Beauty of the park

 Today was another beautiful walk to the park with my doggies.  Hope you are enjoying the beauty that this day has to offer..

See! The winter is past, the rain is over and gone;

 ¹²The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

 ¹³The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come with me.

Song of solomon 2:11-13

A fun way to dress up a gift

This weekend I had a birthday party for one of my cousins children.  I went out and found the perfect gift but got home to realize I had no wrapping paper that was not Christmas themed.  So I decided to be creative.  Another thing I did not have was a card.  I remembered over Christmas that some of our gifts were wrapped so neat using things from outdoors and leaves for tags which of course I saved so I went into my fun stash of stuff and reused some of the stuff and ended up really happy with how it turned out.  I turned my christmas wrapping paper inside out too and it all pulled together nicely.  Although I will say that the 9 year old boy that I gave it too was not as impressed but that's ok.  hee hee 


So ladies the girl who once said she is not creative or crafty is embracing the fun in being just that... and guess what?  You can too! 


Until next time...

Anne 

More projects!

 I am still having so much fun with projects, mostly inspired by pinterest.  These are my latest ones..

This one is my getting ready room.  I added a shelf with some of my jewelry using champaign glasses to hold my earrings and an old plate to hold some of my other jewelry.  I love this room because it is filled with all older things that mean something to me.  The oil lamp was my grammies along with the ring on the holder beside it.  I think of her each day as I get ready.  And Marilyn is just for fun since I love her and that time in history.                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                    This stand used to hold all of our fireplace utensils (broom, brush, poker etc) but I reused it to hold these light bulbs that are turned into flower holders.  In the pinterest diagram it used fresh flowers with a small amount of water but I used dried flowers instead.   I also did not use the wire around the top like in the diagram, my hubby drilled me holes but either way will work.  I am pretty happy with how it turned out!                                                                                                                                                                    

This one I came up with myself, although I am sure it is out there somewhere.  I used an old room divider that I had and used it for hanging some of my scarves.  I love having a place for all my bags, purses and scarves.  Having them all out and not just in a ball in the room is much easier.  Trying to be a bit more organized this spring.












Until next time and happy Pinning!!

Anne 

Peace in the storm

Almost 6 years ago my life changed. The storm I am currently in started to rage and today it is still windy but I have learned a lot more how to weather that storm.  It has come with a lot of tears, anger, friendships, understanding, and the loosing and gaining of my faith in a new way and learning and embracing that I am striving forward but that it is not striving for perfection that is going to get me there.  There was a point when I felt I had to be perfect and "get it" as a perfect christian and person in order to be blessed with getting to be a mother.  You see 6 years ago we decided we wanted to start a family and that day will mark the day when my life changed forever.  I look back and I see pictures of that girl before and I see me now.  Seeing that girl used to upset me so much but today I am at peace with "that girl".  Because the days of feeling like I was not good enough are over.  The feeling of having to learn how to be perfect and not mess up or else I will be punished are thoughts of the past.  I have been given truth and the truth is I am already amazing and perfect just the way I am suppose to be.  I did not do anything wrong and the fact that these chapters are ones in my life, although ones I would have never written I am thankful for them as I am for the other chapters in my life that I have lived through.  You see it is those chapters that allow me to know that I will too get through this chapter because I braved the others.  The anger still comes and goes but it is more directed away from God where before if we spoke at all it was not very nice and I mean NOT nice.  Today rather than using the choice of bad and hateful words I lean on God more in those painful, scary days when I just need a good cry.  The way that I would hug my dogs or cats or even my hubby and just allow the emotions to flow as they need to.  Because being a christian does not mean life is always easy, if you are a parent you see this first hand with your kids.  Nothing you do can protect them from ever experiencing pain but you are always there for them to curl up with and get in a good cry.  Along with the truth of knowing that I do not have to be perfect another truth is that God wants good for you.  He does not hold it from you.  I can not fully understand why this is my story or your story is what your chapters are revealing to you but that is I guess where our faith comes in.  That we believe that it is not for nothing and that something good shall come out of it.  I see life different today and I am a different wife.  A wife that now feels worthy of her husbands love.  No longer that woman who wanted him to leave her behind and go find a woman who could give him children.  A woman who no longer thinks that him marrying her was a mistake.  I no longer feel ashamed (well ok, I can not say I no longer feel that way but I have come a long way from where I was).  I once heard a statement from someone who said they love their husband more today than the day they married him.  As a young bride I did not understand this.  How is that possible when you already love so much and the norm is the longer you are together the more you would drive each other crazy, or so it would seem right?  Well this statement means something to me today.  Because I can say that about my husband today as a wife now as we approach our 13th wedding anniversary which will be in October.  So in all of this today is one of those days again that will continue to reoccur where I am asking why me?  One of those days when I am just so ready for it to be over as I am growing so tired and my fight just keeps getting harder and harder, deeper and deeper.  I am starting to realize that maybe we are not meant to show up at heaven totally rested and looking our best.  Maybe we are to show up looking like we just had an awesome workout at the gym.  You know those workouts where you feel like you wont make it to the car?  The really good ones that you did not cheat your way through which are the ones we should be having each time we go to the gym but I will admit does not always happen.  Some days saying I was there and actually putting in the hard work are two different things.  It is like that statement goes, that if you still look the way you did when you entered the gym something is wrong..  Well same goes with this I think.  I think for me I am accepting the fact that maybe we are asked to show up in heaven wiping the sweat off ourselves, out of breath and asking God where the heck is the shower!  : )   I think he will find such delight in knowing that we were fighters, giving the life he blessed us with our all!  So today I am thinking of you if you are having one of those days were you feel tired, worn out and ready to throw in the towel..  I say never give up!  Hold onto that towel and keep on going because I have a feeling you are just about there!!  

Much love and ps... you are amazing just the way you are...

Anne 

No more hiding

This morning I read a chapter in one of the books I am reading.  A very good book which is hitting home for me in many ways.  This chapter talks about our hiding from our pain, our weaknesses or downfalls.  So often we see ourselves and others trying to paint such a colorful picture of our lives in certain areas where we are trying to cover up such pain or feelings of insecurities.  We hid from the truth which makes us feel better but we often hurt others and ourselves in the process.  It talks about the fact that God already knows who you are so pretending to be something you are not to him is pointless.  He is that best friend who you can totally be yourself with and he loves you anyway.  You see how often do we find ourselves doing this?  For me.. a lot in the past and still some today.  Because me being me has cost me.. it cost me popularity and friendships.  If I had a dollar for every person who has asked me to be me, open up completely and then tell me they don't know what to do with me I would be a rich woman.  I have seen this on the flip side as well in a friendship where you know they are hiding from you.  Always pretending that everything is ok, never really being honest with you.  At every attempt to reach out you are just that nagging friend who is just reading to much into things. The feelings of insecurities they have or the feelings of fear that your friendship provides to them is just too ugly to tell you about, rather they carry on in a way of hiding and hurting themselves and you in the process.  I see this very easy since this person as also been me.  Hiding is no stranger to me.  I have spent my whole life hiding ugly things and still do it to this day.  The thought of "if they knew the truth" haunts me and lets face it some will go because the ugly is too ugly for them but some wont and remember God NEVER WILL.  Some will appreciate that you are being honest and it will grow your relationship. Quite honestly more recently the truth is more important to me than ever because it is what will set you free.  The truth is I do not need to be perfect, I just need to keep those close to me that allow me to be honest and them honest with me.  As I look back at some friendships that have been lost I realize that is all I really ask for... honesty.. pure honesty, not the half way honest while sugar coating parts just to make do.  The pure, raw honest truth of your heart, even towards me.  Because guess what.. I am different than others.  I am me and just like God I do know the truth.  I may have figured you out and I am just waiting for you to be honest.. not perfect but honest.  Honest in realizing how you really feel deep down inside and how this could be shaping your and my actions.  Once I discover the truth, the honest and raw truth in me that sometimes I am so afraid to admit it allows me to see things so much more clear.  Helps me to realize why I have done some hurtful things to those I love.  The closest friendships that I have are not ones that are perfect, not ones where we always see eye to eye but the ones where we are honest and they take the time to know my heart and see me trying as I do with them.  God wants this from us not because he wants to make us feel bad about ourselves but because he loves us.  He already knows anyway and all he wants is for us to say who we are, and to be honest and in remembering that we are loved always.  Like a most recent conversation I had with a very close friend this weekend.  She looked at me and told me what she saw in some of my most recent pain, she knew my heart as if I had just told her everything I had been hiding.  I love this friend for her ability to see me this way, for not allowing my paintbrush of pretty colors to jade her view of me trying to hide.  I love that she allowed me to be honest with her, tell her where I have fallen short and in some ways that meant hurting her and that her answer was that she will always be there to pick me up.  This at other times may have been the very thing that would have made me avoid a person, or even get angry as it may be doing the same to you right now with a certain person who may see you in a form you are trying so very hard to cover up.  I can not speak for them but I can speak for me that for me with my friends this is what I can see very often and wanting the truth is not to expose and make for bad feelings but rather to help and love my friends as this friend did for me. There comes the day when you realize you may have lost that person who's eyes see you different and for now that may make you feel better but ask yourself if that is what is best.  I pray that if you do not open up to them at least do it with yourself.  Allow the truth of how you really feel deep down to set you free remembering that being angry, jealous, or insecure is not wrong it is the actions we take because of those feelings that is wrong.  In identifying the feelings we have, it allows us more control in our actions and in hurting others and ourselves less.  God already knows these feelings you have and he loves you anyway.  All he wants is for you to be honest and sincere in telling him who you are.. the key foundation in any lasting relationship.. So go on try having some extra faith today.. in yourself, in others and in God who thinks you are already amazing just the way you are.  


Much love...


Anne 

Easter and Pinterest

To continue with trying to keep the tradition of mailing alive I decided to mail invitations to my family for Easter dinner at our house.  My mother in law called me tonight pleased with opening her mail to see this invite which brought her a smile.  I am excited for Easter, embracing spring which I love and bringing family together for more than just a meal.  Time together, making more memories..  Another thing I love is Pinterest so of course I have been looking for new things to create for my Easter dinner.  I had fun with this small project using a hallowed out egg as a vase to hold flowers.  It said to use an egg holder for the egg but I used a shot glass I had at home.  I am happy with how it turned out.  I think I may make a few more.  As I sit here thinking about getting my flowers the other day at the local craft store in my town I am brought back to a lady I met in the store.  She was putting together flower bouquets and unable to decide she asked me my opinion between two she had put together.  I told her both were beautiful but I pointed to the one I thought was a bit more bright and cheery for spring.  She proceeded to thank me for my help and told me that they were for a grave.  She was dropping them off there that day.  I find myself thinking of this lady and sorry that I did not ask her for who?  I said "you're welcome" and smiled a warm smile at her and continued on in the busy store.  I wanted to ask her and have more of a conversation with her but for some reason I did not.  I guess I am so used to just staying to myself and not having open conversations with strangers.  This is something I would like to work on. Be more intentional about talking to others in these situations.  I am thankful that she asked me my opinion and I hope she got those flowers to whoever she was taking them to.  So all in all this project was a success in more ways than one.  : )

No matter how long the winter,spring is sure to follow...

Enjoying the beauty of a spring (or close enough to spring) morning.  A reminder that even though our winters may seem so long and miserable, at least for me since I hate winter, spring is always right behind waiting to show the beauty it has to offer.  I am thankful for another spring that is showing it's beauty to me as I plan for the fun stuff I want to do in my yard and flowerbeds.  I am thinking I am going to try out some wildflowers this season.  The pansies are starting to really bloom on my front porch.  So excited to have flowers on the front porch again.  Thinking spring!  : )

Cupcakes!

Tomorrow is Dustin's birthday so today I made him Mint Chocolate cupcakes.   I am pretty happy with how they turned out.  I have some other fun things to have out for when he gets home.  Hope he likes his little birthday surprise.















The setup he will see when he walks in the door...



Hope everyone is having a great day!!

Love and Retaliation

As we find ourselves in stressful relationships whether it be a friendship, a marriage or with a family member maybe the 2 words of love and retaliation may help make things clearer.  These two words never seemed to mean much to me until I recently read a chapter in a book explaining that it is ok for us to feel the emotions we feel ( anger, jealousy, fear, resentment, etc) but it is how we react to these feelings that makes all the difference.  I often hear people telling of the not so nice things or gossip they have done to a friend, family member or a spouse and hear how they are justified in this act because of the anger they feel towards this person over most commonly small stupid things.  I think the reality that we need to grasp is that everyone is going to hurt us.  Even your spouse, best friend or person closest to you is going to do something at some time to hurt you.  We are all human.  You may even find yourself jealous or insecure by someone you are closest to.  It happens.  I think what we need to realize is that you feeling jealous or angry is not what is wrong.  What makes it wrong or perhaps right is how you react to it.  The actions we take towards others in dealing with these feelings.  I know better than anyone that there are bad people out there.  Ones you need to have your guard up towards, even those that should be people that should love and you should be able to trust  but they choose not to play that role in your life.  Knowing the difference for me has been key.  Daily reminders of those people that are good and true in my life, have good hearts and have not shown me retaliation in angry times when I am not perfect.  Who have maybe felt those feelings towards me but chose to love me and talk it out with me in efforts to work on the longevity of our relationship rather than break it down with acts that only make themselves feel better at the time but with each act of unkindness, gossip and unwillingness to communicate continue to drive more nails in the coffin of our relationship.  Its hard to remember this when you are in the heat of the moment remembering again we are all human but I think if we can make an effort to know that in these relationships we choose to earmark as the ones to make last they are the ones that we must make a valiant effort on both parts to try to keep these things the forefront of our minds with each other.  That together we make efforts at keeping ourselves in check.  The revolving door of reciprocation is happening.  It is those other relationships that we end up becoming a door mat, those are the ones we need to be concerned with.  The ones where you are always wrong, crazy and they always seems justified in their not so kind actions because of the emotions you caused even if you did not do it on purpose.    Those are the ones that at some point you need to be willing to let go of.  I see so many marriages, family relationships and friendships sadly come to an end.  I am not without having this effect be in my life and I am left wondering why this has to be?  It makes me think in my own marriage how things have changed over the years which has allowed for our marriage to overcome some rough times.  I think of this morning as I start the coffee brewing while my husband started to do his daily task of getting ready to head out for the day, today heading to Philly, filling the car with his tools, me taking care of the dogs.. You know all that fun morning routine stuff.  This morning we woke to a mess of dog poop and pee all through our house.  Not the most fun to wake up to and tends to set your morning off on the wrong foot.  The pointing fingers at each other for why it happened and blah blah.. you get the drift.  So being both in not the best moods we continue on about our morning continuing to pick at each other.  In all of this as I am putting together some lunch snacks for him to take with him I come across the last 2 chocolate donuts in the drawer.  I am left with the question of giving them to him or keeping them, after all I am mad at him and for anyone who knows me well I have a very big sweet tooth.  My decision at that moment is the exact thing I am talking about when I say retaliation.  This gesture although small is a gateway to how we have to identify our emotions and learn how to react to them.  If this was any other day, I would have gave him those donuts no thoughts about it.  But today, would I justify my leaving them for myself as ok since after all he was a jerk?  The decision I made was to give him the donuts because my husband is one on my list of people (he's #1 by the way) that I have on my "good list".  He is a good,  loving husband although not perfect but one I do want to spend the rest of my life with so on those days when he chooses to be a "jerk" or rather just plain frustrated with the day which he is allowed to do I choose to just let it go and move on.  And the revolving door comes in with the act he gestured back to me which was to remove them from his lunch box and leave them on the counter.  The reciprocation from him is there too.  Although even if he would have taken them he shows me this act in many other ways too.  So I encourage you as I would any friend that if you are having a stressful time with someone, feeling certain emotions that are hurting you act in the gesture of owning your feelings but in refraining from retaliations and unwillingness to communicate if it is with a person who you would say is or has been good to you but may not be perfect.  If they are someone who you would like to long term see in your life don't let the act of retaliation nail the nails into your relationship coffin but rather choose communication, love and understanding and know that if you do have to see a relationship end that in the end you did all you could to make this possible with your actions, which is all you really have control over..  Sometimes its just a small thing like donuts that makes all the difference in restoration in a relationship.  With each small act comes healing and understanding with love being the main focus...

Mail the gift of a book to a woman in need

Most of my love for community and my encouragement for creating Mail it Mondays comes from The Bloom Book Club.  I have been a part of this book club for awhile now and I am loving it.  Each book  leaves me with such knowledge and the book club makes reading so much more fun.  Hearing that woman out there struggle with the same fears and issues really helps me and I love what each person brings to the group.  I am so thankful to the ladies of the book club for all they have done to make this happen.  I have put things out there from time to time but for the most part I am a silent follower and with this year I hope to be more vocal and involved in this group.  I know that some of the Mail it Monday's group members may feel the same and I pray that they find my group to bring them the same encouragment that I found whether I hear from them or not.  In an effort to spread the word I wanted to share an opportunity that I see in making your next mailing maybe the gift of a book to a woman in need.  There are women out there that would love to read along but even the small amount for the book is too much for them to spend.  Bloom Book Club has made it possible for woman who would like to help by donating a book for that to be made possible at a discounted price.  Check out Bloom Book Club and if you feel led to help you can do so from there.  Thank you and I hope everyone is having a great day!  

Mail it Monday's...

Recently I created a group on Facebook called Mail it Mondays in an effort to encourage one another to keep the giving of paper alive.  With email and text (which I do love) we find ourselves loosing touch with the personal touch of mailing someone a card for whatever the occasion.  I know that I love to get cards in the mail and I hold onto them for years to come.  This is one reason why I love Christmas so much, with each day I look forward to opening the mail box to see what card I have gotten that day.  I am sadden each year to notice I receive less and less.  I know life is fast paced and busy.  I am very guilty of letting things slip by all the time but what I have noticed is doing things together and helping to keep each other excited makes the daily tasks at hand even more fun to do.  Having a plan and doing little things to make it easier help get closer to whatever that goal or task is.  I am not super organized but having a box with all my cards in it makes  Mail it Mondays so much easier and I am finding how much I am enjoying Monday Morning, even with all the hustle and bustle of getting back to the grind this day can bring.  So I challenge you to join in with the fun and get mailing.  Today I am mailing to my vet and his staff for his recent kindness and extra effort in making our dogs surgery a success.  Poor guy had cancer on his face and now with their help he is hopefully cancer free!  Before now I would have gotten lost in my daily grind and would have perhaps forgotten to share my thanks and bring a smile to him and his staff with something as easy as a card in the mail.  Using our stamps for smiles... Who will you bring a smile to today?