Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Acorn

I found this acorn at an arts & crafts show last winter.  
It's about 2 1/2 inches long, and it's the perfect place for a tiny treasure or two!!



Beautifully handmade...love all the carving on the "cap".



Handmade in America!!  My favorite kind of gift!!
And yes, I picked up some for gifts too!!


Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Blessings!

Saturday was my birthday...and I got some really lovely gifts...including the new flag I shared HERE. I want to share a peek at a few more of my birthday blessings!
Just look at this wonderful journal my dear friend Gail gave to me.  I love it because the cover is removable...what a great idea!  Gail hopes I'll use it to journal about a trip I'll be taking in the Fall. I think that it will be just perfect for that! 


It's embellished beautifully...tiny doily, ribbon, and leaves carefully stitched to a
little vintage doily.  So pretty!


My sweet Penelope gave me this cute little bar of soap...made from Goat's Milk. It lathers wonderfully!!  But it's almost too cute to use.  I also got another soapy sheep and some wonderful lotion from Penelope and her mommy too.


A new summer bag....I picked it, but Bill bought it for me.
Light weight and oh, so sweet!  It'll be perfect for an overnight trip I'm taking today! 
(Handmade by Juneberry Stitches.)


I also got some things to put in  my garden and in the new playroom we're putting together for the littles.  I'll share peeks at those another time.
I got bunches of flowers too... (thanks Patricia, Sandy, and Jen!)



I have such kind and caring friends and co-workers, and the best family ever! 
That's the very best gift of all!


Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Love This Stuff!

I received some wonderful gifts for Christmas this year.
I shared some here and also gave you a peek at my pretty new bunting here. 
Here's some more of the great gifts I received.
 
Silhouette of Katie's family.

A crocheted coaster made by Jacqi.

A pretty necklace from Patricia.

Love this author! Thanks Joe & Jo!

A trio of bottles from DeAnn...now on the kitchen window sill.

A snowman made from a chocolate
mold. Thanks Patricia.

An old book made into a spiral notebook.
From my sister, Emily.

Homemade lavender scrub and knitted washcloth from Tisha.

Beautiful ribbon on a re-usable set of spools.  LOVE this Mandy!

My Kindle Fire from Bill...I think it's my favorite gift!!

Am I blessed or what!!
Don't have to think too hard about what to add to my "gratitude jar" today.
 
Thankful for my family and my friends.  Not just for the gifts they give me
but mostly just for 'being there'....
 
 
 

Friday, December 13, 2013

Office Party

I have been blessed to work for a very kind and godly man for the past (almost) ten years. 
Besides being my boss, Geoff is also an elder at my church, and a very dear friend.  One of the perks of working for him has been visiting his home for lunches and dinners.  Wednesday evening we had our annual office get together....and lucky us, the get together was, once again, held at his home.   One of the very best parts about visiting his home is visiting her home!  This is his wife Peggy.  She is one of the kindest, sweetest, most gracious women I know...and she definitely knows how to make a house a home!
 

I can't believe that I forgot to take a photo of the front of their beautiful home. It's nestled in a wooded area, and looks like a house that should be on a Christmas card...just look how welcoming this front porch is!


Speaking of porches, this is the screened in porch. It's not heated, but I think it's warm and cozy!  The fresh snow on the ground just added to the view!!

  
Forgive the lighting in some of the photos...but really, this space looks wonderful no matter
how the lighting is!
 
 
Greg, Peggy's son, has been making some awesome wood crafts this year (I have a few of them in my home).  One of his newest creations is this really fun snowman!!  Peggy dressed him up with beads from an old necklace, and a hat made out of a glove.  He also created the little wooden tree.  My daughter Mandy made the "Be Merry" sign...Peggy bought it at my recent craft show.
 

A pretty table setting.....LOVED the beautiful runner!


Loved this piece of pumpkin pie too!


Greg made little trees for each of the guests this year...this is the one I got to take home. 
So sweet!

 
Peggy displays her Christmas carolers each year.  Did you catch a tiny glimpse of them in the photo of the front porch?
 

Candle light and cookies...the plate of cookies was a gift to Geoff from Mandy.
She cleans our office each week.


 This was my view during the gift exchange portion of our evening.  The tray was my gift to Peggy last Christmas, and the little silver cup was her cup when she was a child.


Now how did he get in here!!  Oh, that's right....technically it's HIS party!  Geoff and I have a love/hate relationship when it comes to squirrels.  Guess who hates them?  Joan gave him a gift certificate for Bass Pro, along with this example of wall art that he might be interested in purchasing.  So sad......


Peggy is one of my favorite people to buy gifts for...if I like it, chances are very
good that she'll like it too!  


I love this vignette...that tree is another one of Greg's creations.


This year, Peggy added the Shepherd with Bagpipes to her Willow Tree nativity.  She told us a story about a 'crippled shepherd" ~ but perhaps that's for another blog post!

 
Isn't this a cozy corner?!  See that sketch hanging on the wall?  That's a drawing of their home...it was done by a family friend.
So I guess you do get a peek at their home nestled in the woods after all. 

 
Everything about their home is warm and welcoming...it's one of my most favorite places to visit.  Of course it helps that two of my most favorite people live in it!!
 

Here we are...Joan, Geoff, Regina, and me.  And we're still smiling after all these years!  Joan and Regina go to my church as well.  Not only do we all work together, we also share a love for Jesus Christ. We get together to celebrate another year of business, and friendship, but most of all we get together to celebrate the birth of our Savior and King.  That's why we're smiling....because we know just how blessed we are!!


Speaking of blessed...here's a peek at some of the gifts I received.  Geoff gave each of us a Visa gift card too...woo hoo...shopping here I come!!  The gifts are very special, but it's the people that made the evening pretty perfect!!



"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
 


Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Birthday Blessings 2

Napkins seemed to be a gift theme this year....three different friends gave me packages
of napkins.  The napkins will definitely be well used. But not in the way you'd probably guess.
 
I found these plastic coasters at the thrift store last year.  They're great for several reasons. 
They were VERY inexpensive.  Napkins slide in and out...so I can have coasters to match any room in the house. 
Because you use napkins in them, they are so absorbent.

Six coasters came in this cute box. Someday I'm going to paint that box.....someday!

You were right Peggy!
My grandbabies love these napkins...as napkins! 
I love them as coasters...so we're all happy!

Love the border on these.  Do you see where the napkin slides in?

I should have taken a photo of the other side of the "Flip" napkin.  It says "Flop"!

I shared a peek at these napkins yesterday.  They're going to look so sweet as coasters!  Thanks again Joyce!

Last but not least, Regina gave these colorful napkins.  I love the paisley design.

I think I have a wonderful assortment of summertime napkins coasters!!  I found a similar set of napkin holder coasters on Amazon.....just in case you want your very own!
 
 
~~~~::~~~~ 
 
Speaking of birthdays.....I want to wish my dear friend
Gail a VERY Happy Birthday!
Love you a bunch!!
 
  
 
 

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Christmas Gifts and an Update

I can't believe we're over two weeks into the new year.  My Christmas tree is still up.  There are even a few unwrapped gifts tucked beneath it.  Some Christmas vignettes are still on display...others are dismantled and piled on the dining room table.  I just haven't managed to accomplish (more about this word next week) much of anything. 
 
The sky has been overcast...and my mood has been equally dreary.  Adding a sick grandchild into the mix....well it all just equals BLAH!  Yesterday I was trying to decide what to blog about and I was coming up empty.  Then I saw those unwrapped gifts under the tree....hmmmm, maybe I'll share some photos of my Christmas bounty.  
Here's a peek at one of my gifts.
 
I've tried my hand at knitting and my fingers just don't want to cooperate. 
I thought these looms might be worth trying. 

Katie, Mandy, Mark and Charlotte gave me the Loom Knitting Primer and a gift card for Michael's.  

Being the good shopper that I am...and having a fondness for 40% off coupons,
I was able to get both the round loom set and one long loom. 

Plus I still have enough $$ left to get some yarn! 
I think I'm going to try making a couple hats....but I'd really like to make a couple of these cute ponchos!
 
Wish me luck......a little motivation might help as well!

 
Charlotte update:
She saw her Pediatrician Wednesday.  Her temperature has been just under 100 degrees and that is a huge praise!!  She still has some signs of Pneumonia and some fluid in one ear.  Katie will be doing some therapy with Charlotte to help with the lungs.  She has a follow-up appointment on Friday.
The doctor, when told that Charlotte's not eating much, prescribed ice cream sandwiches for lunch!  Someone was very happy to hear that...but she did decide that Neapolitan and a cone was more to her liking.