A Special Rose...

i know, i'm blogging a little too much lately.   i promise to stay away from my computer for a while.  but i had to share this photo with you.

my new friend helen gave me her first rose of the season this morning.  we both have a thing for roses and i always point out all the little buds i see ready to open when i'm over at her house.  well, she gifted me with her first beautiful bloom.

i brought it home and placed it into a little creamer i bought at goodwill this week.  i walked around wondering where it's new home would be and then found the perfect place.  on our dining room table.  i loved it so much, i had to take a photo of it.  then i loved the photo so much that i had to make it my new blog photo.  

the glass cross was a birthday gift from my girlfriend last year.  and i love the rusted, old silverplate platter and mercury glass candlesticks on top of the scratched pine table.   the whole vignette makes my heart skip a beat.  or four.

helen and i share the same diagnosis.  i met her last year at my daughter's school's prayer group.   the first day i attended, she came up to me after class with her warm, beautiful smile and said, "i've been praying for you every day, ruthie.  it's so good to put the name to the face."   well, i just fell in love with her.  helen is in her 70s and is the founder of my daugher's school, bethany christian.  I like to visit with her as often as i can.  

i tell her all the time that i want to be just like her when i grow up.  

so thank you helen for my beautiful rose, and now my beautiful new blog photo.     

I treasure our friendship.

Four Plus One...

i'm not much of a collector.  i just buy things i love.  though i don't "collect" them, i do love sweet little lamps, small tables, cottage pillows and old frames.  but now i find myself passing up these old loves because i have found a new love... 

the number 5.   

i'm very visual and sentimental.  so i see the number 5 as representing the 4 of us plus God.  hence, my new love for all things 5.

i bought this sweet little creamer yesterday.  as i walked by it, it caught my eye.  do i need another creamer?  nope.  did i need this one?  yep!

our backyard garden is bursting with white impatiens right now.  i just love them tucked inside my special creamer.  (clearly, i love words too.  notice how many words you can see in just this one photo?)  bread, love you, eat.  

maybe a new collection amassing before my eyes?  

eek.

i bought this great lamp at target last year.  how could i resist?  it was the last one on the shelf.  i thought i hit the lottery.  i don't think i've ever put anything  in my basket quicker than this baby!  

(i found the wicker shade at a thrift store for $1).

and then i found this little gem in the street in front of our house.

it had my name (i mean my number) written all over it.

 the contents of this little glass dish says to me,

"the key to the circle of life is family plus God." 

i look at it every morning while brushing my teeth.

i recently took a photo of this old curio and sent it to my friend. 

the subject line read, "thank you."

i thanked her for not buying it from my blog sale.  after she decided not to get it, i walked around with it for two hours trying to figure out where i could put it.  

it found its new home right behind my sink.  

i just love the dark wood nestled among all the white.

thank you, marcy!  i owe you one.

so that's my new love for all things 5.

i have a new little design project i hope to work on soon. 

and, yes, it involves the number 5.  

if it goes as planned, and after i hit a few thrift stores, i'll show you the big reveal.

enjoy placing a few things around your home that reminds you of Him.

He makes a house a home!

(the "eat" plaque and number 5 creamer can be found at hootnannyhome.com in westlake village.  if you haven't been, you will love it!  go!)

Use Your Gift...

I received an email this morning from my son's history teacher.  She was congratulating Jake for making the baseball team at Oaks Christian and was excited to watch his first game tonight.  I replied, "God has certainly blessed Jake with athletic gifts.  I'm not bragging on Jake, I'm bragging on God! 

I tell him to use these gifts for God's glory as he is so well equipped."  

Use Your Gift.

I'm passionate about these three words.

Have you seen my license plate?

I love it!

So after reading through my emails, I made a flower arrangement to bring over to my girlfriend.  Today is her birthday.  

As I placed it on the cabinet to photograph it, I realized I had meant to feature her on my blog.  

(My assistant is making sure I used fragrant roses.) 

God has gifted Jamie with an artistic gift.  

Clearly.  

She drew this with a pencil!

And as I love to scatter chalkboards throughout our home with scriptures on them, Jamie has blessed me with her gift of script.

It reads,

"Live in such a way that those who know you 

but don't know God, will come to know God because they know you."

I saw that on a sign in a catalog and fell in love with it.

And I love it even more because she wrote it for me.

So to my sweet friend Jamie...

Happy Birthday to you!  But more importantly,

thank you for using your gift for God's glory.

I love you.

You can see all of Jamie's artwork at jamiecalvert.com.