Tell 8 Things About Myself! You're kidding, right?

A few days ago, Kat at Mimi's Garden, tagged me to tell 8 things about myself. So the first thing I will tell you is that I love to figure out another way to do things, when it is necessary...like my kitchen sink light. I don't have one above the sink, so I use these. They are white Christmas lights. I just love them, and when they aren't on, it's just not as cheery! It is such a thrill to repurpose items.

My mind is always pondering another project or situation and the right things to do to take it to a new level...so I think a lot, and feel emotions deeply. Sometimes it's hard to sleep! Know what I mean?

My family is my most cherished possession. I try SUPER hard to never let my personal interests or passions bring them harm or neglect. It's a fine act to balance.

I have been creating since I was 4 (yes really, I told about it here). Since 2000 I have served in a volunteer position for a major Christmas production, (Easter last 2 years) as the lead Costume Designer and Director. At times there have been as many as 100 cast members on stage at one time, and the swirl of color, shimmer and patterns, was truly fascinating to me. I am passionate about fashion and textile design. As wedding season starts to roll around, I will begin to receive requests from brides and bridesmaids to alter or redesign their wedding and bridesmaids dresses. May I digress for a moment? One bridesmaid brought me two dresses that were identical. They were size 2...um don't really remember (they were on sale) and asked me if I could make them into a dress that would fit her. They didn't have her size on sale. I did! It was amazing! (sorry Diane, no I don't have a picture, but I'm learning! can you tell?) Redesign is so fun and rewarding. I believe every bride should feel like a princess in her dress. Currently, I have a wedding dress to make into a keepsake christening gown. (Diane I will take pictures) This project will be so absolutely awesome. Designing children's clothing is beyond wonderful.

For 10 years I had a decorative consulting business, and sold decorative accessories through Home Interiors and Gifts, Inc. Though I no longer have any Home Interior products, I still love the accessorizing process and do decorative consulting on a casual basis as requested. However, I find that my decorative consulting generally falls into the category of event and wedding planning. It is wonderful to help plan a "dream come true" event! Several years ago, I completed the educational requirements for a Certificate in Interior Design, and that knowledge continues to flow into my creative process.

I believe that friends are like flowers. I can never have too many.

I have notebooks full of things I have written. My friends say I should write a book, and well, I guess I have, haven't I? Joking aside, I hope I live a long HEALTHY life to do all the fun and creative projects I find interesting... so much too do, so little time!

Probably due to the experience I gained in my decorative consulting business, I don't mind public speaking. I've read that public speaking is the #1 fear. Thank you to the ones reading this, who have given me the opportunity to talk to your group. It has been a humble joy! Subject matter that I have enjoyed speaking about is generally craft, decorative or devotional/inspirational related.

OK, let me go back and see if that is eight things...oh, I've probably said to much. I think that is eight, at least! Well, that's it for today. A glimpse into a few of the things I enjoy. Have a wonderful Monday, and I've gotta scoot. Again I say, so much to do, so little time!

TaTa for now.

Love, Rachel

Confidence

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Old Testament Proverbs 18:10 NIV

That's Right!

Yes, it is a Trout! Philip snapped this picture when our extended family group went on an afternoon outing as one of our activities during Family Reunion 2007. We had a picnic on the banks of Roaring River, in Roaring River State Park. Just about 1/2 mile up stream, there is a Trout Hatchery that you can tour, and feed the Trout, but this beautiful dream is looking for his own food. If you enlarge the picture, you can see 2 Water Skates floating on top of the water that he is just about to nibble. The stillness of the crystal clear, ice cold water, that flows down out of the Ozark mountains, defies the name Roaring River, doesn't it?

What in the World

What in the world is this? Does anyone know?

Keeping My Promise

Here they are! The first flowers that I've found this Spring. Yesterday, I was with my husband on a construction site, and there tucked up against an old fence, were these beautiful flowers. My promise to you was to take a picture of the first flowers I found that popped their courageous head through the hard cold soil. Well I think this would have taken courage. See the cold droplets of rain weighing down the blooms?


I wish these were at my home, but alas, I found them! As I was taking the picture, I reached down to flick away the leaf, when I paused to realize that blades of grass had grown up through the Pin Oak leaf. How can that be, that a tender soft blade of grass would push right through the fragile crunchy surface of a dead leaf? I call it a miracle, made by the Creator of Spring!


As I share this with you, I feel the excitement rushing through my veins that I felt as a small child, when every Spring, I would be searching the hillside by the creek, by the barn, anywhere, just to find the first tiny flower making it's miraculous announcement. I plucked it quickly and breathlessly rushed in to show Mother. She would express her excitement and joy appropriately, and then put the my treasured bloom in a cup of water. I felt like I won a trophy every year!

Shann, (Paint Mine Pink) I saw this car parked along the street. I truly believe it has been hand painted pink, and I couldn't resist getting a picture to show you. Please paint mine pink too, just not my car...anything else. Well almost anything! I have wondered what it would be like to cruise around town in a car this color. I wonder if people would like it? My daughter thinks it is SO cute.

Several people are participating in Flea Market Friday, so if you want to see some of my sale items, click here!

Happy Friday!

Love, Rachel

You Made My Day Too!

Sweet Tracie, At My Petite Maison, sent me this award. You will remember her as the first featured porch on "My Romantic Porch". Thank you so much Tracie, for giving me this honor! Among other things, not the least of which is a beautiful dog ZEKE, she LOVES all things French, and because of her, I want to know more about the French language! She leaves me cheery happy comments everyday. Tracie...I'm blessed. YOU, Make My Day. I encourage you to go visit her and see her beautiful flowers, furry well loved pets, charming cottage, AND take a French lesson while you are there!

I am going to quickly pass this award along to several people who have made my day recently...

Ceekay...told me just yesterday that she reads my blog regularly, just hasn't commented. How cool is that? So cool, I think! Ceekay, here's to you. You Make My Day.

Farrah...who brings a chuckle to me with her dry witty humor, everytime I read her blog. And she changes her blog header so much it keeps my head spinning. But they are always so cheery that it just kinda makes you take a second look! Quick, go look, you'll see what I mean! Farrah, here's to you. You Make My Day.

Rue...makes living life look fun! Even if it is her peanut butter and jelly life. She knows how to say what she feels, so you feel it too. Rue, here's to you. You Make My Day.

AND those of you who have emailed me or called me or told my family to tell me, to let me know you read my blog but haven't commented. Well now see...You Make My Day, too!

Philip, my husband, YOU Make My Day!...just by being you! Thanks for reading my blog, and getting to know all of these great people too.

I would like to give everyone a big group hug. But since that is virtually (funny huh?..get it?) impossible, I'll just go hug Philip and the kiddos! How's that!

Have an awesome day.

Love, Rachel

How Beautiful...the little things are!

You may have seen all of these pictures before.
Several of the beautiful blogs that I read end each blog post with a scripture or inspirational thought.
I think it is so neat that these people find appropriate scriptures or quotes for their posting.
Amy, a beautiful lady that I don't know, but I've seen her blog, has recently experienced some struggles related to her eyesight. Her story has been very inspiring to follow. Before you finish reading, scroll back to the top of today's post, and notice how the light reflects on the different surfaces in each picture I've shown. Wow! Isn't it amazing when you stop and pay attention!
The quote I read on another blog, I'm sorry I don't remember where for sure, is this...




"Enjoy the little things for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."
Robert Brault



As you think about this quote today, I believe you will be challenged as I have to think some NEW thoughts, and look at things with a different perspective.

I hope your day will be every bit as wonderful as all of you who faithfully read my blog and leave a comment. It may seem like such a little thing, but I love hearing from you.

Love, Rachel

I've Been Tagged Again

I've been tagged 2 times lately. This tag that I'm participating in today is easy peasy! I'm just supposed to show you what is on my fridge. Well, here's the big reveal. Farrah who tagged me made me laugh when she said mine probably looked like something or other that I don't remember exactly...go check her out. Some of the things she writes is so funny. She changes the items on her fridge to match the seasonal decor of the room, every six weeks. Now that is amazing in my opinion.

My fridge typically reveals the mood and current activities of my family. A lot of times it has nothing on it, because I enjoy seeing nothing but a smooth white surface, but right now, I have a scripture taped up there that is inspiring to me, a family picture that was supposed to be mailed to great grandparents in Dec., but hasn't been because I need a frame. There is a form from one son's robotics class telling that they have won a placing in a World Championship in California and he and his teammates are desperately trying to raise the $6,000.00 that they need to go. Of course there is always artwork scattered about, and reminders of some activity or the other. There is an adorable PINK magnet from Brook, that says, "Teacup Cottage". Oh yeah, there are pictures of a friend's cat dressed like Santa and lounging in a little recliner chair that it sits in. It's just a hodge podge of things. Interesting huh?

I hung these eggs for Easter. Can you see them? They'll come down soon.

Have a happy day.

Love, Rachel

Wow! What A Wonderful Weekend

Thank you for joining our Family Fun Festival.
Some of the pets really did scurry for cover.

From the looks of all the kiddos when everything was over, it appeared that everyone had fun.

That spells S-U-C-C-E-S-S, success in my book!

Smiling and sighing, I say have a wonderful week. Spring is in full swing. We just have to pretend that we don't know it's 27 degrees outside!

Love, Rachel

HE IS RISEN

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Celebrate!

Third Annual "Going" on an Egg Hunt Family Fun Festival

In honor of our Easter celebration, we'd like to invite you to join us.

Activities will commence at 1:00 PM right here from our romantic porch.

We'll eat yummy food. It wouldn't be a celebration without food.

Children will run and jump with glee as they fill their baskets with eggs full of chocolate candy.

Pets will scurry for cover.

Each contestant in the sack race will be awarded a trophy!

Goin' On An Egg Hunt!

I thought maybe you'd like to join me as we look for the "prize egg" today.

Will it be our mint green "egg"...er, I mean, house?

just for fun...#1

Baby blue for you...#2

Reflections in green for thee...#3

Ooooh sage with arched mahagony door...#4

House alive...#5

In a fix...#6

I'm in heaven...#7

I can't wait...#8

I hope you had fun on our egg hunt. Now, come on in, and lets eat some potato salad and deviled eggs with ham together before taking a nice long cozy nap! sighhhhh...zzzzz

See you tomorrow! (when I wake up)

Love, Rachel

Good Friday

All this for me? For you?

...The punishment that brought us peace was upon him...

Old Testament Isaiah 53: a portion of verse 5

Happy Spring! Yeessss! Spring!

Happy first day of Spring everyone!
Just in case you're all excited and thinking that I'm showing you my beautiful bounty of Spring flowers, I will let you down slowly and tell you that I'm so anxious to see flowers blooming, that I went back into our OLD pictures and found these beauties!

In my lifetime, the first day of Spring has never so closely coincided with Easter. People who follow the cycle of the Moon, and other acts of nature say it never will be this early, in my lifetime again, so I will enjoy this special occurrence.

Look closely, I think she stuck in her thumb and pulled out...why yes, it really is...
SPRING!!
Celebrate everyone, break out into a happy dance, and while you're dancin' that happy jig, let me know what fun things you plan to do for Easter.


Be sure and check out Gail at The Tattered Nest. She is featured today on the sidebar to celebrate the arrival of Spring. Wouldn't it be fun to sip your favorite hot drink on her beautiful enclosed porch?

Another Home

My little daughter just loves this home. She wishes ours was painted like this...it isn't!
Though I would never have thought to use this combination of colors, they have put them together quite tastefully. This view is of the right side (in the picture above) of the home.

It still amazes me, each time I go somewhere, what makes people choose the place they live and the kind of home they live in. Some like them neat, and others are fine with cluttery. Some want their home to be different than it is, or live in a place other than where they are. And circumstances over which they have no control dictate that.

Above everything else, when my family and friends walk through the doors of our home, I want them to completely experience...feel, see, taste, sense and hear our unconditional love.

I've Been Thinking

We bought our home from the Mayor of our town and his wife. He had given many years of service and was a friendly "know everyone sort of" person. When he and his wife moved they left behind this fabulous old frame, because it was screwed to the wall as the bathroom vanity mirror. Now I use the mirror in another place. And I've enjoyed having the frame here on the dining room buffet.

The Mayor and his wife lived a full life and raised 5 children here. We love to hear their stories when we see them around town. When our eldest son was in 6th grade, his homeroom teacher was one of the five children. She grew up using the same bedroom that is now our son's.

Many times as I think about the people that I care about, or even people I don't know, but our paths cross in a significant way, I wonder what I could learn from their unique circumstances. We are all so different, because each of us experiences life from the emotional make up of every unique thing that has happened to us, and how we responded to it. I know I'm not saying anything new or earth shattering, but many times I've heard people say, "We (human beings) are all just alike". And I know what they mean, but I've been thinking, hhhmmm, are we really...all just alike? What causes one person fear and frustration may be the very thing that challenges another to step up to the plate so to speak, and hit a home run!

My mother was a hard worker...one of the hardest working people I've known. When I was a child, she would say, "Let's just take a little break and have a picnic. " The picnic meal would be peanut butter and crackers, and we would sit on the front porch step to eat! It was a tiny diversion from the task at hand. So today, if you are needing a little break, and would like to join my picnic, I'm serving Diet 7-UP and Pop Tarts! However, we'll have to find another place to sit. It's cold and rainy on the front porch steps. Come on over! I'm looking forward to it.

See you soon! Love, Rachel

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Things That Style Our Nest

Look at this squirrel, nut in mouth, all posed for the camera. Squirrels are plentiful here, and they build huge nests out of leaves high in the trees. They can tell if a nut is good or not, because they leave all of the bad walnuts behind. I know this for a fact! I've checked!
Here he goes, carrying his crunchy find, home to his nest. Can you see the nut in his mouth? I would love to see the inside of a squirrel's nest. I'm so curious to know if there are nuts all over the place, or are they stacked neatly in rows piled high behind a closet wall of leaves.

This neat old wood screen door is my "crunchy juicy nut" of a find that I located over the weekend. It is just another one of my rescued treasures. Someone thought it was a BAD nut and left it behind, but I checked and it's a good one! Isn't is great! I've wanted one of these old screen doors for years. And just look at those tiny spindles that separate the top section from the bottom two. ADORABLE!!! A little scrubbing, a smidgin (is that a word?) of paint, a little primping, and it will go into the perfect spot that I have picked out for it. I'll show you when it's in place. Actually it will probably end up in several places, but I'll show you one of them. OK? Oh, alright, I'll show you several of the places. I'm SO excited about it...it's all in keeping with my motto of late, to celebrate the simple joys that make your heart smile. Life is hard, so look for any happiness you can find. Look for it everyday, I say!

And to help you celebrate St. Patrick's Day, it's all about the green...green leaves on the tree, that is!! Enjoy your day!

Love, Rachel

Just a Thought for Today

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.

Old Testament Ecclesiastes 9:10