"LOVE IS..." and Other Things That Matter

"LOVE IS...
Smiling as she tells you about
the dented fender!"

I only have this to say...

My Mr. AGPMan was pretty good about the massively dented fender (passenger door, side front panel, cracked window and broken lights, etc.) CONSIDERING the fact the car I hit was our OTHER vehicle!!!!!

ACK! :( :( :(

I still don't know HOW it happened!

Blessings to you as you look REALLY GOOD BEFORE you back out of your own driveway...Rebecca

~OH BE CAREFUL LITTLE MOUTH WHAT YOU SAY~

Yesterday morning found me in our local Hardware searching for concrete paint. Just WHY I was there hunting down such a thing is a story in and of itself...something I'll share with you another day (and soon). For today I want to tell you something I witnessed with my own two eyes that took my very breath away... Another life-lesson, timely sent.

Our newly built LOWE'S was out of the tint base I needed for an important project so I decided to drive south to a much smaller building supply store to find what I was in search of. I was running late even though it was only a little after 10AM. So, I hurried into the store, walking directly up to the checkout counter explaining I needed help in their paint department. After a couple of minutes of waiting for a human being to show up I heard the voice of a woman in haste scurry past me with an store employee in tow... Trailing behind her was a handsome, neatly dressed, white-haired gentleman around the age of 70. I assumed it was her husband.

"I'M LOOKING FOR 'PEEL-STOP'!" the woman shouted out.

"Pelstar?" the employee answered with a questionable sigh~

"PEEL-STOP!!!!! It's P-E-E-L S-T-O-P!!!!!!!" she said, spelling out the letters in anger!

"PEEL-STOP!" she repeated at the top of her lungs. "Do you have it? PEEL STOP! I'm in a hurry here and don't have time to wait. You either have it or you don't!"

At that moment the white-haired man accompanying her inched closer towards the woman and spoke up and said~

"My back is hurting, do you mind if I go back to the car?"

"I don't care WHAT you do!" the woman replied in anger. "Go to the car! Just don't whine to me about why!"

Carefully the man turned around and began walking to the parking lot. As he shuffled by I caught his eye... and his embarrassment and pain.

I couldn't help myself. I slowly turned towards the woman who had spewed the nastiness out of her mouth... The employee, who looked pale and weak, was speechless.

I'm not sure how long I stood there with the look of utter shock on my face, but it was more than a few seconds. Although painted up with lipstick and rouge, complete with silky, well-coiffed hair, her face was gnarled and her eyes dark and pitted.

Breaking my stare was the employee's gentle voice~

"We don't stock the product...I'm sorry! Maybe LOWE'S carries it!" he continued.

With that the woman angrily muffled something under her breath, whizzed passed me and exited the store.

"Ugly is as ugly does!" the young man said. "I know that woman well!" he continued...

"She's my mother!"

With that he mixed my October Mist paint color and I left.

Blessings to you as you remember that nothing is ever as it seems...Rebecca

~HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER~

~JENNIFER~

MY SISTER - MY FRIEND

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JENNIFER!

TALENTED WRITER.

FABULOUS MOTHER.

LOVING DAUGHTER.

BEAUTIFUL WIFE.

TRUSTED CONFIDANT.

FAITHFUL SISTER.

FOREVER FRIEND.

I love you very, very much!...Beck

~TAPS UPON MY SHOULDER and Everyday Miracles~

DOYLE - 1969

I have a little story to share with you today. It isn't too terribly long and it's fairly uncomplicated. It is a story I must tell for it affirms there are moments in life when we must stop and catch our breath allowing us to glimpse God's very presence in our lives. He promises to direct our every step if we will allow Him to do so...

I met my friend Mary H. by selling my wares on eBay. By her account we've known each other for about four years and we've forged a sweet, long-distance friendship. I've never had the privilege of meeting Mary face to face, but we've spoken on the phone several times and often exchange emails. She is fun-loving and very talented and I've been blessed by her presence in my life. She has easily become a lifelong friend and I thank God for her generous, giving heart.

I, of course, live in Oklahoma, and Mary lives in my native State of California. Of the thousands of cities in this very large State she lives only about 50 miles from where I grew up. This gives us many wonderful things to talk about, lighthearted moments sprinkled with laughter and joy. We've shared a passion for parenting, the excitement of becoming grandparents and our love for all things old (especially laces). And sadly, we have the common bond of how living with a parent with a mind-robbing disease can affect ones very life.

So, it wasn't surprising to me when Mare called me up a few weeks ago and we began another long, satisfying chat. She had read my POST about my 5th Grade Teacher, Mrs. Ferguson and felt compelled to call me. Something in that story had jumped out at her and she just had to share with me something she was sure I would want to know.

In that Summertime Post (June 28, 2009) I mentioned a classmate by the name of Doyle Griffith. I had a wild crush on this cute, well-behaved boy and I continually faced the wrath of my teacher for trying to engage him in conversation. Doyle and I sat next to each other for the entire school year and despite the fact I'm certain I drove him plum crazy with my chattering voice, he never failed to help me with my assignments or offer up an encouraging word. If my memory serves me correctly he moved away from our hometown the summer before 6th grade and I was to never see him again.

Such is life, I suppose. People come in and then move out of our physical presence all the time. I've learned to accept it. Still~over the years I longed to know of my sweet childhood friend and just what had become of him. As an adult, God constantly brought Doyle to my mind and I thought it more than strangely odd that I would remember a ten year old boy with such great detail. I mean...I was only ten years old myself, and had yet to do any REAL living...

And then came Mary.

DOYLE - ABOUT 2005

When the phone rang I immediately recognized the soft voice of my California friend on the other end of the line. Always upbeat and kind, the conversation began with...

"I have something to tell you, Rebecca...something I know you'll want to know. It has something to do with your 'Mrs. Ferguson' Post..."

After a long pause she continued...

"I knew your childhood friend, Doyle'...he's been in my home many times."

After reeling myself in from the shock of Mary's statement, she began to tell me the story of a happily married husband and father who had attended her church and had lived in her hometown. Not wanting to disappoint me with incorrect information, Mary did some asking around and found out that indeed Doyle and his family had once made the tiny town of Hacienda Heights their home.

Now...with millions of people living in California, what are the chances of someone I met on eBay knowing someone I had gone to school with in 5th grade? More so, what are the chances of me even mentioning a boy I hadn't seen in at least 40 years by name?

Mary went on to share with me that Doyle had been diagnosed with cancer and after being in remission for some time had succumbed to the dreadful disease a couple of years before. I felt sick. My heart was heavy and I was truly sad. Another young life gone far too soon and I was moved by the knowledge that another one of my childhood friends had passed on...

It's important that I tell you here that I don't believe in coincidence. That said, what, if any, were the lessons to be learned from my present life intersecting with the one that I had left so many years before? Why had Doyle never strayed far from my thoughts and why was it that he was always being brought back to the forefront of my mind? Why was Mary involved? Was there a deeper meaning here? If so, what was it?

Maybe it's just that these days I expect only miracles on a huge, grandiose scale and miss the more personal, everyday kind....

Maybe what just seems to be a coincidence is nothing less than God tapping me on the shoulder, whispering, or even at times shouting: "I'm here! I'm with you! You are right on track with your life! You are right where I want you to be, Rebecca! Keep pressing on!"

I believe it is.

Blessings to you as you listen for the voice of God in your life...Rebecca
PS: Thank you Doyle, for everything. And, thank you, Mare.

~STRENGTH FOR TODAY~

~HAPPY SUNDAY~

"GO CONFIDENTLY IN THE DIRECTION OF YOUR DREAMS. LIVE THE LIFE YOU'VE IMAGINED."

I've been super busy over the past few days and away from my sweet Bloggie. I didn't want this beautiful Sunday to end without sharing with you the amazing quote above by Henry David Thoreau.

I've come to believe more than ever that our lives are all about the choices we make. Remember to choose wisely.

Love to you as you make real your most vivid of dreams...Rebecca

~BATHROOM MAKEOVER - Torn Down to the Studs and Back Up Again~

~TOTAL BATHROOM MAKEOVER~

(A True Labor of Love)

Ever since I started Blogging last January I've wanted to share with you pictures of our main upstairs Bath Makeover. But~since I'm NOT computer savvy and couldn't find just WHERE I saved the few BEFORE pictures I took when the renovation was underway, I opted to just forget about it!!! :( What good is it to show a makeover if you can't see the before pics, right? I mean...I want to see WHAT WAS DONE and read about the JOURNEY... not just view the end results!!!

~FUNCTIONAL AND LOVELY~

Great for holding lots of STUFF!

Well...I mentioned to my Mr. AGPMan last night that I'd given up on finding the before pictures...want to know what his reply was???

~LOVE THE PEDESTAL SINK~

Perfect for Maximizing the Space

"Oh...you've been looking for the bathroom BEFORE PICS? I've got those on MY computer!"

(ERRR...now go read my "Love Is..." comic title from yesterday! No further explaining is needed!)

~FREE STANDING LINEN CABINET~
Hobby Lobby Reduced Special - $150
Perfect for Towels, Sheets, Tissue, etc.

~I LOVE THIS CEILING~

(My Favorite Part of the Makeover)

Code REQUIRED a VENT

~So...no chandelier I'm afraid~

Anyway...my guy forwarded the pics to me this morning making it possible to finally showcase for you all HIS hard work. I hope you are inspired!

HERE WE GO!

~ORIGINALLY A GALLEY-STYLE BATH~
(Yes...YES! The walls were RED! Don't faint Tea)

Our home was built in 1970 and came with a Galley-Style upstairs bathroom. It was long and narrow and not at all functional. In the picture above you see the placement of things. On the right (where there is no tile) there was a long sink and built in cabinets. Very dated. There was also a half wall that SORT OF hid the toilet...I was soooo happy to see it GO! On the left was the tub (along the wall) and a built in linen closet. Everything was removed straight down to the studs!

~WHERE THE ORIGINAL SINK WAS~

The tub below was right in front of the toilet. It was tiny and made of cast iron! The original tile was a terrible off white color with huge blobs of avocado green scattered about. I lived with it like this for 14 years (ARGH!) When you are raising a family you don't always have the $$$ mullah to spend on house makeover stuff. Too busy buying school clothes and the like!

~HEAVY OLD THING - MADE A HUGE MESS~

The original tub was way too heavy to try and get down the stairs. So...we opted (like that word "WE?") to beat it up with a sledge hammer into manageable pieces. What a job!!!

~THE MASTER MAKEOVER MAN HIMSELF~
Such a Tiny Window
(No Idea What My Guy is Doing Here!)

The reason I've included this picture is because I want you to see what kind of window was in the bathroom before the makeover. It was oddly tiny and I hated it from day one (red cup on floor is where the toilet had been and the tub was where the blank patch in the wall is - just to the left of my guy's raised foot).

~ORIGINAL BATHROOM DOOR ON LEFT~
Our TINY Linen Closet Door is on the Right

Including this shot is important for two reasons! First, I want to show you how TINY my original hallway linen closet was. It was almost useless. It is where you see the green carpeting. It was ripped out and the original bathroom door on the left was closed up! Second, the new entrance to the bathroom is what ONCE WAS that closet...just flipped the door around!! There was also a deep built-in closet in the bathroom as well (it butted up to the shower end of the tub). It was worthless. Too deep to be functional and it's only true purpose was to collect hair spray! :(

~FRAMING OF THE NEW WINDOW~

After all the STUFF was removed the renovation could begin. In this picture you can see how the new window's size compares to the old! Wow! Even at this point I couldn't really imagine how it all was going to work out!

My guy did though! And his vision was simply amazing!

~HOW THE DEBRIS WAS REMOVED~

Now...is this ingenious or what? Since this bathroom is upstairs there was no way we cold haul all that debris away without this contraption! It was wonderful! It stayed in place until the new window was installed. For a few weeks the window opening was covered with heavy plastic!

And there you have it!

Now...here's just a bit more information!

We started the bath makeover in 2006. It was finally finished in early 2007. It took almost a full year. My hubby is NOT a construction worker...he's a Computer Analyst for USA company. Still, he did all the work himself and saved us THOUSANDS of dollars.

Including the Whirlpool Jet Tub, Custom Window, Pedestal Sink, Toilet, Bead Board, Tile, Electrical, Recessed Lighting, Overhead Vent/Light, Wood, Faucets and Cabinets totally makeover cost was approximately $4,500. Had we hired the work done it would have been a $40K makeover. Having the tub installed along with the tile work the estimated cost was at least $3,500.

Was this a labor of love for us both? Yes! It was. And even more. The renovation was long and tiresome at times, but the rewards have been well worth the sacrificing of a tub for nearly twelve full months. Plus, the money we saved is helping us pay for our kitchen makeover.

I soo hope you enjoyed the tour.

Blessings to you as you remember that hard work and commitment always pay off in the end...Rebecca
PS: To my Mr.AGPMAN: You are amazing! Forgive me for forgetting sometimes how awesome you are and how you always work so hard to make my dreams come true! You are the most talented person I've ever known...xo~B

"LOVE IS..." and Other Things That Matter

"Love Is...
Sometimes feeling like wringing his neck"

I'm back on schedule with my sweet "LOVE IS..." Posts this week and boy is this one a KEEPER!

This is for all of you Peeps out there who only THOUGHT things in my life (like my marriage and my Mr. AGPMan...OR ME) were perfect...NOT!

There have been MANY times when I've wanted to wring my guys neck and even a few times when I actually did it in my mind! :) I suppose you don't live through years and years of marriage without getting to this point once in a while. Right?

To be fair my guy would most CERTAINLY say the same thing if you asked him about me...

One (just ONE!) specific memory comes to mind...

Before we were married my guy and I went on a sweet little date to an Oklahoma City Drive-In Burger Joint called Bonaparte's. We could only afford 7-Up and French Fries, but it was a great place to sit and chat :) during the cold winter months. My guy drove a 1967 Chevy Impala which he had affectionately named "Old Bessie". Bessie had bench seating and was a faded cornflower blue in color. She also had this neat dashboard that was extra smooth and deep...it proved great for holding lots of bulky things like textbooks, folders and papers. One afternoon I decided to place a makeshift bookbag on top of his always meticulously CLEAN dashboard. When I did my VERY FAVORITE PEN slid down into what I thought was the air conditioning vent.

In a panic ('cause I LOVED that $4 pen!!!!) I started to dig into the 'vent' with my nail file. Even though my guy said "Beck! STOP! I'll get your pen!" I continued digging and poking around in hopes of dislodging my missing writing utensil for myself!

My guy was nearly foaming at the mouth over this little incident! FOAMING I tell you! I remember it like it was yesterday! Jeez...I was just TRYING to find my missing pen!!!!! Why all the yelling and crazy antics?????

What I know today and what I didn't realize then about this TINY incident is this...

I had successfully RUINED Old Bessie's SPEAKERS while digging for that favorite pen of mine! And, on a college kid's budget there was NO MONEY to replace them! This was NOT GOOD for a guy who lived to listen to "TUNES" and NOT GREAT for a girl who was hoping to steal his heart away.

I'm sorry to say the music died for us that day! Unless you favored listening to popping and crackling sounds mixed in with Simon and Garfunkel or Elton John, it was best to keep the radio turned off.

A year after we married our "Old Bessie Blue Car" was hauled off to the junkyard... un-recovered pen and all.

Thankfully I was allowed to stay...

Blessings to you as you enjoy the journey of life with those you love...Rebecca
PS: Wasn't this Post supposed to be about ME wringing HIS NECK? Hmmmm...

~SWEET Adrie & Micah - Happy 2nd Anniversary 2 U~

~Happy 2nd Anniversary~
Adrienne & Michael

To My Beloved AdrieGirl...

I can't believe it's been two full years since you left the only home you ever knew to marry the love of your life...

The last two years have flown by... You'd made such a beautiful, beautiful bride.

~Beautiful Bride - Inside and Out~

Here it is 730 days after saying "I DO" to the man of your dreams and I still miss you more than ever!

~Dancing With Your Beloved~

Knowing you are so very happy thrills my heart...

~The Most Beautiful Daughter~

It is what makes you moving away bearable. Otherwise I'd be lost forever without you...

~Dancing With Your Daddy~

May you always be as happy in your life as you were on your Wedding Day. You made your daddy and I so proud when you came into the world and you still make us proud today. We LOVE Michael and we know he loves us, too!

Now...when can we expect a grand baby from the two of you? Just curious! :) You've had more than enough time now, right? We've been TRYING HARD not bring up the subject but we are getting a little impatient and we ARE getting older...

Hint...Hint...HINT!

Love you Most...
I miss you so very, very much~
Momma

~Grace Upon Grace - Trusting When Disappointments Come~

~GRACE UPON GRACE~

This morning my heart grew heavy as a little family I love very much faced disappointment. Even though I’ve always SAID “God’s Grace is Enough!”, I couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed as I considered the sadness my loved ones would experience as the week ahead played itself out. Is God's Grace ENOUGH? Is it? Or is it just something easy to say when the going gets tough for someone OTHER than me?

I lay quietly for a few minutes after hanging up the phone, trying to digest the latest news that had come our way. I found myself wishing I could will myself back into the gentle slumber of night. I wanted to bury my head back into my pillow, curl back up into the warmth of my beloved and rest. But, rest would not come…only tears.

“Sometimes life is crummy” I thought.

After tossing and turning for far too long I kicked off the covers and faced the day. And, just as I do every morning I picked up a small book and began to read a short devotional…

It began…

“Test this question: What if God’s only gift to you was His grace to save you? Would you be content? You beg Him to save the life of your child. You plead with Him to keep your business afloat. You implore him to remove the cancer from your body. What if His answer is, “My grace is enough.” Would you be content?...”

“Huh? WHAT?” I couldn’t believe it…

“Are you kidding me, God? Why these words of all days? Don’t you know I’m SAD today? I don’t want to read today something I’ve heard about all my life! I know you give MORE of Your grace when the burdens in our lives grow greater! I KNOW you send even MORE of your strength when our earthly labors increase~to multiplied sorrows You send Your multiplied peace~I know it all! I just DON’T want to read about it TODAY!”

I sat undisturbed for over an hour as God allowed the Holy Spirit to comfort me in love. He knew I needed time for what I’ve always believed about His promises to take hold~time for His grace upon grace to sink back into my questioning heart.

When the tears stopped I couldn’t help but think how disappointing it is when the God I love doesn’t do what I sometimes want Him to do. Still, I know deep within He knows more about my life than I do and He has promised to get me (and those I love) through the tough times.

Must be that "Grace Thing" again...

“I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens.” Philippians 4:11

Blessings to you as you see from Heaven’s perspective, that His grace is always enough…Rebecca

~AND THE PINK STOCKING WINNER IS...~

I'm sorry for taking so long! I had a lot of names to go through! Wowzers!

OK Peeps! HERE is the WINNER of the PINK SILK CHRISTMAS STOCKING:

It is SWEET MARY from Mary's Meanderings!

Congratuations Mary! Please email me your mailing address so I can get your pretty pink present to you!

Thank you to ALL of you who played along! Blessings to you this very day!!!! I'll be having ANOTHER Give-A-Way coming in October and it is going to be fabulous! Just wait and see! Whoo Hoo!!!

Love to you~Rebecca

"LOVE IS..." and Other Things That Matter

LOVE IS...USING CANDLELIGHT

INSTEAD OF LAMPS ON SUNDAY

I got sidetracked this week and forgot my "LOVE IS..." POST for last Wednesday. Hope you don't mind if I play catch-up! If you are new to following my BLOG you might want to go back through some old Posts. On Wednesdays I share my old "Love Is..." clippings my Mr. AGPMan would often tuck inside his love letters to me while we were dating. This one is especially precious to me. Considering the fact he sent the comics out LONG before we married, it is amazing to me how relevant and timely they still are after 30 years...

When I was just a little girl my sisters, brother and I would sometimes beg our Momma to light candles at dinner. It just made everything feel so warm and cozy and I for one just loved the glow put out by the tiny flickering flames. On the nights when she would oblige it created the BEST childhood memory. Even if the meal was simple, eating by candlelight made us feel like as though we'd been treated to a fancy dinner~

I still love to eat by candlelight! Want to create some ambiance? Want some inexpensive romance? Turn the lights down low and burn a candle or two while dining with the ones you love. You'll be surprised how wonderful it will make you all feel!

Blessings to you as you remember that many of the memories you create today will indeed last a lifetime...Rebecca

~DRAWING FOR THE FREE CHRISTMAS STOCKING IS TONIGHT~

~LAST CHANCE TO ENTER~
ENTRY DEADLINE FOR THE STOCKING ABOVE
IS TONIGHT @11:59pm

HERE'S MY LAST HEAD'S-UP!

THE DRAWING FOR THE PRETTY PINK SILK CHRISTMAS STOCKING WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW!!! YOUR LAST CHANCE TO ENTER THE DRAWING IS TODAY! WINNING NAME WILL BE POSTED SOMETIME TOMORROW!

HAVE YOUR COMMENTS POSTED BY 11:59pm FOR A CHANCE TO WIN!!!

THANKS AGAIN FOR STOPPING BY AND PLAYING ALONG. I'D SAY "GOOD LUCK" BUT SINCE I DON'T BELIEVE IN LUCK I'LL JUST SAY:

"MAY THE PERSON WHO WANTS IT MOST WIN!"

BLESSINGS TO YOU ALL...Rebecca

~PURE BLISS - And the INEXPLICABLE Joy of Being a Nana~

~THRIFT STORE FABRIC - $1.00 4/10 YDS~

(Quick~Do you have a CLUE what I used it for???
NO PEEKING! Don't scroll down yet! Do you hear me? NO!

Last June while I was out perusing one of my VERY FAVORITE Thrift Stores, I stumbled upon a simply fabulouso deal! Couldn't pass it up!!! TEN YARDS of BubbleGum Pink Trigger Fabric reduced to $1.00. Not kidding! ONE TINY LITTLE DOLLAR!

Now...I had no immediate plans for this material. But, being the fabricaholic that I am I know killer a deal when I see it. Soooo...home the fabric came and it sat untouched for about 3 months.

Then one day my little Miss K (my 6 year old granddaughter) came bouncing through the door with her daddy spilling out the details of a Fund Raising Event at her Elementary School.

~HERE'S ANOTHER CLUE~
(Pink Fabric - Black Felt - Pink Dotted Ribbons)
How About Now? Any IDEAS???

I placed the information sheet on my fridge outlining the planned activities while carefully detailing in my mind just how I was going to fix up our little sweetie for this exciting, fun-filled day!

~HOW ABOUT NOW?~
(This Curly Headed CANINE is the KEY!)
DON'T LOOK YET! DON'T LOOK!

Give up?

Figure it out?

~50'S DAY AT JOHN ROSS ELEMENTARY~

(And the Diva of ALL Diva's, Miss K!)

Wah Lah and Whooo Hooo! A 2DIE4 (and CHEAP!) POODLE SKIRT!!!!!

~50'S PERFECTION - with SUCH SASS!!!~

I wouldn't have missed this experience for the world! No kidding! I feel like I'm living my second childhood (or at least another one with my kids)! You should have seen Miss K getting in the car with her daddy...such a priss! I loved it!

Now...get this!!!! Total cost of making the Poodle Skirt was practically nothing! I bought black felt for the Poodle and two sizes of black pompoms and some non-roll elastic for the waistband. I printed the poodle pattern off the internet and then cut it out of the felt. Hot Glued the pompoms on the felt and then embellished it with pink dotted ribbon and braid sent to me by MD (thank you again MaryDon)! And...of COURSE I used that amazing thrift store fabric for the skirt! Black belt, polka dot scarf and shades from Nana's Closet. Slipper Shoes and ATTITUDE belong solely to Miss K. :)

Had I purchased the Skirt Pattern NEW (I just cut out a 47" circle), bought 2 yards of Trigger Fabric, bought a Poodle Applique vs. making one, paid for the ribbon and all the other embellishments, etc., the final cost of the Skirt would have been about $40-$45.

How's that for having fun while being truly thrifty???? Cost for using MY HEAD? $5

Blessings to you as you take part in the lives of those you love...Rebecca

~ROMANTIC CHRISTMAS STOCKING DRAWING ENDS SOON~

DRAWING ENDS
SEPTEMBER 19TH AT 11:59

Just a quick reminder that the drawing for the FREE sweet PINK Christmas Stocking you see in the middle (top right) is only a couple of days away!

Get your name in and just MAYBE YOU WILL WIN! Somebody will walk away with this romantic little find and it might as well be you! Right?

Click onto the Stocking to get the details!

The clock is ticking!

Blessings to you as enjoy another FREEBIE from A Gathering Place...Rebecca

~PRINTER BOUND - Hand Painted Roses CONTINUING the DREAM~

~ TO MARKET TO MARKET~

Last week I shared a bit of my journey and my determination to give my Dreams Their Wings. After spending hours upon hours producing the original artwork and then spending about the same amount of time filing all the necessary Copyright Paperwork, my pretty pink confections are just about ready for printing...

As much as I love CREATING (and I do! I do!) it can certainly be exhausting work! It would help if I could SKIP all the legal mumbo-jumbo and just paint! Not to be! It's a MUST for me see the project through to the end!!!

~More ORIGINAL ARTWORK~
Christmas Tree, Gingerbread Man, Rose Heart

I thought I'd give you another SNEAK PEEK at three of the designs I've come up with for the backdrop for the Cookie Cutters. Lots more are in the final stages and before long I hope to unveil the next four or five. Note Cards and Recipe Cards are also going to be marketed using the same hand painted artwork! Just perfect for the die-hard romantic and shabby cottage chic lover!

~SWEET LITTLE GIFTS & FAVORS~

Wish I could show you more but for now these little sweeties will have to do...

Thank you to all of you who took the time to comment on my original GIVING WINGS TO YOUR DREAMS Post. You continue to bless and inspire me with you enthusiasm and faith in my work.

Blessings to you this very day! May you be equally led to bring forth all that lies within you...Rebecca

~A BLESSING FROM ABOVE - The Very Best Kind~

~A BLESSING FROM ABOVE~

I couldn't wait to tell you...

I'm bursting with the BEST kind of JOY...

~GOD IS SENDING A MIRACLE~

I've been given PERMISSION to share with you that my Mr. AGPMan and I are going to be Nana and Papa for the second time coming in 2010! Our son and our sweet daughter-in-love are having a BABY and we are soooo very happy for them! This means our Miss K is going to be a big sister! Since she will be seven in November there will be quite an age difference between her and her new little sibling... How EXCITING for her!

Please join my family and I as we all celebrate this wonderful news!

Blessings to you as we all remember how wonderfully awesome God is...Rebecca

~ANTIQUE SHOPPING IN OKLAHOMA - Anniversary Bliss~

OLD THEATER - NOW AN ANTIQUE MALL

Purcell, Oklahoma

If you've followed my Blog for very long then you know that my Mr. AGPMan and I celebrated our anniversary last week! Since it fell in the middle of the week and we have a trip planned later in the month to travel South, we decided to spend the day doing something we both love!!! That would be JUNKING!

Since we only had one day we didn't want to go far...so we decided to drive towards two different Oklahoma towns! Purcell and Ardmore!

ANOTHER SWEET SHOPPE in Purcell

Purcell is about a hour from my home in Edmond, Oklahoma, and they have wonderful Antique Shoppes there! I hadn't visited Purcell in a long time and it was a huge treat!

AND ONE MORE - ALL NESTLED DOWNTOWN

Purcell proved to be an amazing place to shop. They had three different (and large) Antique Malls and the two we stopped into were simply WONDERFUL...and then we saw THIS on the front of the Mall that once housed the town's movie theater...

~~~~~CLOSED~~~~~~

No Explanation! Not lunch time. Not a Holiday. Just not OPEN on a regular day! ERRRR....

SWEET FADED BOOK - 75%OFF...TOTAL PRICE: $1.25

The two Malls that were open had wonderful sales! I snagged this sweet pinkishy old book for a little over a dollar! I'm going to read it, too! (I'll let you know if it was any good!)

I also found...

SWEET VINTAGE DRESSER - CIRCA 1925

This charming old Dresser from the mid 1920's. The date is on the back of the mirror which soooo helps when trying to determine just how old something is! Priced $95. They took $50 (must have been a slow day)

I have something SPECIAL to tell you about SOON regarding just WHERE this Dresser is going to end up!

ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA

Next we drove onto Ardmore, Oklahoma, which is about two hours from my town and about halfway to Dallas! Many years ago, back when I owned a brick and mortar Shoppe, on our way to MARKET in Big D we would ALWAYS stop over in this neat little town to peruse their antiques and vintage offerings. Sadly...the economy has hit them hard and we could only find ONE store still open! It was fabulous though...

FLORAL EASTER BONNET - ( 4 ME, PRICELESS!)

I found this AMAZING old hat complemented with the SWEETEST vintage millinery blooms! This is one I AM KEEPING! I just have THIS THING about aging HATS...especially those with flowers. I also bought lots of sweet old laces pieces (perfect for sachets and such!) and two rolls of vintage ribbon. One cream and one blush pink.

How do I find such 2die4 things?

I have no clue!

VINTAGE SEWING BOX - AGE UNKNOWN

Now, when I eyed this vintage Sewing Box it quickly set my head to WONDERING...the fabric covering it looked STRANGELY FAMILIAR to me!

So...I popped off the lid just to double CHECK to see if it was REALLY OLD!

It was...

VINTAGE SEWING BOX

Sooo~I thought for a minute...where had I SEEN this print before!???

And then I remembered...

It is THIS...

RALPH LAUREN'S SOPHIE BROOK FLORAL

I'm not SURE how I feel about Mr. Ralph and his Company marketing this charming design (it's discontinued by the way, but it was once offered up in blue stripe, taupe stripe and yellow stripe) and NOT letting us all know it was an authentic vintage print reproduced on fresh new cotton! And I only THOUGHT it was something HE dreamed up in his little head!

Hope you enjoyed the short tour! If you ever make it to Oklahoma I promise you'll want to come back for more! We have an amazing State...you'll love it here!

Blessings to you as shop for things you TRULY LOVE...Rebecca

~LOVING THE INNOCENT HEARTS OF CHILDREN~

~INNOCENCE~

One Sunday morning, the Pastor of a medium sized congregation noticed a young boy standing in the Foyer of the Church staring up at a large Plaque. It was covered with names and small American Flags mounted on either side of it. The six-year old had been staring at the Plaque for quite some time, so the Pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said quietly,

"Good morning!"

"Good morning, Pastor!"

The boy replied, still focused on the plaque.

"Pastor, what is this?"

The Pastor said...

"Well son, it's a Memorial to all the young men and women who died in the Service."

Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large Plaque. Finally, the little boy's voice, barely audible and trembling with fear asked...

"Which Service...the 8:30 or the 11:00?"

Blessings to you as you remember how much the Lord LOVES the innocent hearts of children...Rebecca

~A SWEET PRODUCT FOR COOKIE LOVERS - Giving Wings To Your Dreams~

~ORIGINAL HAND PAINTED ARTWORK~

Have you ever planned on doing something you were excited and passionate about and then found yourself actually putting it off for days and days? How about weeks upon weeks? Umm....do I dare ask~

"HOW ABOUT YEARS?"

Well my fellow Peeps...I sure have! Let me explain...

For years now I've loved to paint roses! As my love for this gorgeous flower has grown, so has my desire to find new ways to market goods that showcase my original artwork. In the back of my head I've had lots of ideas, but sadly I've never taken the time to put them down on paper.

"Working Smarter - Not Harder"

Still the notion of working smarter not harder has never left my mind and the wheels inside my brain have never stopped turning...

Last January I made two "New Year's Resolutions". Even though I NEVER make RESOLUTIONS (for obvious reasons), I was determined to:

#1 - Start a BLOG

and

#2 - Complete two marketable products incorporating my artwork

I PROMISED myself before 2009 came to an end I would reach my goal. By God's grace (and the support of both my family and friends...AND the THUMB of "My Beloved" pressing into my back) I'm making some headway.

~COOKIE CUTTER PACKAGE~

I had a few rules:

1. The finished product had to be inexpensive!
2. It had to be marketable in SWEET Gift Shoppes frequented by WOMEN!
3. The product had to be pleasing to the eye!
4. Easy to assemble.
5. Marketable with other products (like Gift Baskets, etc.).
6. Usable as a 'stand alone' gift.

~LOTS OF MISTAKES WERE MADE~

I began FIRST by making lists! LOTS and LOTS of LISTS. Little by little they were whittled down. Tons of IDEAS were tossed into the garbage!

And then some of the IDEAS that were originally thrown out were dug BACK OUT of the trash...

~ORIGINAL ARTWORK/PACKAGING~

What you see above is both the product and packaging of a very simple Cookie Cutter using my artwork as the backdrop. It's inexpensive (check). Easy to assemble (check). Perfect for specialty stores where girls love to shop (check)! Sweet for gift baskets or as a stand-alone gift (check). And lastly, something I HOPE will be pleasing to the eye! Since the patent for a fold-over card is sewn up, I opted to make the packaging single-sided with a separate insert that includes a Sugar Cookie Recipe (and one for FROSTING)!

~BACK OF PACKAGING~

It's my personal belief that a thoughtful gift doesn't have to be expensive...just meaningful...and of course, pretty!

The "SWEET TEA" Cookie Cutter was the FIRST of many designs I've finally completed! They will be offered up on my website in the near future and to Specialty Shoppes across the USA in 2010.

And...for those of you who follow me on eBay or have been wondering WHY my Website is STILL DOWN, now you know! And you all only THOUGHT I was taking a sabbatical from creating...

"GOT DREAMS?"

Time's a wastin'.

Blessings to you as you live life to the fullest...Rebecca
PS: To my FOREVER FRIEND, "Sweet Tea"~ These are in HONOR OF YOU and your quiet, constant encouragement for so many years...xo~r