Gratitude....again....

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

 It turns what we have into enough,

 and more... 

It turns denial into acceptance, 

chaos to order, 

confusion to clarity. 

It can turn a meal into a feast, 

a house into a home, 

a stranger into a friend. 

Gratitude makes sense of our past, 

brings peace for today,

 and creates vision for tomorrow.

-Melody Beattie

I love this quote,

from one of my favorite authors.

I feel peaceful as I read the words.

Just reading these words

makes me feel as though 

everything is right with the world.

I hope that you feel the same way...

smiles..

Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen.....

I love this....

I can still recite the "talk"....

once memorized I am not sure you would ever

forget it.

I have been "retired" 

for over 15 years,

but there are still nights that I dream 

about being late to the airport.....

sheer terror.

It was not a job for the perpetually 

late......

or for those who need hours to dress.....

or for those with OCD.....

But it was (and is!) a fabulous job 

for the young person afflicted with wanderlust...

smiles.

"living right".....well, maybe....

That's what they say when blessed by some good fortune around here.....

"She must be livin' right...."

she's got a raise...

a boyfriend....

escaped a relationship...

found Jesus...

won the lottery....

got good grades....

made it home on bald tires...

made it to work on time....

got good hair...

good skin...

good kids...

Well, you get the picture....

Anyway, I don't know if I have been livin' right,

but I did run into a bit of good fortune.

while on one of my junkin trips,

I can across a bolt of fabric....

a very large bolt.

It was 54" wide,

and on a roll,

and weighed in over 10 pounds,

easily.

I sort of hmm'ed and haw'ed over it for a

few minutes....and then looked at the price.

$4.98

that's it.....

I wasn't sure if that meant per yard,

or what....

So, I took it up to the front of this store,

which by the way doesn't normally carry fabric,

and asked...

"That's it mam'"

"$4.98 is the price"

So, I bought it,

brought it home,

showed it to my sweetie,

who knows a thing or two about textiles...

and he just about 

"fell out"

(that's what they say around here when someone is 

going to faint)

He couldn't believe it.

He said that there must be 25 yards on the roll....

and then,

he looked closer,

(which he does with all fabric)

"It's cotton, and look at this!"

I look...

"It's Waverly!"

Holy Cow!

Now what to do with my find.....

I sat with it in my office for weeks....

I would think, 

ponder,

measure a bit,

and then,

I decided.

Curtains for the living room.

We have lived here for over 5 years,

and really had no need for curtains, as 

we look out to trees....lots of trees.

But curtains would be nice,

so that's what I did....

Here they are...

I must confess....

I cheated a bit...

I used a pair of curtain from IKEA

for the lining, and that gave the fabric some structure.

But I am pleased to have finished....
I must be livin right...
smiles

Coming off a "pink cloud".....

yep.....

slowly coming back down to earth.

The last couple of days have been

a whirlwind of excitement.

Here is why.

That is one of my 

Not Yo Mommas Handbags!

Several months ago,

a very sweet young lady contacted me and 

asked if I would be willing to have one of 

my photos appear in a Gap ad......

Yeah, right....I thought.

Well, as things developed, I realized that 

this was for real.

Yipes!

How excited was I to see this!

You can enter a cool contest

HERE...

smiles.

A giveaway......Big Smiles.....!

Some of you know...

and some don't.

I have an Etsy shop,

and

 I am an Etsy addict.....

I love to peruse the pages of Etsy

looking for inspiration,

gifts, decor ideas,

you name it...

So I was very flattered when 

Anne at magalerie

asked if I would like to participate in a 

GIVEAWAY!

Oh yeah!

you betcha......smiles

Here are some of my favorite images from magalerie

The elegant simplicity 

and simple, clean structure

grabs my attention each time.

Here's how it works.

Go to her shop

magalerie

purchase an image,

and as you make your purchase,

leave her a message

first telling her that you found out about this 

from Not Yo Mommas Handbag, 

(My shop)

and then, which 

image you would like for FREE.

That's right 

Buy One Get One for free....

(same size)

Seems to me that this is an easy way to 

get started on Christmas gifts.

Even if they are for yourself...

smiles.

I never promised you a rose garden....

but,

today, I was blessed with a visit to one 

here in my town.

It is a major attraction in the spring,

but when September sneaks into town,

the place becomes relatively quiet,

and dominated by bussing bees

preparing for winter.....

It has been very hot here...

have I mentioned that?

today it got up to 92 degrees.

So the roses are 

"given it all she's got, Captain!"

Well, I know they aren't all roses...

but they were all lovely...

smiles

A Long Hot Summer....for the birds....

It has been in the 90's for weeks.....

I live in the southeastern US,

and we are accustomed to hot.

But this is extraordinary.....

and the birds are suffering....

so when I have a moment,

I go out to make sure the birdfeeders are full and the 

water dish is wet.

Momma Cardinal is especially thankful and shows it.

She is cautious though, and checks things out carefully before diving in...

Papa Cardinal is just coming out of his "molting stage" and isn't really interested in public bathing....

So, he eats to compensate, I understand this....

The Titmouse is an exhibitionist, and loves a good splash about....

Soon, he attracts the attention of a kindred spirit...

And the Fun begins...(notice the amount of water on the pavers)

What FUN!

Soon Mamma C is anxious to join in but doesn't know if she is welcomed...

"Sure!" Says the Titmouse, "We all have a bit of hydrotherapy here..."

And so she begins her bath...with enthusiasm...

Don't we all love how it feels to be clean and refreshed!