Graniteware's Newest Color

Hello!  And Yay, it's Friday!

In January, our supplier of graniteware, speckle-ware, splatter-ware--whatever you
want to call it, launched a new color.  Our older customers like it because they say
it looks 'classic'.  Our younger customers like it because they say it looks 'modern'
and 'industrial'.  Since both ends of the customer age spectrum seem to like it, I'd say
it's a hit.  A color I thought I'd never see in graniteware--grey (notice their spelling
of it--I think they're going for class!)

I like it.  I think most ladies will, too.  I'm especially glad that I could find linens that match.  Gray
or (grey)  must be an up and coming color because this year's linens have some gray accents in some
of their design lines.  I especially like pairing it with this coral (or nectarine).  You could start a war
over the specific name or spelling of a color :).
Come in and check our the new color for yourself and have a great weekend!

Setting a Spring Table

It's Thursday, y'all.  But technically, I consider that to be almost Friday!

Don't you love spring?  New life, bright colors, floral fragrances coming from
new blooms!  One way to reflect the joy of the new season is in your table
setting.  A well-set table makes even sandwiches look better.  It sets the mood
for a happy meal time.  It makes those you are serving feel special and cared-for
and isn't that what making a home is all about?

It really doesn't take too much time or expense to make your table special.  You
could buy linens for the four seasons and use them over and over, year after year.
If you think about it:  6 placemats @ $7.50 + 6 napkins @ $2.50 is $60.00.  If you
used them 5x per week for 3 months that would be $1.00/day and if you used them
for 3 years, that is $.33 (cents!) a day.  A very good investment for something so
beautiful and mood setting!

The picture above and this picture show a cabbage leaf placemat.  So fun.  Here is a link to another
picture of it.  Click here www.patscollectibles.blogspot.com/2013/02/something-unique.html

 

I love these, too.  They look great with our blue graniteware.  Add something yellow to your table and you have a beautiful setting!

 

I hope you've gotten some ideas for your table.  Tomorrow, I'm introducing you to the latest color in graniteware.  And it is set on some beautiful, bright linens that will be sure to cheer up anyone!

 

 

 

Bunnies and Birds

Happy Wednesday! 

Spring is coming after all!  I have been hearing doves in the backyard and seeing
more birds in the front on the feeder.  I love birds--my children tell me it's an
inevitable sign of age.   Whatever.  I still like them.  We have lots of birds in
the store.  Here are a few and I'm throwing in bunnies, too.  Just because they're cute.

 

 

Enjoy the beautiful weather and I'll post more spring Thursday.

New LIFE!

I am greeting you on a bright, sunny Monday morning here in NW Arkansas!

There have been days that I thought I might never be able to type that!  After
a long, dreary, cold winter we might be seeing signs of "new life" here.  And
that's exciting. 

Even though it has stayed cold, the trees are beginning to bud.  That tells
me that they are coming to life, not from the warmth but from The Creator
who has instructed them to do so.   They are experiencing "new life" for this
season.

My oldest son gave me these beautiful tulips Saturday and today they are
showing signs of "new life".

As I marveled at the newly opened blooms, the Lord gave me today's blog post.  "New Life".

I used these pink tulips in a post on decorating last week.  They are beautiful and I will enjoy them
longer than the yellow ones but sadly, the reason for that is they are artificial and not living.  When
I look at both bouquets, the difference is obvious.  The living ones are so much more beautiful in
their state of being alive. 

I prefer LIFE.  ETERNAL LIFE.  I looked up some verses on "life" this morning in my Bible
study.
James 4:14        "...you are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes
                           away."  Far more than our earthly life, which vanishes quickly, we
                           should be concerned with eternal life.
Matthew 20:28  "...Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and
                           to give His LIFE a ransom for many."
John 1:4            "In Him (Jesus) was LIFE, and the  LIFE was the Light of men."
John 3:16          "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
                          that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish, but have eternal LIFE."
John 17:3          This is eternal LIFE, that they may know You, the only true God, and
                          Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
Galatians 2:20   "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but
                          Christ lives in me; and the LIFE which I now live in the flesh I live by
                          faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

I pray you have found this "new life" in Christ.  In this season of "new life", may each of
us come alive  like all of nature around us is beginning to come alive. 

Notice the tiny new bud just opening here.  Let's be "new life" to those around us today.

Shop Your House

Welcome to Wednesday!

It's been a quick week here. 
Winter might just be thinking of taking an exit and everyone I know would
be happy to see that occur.  And that means it is time to change the décor
of our home to reflect spring.  Bright colors, green leaves, things that remind
us of new growth.

A fun, frugal way to change our décor is to shop your house.  All of us
probably possess way more than we need.  Finding a new home in your
home for items you have can be fun.  Then, you can decorate and not feel
guilty if you pick up just one or two new things.

I shopped my house and found some things that could be moved around
and paired with others things to create a new thing.

These I took off of stems, placed them in a glass bowl and they became this...

This wooden box got added to a new arrangement and a little bunny and...

Then this...

this...

 

 

and this...

came together and became this fun vignette.

See how fun this can be and on the cheap, too!!  That makes it extra fun to enjoy :).
Now go shop your house and see what you can do!

Think Spring

A fine Friday to all of you!

Tomorrow is March 1.  Could spring really be coming?  Not sure, here, because
we are having freezing rain and snow on Sunday.

Regardless, the calendar says March and so we're going to start thinking spring.
I love birds, and to me spring screams birds.

This framed print reminds me of something I would have seen in my great-grandmother's house.
She was born in 1887.  Not primitive, and not quite country, I would say it is vintage. What
do you think?

I like it beside this drop-leaf table.  I couldn't find pineapples this year but artichokes seem
to be big and they are close enough. :). 

We have this in the store $25.75 as well as one that sits a little higher on the pedestal.

 Time to change the red tea kettle to the yellow one.

Gotta love chalkboards.  And, of course, spring flowers and a nest with eggs.
Have a great weekend!!

One More Essential Oils Post

Happy Thursday!

Tomorrow I have spring pictures for you but today I wanted to add one more thing
to my posts on essential oils. 

We use our diffuser a lot.  We diffuse "Peace and Calming" sometimes at night. 
My girls like the soft light and the calming sounds of the water diffusing into
a mist.  It's something like the sound of a water fountain, only softer.  We have
also diffused "Thieves" when someone felt like they were trying to "come down
with something."  Peppermint is sometimes diffused when we are schooling as it
gives sharpness, clarity, and retention when concentrating.  Last week, butter spilled
over in my oven and we had the nice, burning smell going on in the kitchen.  I put
in the oil, "Purification" which gobbles up odors, and within a couple of minutes the
smell was gone and a cool mist of rosemary, lemongrass, tea tree, myrtle, and
citronella filled the room.  Almost forgot--lavender is a great smelling one to
diffuse as well.

 

If you look closely, you can faintly see the mist coming up.  It diffuses up to two hours or you
can diffuse 20 or 30 minutes at a time.  In an oils class I heard a lady say she has her girls
diffuse "Thieves" for a few minutes when they get home from school and she reports
healthy girls.

Young Living oils are part of our family's routine for health and well-being.  If I can
share anything in particular with you or answer any questions you might have about
their ability to make your life better, just ask.  I love sharing what I know about them.

See you tomorrow with images of spring!