English Country Cottage

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderly again."
(from "Rebecca")
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Spring Song Necklace

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"My favorite weather is bird-chirping weather."
~Loire Hartwould

Bunny Necklace

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The Garden Beckons...

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
~Dorothy Frances Gurney, "Garden Thoughts"
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Wildflower Bouquet

"Men do change, and change comes like a little wind that ruffles the curtains at dawn, and it comes like the stealthy perfume of wildflowers hidden in the grass."
-John Steinbeck
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Thanks Robin for my new "symbol" picture....

You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true. You may have to work for it, however.

-Richard Bach

A Little Day Trip...

I got the call yesterday about my appointment with the top Multiple Sclerosis Doctor at UCSF - it's going to be earlier than they thought - April 13th!! So...Royce and I are off to meet some smart docs and then on to eat some sour dough bread and clam chowder by the bay! Wish me luck :)

Chocolate Bunnies...

I just loved this picture. It made me feel like a kid again...biting off those ears would be just about the first thing I would do if I had one of those little guys here right now......

"While most of our suffering is self- inflicted, some is caused by or permitted by God. This sobering reality calls for deep submissiveness, especially when God does not remove the cup from us. In such circumstances, when reminded about the premortal shouting for joy as this life's plan was unfolded (Job 38:7), we can perhaps be pardoned if, in some moments, we wonder what all the shouting was about."

--Neal A. Maxwell

Compromise: The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.

-Sherry Rothfield

"A pebble held close to the eye appears to be a gigantic obstacle. Cast on the ground, it is seen in perspective. Likewise, problems or trials in our lives need to be viewed in the perspective of scriptural doctrine. Otherwise they can easily overtake our vision, absorb our energy, and deprive us of the joy and beauty the Lord intends us to receive here on earth."

--Richard G. Scott

Easter Parade

I've been busy making Easter Charms....my favorite part of the process...searching through old postcards!

Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight.
-- Helen Keller (1880-1968) American Writer

Daybreak

My Carolina Jasmine....like sunshine in a blossom...

"Just living is not enough...One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."

-Hans Christian Andersen

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you will never see the shadow."

-Helen Keller

Thank you!

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

-Marcel Proust

The Color of Butterfly Wings...

Whenever I hear the song of a bird Or look at the blue, blue sky, Whenever I feel the rain on my face Or the wind as it rushes by, Whenever I touch a velvet rose Or walk by our lilac tree, I’m glad that I live in this beautiful world Heav’nly Father created for me.
He gave me my eyes that I might see The color of butterfly wings. He gave me my ears that I might hear The magical sound of things. He gave me my life, my mind, my heart: I thank him rev’rently For all his creations, of which I’m a part. Yes, I know Heav’nly Father loves me.

"We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord’s tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live. When words cannot provide the solace we need or express the joy we feel, when it is simply futile to attempt to explain that which is unexplainable, when logic and reason cannot yield adequate understanding about the injustices and inequities of life, when mortal experience and evaluation are insufficient to produce a desired outcome, and when it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance."
--David A. Bednar

Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven
for?

-- Robert Browning

St. Patrick's Bracelet

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"Our Heavenly Father loves each one of us and understands that this process of climbing higher takes preparation, time, and commitment. He understands that we will make mistakes at times, that we will stumble, that we will become discouraged and perhaps even wish to give up and say to ourselves it is not worth the struggle. We know it is worth the effort, for the prize, which is eternal life, is “the greatest of all the gifts of God.” And to qualify, we must take one step after another and keep going to gain the spiritual heights we aspire to reach."
--Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

Sarah's Blessing Day!

Little Sarah was blessed yesterday in church...and luckily I snapped one photo before the battery on my camera died. The lights and shadows and the background were obviously not well considered,but the subjects were perfect. Sweet blessing for another wonderous baby. It will be a joy to watch her grow!

Remember this the next time you get that vacuum cleaner or that feather duster out....

Nothing will sustain you more potently than the power to recognize in your hum drum routine, as perhaps it may be thought, the true poetry of life.

- Sir William Osler (1849-1919) Canadian Physician

Camellias....ahhh....it's that time of year....

I honestly forget until this time of year how much I love Camelias. I think they are my favorite flower. My friends brought these to me today....I love them. Thank you!!! In the Language of Flowers, Camelias represent Perfection. These definitely do say PERFECTION.

Thank you friends...I do not take for granted that you are out there for me!

Valentine Apron

Christi made me the cutest apron last year...it has cherries on it. Then, for my birthday she made me one with Santa on it - since it was Christmastime. Then I sprung my rather selfish request on her - an apron for ALL SEASONS...and she complied. She dropped my new Valentine one off yesterday. I feel the need to make her some sugar cookies or something...brownies maybe....YOU choose Christi (maybe a dessert for all seasons)!! Thank you!!! I love it!

First things first...

Today, before I mix my blueberry, banana, orange and grape juice concoction that some wize old Dr. somewhere says is "good for my brain" - i'm heading into the bead room to add a new treasure created for me, by my dear friend Caleen. She's an amazing artist.

She takes scraps of vintage wallpapers, pieces of old tinsel, old vintage jewelry, lace, and whips them together into brand new works of visual art with new life. Oh! and let's not forget the glitter and the crystals! She's good at adding the sparkles to each piece...but she's best at adding sparkle to my life and to the lives of others.

I know how she's touched the lives of those around her. She's a kind and good hearted person who is truly filled with love, and is an example of Jesus Christ to everyone around her. We all love her so much. I truly do. I am blessed to have called her my friend these many years and will strive to be deserving of her friendship for ever more.

She's a treasure on the inside and out. And Caleen...THANK YOU for this. This is hanging here right in the middle of my inspiration board!

A lovely Snow Fairy....

Always a treasure hiding under the ice...

I told you in my previous post about Royce and his love for the snow. I don't love it. I love the look of it, and I love to watch it from a window - preferably from inside a warm car or room - but I don't like the after-effects of it...never good...always wet, always cold to the bone.

I love this picture by Mary Engelbreit. The moment is warm and dry and for me captures that perfect moment after a particularly long storm when one finds that there are rewards still waiting. That's how I feel after this long month - waiting on the tests from the doctor.

I've felt cold and I've felt worried and sometimes chilled to the bone, but I've also felt warm beyond all description. No matter what...it will all be okay. Thank you to my friends and family who make me feel it will be alright. I can do anything through Christ who gives me strength. And He has given me the greatest friends so already, I'm ahead of the game. Thank you all for your constant care and encouragement.

It's all good!

I've Been Tagged - Things about my Husband

This is the youngest photo I could find of Royce at the moment and of course, it means it's "young" of me too! Accentuated by the fact that I'm wearing pigtails (this was a Halloween Party - I didn't always dress like this!!!) - I look completely like a child! I'm amazed that I was ever so young and thin! Anyway...this post isn't about me.....it is about the nicest man I know!

here goes:
5 of Royce's Favorite Things:
1. Football games on t.v. - I'm sure he has a favorite team...I should know that, but I don't right now.
2. Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve
3. Snow
4. Spending time with me and his family.
5. Working in the yard....he has a gift of gardening.

5 things on his TO DO list:
1. travel to Washington D.C.
2. travel the church history sites
3. travel to England with me - and Italy
4. build Sean a treehouse
5. build a river rock fountain in our backyard

5 Favorite Snacks:
1. sunflower seeds
2. potato chips
3. Raisinettes
4. Hershey's with Almonds bars
5. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

5 Facts you might not know about him:
1. every time he's gone somewhere on a business trip he meets someone famous - Rudy Guiliani,
Ken Starr, Chuck Norris (not kidding) - we have pictures to prove it.
2. he saved a lady from a burning house once (again, not kidding)
3. he would sit through any chick flick just for me.
4. he'd sit through Twilight just for me - twice.
5. he is so nice - he sees the good in everyone. I can't say I've met a nicer person...ever.

5 Quirky Things:
1. he hates touching money because of the germs.
2. he wears socks around the house in summer because he still gets cold when it's an oven outside!
3. he HAS TO work on the yard - it's compulsive - like how some women have to clean house, he has to have a clean yard.
4. he will only use an edger on the lawn not a weed wacker to trim the edges
5. he used to drive up to get a load of fresh snow from the mountains on Christmas morning every year so the kids could have snow to play in after opening their Christmas presents. I know he'd still do it if I let him.

five people I tag: Caleen, Christi, Lori, Britten, Stella

Ah yes, Nothing like a little Neal A. Maxwell to bring us back to what we really need to focus on.....He is wonderful...

"To be cheerful when others are in despair, to keep the faith when others falter, to be true even when we feel forsaken—all of these are deeply desired outcomes during the deliberate, divine tutorials which God gives to us—because He loves us. These learning experiences must not be misread as divine indifference. Instead, such tutorials are a part of the divine unfolding."
-Neal A. Maxwell

Woodland Faerie

Soft moss a downy pillow makes, and green leaves spread a tent,Where Faerie fold may rest and sleep until their night is spent.The bluebird sings a lullaby, the firefly gives a light,The twinkling stars are candles bright, Sleep, Faeries all, Good Night.
~Elizabeth T. Dillingham, "A Faery Song"

This one is a little hard to tell what is going on...but there are 3 separate stretch bracelets each with a chain and charm portion at the bottom. Lots of semi precious stones, crystals and faceted briolettes. There's even a silver faerie charm and some tinkling faerie chimes.

The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.
-- Jack London

I found a "trust" Fairy!!! Who'd have thought!

I've been tagged by Susan...i saw it...I'm just too "in a fog" to think of anything :)

Into the Twilight...heehee...

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Victorian Romance

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If George Washington could TRUST...then so can I!!!

George Washington advised, "We should never despair, our situation before has been unpromising and has changed for the better, so I trust, it will again. If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth new exertions and proportion our efforts to the exigency of the times."

On Safari

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Aye...a little Irish blessing to go along with my word for 2009..."Trust"

"May the friendships you make be those which endure and all of your gray clouds be small ones for sure. And trusting in Him to Whom we all pray, may a song fill your heart every step of the way.” (Thanks to all my sweetpea friends who help chase away all those gray clouds!)

My Playlist had a bad song on it!!!

I just want to apologize if anyone heard an offensive song on my playlist! I saw the song and thought, "what is that?" so i listened to it and I'd never heard it in my life. Sadly, it was filled with horrible language. I don't know how this happened. It makes me wonder who hacked in and added it to my list. Now I feel like you're all thinking, "yeah right..." haha.

Thank you to Royce for my newest bead room addition....

Pegboard!!! and hooks!!!! and so many of my favorite things!

In the final analysis there is no solution to man's progress but the day's honest work, the day's honest decisions, the day's generous utterances and the day's good deed.
- Clare Booth Luce

"Though we cannot understand “the meaning of all things,” we do “know that God loveth his children” because He has said, “Behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Heavenly Father is able to accomplish these two great goals—the immortality and eternal life of man—because He is a God of creation and compassion. Creating and being compassionate are two objectives that contribute to our Heavenly Father’s perfect happiness. Creating and being compassionate are two activities that we as His spirit children can and should emulate."
--Dieter F. Uchtdorf

The best portion of a good man's life is the little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.
- William Wordsworth (1770-1850) English poet

My Word for 2009 - TRUST

After reading and being inspired by Caleen's post of a few days ago, I've decided that my word for this coming year will be TRUST. One of my most favorite scriptures has always been: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

The bag that started it all...

I have had, for the past 20 years a strong attraction to handbags....mostly vintage Victorian and also mesh bags from the 1920's. This very intense and very unexplainable addiction led to the creation of my own beaded bag about 8 years ago. I crocheted the bag and then handstitched hundreds (more like thousands) of little beads into flowers and leaves....little did I know at the time that there were already beads shaped like flowers and leaves out there in bead stores across the land. Carpel Tunnel Syndrome led me to the end of my beaded bag career and hence the premade flower and leaf beads became my favorite obsession instead. Long live beads!!! It's crazy, but i love the little things!!! Can't get enough of them! This comes as no new shock to those that know me....you already KNOW I love beads.

My new Bead Room...

I finally have a little bead room...it's in a tiny room in our garage that we've tried to use as kids bedrooms in the past, but mainly it has been an exercise and junk room. Well, it's a bead room now and I've been having a good time pulling out some of my most favorite and inspiring things and placing them in my new space. Hopefully all of this will spur some creativity on my part as I have been in a slump for a couple of months now. What you don't see in the picture is the elliptical machine off to the side of the room that keeps calling my name. I am trying to become reacquainted with it...but something else usually distracts me, like hanging paper lanterns or searching down the old raggedy ann doll that my mom made for me long ago.

As you can see, the room is well stocked and I've even got a pretend oven for cooking my pretend snacks....and a pretend sink to do my pretend dish washing. I'm counting on this little space to help me in many different ways - jump start some creativity, inspire physical exercise and provide me with an every now and then needed escape from this house where I'm now the only female. (it's obvious, huh? i miss my girls!)