and have a spot like this or this in my back yard. I'd fill it up with paints, and a lovely stuffed chaise, and hanging plants.
I would add on a little porch with a swing, and I would be in heaven. I could have tea parties on the porch and sit and dream or scream, create or deflate. I could write or not and simply be me.
ahhhhh
ABSOLUTE heaven on earth. OKAY. Now I know I am dreaming... fat chance of this ever becoming a reality. At my age, I am afraid that treehouses in the forest are stuck inside the fairytale books I read as a child. Sweet, sweet prince, where art thou, oh prince??? THIS IS ALL A PART OF BEING FEMALE. AT LEAST FOR ME, IT IS. selahV
chaotic complexity. Not total chaos, mind you. I like calm. I like serene and simple. I long to be the still stream that slowly moves its current beneath the surface graced with driftwood and debris.
I look at decorating styles-- the classic grouping of 3, 5, or odd numbered items. I like the balance. But for some reason I am always adding just a little bit more to the simple vinette I create with primitive bowls, copper chargers and raku pottery. I can't seem to help myself. One day I am content with my arrangement, then the next I am adding a bit more color, or removing an object to another space in an effort to quiet the mood.
I truly am a simple kinda gal. I love the country elegance and calm ambiance I see some ladies create with monochromatic colors. I want to be that simple-- that chic, that sleek. Unfortunately, that desire is overrided by my overactive creative imagination. I'm always changing things. Always seeing a better way, another emphasis I want to make. I really should have an extra bedroom, bath, and living area so I could redecorate it every other week or so.
One day I love country primitive and rustic. Then next I wallow in the romantic schemes of lace and ribbon. I'm constantly trying to create that balance between raw masculine stability, and soft feminine grace. I Am I the only one like me?
In a sense, I believe you are, too; in your own way, you are exactly like me. You are you and because you are, you are unique--just as I am unique. In our uniqueness, we each find our comfort zone from the depths of our own individuality. Just as one friend is content to live without changing the placement of traditional accents with an occasional addition of new items, another friend is at peace with total minimalism. Then there is me. See something we love and then try to figure out how we can work it into our eclectic decor.
In the end, I know why this is so...we are each created with our own package of likes and dislikes. In some cases we are conditioned by our our childhood environments. In other cases we develop our style as we fall in and out of love with various themes that feed our souls, quiet our spirits, and motivate our creative muses.
I thank God I am me:
"...because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14 NIV 1984
yeah, I do
like me and the way I am: Content to live with what I have, yet not so
satisfied and set in my ways that I am not flexible or willing to
change. I've moved over 30 times in my nearly 65 years. That's a lot
of moves for some folks--a lot of changes. I've tossed a lot of memorabilia out in those
moves. I've lost a lot of treasures. But I've also found joy in
searching for new ones. Yet, just as I have lost and left behind material things, I've gained a deeper appreciation for why I am here.
My number one aim in my home is to make it comfortable for my husband, my family and friends--to bring glory to God in all I do with it. I want strangers to feel as welcomed and relaxed as my family and friends. After all...
"...unless the LORD builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the LORD watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain." Psalm 127:1
And just who wants to labor (or decorate) in vain?
FOR A TEENSEY PEEK AT MY HOUSE TODAY....CLICK HERE.
AND FOR A BIT OF VICTORIAN FROM MY OLD HOUSE...CLICK HERE.
AND FOR A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY FROM YORE...CLICK HERE.
AND WHY? oh Why? I Blame My Stepmother... CLICK HERE.
women who care deeply, share openly, and trust with complete abandon.
We tend to enjoy one another in joy as well as difficulty. We encourage and believe in one another. We don't mind friends who show up and find us without make-up or in our jammies at noon. We simply love one another and need one another to help complete our day.
We do not need roses, though roses are nice. We do not need words, though words are helpful. We do not need gifts, though gifts are fun. Sometimes all we need is the mere presence of another. Our happiness comes from sitting in silence, watching the birds, or sharing a sunset while sipping a cup of honey-laced apricot tea. Women who need women find it easy to say, "I believe in you"
and know the feeling is returned in full. thanks for stopping by...come visit me at my Pinterest/link.
Look at this lady - Let us never forget! The world hasn't just become wicked...it's always been wicked. The prize doesn't always go to the most deserving.
During WWII, Irena, got permission to work in the Warsaw ghetto, as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist. She had an 'ulterior motive'. She KNEW what the Nazi's plans were for the Jews (being German). Irena smuggled infants out in the bottom of the tool box she carried and she carried in the back of her truck a burlap sack, (for larger kids). She also had a dog in the back that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto. The soldiers of course wanted nothing to do with the dog and the barking covered the kids/infants noises. During her time of doing this, she managed to smuggle out and save 2500 kids/infants.
She was caught, and the Nazi's broke both her legs, arms and beat her severely. Irena kept a record of the names of all the kids she smuggled out and kept them in a glass jar, buried under a tree in her back yard. After the war, she tried to locate any parents that may have survived it and reunited the family. Most had been gassed. Those kids she helped got placed into foster family homes or adopted.
The Irony of it All:
Last year Irena was up for the Nobel Peace Prize. She was not selected. President Obama won one year before becoming President for his work as a community organizer for ACORN and Al Gore won also --- for a slide show on Global Warming.
In MEMORIAM - 63 YEARS LATER I'm doing my small part by forwarding this message. I hope you'll consider doing the same.. It is now more than 60 years after the Second World War in Europe ended. This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of the six million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians and 1,900 Catholic priests who were murdered, massacred, raped, burned, starved and humiliated!
Now, more than ever, with Iran , and others, claiming the HOLOCAUST to be "a myth". It's imperative to make sure the world never forgets, because there are others who would like to do it again.
My granddaughters love these chairs. I purchased them for my husband's office in his last pastorate. To compliment their uniqueness, I did a marbleized paint technique on his walls which some folks begged me to do in their homes. It was a pretty office. Everyone who visited him loved them. Since we left Kentucky about 8 years ago, they've sat in my living room as you see pictured here. I love them; I have not tired of the statement they make in my eclectic decor.
The faux cheetah print whispers intrigue and mystery. Slim-curved arms curl into a question mark at the end of their arms. The smooth sleek design offers a gentle flow of feminine elegance on which to rest ones hands. Metallic gold peeks out beneath fine lines of crackled, high-gloss, black-painted arms and legs to add a touch of "bling". It sparkles like jewelry on a lady's wrist.
My granddaughters do not want me to sell them. Alas, there is no room for them in the efficiency space where I am moving. Haylee, 7, begged me to keep them so she could have them when she grows up. Their appeal tends to transcend all age groups. Even teenagers have loved them. They add a classic Bohemian accent to any decor-- a bit of rogue and rebellion amid the traditional, contemporary theme.
It's sad when we must let go of something we love. But, my friends, it is only stuff. Granted...it's pretty stuff. And I am hoping they will find a nice home and fill an empty space for a person who will love them as much as I and others in my life have loved them. Then again, maybe, just maybe they will find a spot in my daughter's bedroom. Who knows? Stranger things have happened. For now I am holding onto them until November when my granddaughter, Bethany, comes in before the Airforce relocates them to Virginia. I hope to have her dear hubby take a picture of all the ladies in our family standing behind them and sitting in them. Keepsakes. Pictures. They take less space than chairs, don't you think?
Ah...yes. Defining Victoria with very limited vocabulary is:
V ictorious
I nspirational, Introspective
C herishable Caring Christian Counselor
T rustworthy, Triumphant, Transparent
O bedient and Open
R efreshing
I nnovative
A mazingly Accepting
G iving and Grateful
A wesomely Artistic
I nsightful, Intercessor
N eeded
E nergizing, Encouraging
S oulful, Sensitive, Sparkling, Stupendously Steadfast and Sweet
How does she do it? Uh...by the grace of God.
Victoria is a writer, a blogger, a business woman, an artist, a crafter, a baker, a loving friend, wife, mother and grandma.
She's full of life in the truest sense of the words.
Internet surfing led me into Victoria's life years ago. I loved her sparkling personality and her love for Jesus. She is an encourager and comforter. She empties herself into the world and allows God to use her in every way under the sun. She's a counselor and comforter. She is an enigma to the world because her struggles in life are mountainous, and yet she remains steadfast and strong in the Lord. I see her goodness in the midst of all she writes. I feel the empathy in her heart from 2,000 plus miles away. I call her friend. She's my prayer partner and sister-in-Christ.
If you want to spotlight your femininity, I pray you visit her Etsy website, Beadiful Soul.
If you need a sweet gift for a friend, family member or co-worker, Victoria makes lovely jewelry as she battles chronic illnesses, struggles to help add income since her handicapped husband lost his job. She spends a lot of time boosting the spirit of others. I pray you visit her Etsy site, Beadiful Soul and see if there's anything there to strike your fancy. Indulge. selahV
I'd like to be young again. I'd like to run like I use to. Play volleyball with the youth. I'd like to swim, jump on the trampoline with my granddaughters. I'd like to climb the rocks at Mt. Scott and explore the cracks and crevices. I'd love to be able to, not only pick colors for my little efficiency apartment, but climb ladders and paint the walls and pack my belongings for our impending move.
I know that's silly. But for a little while...it would be nice.
It would also be nice if I could go back to December 9th, 2010 and leave my house just a little bit later, or earlier. Either one would be sufficient to avoid the timing of Mr. Luna driving through a stop-sign and crashing into my car. At least before that day, though I could not do all the things above, I could still paint pictures and enjoy doing puzzles with my granddaughters. I could play more freely with Kinsey and Haylee. I could bend a little farther, sit up straight a little longer. I could make plans and carry them out; go to my Tuesday painting classes, and make commitments believing I could keep them.
Ironically...
God has used this physical trial to bring about another dream of sorts. You see, when I first started blogging in 2006, I wanted to build a website where I could share thoughts with other women about common thoughts-- our faith, our love for children and grandchildren, recipes we like, and mundane miscellaneous chatter. I wanted an online magazine-style site. I can't believe that I am getting closer and closer to harmonizing the blogs I write. Had I not been so limited (for fear of creating another agonizing twist in my neck), I wouldn't have been able to mesh my sites like I imagined. I wouldn't have taken the time to learn all the things I need to learn to link each site together with various buttons and feeds. I've still got a bunch of work to do before I'm satisfied. It's kinda like my life in Christ.
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6 ESV
God began a good work in me. He will bring that work to completion. In His time. And part of the completed work is what I do and what I dream to do. It's nice to dream-- even "for a little while". Can you relate? If so, tell me the dreams you are dreaming in the comment box below. What trial are you facing that's taken you to a place you had not expected? I'd really like to know. selahV for Today
I was surfing the more feminine blogs and came across a couple of the most delightful ones I have seen in a long time. As most of you know, my granddaughters and I have lots of teaparties. I've even taken special little cups to school and had teaparties at lunchtime with my grand-girls.
HOWEVER...
when I popped into CREATIVE HOME EXPRESSIONS (/link) today I found the most extravagant,
most stupendous,
most unusual teaparty I've ever seen!!!!
You just have to go visit to see her pictures and little captions. It is precious beyond anything this old grandma will conjure up. I sure wish I'd get an invite to one like this. I'd pack up all four of my granddaughters and head for wherever she lives and even supply the petit fors for dessert! What a "wonderland"!!!
Stay tuned for more of my blogging adventures. No telling where I'll end up. If you have a favorite Feminine Blog which celebrates motherhood/daughters/grandmothers and all things lace and wonderful, please leave the link in the comment box below. selahV
She's just 6 months old. She's not interested in napping. She wants to play Easter-egg hunt, too. My first Great-granddaughter. She's got blue eyes and the sweetest little blonde eyelashes and wisps of hair. So cute....so sweet. selahV
and blankets dew-kissed blossoms each new day. selahV
"I sought the LORD, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed." Psalm 34:4-5
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