Pamper Yourself Friday

Does your bedroom soothe you?  Is it a haven, a peaceful place where you can rest and relax?  I worked hard to give mine that type of atmosphere.  Not just because I sleep there, but also because I read there, watch TV, and sew in my bedroom.

It's the little things that make a room special  and give it character.

So pamper yourself ~ fill your bedroom with things that reflect your unique  personality and bring you joy.  

   

  Stay warm and have a pampered weekend.  

  Linking with ~ Common Ground for Be Inspired Friday ~ French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday ~ The Shabby Nest for Frugal Friday ~ How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday     

Let Them Eat Cake

This sign is so me . . . my sentiments exactly.  

image via Sea Swept Hair   When I was younger and used to bake cakes, I would eat cake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner ~ until it was gone.  Not exactly a healthy diet.  I don't do it anymore ~ but mostly because I know better than to bake or buy cakes.  I must admit,  I have been know to eat a whole package of mini cupcakes in one day.  I just have absolutely no self control when it comes to cake.  

images via Rhondas Rose Cottage Designs, Ana Rosa and Hepsylone .    But these cakes are just to pretty to eat.  Maybe ~ just maybe I could resist if presented with a cake this beautiful.  ~ Linking with ~ Hope in Every Season for Homemaking Linkup Weekend

Pretty Posies

Pretty posies to celebrate the pretty weather we're having.  

images via Cowparsley   A few days welcome reprieve from the bitter cold temps of last week.  Snow in the forcast later this week, but today my heart feels like skipping, doing cart wheels, and singing. ~ Giving thanks for pretty weather, sitting on the porch in January with a friend, and tasty new recipes.  

Longing for Spring

I can't seem to help it.  Ever since those few glorious 60-degree days this month,  I can't get spring off my mind. I feel like these pansies ~ with face to the sun, patiently waiting for warmer days.  

image from here   The other day while walking the dog, I saw a few dandelions blooming ~ in the middle of January ~ brave souls.  

 image via here    Oh well ~ now that the January thaw is past, it's time to hunker down for the next six weeks of winter.  Spring is just a few calendar pages away.  In the meantime ~ stay warm.  ~ Giving thanks today for 60 degree days in the middle of winter, cheerful pansies, and brave sun shiny yellow dandelions.

Scripture Sunday ~ Peace Be Still

And he arose, and commanded the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  

images via Seafoam, R-ainbows, and Crumpled Envelope   And he said unto them, Why are you so fearful?  How is it that ye have no faith?   And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? Mark 4:39~41  

images via Indigo Crossing, Seafoam, and Alexandra Grablewski    Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:  not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled,  neither let it be afraid. John 14:27 ~ Linking with    The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays  

Friday Pretties

Vintage linens are a favorite of mine.  I find them so hard to resist.  I think it's because they are reminders of a gentler time ~ a time when we as women were allowed to look and act like ladies.  

  When it was fashionable to be "feminine" instead of "sexy".
 

   I find their sweetness to be most refreshing. ~ Linking with ~ French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday ~ Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday  ~  

 

Fresh Snow

A fresh layer of snow last night and still bitterly cold . . .  

  . . . giving thanks today for a warm home, snugly throws, and hot chocolate.

Spring Came to Visit

Spring came to visit my house today.   While walking through the dining room, I found a small pale yellow butterfly on the floor.  I was a little startled since one doesn't usually see a butterfly in mid January. I bent over and to my surprise, it was alive.  So I gently picked it up and set it in some dried hydrangea flowers from last summer.  

  I ran to grab my camera to capture this surprise and unique visitor. I wonder where it came from ~ certainly not from outside since it's only 10 degrees today. Maybe there was a cocoon hidden somewhere in the house and it just emerged.  

     I set the hydrangea on a table so she could sun herself in the warm winter rays filtering in through the window.  She seems perfectly content there, but I'm not sure how to keep her alive.  I think I'll have to run to the grocery store and buy her some fresh potted flowers and find a way to give her a drink. How sweet of her to come to visit and bring with her the hope of spring. ~ Linking with   A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday ~ How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday 

A Merry Heart

A merry heart does good like a medicine:  but a broken spirit dries the bones.     Proverbs 17:22  

  Considering what this verse says, do you need some medicine  to make your heart laugh and be merry? Here are a few laughing pills ~ take as needed. ~ This little fellow makes me smile every time I see him.  

  images via Crumpled Envelope    Are you smiling yet?  

 image via Sara C Mills   Ready for a belly laugh?  This next picture was captioned, "Ready for Walmart".  

image via Sphoto    Hope you make the time on this cold and snowy wintery day to laugh and be merry as this little fellow obviously is.    

 image via Pinmarket - A Life's Design  

Scripture Sunday ~ Seasonal Beauty

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven . . .    Ecclesiastes 3:1  

 images via ZsaZsaBellagio, Wistfully Country, Stellarsky   Finding beauty and meaning in every season of life is something I am striving to learn and allow God to work into my life.    

images via Cowparsley, favim, Crumpled Envelope   Thanking God for His patience and the many seasons  He has given me to learn.  

I Think it's a Sign

Have you noticed that berries are getting less expensive in the grocery stores lately?  I think it's a sign that spring is just around the corner.  Or, at the very least, it's spring somewhere and fresh fruit is on its way to market at affordable prices again. I never pay more than than $2 a pound for strawberries and I found them last week for $1.66.  That can only mean one thing at my house ~ berries on oatmeal, berries in smoothies,  berries on ice cream, and anything else I can think of.  

 images via jelanie, catch my party, martha stewart, cowparsley     This week they have blackberries 10 for $10.  So soon, I'm off to the grocery store to pick up some for eating and some to freeze.  

 images via tumblr, michaelkhong, kitchen corners, cupcakes garden      I try to eat as much fresh fruit as I can, especially when it is affordable ~ not only because it's healthy, but just because I love it. ~  Have a berry happy weekend.   

Framed Wallpaper

Do you ever go through your stash of accumulated stuff and try to make something pretty out of it instead of buying more stuff?  I call them my "someday projects". Well ~ I picked up a box of these old plastic frames at an estate sale several years ago and never did anything with them until now.  

    Started out by painting two coats of Caromal Color "bright white" on them.  I used this paint because it sticks to anything.  Even with two coats of paint, there was some bleeding through, but it came through as a very soft and subtle aqua color and really looked rather lovely.  

   The inside of the frame came with an old velvet maroon mat with a raised edge.  I wasn't sure what to do with the velvet mat at first, but I started by painting the raised edging white to match the frame.  

   Then I had to decide what I was going to put in this frame since I wanted to sell it on Etsy.  I finally decided on some vintage wallpaper that I downloaded and printed in two separate sizes.  I've had this download for quite awhile, and you can find it at The Graphics Fairy website.  The inside paper was sized through Photoshop to be 3x5 inches and the outside paper I sized at 5x7 inches.  I cut out the inside of the 5x7 piece and glued it onto the top of the velvet  mat and then taped the 3x5 piece onto the back of the mat opening. And here is how it turned out.  

  I love the softness of this wallpaper combined with the frame.  The pastel colors make me long for spring and summer roses.  

  It pairs up beautifully with this vintage doily I found at the Scott's Flea Market last year.  They make the perfect wedded couple ~ don't you think?  

  I can't even imagine the time and skill it took to make this lovely doily.  

    Soft and sweet ~ as everything in life should be.  ~ Linking with ~ French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday ~ Common Ground for Be Inspired Friday ~ The Shabby Nest for Frugal Friday ~  How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday