~a slice of heaven~

this is the gorgeous hotel in nashville where we stayed... it is unbelievable how beautiful it really is... when you check in this is the view right by the front desk looking into the complex...

this is the area off to the left of the where the first pic is taken... we ate here the last nite.  the big stones in the water, shoot water from one rock to another... the rooms up above have balconies ~just gorgeous!

this is my favorite spot... the falls! i remember this from the last time i was here... it is soo relaxing. we sat here many times during our stay, from the first nite we arrived, having margaritas, and a couple of other nites. i sat here many times while here, having coffee, reading & just soaking in the beauty! you can see the balconies on the rooms here, also...

i am glad i went,had many good times & lots of fun! a great group of gals, who will be remembered always... i was soo blessed to be able to go & share this wonderful experience. 

my computer has been acting up posting with blogger, so finally got it to mebbe behave for a little while... have many more pics of heart of country & Barbs' gorgeous booth at the show! it was awesome!was soo happy to share the experience. i was soo thrilled for Barb! she is an amazing lady & glad she did so well...

have a wonderful week*end...

Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip & fall.

{Ps.55:22}

A loving spirit is at the same time a caring spirit.

hugs & blessings, humble♥

~♥nashville here we come & darling i'll be home soon♥~

i am soo fortunate for sucha wonderful hubby! each year for valentines' day {& every once in awhile one for 'just because'} i recieve a beautiful red rose! they smell soo good & am happy with just one...you can only enjoy them one at a time anyhow {as i told hubby} even tho i have told him not to buy them, he still does!i take the time to smell the rose & see the beauty & the love it was given to me by my hubby!     ♥LoVe YoU MoRe♥

early monday morning {♥valentines'day♥} we will be leaving for nashville. Barb from simplyiowa.blogspot.com has been asked to come to the heart of country antique show, to exhibit all her wonderful antiques & treasures!  she is an amazing gal,that i am soo happy to call my friend & one of my earth angels! she has some fun, awesome shows at her home a few times a year, that i love to attend & soo enjoy! Barb mentioned going awhile back & i said i would love.to go! but did not commit to it, til a coupla weeks ago, when i saw her at her 'too cool' booth at anamosa.

We are  staying at the Gaylord Opryland. I soo enjoyed it when we went ~ all the plants & trees & waterfalls. it is an amazing place to see {heaven on earth} it is acres & acres under one roof, with rooms & balconies, amazing places to shop, restaurants. gorgeous place! 

Bill & I usually take day trips, so have not really been 'away' in quite some time. we went there {february} when Bill had a conference with work, 8 years ago, almost to the day & the year after my mom died.{february} so it is really ironic happening again almost at the same time. it will be three years since dad died, & the long estate battle with my x-brother,{just over in sept}. a God thing! =) of the timing to be going to the same place, again, about the same time, 8 years later!{february}

Today Bill won tickets to see Lovin' Spoonful... remember them? at first I said I have too much to do, but thought better of it, since I will be gone... We usually do not do very much, so this was kinda fun. They were a bit draggin' in the beginning, but really picked up the pace later. the drum solo was awesome! {wish i could play like that!} played nashville cats & thought that was cool to hear the name nashville what with me going there! so with that i will leave you with the song i loved...

*darling be home soon*

 ♥{next sunday in fact!}♥

*If we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ*

       {Heb.3:14}

We must maintain the confident faith we had when we first believed. When we start our new life in Christ,we must finish strong.

hugs & blessings, humble♥

~♥more nesting on a COLD! day~♥~

it was another CoLd! day here. in the single digits & below zero windchills.

LoVe nature inspired, vintage looks...
so thought i would show another project i did awhile back.   i bought some of the textured wallpaper & made a cone shape, filled with paper shreds for the nest & tucked a bird image in it.  LoVe that textured wallpaper!  i even tucked in a coupla 'pistachio' eggs.{pistachio nut shells Owen & i painted, will show pics in another blog post}

it is to be in the single digits again tomorrow with the below zero windchills!  mebbe this will be the last time this winter!?!?  to be mebbe 39 by the week*end! heat wave, i'm sayin'!     the red velvet cupcakes won today!  yummie!  will be making a batch of the white ones for the week*end to see the grands for ♥valentines' day!♥     am anxious to see them!  lotsa kisses & hugs!  they are soo good for g'ma!   keep warm & cozy!  

*Put on your new nature, created to be like God - truly righteous & holy.
                                                                      {Eph.4:24}*
although we can't be entirely pure in this life, we can pursue purity as one of our primary goals.

                                         hugs & blessings, humble♥

~♥ Valentines' day heart shaped red velvet cupcakes♥~

♥Every valentine's day I make heart shaped cupcakes.♥

Most of the time I do vanilla ones with vanilla frosting tinted pink.  These pics are of the ones I made last year.  Red velvet cake mix with white frosting... yum! yum!  Since valentines' day is getting closer, a week from today, I better get busy & get some made for my sweeties! Just will have to decide on red velvet ones again or vanilla ones.  H'mmmmmmmmm...

To be very cold again, in the single digits so cupcake baking may be in order!

Hope you are keeping warm & cozy! ♥Valentines' Day is next monday!♥ Did we not just have Christmas? Time flys! Have a great one!

*In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

                                              {John 1:1}

God always existed; He has no beginning. That is why He is God. Eternity preceded the beginning of time & succeeds the end of time.

hugs & blessings, humble♥

~♥cat scratch fever?♥~

doesn't she look pretty & oh soo innocent in her basket with blankie & sleeping?  this is my phoebe...she was the outcast of the litter of kittens we had when we lived in fort dodge. her brothers & sisters got fed, but she was pushed aside. i fed her & kept her by me in bed at nites since they picked on her. she will be 17!  phoebe still jumps up on the bed at nite, but doesn't stay up there, she has not for years.  she loves her basket & sleeps alot {which cats do anyhow} & really doesn't get around & do much anymore...she has long hair & was getting very matted. so i grabbed the curry comb {the only one that works fast & gets thru her tangles quickly} we were doing fine & was almost done & had hit a knot...well, now i have a swollen knuckle & scratch where she bit me...nailed me good!  she knew she did wrong, have not seen her much today, but now is back in her basket...and i prolly have cat scratch fever!

wow! where did the week go again??? friday tomorrow~have a good one!

anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  the old life is gone;a new life has begun!

{2 Cor.5:17}

our greatest beginning is our new life in Christ;it is the beginning of eternal life.

hugs & blessings, humble♥

~♥end of january nesting♥~

last sunday it was 7 below zero, {but the sun was out...have not seen it much this january!} when we headed to anamosa to an antique show & visited another one of iowas' best shops  ~gatherings~. wanda has great taste in her displays & love. all the prims & antiques she has. it is a wonderful olde store with 3 floors to find alot of treasures in.
the antique show was great, it was good to see people out & about. beautiful antiques & displays!  love. antiques & seeing them!

getting more into the spring mode.  i stuffed this lavendar ladies glove {forming it to look like it is holding the nest} & filled it with the dried spanish moss & put a birdnest on it. gonna put some eggs & mebbe some more nesting things, feathers, etc, in the nest. love finding fun things & trying to do something else with it other than what it was originally used for.

even tho i am in the spring mode the weather is sounding like snow is yet again going to be coming so will mebbe have to find some more projects to nest with!

O Lord, I will honor & praise Your name,for You are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now You have accomplished them.
                       {Isaiah 25:1}
God planned before He accomplished, a good model for us to follow.

keep warm & happy nesting! hugs & blessings, humble♥

*great strength comes from faith in GOD*

i have this framed saying & the star wall arrangement hanging in our house.

sometimes when i am hurting, this is what i need to see.

there are many times that i need to be reminded of this.

when things do not go the way they are planned  {in our way}, i have to be reminded it may not have been the way it was in GOD's plan.. 

i am truly blessed with so much...for which i am so thank*ful. 

           ~*great strength comes from faith in GOD*~
                                                   hugs & blessings, humble♥

~the sun is inside our house tonite!~

Even tho the sun has not been shining much lately, it is shining here at this household, becuz we have a sunny personality visiting us...lil' man Owen is here!
 This is the crow I made with the santa riding it... I love. it. I have it hanging above the door in my art room, when he is not upstairs for the Christmas season.{i believe i have a pic of it on an earlier post} Fun seeing the sun & shadows!   I love. keeping out seasonal, or items that I can see all the time. I find that it makes it seem more 'homey' with things you love that you can see out all the time year around. {just in my art room, where i am alot, or try to be} the sign says 'in everything give thanks' ~ a fave of mine, stays on the shelf year around. i soo give thanks for everything, we are soo blessed!
hope you have a wonderful week*end filled with sunshine & lotsa love ♥ I know we will... can hear mario bros in the background with Owen & g'pa... so better go & check it out!  who do you think will win if i play with Owen?  *hint*...it will not be me! hehehe....{think that is why he likes playing with me!}  off to have fun.. hope you do, too!

I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
                                        {Phil.4:13}
Do not use your limitations as an excuse for avoiding what God calls us to do.

have a good one!  hugs & blessings, humble♥

~♥1*11*11♥~

this is one of those snowy days where you have soo much ta do, but just can not seem to do anything!   did some odd jobs & want to create but think i have too many 'jobs i should do' first! so then i do not do much of anything... do you do that?  i feel that i 'have' to get the 'no fun' jobs out of the way before i can play...
went out & shoveled the drive.  took some out cookies & some apple slices out to the birds... one just seemed to stop by the window to say thank*u!
gonna do some stretches & throw in some laundry mebbe that will get me going...
went to the coal valley antique booth yesterday & took more stuff, so know i have been doing some stuff, since i cleaned up & out the booths last week... mebbe that is what is catching up with me... hope everyone is having a great day & it is okay to take it easy once in awhile... hope you do, too!

*May you experience the love of Christ, thou it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life & power that comes from God.*
                                                             {Eph 3:19-20}

i think the numbers of the calendar date is neat... today is  1*11*11 ... all of the #1's!   humble♥

~♥sweet,sweet day filled with lotsa hugs♥~

Yep, this is my fave lil' guy! We had soo much fun today.  I called Owen this morning, to tell him I was on my way & he told me it was a longgggggggg wait!
We went to Kalona, the Rug Cottage & Barntiques shops/antique mall today to take down Christmas.  Owen was totally ♥smitten♥ with Nancy & Johns' daughter Jessica!  It is such a wonderful atmosphere there...they are like family...I am very blessed to have them in my life. You can visit Nancy's shop at  rugcottage.blogspot.com  {omgoodness i finally figured out how to highlite a site!! yippee!} On her sidebar she has many other blogs that are fun to visit, too, including iowabarntiques.blogspot.com  {yeah! i did it again...scarey that i may be getting a little more 'puter savvy!}    This is a pic of Owen last year~whadda sweet♥ heart, huh?  He made that in Sunday school... My heart belongs to Jesus! We did some more things which I will fill you in on later.            ... friday again tomorrow! where does the week go? 

train yourself to be godly. "Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come"           {1Tim.4:7-8}              have a great friday! humble♥

~♥CHRISTMAS DECOS ARE BEING TAKEN DOWN♥~

Today I was at the JUNK ASYLUM booth taking down leftover Christmas...not alot left, but was a S*L*O*W month for sales!  I marked alot of things down & brought home some santas & greenery. Of course I had to do a little shopping before I left... that is part of it, isn't it??    =)

These are pics from my booth in Kalona, Iowa.  All decked out for Christmas.  Tomorrow I am picking up fave grandson Owen... to go & take down any Christmas that is left... hopefully not much.  It was slow in December for alot of the booths, from what was said.  I did not get out much in December, mebbe they did not either.  Now I believe people are out & shopping for themselves, re*decorating, etc...which this is a good time for that! Saw alot of great buys today!  I am just happy, so blessed,  when a few things sell...& happy for  others who do well for they may need the sales more than I do!

I can hardly wait to see Owen tomorrow... need a g'ma day.  Lunch with a handsome guy & a good helper what more could ya want? 

"Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!

                                                                {Matt.25:21}

Have a wonderful Thursday m'friends.  hugs & blessings, humble♥

~♥some necklaces I have created♥~

 These are some necklaces I have made just before Christmas... I LOVE making jewelry!

I LOVE. using vintage items...the hardware...old key hole covers from dressers & antique furniture pieces!

I like taking pics but they do not always turn out very good... I had an order for a bird charm & could not find anymore of the one the customer liked that I had on that day.  So... I made my own!  The small bird in the above pic in the small square charms are the ones I made.

I usually put my necklaces on tags I distress or add background stamps or music/book text.  These I used some egg prints I cut out with the music background & words or a feather. 

 On the back of the tags I sewed a lace pocket to let the necklace chain fall into.  I think the pocket on the back helps to keep the necklaces from getting all tangled.

It is fun to try different things & be creative...using the talents God gave you.



Now these are the gifts Christ gave to equip God's people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 
                           {Eph.4:11-12}
                                                        * God has empowered each of us with special abilities. How we use these abilities is up to us.*  
                                                            hugs & blessings, humble♥

~♥Our Gifts♥~

We had a beautiful snow fall on Christmas eve. They had winter weather advisories out & had 7 or so inches of snow. It was beautiful!  We just felt bad because we celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve, so the kids had to travel, even tho we & they knew they did not "have" to if it was really bad. Thank God they got here safely & back home again! I have to say I LOVE snow, it is soo beautiful!

We have recently had 50 degree weather & rains, so are left with out much snow. Except where it was plowed & piled up. Now we are back to the brown & blah looking yards til it snows again. Even tho it is not as pretty right now{because of not seeing the white snow} ~ each day is a gift from God & holds beauty wherever you look. The starkness of the bare trees against the blue sky, the gorgeous sunrises & sunsets... many things. All of His Creations.We are soo blessed with His Gifts! I thank Him for them! 

hugs & blessings, humble♥ 

~♥Gods' beauty...♥~

I am amazed at how God paints His trees for us to enjoy!
Isn't it beautiful?  I LOVE ♥ how God speaks to us thru nature & His word.

I have a daily planner I have bought the last 3 or 4 years from the Christian book store.  I use it to write down birthdays, appointments, etc... but also use it to journal in. Not alot of exciting things, my thoughts, something that may have happened, etc.  The reason I love this planner is that it has a Bible passage at the bottom of the page. I read it daily & love how it goes with my day, since I usually write in the evening.
Last nite I thought about things I would like to achieve this year {no biggies...mainly usually stuff} & added I would love to create more {find & make time for what you love to do} & even put that on my blog last evening {before I read my planner}
 The greatest thing was that the January page was about God*given abilities! That was the title & read as follows
 ~ ♥ Deep within the human spirit is a desire and a capability to do wonderful things. Because we were made in the image of God, we inherited from Him the desire to *create*, to accomplish, to make things happen. But God wouldn't give us these desires without also giving us the means to carry them out.  These "means" are called abilities or talents. They are the gifts God has given us to help us accomplish great things for Him, and to help us enjoy life. How we use or misuse these abilities ultimately determines our quality of life-quality being defined not as comfort or the accumulation of things, but in terms of character, joy, and lasting satisfaction. Our goal is to first discover our abilities, then excercise them, and finally channel them toward good and not evil.♥

I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
                                                         ~Philippians 1:6~
and again isn't it beautiful?  don't 'cha just love it when that happens?!  =)
                                                         ~ hugs & blessings, humble♥~

~♥ WISHING YOU A BLESSED TWENTY ELEVEN ♥~

♥Hope everyone had a great *CHRIST*mas♥

I know we sure did! Wishing you many blessings for a wonderful new year with lotsa love & joy! May you find & make the time to do what you love!

~♥hugs & blessings, humble♥~