started . . .

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Bring on 2011!!!

Be joyful! Becky

(vintage Old Maid cards purchased at a booth at the Country Living Fair South, and scanned into my computer)

The Christmas Mystery

2010-12-30T08:46:00.000-05:00

A few days before Christmas, I think it was Wednesday evening, hubby and I were standing near the Christmas tree talking about something or other . . . who knows what it was . . . anyway, my attention strayed a bit . . . to the tree itself. There, hanging right in front where anyone could see it, was a red tassel. Now, the odd part was not the tassel itself, but . . .

I had never ever seen this tassel before in my life;
The tassel was in rough shape, literally coming apart; and
Just the day before that tassel had NOT been on the tree! Period!

I asked hubby if he put there and he said no, not unless it had been in the few decorations he had helped put on the tree a couple of weeks before. Then I explained to him how the tassel had not been there just a day or two before. It was a mystery!

And I know this wasn't on the tree before because just the day before I had been taking pictures of some of my favorite ornaments and had taken a picture of the ornament right next to where the tassel was hanging, and that tassel was not there! Sadly, I had not like any of the pictures I had taken of the ornaments and deleted all of them to save space on my old PC, so I don't have those pics, but the mystery remains!

And another thing . . . since the day I had taken the earlier pictures, I had not been away from home! I had walked up to the mailbox, but it is right in front of our house, in full view of the front door, so there was no way anyone had been into the house without me knowing it!

A day or two later I went to pick up my Mama to bring her here for Christmas and on the way took her by to visit her sister for a little while. I dropped her off, ran to the grocery store to pick up a couple of last minute things, and then returned and spent some time with Mama and my aunt. I told them both about the tassel. We laughed about it a bit, and my aunt said, "You know, Becky, it could be a gift from your Daddy". And I laughed and said "Yes, it could be, and it kind of makes sense, because he always had a crazy sense of humor, and only HE would leave me a gift of a defective tassel!"

So, all through Christmas I would go by the tree and finger the tassel and wonder how it got there. But I left it there! And it will now become a permanent fixture on our Christmas tree as a reminder that there are still some things that are unexplainable, and to remind me that some gifts aren't perfect, but they are still lovable, just like me!

Have you ever had a Christmas Mystery? Tell us all about it! Be Joyful, Becky

Our Christmas Eve Tradition

2010-12-19T14:52:00.000-05:00

Since about the second or third year of our marriage, hubby and I have made a point of doing something special for Christmas Eve that was just for us. For several years we went to a local Italian restaurant, but eventually they stopped being open on Christmas Eve. Then we started going to a Steak and Ale for dinner, and after quite a few years, they too stopped being open for Christmas Eve. So then we started going to a favorite place of ours in Buckhead (north Atlanta) - Dante's Down The Hatch. Dante's is an amazing place! They have a jazz trio, as well as other local talent in between sets. The building is old, and they are in the basement, and there is an old ship inside, with tables and a stage for the band IN the ship, and then other tables on the Wharf. There is an extra fee for sitting inside the ship, but you can hear the music all over the restaurant, so we usually sit on the Wharf. There is also water surrounding the ship, complete with turtles and crocodiles - yes, LIVE crocodiles! And there are vintage pieces from all over decorating the place - it is very eclectic, to say the least!

But the best thing about Dante's is the food! They serve several different varieties of fondue, and our favorite is the 'Mandarin'. You get a pot of hot oil and a plate of breaded shrimp and chunks of lean steak, lean pork loin, and chicken. You also get all the fresh French bread and butter that you can eat. We usually get a salad as well, and their bleu cheese dressing is incredible!!! With the fondue you get four sauces - a teriyaki, a soy and ginger sauce, a sour cream and horseradish sauce, and their remoulade sauce. And oh, my! The remoulade is to die for! I am so glad I didn't know what was in it before I tried it, because I probably would have missed out on the deliciousness that is in that sauce!

Anyway, when we moved up here to the 'country' we continued to drive the hour plus that it took to get down to Dante's, until . . . one Christmas hubby made me a gift of an electric fondue pot, and then our new tradition began! We stayed at home, I prepared our fondue dinner to be as close as I could get it to Dante's but with the addition of extra veggies, and set everything on our rather large coffee table and built a fire in the fireplace, watched a Christmas movie on TV, and just relaxed with food and wine and each other . . . in the comfort of our own home. Bliss, I tell you!

This year, Christmas will be a bit different for us, because my Mama will be with us. And there will be only the three of us, and I am so excited about that! We will still have our fondue dinner here at home, but we will move it to the dining table to make it easier and more comfortable for her. But we will probably still have a fire in the fireplace, and will definitely watch a Christmas movie! And we will enjoy relaxing with food and wine and each other in the comfort of our own home, only there will be one more of us. And I can't wait!

So, I'm going to share with you the recipe for Dante's remoulade sauce (and yes, they gave me a printed copy once when I asked them for the recipe), and I hope some day you will give it a try! Bur first I want to wish you a wonderful Christmas, and ask you "what is your favorite Christmas tradition?"

Merry Christmas, Becky

Remoulade Sauce

from Dante's Down the Hatch Restaurant

Atlanta, Georgia

1 cup mayonnaise

1 egg (hard boiled and very finely chopped)

1 tsp. dry mustard (ground mustard)

1 tsp. anchovy paste (this is the only recipe I make that calls for this, and don't buy the stuff. I have found a little bit of soy sauce - 1/2 teaspoon or so - in it's place works every bit as well)

2 tsp. capers (small size, or diced larger ones)

1 tsp chopped tarragon leaves (or a little more - I love tarragon!)

1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

Add mayonnaise to mixing bowl and stir in hard boiled egg. Stir in remaining ingredients, stirring until the anchovy paste disappears.

(This makes a good bit, so I usually half it just for us - I just cut the hard boiled egg in half and mince half of it.)

A Wonderful Giveaway!!! Just in Time for Christmas!!!

2010-12-13T15:33:00.000-05:00

I have been given the wonderful opportunity to give away a gift certificate for $45 to one lucky winner to the CSN stores! They have over 200 websites you can order from, and they carry everything from furniture, cookware, leather messenger bags, home decor, kids items, health and fitness and so much more!!!

Simply leave a comment here on this post through midnight eastern on Sunday 12/19 and I will choose a winner and announce it some time on Monday 12/20!

Also, I have been given an additional giveaway for my other blog, so please go there and enter to win again! I will choose a winner there on the same day. And to make it fair, you can only win ONCE, so if your name is drawn on both, we will draw again on the second blog to get another winner.

So please, leave a comment here, then leave another on my other blog, and then go tell all your friends about it so that they can enter, too!

Good luck! Becky

My Thanksgiving Gift To You!

2010-11-25T09:38:00.000-05:00

Today, here in the US, we take a day to pause, and give thanks for all our blessings of the past year, and ask God's blessings upon us in the next year. While this life of mine isn't perfect, neither am I, and yet I have so very much for which to be thankful, and this morning my heart is full as I prepare to share a wonderful meal later today with the two people who mean most to me . . . my husband of 25+ years, and my 80 year old mother. Please take the four minutes it will take to watch this video and lift up YOUR song of praise to the God from which all blessings come. Happy Thanksgiving! Becky

Sweet, Sweet Sound . . .

2010-11-20T15:58:00.000-05:00

Hello! This afternoon I went to a local arts and craft show to visit a friend who has a booth, and then came home, chatted with hubby and then made my way into my studio to work on some more projects for the craft show I have coming up in a couple of weeks. As I often do while I create, my heart started humming some tunes, and I got to thinking about appropriate songs for Thanksgiving. Of course my first thought was of the Doxology . . .

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen

That song often bubbles up in my heart when I am happy, or out riding around our beautiful country, seeing God's creation and being grateful for the opportunity to see and enjoy HIs beauty. But after that song passed through my heart, this song came next and, although it's not a Thanksgiving song per se', it IS a praise and worship song, and another one that I dearly love, and I think it is appropriate. So I decided to share it with you today. Enjoy "I Love You Lord", Becky

Busy Crafting!

2010-11-09T10:22:00.000-05:00

Hi Folks! Just a quick note to direct your attention to my other blog, Camellia Cottage Designs, where you can find pics of all the crafts I've been working on in preparation for the Christmas craft show I'll be doing in a few weeks. Please check out all the Christmas goodness for yourself!

Also, I'm thinking of weaning away this blog, and turning everything over to my crafting blog, and using the new Aprons Across America blog for my outlet for recipes. I just don't have the time any more for three blogs, and this one is the one that gets left behind in most cases. So, let me know what you think! Thank you! Becky

Inspired Ideas by Amy Powers . . .

2010-11-04T10:23:00.000-04:00

Crafters Alert!!! I recently discovered this online magazine 'Inspired Ideas' and thoroughly enjoyed flipping page after online page of fall season goodness time and again. Amy Powers is a crafting 'goddess', so where has she been all my life!

Please, please, please if you are a crafter, or simply love to decorate for the Christmas holidays, go pay her a visit and take a look at the new Christmas issue of Inspired Ideas. I promise you, you will not be disappointed!!! Blessings folks! Becky

My New Endeavor(s)

2010-10-30T09:18:00.000-04:00

Hi Folks! Wow, things have been busy around here. and I'm not really used to this kind of busy! First up was the designing and publishing of the new blog Aprons Across America with two of my 'online' friends this past Monday. I did all the setup work, but now that the blog is up and running, Teresa and Lori and I will be equally sharing the posting of recipes. The three of us, as well as our 'honorary' members all met through an online recipe swap forum several years ago, and have kept in touch ever since. The 'forum' changed, and we decided we wanted a way to share recipes with each other, and all our family and friends, so the blog was born. Please be sure to check it out when you have a chance!

Then on Wednesday I had to take Mama to see her Opthalmologist for the 2 week follow up after her cataract surgeries. She is doing very well, and we don't go back until after Thanksgiving, when they will give her a new permanent prescription for reading glasses.

And then on Thursday I started my newest endeavor . . . a new part time job! I am now employed by Georgia Mountain Candles and More in a small town about 15 minutes or so from here. I will not have any regular hours, only work when the owner, Tina, needs me to fill in for her. She also has a part time 'whenever they need her' job, so when she fills in on her other job, I'll fill in for her at the store. The candles there are so remarkable! Tina makes all the candles herself, and the scents are soooooooo good! If you aren't familiar with soy based candles, here are a few good things about them:

They are made from American grown soy beans
They burn cooler, and slower, so they last much longer
The wax will wash out of clothing, tablecloths, etc. with soap and water, and my favorite part . . .
The wax makes an incredible moisturizer!!! Seriously, just take 2-4 drops of the melted wax and rub it into your hands and they will stay soft and smooth for a long time, and two good points about using them as a moisturizer are that it doesn't wash out immediately, so it is great if you are in water a lot, and it is not parrafin based, so it doesn't build up on your skin.

The store is also full of home decor items and handmade crafts on consignment, plus new ladies accessories like purses and jewelry as well. You can go right to the store's website by clicking on the link above or on the picture in the right hand column. So, I've worked two days now, and although business was kind of slow, I feel like I've 'found my feet' and could better handle a busier day now.

While things were quiet I sat in the doorway with my crocheting basket, making cotton dish cloths. I have several of them up for sale in my Etsy shop, and will have even more on there soon. If you are interested, you can click on my Etsy shop window to the right, or the link above.

So, as you can see, things have been busy, but a good busy! I am so thankful for my new opportunities and my friends, online and here at home. I am blessed, and I wish you many blessings as well, Becky

Aprons Across America

2010-10-25T01:58:00.001-04:00

Just a quick post to let you know that some friends and I recently started a food/recipe blog and would love for you to visit us at Aprons Across America! The very first recipe is up today, and we will be featuring new recipes each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

There are five members - three active and two honorary - who all met on an online recipe swap forum a few years ago, and have kept in touch ever since. Please pay us a visit, and let us know what you think.

Thanks friends, Becky

Wonderful Weather, The Hunter, the Pest, and the Hunted!

2010-10-21T17:47:00.000-04:00

~

Earlier this afternoon I took my camera outside to take pics of a card for next week's Unscripted Sketches challenge. The sunshine was so warm that I just wanted to lay down on the grass and take a nap. Well, I did lay down for a few seconds, but didn't want to give the neighbors cause for alarm, so I got right back up. Anyway, when I came back inside the dogs (in the fenced back yard) were carrying on a conversation with the other dogs in the neighborhood, so I went out to ask them to stop.

When I got out on the porch, I realized that I was not the only one enjoying the warm afternoon sunshine. The Girls were taking great advantage of the sunshine as well! Laying in the sun, but ever watchful of . . . the holes!

Now, I have to give you a bit of background here. When we first moved into this house, 7 years ago now, there was no evidence of chipmunks. But within the last year or two, they have moved in, and with a vengeance. (Side note: chipmunks are also known as 'ground squirrels', but anyone who has ever seen an Alvin and the chipmunks cartoon knows what I'm talking about!)

The Hunted!

When I was a child we had pet chipmunks that we kept in a cage, and they were great fun, but as a homeowner, they are destructive and a nuisance. But Bailey has taken it upon herself to keep a close watch on the critters and try to keep them out of our yard. The fact that they have tunnels that go from inside our yard to outside the fence into neighbor's yards doesn't affect her, nosiree! She is on a mission!

The Ever Watchful Huntress!

But that's where the pest comes in, and no, the pest isn't a chipmunk, it's Bailey's sister, Bessie! While they are of the same breed, that's about all that is the same about those two. Bailey is 100% Doxie through and through, and a determined hunter and digger. Bessie is like Ferdinand the bull who goes through life sniffing the daisies and getting into everyone's way . . . especially Bailey's!

Bessie, the pest!

When Bailey gets wind of a chipper in the yard she goes for it, and that's when Bessie tries to play with her, or love on her, or just keep her from her appointed duties. It's so much fun to watch!!! So, while I am sure they will never catch a critter unless it is sick or gets trapped some way in the yard, I love that Bailey tries her best, even though she is hampered at every turn my her 'unique' sister. (And no, they aren't blood sisters, but they were adopted into the same family!)

Blessings friends!!! Becky

Bailey, the hunter!

Busy Week, a vent, and Do You Remember . . .

2010-10-16T08:05:00.002-04:00

~

Hi Folks! Sorry I haven't posted anything this week, but my mother was with us from Sunday afternoon until Wednesday afternoon because of her first cataract surgery on Monday. And we will repeat the same schedule next week so she can have the second cataract surgery. It's hard to get away and create with her here, because she wants to know where I am and what I'm doing every minute, and if I'm not doing what she thinks I should be doing, she tries to do it herself - which makes me crazy! I mean, I'm 58 y/o and yet she still treats me like I'm 8!!! So sorry for the vent, but I just had to get it out! :o)

Anyway, the real reason for this post is to ask you . . .

"Do You Remember This?" . . .

Well, the secret is out, and you can find out all about this project, and see pictures of the finished product on my crafting blog . . . Camellia Cottage Designs. There is also more info there about Unscripted Sketches 'Breast Cancer Awareness' Blog Hop, and some cool prizes you can win if you care to join in on the blog hop!

Blessings, Friends! Becky

~

It's Fall, Y'all!!!

2010-10-08T10:07:00.000-04:00

Hi Folks! I've been doing a bit of cleaning and spiffing up around my house the last few days. It's going to be a busy weekend (The Ellijay, Georgia Apple Festival on Saturday with my friend Phyllis, and kayaking on Lake Rabun on Sunday) and then on the way home from kayaking we'll go by and pick up my mother and bring her home with us. She is having her first cataract surgery on Monday, and has to start drops in her eyes on Sunday night, so we thought it would work better if she just came home with us and we go straight to the surgery center from here on Monday.

Anyway, I've been spiffing up the place a bit, and had absolutely zero intentions of doing any fall decorating until I saw this . . .

What is it about a freshly polished dining room table that calls out for something pretty?

Now, if you were reading my blog last year, I told you about my lack of understanding all about the halloween thing. I just don't get it! And that post went over like a lead balloon, with a resounding thud of silence.

But if you want to talk about celebrating the harvest; acknowledging God's bountiful blessings and celebrating that, or just celebrating the beauty of this 'golden' season . . . well, I'm all over that one! But for decorations, I want things that highlight the positive things about fall. Last year I had just lost my Dad and had been sick, and I just didn't do much at all. The year before that, I did a little, but couldn't find some of my favorite decorations - now where did they go??? Then, after Christmas, when I was putting away the tons of decorations up in the attic, I found a bin that I 'thought' held old fake pine garlands, but instead held my favorite fall decorations. Hooray!

So yesterday I climbed up into the attic (yes, all by myself - shhhhh! don't tell hubby, that's a no-no!) and brought down my big blue bin full of fall decorations. The ceramic pumpkins, pierced metal and beaded pumpkins, too. My turkey salt and pepper shakers, along with the little boy and girl pilgrim salt and pepper shakers. There were a oouple of silk flower arrangements, and wood things, too.

I really wanted to use my hand blown cloche, so I pulled out a vintage cake plate, put the ceramic pumpkins under the dome, and tied a copper ribbon with some wooden leaves onto the knob. Then I placed the treasured salt and pepper shakers on either side. My table was done!

Then I took a big basket with some pine cones left from last year, and added a cornucopia silk flower arrangement and a sign I painted a few years ago. That went on the hearth in front of the fireplace! Those are some of the prettiest pine cones I've ever seen! We picked them up at a WMA area south of Savannah last year. We hope to go back and get more of them this year when we go at the end of November.

On the left side of the fireplace I placed the punched metal pumpkins . . .

and to the right side went Mr. Crowe . . .

and a stuffed pumpkin.

And that's as far as I got! I was decorating as I cleaned, and my vacuum stopped sucking dirt, so I didn't get finished! And here I sit, talking to you instead of taking my vacuum apart to see why it won't suck up the stuff it's supposed to suck up!

I'll try to share the remaining 2-3 pics with you AFTER I get the cleaning and decorating finished, but right now . . . well, right now I'm off to take my vacuum cleaner apart! Wish me luck! Blessings, Becky

Bouquet of Friendship

2010-10-05T12:47:00.000-04:00

Hi Folks! Just a quick post to direct your attention to my other BLOG where you can find more info about this lovely . . .

. . . wall hanging that I recently made. Normally I would post my fabric crafts here on Hearth and Home, but am trying to move all crafting/creative posts to my Camellia Cottage Designs blog. I'd love you to visit me over there! Thanks, Becky

Purple Palooza III

2010-10-04T20:21:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday I had the incredible opportunity to participate in a local community festival called "Purple Palooza III". I learned about it through Stick it 2 Cancer on facebook, met the lady in charge, Cathy Cathey (and yes, that's her real name!) at a Farmgirls meeting, and told her I was interested in having a booth to sell my vintage and hand made treasures. When she told me the fee was $100 I declined, saying I just couldn't afford to pay that much, not knowing if I would make it back. She said "Becky, I understand. This economy it bad, and people just don't have the extra money. I will waive the fee for you. We are sisters after all!" (She meant sisters in the 'universal, non-related' way). So because of her kindness, I was able to have my booth.

Purple Palooza was started by Cathy's employers Medica Forsyth, a medical imaging practice, as an attempt to give back to their community. This year, the beneficiaries of the festival were Stick It 2 Cancer, and through them, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Georgia. Stick it 2 Cancer was founded by John and Tori Westmoreland after John was diagnosed with Lymphoma. All at one time, they were trying to grow their business, raise money for cancer research, AND fight lymphoma. They are an incredible family, so please go read their story by following the link above.

The festival was so great! There were @ 80 booths - many of them doctors or medical services, and many of those doing health screenings. There was a food court with BBQ, subs, ice cream and much more. There were moonwalks and other 'inflated' activities for kids, a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, and a very popular cake walk! There was also live entertainment! A trash can drum band from a local high school, a children's group, a barber shop choir, and even more that I can't remember. There were lots of people, but no one was buying vintage and handmade! After expenses I cleared about $45 - about 1/3 of what I've done at other shows. It was just a different clientele, and that's okay. I did sell 3 aprons, the old suitcase, an altered journal, a postcard, and a vintage flour sifter.

Before I go, I wanted to share a picture of my new sign that I made for this sale. I was really {REALLY} proud of how it turned out!

I used a 6" x 24" board, scrapbooking papers and embellishments, ball fringe and tulle for the hanger. Gotta love that Cricut!!! I also made a name tag for myself that matched the label on the left hand end of the sign, but had a lavender and white checked bow on the bottom.

Well, that was my trip to Purple Palooza. Even though I doubt she'll read this, I would really like to thank Cathy Cathey for this opportunity, and the whole Westmoreland family for what they are doing to raise money for Leukemia and Lymphoma research. You folks all ROCK!!! Now, please enjoy the slide show of pics from my booth and the festival. Hope to be back soon, Becky

Paddlin'

2010-09-26T15:51:00.000-04:00

So, I told you a few days ago about the new toys that hubby and I got, and how excited we were to get out and give them a try. We took them over to a park on Lake Lanier (10-12 miles from here) on Wednesday afternoon. Put them together. Pumped them up. And paddled. Despite thunder in the distance and dark clouds all around, we gave them a good test ride.

The first time blowing them up wasn't too bad - once we had found where all 5 of the valves were! The foot pumps are really great, and it didn't take very long. There is even a little gauge that you put up to a matching gauge on the side of the kayak and check to make sure they have enough air in them.

We paddled around a bit, trying to get the feel of them and get used to the two ended paddle. Each of us had a problem, though. Hubby's kayak insisted in going around in clockwise circles, and mine insisted in going around in counter-clockwise circles. We couldn't figure it out!

When we were about ready to close up shop and head home (thunder getting nearer) I had pulled my kayak up on the bank, with it leaning down toward the water and I had a huge, brilliant flash of inspiration!

Or you might prefer to call it a DUH! moment! As I looked back toward my kayak, leaning on the bank, I could see the two 'skegs' (fin type thingies) on bottom, and they were on the end I had been using as the front end of the kayak!

I had been paddling my kayak in the wrong direction. The.Whole.Time! Darn! Funniest thing was - so had hubby!

So, thunder or no, I was going to get back out there and try my kayak again, going in the right direction this time. I explained to hubby, and he was right behind me. Wow, what a difference it made! As I told hubby "if we had brains we'd be dangerous"! And we paddled around for a few minutes, then got out, deflated the kayaks and headed for home - the thunder was getting closer, and we know what happens to people who stand under trees beside a large body of water when there's a storm coming through!

Fast forward to Saturday. Hubby worked a few hours, then came home (about 9:30) and I had most everything ready to roll. We headed north to Nantahala Lake, a beautiful mountain lake (Duke Power Co.) northwest of Franklin, NC. We had wanted to take our canoe up there for a long time, but strapping the canoe on top of the car was so much trouble! So now we have the kayaks - easy peasy - and we were off!

We were watching storm clouds overhead, but there was zero thunder, so we decided to head on out. We got them inflated in no time (10-12 minutes), slathered on the sun screen, and went down to the ramp.

It was SO MUCH FUN!!! I felt much more comfortable this time, and totally enjoyed seeing the lake from on the water instead of the bank. It is a very clear mountain lake, most of the shoreline is what I call 'table' rock, or large sheets of rock that go down into the water. Mossy banks and mountain laurel bushes and evergreens went up the mountainsides from the water. It is absolutely beautiful!

Oh, and I even saw a tiny bit of this . . .

Color! Red leaves. Not a lot, but there were a few, promising the fall season's approach.

That's hubby, paddling along. He's getting much more confident, which is a great thing. When he really paddles hard, he goes off and leaves me in his ~~dust~~ er, wake. There were lots of people bringing in their boats for the winter. Like many places, they let this lake's levels go lower in winter, and that leaves the docks of the homeowners around the lake on dry land. One guy came up on a jet ski and started asking us questions about the kayaks. He was very nice, and we enjoyed chatting with him while he waited for whoever was coming to get there with the trailer for the jet ski.

We had such a great time - did I say that already??? Sorry, but we did! We have talked a lot this weekend, and can see ourselves getting out a lot more and doing what we love. We didn't need to spend the money, but if you don't put yourself out there some times and do new and different things, you'll end up in a bigger rut than ever.

If you look at the picture above, there was a heavy rain cloud hanging over the lake. We were across the cove from the boat dock where we had put in, and we headed back across to get in the car, but the rain got to us about half way across, so we started paddling harder and it started raining harder. We laughed all the way across! It was a lot of fun, even though we got pretty wet. We looked around and the lake was pretty much socked in with clouds and rain, so we packed up and headed south.

We took some new roads and found some cool new places to visit. I've lived in Georgia all my life, and we've ridden the roads a lot, and it is always fun to find a new route that shows us things we've never seen before. Well, I need to go start dinner. What was your last adventure, or when is your next one planned? If you don't do it, no one else can do it for you! Get out and do something fun this week! Blessings, Becky

~

Big Ideas ? ? ?

2010-09-22T11:14:00.000-04:00

I am an idea person! I think I get that from my Daddy - he was always coming up with some big new idea and many times they never came to fruition. (Like Father Like Daughter!) But I also got a huge dose of resourcefulness from my Mama, so that's cool, too. Put the two together - Ideas+ Resourcefulness = ???

My artistic side is always coming up with some great idea, which is super cool - right? But do you know how many of those great ideas are either trashed by now, or are stuck in a drawer somewhere waiting for the inspiration to come and tell me how to finish it??? Yeah - lots - tons maybe! But that's okay! I try to learn from these situations and move on. But still . . .

So when SarahKaye, the team leader over at Unscripted Sketches (I did tell you I made the Design Team, right? Yeah, I thought so!), encouraged us to make projects based on the sketches OTHER THAN cards, well my mind went to racing! I mean, cards are my comfort zone, but I also like doing other things, and I came up with the idea of making a fabric wall hanging based on one of the sketches. Cool, right? Hmmm, we'll see!

Anyway, we get the sketches a few weeks in advance, in fact we have all the sketches through October, so we can work on them and have them submitted in plenty of time. In case you haven't seen one, you can see the sketch and all the DT's cards HERE.

So anyway, SarahKaye was encouraging us to do something OTHER THAN cards based on the sketches and I said "Oh yeah, I can make a wall hanging!" and SarahKaye said "Fantastic". Duh! So here I am trying to make a wall hanging based on one of the upcoming sketches, searching for ideas.

Months ago I bought some of the Avery Printable Fabric for ink jet printers, and ever since it came I have TRIED to get something to print on them, to no avail. Yesterday, just on a whim, I decided to try again, and do you believe it? It worked! So I printed out a pretty bird, a lovely butterfly, a pretty background fabric, and a verse of my very own. And it worked! Why, after all these months? Whatever - it worked and I'm so happy!

So now I've got a theme, and a verse and a sketch (I picked the one for 10/16 when we are celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness Month) and no excuses for not making it work! We shall see how it all comes out!

I'm thinking I will lightly stuff the bird and butterfly, with a stitch here and there for dimension, and then embellish it with buttons and beads and ribbons and such. Tell me what you think, please!

And then there was the OTHER big idea! And I didn't have this one alone - oh no! Hubby and I share the goodness of this idea! You see, we have had a canoe for about 5 years. It - we thought - was "our" mid life crisis little red convertible that we bought in our 53'd year. And we love it - truly we do! But the logistics of getting it from point A to point B and back to point A again is just such a chore, that we haven't used it as much as we would have liked.

For a couple of years now we have been talking round and round about getting kayaks. One for each of us so we would be independent, and have equal opportunities for views and taking the lead. We have looked at hard shell kayaks, and all this time Hubby has been talking about inflatable kayaks, but the only ones I had seen were thin plastic - kind of like a kid's raft, and that didn't work for me.

Last week while we were on vacation, we made a run up to Murphy, NC so that I could visit a quilting store and a stamping/scrapping store, and while I was in the quilting store, hubby was next door in an outfitters store, talking to the guy who worked there about inflatable kayaks. They had some on display that I had a chance to look at, and they ARE cool! And the guy said he preferred the inflatables to the hard shell kayaks.

So, I got online and we found what appeared to be a pretty good deal, and we ordered one of these . . .

. . . for each of us! They deflate to fit in the bag you see in the picture, they come with seats, a pump and paddles, and they weigh only 26 pounds! Very do-able for me to carry mine on my own with no help. We already have the PFD's (personal flotation device - or life vest) so we are ready to roll, or float!

They are due to arrive TODAY, and if they get here by 2:00 pm, Hubby will leave work early and we are taking them over to Lake Lanier (10 miles from here) and give them a christening ride! And we are planning on taking them out to two different lakes this weekend - on Saturday after Hubby works for a few hours, and on Sunday after we make our first visit to a church in the area.

If, and that's a big IF, these things turn out to be all we think they are and that we want them to be, there will be no more excuses for not getting out on the water more often! And I am super excited! As I told some of my friends on Facebook (who strongly encouraged me to be careful) I may be old, but I'm not dead YET! When I was younger, I would never have thought of doing this, but now - it's a no brainer! It's fun, great upper body exercise, and healthy for body and soul!

So, tell me what you think! About both of my big ideas! And I will definitely keep you posted on both of them! Blessings folks, Becky

"What I Did On Vacation"

2010-09-14T22:11:00.000-04:00

Well, we've been lazy. We've gone riding. We've played dominoes and skip-bo. We've watched TV and watched the waves ripple on the lake. Mama and Wayne have fished, but haven't had any luck so far. And I've been working on a few little goodies. I have a show coming up in a few weeks where I'll be selling handmade and vintage treasures, so I need to make some new stock for the sale.

These are a few of the flower brooches I've been making . . .

This one is made from 1950's chicken feed sack fabric. I sewed this one on the machine, and covered the button with the same fabric. It is about 4" across, maybe a tad more. The colors are a soft spring green, teal and shades of lavender.

Brown poplin and a fallish print of beige, gold, burgundy, brown and green, with a vintage green button and pinked edges.

A pretty blue, white, yellow and green daisy print fabric, with a center yo-yo made of 1950's chicken feed sack fabric and a vintage white button.

These three are made of a pretty, shiny black cotton with mauve and pink roses and green leaves. The buttons are vintage as well. The fourth pic is of how I finish the pins - a scrap of felt, a brass safety pin, and another scrap of felt to hold it on nice and tight.

Do you like these? Let me know what you think. I've sold a number of these in different colors, and people seem to like them. They sell for $5 each. If you are interested in any of them, let me know, otherwise they will be for sale at the Purple Palooza III in October.

I've also made a few sets of flannel 'coat pocket hand warmers' that you warm up in the microwave and put in your coat pocket for those cold winter days that are on their way. Maybe I'll show you those next time! See you later, Becky

{sigh!}

2010-09-12T14:07:00.000-04:00

sunshine; nice cool breezes; birds singing; boats on the lake; families laughing and enjoying time together

{sigh!}

Yes, we are once again camping! For the next little while we are stationed at a campground in the beautiful mountains of northern Georgia, and this time Mama is with us for a few days. She is looking forward to much time sitting on the banks of the lake fishing for 'the big one'!

Mama

Why now? Why this week? Well, there are several answers to that, but the biggie is easy. One year ago today, my sweet Daddy was struggling to take his last breath, and about 9:00 pm one year ago, he went home to be in heaven. No more suffering, no more struggling, no more worries - just well deserved rest and peace!

Hubby - doing what he does best!

We decided this would be a good time to get Mama out of the house and let her fish and enjoy some time away. So here we are! And we are very fortunate that a cool front came through last night, so there was rain on the roof while we slept, and about mid-morning the sun burned away the fog and it is a beautiful day!

The girls, enjoying the sunshine!

We are so relaxed this morning it isn't even funny, and that is a wonderful thing! It's been a busy last few weeks, and hubby's job more stressful than usual, so it is a good time for a break.

My Craft 'Stuff'!

I brought more craft stuff than usual because we are only a couple of hours from home, and we brought both vehicles. Hubby pulled the camper here and I went by and picked up Mama and all her stuff and we came right behind him. I even brought my sewing machine, and I may pull it out in a little while - I'm in a sewing mood!

Breakfast Station

We set up a table just next to the camper and that's where the coffee pot stays, along with the toaster oven and such. It sure takes a lot of morning activity out of the camper and into the more open spaces.

Our canoe 'Red' is sitting by, waiting for her first cruise of this trip.

We look forward to several outings in our canoe called, for obvious reasons, Red. There is an island around the bend that we want to check out, but we'll probably do that early in the morning before boat traffic gets too heavy. It's so nice to be out on the water, with nothing but the sound of the water lapping on the side of the canoe, and paddles dipping into the water. (Another {sigh} here, please!)

Our home away from home!

The View

So here we are, chillin' and relaxing and enjoying some time away from the normal - whatever that is! And the underlying theme for me is 'joy'! Yes, today is not a day to be mourning or grieving! Daddy lived an amazing life, and he fought to live to the very end. But the last few years were horrible for him! Pain, weakness, declining health that he didn't understand and inability to do the things he loved was not living! And now he is in heaven, and he is happy and whole and walking upright (something he hadn't done in a long time) and living like never before. In fact, he's doing MUCH better than we are here on earth! So this is a day for rejoicing, and remembering the good memories and how much we loved him and he loved us.

And what better way to do that than be out in the open outdoors that he loved, and enjoying being together. He's here, too. I truly believe that he is watching from above and knows we are doing well. He is probably sitting around chewing the fat with his trucking buddies, or maybe walking the streets of gold with HIS daddy! And it's all good! I'll see him again some day, and then we'll never be apart again. What a blessed promise!

Have a wonderful week, friends! Becky

A Dream Come True!!!

2010-09-08T12:23:00.008-04:00

Did you see it??? That new logo over there to the right? The one that has a header of "I Design For . . . "? Yeah, that one! It's official! For a couple of years now I have had the goal of becoming a design team member for a card making challenge blog or some other card making 'enterprise'. Any number of applications later, and I have finally been chosen to be a member of the design team for . . .

Unscripted Sketches

Unscripted Sketches is a sketch challenge blog that issues a new sketch each Saturday that many people will turn into a greeting card based on their own individual take on the sketch. My responsibilities will be to make a card based on each sketch and any 'bonus' challenges, and visit the blogs of card makers who enter their cards in the challenge and leave them encouraging comments about their cards.

This is not a paid job, but it is my dream job! I'll now be doing what I love doing, all while being a member of a team of lovely ladies who share my passion for creating our own little pieces of art, and encouraging other folks in their own artistic efforts. Doesn't that sound like a dream to you?

In upcoming weeks I'll be getting to know the other team members, and learning all the ropes of the Unscripted Sketches organization. I hope to have my first card for the challenge on September 18th, so be sure and check back often! Life is so funny, and God is so good! I felt so good when I was preparing my application for this team, and every other time I have been so nervous and felt I wouldn't make that team.

I feel so blessed to be given this opportunity, and look forward to carrying out my duties with joy and a new level of creativity. Thanks for visiting today! Be back soon, Becky

Sweet Giveaway

2010-08-20T14:00:00.000-04:00

Hi there! Just a quick note to let you knw that The French Garden House is hosting a very sweet giveaway! You can find it by clicking on this link, or the picture in my right sidebar! Good luck!!!

Vacation Pictures

2010-07-27T22:25:00.000-04:00

Hi Folks! I'm sorry for such a long time between posts! They were kind of hard to do from the campground, and it's been very busy here since we got home. Just wanted to share some of the pics from our trip. You can click on each picture to make it larger. Enjoy the slide show!

High Country News

2010-07-19T13:29:00.000-04:00

Hello friends! Just a quick post to say "Hello from the beautiful North Carolina High Country"! We are camping near Boone, NC for a week to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary on Tuesday (7/20).

Yesterday (Sunday) we drove to Banner Elk, NC and visited an arts and crafts show, which was very nice - a bit pricey, but nice. The pic below is of the lines of booths where people had their wares.

A pretty cottage in town . . .

I loved these bird feeders with succulents on top . . .

A precious teashop - apparently for sale if anyone is interested . . .

and a very large and cool bottle tree . . . .

That's about it for now - I'll keep in touch while we are away! Blessings, Becky

I've Got IT Bad!!!

2010-07-14T11:02:00.000-04:00

BBS that is! It's Bad Blogger Syndrome, and I really do have it bad! But you see, these days life is just offering too many other opportunities and blogging is, sadly, taking a back seat! Let me update you on what's going on with me!

Summer - enough said! It's hot, humid, muggy and just overall messy. I have to say that I think summer and fall are my two least favorite seasons here in northern Georgia. But this summer has been a particularly hot one, so I am trying to stay in air conditioned places as much as possible.

Home Stuff - my gardening has been non-existent this year. So has cooking! These days I cook to eat, rather than for a creative outlet, so we eat what I cook and we like it. Period. The house is a mess, the bare necessities get done, but that's about it! Laundry - that gets done weekly, and I should be working on that now instead of sitting here typing to you! Hmmmmmmm, BRB .................. Okay, I got the clothes sorted into loads and the first load going, so I'm good for a few minutes! Anyway, you get the picture about how things are going around the house!

Farmgirl Stuff - in a word AMAZING! Our little group is growing by leaps and bounds! We had our July meeting this past Saturday, and our little Hen House was just packed! We had about 17 people in total, three (yes, 3) guest speakers, and the incredible joy of having 5 new ladies join our group!!! How wonderful is that!!!

Plus, we have two new community service projects we are getting involved in! First is a local church ministry and we will be partnering with them to help collect clothes, food, toys, school supplies, etc. for the people of a small mountain community north of here. A very exciting undertaking, and one of the ladies involved joined our group on Saturday.

Next is a project that I am chairing, and I am very excited about! In the August/September issue of Mary Jane's Farm magazine there was an article about a woman who is trying to help the people of the island of Luta (Rota) collect books for their 'bookstore'. The island is one of the Mariana Islands, a US Commonwealth which is located about 50 miles from Guam. Aimee Steiner, once in the marketing business, quit her job and found her mission, and I believe her heart, on this island where she is teaching people to read and that they can change their world if they learn to read. I have communicated with Aimee via email a few times, and she is such a sweetheart! Our chapter will be collecting new and gently used children's books, basic school supplies, and money to help cover the costs of shipping - which are incredibly expensive! Within hours of presenting this project to our group, one of our former members (who is moving out of state) had donated three boxes (approx. 100) of children's books, so we hope to send the first shipment as soon as we have raised money for shipping. If you would like to donate to our cause, please email me at mycamelliacottage@yahoo.com . You can find out more about Aimee's project HERE. I will keep you posted on our progress.

Thursday Night Craft Party is our weekly get together of the GA Farmgirls. Anyone who wants can come, bring a project to work on or help work on the GAFG scrapbook, or join a class. This week I am teaching how to make one of these . . .

. . . a Farmgirl Brooch. I will be selling the kits for $5 and teaching the class for free. Kits include detailed instructions and everything you need except scissors, needle and thread, and fabric glue, which I will be providing for the class. If you are interested in purchasing a Farmgirl Brooch kit, or one that is already made, please email me. I have them made out of new, or vintage fabrics in a variety of colors.

Personal - Things are really changing for me these days - in a good way! Opportunities are coming my way, and I am trying to make even more opportunities. One of our new farmgirl members has a gift shop (consignment) with low (reasonable) fees, and I am working on things to put into her shop for the fall and Christmas seasons. They also have groups that come through their farm for field trips, and she wants me to teach classes at their facility, and I am very excited about that opportunity! Another friend is working on opening up a shop with handmade and vintage treasures, and I hope to put things in that shop as well.

Hubby and I will be celebrating our Silver Wedding Anniversary next week, and are going away for a few days. Our dream had been to go to Hawaii for our 25th, but due to 'economic restrictions' that is not going to happen, so we will be camping in the North Carolina High Country instead.

Friends - And this falls under personal, but I wanted to share this with you separately. Those of you who read my blog know that when I joined the Farmgirls I met the chapter leader Mary Ann, and we bonded very quickly, and strongly. I am forever amazed at how much alike we are, but at the same time how different we are! We work together so well, she has strengths where I have weaknesses, and vice versa. We call each other 'sister', and I do feel like I have the sister I've always wanted! A real Soul Sister!

Mary Ann at her booth at the June Flea Market

Then came Phyllis!

Phyllis and me at Thursday Night Craft Party

Phyllis joined the farmgirls a month or two before me, and while I knew her, I didn't know much about her until she started coming to Thursday Night Craft Party. One evening Mary Ann and I were working at the Hen House, trying to get things organized and cleaned a bit, and Mary Ann suggested I call Phyllis and ask her to come join us. I called her and within 15 minutes she was there. We worked together so well, and the work was blended with love and laughter! And do you know what she said? Phyllis was standing at the table and she got quiet and said "Do you know, that in the 7 years that we have lived up here, no one has ever called me and said 'do you want to come over'! Since that night the three of us have become 'treasure hunting' buddies and so much more. We have even chosen 'aliases' that we can use for each other. They are old fashioned names, and I love them, and no, I'm not ready to share them with you yet!

For seven plus years I prayed for a neighbor, and now I have two. No, we don't live in the same neighborhood, Mary Ann is about 3 1/2 - 4 miles and Phyllis more like 8-10 miles, but I have found that being a neighbor is very much a 'state of the heart'. And to be honest, there's plenty of room in my neighborhood of the heart for new neighbors!

I am so grateful for the gifts God has blessed me with these days!!!

As a side note, as I am typing this I am watching a pair of Carolina wrens outside my window. It appears they are looking for a place to nest, poking their ~~noses~~ beaks in all kinds of places. Wrens are like that - they are always busy and perky and chirpy and getting things done. But do you know, I have no doubt that when one of them takes a break on a limb somewhere for a little rest, God will point out to them just the perfect place for their nest. Because it's when we rest in Him and listen and watch, and let Him do His work, that we find what we really needed all along. God is good like that!

Blessings friends! Becky

The Goods!

2010-07-07T09:33:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone! I hope you had a wonderful July 4th weekend! Hubby and I had a pretty quiet weekend for the most part, and it was great! Sunday night did end with a huge BANG! though, because apparently almost everyone in our area bought fireworks for the occasion and I've never heard such a racket! And there were some of the big guns in there, too! Huge booms that shook our house and rattled the windows!

We ate well over the weekend, too! Saturday night was a rotisserie chicken, Sunday night grilled pork chops, and Monday night some of the best ribs I've ever made - they were SOOOOO good!

But now, I wanted to show you all the goodies I sent to Kathi, my partner in the Vintage Vacation Swap. I have to say I have been a bit disappointed with this, my first swap. Communication with my partner has been minimal and I was looking forward to getting to know one another a bit. And I didn't know until I had already sent out my goodies that the leader had extended the dates for the swap, so while mine went out a day (I thought) early, it ended up being a week plus early! But it's okay, I haven't let this experience turn me against swaps, in fact I have already signed up for another one!

My theme for the 'vacation' was "A Trip to Paris", and one of the requirements for the swap was to give at least two vintage or thrifted items with a vacation theme. I found a vintage Paris hankie, a 1950's 'French Impressionists' book, and an old (based on the cars, probably 1940'sor 50's) post card of the Champs-Elysées in Paris.

Another suggestion was to add some items for your partner's stash. I was so lucky to find some vintage French satin ribbon - in Kathi's favorite colors of pink and aqua blue - on ebay for a song!

Another suggestion was something good to eat, and when Kathi said she loved chocolate, I found this great website called 'The Frenchy Bee' and ordered a French chocolate bar and some French cookies. The tin with the large pink button holds organic French lavender. I decorated it with some vintage fabric from my stash that has pink and purple fleur de lis scattered all over it. You'll see more of that fabric in a minute!

Something hand made was the last thing on the list, and I consider the hand made yoyo's from vintage fabric to be both something hand made AND something that she can use in her own creations. Aren't those fleur de lis pretty???

And last, but definitely not least is the biggie hand made item - a penant banner with the word CREATE for Kathi to put in her studio.

I made it from cardstock and a shiny pink organza ribbon, pink silk flowers, yoyos from the fleur de lis fabric, and all kinds of things like rubons, buttons, gems and pearls, millinery flowers, Stickles, etc. from my stash, and in the center, a tag with roses, a crown and French text from Bluebird Lane shop on Etsy. This was a lot of fun to make!!!

You know, sometimes things just come together like they are meant to be, and I sure hope Kathi likes her goodies. AND I can't wait to see what she has gathered for me!

I'm off to a friend's house to do some work for the GA Farmgirlls, so I'd better get with it! I'll talk to y'all later! Becky

Vintage Vacation Swap Update

2010-06-30T13:22:00.004-04:00

Hi Folks! Some of you remember this post telling you about joining in on my first blog swap. Well, the deadline for shipping out our packages is July 1st, and yesterday I lovingly packed up 5 different packages in pretty colored tissue paper, satin ribbon and white silk flowers, packed them all carefully into a USPS flat rate box, and it was just picked up by our postal carrier. She should have it in 2-3 days.

The rules said you had to give at least 2 vintage or thrifted items with a vacation theme, something hand made, something to eat, and maybe some craft supplies for your swap partner's stash.

I had a great time getting this box of goodies together for my partner, Kathi.

And I can't wait to see if she likes what I have chosen for her.

And I also can't wait to see what she's sending out to me.

But I guess I'll have to wait a few more days, just like she will have to wait.

I sure do hope she gets my package in the mail on time! The suspense is killing me!

I'll share what I receive, and what I sent to Kathi, as soon as all the 'swapping' is done. Blessings, Becky

'The Sale'

2010-06-29T23:06:00.000-04:00

Another quick note to tell you about 'the sale' this past Saturday. I had a booth at the Georgia Farmgirls Summer Flea Market, the first of four monthly flea market sales. As the blogger for the group, I did a good job of taking pics of everyone else's booths, but didn't get a one of my booth - so it goes!

My booth included some of my hand made crafts and greeting cards, older aprons, vintage linens, postcards, and vintage glassware, ceramics and porcelain. When all was said and done, after paying for my booth space, I made a bit over $100, so I was pleased. The aprons were popular, as were the vintage linens and my hand made greeting cards.

For more information on the sale, you can check out the Georgia Farmgirls blog HERE.

I'll be back tomorrow with an update on the Vintage Vacation Swap - my first adventure into the world of blog swaps! Take care, Becky

Quick Note

2010-06-26T05:56:00.000-04:00

Hello! I'm sorry it's been so long since I did a post, but I've been a busy girl this last couple of weeks! Since my last post I've been to Florida for a few days and have been working very hard to get things ready for the Georgia Farmgirls 'Summer Flea Market'! I've got all kinds of new goodies to sell, with 14 aprons and tons of vintage hankies, Victorian post cards, glassware, linens and MORE! And we've got some great vendors lined up , too. Today is the day, so I'll be back in the next day or two to tell you all about it. Until then, try to stay cool (seriously - it's too hot here!!!) and have a great weekend! Becky

Making Hay While The Sun Shines!

2010-06-13T10:01:00.000-04:00

Hi Folks! I hope you are all doing well and having a COOL weekend! Here in the hills of northern Georgia our high today should reach a chilly 97 degrees, with a heat index of over 100! How's that for summertime? But it's all good, because I plan on staying inside, doing some cooking, some crafting, AND some laundry in preparation for some packing!

All four ATC's

This week has been a whirlwind of activities! Monday was 'Mama Day', Tuesday was somehow lost - I just couldn't seem to get moving! Wednesdy was laundry day, Thursday was the Georgia Farmgirls 'Thursday Night Craft Party', and I taught a class on making artist trading cards, or ATC's. More on that in a minute!

Mary Ann's ATC

Then Friday was yard sales (a great treasure day!), a haircut, grocery shopping, and spending time with my two new neighbors Mary Ann and Phyllis at the henhouse getting it ready for our big June meeting and 1st birthday party, which was yesterday (Saturday). And the meeting/party was so great!!! We had 10 women and three children, we had a great business meeting where we talked about things we wanted to do and see happen in our group in it's 2nd year. Then we played games and had prizes and gift bags and cake and ice cream and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. To me, the best times were when we were all just chatting with each other, because that's when we shared tips and tricks and ideas about things - it was SO COOL!!!

Sarah's ATC

As for the ATC class on Thursday night, it was lots of fun! I did definitions of both art and artist first of all because I wanted to show the 'students' that everyone is or can be an artist. Then I did a brief history of ATC's, ACEO's and LTC's, ad then we each took an envelope that I had prepared ahead of time. Each one had a set of 6 identical farm type clipart pictures and a set of 6 identical sayings or quotes.

My ATC

I had the envelopes marked with 1 - 7 and each person chose a # and that is the one they got. Then we got to work and made four identical ATC's (there were 4 of us in the class) and it was just a blast! We shared ideas and projects, and every single person's designs were different, but they all blended together so well. We had all used stickles and they were still wet, so we agreed to leave them on a shelf at the henhouse, then display them at the meeting on Saturday, and then we traded them all after the meeting. It was a lot of fun, and the examples caused a stir of interest at the meeting yesterday.

Phyllis' ATC

It was a great week, and I had lots of fun, but I was exhausted by yesterday afternoon and slept for an hour, flat on my stomach on the sofa - and I never sleep on my stomach!

Oh! And remember up top I said something about some packing? Well, my friend has to go to the Florida panhandle for some business, and HAS to stay in a condo on the beach, and NEEDS me to go with her, so of course I couldn't say no! We'll probably be leaving on Wednesday and return on Saturday. The place we will be staying is already having oil on the beach, so I will take pictures and share what I found with you some time after we return. Hubby and the girls will stay here at home - this will be a girls only trip, and my first in over five years, so while it will partly be a business trip, we'll be sure to have some fun along the way!

Overall, for right now, life is good! I am so grateful that God has blessed me with not one, but two new neighbors! For almost seven years I have been praying for a neighbor, and now I have two!!! And no, we don't live in the same neighborhood. The distance between Mary Ann and me is @ 4 miles, and Phyllis is another 6-7 miles past her, but you know what? Just like being a farmgirl is a state of the heart, so is being a neighbor!!!

I'd better get off of here! I still have 2 posts to do on the GAFG blog, and I've GOT to get my kitchen cleaned up and cook a real meal tonight, or hubby might just fire me as chief cook and washer of dishes and clothes! And we wouldn't want that, now would we???

Take care, have a blessed week, and look for the little things in life that make the difference! Blessings, Becky

A First Time for Everything!

2010-06-08T12:14:00.000-04:00

So, in an ongoing attempt to get back into society and try to have a life, I've decided to participate in my first ever bloggers SWAP! I've seen people's posts about loving swaps and giving and getting such great treats, but never had the time, money or energy to participate. When I saw the post about THIS swap, I decided to jump in and give swaps a try.

Over the weekend I got the email with the contact info for my swap partner, and I must say I am excited! My partner's name is Kathi, she lives in Virginia and is a very busy single mom of four kids. Like me she loves papercrafting, vintage and defines herself as 'a shabby girl thru and thru'.

For this swap there is a $20 limit before shipping, and you must include at least two vintage or thrifted items, something handmade, something to eat, and possibly some crafty supplies.

I have already decided on my theme, started my crafty gift, and just this morning ordered the edibles from a great website I found the other day. Actually, that's what decided me on the theme I chose. I'll try to share a sneak peek from time to time, but I can't share too much until after Kathi recieves her gift some time in early July. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, you know!

Have a great day! Blessings, Becky