Sunday, July 22, 2012

I Once Had a Crush...



ok, i'll admit it.  i once had a huge crush on every white/chippy vintage iron patio table and chairs set i ever layed my eyes on.   
"they're too uncomfortable," i would tell myself.
"they're too expensive.  and where in the heck would i put one?"

well, meet my crush.

last weekend after our class, i was headed to my in-laws' house.  i made a little detour to a few of my favorite antique stores.  i think my car actually has a magnet in it!
well, low and behold, i spotted this little set in the far back of the store.
and ready for this?
the table had a sign on it that read, "50% off table!"
well, now you're speakin' my language.  this girl rarely buys anything unless it's on sale.  
i was puzzled as to why the table was on sale and not the chairs, but after i decided to buy the table, they dropped the price on the chairs too.  yay.  
was it the deal of the century?  no.  but when you buy $2 pillows at thrift stores, a girl can splurge every now and then.  

and funny story - i ran into a girlfriend who had just passed the booth where the table and chairs were.  she was bummed because she was out looking for a table and chairs and there was a "sold" sign on the table.  i sheepishly told her i that i had belonged to the "sold" sign, but we sat down anyway at the table, hoping someone would pour us a lemonade while we caught up with each other.  and good thing i ran into her because she was able to bring home the glass top in her car as it didn't fit great in mine.  i love when stuff like that works out.

so this is what the chair cushions looked like when i bought them.


a real faded cream and paisley print with nasty brown stains.
three trips to joanne fabrics, and i knew this print would make my heart skip a beat.  do you find it really hard to find cottage, floral prints?  i do.  good luck finding pillows with rufffles on them!  i don't think i've ever met a ruffled pillow i didn't like.

and now here's my crush up close...


certainly not the cheapest fabric in the store, but it was 40% off.  and i have enough left over to make a large pillow to put on our settee.


the fabric isn't outdoor fabric (boo hoo), but momma needs that cottage look.  my kids keep telling me that i'm calling myself "momma" a lot lately.  i have no idea why.  well, if i think about it, i think i'm watching too much icarly.

but the best part about this little table and chairs set, is that there's a little electrical outlet just beneath the table.  and i'm able to plug in my laptop, drink some green iced tea and look out into the garden.   but the really best part about this little set is when we hold our his flower girls class, there's now another area for the girls to sit while we eat lunch.  


well, my husband and kids are at the driving range right now.  and momma thinks she's gonna' go enjoy her newly cottage-ized chairs while basking in the shade.
and by the way, they're actually more comfortable than i thought.

happy sunday, sweet friends!
what's your crush?




Thursday, July 19, 2012

Highs and Dreams...




Hi, sweet friends!

Can't believe it's been two months since I've posted on this blog.  Wow, time really flies.

Well, these past couple of weeks have been filled with a low and a few highs.  

The low was a week-long high fever and terrible muscle pain.  Again.  

However, the highs trumped the low.

Two days after my fever broke, my sisters, girlfriend and I headed to Laguna Beach to see the Pageant of the Masters (something this girl has always wanted to see).  It was amazing.  Amazing.  Amazing.  Amazing.  I could honestly type that 42 more times.  If you've never been, you've gotta go.  I was speechless to witness such amazing creativity.   Hundreds of volunteers bring famous masterpieces (paintings and sculptures)
to life by placing people into these two and three dimensional works of art.  Flawlessly. And I don't even like art!  But this was sensational.
Sen-sational!  


American Express (and my husband) treated us to a beautiful room at the Surf and Sand hotel (we used his points on his card and it was free!).  After a very long week on the couch, I felt so very blessed to be on this special trip with some of my favorite people.  And we had a blast.


Another high was yesterday.  We held our second His Flower Girls class.  I felt great (yay!) and spent the morning with six more friends, old and new.  How cute is Donna's pound cake with Kelly's decorative touch?



Oh, and it was yum-my!  We topped it with fresh berries and whipped cream.  That Southern girl can bake!

Donna and I feel so very blessed to teach these classes.  We enjoy it soooooo much.  To use our home and our passion for Him -- is just a dream come true.  I mean a prayer come true! 


Jeannette, Sandy, Kaley, Laura, Kelly and Jan's fingers are saying, "It's class number 2!"

And you want to know another dream/prayer I have?  

To buy a little house on the lake near our home and turn it into a retreat.  Yes, we would need to strike it rich or win Lotto. But a girl can dream and pray can't she?

I've been walking in the mornings by our lake.  It gets my heart rate up and soothes my soul.  I bring my ipod, crank Chris Tomlin in my ears and just feel so close to God.  

This neighborhood is one of my faves.  I had my eye on a house for sale before we bought the one we live in now.  Actually, I will admit that I would bring my lunch and sneak walk into the house (the owners had already moved out and our friend was the realtor who gave me the code to the lockbox) and spent  manyfun-filled days visualizing how I would decorate the home that we hadn't bought.  Can you say koo-koo?  
Yes, that would be me.  

But as I walk this neighborhood, I pray, 
"Lord, how amazing it would be to find a home and turn it into a little cottage in which you are honored.  We could teach our classes here, host weekend retreats, and focus on You."

I would decorate it with thrift store finds painted in creams and whites and plant English ivies and white hydrangeas in the garden.  Mornings would begin with puffed pear pancakes and fresh berries.  Evenings would end with quilts on our laps and praise on our lips.  Oh, how I can see it!  




I'm keeping my eyes on this one!
This could be the future home of His Flower Girls Cottage.

So what dreams do you have that involve you and Him?  
Tell me, tell me.  I want to hear all about it!







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