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   

Winter Blues

After our few days of unseasonable spring weather last weekend, I find myself with the winter blues. Only one way to cure that ~ make a happy blue and white collage and hang on until spring.  

~ Linking with ~ Faded Charm for White Wednesday 

The Beauty of Texture

I was sitting at my dining room table working on my work laptop and couldn't help but be fascinated with all the different designs and textures in this vignette on my hutch.  

  Some of this silver was recently cleaned and some of it is still waiting its turn, but even so they play well together.  

   Textures intrigue me.  I love working and decorating with color, but textures are fast becoming my favorite way to display and design.  I love the combination of the different patterns of silver and glass together.  

  The backdrop for this vignette is a lovely old chippy corbel that has a beauty all its own.  

  I would love to know its history, how old it is, where it lived originally, and where it has been in between then and now.   Age has been kind to this chippy old corbel and left it more beautiful from its years of living.  

   I purchased this piece of pottery at a barn sale last year.  It isn't old, and I'm probably its first owner, but it has a look of age and history that I find appealing and beautiful.  

  Love the roses that so beautifully adorn this simple pot.  

   Finding beauty in the simple things.  I hope I can age as beautifully as these lovely time worn items.  

  ~  Linking with ~ The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays ~ A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesdays     

Winter Mantel

This is the mantel that I used for Christmas, but since it didn't have any red in it, I decided to keep it for the duration of winter.  

  It is full of woodsy, earthy colors that go perfectly with my sofa and the rest of the room.  

  I know some people miss the bright Christmas colors, but I felt like my rooms were more calming when I put all the red Christmas decor away for another year.  I like the calming effect of winter whites, winter greens and the rusty shades of brown.  

  All I need to do is replace the evergreens every once in awhile with clippings from the pine trees outside to keep it looking fresh.  

  Wooden sleds, ice skates and rusty snowflakes carry on the winter theme.  

  

  I love to change my pillow covers and look for any excuse to do so.  New winter covers complete the winter white/woodsy effect.   

  A few lit candles, a comfy knit throw, a mug of hot chocolate, and a good book make  the winter nights go quickly and quietly.  

  ~ Linking with ~ The Shabby Nest for Frugal Friday ~ My Romantic Home for Show and Tell