Favorite Finds on Friday

As I looked on Etsy this week, I found several things that I fell in love with. This little Easter chicks caught my eye. I posted them on Facebook and one of my friends is going to try her hand at making one. She is very talented and doesn't always need a pattern. These little fellas were just too cute. 

I have been looking for a vintage crumb brush and pan set. I haven't been able to find exactly what I'm looking for. But I did see this set this week and thought it would be cute to own. I'm still thinking about it. 

Call me crazy, but I miss the old fashioned princess phones. I even miss rotary dialing. I know that sounds crazy. I love all my new fangled gadgets like cell phones, lap tops, tablets, but I really, really miss the old rotary phones. 

Check out these raffia ware glasses. I wouldn't mind finding some of these at a yard sale or thrift store. How cute would this be for the grandkids. 

I would also like to find a vintage coffee pot like this Cathrineholms one. 

I love doilies. The pineapple pattern has always been one of my favorites. This is too cute with the tips in turquoise. 

I'm heading out this morning to go to my first estate sale of 2013. It says over 41 years accumulation of "stuff". So who knows what I might find. 

It's empty.....

As we get closer to Easter, I start thinking of all the events that led up to that glorious morning when Christ arose from the dead. Can you even begin to imagine?

He was the Son of God. OUR risen Savior. Our salvation. But to the people He knew, He was even more than that. He was their friend. He was the one that walked the roads with them and talked to them about their dreams, their desires, their pain, their despair. 

Can you just imagine what it was like to be His friend. To be someone who could call out the window as He passed by and invite Him in for something cool to drink on a hot day.

Can you imagine the times of stress and worry when He would simply head for somewhere that He could be alone to talk to His Heavenly Father. And then just imagine the comfort and peace He felt after that conversation. Knowing that His time on earth was drawing to an end.

Can you imagine the love He felt as He looked at all those He had come to know so well. Imagine what was going through His mind when they were planning a fishing trip in a few weeks and only He knew that He wouldn't be around to go.

I would imagine He had times when Peter would make Him throw His head back and laugh in the pure joy of their friendship. And I am sure there were times when He, Mary and Joseph would talk and His heart would be breaking at the thought of leaving them. And imagine being one of the children in town who got to hang out with Him.

Then I wonder how those around Him that knew Him the best reacted when they saw Him beat, spat upon and hung on the horrible cross. How could they take the agony of seeing Him suffer, watching Him bleed as He hung there battered and scarred, waiting for the moment when His earthly body would be no more. I wonder at the anguish of those who loved him so. How could they stand to watch his pain and suffering? How could they stand not to? And when they removed that precious sweet body, broken and beaten, and prepared it for burial, how could they endure their own pain.

I wonder how long they stood there and just stared at the closed tomb that held everything that was dear to them. They knew of His promises. They knew He had to go. But oh how difficult that must have been to say that final goodbye as dusk set and they had to get back to their homes, their families, their lives.

But on that third day, oh, that glorious third day. How did they feel when they returned to the tomb and it was empty. It was true! He was gone! Then they find out that He has risen just like He promised. What was intended to be an end was just a beginning.

Christ arose and the tomb was empty. That empty tomb was the promise of a future. What had ended as despair now became HOPE.

Happy first day of spring!

Two times a year I get a little depressed over clothing. Once at Easter and once at swimsuit time. Well, time for my first bout of depression. I want to look fashionable for Easter. It's a yearly thing. I want the Easters of my late teen and early mom years when I could still wear size 3 and my spiked heels were higher than my dress size. 

I want the cute dresses that will accentuate my waistline and flair out over my hips. Who are we kidding, I would be happy just to HAVE a waistline nowadays. 

Instead, each year, I try to find outfits with full skirts or dress pants that can be paired with a cute top. I did see some tops I liked at Kohl's. 

I also liked this one. Either one would look cute with white pants and white shoes.

Of course, I don't go with the big heels any more. I would need to find something in a white sandal low heel look. I really like the look of these. 

Then of course, I have the dilemma of wanting a new white purse for spring. I have wanted one for about three years, but never can find anything I like. I do like the looks of this one. Just pretty sure the price would scare me to death. 

With our crazy weather and with Easter being earlier than normal this year, I have let it slip up on me. I haven't had time for much of a panic attack over the "what will I wear for Easter" dilemma. But I have still have a little over a week to worry about it. In the meantime, spring is officially here. That means that no matter how cold it gets, I will not wear my winter boots any more. It is time to get out the flip flops and get them ready to wear on those warmer days that are surely coming at any minute.

Thoughts for today....

Please pray for the families that lost their homes and rentals cabins in a massive fire here locally in Wears Valley. At last count 59 homes were destroyed and 6 were damaged. It was devastating. Firefighters from the entire county fought the blaze which started in one of the cabins around 4:00 on Sunday. Black Hawk helicopters were called in to haul water from the local lake to help fight the fire. A special thank you to all our firefighters, EMT's, and police officers who responded to the need. 

Our hearts and prayers go out to all those who lost their homes in this horrendous destruction. 

Weekend Wrap Up

 

My blogging has been sporadic the past few days. I've been to a conference for WMU and I went to a birthday party for my grandson Garret.

 

 

It was great to spend time with family. Alexis loves to smile for the camera.

 

 

Colby was really enjoying a miniature hotdog.

 

Sunday was spent with most of the day laying on the couch watching TV, catching up on some sleep and trying to feel better from a cold I've been fighting. I woke up feeling a lot better today although I am still coughing a lot but I can tell it is breaking up. I did bake a chocolate cake on Sunday. But other than that I just relaxed all day.

 

Now to get back in the swing of things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy birthday Garret

It is so hard to believe that my very first grandchild turned 14 today. Where have the years gone? Where is that tiny little baby that used to hold my hand? He is growing up so fast.

I took him out to eat and go birthday shopping the other day. We used to talk about playing dinosaurs and zoo animals.  Now we talk about picking his high school classes and what career he wants to go to college for.

As we were sitting there last night at his birthday party it dawned on me that in one short year he will be getting a learners permit.

I am so proud of the young man he is becoming but I can't help missing the little boy he was.

Happy birthday Garret I hope you have a great day.

When faith walks in....

God can move mountains. He is still in the miracle business today just as much as He was when He parted the Red Sea and when He rose Lazarus from the dead. God has never forsaken us or left us alone to fight our demos. God is forever everlasting. 

We are the ones who have left Him. We are the one who walk away thinking we can handle it on our own. We are the ones who are to blame for the lack of wonder in our lives. 

Faith is such an integral part of our relationship with Christ, yet we check our faith at the door. We spin our wheels and wander like nomads in the dessert trying to find the solution to our problems. 

But it is there all along. It is in the small miracle of us saying "I believe" and putting all our trust in God. When your life is not in order and you are not able to cope with the trials and troubles, open the door and invite faith to walk inside. It is such a simple step. It is the road to joy from pain. 

Will all our problems be solved by taking a leap of faith and placing them in God's hands? Absolutely. They may not be solved to our satisfaction or in our time, but when faith walks in fear walks out. Peace and contentment replace panic and confusion. 

We will find inner strength to face the situations in our life, knowing we are not alone. We will find that burdens will just drift away. What we thought were insurmountable obstacles now become little stepping stones that God will lead us through as He takes us in the path of HIS choosing, not of ours.

You will feel the cloak of despair slip from your shoulders and will feel the armor of God placing protection around your life. 

Will faith mean you lead a charmed life? No, but faith will allow the life you lead to be filled with joy, happiness and most importantly HOPE. 

When faith walks in, grace shows up and mercy holds our hand. When faith walks in, HOPE becomes our freedom.