Sunday, February 28, 2010

~SUNDAY BLESSINGS and a Heart Filled With Praise~

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
Thomas O. Chisholm


Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

May your day be blessed from beginning to end. Never forget for a second that you are deeply loved by the Most High...


Thursday, February 25, 2010

~LA BONNE VIE and Change is Good, too!~

~CHANGE IS GOOD~

I've been super busy in my studio and haven't been able to squeeze much time in for blog-visiting! I did manage to finish my new Header (Masthead) and that kept me really busy for several hours (and hours and hours and hours). Spring will be here before we know it and like many of you I'm excited about warmer temps and getting outside and digging in the dirt (gardening).

Oklahoma weather is not always kind during the winter. I love living in this gorgeous state...but not during the barren months of the year. I never look forward to hiding Easter Eggs in brown, crunchy grass that is void of even a hint of shamrock green. Growing up in Southern Cali there were colorful blooms everywhere by early March...not so here. We are happy if we see color by late April.

OK...back to the new Header.

If you don't like it please don't tell me. :)

I'd like to give a SHOUT OUT to Karen from "The Graphic Fairy"! The center frame that houses my "A Gathering of Thoughts" title came from her stash! Thank you, friend! I faithfully visit your blog every single day and I'm enjoying lots of your FREE Graphics! You are amazing!


I'm starting to understand why Website Designers make those big bucks. They have to know a lot of STUFF and they have to be really SMART! As it is I had to call my son (the Programmer) a gazillion times to help me. Between him and my Mr. AGPMan (the Analyst) they were able to tweak what I couldn't. I've decided the reason I don't learn faster is because my brain is already filled to capacity and learning things like a new computer design program makes it wanna crash and burn rather quickly. :)

I promise to get around and visit with you soon and answer those emails that are stacking up as well.

Blessings to you as you await the first beautiful bloom of the year...

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

~FRESH WHITE LILACS and Dreaming of Spring~

LILACS

My vision of a lilac world
is held in trust for me
by friends who'll never know
they're friends
and lovers I've held only once.

I'd let them know, but how?
I'd fit them in, but when?
No one's needs are that
of being fitted in.
Everyone demands
their full round share of time.

But oh those few
who've found the time
to fit me in-
schedule me somehow
within their crowded lives-
are remembered almost daily.
At night they all come back
every bit as real as lilac smells
on April days.

Rod McKuen

~~~*~~~

Thank you for fitting me in...

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

~ALTERED de PAPIER and Lovin' All Things FRENCH~

~LATEST CARD DESIGN~
All Things French and Lovely

Over the past couple of weeks I thought for sure someone was jumping up and down on my LAST NERVE. I think I'm finally grasping the concept of "Paint Shop Pro X". Even though I have tons more to learn about the Program I can't begin to tell you how happy I am I decided to sit still long enough and LISTEN to my instructor. My Teach was none other than my Mr. AGPMan... The computer analyst/guru himself suffered through days and days and DAYS of blank, mindless stares, endless questions about things he'd already answered at least a hundred times and he even witnessed a few full-fledged temper-tantrums.

I'm not a good student.

I nearly flunked out.

Plus, I really hate it when my guy tells me what to do. :)

The song "I WILL SURVIVE" kept running through my brain...

Now...of all the card designs swimming inside my head this one is my favorite so far. I'm IN LOVE with France and have been for as long as I can remember. I'm a fairly frugal person but when it comes to things like French Lace, French Ribbon, French Perfume or French Food...well I can lay down some serious ca$h!

The sweet little card above has a sewing theme to it. It showcases vintage scissors, an old silk ribbon spool, a vintage Eiffel Tower Stamp, aging buttons, an old French letter, gorgeous lace and it's original vintage lace packaging! Matching note cards and hang tags are also in the works!

For those of you who have written to me about the product line I can tell you it's in production! We just received the first designs back from the printer and the next grouping will be sent out this week!

More soon! Promise!


~My Grandpa's Grandfather~
Marcus Lafayette Martinique

I've always heard that the people of France would rather buy one item of great quality rather than lots of little lesser things.

I've always wondered if that was true.


Maybe Karyn over at French Charming would know.

Surely Janet over at Shabby FuFu would know. She's been to France a gazillion times, I think...(which is totally Not Fair! NOT FAIR!).


The picture you see above is of my SCOUNDREL (that's what my Grandpa called him) Great-Great-Grandfather, Marcus (Markus) Lafayette Martinique. He came to America from France in the mid 1800's and promptly fathered a large, large, large brood of children. He also had two wives (at the same time)!!! To 'appear' more American (can you image his accent?), he changed the spelling of his first name (K to a C) and also changed his last name to MARTIN.

I'm thinking he needed to shave off what looks like to me was a HEAVILY WAXED MUSTACHE! :) And...HOW can a man sit for a professional photograph and NOT straighten his tie???? Where was his wife? Or rather, WIVES????

Anyway...maybe my love for all things French comes naturally for me.

Blessings...


Sunday, February 21, 2010

~MAKING SOMETHING OUTTA NOTHING...Trash Into Treasure~

~GARAGE SALE FIND - $5.00~

Over the past few days I've been spending my time restocking my sweet little booth space at a local Antique Mall as well as enjoying my work designing a fresh new line of paper goods. I'm more excited than I can say and I'll be sharing more with you over the next several weeks about where this little biz of mine is taking me!

~SWEET CUBBY W/DRAWERS~

You KNOW I'm always on the hunt for neat old finds for my home! Despite the fact I have a storage shed that is full of great stuff, I'm constantly on the prowl for things to use for displaying merchandise in my cottage themed shoppe. Last summer I found this super cute cubby for only $5. I had no clue at the time just what I was going to do with it but for only five dollars it was a lovely find.

(It didn't have the scroll work on the top...but more about that in a sec.)

~PERFECT FOR SHOWCASING MY PAPER-GOODS~

The hand-fashioned piece was a bit gruff. It was only half painted with chalky white primer and I believe the man who originally made it planned to have a drawer in all the open spaces (one odd drawer was on the top row). Anyway, I tossed the needy piece aside and I didn't think about it again until this past week when I found myself in need of a charming display cabinet for the paper-goods.

~I'M SOOO LOVING IT NOW~

For some reason (fate) :) that sweet little cubby tiptoed back to my mind.

Soooo...I dug it out from it's hiding place, removed the extra drawer and painted out the entire thing in my FAVORITE COTTAGE WHITE PAINT! Yum! It did look darling but I must say just a bit boring! The piece was great for holding cards and tags but I decided it needed a backdrop or something!

~SWEETLY DISPLAYED SAMPLES~

Enter Mr. AGPMan...

After 'splainin' to my guy what I wanted we headed off to our local Hobby Lobby (um...that would be an OKLAHOMA BASED BUSINESS!!!) to look around. I knew I wanted something scrolly but wasn't too sure just what we'd find.

Well...we hit pay-dirt! We did! We discovered the fabulous scrolly metal piece you see in the top photos on sale for half off and for only $7. Combined with the $5 for the cubby the total cost for the piece was $12. Isn't that wonderful? Mr. AGPMan attached it to the back with a hand fashioned steel bracket and I painted it out using the same paint color as the cubby! WAH-LA!

Now...I didn't snap a picture of the entire display in my shoppe because when I got there and set the entire thing up on a darling vintage dresser the DRESSER SOLD. By the time I reworked everything I forgot about photographing the space! :(

Blessings to you as you put into motion the calling you have on your life...

Thursday, February 18, 2010

~BLESS YOU! BLESS YOU SOME MORE~

"I love little children.
And it is not a slight thing
when they, who are fresh from God,
love us." --Charles Dickens

Blessings to those of you who never fail to encourage me on my journey through blogland! You outwardly live out your lives with passion, kindness, faith and love. You continue to bless me every single day. Thank you each and every one.

Love,

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

~STRAWBERRY SACHET TUTORIAL - Just To Get You Started~

~SMALLER SACHETS FROM 2007~

I'm barely getting this short little STRAWBERRY SACHET TUTORIAL in before the stroke of midnight! I've had a busy but FUN DAY! I just finished a huge project for my Shoppe and the rest of day I worked on the larger Sachets I've shown below. They'll be listed on either eBay or Etsy sometime tomorrow...

As I shared with you yesterday I've loved making these darling Sachets for many years now. More than anything (EXCEPT for working with a paint brush!) :) I love getting my hands into my growing stash vintage laces, baubles, ribbons and buttons! Making something pretty out of what looks to my hubby like a bunch of JUNK is the best therapy in the world.

Create! Create! Create! It does my heart good! :)

~ANOTHER VIEW - 2007~

The two pictures above were taken during the summer when the sun was shining. The pics below were taken at night in the winter. What a difference. I'm no photographer...and I even have a better camera now!

~VTG PINK DAMASK AND RIBBON~

The Tutorial (link above) includes the basic instructions for making one of these pretty Strawberry Sachets and the pattern for the larger 5" Sachet.

~MUCH LOVELIER IN PERSON~

Use your imagination when it comes to embellishing the tops of your romantic keepsakes!

~PERFECT FOR A BRIDE~
Vintage 1900 Eyelet Lace Accent

Trust me when I say there is no right or wrong way to make your fragrant pretty beautiful! I hope you have fun creating!

Blessings to you as you make something truly lovely with your own two hands...Rebecca

Monday, February 15, 2010

~ROMANTIC KEEPSAKES and Fragrant Strawberry Sachets~

~SACHETS FROM 2008~

Last week when I shared with you pictures of our Formal Dining Room Makeover I also gave you a little peek at some pretty Sachets my Mother and I made for my daughter's 2007 wedding favors. Fashioned in the shape of dainty Strawberries, the Sachets were truly a labor of love and took many months for us to complete. Made from vintage watermark Taffeta and lovely old Damasks, each Sachet was filled with fragrant Lavender and complemented with both new and vintage millinery finds.

Over the years I have LOVED making these little keepsakes for the special women in my life. The Sachets are both romantic and feminine and truly a beautiful gift for both Easter and Mother's Day...

I hope you'll check back tomorrow as I will be giving you a quick overview of how the Sachets are made...

Hoping your Valentine's Day was as beautiful as mine...

Sunday, February 14, 2010

~THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE~

~THE GREATEST LOVE~

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

May your Valentine's Day filled with the greatest love known to man. Blessings for a beautiful day...

With a grateful heart~

Thursday, February 11, 2010

~OKIE BLOG AWARDS - OKLAHOMA PROUD~

Here's a shout out to all the Peeps who follow my humble little Bloggie here in the GREAT STATE OF OKLAHOMA! I've been nominated for the BEST ARTS CRAFTS BLOG and I'm more excited than I can say!

I'd love it if you can find the time to visit THE OKIE BLOG AWARDS and vote for your favorite Blogs. There are 24 and you must vote for 12 for your Ballot to be counted. Mine is under
ARTS/CRAFTS and the name is GATHER YE ROSES. Deadline to email your Ballot in is Sunday, February 14th at midnight. Just follow the instructions and you're good to go! Don't forget that ONLY BLOGGERS who have a BLOG from Oklahoma can VOTE!

The powers that be say it is a huge honor just to be nominated and IT IS! IT IS!!!! I'm OVER-THE-MOON thrilled to be even considered for this award!

But hey...I WANT TO WIN!
Soooo Miss Ginger, Miss Glenda and Miss Debbie and all of the rest of you who live here in our amazing State, PLEASE VOTE FOR ME! I don't win anything...just bragging rights (at least I don't THINK I win anything!!!) :)

Thanks for allowing me to BOAST about this! BOAST! BOAST! BOAST! Life will still be GREAT even if I lose! :) But, I have to admit it will be a tad bit sweeter if I win!

Thank you again, so very, very much!

Have a wonderful, wonderful day...

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

~I KNOW YOU BY HEART~


I've loved Valentine's Day for as long as I can remember. It's such a happy little holiday and one that comes packed full of the SWEETEST things.

I love all the icy pink decorations and the cards that are filled with over the top sentiments. I love the lace and the ribbons, the 2die4 chocolates and those little Conversation Hearts that always seem to make me smile.

I love the romance and the flowers (the palest pink roses, please!) and an evening that always brings with it a special dinner out with my hubby.

Here's wishing you a weekend filled up and overflowing with all the things that make you feel happy, loved, valued and secure.

Blessing to you from my very grateful PINK-LOVIN'-HEART >>>~~<3


Tuesday, February 9, 2010

~JUST TO MAKE YOU SMILE~

Today I want to do things the way I used to do, and get the same results I used to get when I used to do it that way.

(Couldn't resist the muse...)

Thank you for stopping by yesterday and leaving so many sweet compliments on our dining room makeover. You bless me.

Love,

Monday, February 8, 2010

~ROMANTIC DINING ROOM - Valentine's Day Ready~

~ALMOST VALENTINE'S DAY READY~
A House Without Lace
Is Like a House Without Music

Well peeps...I'm more excited than I can tell you! Believe it or not our formal dining room makeover is ALMOST finished. Save for the crown molding and the painting of my dining room chairs (the French chairs in the photos are from my breakfast room), the really big stuff is about done. It's been so exciting turning what was our formal living room into a beautiful dining retreat.

~OLD HOMER LAUGHLIN PLATES~
Lovin' the English Garden Centerpiece

We still have a few odds and end to wrap up...our French Doors are masked off and ready for paint (what a job that was...two two-sided doors with all those little windows) and I still need to hunt down some fabulous vintage complements for some 2die4 final WOWZER touches.

~LACES AND SUCH~

Along with so many of you who have a passion for things made with the hands, my love of vintage lace and trims shows through in this room. Dining Room or not, the cabinets are filled to overflowing with some of my favorite old finds...snippets of aging embroidery, samplings of old linens and the loveliest laces I've ever seen. Plus, vintage china tea cups are a must as well as a few pieces of the lovely (but inexpensive) stemware my Mother painstaking collected from Green Stamps when I was a young girl. I found even more pieces at local tag sales...what fun!

~PRETTY VINTAGE TABLE~
(fabulous lace cloth from my friend Kim)

I moved this lovely old sofa table into the room from my Den because it was just the perfect piece for anchoring our large picture window. If you ever come to my home you'll find that nothing EVER stays in the same place for very long...

Just ask my Mr. AGPMan...he does most of the heaving moving for me! :)

~VINTAGE MIRROR~

Here is the vintage mirror I showed you a few weeks ago. She is beautiful all by herself!

~STRAWBERRY SHAPED SACHETS~

When my girl married a couple of years ago my mother and I made about 300 of these little sachet beauties for her wedding favors. Truly a labor of love...such fun...such work...but sooo beautiful. I kept a few and proudly showcase them all over my home. Here you can see three underneath my favorite Cloche.

When you don't see me adding things to eBay or even Etsy you can pretty much figure I'm busy doing other things or working in my own home. Now that I have a local booth in an Antique Mall my time is just not my own. But, I wouldn't have it any other way...

More soon!

Blessings to you as you stay true to what you sincerely love...

Sunday, February 7, 2010

~DAY BY DAY and Grace For The Storms In Life~

"Day by Day" was written by a young Swedish woman who learned early in life the all-important lesson of living each day to the fullest. From her pen flowed approximately 650 hymns.

At the age of 26, Karolina W. Sandell-Berg (1832-1903) had an experience that greatly influenced her life. While traveling with her father aboard a ship bound for Gothenburg, Sweden, the ship gave an unexpected lurch and Lina watched as her beloved father, a Minister, fell overboard and drowned before her eyes. Although she had written many beautiful hymns before her father's death, her lyrics began to show an even greater child-like trust in her Lord. Tender writings began to flow from her broken heart.

Can you even imagine watching someone you love drown? Especially so while out to sea, forever lost in a great ocean? I can barely allow myself to even go there... Still, I have a sense of peace today knowing that if God's Grace was enough for Miss Sandell-Berg, then it is enough for me...

~DAY BY DAY~

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day, the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He Whose Name is Counselor and Power;
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.

Blessings as you trust in your Redeemer...

Saturday, February 6, 2010

~WHAT HAPPENS AT NANA'S and Out of the Mouths of Babes~

After her daddy's big birthday party last night our Miss K stayed for a little sleepover here at Nana's house. She got up early this morning and then busied herself the entire day with things like rubber stamping (always exciting) and making homemade Valentine's Day Cards for her family. We had so much fun!

While I worked on some things for eBay our sweet girl entertained herself with piles of scrap white paper from her Papa's office and began to make her version of my hand painted signs.
When it got a BIT too quiet I went looking for Miss K to see what she was up to. This is what I found...

A little hand-drawn sign taped to my bedroom door (deckle edge and all) that simply said:

"What happens at Nana's house stays at Nana's house."

Hmmmmm...

I just LOVE that little girl. She knows my LIPS ARE SEALED...

Blessings to you as you remember not to sweat (or tattle about) the small stuff...

Thursday, February 4, 2010

~LOVE GROWS WHERE HER BABY BOY GOES.~

~THE SWEETEST BOY~
This Side of Heaven
and His Very YOUNG Momma
1982

Once upon a time there was a young girl named
Rebecca.

She longed for nothing more than to grow up and marry a very handsome man and have two babies.

In 1978 she married her Prince Charming.

In 1982 her first little baby, a beautiful boy, was born.

She named him Brandon Kent.

Brandon and his mother were very, very close.

He was her miracle child.

Life was good and he was a wonderful little boy...

And gave his mother so much happiness and love.

But, Brandon began to grow and grow.

As the years passed he grew older and wiser.

After many years of living in her nest he said...

"Momma...I must spread my wings. I need to make my own way."

Rebecca cried and cried.


~SUCH A WONDERFUL MAN~
and His
Aging Momma
2008

And cried some more.

On the day Brandon flew away she took him aside and said...

"I'll love you forever.

I'll like you for always.

As long as I'm living~

MY BABY you'll be."

And then...the strangest thing
happened.

Brandon turned to her and said...

"I'll love you for ever.

I'll like you for always.

As long as I'm living~

My Momma you'll be."

And life continued to be good.

THE END

Happy Birthday, Brandon! I'm
sooo incredibly proud of the man you have become. You have risen up and called me blessed...just like God promised me you would. Although I will forever miss the baby and boy you were, nothing fills my heart with more joy than watching you become the man you've been called to be.

I love you...forever and always...Momma

Blessings to you as you celebrate the lives of those you love...

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