A Fall Basket

(Click on photo to take a closer look)

I thought I would share one of my Fall projects with y'all. I had a very nice basket, and was really wanting to do something pretty with it, and so decided to decorate it with a Fall motif. Since I'd been wanting to make something "Fallish" for a dear friend at my Church, I decided a Fall basket would be the perfect thing.

I found some tan - and - orangy brown tiger - print ribbon and some sparkely orange ribbon at Michaels, and a bush of Fall flowers and leaves just covered in glitter. (I do love those sparkles, don't you?)

I made two large ribbon bows and placed a flower, some gold berries and sparkling leaves on them, and affixed them to the handles. I then hot glued more flowers and leaves to the rims of the basket, and cut lengths of the zebra print ribbon and tied them to the basket "spokes".....

My friend said she loved it, and I was happy. Crafting is always so much fun!

Prayers for South Korea

I am so disturbed over the news today. I almost can't bear to think about what North Korea has done to South Korea........

I am going to turn my worry into prayer.

God rules over this tiny, spinning globe which we humans call home.

His is the ultimate authority; and no power - mad dictator can take one step if Almighty God says: "No. Cease."

My heart aches for the people of South Korea! The men and the women and the children...

I will pray constantly for each of them... That God will be with them and help them during this terrible time.....

What a Night! What A Service!

I just came home from Sunday evening Church. My heart is full of joy and thanksgiving..... We had a visiting minister this evening, and the message he preached was absolutely beautiful!

He preached about the Faithfulness of God. And about how that though people can be prejudiced, and look down on someone because he or she doesn't come from a good background, or maybe he or she is not wealthy..... or maybe he or she has a terrible, sinful past, God is NOT like that! His Word declares in

Acts 10:34:
"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:"

God loves all of us the same! No matter what our past may be, no matter how dark our sins are, and no matter what our backgrounds are! He loves us and wants to save our souls and fill us with His love..... Isn't that wonderful?

The minister also preached from
Hebrews 11:11:
"Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised."

He brought out how that we can judge God Faithful to do whatever we need Him to do; He will be faithful to forgive us of all of our sins, He will be faithful to wash our sins away in the waters of baptism when we are baptised in Jesus' Name, and He will be faithful to fill us with His precious Holy Spirit! He will also be faithful to heal our bodies or even our minds and our emotions if those parts of us have been bruised or damaged in any way......

He explained that Sarah received strength to conceive and bear Isaac after she judged "him faithful who had promised" .

The preacher said that when we tell the Lord that we judge Him faithful, we are letting Him know that we truly believe that He can do anything that we need Him to do!

He asked several times if anyone would stand to their feet in affirmation to bear witness that God had been faithful in their lives. Of course I had to stand every time! And so did so many others! There are truly miraculous examples of Salvation and healing that have happened in our church. We have seen drug addicts delivered from drugs, alchoholics set free from alchohol, prostitutes saved and delivered, cancer healed, and so many other wonderful miracles that I could not possibly record them all here! Isn't God Awesome?

I judge Him to be faithful in my life! How about you?

Funny, but oh - so - true...

Last Friday, my Mom, sister, and I went on our annual visit to the Houston Nutcracker Market. It was so much fun! We had some quality "girl time" as we oohed and ahhed over all of the gorgeous "boutique" ladies clothing, shoes, home decor, Christmas decor, and food selections.

There are around 250 vendors, with gorgeously decorated booths set against a backdrop of cheery holiday music. It always helps us "get in the holiday mood".........

This year I got a darling pair of shoes (with bling on the toe, of course), a flower pin, and three Christmas decorations. Well, we shopped from 1:00 in the afternoon until closing, which was 8:00, and so we were getting really hungry as closing time approached. One of the last vendors we visited smelled wonderful! It was a food booth, and they were offering samples of soup and dip mixes, as well as a jar of this scrumptious garlic spread to put on toasted French Bread.

The smell lured us long before we ever saw the booth, and our tummies growled hungrily.... so of course we just had to sample the garlic toast....... and then we decided we COULD NOT leave without a jar of the yummy stuff!
As we left the Market, we happily clutched our treasures in our tight little fists, and dragged our tired feet to the car. We Came! We Saw! We Shopped! Woohoo!
We were so tired from all of that walking when we finally arrived home, but we gamely got all of the bags from my car and carried them into our homes..... or so we thought.......
Guess what got left in my trunk????
If you said the shoes, you are wayyyyy off! What could it be but the garlic spread??? I mean, really?? As my Mom opened my trunk the next day, her head whipped up and she said: "ohhhh noooo!" Yup, the Garlic spread was very pungent, and not quite as yummy smelling as before........ and it had leaked..... BUT it was contained in the bag that it came in, and we had nothing to worry about......or so we thought.........
So that is why we were pulled over at a gas station later that evening, (after going to Dillard's) frantically lifting clothes out of my trunk and sniffing them like mad to see if any scent of garlic could be detected ............A faint whiff of garlicky perfume emanating from the trunk had just announced to us that it had definitely NOT been contained in the bag it came in!!!! "Smell this one," Mom would yell..... and I would reply: "Hmmm.... just a touch of garlic...... not bad..." "Well then, how about this one?" She would exclaim; shoving the questionable garment into my arms........And that's why we looked up in the midst of "operation bloodhound" to see other gas station customers giving us some VERRRRY strange looks...... and we couldn't help but start giggling, then belly -laughing at their expressions, as we imagined how we must have looked, wildly sniffing all of those clothes!! (I had forgotten about some clothes in the trunk from an out - of - town trip, and we had a couple of new things from Dillard's in there too........)

Well, all I can say after this "Extreme Scented Adventure" is this:
Thank the Lord for good tough clothes bags!

Just Call Me the "Bow Lady"

(Click on picture for a closer look)

I recently received a frantic long distance phone call asking for advice with wedding decor. A good friend of mine who was helping with a wedding was simply overwhelmed and stressed, and so I was glad to be able to help....Since I have worked on the weddings of several of my dearest friends, I thought I would post some of the pictures for her to see, (and thought y'all might like to take a peek as well)

Now, as I was working on one particular wedding, I overheard someone describing me as "the lady that makes those beautiful bows!" (that made me smile) I do love making bows, (and anything with flowers and sparkle) and the picture above is of the bow I placed in the center of the Bride's Cake table.

It was such an honor to help my friends! I am so thankful for the wonderful people that God has placed in my life, and, as Thanksgiving approaches, I am full of gratitude for that beautiful bond of friendship that we share.

There are so many that are far more gifted than I am, so I am really surprised whenever my advice or hands are requested. But honestly, doesn't creating something make you happy? When I am working on a project, or crafting, I am relaxed, focused, and in my "happy, crafty place".......LOL!

Take the time to create something beautiful today; trust me, you will be so glad you did! (And trust me on this, also, if I can do it, YOU can too!)

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the bride from the wedding pictured above, ( and who is like a little sister to me) was absolutely gorgeous....

Sentimental Silver

(click on photo for a closer look)

I have often dreamed of owning an Antique Silver Coffee/Tea Service. To me, these gorgeous sets are the very embodiment of the graciousness of the Old South; as though Scarlett might drift through the parlour at any moment exclaiming: "fiddle - dee - dee!" and Aunt Pittypat and Peachtree street is just "up the road a piece"...

As though you just might catch a glimpse of a Spanish Moss draped Oak, or a Magnolia Tree in full bloom reflected in the rounded splendor of the Coffee Urn, if you were to look hard enough...

In my opinion, one of these shining services postitioned "just so" on a lovely Antique Sideboard or Buffet seems to exemplify the warm graciousness and genteel hospitality that is such a hallmark of the South.........

I could not afford the set of my dreams, so imagine my delight one Christmas Eve, when my sister gifted me with the most darling substitute! It's only sliver - plated, but to me it is far more dear than the most expensive and "pedigreed" set that money could buy. The beautiful shimmer that one sees on it is from the spirit of love in which it was given.........

It will always be among my most treasured things, and I know without a doubt that it is worth much more than anything Scarlett or Aunt Pittypat ever owned....

Remembering our Veterans

There are so many, that have given so much, for the safety and security of our beloved America. They have given selflessly to ensure the quality of life that we enjoy... to see that the homeland is kept safe from the threat of violence, and to see that democracy and liberty are secure.

I am so thankful for their sacrifice.

I am so thankful for their valour, and bravery, and courage.

I owe them such a debt... as do all Americans... and indeed, anywhere in the world that values freedom owes them a debt as well... because when that freedom has been threatened in any way, so many times, the Americans troops have risen to the challenge...

So on this Veteran's Day I say "Thank You" to our troops, and also to those Veterans of past conflicts. Though it is inadequate, it is from my heart... from the place in which I hold you close in gratitude... "Thank You!"

May God Bless our Beautiful America!

He's My Baby!

(click on photo for a close - up of that cute face...)

A friend of mine recently posted pictures on her blog, of her darling little boy, who was helping her pick up pecans.

Those pictures made me smile..... I do love children! Now, I don't have any kids of my own, but I do have my own "Angel - Baby," my black Labrador retriever, "Jazz". Those of you that have been keeping up with the blog will remember reading his "story" from a previous post, of how God let us find him, when he was starving on the streets as a pup.....

I was looking at some pictures, and came across this Christmas photo of him, and just had to share it with y'all! Isn't his permanent "got milk" mustache, cute?

Lately, when I shut the bathroom door to take a bath, he has started lying right outside the bathroom, in front of the closed door, until I am through. (I had mentioned in that previous post about how he doesn't like closed doors, and will fling them open with his nose and give us dirty looks...)

I am so thankful for my little hairy boy! I sing "You are my Sunshine" to him all of the time, and it is true! He makes me smile, and I am so very greatful to the Lord for blessing us with him. He has added so much joy to our lives!

Aren't pets wonderful? If you, too, have a cherished pet, be sure to give him or her an extra cuddle today, and tell them a special "hello" from Jazz in Texas......