I AM a Soccer Mom! And Proud of IT!!!

I am just so excited! We have been in and out this past few month watching my daughters High School Varsity Soccer Team play. And let me tell ya, the weather has not cooporated this year...many evenings we have watched wrapped up in blankets trying to keep warm! Anyway...they have so much talent on their team and they won their league. This is NOT my daughters best sport, she's a basketball girl through and through but she does love playing and this was her 2nd year.

So...they had 3 games this week working up to the District Champs...Tuesday and Wednesdays games were to see who would play Friday for the District Champs...and GUESS what? THEY WON!!!! And even better yet, 1 of her 3 goals she had this season was in yesterdays game! She was so excited and of course so were we. Now...next Wednesday they play the semi-finals for Regionals and if they win that game they play Friday. They continue to play as long as they win. The girls have actually been ranked all season and ended up their season being ranked 2nd in their division (class D Schools which are smaller). We have such high hopes and know that they can do it!

My daughter is right next to the goalie in the center...number 14...isn't she just TOO CUTE?!!!! Oh I know, I am bias being her mom!

Simply Trusting

Yesterday, I saw my sweet kitty Tiger sitting on his perch. Looking outwards, I wondered to myself, what is he thinking about? He looked so pensive. You see, he is a cat we rescued over 6 years ago from the Michigan Humane Society. Along with our sweet calico Clhoe, they were 10 and 8 months old. Both very frighted and very weary of who we were. It would break my heart when I'd go to pet Tiger, and he'd flinch. He would stay far away from us and just watch, no purring, nesting or anything. We think he was abused. He just had no trust of us. Now, we did marvel because he seemed to bond with our daughter who at the time was 10 years old. He would go into her room and sleep on her bed all day while she was gone. Or yowl for her when she was not home.

Fast forward now, 6 years later...he is a changed cat! He purrs, he plops to be petted, he wants to be near us and talks with us about what he wants. He simply trusts us. He knows we love him, feed him and care for his every need. But the biggest change we have seen...he no longer sits and watches, he comes by us now and sits down right beside us. Something that has taken him many years to do.

So that got me to thinking this morning. Simply Trust...in Proverbs 3:5,6 it says..."Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not onto your own understand. In ALL your ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct your path." How many of us are like Tiger. We have been hurt, have been abused by friends, family or the world? Do we simply trust? or do we recoil and put out a strong arm to not let anyone near. Through my years of trusting the Lord...it is theses words that have been a constant echo in my mind. To just trust...and then the Lord will lead. And he has, over and over again. Though I may get weary of the day to day grind...I am ever mindful, that it is MY Lord who is constant and is leading and sustaining me during it all. I know I can SIMPLY TRUST Him.

So how does God build that trust in Him, in us? Well I'd like to share a conversation I had with my this morning with my sis. She was sharing with me how she had paid her bills the other day, and then realized she had used 41c stamps...and of course 1 bill came back...which she of course what exasperated about. She decided she would take the bill and pay it after she went to do her work out. While she was working out, she was visiting with a gal she'd gotten to know who works there. This gal had fallen on some hard times and was sharing with my sister about all of this but was simply trusting that God would take care of her. My sister felt compassion for her and wanted to help her and offered to buy her groceries, but she declined because her son was able to get food where he worked. So being persistant, she asked what could she do to help?...and she admitted to my sis she had a bill that needed paid...and guess where it was to...the same place my sister was going to go to and pay her bill. It was then all the peices fell into place and she knew why this letter came back. Her friend told her she had just prayed about this last night! What a wonderful answer to prayer my sister was...and she was simply trusting her Lord, and allowed GOD to used her to help this gal. What a wonderful dipiction of how God says he will Simply take care of our needs! Doesn't that just give you GODBUMPS? I loved that simply trusting means GOD will always take care of our needs...and you never know how he may use you to do it!

GRACE ~ God's Riches At Christ Expense

Today I am in reflective mood. I have a really wonderful daily flip chart for May 27 on Grace. I'd really like to share with you today.

GRACE
God gives me grace when HE erases my mistakes and failures and covers them with His Love. When I accept His Love, He empowers me to overlook the faults of others also and to accept them as they are in Christ.

"For it is by Grace you have been saved, through faith ~ and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" Ephesians 2:8

G ~ God's
R ~ Riches
A ~ At
C ~ Christs
E ~ Expense

I used to have a hard time understanding what Grace really was. It was a word that I knew apllied to what Jesus had done for me but I just could not grasp in my mind what it was. Then upon hearing the accrostick for Grace...it clicked....you know like a light bulb going on. I finally *Got it*. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for My sins. His life was taken so that I might have life...and have it fully. It was Jesus' gift to me...freely given...of no cost to me ever. All I needed was to accept it. Have you received this Free Gift for him yet?



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My Chenille Bedspread Collection
I wanted to share a small collection of Chenille Bedspreads that I have been picking up over the past few years. I do have 3 that were from my Mother-in-laws that I just love as well. They are the Bright Yellow, Blue with the chenille trim, and the colorful Lavendar Basket. Many of these were found at the thrift stores I frequent. My newest is a bright pink bedspread which is folded and in a little niche in a dresser that I use to display them from. They just have such a nostalgic feel for me...I don't know why...but I love them.






These last pictures are of the pale yellow chenille spread I put on my King Sized Bed...and it is special to me because of the wonderfully threaded rose pattern throughout the entire piece. I tried to get a close up for you to see.


Isn't this Chenille Bunny the cutest? My sis gave him to me a few years ago for my birthday...a very treasured gift, that is for sure! I just love him, and he gets to sit on my bed all day!

SHOW n Tell Sunday ~ May 25th

Good Sunday Morning Everyone!

I did not even know there was such a thing until a sweet gal posted on my blog regarding my recent collection blog I had done. So I checked it out and here I am. Be sure to look below at my blog post of May 23rd because it has many pieces of my blue and white along with some of my Tea Cups and Tea Pots as well.

Thank you to *SHOW N TELL* Sugar Sugar* (for some reason I cannot get my links to work! Check out on my Fav Blog Links) for hosting this wonderful day. Be sure to check out the other participants!

Since collecting plates and anything pretty is in my blood...I could not resist showing you a collection my mother started me on a few years ago. It's from the Johnson Brothers Rose Chintz line. She kept a 4 piece place setting and then gave me her left overs. MAN, was I in HEAVEN!!! She knew I'd scour ebay and find more to add...and of course, that's just what I have been doing. I have now, at least 8 pieces of almost every piece I am showing. I still need 8 small berry bowls...I keep an eye on them from time to time, but haven't been successful yet.

Another thing I really love about this pattern, is its versatility. I can dress it up or down. Right now I have my eat in-kitchen table set for breakfast. But I have been known to really dress it all up for a formal family dinner as well.


My favorite pieces are these sqaure plates...they are just such a unique shape!


I also have shown in the past, snippets from my milk glass collections. I have a sweet little pot cart that I have put many pieces on as well as a corner hutch at the landing of my stairwell. Then I also and showing some larger pieces and my favorite is the hobnail ice-bucket!




These smaller pieces of milk glass are hobnail and just adorable...or at least I think so!



Here are some beautiful ornate dessert plates that I was privaledge to take from my husbands aunt. They have so much gold around the edging. But the reason I took these was I have a special place in my heart for violets and pansy's. Don't know why...I just do! And this sweet little tea pot is just precious too!




I did not realized that the gold around these plates were showing up black...so I tried to take some different photos to show just how much gold on these there is! These also have the Austria Crown markings on the back. Just beautiful!


Oh I just had to show you this. This is from a dear friend of mine who handpaints on vintage pieces of limogue. She is a wonderful artist who sells her pieces on ebay under the name of enchanted*rose*. If you love original handpainted pieces, you will not be dissapointed!. This is a sweet demmitasse cup/saucer and I just love it to pieces!



And lastly, I took a couple of close ups of some vinettes for you to see.



Thanks so much for stopping by. I'd love to hear what you all think. Have a blessed Sunday!

Collections ~ When is Enough, Enough?

I say NEVER, is enough...isn't that so true of those who are of a creative nature. I don't know about you, but when I am out just browsing and something speaks to me..well then its mine and I will find a place in my home for it. So today, I thought I'd share a number of my collections with you. My home it over flowing with *Eye Candy* that I just can't seem to part with. I just love having *pretties* around me to look at, they just make me feel good.

I will share my love of blue and white pieces, many that were given to me by my mom. Also, tea cups, tea pots, bone china plates, princess house crystal, creamer/sugar bowls, and may unpartnered little creamer or pitchers. Some of my collections pieces are there just because, some are sentimental because they have been given to me by friends and family, and others, well they just speak to me...So I hope you will enjoy my collections as much as I do...




















OOOOPsie....how did this get into my collections? Well, everyone this is me. This is my poor attempt to take a picture of myself...now why can't mine look like my daughters...she always takes pictures for her things and they look so much better...I thought you all might like to see what I *look* like!

Grandma's Goodies

Good Monday Morning to you!

A few posts back, I showed you pictures of my *Parlor* Living Room re-arranged. In that I also featured a wonderful old Singer Pump Sewing machine that had been my hubbies grandmas. But I didn't show you all the wonderfully vintage items that probably have been in the drawers for many years. You can tell that many of these items were from the 40's and 50's, just by the packaging. I decided to display these items since they have such sentimental meaning to me...I admit it, I am a sap for family history and items that they have had. The buttons are also in a 4 leaf Clover glass serving piece that also have 4 individual smaller 4 leaf clover pieces as well. I would imagine that these were for nuts and mints...anyone ever seen something like this? I'd love to know more if you have any ideas.


I did end up sanding and re-staining the top portion of this machine, due to paint splatters all over...can't believe this was just sitting in a basement for years!

Aren't these neat?

These are old keys...I wonder what they opened?

Some Misc. containers of needles, pins and such...


Oh Yes, I am giving you a sneak peek at what's at my EBAY auction this week!