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The most recent issue of Romantic Country magazine (which was again a pure visual delight in it's entirety) had a "Special Section" featuring pictures from old seed catalogs. The pictures are just lovely! For one thing, I have great respect for anyone who can draw or paint in exquisite detail. Secondly, I just love flowers. So, this section was a delight. I have representations of seed catalogs/packets around my home including a set of four small plates on one wall--two of which are seen here. The plate rack is in our hallway and hard to take a picture of, so I couldn't get a good picture of all the plates. I also have the Scott's Roses poster in my laundry room. You've seen it before in another post, but I thought I'd include it again since we were on the subject and since I like the poster so much. Also...another thing....I am very BIG on how things look...the packaging of a product is of utmost importance to me especially if it is a gift. If something doesn't look good, I don't buy it. Unless it is for my immediate family's utilitarian needs, I will always buy something if offered the choice, thought it may be a little more expensive, with the pretty packaging. With this in mind, I used to own a gift basket business (maybe more on that another day) and used Renee's Garden seed packets exclusively because they were so beautiful. The artwork whether for veggies, fruit, herbs, or flowers is gorgeous. The packets were slightly more costly than other seeds, but were much more presentable as a gift than any other seeds I could find (not to mention quality seeds). So, if you were to give someone some seeds for a gift, I would highly recommend Renee's Seeds (sold either on her site or at finer green houses), a few packets of which are also pictured here. Think spring!
January is "National Hot Tea Month". It is snowing and blowing and cold outside here today, so I thought it would be a perfect day in a perfect month to encourage all who read this to grab a steaming cuppa in a lovely teacup and sip to your warmth and health. AND, if you'd like to do some pleasant, tea-related browsing on the web while sipping that hot cup of tea, check out Time Was Antiques for a feast of wares for the tea lover. Their inventory of tea items--all kinds of different tea items, old and new--is very extensive. Enjoy your day!
Watched "Pride and Prejudice" again last night with my hubby (a good watch on one's wedding anniversary). He gave it to me as part of my anniversary present (along with a fluffy light pink bathrobe and perfume), and I'm a pathetic, total, and incurable romantic...just can't help it! Love the warm, fuzzy feeling of a good love story (perfect with feeling warm and fuzzy on the outside in that new bathrobe). So, while romance is on my mind, here is yet another swap I'm recommending. This swap is simple and sweet. What could be better than making a little hear-shaped, handcrafted, Valentine item? Visit Prim and Whimsy for all the details. You have until January 15 to enter!
Check out this fun..."Blogaversary"! Kathryn of KV Creative Designs is having a delightful giveaway celebrating her one year anniversary of blogging. The yummy goodies in her giveaway include a yet-undisclosed lovely created by Kathry, gift cards, beautiful bits to get the recipient's creative juices flowing, and more. Check out her beautiful blog and all the details at http://kvcreativedesigns.blogspot.com/2009/01/blogiversary.html.
Nineteen years ago today--yes, on a clear, cold January day in Maine--my best friend and I became husband and wife. We were only 20 years old that day in 1990 and had to secure permission from my father in order to stay at the quaint inn we had chosen for our wedding night because we weren't old enough to check in there! I am so blessed with the kindest, most thoughtful, encouraging (in all of my crazy endeavors), and helpful husband. I wouldn't trade him for the world! We have been through and seen a great deal (some good, some bad)--and the main thing is that we have been together (and most importantly with the Lord) through it all and remain not only husband and wife but also the best of friends.
P.S. He brought me these roses this past weekend--a bright, cheery, and lovely change to the white January landscape outside.
While I truly enjoy and appreciate all beads, I am particularly fond of the flower ones, and while I really like the flower ones, my hands-down favorites are these. I've been working on some charms lately (more on that in a later post), and I got part of my inspiration for the charms' design from these. In fact, I specifically chose these flower beads for this special project because I like them so much. I go back to these all the time because of their rich color (which varies from light to deeper shades, by the way). They also have little bubbles in them from time to time which make them particularly endearing. Surely, everyone who crafts must have a favorite item they keep going back to or particularly enjoy working with: a favorite yarn, a favorite paper print, a favorite glitter, a favorite colored pen, etc. What is your favorite item to create with?
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. (Psalm 68:19). A year is one day shy of being past, and a fresh new one is on the horizon. If I wanted to, I could really whine about all of the difficulties and disappointments of the past year--we all could do that. Difficulties and struggles are part of life. I had them last year...and they will most definitely come this year, as they will to everyone. But, as the Bible verse above says, we are LOADED with benefits every DAY from the Lord. Yes, some especially difficult days I might have to sit and consciously think about what those benefits and blessings are; however, shame on me if I dwell on the negatives and not on the blessings given daily by the Lord. Besides, there have been many difficulties that, once were past, I could look back on and see what I learned from them and how they made me a stronger person (yes, another "benefit"!). I'm thankful this verse doesn't say "yearly" in place of "daily". That might mean there could possibly be many, many days within each year without any blessings or benefits! As our minds focus on the new year ahead, let's not forget to break our year down into days and being thankful for each fresh new day full of blessings.
Just the title of this sounds fun. What could be more fun than a cupcake? They are sweet and small and pretty. Mmmmmm! And an extravaganza? It can only mean an exciting, jovial celebration. Another secret.....I have contributed a cupcake-themed brooch to be given away during the event. BUT, I'm not going to spoil their fun and give you a picture of it on here, so please check out the Mammalicious Finds Cupcake Extravaganza on their blog--->http://mammaliciousfinds.blogspot.com
With the onset of winter...and all of it's snowy days...I have a tradition, I guess it is now becoming, of putting up snowflakes in our windows from the beginning of winter to spring's first arrival (my kids love helping put them up). I think there are few other of God's creations more delicate, detailed, sparkly, and beautiful than the snowflake (just can't resist anything that sparkles!). You know, snow could have been black or orange or some other depressing and stressful color, but, no, God allowed snow to glisten white to brighten up the dull, brown world until the first few tender red buds and green blades are seen...and beautiful colors return once again. I've collected snowflakes for many years now--some glass and some acryllic--and love adorning our windows with them each year during these bleak months. When the sun shine makes it's way around our house and shines through these snowflakes, spectrums are scattered in each room at different times of the day with little bursts of color to brighten up our wintry days.
For all of you "dyed in the wool" romantics out there...this is a swap you must sign up for! The name of it, the button...everything speaks romantic and pretty and fun. BUT, those who want to participate must do so by Monday! You may either click on the button to the right or click here to go to Heidi's blog>>>>>> http://foxglovesfabricandfolly.blogspot.com
A new but dear friend, Tammy of Milk and Cookeez, is offering a fun giveaway on her blog called the "9 Days of Giveaways in 2009". She is offering one goodie--one a day--from 9 different vendors during the first 9 days of January 2009. What a clever idea! Now for a secret....shhhhhh...I'm giving away a super sparkly charm in her giveaway...BUT you need to check out her blog for all the details----->http://milkandcookeez.blogspot.com. I don't want to spoil any of her fun.
You know, I really think Victoria magazine is getting better and better. Even their advertisements are pretty (just LOVE looking at the georgeous gems in the Van Atkins Jewelers ads every issue!). The Valentine cookies on page 25 are beautiful. It would take me a lot of work to make a cookie that even looks close to that beautiful. The swan bed left me, well, speechless to say the least. My brother has been a philatelic for years and years (referring to the postal history article). He recently acquired an envelope with an old stamp on it, and the address on it to was to the Minnesota Territory which both he and I found very interesting. The article on D. Blumchen & Co. was beautifully inspiring, and I can't wait to try my hand at the petit fours recipie (minus the Grand Mariner--I don't do alcoholic beverages even for cooking). I have included pictures of an ironstone teapot, a Pankhurst "stone china" one, that my grandmother gave me and my ink wells (articles are written about both types of items in this issue). The ink wells are broken at the top because these of old had to be broken in order to get the ink out. I bought one of them in New Zealand at an antique store. It was a most enjoyable read all the way through. Good job, Victoria!
