22 November 2012

Breezy drew this lettering based on Psalm 111:1 with chalk on a framed chalkboard.

In the kitchen, near The Thankful Tree.

“Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is His work,
and His righteousness endures forever.”
—Psalm 111:1-3

Have a most joyous and blessed Thanksgiving!

P.S. I would love to know what you are thankful for – feel free to share with me in a comment!

[15] Comments » | Categories: Family, Handmade, Inspirations, Life, The Home, Vintage

16 November 2012

Autumn is such a beautiful season – the colors, the weather, etc. More than that, though, it is beautiful to see people give thanks, counting how many ways God has blessed them. And for each and everyone of us living and breathing, that list is unending.

One way we display reminders to cultivate a thankful heart is with The Thankful Tree. This year instead of scrapbook paper we are using wooden chalkboard tags.

For assembling, all you need is:

• Sticks
• Wooden Chalkboard Tags (make your own or buy them already made)
• Chalk (you can sharpen the chalk with a pencil sharpener)
• Scissors
• Glass Jar – gallon (shown) or half-gallon
• Assorted Nuts, for extra beauty
• Burlap and/or Ribbon, for extra beauty
• Thankful Heart (“I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart…”)

“Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name;
make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
tell of all His wondrous works!”

—1 Chronicles 16:8-9

Are you building a Thankful Tree this year? What blessings will you be etching on the ornaments?

[21] Comments » | Categories: Encouragement, Family, Handmade, Inspirations, Life, The Home

27 November 2010

A tree in a room seems to bring attention to itself. Those who first have a glimpse usually turn their head to have a second look. Hm, how interesting . . . they think, but their thoughts quickly wander off.

But take a tree and give it a name, a purpose. Those who notice will take a gander to see what is so special about said tree. Why looky there! Notes on a tree – I wonder what they say . . . and on they think, and take a peak to see the other side of each note hanging on the branches.

What they find may stay in their minds and even bring a smile to their face. What could that be, listed on each piece of paper?

Why, notes of thankfulness, don’t you see?

Because the tree was called “The Thankful Tree” and on it hung reminders of grateful hearts, declaring their glad praise to the One who blessed them.

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[183] Comments » | Categories: Encouragement, Family, Handmade, Inspirations, Life, The Home

15 September 2010

When the trees are trimmed in Autumn, make sure you save the sticks. They can be used for many different things that can be useful as well as add a touch of simple beauty to your home.

In the past I have made a flower-dryer out of sticks freshly trimmed from our pear trees. Another whimsical thing we have done with the trimmings was to make a bouquet of them.

This year we plan to make a bouquet of sticks with a special purpose. From the twigs we will hang little notes of things we are thankful for. It will be called, “The Thankful Tree.”

(But first, we’ll need to trim the trees – which can be done during any month ending with an “r”.)

[19] Comments » | Categories: Inspirations, Life, The Home, Vintage

23 June 2010

On June 12th, I was surrounded by my precious family and many friends whom I have had the pleasure of knowing in my lifetime. They came to celebrate what the Lord has done in my life, how He has taught, instructed, and guided me.

And how He laid it on the hearts of my parents to educate my sister and me at home.

My dear parents spoke to those gathered at our home about the workings of the Lord and His great mercy He has shown towards our family. What a blessing and encouragement to hear them speak and glorify the Lord with a testimony of His goodness.

It was a beautiful day. I have an over-abundance of things to be thankful for!

As you may well know, I will be learning for the rest of my life. I have been blessed with a love of learning. The celebration was the end of my “official” education at home, but I won’t stop the adventure there. (We do have more projects in the works!)

The decorations shown above were made from folded, vintage dictionary pages which were hot-glued together. On top was glued lace (which had been sewn into a circle) with scrapbook paper added to the center. They make for a perfect whimsical decoration!

[14] Comments » | Categories: Encouragement, Handmade, Homeschooling, Vintage

25 December 2009

On Christmas Eve we had a delicious dinner of Pork Chops and Rice. We only have this meal one or two times a year, making it extra special. The Chops are lightly breaded and we sprinkle the rice with brown sugar.

After our meal Breezy and I read aloud a few poems, a story, and sang duets of several of our favorite Christmas carols by the candle light.

Bently wishing he new what was in the five packages behind him under the tree. He was quite the patient puppy . . . and he was well rewarded with a stuffed squeaking beaver (just a toy, just a toy) and some very special dog treats. He especially enjoyed pretending the beaver was a rat.

But first Daddy read aloud the story of Christ’s birth from Luke 1:57-2:40.

Little packages under the tree. We were low on brown paper, so Momma cut up a small brown paper sack which worked perfectly!

Hand-embroidered ornaments from my dear mother – what a delightful surprise! She finished them on the morning of Christmas Eve. These will be safely tucked away into my hope chest.

Momma crocheted Breezy and I each an afghan in our colors of choice. We were allowed to see them while she was working on them . . . until they grew large and she kept them hidden. Not until Christmas Eve were we able to see their full size – they are beautiful and cozy, and most definitely large enough for ourselves and a few wee ones!

My dear parents! What a blessing it has been to be raised by such wonderful, godly parents! I am thankful to the Lord for making them my mother and father!

Our Christmas Sugar Cookies that we make every year. We enjoyed these cookies, pretzels, cheese, and donuts (inspired by the dear Chancey family) while watching Scrooge (1935).

And as we do every Christmas morning . . . Momma and I made the Monkey Bread.

Over the river and through the woods (really and truly) to grandmother’s house we go!

I hope that you all have had a most wonderfully happy and blessed Christmas celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

[20] Comments » | Categories: A Homemade Christmas, Family, Food, Handmade, Inspirations, The Home