A Peek In My Closet

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This past weekend I took on a project to clean out, declutter and organize my closet. I also did the same in our bedroom, bathroom and my office which is connected to our bedroom. I either donated, found a new place or stored the unwanted items. It feels so good to get that done. I always envision our house lifting up a bit from the weight being taken out. I know, silly, but, it helps.

I had a couple of people say that I should blog about my closet. I thought, that would be crazy, who wants to see that and it’s not that amazing. I have collected photos of closets that look like boutiques with the glass cabinets for clothes and all the pull out drawers for jewelry and sunglasses, etc. Oh, also a large round bench in the middle with a chandelier over it. I love looking at closet designs and dreaming, but, you got to go with what you got, right?

Now remember, I love everything! If it’s shiny and glittery, I love it! If it’s feminine and modest, I love it! I am trying to be much more intentional on my purchases as I love to shop. I have a different closet where I keep my off season clothing and I also have a space where I’m hanging on to some things that I can’t let go of as I’m hoping to fit into them soon! I have a time limit and if I don’t, they have to go as I don’t have much room to hang on to too much. Yes, the struggle is real. I know the saying that if you can’t wear it now, get rid of it. I have gotten rid of plenty, but, there are a few things, that I just love and they keep me motivated to keep working on my plan. I’ll let you know how that goes.

I’ve had fun decorating my closet with books on fashion and beauty, jewelry, bags and wall art. I enjoy going in my closet as it is peaceful to me and I like seeing the things that make me smile. We painted the walls a hunter green color. I love all shades of green. We hung a chandelier in the center of the ceiling and replaced the long fluorescent lights with little crystal chandeliers.

This is a picture before I cleaned out and organized. It shows the lighting better and how I have containers on top shelves for out of season bags and shoes. I also have little cloth organizers for specialty things like small purses, wallets, etc.
Brighton Jewelry used to have a line called My Flat In London. I loved their bags and jewelry. I couldn’t resist collecting their bags. I’m sad that My Flat In London is no longer available. Trust me, it was all so cute and fun!

I made my own jewelry box out of one of the cabinets in my closet. That third drawer down is the only drawer that hasn’t been organized and cleaned out. Maybe I’ll get to it today.
I had this piece of art that has glittery lip sticks on it and it was the perfect size to cover up a little window above the shelf. So, I had to decorate the shelf, right? Yes, I love watches! These are some that I have that I don’t wear often. I have a feather duster that I dust things in my closet on a regular basis! Yes, I dust jewelry.
I love this picture of our granddaughter when she was very young. It makes me smile!
Turquoise! Can you have enough?
Who doesn’t love pearls?
This shelf is at front of closet and my vanity is right on other side, so I store hair products so they are easy to reach. I’m in the process of using up what I have. Yes, my hobby is trying out hair products. We must have a discussion soon on hair.

I saw this piggy bank and had to have it. On the side it has crystal Chanel logo. I actually fill it with coins. I may need to go shopping with it all someday.

Isn’t this the cutest bag? I had to share!

One of my favorite verses.

So there you go, my closet! Out of all the fun and all the fashion and bling; none of it matters if you don’t portray a heart filled with the love of Christ. We are representatives of the One who created us, loves us and He is our only hope. I’m thankful that as a young teen I put my faith in Jesus and He gave me a new life. When we get dressed each day, putting on the full armor of God and heading out to be a light in the world is the most important of all. I think my armor has a little bling on it by the way. You may not like bling at all and that is fine. We are all different. The one thing we all have in common is that we are all in need of a Savior. I so hope you have had a life change from the King of Kings. If you have any questions about who Jesus is and wondering what I’m talking about, click here.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle is not against ]flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:10-17

Until next time,

Happy 4th of July – 2022

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The 4th of July is always such a festive holiday. It’s a time to celebrate our country and our freedoms. I don’t take them lightly, especially in this day and time. I’m not going to write a post on all the insanity going on in our country. Instead, I want to share how grateful I am to have been born in the USA and living here in such a beautiful country. I have spent much time educating myself on just what all our country has gone through to be where we are today. It is pretty amazing to think about. Compared to other countries, we aren’t very old at all! When you look at all that people have gone through to make sure we are free in such a short time, you have to wonder just how we made it this far. I believe there is only one reason and that is because of God’s grace and mercy. I can’t imagine believing any other reason. May we always be seeking God for protection and praying for our leaders. Shall I mention, to make sure we vote for leaders who have a deep love for America and it’s freedoms. We should also be asking for discernment with all the many different viewpoints and issues going on each day. Much wisdom is needed each and every moment of our day.

  “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

I enjoyed decorating my little tea room for the 4th of July. I call it “Beverly’s Tea Room.” It’s so much fun decorating the tea room on a regular basis with all the holidays and seasons. It is even more special to entertain family and friends. I’m still learning all the ropes on serving and the flow of serving others without making a mess of things. I have a few things on the calendar in the near future and I’ll share those with you as well.

Let’s have an I Love America Tea, shall we?

I collect aprons and I this is my personal chef modeling her 4th Of July Apron!
I have a few collections of these figurines designed by Thomas Kincaid. How I’d love to dress like these ladies.

May you and your loved ones have a very special day!

This is from an online art class I try my hand at. She does such fun whimsical paintings and she makes me laugh…always fun! Timree.com

Lamps, Lamps and More Lamps…

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My name is Beverly and I am a lampaholic! There I feel better! The word is out; show me a pretty lamp and I will do whatever it takes to find a place for it. Just this week, I got a lamp in that I saw on an ad that screamed, “BUY ME!!!” I was a good girl though, I got rid of two lamps that didn’t make me smile too much. The lamps that I said goodbye to were a plain little buffet lamp and the other was cute, but the shade never stayed on straight. I was patient with him though, I corrected his shade for years, but, he had his chance….he is now gone!

As a young girl, I remember my mom driving us through a beautiful neighborhood on our way home from church during the Christmas season. We would drive through the neighborhood because of all the lights in the trees. Each house had twinkling lights in every tree. I began noticing that most of the houses had their windows open and I enjoyed seeing the beautiful lights shining through the windows. I would always see a lamp on a table that would softly light up the room and oh, how cozy it would look. I so wanted to go in each home and see the beauty. I think that may be when my love for decorating began; while seeing the beauty from the streets into beautiful windows and the lamp lighting up the room. I always would tell my mom that I was going to have a beautiful house someday and decorate it perfectly. Even to this day, I get a cozy feeling when passing a house in the evening and see a lamp on as it reflects the beauty of the room.

Jim and I get tickled when we are shutting down the house for the night. We get a workout turning all the lamps off. I always like to leave one on in another room to give a little light if one of us gets up in the night. If you have guests, it would be a welcome feeling to see a little light far away from their room.

I would count my lamps for you to give you an idea, but, you may think I’m crazier than you already do, so I will just keep it to myself. I did have a guest one time and she mentioned my lamps and wondered how many I had. I simply said, “I don’t know.”

Lampshades are just as important. Those are hard for me to find as I don’t like just a plain lampshade. I’ve dressed plain lampshades up with large glittery pins, flowers, ribbon, trims, whatever it takes to make it pop. I have even tried putting fabric on the shades and am in the process of putting Christmas fabric on a shade this week. I had a lamp that was a bronze color and painted it a Christmas red. Now it is asking for a cute Christmas fabric shade. I hope it turns out like I think it should.

I hope you will take a look around your home and see if there is a spot for a lamp. Get in the habit of using lamps instead of an overhead light. It makes such a cozier difference.

My challenge for you is:

*Drive in your favorite neighborhood and see if you see any lamps shining through the windows. See if it gives you that feeling that you would like in your own home.

* Find at least one spot in your home for a lamp and decorate around it. I would love to see what you did.

*Do a lamp inventory. Do your lamps make you smile? If it does, yay! If not, do something to it to make you smile. Paint it, change the shade, embellish the shade or say goodbye to it and get a fresh one.

Lamps? Who knew they could be such a life changer.

Think about this verse….I love this verse!

“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

I told you lamps were important!

If you missed the last post on the subject of Lights, click on the link:

Welcome Lights

Until next time,

Welcome Lights

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On our first trip to Hawaii, we had a reservation for a hotel close to the airport as we would get in very late. When we arrived, the hotel was nothing like we had hoped and saw online. I’m a hotel snob….I’m extremely picky so you know what happened. I refused to stay there. So, we got our bags and headed back down to the desk and a miracle happened; they refunded our money. We got in our car and began driving to look for a new place. Little did we know that we would not find anything for another 4 hours as we drove around the island. We had never been there before so we really didn’t know where we were or how long it would take to find something. All we knew is the road was driving along side the ocean. The moon was reflecting off of the water and we stopped at a couple of places that looked like a bed and breakfast. They were closed of course and we kept driving. Around 4 a.m., I could see a cluster of lights down in a valley area. We decided to head toward the lights. As we pulled up, it was the most beautiful hotel. The girl at the open air desk was so kind and friendly. Such a welcome for two weary travelers. She told us we were getting one of their best rooms. At the time we could have cared less, we were just thankful to be somewhere safe and to get some rest. We got to our room and crashed. The next morning we opened the window and I can’t describe how beautiful it was. We had a corner room on a high floor with surrounding windows. We overlooked the ocean and it was breathtaking! When I think back on that adventure, all I can remember is those lights that we saw in the distance. How thankful I am for the lights and that we had sense enough to follow them. Of course, I know who was guiding us the entire time. All that to say, lights are important. I love lights of all kinds. I love them so much, that I will be writing about lights for a few posts on my blog. I hope you will follow along and we can be enlightened on a few things. How did you like my word that popped in my head just now…..enlighten? I love that word!

The way we light up our home on the outside is very important to us. I’m loving this time change where it gets dark early in the evening because not only things slow down and we can enjoy peaceful evenings more, but, I can enjoy all the lights longer. Yes, I’m one of the crazy ones that like the getting dark early time change.

Porch lights are important. We turn ours on as soon as they are needed. I do not want a dark house. I want it to look welcoming and having lights on outside to me, look welcoming and safe. I want our house to be like those lights that brought me comfort in Hawaii while looking for a place to stay. We like to walk in the evenings and it’s interesting to pass by houses that are completely dark. Such beautiful homes but, if they only knew how more beautiful their homes would look if they had some lights shining. Maybe it’s just me, but, you can’t beat beautiful porch lights reflecting the beauty of your home. It speaks coziness, welcoming, safety and a beautiful life is happening in that home.

Landscape lighting add even more to our homes. We had lights put on our trees. I love that look! We are now working on getting some soft lights that shine up from the flower beds onto the house. If that isn’t enough, we added “party lights” in our back yard. We have large windows across the back and looking out in the back yard with the lights on the trees and then the party lights glimmering, well…I just love it!

Have you ever been invited to someones home in the evening and you pull up and its all dark. You see some lights peeking through the windows and that lets you know someone may be home, but, you make your way to the door and you feel around for the door bell. Then someone turns a bright light on and after your eyes adjust you make your way into their home. What a difference it would make if when you pulled up and saw lighting around the house and you could clearly see your way up the walkway and as you ring the door bell you would have such a different welcome feeling, don’t you think?

Lights…..they are so important! I hope this encourages you to take a look at your home tonight and see what you can do to make it look welcoming and cozy to those that pass by or who are coming to your home for a visit.

*Drive around your neighborhood or other neighborhoods and notice how people light or don’t light up their homes at night. What are some things that you like and don’t like?

*Make adjustments if needed to your home to get the look you want.

*Take a drive around your block and take a look at your home. Does it make you smile? Go for a walk and as you walk up to your home, do you get that feeling that you hope others have when they see your home?

*Don’t save the lighting of your home for special occasions, keep your lights on each evening.

*Bonus! Invite someone over in the evening for dinner or dessert and have your lights set just right and see what a difference it makes. Of course, you probably won’t have anyone say, “Oh, your lights are beautiful, I feel so welcome here!” But, I have a feeling they will feel welcome the second they pull up to your home.

I hope you will follow along the next few posts as we talk about lighting. You are probably wondering, “What more can Beverly have to say about lights?” Well, I have lot’s to share on this subject that I only hope it helps you think about things differently than before or affirms your thoughts that you already have and not to mention, my brain is always thinking and it helps me to write about it.

If you haven’t subscribed to my blog, I would love for you to so you won’t miss a thing! Click here to subscribe. You can also go to the sidebar and find the subscribe form.

I can’t wait to hear what you are doing about the lighting outside of your home. Your home is a reflection of all that you are; let others see it.

Remember the song when you were little from Sunday School, “This Little Light of Mine, I’m gonna let it shine, this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine! Hide it under a bushel, NO! I’m gonna let it shine…..”

I love that song!

Don’t hide your home, let it shine!


“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14

Until next time…

When All Else Fails…..Design a Tea Room!

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When we built our home 12 years ago, we put a door from our dining area onto a gated patio. We called it our breakfast patio. I envisioned having nice morning brunch or breakfast out there on beautiful west Texas mornings. Well, things haven’t gone according to my dreams. If you know anything about west Texas; we have dry hot days with lots of wind and with our wind is lots and lots of dirt. So, needless to say our breakfast patio was always filled with dirt and whatever else the wind would carry with it. The furniture was not really able to be used as it it would be filled with dirt all the time. It was so nice when I would get out and clean it from top to bottom, but, by the next morning….it would be back to it’s old ways.

We decided to come up with some ideas to help us better use the space. We had the thought of making it into a workout room or a sun room. What to do? We knew it would be something, so we went ahead and had a brick wall, door and glass put in. We now had a little square room with lots of windows while we were trying to come up with an idea for it. Then one day it hit me!

As you know, I love Tea Rooms. I have been to many all over the country. When we travel, I always look for one. I’ve been to some that I thought, “oh, my….not good!” Then I’ve been to some that have turned out to be my favorite places to go. (We don’t have any near where I live) I’m sure I will be sharing more of my tea room adventures with you soon. Okay, back to my story…

I decided to make a Tea Room out of our little space. Jim was on board for it and as always (okay, maybe not always) he was willing to do whatever I wanted. I think he was as excited for me as I was. After all, he just finished our screened in patio across the back of our house, which I’m sure made it easier for him to decide this was a good thing.

A tea room screams for a chandelier don’t ya think? I wish I would have gotten a picture of Jim putting the chandelier together. Who knew when you order chandeliers, it comes in one million pieces. He put white washed ship lap on the ceiling. My favorite home decor seamstress made my curtains and recovered my chairs that I ordered. I found a cabinet to store all my teapots and teacups I’ve been collecting forever. While at Hobby Lobby, I found a simple little tea cart. The decorating was easy and fun as I had everything in my dish pantry that needed to be let out. I ordered some art from a favorite artist who is whimsical and uses scripture in her pieces.

I had my first luncheon yesterday with two sweet friends. What was on the menu? Scones of course, you must have scones in a tea room, right. Okay, I bombed on the scones, but, I have a new recipe that I will try next time. They looked cute…I cut them into hearts and I will admit the icing was very good, but, no on the actual scone. I even got the recipe out of a tea recipe book. Maybe I did something wrong, who knows? Oh, then I made a delicious Cheddar Cheese, Ham and Thyme quiche. I could eat quiche all day. I served my favorite Spinach and orange salad. You have to have a croissant with chicken salad at a luncheon, right; so I made those. For dessert, we had a lemon cake. The iced tea choice was Raspberry and Pomegranate Tea.

My friends were a good choice for the kick off of the tea room as they are always so sweet and complimentary. I look forward to having them back and I have on my calendar my next victims…I mean guests to try out Beverly’s Tea Room.

I have a couple of friends who I hope they get to bring their granddaughters for a little tea time. Let me know if you want to make a reservation. I’m teasing…drop by anytime for a cup of tea or a fun little luncheon.

I have always dreamed of having a tea room as a business, but, we decided a long time ago that it was best that I just enjoy tea rooms when we are out traveling and not be tied down to a business of any kind. So, now I have one. So much better than a workout room, don’t you think. Maybe after I indulge in all the tea room treats, I may have to shut it down and turn it into a workout room….we will see what happens!

My mom gave me this cute journal that matched the room decor, so it is now a journal for guests to sign and leave little notes, quotes, scripture or whatever they would like to share. It will be a treasure to keep for sure!

Thanks for visiting Beverly’s Tea Room today!

Organized and Clutter Free In 2020….

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You knew that the organization post was coming, didn’t you? I love organizing and I work at it all the time. The last couple of years, I have unintentionally let some things pile up in places that are easily hidden. You know the old saying, “out of sight, out of mind.” For me, this is true. So, I’ve been busy weeding out some things and organizing. I am making sure that every nook and cranny (don’t you love that saying?) is completely clutter free and organized.

I began in our bedroom. Every drawer was completely cleaned out and I had a throw away pile, get rid of pile and a pile to put elsewhere. When I finished with that, I cleaned from top to bottom. Then I moved on to the bathroom and closet. This took longer as I love…..”stuff!” Clothes, jewelry, make-up, skin care and just stuff…..woowee! I got it done though and it feels so good to know that everything that is lurking in my closet, cabinets and drawers are exactly what I want, need and use. Everything else is gone.

I’m doing this same process throughout our entire house. It may take me awhile, but, I’ll get it done and oh, how nice it will be to finish. Whenever I get rid of things, I picture in my mind our house raising up a little bit with the weight taken out. 🙂

When I’m clutter free and organized, I think better and I can enjoy life a little bit better. If I know that I have a pile of something that needs to be dealt with, I can’t concentrate on anything else. So for my peace of mind, I have to de-clutter and organize.

Something that I also do is I keep a spiral notebook with me when I work on projects. I have a page for each room of our home. As I am working on a cabinet or drawer or even cleaning and I see something that I need to do in that room at a later time, I write it down. Such as, I want to redecorate one of my rooms, so I made a list of my goals for that room. Another room, a cabinet knob needs replacing. I write it on my list so I’ll be sure and get it ordered. I’m a huge list maker. Once I get something on a list and out of my brain, I think better and I don’t become overwhelmed. If I just remember to read my list, I’ll be good to go!

I help my mom with her house, so I have a journal for her house as well and I have one for our get away home. Hey, it keeps me out of trouble! (sometimes)

I caught a bad cold after Christmas and when I finally got my Christmas decor down, I stacked it in my Christmas closet in our garage and sad to say, not very orderly. I have a large walk-in closet that is just for my Christmas decorations. Well, as time went on I just couldn’t get the energy to finish packing it all away and it seemed overwhelming to me. I knew of two young ladies that help people with organizing and I called them. They came over and it took them about 6 hours to organize all of my Christmas. It is now all color coded and labeled. That was the best gift I have given myself in a long time. I love it and was so thankful for their help!

My main areas that I tend to let get cluttered and messy are:

Books – You would think I was a genius by my book collection!

Magazines – I love magazines and dream of being the perfect cook, seamstress, decorator and stylist.

Clothes – What can I say? I love clothes.

Jewelry – Ditto on jewelry. Sorry, not sorry!

Make-Up/Skincare – Again, you would think I knew what I was doing in this department. Always looking for the magic formula! What can I say?

My Office File Drawers – I’m always writing and doing research on something and I tend to stack a few things here and there.

My Craft Room and Closet – You would think I was Martha Stewart. Not!

I have to stay on top of these areas or it will get out of control very fast. I seem to do pretty good everywhere else.

Did you notice, I don’t have any issues in the kitchen? The most organized room in the house. I wonder why?

Matter of fact, I need to finish this blog post and get started on my kitchen cabinets. ( I probably need to dust the dishes or something.)

If you are decluttering and organizing for the new year, keep on and don’t stop until you are finished. You will be so glad you did.

One more thing in the cleaning department. At the first of the new year I replace all of my mops, buckets, brooms, sponges and toilet bowl brushes. Fresh start for a fresh beginning. I also keep cleaning supplies for each bathroom under the cabinet in each bathroom. I have a main cabinet in my laundry room where I keep supplies as well. I just couldn’t get into carrying a cleaning caddy throughout the house. When my cleaning supplies are in every room, I can clean a bathroom at a moments notice and not have to drag supplies around. I also found that a basket or a lazy susan works great to hold all the cleaning supplies in each bathroom/kitchen.

I love hearing from you on your organizing or cleaning tips. So feel free to share in the comments or an email.

It’s just mid January and look how good we are doing. We’ve covered:

Having a thankful heart and showing it in writing….

Letting the negativity go in 2020…..

and now….decluttering and organizing….

We are doing good! What could possibly be next? Any guesses?

Fall Vignettes Around My Home

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I love the word, vignette! Sounds sort of elegant, doesn’t it? I actually looked up the meaning to make sure I knew what I was talking about. It basically means a small grouping of objects that creates a pleasing focal point.

Remember yesterday… I confessed my procrastination? Well, I didn’t have any procrastination problems. Maybe confession is really a good thing. I actually had a burst of energy yesterday and accomplished quiet a bit.

Here are a few photos from around our home. I hope it inspires you to put some “vignettes” together around your house today. Someone told me that my decorating made them tired. I hope you don’t get tired browsing around. I guess you can take a nap afterwards. -smile Thats to let you know that I’m not taking it serious. I’m actually smiling almost laughing when I think of that statement.

Welcome to our home! Can I offer you some vanilla iced tea?
You know I have to have glitter on the pumpkins, right?
Our dining area.
The laundry room.
This is a banner that I bought a few years ago, very pretty and hangs on a ribbon. I never know where to put it. I have it hanging on a hook in the laundry room.
I had a passel of velvet and glitter pumpkins. I put them in a bowl by the back door in laundry room.
I change out this curio for each season. Makes me smile when it’s done.
I loved this sign and the pumpkin dish is what I use when I make a pumpkin dip. Maybe I need to share that recipe with you.
My island in the kitchen. I love this rhinestone rooster I found when traveling.
I had to take a pic with my sparkle app. His tail opens and you can store treasures in it. Like a diamond ring or something????
This is a mantel above my stove or should I say range. Anyway…..I put these elves up there. I’m not an elf fan, but…..they had glitter and bling on them….I couldn’t help myself!
See, isn’t he cute in sort of a strange elf way? See his velvet and bling? I may have to go see if they have new ones this year!
My chef wears a different apron each season. She decided to wear her candy corn apron for now. She has a couple of other fall ones waiting. Notice she always wears her pearls and bling while cooking!
This is the family room!
Our entry way! I couldn’t’ remember what I did last year on the console…so, I put velvet pumpkins and filled my domes with sparkles. I forgot to take a picture of the other end.
A few pumpkins on the hearth in the master bedroom.
The fireplace in the master bedroom.
I found these birds at a boutique when traveling somewhere…couldn’t resist. They are carved wood. So cute. This is in our patio room. We glassed in our patio and it is now our t.v. room. It’s where everyone lands when they come over it seems.
This is the game table in patio room.
I found this glass acorn a few weeks ago. This is in our living room.
There it is…the great leopard pumpkin. I think it’s ready for a new arrangement in it….but….I’ll think of that another day.
I love this glittered bird with a crown. You would think I love birds, wouldn’t you. I think I like birds that don’t mess up our outdoor furniture and porch.
I always do a fall tree. I thought about skipping it this year. But, I felt so empty without it…so I decorated one last night on the patio room. This is a new tree and it is a skinny tree. I’ve never had a skinny tree like this, so, I had trouble decorating it….but, it is what it is.
I like this little owl ornament.
Thank you for stopping by and I hope you come back soon!
HAPPY FALL!

Happy Fall – 2019

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My favorite has finally arrived! We even have a bit of a cloudy morning with a chance of rain….maybe….or maybe it came during the night. In West Texas, any sign of clouds and a chance of rain is a blessing.

I always loved cloudy days growing up and even more so now. I have a few friends who don’t like cloudy days as it makes them sleepy and a bit depressed. Me? A cloudy day gives me energy. I want to cook, clean and create. It’s always funny to see how different we all are in our thoughts. I guess the best news in that, is knowing how we accept one another in our differences…..even the cloudy day thoughts.

Well…remember when I last wrote that I was going to do a newsletter instead of a post each day? That is on hold for now. My days go by so fast! So much I want to do and see. I’m also a procrastinator. I can put things off and dance around what really needs to be done. Sometimes I will find myself working on a project and realize I’m doing that to keep myself from doing what really needs to be done at the moment. Do I get an amen from my fellow procrastinators? I don’t like being a procrastinator. I’m still working on changing my ways. Oh, well, I’ll worry about that tomorrow! See….I told you!

Back to my main reason for writing today. I just wanted to say, “may your fall season be the best ever!”

I will post a few pictures tomorrow (see another procrastination) of my decorating that I did around the house last week. I told my Jim that I was a bit bored with my decorations and that I was going to scrap everything and go buy new as I was tired of everything. I was half teasing….I think he was glad I didn’t really mean it. But, then again, I might surprise him.

I’ll talk with you tomorrow! I’m going to take my pictures right now…unless I see something that needs to be done on my way to get my camera!

Have a fantabulous day and enjoy your weather whatever it may be for you today!

That’s A Wrap! Christmas 2018…

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Christmas is over! It’s always bittersweet when the holiday’s are over. Part of me is sad to have to take all the decorations down and get back to normal. The other part of me is a bit excited to put away all the decorations and get ready for a fresh start; A New Year!

I told you that I would do a house tour in my last blog post. Well, a couple days have passed and I have a feeling everyone is tired of seeing Christmas decorations. I’ll just share a few pictures of a few things that I did this year.

Those are just a few things that make me smile.

Each year I decorate my moms house. We did some redecorating at her house this year and added some pink into her decor. I was excited to do a pink Christmas at her house. I had also found some pink fall decorations, too. That was just as fun!

Oh, one of my new favorite things to do during the Christmas season is going to Memphis and attending the Elvis Christmas concerts. We went last year for the first time and what fun it was. Everything is decorated Christmas and they have three concerts; A gospel concert, a Christmas concert and then Elvis in concert. They have a symphony playing his music and Elvis comes down on a huge screen. You would think he was really there. The new hotel is really nice and lot’s of fun. One morning they had a craft workshop where we made a Christmas ornament, which was fun! Made me realize how it’s been a while since I’ve crafted.

The best part of this Memphis trip was….we talked our son and daughter in love to go with us. I think they really enjoyed it. We toured everything possible and went to all the concerts, enjoyed the atmosphere and the yummy foods. Lot’s of memories were made.

We had an early Christmas with our daughter Patti and our son in love and their 5 cutie pies before they went to Colorado for Christmas. Lot’s of skiing, sledding and ice skating. They had so much fun.

Well…..that’s a wrap! Christmas 2018. I’ve always loved the Christmas season and I’m making notes for next year. I have a Christmas notebook were I make notes of things that worked and didn’t work, things I need for the next year and a timeline of when to get certain things done. Each year, I try to be more organized and try to make the season as festive and enjoyable as possible. I like to decorate early in order to be able to sit back and relax and enjoy the entire month of December. Speaking of Elvis…..one of my favorite Christmas songs he does is….”If Everyday Was Like Christmas.” If you get a chance, listen to it. I would post the song myself for you, but, I don’t have a clue how to do that.

Time to start taking down and putting away all the decor. My Jim likes to keep it up until after the first of the year. Me? I really want to take it down the day after Christmas. I sneakily and slowly begin taking things down and putting away right after Christmas. I love to deep clean each room as I get it “undecorated.” Shhhhh…..don’t tell him. Don’t worry, I leave the trees up and only do the rooms that are less noticeable.

With all the fun, decorating, shopping, eating and celebrating, the only thing that really matters is knowing all about the birth of a little baby that came to bring life to you and me. I’m so thankful to know this truth very well. Happy Birthday to the King of Kings!

I’m ready to ring in the New Year! Welcome 2019!

This is our year to sparkle! Are you ready?

Merry Christmas!

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I know it’s been a while since you have seen me in your inbox. I didn’t mean to go this long without posting. I won’t make excuses and tell you how busy life has been. I try so hard not to use the word “busy.” You know me, I refuse to sit and tell you how busy life is. The truth is, we are all busy with things that we choose to be busy with. We shouldn’t have to make excuses and try to outdo one another in who is the busiest. Can you tell that is a pet peeve of mine? Instead, I will just say, “Wow! What a full and exciting 2018!” I am truly grateful for the opportunities to be with family and travel to some beautiful places this past year. We went for many years not being able to go anywhere to see anything that was more than a days drive, so, needless to say, I am enjoying every second of life that I can.

Here is my brief highlight of 2018:

March – Branson, MO for Praisefest

April – Disney Cruise to the Bahamas with our granddaughters.

May – Trip to Vancouver, BC

June – Hawaiian Cruise

Houston – Visit with a dear friend

September – Branson, MO

October – Dallas, TX – Bloggers Conference

October – Shreveport, LA – Funeral for my dear friend

October – Myrtle Beach, SC

November – Ft. Worth, TX

December – Memphis, TN

In between the travels were multiple trips to our Texas Hill Country home, concerts, golf tournaments, luncheons and dinner dates with friends and family.

So, here we are now waiting on Christmas which is my favorite time of the year. I’ve enjoyed decorating and preparing gifts for family and friends and most of all just the beauty and the reflecting on the reason for the season. How thankful I am to know that I have a Savior and because of the birth of Christ, my life has meaning and it has a purpose. I so hope that you, my faithful readers, know this for your own life. If you are wondering what I am talking about, I would love for you to click here and read more.

I’m so looking forward to 2019!

One of my favorite verses is, Proverbs 27:1, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”

So…my goal is to live each day to the fullest, as we don’t know what the next day may bring. That is why I also try to keep my house organized and cleaned. In case something strange happens, my kids won’t be too dismayed as they take care of “my things.” That’s a joke, sort of. (wink)

Thank you for following along on this journey of mine as I seek to have a heart like His, while living life to the fullest. The reason I share this part of my life with you is to hopefully inspire and encourage you to be all that God created you to be.

I don’t even want to start thinking about taking down all the decorations, but, I know that’s coming. My goal is to do a tour of our home decorated for Christmas in my next post. I didn’t go crazy this year in decorating, but, I did enough that it makes me smile when I look at it. Until then….