An Artist's Studio

There are times when I feel there is nothing of interest to post. Someone told me that even if I posted a cup of tea, there would people people out there who would be brightened by it and would give them a bit of a lift. Today I am sharing the place I go outside, temperature permitting, to make my little sketches.  The good thing about having an outside studio is there is no distraction from all the indoor things there are to do!

I have not painted in awhile but hope to have something to share soon!  Today is Saturday, and I am making communion bread as well as ironing shirts and finding all the things we need, as well as getting the house cleaned so that we can function smoothly in the morning.  My goal is to paint a picture by the end of the day.

Inside My Home

    

Hello Dear Ladies,

Today I took some pictures of areas in the living room. In the photo above, you see a Pink Porcelain 

Doll pumpkin.   I am still looking for a Cinderella pumpkin.  If you have never seen the pink or blue porcelain doll pumpkins, try finding one in your grocery store. They are quite beautiful. 

This pumpkin has such vivid color, a deep red.

The mantel arrangement:  lanterns with led-lite candles, and a Cinderella coach.  I am still trying to figure out how to make a coach to ride in!

It is so nice to have you visit my blog, but it would be even more perfect if you could actually come to see me in person!

Everything quite dated here and nothing trendy or interesting. I have my ideas of what I would like this room to be like.

The model car matches my decor :-)

Note the new candle scent this year: snowed in, by Candle-Lite.

I felt the room was too dark so I changed a few things:

A Lovely Visit

As one of our snow birds is going to warmer climes for  the winter, I arranged to have her invited to an afternoon tea before she leaves...

...so up the mountain we travelled to see these lovely people who love to have tea.

One of the girls in the family uses patterns you rub on the pumpkin, as carving outlines.

Here is the tea table all set out.

She used this Wild rose print China from her Grandmother's collection.  It looked new, and she said her grandmother valued it so much as it was such a fine set, and used it rarely, but for special occasions.  It made such a nice impression on the table.

She also made this pumpkin roll, which is a quick bread with cream cheese.  It was just perfect.

This is a rose carving on a pumpkin. They set the carved pumpkins over led light candles turned on and off with a remote.

Everything was bright.

Little touches of delight were tucked in corners of desks and shelves to make things colorful.

Everything sparkled!

I hope you felt the joy of this visit and will duplicate it some way in your own home for your family!

Sewing Inspiration

"Allover Flower" by Leslie Beck from Joanne Fabrics. It is one of their regular fabrics the store has stocked for years and years, so I was able to get a lot of it for mother/daughter/grandmother dresses.

Today I finished a dress for the home, using the above fabric. 

The fabric has a soft sheen and feels silky.  I used some pieces, such as the sleeves, from a German pattern I like called Neu Mode.

This is a good print and color for both spring and autumn. 

The neckline and sleeves have pink piping.

It is quite trendy to have your picture taken with an old truck!

Although it's a dress for the home, I am going to wear it while it is brand new to a tea I am going to tomorrow.

I saw this Cinderella carriage in Sisters, Oregon. People pay to have their photo taken inside this beautiful carriage, and often dress up for the occasion. It would be interesting and enjoyable to make a costume to wear in this carriage! I am thinking about it!

I would love to have something like this waiting outside the front door, wouldn't you?  Hmmm...I can make almost anything out of cardboard :-)... Maybe I should give it a try.

This is a wrought iron table-top size from the Hobby Lobby site.

I am trying to make a coach from an old wagon I have, and if it is a success I will post the results here.

Although I wash and pre-shrink the fabric before sewing, these cotton dresses will always shrink a little, over time, so the hem will be shorter. Although it seems long, I usually wear boots, which makes the dress not so long as you see in the picture with just my flats.

I wanted to show you how pretty this green cotton tee shirt cardigan looks.  I love the new cardigan designs that look like there is a scarf in the front. 

The cardigan is from Bi-Mart, and the label is Gabrielle Rhode-Royce, about $5.99 on sale. No, there aren't any left in the store.  I was looking for a pink one to go with the pink piping trim on the neckline, but pinks are sometimes hard to match.  However I hope to find the fabric and make a pink jacket to match.  

I picked the fabric because it looks like a meadow of flowers in the spring, and the changing color of leaves in the autumn.

The Christian Lady and Hospitality

1887

 

By: Henry Dunkin Shepard Item #: 10324204

Greetings, Dear Ones,

I know most ladies are very busy and usually have a myriad of things they must be doing, including things they did not have time to do yesterday! 

 I believe it is essential to Christian ladies to extend hospitality and also to have hospitality extended to them. It is like getting the best ingredients  "from afar" (Proverbs 31:14) to make life taste good.

Times for Hospitality:

-It is important to extend or experience hospitality during bereavement. Having a visit with someone can fill up the lonely moments when they are missing someone the most.

-Giving hospitality when someone has crossed your mind; when you have been thinking about them and have not seen them in awhile.

-Inviting someone to visit, or visiting them, when you notice they may not have many friends or much social interaction with people.

Sometimes the seasons or days that are darker, colder, more isolating, or less prosperpous, are perfect times to extend an invitation. Maybe your neighbor, your relative, or the preacher's wife :-) needs company.  It might seem like an inconvenience to offer hospitality, but let us consider this: all real Christianity is inconvenient. Our life was not designed to be "at ease in Zion"  (Amos 6:1) where Christian duty is concerned.  We are told by the New Testament to be rich in good works! (1 Timothy 6:18).

1Peter 4:9  Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

Two kinds of hospitality I want to deal with in this post are: hospitality extended by you, and hospitality extended to you.

The above photo shows one of the tea cups I am going to give away at the Preacher's Wives Afternoon Tea I am having in November.  I thought it had an interesting old-world style in the design, and is also very fancy and rich looking!

Hospitality You Extend:

Things to remember about this are:

-Your house will never be in perfect enough order to have guests, so just have a clean kitchen and bathroom and a presentable seating area.  It is tempting to repaint and refurbish, especially when a house needs so much care, but a person whom you have shown kindness to will always appreciate the warmth of a cup of tea and a sandwich, and you do not know what good you can do by that small act of hospitality.

-There is never a perfect time to show hospitality.  It is too hot, too cold, to rainy, too busy, and we are are too low on money or are waiting for personal problems to settle down, but there are lonely souls who do not care, and wish someone would visit them or invite them.

-Not everyone can share their homes for hospitality, but they can pack a basket and take a refreshment to someone and leave it on the doorstep or serve it and and share it with someone at a park or on the beach or a tailgate of a vehicle.  Keep people's age and personal comfort in mind, as some people are more comfortable in their own homes or would rather come and have tea at your house.

-Get used to being turned down.  It is surprising how institutionalized many people are, and though they have no hesitation in eating out or going to a cafeteria or a deli with friends, a home invitation to afternoon tea is foreign to them. You will suffer many strange remarks such as "I can't do anything like this myself, and I can't do it as well as you, so I don't want to come."  

When I was growing up, I was encouraged to find out how people did things, and to learn to emulate the Christian ladies who invited me to their homes. I was told that by observing, I could learn how to duplicate their hospitality in my life.  The thirst to learn and know more about hospitality is on the wan but we can revive it by showing hospitality.

-Help your guests become good hostesses by offering your help when they want to return the favor or invite ladies for tea.  Encourage them to invite you back!  Too often the preacher's wife or another capable lady spoils everyone by hosting everyone in her home, not expecting any return invitations. We really need to teach people to return hospitality willingly.  It is not good for other people's spiritual growth to always give them a pass if they never return your hospitality. Tell them it would really give you a bright spot in your day you if they would invite you over sometime.

You might say you would love to come and see them, sometime, too!  This would encourage other ladies to show hospitality.

 We are supposed to "out-do" one another in good works!  (Hebrews 10:24)

 When we invite someone after they have invited us, don't let it appear that they are just being paid back, which comes across as being a duty-invitation and very mechanical.  Often those who pay you back will never invite you of their own free will or their own inspiration.  They only invite you after attending your little event.  We should encourage ladies to feel the excitement and rejuvenation of hospitality in their own homes and invite people on a whim, not just to appear to be paying back. (Although reciprocating is very important).

 They should "feel" the excitement of hospitality and do it willingly, reaching out.  Have you ever considered that reaching out is opposite to being pulled?  When you reach out, no one has to ask you to do something. Reaching out means you are looking for  way to give of yourself.

-Extend hospitality even if you have not had a return invitation.  There are some people who are legitimately unable to open their homes due to their special circumstances, but should not be left out of your hospitality.

-Do it for other's sake: those who are lonely are especially needy of hospitality.  I know a few ladies who went "all-out" for hospitality for decades, and then when they were lonely, people forgot about them.

-Do it for your own sake. Hospitality makes you feel good.  You are motivated to get your house freshened up, maybe getting some new tea towels and fancy napkins at the dollar store, creating a pretty table setting or getting your rooms ready for a house tour. 

-Dress well. Your guests are so uplifted by your fresh appearance.  Ladies who want to dress more like ladies will go away wanting to dress in a special way.  You can be a big influence regarding feminine dress! If you sew, and the invitations are a few weeks in advance, take time to make a simple, colorful dress and apron.  If you do not sew and don't have time, try your thrift stores or discount stores for a new skirt or blouse just to make the event special.  Your appearance will determine the first impression of the atmosphere in your home, and set your guest's mood.

-Consider using the post for far-away friends who need a lift. There are a lot of things you can put in a package that say hospitality from afar!

-"Without Grudging" is important, so if you are not feeling well, are upset, or someone has been rude to you, wait a while before showing hospitality.  Be in the best mood possible. Having hospitality too late in the day when you are tired, or too early that you feel rushed, or at a time when you know you will not be good company, is not a good idea.  You can also take hospitality to someone if you are not able to do so n your home.  There are some "off" times for hospitality but there are also some very good times.

-If possible, keep things on hand at home that would provide an impromptu hospitality situation.

-Develop a sense of hospitality. That means you are always ready to extend it if needed and you are on the lookout for anyone who needs it.  It will give a hospitable nature to your character.

Since I depend very much on your opinions, please leave a lot of comments on this post!

Party

 

By: George Sheridan Knowles Item #: 10606286

The Tea Room

Hello Dear Ones,

Today I visited a lovely tea room called "Indulgences" which has been rated with a lot of "best food" restaurant report cards, recommendations and awards.

The server told us that people are welcome to sit at the tables and just visit if they want to and that they encourage people to do that. One of the staff pointed to some people at another table who had been sitting there for three hours!  I so appreciated that they liked people enough to welcome them staying on longer than their tea or their meal.  It makes the place look busy and friendly.

   My camera was not doing very well so my pictures are disappointing, but I will share the few pictures that are almost clear. The tea room is also a place where vendors create little shops all around the room and sell their interesting wares, from antiques to hand made to new.

Vintage Laura Ashley decorator pillows: those English rose prints are still exciting to see.

This display looks like a classic old painting from the 1800's, doesn't it?

An interesting sentiment! Yes, it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness! Create sunshine around you as much as you can with whatever you have. I was glad to be reminded of this today!

These candles had very unique names and scents. This one is called "Tree Lot" --the fragrance of a tree lot!  It actually smelled quite nice but the price was really high so I didn't get one. But I shall be going back to smell it and some of the other flavors too!

I just thought I would share this with you and let you know sometimes you can find places to visit when you need to go out, that do not depress you, have annoying music, or assault your senses with things that are abrasive or disagreeable, and if you have a place like this in your area, be sure and visit it.

And ladies, be sure to check the previous post. I have added another article on the "Elect Lady Series" that I have been trying to create. I want to do more of these subjects, Lord Willing, and try to create tracts and fold-over bulletins from them if I can, so that they can be printed from this blog.

The Christian Lady and Envy

                                  The Visitors

 By: Arthur Claude Strachan Item #: 9848542

Hello Dear Ladies,

There have been frequent requests in my inbox to address the problem of envy.
Envy is the unenviable quality of resenting someone's accomplishments, talent and
prosperity, abilities, strengths, or desiring it for themselves (without working for it).

I do love your comments, so please give me some feedback on this post and 

tell me what your experience is, or what some of your solutions are.

A Country Greeting

By: Nicky Boehme Item #: 12815430

From the time we were children, our parents taught us not to allow envy to be any

part of our lives.  To think about what others were doing or what others had was a

waste of time that could be spent finding and developing your own abilities.

When tempted to envy a family or friend because of a gift they received or some

good fortune, we were told that if you examine your life, you will see you have

some advantages and things the other person does not have.  

One lady I know whose mother had died and left her possessions to her divide up 

between the women of the family, found that she had been denied the privilege of

choosing the things in her mother's estate that she treasured the most.  One of the

other relatives had gone to the house earlier than the agreed time, and taken what

she wanted and divided up the rest to distribute to the others, rather than wait to find

 out what was fair to the others.

A Pathway of Color

By: Nicky Boehme Item #: 12815978

True to her excellent home training, the lady sized up the situation and noted that her sisters

and cousins had not had very smooth lives; they were full of sorrow and sickness, 
personal loss, material loss and financial instability. She mentally relinquished all
the sentimental things these women had taken without consulting with her. She looked at her

own life and counted it rich, because she had a long, happy marriage, loving children, 

and had lived in the same house for many years.  

Because of the instability in the lives of some of these relatives, they could not keep these 

things for long.  My friend inherited furniture and household items that  she never thought she
would own. Her relatives gave them to her whenever they
had to move or when they lost interest in keeping them. She got all of her mothers
things that she treasured. Had she allowed envy to absorb her, the outcome might have
been vastly different.

Autumn Overtures

By: Nicky Boehme Item #: 12815619

Dealing With Personal Envy:

My friends, we know that the Bible shows the tragic consequences of envy from the many 
examples recorded there. The New Testament, a book for this new age, warns against
envy in several places, including Titus 3:3, I Timothy 6:3-4, and James 5:5.  

When you envy someone, it is a waste of time and adversely affects your health. 
I cannot emphasize strongly enough the necessity of ridding your life of real envy.
This is not the same as telling a friend that you envy her the sweet nature she has or
the kind of good cook and housekeeper she is. That is a harmless statement. What I 
am speaking of is the kind of envy that results in resentment and wishing someone would
fail.

On the other hand, we should always rejoice when others succeed in something
that is good, because that success will always benefit you and others in some 
way. Someone's success has a way of making life bright for others. It is always
uplifting to see someone's progress in life and it is depressing to see someone
on a downward spiral in life. There is therefore no reason to be envious of 
anyone who is happy or doing well. 

Springtime Hideaway

By: Nicky Boehme Item #: 12813532

Dealing With Other's Envy

While you may be like the lady who was taught from childhood how to avoid envy,
not everyone shares these good values.

 Even when most of us do not consider ourselves particularly "successful" , 

envious people can cause disturbance and
make life miserable.  They can simply feel petulant because you are happy. They may
dislike the fact you are content or have a little talent. 

When I was first confronted with envy many years ago, I was grieved that someone
had something against me and I made every attempt to reconcile and make it
right with the envious person. Eventually I had to admit that there are some
people who let envy blind them so much that they lose their ability to reason
and to think logically.  Nothing I could say or do would appease them. 

One source of envy apparently came from hospitality. Mindful of their Christian

duty to share hospitality and share their homes with others, some ladies extended

generosity, even including gifts, to other ladies.  There were those who became envious

during their visit and spread around that she had more money than they did or was living

better than others.  They did not take into consideration that this lady was opening

the home to them and making herself available for them each week. She could have

pursued her own selfish interests or made headway in things she was behind in, but 

instead, put these ladies first.  If this lady had not been generous, the envious

ones would not be sitting there enjoying her hospitality!  Envious people cut off and destroy

the things they need!

Envious people never take the generosity of their hostess

into consideration. There they sit in the comfort of her home, eating her food and drinking

her tea, and still feel envious.    The proper thing to do when feeling envy is to find out

how you can duplicate her example and be a better person, and build a good reputation 

for yourself by extending hospitality to women who are lonely or need fellowship.

 It can really bother you that someone is envious and you can start
 feeling so guilty that you cannot
enjoy your life anymore.  Their remarks can get into your mind and you think 
about it all day long, never really focusing on the current moment and never
able to smile again and be happy. It is like a death sentence.

 It is important not to let thoughts of an envious person rule your mind. Think
 on things that are lovely and good.  It might be beneficial to look up all 
the Bible references on the word "mind" to see what God has to say about the 
care of the mind.  Just as too much dreary talk and bad news is harmful to the 
health of your mind, dwelling on the comments of an envious person can destroy
your mind.  We are supposed to keep our minds "sound." (2 Timothy 1:7)

There is always the envious person who wants what you have.  The person may 
devise schemes to deal you out of something you have earned, to get rid of your
influence, to deprive you of your sense of well-being. They may want your house.
They may want to divide the loyalties of  your family. They may think you are too well-off. 

 Envious people will not believe the truth. They will believe a lie more easily. 
Once a lie is planted in their minds
they cling to it.  What is alarming about this is the way it has spread into our
culture, a culture that once was admired for maturity and optimism and a can-do 
attitude. Our country is now brought low by petty envying and lack of logic.

As Christian ladies, we can lift up our families and churches by rising above the 
trivial talk and instead praise what is good. Dealing with an envious person can 
be a real challenge, as the envious person wants others to think you are undeserving, 
critical and conceited. The envious person needs to be corrected, educated and limited
as to the amount of socializing he or she has with you and your family.

Christian ladies can find refuge from envy by immersing themselves in the work of the home that

God has given them. Doing an excellent work at home, keeping the family cared for and protected, is the best example to an envious person. Let the sting of envy be a trigger to do more excellently in

life. "My courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate me," said Jane Austen in "Pride and Prejudice."  Envious people want to intimidate you and make you feel subservient to them. But we know that we must submit to and obey God, rather than man. (Acts 5:29)  The next time someone sends a stinging envy remark, use it as a signal to do something lovely for yourself and  your family or a friend.

The following poem expresses the need to keep going when someone tries to debilitate or demoralize you.  I particularly like the phrase in one of the stanza's: "There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done, There are thousands to prophesy failure;"  Is not this so true?  One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to talk of your dreams and ambitions  within the hearing of an envious

person because he or she will immediately tell you it cannot be done. Usually an envious person is good at debate and will quickly contradict anything you say. ( Teach your children to stop answering debate and contradictory conversation, lest they learn their ways. )  Do not allow the envious to stop you from living! 

It Couldn’t Be Done

By Edgar A. Guest

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done,
    But, he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn’t," but he would be one
    Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
    On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
    That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you’ll never do that;
    At least no one has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
    And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
    Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
    That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
    There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
    The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle it in with a bit of a grin,
    Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
    That "couldn’t be done," and you’ll do it.

 Water Lilies, by Alfred Glendenning

Some people will give up living their good dreams and even their spiritual desires because they

are afraid of making someone envious. They do not want to be the cause of envy in someone else's life, so they live in a boring, mediocre way, not pursuing any interests or talents, not going anywhere or improving their lives in any way. They may be able to afford to travel or build a new house, but they are too intimidated by the naysayers and the envious.  It reminds me of a poem my mother read to us when we were young, called "He Made No Mistakes."  It is not about envy,

but it shows the reaction many of us have to the critics and the envious. 

HE MADE NO MISTAKES 

He made no mistakes, took no wrong road,
No, never fumbled the ball.
He never went down ‘neath the weight of a load,
He simply did…NOTHING AT ALL!!! 

He lost no hard fight in defense of the right;
Never bled with his back to the wall.
He never felt faint in his climb to the light,
He simply did…NOTHING AT ALL!!! 

So death came nigh for life slips by,
And he feared the judgment hall.
When they asked him why, he said with a sigh, 
“I simply did…NOTHING AT ALL.” 

God will pardon your mistakes, my friend,
And regard with pity your fall;
But the one big sin that He will not mend
Is simply to do…NOTHING AT ALL.