I went to a Garden Party....

My post title sounds like a Ricky Nelson song, but it is actually what I did last night. Our church is doing bible studies in different homes with different teachers. The one I elected to attend is "party" themed. This week we had a garden party. The bible study was on the Garden of Eden through Gethsemane. We had an awesome meal with lots of fruit and veggie based foods. We even had little apples at our place for us to write our names on the tag. 

After the bible study, we did a craft an made flower ink pens. It was super simple and fun. I think I may have my pre-K Sunday School class make these with poinsettias for Christmas. 

Then we placed a couple of games that were fruit and veggie themed. I won one of the games and got this cute little parsley grow kit. Hubby was very excited about it since he uses a lot of parsley in his cooking. 

We decided that we would put a little hook at the kitchen window and plant it in a little hanging pot. 

As we were leaving, we each received our very own African violet in a cute little pot. I chose one in the watering can style pot. I just love it. Now I need to read up on how to care for African violets. Any tips?

 Next week, our theme is a country party. The remaining ones will be a tea party, an antique party, and a pot luck/recipe exchange party. This is going to be a great bible study. I can't wait to see what other bible versus they tie in for the bible study on each of those themes. 

A blessing from above

Sometimes in life God drops a little blessing into your life. That happened to us three years ago today when our fifth grandchild was born. 

He is such a bundle of joy. He is so full of energy and life. There is almost always a ball or some sports paraphernalia in his hands. 

He always has a smile on his face. 

I look back on some of the photos from the past three years and can't believe how much he is growing up. 

Happy birthday, Colby. Mamaw and Papaw love you. 

Weekend Wrap Up

I've started back on my plastic canvas projects. I did this little coaster one evening last week. They are so simple and just take about an hour. The good part is you can custom design your patterns so you don't have to follow a printed paper. 

When we were on vacation, we went to several antique stores and thrift shops and the only thing I found was this little cup at an antique store. It's Pyrex and was only .99 cents so I bought it for hot chocolate. 

I went in a costume jewelry store at the Coastal Grand Mall and they had tons of necklaces. This one was on clearance for $2.99 so I bought it since I love anything nautical. 

When I got back home, there is a lady who has been having a garage sale and I stopped to see what she had left. I'm glad I did. I got this Pyrex coffee mug for just .25 cents. 

Not sure who made this but it is vintage 1970's. I liked it and since it was just .25 cents I went ahead and got it as well. For somebody who doesn't drink coffee, I sure buy a lot of coffee cups. 

I have a card table I use at holidays and have been looking for tablecloths for it. I found this one for just $1.00. It looks like it was never used. 

Bought this cute little throw for just .50 cents. I'm going to put it in the kids room for when the girls stay all night. 

My bargain of the day were these almost brand new drapes. They are the heavy lined quality drapes and were only $2.00 for both pairs. They were exactly what I've been looking for to go on the window in my home office to help keep some of the sun out in the afternoons. 

I went to Hobby Lobby and several other places Saturday and got home about 3:30. Our Sunday School classes are changing next week so yesterday was the last day we had our 5 year olds. They graduated from Pre-K Sunday School to Kindergarten Sunday School class. So I made these little graduation caps for them to use for their graduation. 

Since we were sending them off with a party, I decide to make some graduation caps for dessert out of brownie bites, fudge grahams and M & M's. They turned out pretty cute and were a hit with the kiddos. 

I put some of the pictures of the past two years on a paper and made them little diplomas. 

We were going to have popcorn so I made some popcorn cones to put the popcorn in for them at the party. They were easy to make.

After all that, I finally fixed me some homemade pizza breads and ate supper. I was ready to crash. I couldn't believe how much I had crammed into one day.

But it was all worth it when I got to church Sunday morning and the kids enjoyed their graduation so much. 

The Perfect Shell

On my trip to Myrtle Beach last week, I had a lot of down time walking the beaches, sitting near the ocean and pondering God's Glory. I love collecting shells when I walk along the beach. I am always looking for that perfect beautiful shell. I pick them up thinking they are "the one" only to get them home and find their flaws. It got me thinking about how much our Christian walk is like that of the seashell. 

On the outside, we look shining and pretty at times. But no one knows the inner sufferings or turmoil that each of us must face on a day to day basis. We look at others and think their life is perfect and blessed. Then upon closer inspection we see the pitfalls they face every day. Like the shell that has been battered and beaten until its life is full of holes and scars. 

Sometimes we feel like the shell that has been in the ocean so long that the wear and tear of daily life has just taken such a toll on us that we feel like we are deeply gouged and sometimes wonder how we can take much more. 

God makes us all like the seashell. We are tough and solid, but we must face the waves and battle the storms that toss us around on the ocean of life. 

At times, we may have smooth sailing and things may be feeling better than other times, but we still know that our life is on shifting sand and can change with the tides.  

   

But unlike the shell who withers in the storm tossed sea and ends up gracing the bathroom shelf in a jar in someone's home, we can withstand the test of time with God's love, His grace and His mercy. We can take the washing of the waves of life and the battering of the stormy sees. We know we serve a God who is strong, powerful, loving and forgiving. Even though He lets us get washed ashore sometimes, it is in those moments that He is restoring us to serve Him and receive His blessings. 

So did I find the perfect shell? Not in cosmetic looks, no I didn't. But I did find that each shell was beautiful in its own way because it showed me that God is forever and always and though we may be battered against the storms of life, He will always be there to gently lift us up and place us safely on the shore. 

I see October on the Horizon

Where in the world did September go? It seems like I just put my fall stuff out and now it is nearing the time to add some Halloween decor among the fall stuff.

I'm heading out to Hobby Lobby today and think I may need to look for a few Halloween craft ideas. I took my little pinwheels to work so I need to make me some more. I just love working with Halloween scrap book paper for fall designs. 

I have been searching for ideas to use it for. I have found a couple of things that would be neat to do. One is popcorn cones. We have an old fashion popcorn paper and this would be perfect to serve the kids popcorn on any occasion. 

And if you are going to have a party, you could always do this to your water bottles. 

I love this just to set around for a decoration during the Halloween season. this looks very easy to do.

And this would be very simple and inexpensive as well. They just covered the wooden letters with scrapbook paper. 

And who doesn't love a craft involving those empty canning jars that keep hanging around the house. 

Now I'm excited about going to Hobby Lobby today. 

I'm back....

After several months of trying to figure out what was wrong with my blog and after many people still visiting me and commenting on my own posts, I have come home to Mamaw's Place. 

I just never felt at home over at Thrifty Country Gal and I always felt like I was limited on what I could talk about. It just didn't feel right.

I have missed my daily chats at Mamaw's Place and am so glad to be back "home" where I belong. I hope you will continue to follow me here and check back every day to see what is going on in my neck of the woods. 

Thanks for stopping back by. I finally feel like I am back where I belong.

Craft Ideas ....

I am loving this little box and the coasters to go with it.

I may have to make a set of these. I checked through my drawers of yarn and found these colors that might work. What do you think?

This little table mat is cute but I don't usually undertake anything this major. But I do like it. And this picture makes me want a red, white and blue mug.

I make little birdhouses out of plastic canvas. They are so easy and very fun to make. It only takes about an hour to make one.



I think I'm going to make some and make a Chevron pattern on them. I think that will be cute. Here is some more yarn I pulled from my stash that I think I'll make my first one in. I have so much yarn that I just shop my own house when I need yarn.

And while I am on the subject of crafts, I found some burlap for just $3.99 and I have some material and buttons I had bought a while back that I think I will use to make the patriotic banners I saw on Pinterest.

I've got an idea of something else to make that will use up some of the patriotic scrapbook paper I have. 

Since I won't need my whole yard of burlap, I dug through my material to find some to try an idea I have. 

Have you seen the new felt that Hobby Lobby is carrying? Instead of solid colors, they have patterns. They are just .50 cents each. Don't know what you would do with them, but I loved them. 

I'm going to cut out my birdhouses and coasters and get started working on them soon.