Friends Forever!..... A very heart warming gift....

Friends Forever!... A very heart warming gift...

Recently I popped over for a visit with my dear friend Maria at http://maria-pogaduszki.blogspot.com/ When I arrived I found this very precious and heart warming gift waiting for all of us who visit her. For those of you who have not met Maria I do hope you will stop by to visit with her. She is a lovely lady and a true bloggy friend. Maria lives in Poland and writes about her country and customs, her life and family, and she also shares wonderful recipes. Thank you so much Maria! Your gift warms my heart ♥

At times, in our daily lives most of us face injustice, profound loss either by death or separation, physical and/or emotion pain, because after all, life is full of it's ups and downs for everyone isn't it?

I have found our blogging community to be some of the most incredible, kind, and caring people I have ever not met. This treasured gift is just one example of what I am talking about. We support one another, pray with one another, learn from each other, and share with each other. We giggle, laugh, and cry with each other. How is that possible when most of us have never met? I think we are drawn together by our love of God and humanity.
I would like to keep this precious gift circling around blog land so I am offering it to all of those who stop here. Thank you for your friendship! "And although we live so far apart... Always remember you hold a piece of my heart!"
With warmest regards, Carol

Adding a little Irish to every day goodies......

Adding a little Irish to every day goodies...

All things can be a little Irish on Saint Patrick's Day and that includes every day miniature candy bars.

In a previous post I shared with you an idea that my friend Knitty at http://lazydayandsundays.blogspot.com/ shared in one of her posts for making the most adorable smiley face labels for teabags. In that same post Knitty shared her idea for making candy bar labels. All you need are Avery address labels. (Template 8160) These labels fit nicely over Hershey's Nugget's, Hersey Miniatures, and Nestle's Treasures. You can make all of your labels the same or mix them up with various kinds of clip art as Knitty did for a baby shower she was planning. Either way they are very simple to make. Thank you so much Knitty for sharing this wonderful idea!

I think these darling little candy bars are very festive and pretty. They would make a lovely addition to any Irish tea table. They could also be used as party favors. Now where did I put that green ribbon?

What a great way to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary on Saint Patrick's Day!

I hope all of you have a lovely and blessed day ♥

With warmest regards, Carol

It snowed!......

For all of you who have been literally dumped with snow, I'm sure you will be a little perplexed with my enthusiasm, but yesterday was only our second major snow fall of the year. I'm sure I will regret saying this next year but I have missed the snow.
I have missed those snowy days of long ago when school was cancelled. I have missed those days when the snow was good for packing and we could all get outside and play. I miss the days when my children and grandchildren were little and we would make snowmen and angels in the snow. I miss chasing them all around the yard, falling down, and laughing until our tummy's hurt. I miss the days when my hubby and I would put them on sleds and pull them up and down our street.
This year it was only me that got out out to play and enjoy the snow. My hubby was busy clearing it away and Charli was sitting by our back door begging to go back inside. After I finished building my snowman I took a picture of it with my phone. Then I sent it to all of our children and grandchildren for old times sake.
One of the first things I saw when I woke up this morning was my silly little snowman. It made me smile. Of course my hubby has been relentless in his teasing but that's how I know he likes it too.
Some people may say I'm a little childish but I have always believed in that inter child we all have. I think we need to cultivate it and bring it out. It's something I have always made a point to do. As a society we are much to serious. I think that's why some of us are so happy when our grandchildren come along. We have an excuse to do silly and fun things again. Try doing something fun today that you wouldn't normally do. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at just how good it will make you feel.
With warmest regards, Carol

How to catch a leprechaun......

How to catch a Leprechaun...

Recently my hubby and I helped our grandson Ryan to build a Leprechaun trap. Yes, that's right, a Leprechaun trap! We had so much fun! We heard about them last year on some of the blogs and thought it would be a great project to try. Now I've never heard of a Leprechaun being caught before but who knows. This just might be the year that it happens.

If you are interested in building a trap with your special little someone there are tons of 'how to' information available on the Internet.
In our case this is what we did. First we went on the Internet to find out all we could about these nasty and very tricky little characters. Then we discussed what would be the best way to capture one. Since the Leprechaun is an Irish legend Ryan decided to make his trap as green as possible. He made a list of all of the things that he thought would attract a Leprechaun and then we helped him to incorporate them into the trap. Everyone knows how much Leprechauns like gold so Ryan decided to use gold glitter on his stairs. His net also has flecks of gold running through it. I was fortunate enough to have found that material a head of time. Ryan made a rainbow and also a sign to help the Leprechaun know which way he is supposed to go. He made a path out of shamrocks for the Leprechaun to follow and then put some artificial grass in the bottom of the box. We think he did a very good job!

He even put a treasure chest in the bottom of the box. A sure way to lure a Leprechaun in don't you think?

The day before Saint Patrick's Day my hubby and I will deliver the trap to Ryan's house. Who knows what he will find inside of it on Saint Patrick's Day?

Our little guy is growing up so fast. We are truly blessed to have these special moments with him.

Charli loves project days too because any time spent with Ryan is a very happy day for her.

It's hard to believe that Saint Patrick's Day is right around the corner. Do you celebrate Saint Patrick's Day in your home? I would love to hear from you.

It's been snowing here for the last several hours. It's very pretty and it looks like we already have an inch or two of accumulation.

I hope all of you have a wonderful day ♥

Happy Monday everyone!

With warmest regards, Carol

Temple Grandin......

Temple Grandin.....


Recently I had the opportunity to see the
movie 'Temple Grandin' now playing on HBO. This movie is simply outstanding and I have been recommending it to everyone I know. The movie is about
Temple Grandin and her struggle to over come Autism.

Temple Grandin was born in 1947, and by the age of four, still had required no verbal skills. Her only means of communication was humming, peeping, and screaming out of frustration. A family physician made the diagnosis of Autism. The physician told her mother that Grandin would remain low functioning. His recommendation was to institutionalize. Her mother refused to accept the physicians recommendations, and instead, took Grandin to several neurologists. She began working with Grandin on the development of behavioral and verbal skills. She also provided Grandin with some very unique and educational experiences.

Grandin is now a professor at the University of Colorado. She has received her doctorate degree in animal science. Her journey has been absolutely incredible. Today Grandin lectures on Autism and is the author of a collection of books on the subject. There are many valuable lessons to be learned from this movie. One lesson being not to give up on others just because they seem some what different than ourselves. I walked away from this movie with a much better understanding of the challenges children with Autism and their care givers face.

"You have got to keep autistic children engaged with the world. You cannot let them tune out"
-Temple Grandin-

http://www.templegrandin.com/templehome.html
http://www.templegrandin.com/templegrandinart.html

Have you had an opportunity to see this movie? If so, I would love to hear from you.
I hope all of you have a lovely and blessed day ♥
It's a beautiful sunny day here and Charli is sprawled out on the bay window ledge in our living room. She wants to make sure she doesn't miss anything that just might happen on our street.
With warmest regards, Carol

Labels....... A fun and creative idea!.....

Labels...
A fun and creative idea!....

One day while visiting with my friend Knitty at http://lazydayandsundays.blogspot.com/
I noticed she had written a post about label's. Knitty loves labels and has some very creative and charming uses for them. She was in the process of planning a baby shower and she had just made the sweetest label's to place over miniature candy bars that I had ever seen. On that same post she had a picture of a smiley face label on a tea bag. I thought it was so cute that I decided to make some of my own. Mine aren't exactly like Knitty's but I think they turned out rather well.


First I took a smiley face sticker and inserted it into my photo album. Then I transferred it to paint and erased the yellow background. I probably could have just made the smiley face in paint but I didn't. Oh well, maybe next time. I'm still in the process of learning. After I erased the yellow background I transferred it back to my photo album. Then I made the labels using an Avery template as Knitty suggested.

The only Avery labels I had at the time were long and thin but since then I have purchased larger ones.

After I finished the label's I attached them to teabags. I have a special friend who is coming to visit me on Saturday and we always drink tea together. Do you think she will notice the smiley face on her teabag?

Since visiting Knitty I have been on a label making frenzy! These labels have me thinking of other things I could do with them. I can decorate tea bags for holidays and birthdays, add verses, or funny little sayings of some sort. I'm even thinking of making labels for wine glasses. Thank you Knitty for sharing this fun and creative idea!

Do you like using labels for other things besides addresses? If so, what are some of the ways in which you like to use them? I would love to hear from you.

I hope all of you are having a bright and sunny day ♥

With warmest regards, Carol

Lent.......

LENT......

Today marks the beginning of lent in many Christian communities. It is a time of contemplation and renewal of faith.

I invite you to join me in the following prayer:

Dear Lord as I make my Lenten journey with You,

Send me Your spirit,

Help me to turn away from sin,

And help me to fast and pray,

So that I may know You

And serve You better.

Let me be renewed through my grace with the world

Amen

"As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold Grace of God"

-1 Peter 4:10-

Recently I read an article that I would like to share......

"Spirituality is a way of life and is made up of four parts:

Receiving the gifts of God with gratitude

Cultivating them responsibly

Sharing them lovingly in justice with others

Standing before the Lord in a spirit of responsibly

THE GIFTS OF GOD

Your faith, hope, love, joy

Your family and relationships with others

Your intelligence, talents, and skills

Your imagination, compassion, and vision

Creation in all it's splendor

With so many blessings come great challenges. At all times in our life, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to share what we have been given"

-Deacon Ron-

St. Anastasia Parish

Peace be with all of you ♥

With warmest regards, Carol

'An 'American Song Book ' Tea.....

An 'American Song Book' Tea.....

Recently my brother, sister-in-law, sister, brother-in-law, husband, and myself had the distinct pleasure of attending a tea at the historical village in our area. In addition to a quaint little tea, we had the opportunity to be entertained by members of the Michigan Opera House touring company who put on a marvelous performance entitled 'The American Song Book.' We heard a little ragtime, vaudeville, and some wonderful old crooning music complete with trivia about the era in which the song was written, tidbits about the composers, and interesting facts related to the songs. The lady and gentleman who gave us the delightful cabaret-style performance were outstanding to say the least and received standing ovations. With loving jesters and adulation's they were quite convincing as they sang song after song while we listened in awe. There was much joy, many smiles, and lot's of laughter as everyone shared stories and reminisced. There was even audience participation during the actual songs at times.


The concert was held in the old church on the village grounds which is known for it's wonderful acoustics.

We heard songs from composers like Dorothy Fields, Rogers and Hammerstein, Ira and George Gershwin.

Do you remember songs like 'Moon River', 'Someone to Watch Over Me', 'On The Sunny Side Of The Street', 'Swanee', 'I'm in the Mood Fro Love', 'I've Got Rhythm', 'Hey Big Spender' or 'I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm'? Well, those were just some of the songs we heard that day. If you would like to take a walk down memory lane I found this wonderful site you can visit. It's a Gershwin site and it has a jukebox where you can hear some of that wonderful old music yourself. Ahh... Those were the days..... These types of songs have always been favorites of mine.

Do you remember watching all of those old Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, and Ginger Roger movies? They were the best weren't they?

http://www.gershwin.com/v1/launch.html

We had a wonderful time. I still can't believe I actually talked my hubby, brother, and brother-in-law into coming to the tea. They said they really enjoyed the entire experience and would love to go back to the village again.

And where was Charli while we were at the village? She was home alone and not to happy about it. However, I made it up to her. She loves to listen to music and she has enjoyed listening to the tunes on the jukebox at the Gershwin site as well.

How about you? What kinds of music do you enjoy? I would love to hear from you.

I hope you have a beautiful day ♥

With warmest regards, Carol

Happy Valentine's Day ♥

Sending tons and tons of wishes your way
And then a line to say
Hope some very special family and friends
Have a blessed and fun filled day!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY ♥

Welcome to a Valentine Party!....

Welcome to a Valentine Party!....

For those of you who haven't heard, Laurie at http://bargainhuntingwithlaurie.blogspot.com/ is hosting a Valentine's party today here in blog land! That's right! And it's not to late to join the fun! All you have to do is write your post and then link up with the rest of us to celebrate Valentine's Day. You can share anything you would like from wedding pictures, to decor, tablescapes, and cards. The best part of the party is that even our pets are invited. Now I ask you, how cool is that? I hope you will come to the party or stop by and visit with some of the other gals. As always, thank you so much for stopping by here.





For those of you who don't know, this little girl is my dog Charli. We are a team and she goes just about every where I go. I say my dog but as you can see she is wearing a bib that says, 'My heart belongs to daddy.' Ha! That's because she has my hubby wrapped right around her furry little paw. All she has to do is give him a hug, or sit on his lap, and she gets all of the treats she wants. Charli is quite the diva and loves dressing up for just about any occasion.


For my part of the Valentine celebration I thought I would invite all of you to tea. I am serving Red Rose Original, Cinnamon apple, and Orange Spice tea today.

Don't you just love Valentine's Day? Just think! A special day set aside to let everyone know how much you like, love, and appreciate them. It just doesn't get better than that. As you can see love is in the air at our house. There seems to be hearts every where! Don't you just love those tiny cinnamon hearts, colorful conversation hearts, and yummy chocolate foil hearts that appear on the shelves in all of the stores at this time of year? I am serving chocolate foil hearts at our tea today.

One of my favorite things to do when I am having a Valentine's tea or party is to use those small Valentine cards that children take to school as seating cards. I think they look very festive, and besides, who wouldn't want to receive a Valentine at this very special time of the year. I found some charming baby birds at Michael's the other day and I thought they would be perfect to use for my seating cards. I know the birds are blue but I still think they look rather pretty.

Since I knew you were coming I decided to bake

some cookies.

OATMEAL-CRANBERRY COOKIES

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup softened unsalted butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp. honey

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/3 cups dried cranberries

1 cup white chocolate chips

( I also added 1/2 cups chopped pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in oats. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until combined. Beat in eggs, honey, and vanilla until combined. Stir in cranberries, chocolate chips, and nuts.

Drop onto cookie sheet two inches apart. Bake 9 to 11 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Makes 42 cookies

-mixing bowl.com-

This is the Valentine's basket I have had for many years. I love it because the material in the basket has a very pretty vintage theme. I always use this basket on Valentine's Day, to either transport goodies I make or buy for the Valentine's parties we are invited to, or to store goodies for the parties we have here at home.

Because all of you are so special, and my cookies turned out so delicious, I decided to make each of you a small bag to take home.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Don't forget to stop by Laurie's to see what everyone else has been up to.

Thanks again for stopping by to visit Charli and me!

I hope all of you have a lovely day ♥

With warmest regards, Carol