In The Works...

We've been away for a couple of days at the lake but I wanted to show you a little peek of something that I started working on. Last week, as I was reading through blogs, I saw something that I just loved and had to do in my home as well. As soon as I finish this project, I'll share the photos, as well as the blog that the idea came from. In the meantime though, here are a couple of sneak peak photos for you. Can you guess what it is??? Also, several of you inquired about the details of the date planner/journal that I posted a few days ago. I would be happy to share the info so here it is:

2010 Birds of a Feather
by
Jean Lowe & Greg Johnson
Andrews McMeel Publishing
www.andrewsmcmeel.com
ISBN-13:978-0-7407-8342-5
ISBN-10:0-7407-8342-4
I purchased mine at Sam's Club and only paid $7.88 for it. If you have a Sam's near you, I would try there first because the retail sticker on the back is $18.99. You'll save a ton at Sam's!

Have a great day!!

xo,
Kathleen

New Magazines and a New Planner~Happy Day!!

While running errands today, one of my stops was Sam's Club for a few items. They always have a fabulous selection of magazines and one of my favorite, as well hardest to find (for me anyway) magazines was there! You see, I discovered Country French for the first time with the Spring/Summer issue in 2008. I loved it and devoured every page over and over again. I waited ever so patiently for the fall issue to arrive and it never did. I waited some more and then some more and finally last January I found it - in Sam's Club - but was soooo disappointed because it was a reprint, one of those "back by popular demand" issues of the Spring/Summer that I already had. Anyway, long story short, while out today I found it again. It's been over a year but it was worth the wait!
Here's a little peek inside...

And then, I really wanted the Victoria magazine too. They had a spread about Kaari Meng. I love her! Her linens are so gorgeous!

Here are a few lovelies from French General...

Love all of this!

And lastly, I found a beautiful journal. There is something so wonderful about a brand new date planner with crisp, blank pages. Pages that wait to know what you have planned for the days and months that lie ahead. It's like a fresh look at the year ahead filled with so much potential!

This is the cover

and the pages are lined to make it look like an old ledger journal. Each page has a beautiful drawing of a bird with a lovely inspirational or whimsical phrase.
A look at a few more of the pages

Hope you enjoyed this little peek inside some of my favorite magazines! Enjoy the day and God Bless!

xo,

Kathleen

Sunday Blessings

For my post today, I wanted to share with you, this classic Catholic Hymn, Be Not Afraid. It is my favorite and has been since I was a child.

There is something I have been really praying about lately and just after taking communion, as I was praying yet again, this was sung as the communion hymn. The words really were an answer to the prayer and it touched me more than you can imagine. I know God used it to reassure me. I wanted to share it today. Maybe there is someone out there who could use these encouraging words. May God bless you all my friends and have a wonderful Sunday!

Take Care,

Kathleen

Heirloom Party!!

It's an heirloom party!!!

How fun is that?? And, since I love old things and especially the stories that go along with them, this couldn't be more perfect.

So, here we go. Come along and I'll tell you some stories about a few of mine.

First, we have this beautiful teacup. It belonged to my grandmother, who, my mother tells me was just like me. She loved old things and would paint anything that she could get her hands on. What color you ask? None other than white - just like me!! She made curtains, painted furniture and loved frilly things. She had this beautiful teacup which was given to me by my mother who just knew I would love it. She was right, it's a treasure to me!

Then, there is part of a miniature tea set that belonged to my mother. She tells me that at one point, she had the complete set but that this is all that is left of it. She doesn't remember what happened to the rest. That's okay with me though, I love the charming effect of mixing and matching odd pieces as well as the thrill of the hunt in looking for the missing pieces as I wander through old flea markets and antique stores.

these are the two pieces that she gave me

and this is what I have found along the way. I love the pattern and am always on the lookout for it when I'm out and about.

Every year for Christmas, my mom gives me pieces that she finds throughout the year. Here are a few examples...

teacups and saucers

adorable little egg cups - I love these!

a beautiful sugar bowl

snack plates with teacups.

And last but not least, this brings us to the final photo I have today

Here is the secretary that was given to me from my dad's mother. I always loved it as a child and would admire it whenever we visited. She used to keep these little porcelain figurines of nuns in it. I loved those, although I'm not sure exactly where they are. I think my dad may have them. I change the little vignettes that I display in there pretty often. For now, I have a few little odds and ends that I've picked up at flea markets throughout the years. It previously held my collection of tea pots. Hmmm...maybe time for a change again? Just maybe...

I hope you enjoyed your visit!

Now, go and check out all of the other wonderful heirlooms at the Heirloom Party. Just go and visit Emma Calls Me Mama to see everyone who is participating.

Have a fabulous day!

xo,

Kathleen

And the Winner Is......

We have a winner!!

I took all of the entries and put the numbers into the random number generator using random.org. We have #56 and that number belongs to...Cherry's Jubilee


Congratulations!!!

Send me an email when you get a chance with all of your info so I can get the bag sent out to you!!

A great big thank you to all of you who visited and entered. I had a lot of fun doing the giveaway and who knows, there just may be another in the near future so stay tuned!!

Have a great day everyone!

xo,

Kathleen

Don't Forget to Enter the Giveaway!!

Today until midnight is the last day to enter my giveaway for this handmade (by me) bag!! All you have to do is leave a comment on the original giveaway post by clicking here to let me know that you'd like to enter. I will draw a name in the morning and announce the winner around 8am (east coast time) Good luck everyone!!!

Also, be sure to visit Cindy at My Romantic Home . She's having her monthly giveaway party and you can check out all of the blogs having giveaways. How's that for fun?

Have a great day!

xo,

Kathleen

New Found Treasures!!

I went to a fabulous, much anticipated craft fair this weekend. It's always so much fun with yard sales everywhere - lining the streets on both sides. I look forward to the promise of excitement each year with lots of traffic and people while the scent of funnel cakes and kettle corn fill the air! Of course there are all of the fabulous vendors in the park and I love to wander through the crowds checking out each of the booths. There is always one that will catch my eye and be my favorite. I will look forward to the next year in hopes that that vendor will return. This year did not disappoint. As I was walking, I came upon a treasure trove of eye candy. The kind of place where you can't stop ooh-ing and ahhh-ing over every single item and you want to take home one of everything. I only wish that I had remembered to bring my camera to take pictures of everything she had so that I could show you all of her goodies. The good news is, she has a blog! Her name is Lydia and you can go here to pay her a visit.

I spent a quick few minutes looking at her things on Saturday, but didn't have enough time to stay and make a purchase. I did however return yesterday and brought home several wonderful things! The adorable cloche pictured above was one of the lovelies that I came home with. Loved the fluted edges of the glass!

These adorable glittered animals were among my favorites! I loved the shade of blue here...

and of course I could not resist this stork

or this one either.

Now, mind you, we have no idea yet whether the baby is a boy or a girl but for some reason I was drawn to this pink. Hmmmm...

So cute!!

I hope you all had a wonderful, peace filled weekend and don't forget to enter my giveaway if you haven't already. Just go here and leave me a comment. Giveaway ends tomorrow at midnight. I'll draw a name Wednesday morning!!

Good luck everyone and have a blessed day.

Now, go and visit Lydia!

xo,

Kathleen

Sunday Reflections

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Romans 8:24-25

A Fabulous Giveaway!!!!!

Yes! Yes! Yes!

It's a giveaway especially for you, all of my wonderful readers, fellow bloggers, friends!! It's my very first giveaway and I'm thrilled, ecstatic, over the moon!!

I wanted to do something to express my appreciation for your kind words that you leave me, your visits to my blog and for hanging in with me all summer even though I barely showed up around here!

Each comment and visit really means a lot and this is my way of saying thank you.

I made this bag myself out of blue and white striped ticking fabric and jute webbing for the handles. The bag is lined with unbleached cotton and is the perfect size to carry as a purse or to use as a mini market bag.

jute webbing handles...

fully lined in unbleached 100% cotton.

Just leave me a comment letting me know that you'd like to enter the giveaway. Anyone at all may enter and you don't have to have a blog to enter. If you don't have a blog though, be sure to leave me an email address in your comment so that I'm able to get in touch with you if you are the winner!

I'm going to leave it open until midnight on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 and I will draw a name on Wednesday morning!! I will announce the winner by 8am.

Don't forget to enter - I'm so excited!!!

Good luck to everyone and thank you for stopping by to visit me!!

God Bless,

Kathleen

Yummy Recipe and Mini Pumpkins

I wanted to express a heart felt thank you to all of you for your wonderful, thoughtful comments! Your well wishes, congratulations, thoughts and prayers are so deeply appreciated. I just can't put into words how much they mean to me! So thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

I was craving something sweet today and these lemon bars did just the trick! They were delicious and I wanted to share the recipe with you so here goes:

For the crust, you will need:

1 cup softened butter (not melted)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 cups flour

For the lemony goodness on top, you will need:

4 eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

4 TBSP flour

2 lemons

Let's make the crust first. Cream butter and powdered sugar together. Add flour and mix until crumbly. Pat into a greased 9X13 (3 QT) glass baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

Now, while the crust is baking, grate your lemons and put the zest into a small bowl. Squeeze the juice from the lemons into a separate container. Then, in a large bowl, slightly beat your eggs. Next, add the granulated sugar, flour, lemon zest and juice. Mix well and pour over hot crust (after it comes out of the oven of course). Return to oven and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and then dust with some additional powdered sugar

Yummmmm...perfection!

Okay, onto something else entirely random...I am addicted to these teeny tiny mini dried pumpkins! I don't know what the deal is, but I just can't seem to get enough of them - haha! I have them in glass dishes with candles nestled in them and then by themselves in more glass dishes - because they have been sprayed with cinnamon scented oil and they smell good enough to eat! It's funny because I'm normally not an orange decor kind of girl but for some reason this year, the autumn decorating bug has taken over and I'm finding more of the orange pumpkins lurking here and there where I would have normally gone for the white pumpkins before. Oh well, I'm liking it for now!

I hope everyone enjoyed this wonderful Labor Day weekend!

God Bless!

xo,

Kathleen

Update...Update...Update!!!!!

Hello all of my wonderful blogging friends - oh how I've missed everyone!! I know I've been away practically ALL summer and I apologize for that but I have good reason which I will explain. I promise I have not forgotten about any of you or my blog and I do plan to continue with it and to update more regularly!! Okay so here's the BIG news, the very thing that has kept me away for soooo long. Are you ready for this????

We're expecting another baby!!!!
We are SOOOO excited!!
I have had morning(and noon and night) sickness something awful and truth be told, I just didn't feel up to doing anything including decorating or creating or sadly, even blogging for awhile there :( However, I am back to my old self now. I'm feeling 100% better and I have my energy back!! In fact, I have even begun (well actually I'm just about finished) to decorate for fall. We went from 90 degrees to 70 degrees literally overnight and the evenings are getting down into the 40's. There is definitely a chill in the air and I am feeling so much better. The zeal for decorating and creating and blogging has returned!! I'm back!

So, here are a few photos of what I've been working on

This time of year is beautiful and I enjoy decorating for the autumn season just as much as I enjoy decorating for Christmas.

Here are a few fall inspired pillows that I made.

Enjoy the day and I promise I'll be back to visit everyone and to post on a more regular basis. I hope that you all will continue to visit often! I have missed you all so!

God Bless!

xo,

Kathleen