A touch of romance…

My tastes in home décor definitely lean more towards rustic, homespun, farmhouse than to lacy, frilly, Victorian.

Likewise, my taste in clothes has never been too lacy or frilly. 

I lean more towards classic styles with a little country edge now and then.

Maybe it’s the time of year, but when it came time for me to do some long neglected clothes shopping,

I found myself craving creamy, flowy, lacy tops to wear over dress pants or jeans.

Similarly, when it came time to add a touch of Valentine’s to my décor,

I craved something softer and more subtle this year as well.

Soft, blush colored roses add a touch of romance.

(Gotta love Trader Joe’s and their 4.99 flowers!)

Of course I have some rustic touches too.

 

Felt hearts that I stuffed with a little cotton and stitched simply together with baker’s twine

hang from a branch over my shabby, gray window.

A larger felt heart embroidered with baker’s twine hangs on my drying rack photo gallery.

 

I’m feeling ready for Valentine’s Day…are you?

Elizabeth

 

Remember to leave a comment on this post to enter my giveaway for some great scrapbooking software!

 

 

My Memories Software Giveaway!

I was contacted by a wonderful representative from the company, My Memories,

and asked if I wanted to try a free copy of their My Memories Suite software

and also have a free copy to giveaway to one of my followers!

I looked at their product and quickly said yes!

I am just beginning to scratch the surface of the fun and creative things I can do with this great software.

Here’s an album cover I created myself using My Memory Suite…

Here’s an album cover using one of My Memory Suite’s premade album templates…

Here’s what you need to do to enter for a free copy of this great software!

First, become a follower of my blog, click on over to My Memories and take a look around,

then leave a comment on this post.

For additional chances to win:

Become a follower of My Memories blog:

Blog- http://blog.mymemories.com/

Follow My Memories on Facebook:
Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593

Follow My Memories on Twitter:
Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite

Be sure to leave me a comment for each one of these…that’s up to four chances per person to win!

STMMMS61263

As a special for all of my readers, here is a Share the Memories coupon code that provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store – a $20 value!

I will be announcing the winner of this giveaway two weeks from today.

I hope YOU win!

Elizabeth

Growing gratitude…

I’ve had people ask me questions about gathering my gratitudes,

counting my thanks.

Doesn’t it feel artificial, phony, forced?

My response, yes and no.

It is, after all, totally against my fleshly nature,

the part of me that wants to mumble, grumble, and complain my way through life.

But sometimes you can fool nature,like forcing spring bulbs to grow before spring.

Put them in the right atmosphere, give them the right things, and they bloom out of season.

And this counting, it’s creating the atmosphere, feeding the mind the right things, (the lovely, true, good things),

and before you know it, totally against that old nature, you’re miraculously growing gratitude.

It’s a beautiful thing.

*********

I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little green journal…

#1588-#1611

one grace wrinkled-

the Hubs and I growing older

one grace smoothed-

ironing the stack of cloth napkins and going back in my memory to when Mama taught me to iron

by letting me iron Daddy’s handkerchiefs

one grace unfolded-

an encouraging card in the mail

3 gifts found in Christ-

love

forgiveness

righteousness

3 things blue-

the Hub’s blue eyes

blueberries on my granola and yogurt

blue sky peeking out between the clouds on a rainy day

one grace borrowed-

the book Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning

one grace found-

my love of writing, photography, creating

one grace inherited-

quilts from Mama and Nana

a gift before 9a.m.-

waking up in the wee hours knowing I’m supposed to pray for a specific need

a gift before noon-

winter sun making the most beautiful light in the dining room

a gift after dark-

sweet sleep in a warm house in a cozy bed

3 gifts that might have never been-

our marriage, because, by God’s grace, we didn’t quit during the tough times

our church, because, by God’s grace, we didn’t quit during the tough times

our home, a miracle of God’s provision

3 graces found in my friends-

sense of humor

giving

loyal

a song heard-

Walk in the Promise

a soft word-

a gentleman at church sharing about the Friend who sticks closer than a brother

where you saw light-

Holy Spirit revelation, insight, understanding into something in the Word

 

Gratefully yours,

Elizabeth

He’s got it all in control…

Isn’t this such a comfort?

The Lord directs our steps.

He delights in the details of our lives.

God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth,

is watchful over every one of our steps, over the tiniest details of our life.

Why then, am I ever fretful or worried about the future?

It’s in His hands, He’s got it all in control…

every step, every detail.

Thank You, Lord!

Still following,

Elizabeth

Friday’s Favs…New “cubby” shelf and another shelf makeover

Remember this Goodwill shelf that I spruced up with a little Dollar Tree contact paper?

For Christmas I was given a gift card to Camas Antiques.

One of the things I bought with it was this little gray shelf.

I had it in my mind to sit it on top of the black shelf.

I wasn’t that happy with how it looked there once I got it home,

but I just left it there until I could figure out something different to do with it.

And after a few days I knew what I wanted to do…

I took one of the little gray shelves to Home Depot and had them computer match the paint color,

and painted the black shelf to match it!

The gray still looks great with the toile-like contact paper and is so much more my style than the black ever was.

It almost looks like they are meant to go together.

I also bought this little ironstone bowl and these six silver spoons with our initial on them with my gift card.

I painted the frames of my ink and pen drawings to match the shelves as well.

I’m lovin’ it!

HAPPY, HAPPY FRIDAY and HAVE A BLESSED WEEKEND!

Elizabeth