Spring Table Decor and Easter Cards...

Good morning! Just a quick post this morning before I head out the door for work...

As you know, I like to change up the table decorations on my dining table for the seasons, so I wanted to show you what I've done for spring:

 I spotted the cute bunnies and the little birds at Hobby Lobby and I knew they would be perfect for my table. (Better yet, they were marked 40% off!) I added a metal bucket that I tipped on its side and tucked in some raffia, a sprig of artificial ivy and a little nest with artificial eggs. I filled an antique stoneware pitcher with antiqued silk roses and placed it on top of a "Birds of North America" book. The little lantern was purchased at a local craft mall for only $2.50, and the crocheted table runner was purchased there as well for $5.00, I thought the complimented the tablescape nicely.

Next up is a couple of Easter cards that I made. I created the crosses using a narrow burlap ribbon that I found at the craft store. I tore green cardstock to create the illusion of grassy knolls to place at the base of the cross. Using Glue Dots, I added a flower and ribbon to the center of each cross. I had some sweet little lamb stickers in my stash, so I knew they'd be a perfect addition to these cards:

Thanks so much for dropping by today! Have a great week! :)

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Silly Saturday

Have a GREAT weekend!!

Just a Few Cards...

Hello and happy Monday, friends! Spring has finally arrived and the daffodils in my front flower beds are blooming as well as the Bradford pear trees that line the entrance to our neighborhood. I love all of the beautiful blooms, but my allergies don't at all - ha! ha!

I was able to make a few cards this weekend, so I thought that I'd share them with you today. The first one incorporates a quote from Max Lucado, who is one of my favorite Christian authors:

Next is a lovely wedding or engagement card...I love flat-backed pearls and they are the perfect accent to this card:

Lastly is a card with lots of texture...a crumpled and distressed doily, a scrap of burlap and a sweet gingham ribbon:

Thanks for dropping by today! Have a great week and enjoy the springtime sunshine! :)

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Wishing you a fun and safe weekend, friends!

Housewarming Gift: A Spring Monogram Wreath

Hi friends! Just a quick post this morning to show you a pic of the wreath that I made for my sweet friend and co-worker Christi W., who moved into a new home last week. Every home should have a pretty wreath on the front door; (don't you think so too?); so I decided to make a spring-themed monogram wreath to give her as a house warming gift:

I deconstructed a floral swag that I purchased at Hobby Lobby and then wired the flowers and greenery to a grapevine wreath that I bought there as well. I added a white wood "W" and tied a cute little brass key to it with a piece of jute. Lastly, I tied a pretty yellow bow and attached it to the wreath for a nice finishing touch.

Thanks for dropping by today...wishing you a fantastic week ahead!! :)

Becky

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Have a FANTASTIC weekend!!

Doodle-ology...

Hi, friends! Just a quick post today to talk about doodling and to share one of my favorite blogs with you.

Many of us are "doodlers". I doodle while I'm talking on the phone, while I'm sitting in church or when I'm in a meeting. Somehow, I just listen to things better when there's a pen or pencil in my hand and I'm doodling. (On my church bulletins you'll find reference notes from the sermons as well as unrelated doodles - lol!) For me, there's just something about doodling that empties my mind of stress...it's relaxing and it's free! Who couldn't use a little relaxing and free therapy?? Doodles aren't about perfection, it's about just freely penning, (or penciling!), on a piece of paper...it's like being a little kid again with a new box of Crayons and a blank note pad; just drawing and coloring to your heart's content. :)

Just for fun, I thought I'd share a couple of my doodle pages with you...as you can see, I tend to doodle alphabets and nature themed objects such as birds, flowers, bees, leaves and the like:

Someone who has turned her doodling into a profession is Stephanie Ackerman. She creates the most beautiful doodles which have become lovely pieces of art as well as rubber stamps that are available for purchase. (You can click HERE to go to Stephanie's blog to see her work and to download her free doodle-art worksheets.) She offers classes, both online and at various shops around the country. I took one of her online doodling classes a couple of years ago, and it was really fun! One day, if she comes to a shop in Oklahoma, I would LOVE to meet her in person and take one of her art classes. Check out her art work and you'll see what I mean!

Have a fun and relaxing weekend, and if you're feeling a little stressed, why not pick up a pen or pencil and a scrap of paper and doodle yourself to relaxation?

Blessings,

Recipe of the Week: Pepperidge Farm French Toast Casserole

Happy Wednesday! We're half-way to the weekend, folks! Speaking of the weekend, I thought I'd share a recipe with you that I recently made for our Saturday morning breakfast. I stumbled upon a recipe on Pinterest for French Toast Casserole using a loaf of Cinnamon Swirl bread from Pepperidge Farms, and since I had just bought a loaf of this yummy bread I had to try the recipe:

(Image from Pepperidge Farm)

You can click HERE to go to Pepperidge Farm's link for the recipe. I added a 1/2 tsp. of rum extract to the egg batter, for a little extra flavor. It turned out really good, but I've decided that the next time I make this I'm going to toss in some chopped pecans and brown sugar for a little added texture and sweetness. (I even wondered what it would taste like to toss in some cooked, chopped bacon? I love the taste of bacon dipped in maple syrup, so it might be pretty delish!)

Have a GREAT day! :)

Great Reads: Philippa Gregory's "The Constant Princess" and "The Boleyn Inheritance"

Good morning! With the cold temps and winter weather that we've had here in Oklahoma during the past few weeks, I've settled in to catching up on my reading. As you know, I am a HUGE fan of historical fiction, particularly Philippa Gregory's novels about the English court in Tudor times. (If you've never read any of her novels, I HIGHLY recommend them if you too are a fan of this era in English history.)

The Constant Princess is the story of Katharine of Aragon, who comes to England as Catalina, princess of Spain, to marry Prince Arthur. She was betrothed to Arthur at the age of 3, and was raised to become the future queen of England. She marries him at the age of 16, and sadly becomes a widow when he contracts the sweating sickness only a few months into their marriage. On his death bed he makes her promise that she will swear that their marriage was never consummated and that she will one day marry his younger brother Henry, so that their legacy will come to fruition. Throughout history this has become known as the "Great Lie", and she pulled it off to become one of the greatest monarchs in England. 

This story will take you through her childhood in Spain, alongside her parents King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who were two of the most powerful monarchs in all of Christendom at that time. You will rejoice with her as she and Arthur fall deeply in love; and you will feel her sadness and despair when she becomes a widow and suffers for many years before becoming Henry's wife. This is truly a hard-to-put-down novel!

The next novel, The Boleyn Inheritance, moves forward in the history of the wives of Henry VIII, beginning with Anne of Cleves coming from Germany to England to become Henry's 4th wife. Their relationship starts off on a bad note, and his great pride never allows him to accept her or fall in love with her. Although he turns her away and divorces her to become "his sister", she is thankful that she escaped his tyranny with her neck intact. It doesn't take long for him to become infatuated with Katharine Howard, who is a mere teenager at serving at court. She grew up in her grandmother's loose household, and wasn't taught the manners or graces that would serve her as a respected lady of the court, let alone as a queen of England. Her past transgressions, as well as her youth and lust for another man, sets the course for her own destruction. 

In the midst of all of the drama is Lady Jane Rochford. Lady Rochford is the former sister-in-law of Henry VIII's second wife, Queen Anne Boleyn. (She was married to Anne's beloved brother, George Boleyn. Both Anne and George were beheaded after being convicted of carnal sins, with Jane testifying against them on these crimes.) Lady Rochford, always looking out to gain a foothold in the royal household, puts her trust in the wrong people and comes to a devastating end as well.

Philippa Gregory's novels are always great page-turners, and I hope that if you read them you'll enjoy them as much as I do! :)

Thanks for dropping by today! Have a TERRIFIC week!

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Have a terrific weekend and make time to laugh with your family and friends!

Tiny Cards...

Good morning! It was a really cold, snowy and icy weekend here in Oklahoma. Mike and I attended the funeral of a close family friend on Saturday, and when we left the church the snow was starting to pile up on the streets and sidewalks. After grabbing a bite to eat, we headed home to start a fire in the fireplace and then hung out at home watching the snowflakes tumble down from the sky. (I even took a long nap...such a nice afternoon!)

I don't know about you, but sometimes I just need a tiny card to attach to a gift bag or a small gift, because a full-size card would overwhelm the package. With that in mind, I decided to whip up a few tiny cards using scraps of cardstock, ribbon and buttons. I think they turned out pretty cute, so I thought that I'd share them with you today:

These tiny cards will fit-the-bill perfectly the next time that I have a little gift to give!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today! I hope that you have a fantastic week!

Blessings,

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