Life is Short...Use Your Grandmother's Silver

Or at least that's my motto...

I've been doing some cleaning and organizing which lead me to look for a better way to store my grandmother's silver given to me after she died.  That's when I decided, why STORE it just to bring it out only for special occasions??

I do love my Oneida cala lily...

...but I've used it every day for the last 20 years.  It's what I registered for when I was getting married,  and although I still think it's lovely, I'm a little over it.

So, I pulled out Grandma's beauties

...and decided these lovely pieces are going in the drawer.  I'm going to use them everyday!

Do you have something old that you use all the time just for the love of it?



Cute Easter Idea by Martha

Now, I don't have little, teeny girls (though it seems like they were yesterday), but I think I might bribe, um, beg, um, encourage them to join in this craft with me...

martha stewart.com

Yarn flowers!  Aren't they adorable, and so easy to make!  (For those of you from my era, it might just take you back to the majorette pom-pom making days!)

You can get all the "how-to"s right here.

Enjoy!

More About Prayer

I don't know why I find it fascinating...and humbling and amazing and lovely, but I do.  The whole concept of talking, just talking, to the God of the Universe, the great I AM, the very same God that holds the sun and the seas in his hand and thinks life's existence into being, who walked among us fully God yet fully man, who bore every sin, broke the chain of death victoriously...

and I can ask him to heal a friend, watch over my child, provide more, carry me, and HE DOES!

Here's what Beth Moore says about it:

     The privilege of prayer is the flagship proof that God created man to participate in His kingdom agenda and not just dangle from His fingers like a puppet.  That a sovereign God welcomes mere human beings to touch His heart and affect His work is nothing less than stunning.

"stunning".   Yes!

Come on Spring!

 

I love my little spring vignette, (E for Miss Em's March birthday), but the kite, well, the wind and the cold...thank you I've had enough I've enjoyed your expression of nature, but it's time to move on...

I've got spray painting to do...LOTS of spray painting, and brush painting, and yard cleaning...sigh.  The weather is just NOT cooperating with my plans!  (Hmmm, I wonder if that's where "I know the plan I have for you" comes in? (Jeremiah 29:11)

It's not like I don't have PLENTY of projects indoors...I made curtains for the sun room this weekend (pictures soon), made a pillow and started on another pillow, and still want to stencil a small hallway and make spring curtains for my living room, so maybe one more week of cold wouldn't be SO bad. 

  

And HEY, if you're stuck inside too, check out my friend Josie's blog and see how to make these:

Paint by Josie

Aren't they gorgeous?  She's so talented!  Check out her blog here!

Hope you're inspired this week!

Faux Design Faux Pas!

I made a mistake, a boo-boo, I messed up!  The earrings I shared with you in the last post were NOT from Anthropologie (sorry Anthro--love you anyway).  They were from lenoradame.com!! I had seen a picture of them on Maggie's blog, saved the picture in my collection and thought I had seen it on Anthro when I went to make them!  So, if you want to BUY them, that's where you go and thanks lenora dame for the inspiration!

Anthropologie Inspired Earrings

I found these earrings on the Anthropologie website

They aren't there anymore, but I think they were over $70!  So, I made my own

It's not a great picture, but they are really cute, and NOT heavy and I made them for about $10! These are the items I used from HOBBY LOBBY...

You can do it too!

IKEA TRIP

I'm so excited about my Cincinnati trip this past weekend.  Now, I know some of you "I've got an IKEA I just down the street" people, don't think IKEA is a big deal, but when you have to drive 3 hours to the closest one, you get excited!

I  found this lovely little mirror...

29.99!  The picture doesn't do it justice, but I swear it looks like something out of a little antique shop---.  I want to put it in a little hallway between my bedroom and bathroom in which I really want to do painted wallpaper

Jones design company

You can find the tutorial HERE!

My sis in law was looking for material for her house.  Most of the material at IKEA is fun and whimsical and since I've already picked out "fun" material for the window treatments in  my sunroom, I was left looking only for the material for my dining room.  I've found lots I like but it's LOTS expensive.  I had no thoughts of finding the right material until I ran upon these...

Now I know you can't tell much by the picture, but it's a sheet!  It's a dark grey and what you CAN'T  see is the lovely sheen it has!  I think with lining and a touch of black velvet ribbon trim (PS ribbon by the roll is 50% off at HL this week!)  they'll be perfect in my black and white dining room.  And the best part, I bought 4 twin flat sheets for a total of $29!  (Yeah, I know, the lining fabric will probably cost more than that, but hey, a deal is a deal!)

Of course, I bought cookies and lingenberries---if you've never eaten there, I personally think it's worth the drive for the cookies, but that's just me! Let me know if you go and what you love there!