Blessing on this Christmas Day for you and yours

I hope this finds you having a very Merry Christmas. I would like to leave with you a few Christmas pictures. There should be something here for everyone. Please save them and use them next year as gift tags or what ever you would like.

Have a Blessed Christmas!

Until next time, Carol

Blessing to you and yours on this Christmas Day!

Even the small things

Acts 16:12-15

We who are already worshipers of God sometimes need a little quite time to remember God is in the little things of life.

We go about our lives as believers talking and trusting the Lord but sometimes forget to remember to do the small things unto the Lord. Such as the dishes at night. How many times do I just thank him for nice dishes to feed my family from. To remember it is a privilege to be able to do the dishes as worship to Him.

What a great privilege to have our great and awesome God to watch over our small things in life. I will strive to remember to always be thankful for the small things that sometimes seems as things I just have to do, with more thoughtfulness of Him. Not what He has done or given me but just thoughtfulness of Him!

Thank you for stopping by today. Until next time. Carol

Been Tap Dancing

I am so sorry I have not been blogging very often. But I have been tap dancing around the house from this to that.

As I have told you before my husband retired this summer. We have redone the outside of our house. First we tore down our deck. Then went the picket fence around the backyard. We reworked the flower beds. And did a lot of rearranging.

We put up new shutters all the way around the house. Even the back because that is where we spend most of our time. We added a pergola and a new patio. We had the ugly plain concrete front sidewalk resurfaced. I have replaced all the summer begonias with the fall and winter Pansie's.

There are still some more things we want to do but they will have to wait for the spring. Time to take a break and enjoy what we have done. I didn't get before pictures but I will get some after and post them at a later time.

Thanks for visiting. Untill next time. Carol

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Wow, time is flying! Santa's visit really isn't far away the way time is flying.

I am participating in count down to Christmas match box swap. At Linda's A Swap For All Seasons. We are to decorate 25 match boxes and add a little gift inside. Then we mail them all back to Linda and she sorts them all out and sends every one 25 boxes each box made by a different person. She really has her work cut out for her. As there is 75 of us girls in the swap. 25 boxes x 75 ladies. Wow over whelming. She has been doing these swaps for a long time and is a pro at it though. This is my 3rd. one and love all that she has done. Thanks Linda for all the hard work!!

She has give aways all through each of her swaps. This time we are to put a picture of Santa on our blog to share with every one. So here is mine. What a friendly Santa he is , notice how He even has a kitty and puppy in his bag. How does He do that?

I hope you will check her blog out and go and visit all the different Santa's that will be showing up. A Swap For all Seasons.

Thank you for dropping by.Until next time. Carol

This pretty Pansy reminds it is time to change the summer flowers to the fall ones. I always have begonias in the summer and pansies in the fall. They will last until the spring where I live. I just love them. They have such Sweet little faces.

I haven't written in a while As my husband retired this June and we have been making some day trips and just enjoying being together.

My Etsy shops and a few other things have lacked attention lately. With Christmas season here for the shop I guess I better get busy. I have some great plans but you know how plans are.

I hope you are enjoying the fall like weather instead of the 90 to 100 degree summer.

Until next time. Carol

Linda at A Swap For All Seasons has started letting us sign up for the fall swap. She always has such fun swaps. You should go over and check it out even if you don't want to swap because she has a neat blog. But I advise you not to miss out on the fun!!

Until next time. Have a great day. Carol

Lifes Voyage

The title of this picture is Life's Voyage. It fits this time in my life so well. My husband has retired. He worked for the same company for 40 years and now they have decided to shut the plant down.

It really was a shocker right at first. He had to take early retirement. We of course planned our retirement around full retirement package. O well no one promised us a rose garden. But it has been grand!! We have a chance to share more time together, and get some things done we were putting off because we didn't have time.

I haven't taken the time lately to blog but I think we have the time thing down enough that I can once again find time. I miss it and visiting all you sweet ladies.

Until next time, Carol

Spring Glourious Spring

Here I sit this morning my granddaughter Anna just went home after she spent the night last night with us. It was so nice to have her Easter day. We took her to the movies after all the Easter festivities where over. We saw How to train a dragon. I recommend all grandparents take their grand kids to it. It is in 3d. It was one of the coolest movies I ever saw. Anna loved it. Every once and a while I would look over and her glasses were on top of her head and I asked her why and it was always the same answer. Gammy they are so close. They were it looked like you could reach out and touch them. What a great afternoon.

Spring has finally arrived in full force here. We have the windows open it is even warm enough to sleep with them open. I love this time of year. I haven't been blogging much lately because there was so much going on. I finished up all my orders from my Etsy shops then closed them for this month to reopen in May. This will free up some time to do the yard work so this spring and summer the flowers will be pretty and we can sit in the yard and enjoy them. And while the windows are open and before it is so hot they have to be shut again, I want to get the spring cleaning done. That way when May gets here I can start back making things for my shops and fell good about it.

I am sitting in my front room now looking out at all the sunshine and the shadows from the trees all blooming out and just loving it. It is going to be a great spring after a wet and cold winter. And taking a month off from the shops and outside orders will make it even more relaxing. I hope you are enjoying your spring as much as I am.

Come on spring bring it on!

Until next time, Carol

Happt Easter

Happy Easter To Everyone.

May all honor and glory go to our Lord!

Thanks Everyone

Sarah over at My So Called Junky Life Is the winner of my giveaway. If you remember A little while back I won a beautiful mint green egg. Well it was from her.

Now I want everyone to know that this was a fair drawing. Just a coincidence that her name was drawn. What are the odds of that happening?

Sarah congratulation. Let me hear from you with your address and I will get it right out to you.

I want to thank everyone for stopping by and becoming a follower. I love hearing from you and reading your blogs. Thanks again.

Until next time. Carol

Mint Green Easter Egg

Isn't this one of the prettiest Easter Eggs you have ever seen? I was the lucky winner of it.

Sarah over at My So Called Junky Life made it and also a pink one. She gave them both away. I was the lucky winner of the mint green one. I just love it. Can't wait until it gets here. I have the perfect place to put it. My Granddaughter will just be crazy about it. Thank you so much Sarah!

Sarah also has a swap going on. It is called The Secret Garden Swap. She has all the details over on her blog. http://mysocalledjunkylife.blogspot.com Sign up is until March 19th. Check it out. I have joined in and can't wait swaps are so much fun.

Her blog is a fun one to follower I hope you will drop by and tell her I sent you. You will enjoy your visit.

Have a blessed day. Until next time. Carol

Give Away

OK ladies I told you the first of the week I was going to announce my give away for over 100 post. I also said I know I have a small following but that doesn't matter. I love to blog when I get a chance and I love to read what you girls comment back. So here is what I have put together and what you need to do to receive it.

This is a box I bought from Micheal's but I did add a little extras to it. Inside there is a vintage style shaker that I dressed up with lots of goodies inside. All so there is a creamer I picked up on one of my stops at the thrift stores. It is filled with 7 different laces and trims on lace keeper cards and each tied with a charm. There is a small tin box that I have decorated and filled with cards with sweet sayings so you can pick one out when you need a little sweet pick me up. All so a flower brooch that I made if you don't want to wear it you can pin it to a pillow to dress it up. I have some surprises that will be tucked in before I mail it.

All you need to do is leave me a comment on this page for 1 chance and sign up as a follower for another. If you are a follower of my blog already just tell me in your comment and I will put your name in twice. Very easy to do. I hope you will join in. I will pick a winner on St. Patty's Day and tell you the next day who the winner is.

If you are a member of Blogger I will know how to get in touch with you. But if you are not you my want to leave how I can get in touch with you, email, or your blog address.

Thank you for dropping by and good luck.

Until next time Carol

Thoughts Of Thee

I have just posted 102 posts. When I saw my 100th coming up I thought I would like to have a giveaway. But then I thought I have such a small but sweet following that not many would see it. But then I thought that would be OK.

So by the first part of next week I am going to try to have a basket of goodies ready. Then I will leave it up to you girls.

After all the saying on the card couldn't be truer. Thank you for coming over and leaving me comments. Have a good day. Don't forget to drop back the first part of next week and see what I came up with.

until next time, Carol

Will It Ever Be Spring

I know spring is just around the corner. We probably will see evidence of it starting next week. They say the temperatures are going to be in low 70's. I look forward to it!

Tuesday we got a couple of inches of snow again. There is still some around in spots. Even though it is pretty I am ready for sunshine, flowers, green grass and warm temperatures.

But being in the house so much has given me an opportunity to try some new mediums. I am working on some faux goodies, tussie mussies, different paper crafts and still lots of my lace appliques.

I have started gathering materials to get to work on the 3 swaps I am in. More on those latter because they are to be a surprise for our partners.

Having fun even though it is still cold. But knowing spring and all the new life is just waiting to happen even makes the last snow pretty.

Thank you for stopping by until next time, Carol

Just a few words

I don't know or not if you have noticed that I have added several buttons to my side bar. I took a couple of classes in Feb. I took the February Artist class and Sweet Treats over at Cassanders blog.

I have signed up for her class for March and she has all so included a swap. I all so signed up for the swap over at A Swap For All Seasons. I am waiting to hear from one over at Fated Follies. The one at Fated follies has not closed yet.You should check it out.

I will tell you more about all these soon. Having fun! Hope you are too!

Until net time, Carol

I have signed up for Cassandras ezine class at My Artful Adventures. These are her pictures. I haven't yet had the time to sit down and get mine done.

She gives very good directions. They are easy to follow and lots of pictures to help you along the way.

This class was for February and it was called Sugar and Spice. Looking at the pictures you can tell why.

The first one was faux cupcakes second was Conversation heart bracelet Third was Faux Chocolates and the box The last will be lollipops.

She post a different one every Tuesday of the month. She gives you a supply list ahead of time so you can be ready to start that day.

This Tuesday is the last one. She has already put up the one for March. It is called Pretty Spring Things. Over on my sidebar you will find a button that says Pretty Spring Things if you click on it you can go over to her blog and she will tell you all about it and how to sign up. She only charges 3 dollars a class. Where else can you take a class for 3 dollars?

Hope you have fun looking at all her pretties!

Until next time Carol

Thankful Thrusday

Over at Grace Alone, Iris's blog she is hosting Thankful Thursday.

I am thankful to have a savourier who was welling to die for my sins. Many don't.

I am thankful for a warm house to live in on these cold winter days. Many don't.

I am thankful for plenty to eat and not have to ask anyone for it. Many don't.

I am thankful for a Husband and children and grandchildren, and many family members who I love and love me back. Many don't.

I am thankful and blessed to have things to share. Many don't

We can all share the simple things. Things that cost us nothing but concern for others. Such as a smile to a stranger who looks down cast.

Here are a couple of things that you can do before you leave my site. Click on the puppy dog picture on my side bar and help feed rescued animals. Also click on the Breast Cancer button and give a free mammogram to someone who can't afford to get one. You my be the one who saves a life. Advertisers pay for these things for the right to advertise there. But you do not have to buy a thing to help. These things will cost you nothing but your time. Feel free to add them to your blog and have others help as well. I thank you so much for your help!

Also over at Mary's Vintage Comfort blog, she is having a March Green Themed Giveaway. For St. Patty's day. Go check it out and good luck. Checkout her out here http://vintagecomfort.blogspot.com/

Just Waiting

It is snowing here again today. We had a ground covering. Nothing to write home about. But it is in the high 20's. Burrr. I don't go out in this weather. So I am taking the time to take some online art classes. (More about that later.) And also I am taking some time to rearrange my sewing room. As all of you who sew or do crafts, you know it dose not take long for things to get chaotic. So this is a perfect time to get this job done so when Spring gets here I can get out with the flowers. And head for the beach!

The picture is just a teaser of what is right around the corner. It truly want be long. The wait is worth it.

Until next time, Carol

Winter Storm

This is the storm that hit us last Friday night. It is the one that started in the mid west and came all the way across. I do mean all the way across. Because you see we are 50 miles from Virginia Beach. You can't go any further than that with out being in the ocean.

These are pictures that I took around my area. The first one is right down the end of my road. There is a giant hill and there were older kids up on there. Why it caught my attention is I have never seen anyone up there before. It is so far away from where I took the picture that it may be hard to see but these kids are sledding down it. If you look in the center to the right you will see a white blur. That was one of them going over a mogul and soaring into the air as I took the picture. To cool! The next one I had to take it is a hoot. It is of two horses eating hay that was thrown out for them. You ask why is that a hoot. Well look under the white horses neck. Yeap, that's a goat sharing dinner with them. Now that's a hoot! Next is a little white country church that I think is just beautiful. The next one is of the Veterans Cemetery If you look in the center you will see a small tree. My husbands father is buried there. Isn't it pretty in the snow? The next one is of the lake behind our house. So pretty in snow. The next one is of a harvested cotton field. I love the way the snow shows off the rows. The next one shows you just how awful the roads got. They still haven't gotten to it with the plow and with budget cuts we way out of the city may not see one. Last but not lest here is a picture of my house in snow. The blue flower pots have pansies in them even though the snow has covered them. Don't worry pansy's love snow and cold weather that's why they are out there.

I hope you enjoyed scenes from our snow adventure. I hope I don't have any more of these to show you this year. But they are talking freezing rain and snow tonight through Friday. Please pray we don't get it. I know to some of you I sound like I am whining because 7 inches of snow is nothing to what you got. But you have to understand we are far enough south to not get this often enough to know what to do with it. But even though it is pretty. It always amazes me the beautiful pictures our Lord can paint. I am so glad to share them with you.

Until next time .Carol