Sunday Thoughts

Sunday afternoon and I am still not feeling well! Goodness, I just hate being sick and this has lasted too long. I have absolutely no energy and have been sleeping and napping a lot! I am not a napper, so this is really kind of strange for me.
My daughter says the grandkids are ok now and back to normal. I just hope the mama doesn't come down with this.
So, I am going to try to have a JOYFUL heart the rest of today! I need some of the Lord's good medicine. I really need to get over this and get back to normal. So that is my prayer!

Sick Grandchildren=Sick Grandma!

After caring for the sick Otto and Ava last week, Grandma Linda has been sick! I have lost most of this week and just haven't been able to get much done. The kids are better now and I am hoping that tomorrow I'll have my energy back and be ready to go. I just hate being sick!

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! Spending the day alone as Jimmy is off on a fishing trip. I am still not feeling well. Spending a quiet day thinking of those who gave so much for my freedom and for those family members and friends who are no longer here. I hope you are enjoying this holiday. 

Sunday Thoughts

Good morning blogger friends and a happy Sunday to you all. Lots of thoughts seem to be flooding my mind this quiet holiday Sunday. It was a busy week, a full week and an emotional week. I managed to pick up my little Otto's cold, so now grandma has a stuffy nose and a sore throat. That's ok...it's all worth it.

I came across this quote and it made me think of some of our recent discussions at bible study. We have been talking about the GIFTS that each of us are given. Are we really using those gifts? Are we thankful for those GIFTS?

One of the problems I seem to have lately is just rushing through the weeks! I strongly believe that I have been given my GIFTS to be used for a purpose and I know that God has a purpose for me and my life! I get too busy and caught up in things sometimes. I need to slow down and pray and take time to think!

So, I hope you have a good week ahead. We have a holiday tomorrow and maybe you will have a bit of time to reflect on your purpose and your GIFTS. 

Tea Time Thursday #77 and a New Craft!

What's this sweet little charm doing hanging around on a lace ribbon? It's part of a new craft and fun adventure I am embarking on! A friend of mine that I first met on ATAA (Afternoon Tea Across America) introduced me to it all! Belinda is also a member of my Tasha Tudor group called Take Peace. She was posting these fun pictures on her FB page and I just had to ask her what she was doing! She very kindly gave me an introduction to POCKET LETTERS and POCKET LETTER PALS. This was all new to me and so fun! This is the finished project below...all rapped up and ready to post.

So, what is a POCKET LETTER?  A POCKET LETTER was created by Janette Lane....a very talented young lady who just took off with this creation. Yes, she has a blog and it is really helpful to pop on over to Janette Lane for more information and instructions. Half of the fun is gathering pretty scrapbook papers, fun embellishments, ephemera, tea...all kinds of fun things that are fairly flat.

You will need to buy baseball card holders...they have 9 pockets and that's where the POCKET LETTER idea comes from. Janette has a plan on her blog that gives you a plan to follow. I didn't follow it that closely as I just got into it and the plan come together! I did use a coordinating little book of scrapbook papers and that made the base very easy for me. I'm a quilter, so it was kind of like putting a paper quilt together....a nine patch! The wording on some of my papers gave me some direction as to what to add to that pocket.

It's not easy to see what I added to my pockets with the shine on the pockets, but I think you can get the idea here. It was fun to use a lot of paper items that I already had in my crafting room...you know, those things that you save (if you're a crafter or a pack rat) that you just might "use" someday! I had the little envelopes for years and they were perfect to hold buttons, vintage stickers, and flowers. The teapot picture in the right hand corner is filled with a tea bag.

This is a better pictures to study the treats in each pocket! I think these would be so very fun to do for the holidays. I'm going to start collecting bits and pieces as I find them. I have 5 snail mail Pen Pals with my ATAA group. This would be great to surprise them with a different type of letter!

I did make one mistake. You are supposed to add a letter in one of the pockets about yourself! I did send Belinda a letter, but I didn't add it to one of my pockets. I guess I know her well enough and I didn't really think I had to introduce myself, as I did with my regular Pen Pals. I am going to meet her in July in Vermont at a Tasha Tudor Gathering. Fun fun fun!I don't think she reads my blog, so I hope she doesn't see this before it arrives in Florida next week.

Oh yes, it is Tea Time Thursday! I thought this new teacup would be a nice one to add with the Pocket Letter. It is so dainty and I love that it has roses AND forget-me-nots. Of course I am going to like it~it has a flower cluster inside the cup.

It is decorated with such pretty flowers and don't you like the footed cup? That's another winner in my book.

I think this would be lovely on a piece of fabric. I would buy it for sure. I live just outside of Portland, Oregon....the City of Roses....so I just love roses, especially pink roses.

The cup is bone china, made in England by Rosina. I didn't use to thing that much about Rosina cup and saucers but I am beginning to really like some of the patterns.

Thank you for sharing my enthusiasm about tea time and crafting. Thank you for your sweet comments on my recent post. I continue to keep these families in my prayers.

Loss

This week has been a week of sadness and saying good bye for my family and  for my friend's families. My friend Lynda calls it a SEASON OF LIFE and so it is. My Uncle Bill passed away on Monday. He was the baby in my mom's family and the last living sibling. I guess that it just sparked so many memories of growing up! He was the fun uncle who was only 11 years my senior. He took my brother and sister and me for ice cream, to the store, for a ride in his cool convertible car and even took us to the drive in movie with his date! Thank you Uncle Bill for being a good uncle. You will be missed.

My dear blogger friend Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose lost her beloved grandfather yesterday morning. I am thankful that she was able to travel to Arizona to see her grandfather before he passed away. She so loved him and I know it will be very hard for her to be without him in her life.

Our sister in law Julie lost her mother two weeks ago and then lost her brother to heart disease shortly after. That's a lot to handle for her family.

So as I write this post tonight, I am praying for all these families who are very sad tonight. May God bring you peace and comfort as you work though your grief. Let your friends and loved ones comfort you...be kind to yourself. 

Sunday Afternoon

The sun came out this afternoon and it's so peaceful outside. We got most of our flowers planted yesterday and it sure looks pretty in the sunshine! We are resting this afternoon and just soaking in the beautiful day. Aren't you glad the Lord gave us a day of rest?

I like this quote that I found and am using it for my Sunday Thoughts post today. I am going to try to focus on these things this coming week.....DANCE*LOVE*SING*and LIVE! My little Otto can do all these things, so surely, I must be able to do the same !

Enjoy today and I hope you have a good week ahead!

Tea Time #76...A Bit of Crafting Fun and Another UFO Finished!

A few years ago, my good friend LaVonne (yes, the one I talk about ALL the time), brought me this cute little tea pot lamp for my Mary Engelbreit sewing and crafting room. I think it had a white shade when it arrived. I wanted to decorate it a bit to go with my room, but just never got around to it!
So I decided I needed a little crafting fun in my life and I wanted to get it done!

I've been wanting to play around with Yo Yo's and after looking on YouTube and reading up, I decided to try the new tools by Clover. I started out with this green sized one, but it really makes pretty small Yo Yo's.

So off to the crafting store I went for a large size, which is the size I should have bought the first time. But, I did use both sizes and the smaller one is great for dolly things and card making.

It's really easy to use. You put the fabric in the disk, cut around it about 1/4" or so, sew in and on the outside of the disk, take off the disk and gently pull the fabric, easing it a bit to make your circle.

Adding a button in the center will secure the Yo Yo. I did make a few stitches to catch the center before I sewed on the button.

Here's an assortment of small and larger Yo Yo's waiting to be used on the lampshade.

I used the glue gun and put down a row of bright yellow rick rack first. Then I added the large Yo Yo's, spacing the around the shade and filled in with the small ones.

I added a bright yellow ribbon around the top of the teapot and set it with one more small Yo Yo.
All finished! It was fun and I learned a new craft. I really enjoy working with ME fabrics with all the fun colors and prints.

I picked up this little guy at the last doll show. He's pretty cute and is happy living in my room.

Time for a cup of tea to celebrate another UFO finished! Of course I must use a ME cup and saucer. This is a new one that Jimmy found for me at an estate sale a few weeks ago! Not bad for $2! I've been on the hunt for them as I am hoping to use them for a party this summer.

Mother's Day 2015

This weekend was a busy one at our house over Mother's Day! Jimmy brought these beautiful flowers home for me. He's such a sweetie who loves to give me flowers.  I was gifted with cash to finish buying my flowers for my flower gardens. I did get some things planted on Friday. The weather has turned wet, so I will have to wait to finish.

Our SIL took our daughter Angie to Seattle for the Neil Diamond concert for her Mother's Day gift. We got Otto Saturday afternoon and had him until yesterday afternoon. The weather was warm and sunny, so we had some outside time. Gina came down from Seattle to visit me and help with Otto!

I got him this cute little chair...just perfect for the upcoming summer weather! He wanted Gina to sit right next to him.

His mommy made sure he had his summer hat. I am amazed at how he likes hats!

Settling down for the night...cozy blanket time!

Can you see the love in Auntie Gina's eyes and heart?

Grandpa made this sign to send to Otto's mommy in the morning on Mother's Day! Gina and Jim made breakfast for me...yummy!

After breakfast, we went over to Papa John's for a visit. He hadn't seen Gina or Otto for awhile. Just fun.

Otto's KITTY is always with him! We have to make sure he doesn't leave him behind.

On the way home, we had to stop for some ice cream. A treat for Mother's Day for all!

Thank you so much Gina and everyone for making my Mother's Day very special. I love being a mama and a grandma.  God has blessed me with wonderful daughters and a wonderful little grandson.

Tea Time Thursday #75

Pansies! Can you ever get enough pansies? I have always loved them and I always seem to buy a few more every year. I love the color of this variety I got a few weeks ago.

Welcome to Tea Time Thursday. I do look forward to this post each week. I try to share something tea related every Thursday. As we get ready for Mother's Day this weekend, I thought it would be fun to do a pansy blog.

This is another recent find! The color of the cup is really a cobalt blue. It looks more black in the photo but it is quite a lovely deep blue. I love all the pansies surrounding the saucer and the little bouquet inside the cup.

The teacup is bone china, made in England~a Crown Staffordshire. English. You have to love the English teacups. I wonder how many different patterns there are? Amazing!

This tea book was given to me in 2005 for my birthday by my dear friend Ann. It's a sweet collection of delightful tea stories and recipes. I enjoyed reading through it again and of course, my mind drifted to all the teas I have had with my friend. Ann has finally retired so I am looking forward to more teas!

I love vintage postcards and I think this one is so pretty. It is post marked 1910 and has a penny stamp on the back side. Pansies for thoughts......

I also love to collect vintage calling cards. I just added a few lovely ones to my collection and this is one! Lots of pansies. I think I need to do a post on my calling cards soon.

Here's a little poem to enjoy from the tea book by John Milton....

On May Morning

Hail, Bounteous May! That does inspire
Mirth, and youth, and warm desire;
Woods and groves are of thy dressing;
Hill and dale doth boast they blessing.

Thus we salute thee with our early song,
And welcome thee, and wish thee long.