A New Years Blessing for You

As we say goodbye to 2012 and look toward the new year with hope, my prayer is that you will be blessed with His richest blessings!
Here are a few quotes I found to bring in the New Year.

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. ~Bill Vaughan  (Frankly, I'm not a New Year's kind of girl, so I'm usually in bed by that time).

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce (I love this one...maybe I'll do more in my art journal for this one)

I Am the New Year
I am the new year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.
I am your next chance at the art of living. I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months.
All that you sought and didn’t find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it but with more determination.
All the good that you tried for and didn’t achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.
All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed but did not have—these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose. I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to Him who said, "Behold, I make all things new."

           i found it here
Blessings,

Isaiah 66:9

 
                                                   i found it here

Blessings,

Home for the holidays

 

Here is one of my creations.  She was a gift at one of those white elephant gift swaps - you know - the ones where you can steal someone else's gift?  It is fun unless you are the one that gets it stolen AND you really WANTED it.  I have been to three of those this month...sigh...=0)
Today we are posting about being home for the holidays and I cannot wait!  I love being home!  One of the things I would tell my boys when they were young is that home is a nice place to be.  One day we had gone to run some errands and we were just rounding the corner to our home and my oldest son 9 about five years old then) said, "There's home... a nice place to be."  It made my heart swell.
I hope you have a very blessed Christmas and that you can "be" with your loved ones even if it is in your heart.
Linking today with Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Blessings,

Radiance

 

One of my students had this on her notebook and her brother in law had created it for her.  I just love the writing and how it was colored.  Of course, Mrs. Lewis had to ask if he would make her one.  Oh yes, I cannot wait to get it!  I looked up the meaning of the name "Esmerelda" and it means "emerald".  That would fit.  This young lady is a gem.  
In keeping with quotes, here is the quote for today:  Proverbs are mental gems gathered in the diamond districts of the mind.
Blessings,

Marvelous Monday

I am so far behind and I'm workin' like crazy.  Hmmm....perhaps I have bitten off more than I can chew...again...
Anyway, just a note to say that I will be by soon!  Thank you for always stopping by and blessing me with your wonderful comments.
Here is a peek at some of what I have been doing...
 This is a repurposed clipboard with rhinestones on the clip and I used scrapbook paper and clippings from magazines on the actual board itself.

 This I love!  I have wanted to do some carolers for a couple of years now and I finally did.  Like me, they are a work in progress.  I am going to two parties and need a $10 gift to bring, so I am bringing these.

Thank you so much for taking a peek.  I hope you have a Marvelous Monday!


Blessings,

Deck the halls

Deck the halls with boughs of meee Holly, falalalala lala la la.
I'm getting ready to go and deck the halls
  

                  i found it here
 It was a little heavy, but I got it inside.

 Now, tell me, what do you think of this wreath?
 
              i found it here
 I wanted to make sure that when I showed people how I decked the halls, that I was also decked out.
Festive, don't ya think?

               i found it here
Tell me honestly, is it too much?  Does it hide my hips?

This one really is from my home....I decorate in pinks and greens, Victorian, angels, and anything along that theme.
Thank you so much for stopping by.  I have to go now, because I have got some shopping to do.  Please be sure to tell Beverly at How Sweet the Sound "hello" and Merry Christmas!

Blessings,

newlywed advice

I gotta admit that I am a quote-a-holic.  Is there such a thing?!  I love quotes.  Every day, I begin my classes with quotes and ask the students what they think each quote means.  This year has been fun trying to post quotes during the weekdays and I appreciate so much your staying with me and laughing or sharing your thoughts with me.  I have about three more weeks to come up with more quotes to share.  Let's hope I can stay with it until the end!  I think you'll like this one.  It cracked me up. . .it's advice you might give to a newlywed . . or not. . .
Are you ready. . .

Drum roll please. . . .

The first 50 years are the hardest. 
  
                              I found it here
 Doesn't that just crack you up?  See?  They are laughing. . .
Blessings,

and the winner is...

 

I am so late posting this - so sorry!! The winner of the giveaway I had in November is Jillian with Bella Rosa Antiques.  I hope you love it, Jil!  Thank you all so much for participating! You really do make my day with your kind words!

In keeping with my daily (almost) quotes, I found one I thought was fitting....it made me laugh anyway...
"I have noticed that the people who are late are often so much jollier than the people who have to wait for them."  (ROFL because I would be the jolly one)
Blessings,

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

 
                                                             I found it here
Just stopping by to bring you some Christmas cheer!  Now please stop by and visit the other Pink Saturday participants - especially our lovely hostess, Beverly!
Blessings,

Pinterest Christmas

 I thought I would show you some of the great ideas that I have found on Pinterest in case you were feeling bored this month of December. (you know that was a joke, right?!)
I just need to find a cloche to do this one.

          i found it here
Isn't this a cute idea.  It reminds me of what I did one year.  I wrote in gold metallic (the names of friends I had invited over for a Christmas tea) on some ivory colored satin balls. I tied a gold bow at the top and presented them with their own personal ornament and ended it by saying: The ornaments of a house are the friends who frequent it.  Cute, huh?! =0)

             I found it here
Love this look
 
          i found it here
and last but not least

                 i found it here

Blessings,

22 days

 
I was thinking today about people I know who have lost loved ones and how this can be such a difficult time of year.  I have thought about how they are there for each other even though they also hurt.  Then I wonder that in their being there for the other person if that helps ease their pain.  What do you think?
I also know that when we do give to others how wonderful it feels.  We can tuck that feeling inside our heart and hide it from all except God who sees everything.  I want to do it different this year.  Admittedly, I am one of those who has got caught up in the Christmas hubbub and have not given Christ the spot He deserves.  I hope that I can share His love more with others not only this season but beyond.  I know that those of you who stop by are wonderful givers because you do so when you go around and visit other blogs leaving a message of encouragement or just making others feel good because you were there.
Christmas blessing to you all!

Whatever is good. . .

 
                                                                         I found it here
 I hope you are having a good day. 

                                   I found it here
 I have to say that sometimes my mind is not where it ought to be...our mind really is a battlefield.  I like to think of this verse and then pray that God will help me to think on such good things.  Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope you are having a great one!
Blessings,

He's got this one!

             I found it here

Amen to this one, sister!
I heard a quote the other day from minister Barbara Brown Taylor.  I don't know if I can quote it exactly right, but I think you will get the gist of it: Despair is a greater sin than pride because despair says my problem is bigger than what God can handle. Ouch!  I hope that this is just a gentle reminder that He has it under control!

Blessings,

Thankful for Pink

 
               i found it here



                 i found it here

                           i found it here
Is there a better color to be thankful for than PINK?!  I think not!
Happy Pink Saturday to Beverly and all those wonderful pink ladies!

Blessings,

Christmas goodies

Do you remember the other day when I told you about the snack with almond bark?  Well, looky at what I found.  I am SO trying this!  I thought I'd share.  I can't tell you how it tastes other than to say that those on Pinterest think it is the bomb!
It is called Christmas White Trash
 
 I found it here
Blessings,

What not to do

 
I found it here
I have been wanting some more icicles for our Christmas tree.  I love those beautiful long crystal pieces that glisten as they reflect the Christmas lights.  Well, being the spendthrift that my husband wants me to be, I thought this sounded like a great idea.  Do you know what these are made from?  Plastic water bottles.  Yep!  We have a few of those around our house.  I thought it was a great idea and the picture looks great!  Apparently, you have to do these a few thousand times for it to turn out like these.  This is my personal what not to do...I am not telling you not to.  By all means, please try it and tell me how many times I can expect to do these before they come out looking good. sigh!  Sometimes I am just craft challenged.


Blessings,

I am thankful for creative people

This year I am busy teaching 5th and 6th graders and I try to incorporate some craft ideas.  Being one who believes in using what you have (especially when there is minimal budget), I like to go green.  I have been having the students save toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls.  God love one of my 5th grade students.  His grandmother works at a nursing home and I bet that three days a week he brought me bags of rolls.
Here is the project that we just finished.  Can you say, "Glad to be done with that project?"  Whew!  I've never been so tired of seeing paper cones!  I went to our local library sale and they had a table full of old books that they were throwing away.  That's a hoarder's creative person's dream!  I got a box full of books with aged papers and I was busy using an Xacto knife to cut out the pages.  I taught the students how to make cones and the 5th grade class went to town! (You've heard of the show, "What Not to Wear"?  Well, I should do a blog of what not to do and I would say don't do this one with 50 some students. Can you say "stressed"? I do love those students though and they came up with some very creative ideas!)

 Here is where I found this project.
Blessings,

i am thankful for Chocolate

I am thankful for chocolate!  Yes, I really am!  I admit it!  Where would we be without chocolate?  It is an aphrodisiac or so I've heard. . .  .It is a mood lifter, a girlfriend get togetherer, the best dessert EVER.
I thought I'd share a couple of recipes that have chocolate in them.  These went over really well at some get togethers.  So, if you are looking for a way for people to say, "You are the best cook EVER", then you might want to try one of these.

I found it here
and one that you can use at fall time.  I'd swap out the candy corns for some festive red and green candies

I found this one here

Enjoy!
Blessings,