Changes

Hello

I have had my other blog now for quite some time but really the intent was to post some literature that I found inspiring and helpful in my daily walk with the Lord.

I am now changing that blog and I will be posting about once a week on various subjects and scriptures that are in my daily life. I feel a prompting from the Lord to just write some of my personal experiences and visits with the Lord. This includes struggles of daily life and the workings of the Holy Spirit. I would love it if you stopped by. I realize this isn't for all my followers but I encourage you to drop in now and then to say hey.

My first post is up and it is on a speaking engagement I had in Virginia last spring. I was asked to post it, so here it is...

 I hope it speaks to your heart.

The Love of God

Blessings 

Rebecca

PS

If you haven't signed up for my give away please do so 

Here

It will end Aug. 8

Thank you and have a lovely day!

Studio's and Birthday Parties

Hello

This has been a busy week, I am still cleaning out my home studio and I have moved out of the art gallery studio. 

Everything is under a tent in the back yard and after a few strong storms it is still standing... a little soggy but still standing...
I will be posting on the new look of my home studio and the progress I am making. 

For the past year it has been used as a storage space more or less. So I am in the process of taking out the bigger furniture items and putting them under the tent, along with rubber buckets of misc. that I am sorting through.

Since I have closed the shop I am full up to the brim... I have the garage full, storage space and my studio full of stuff! 

Are you hyperventilating yet?
It is time to edit my life. Do you see why my perspective got clouded? 
 But this is just stuff... it should not take priority over my relationships or emotions. I will not let things stuff  possessions become first in my life whether it is collecting, getting rid of or selling it. It will not get in between me and the Lord or my family.  For me it was the focus,  I became so focused on the problem and trying to get rid of it, that I lost my peace because I wasn't giving it over to the Lord. The Lord is good about getting your attention when it is off the track because He loves us. But it is sometimes a hard lesson.
I am now painting the studio and I have gotten this far...

I am sorting fabric and putting it into bins.

I will be selling off most of it or donating it. I have been trying to do shows but now I am going to be doing flea markets by my house just to downsize. 
This weekend I will be in the main building at Kane County Flea market. Come see me-
I will be loading up my blog-shop and etsy in the next few weeks also.
Can you believe what difference a year makes?
This studio was featured here last year...

And it looked like this...

I couldn't leave you with such ugly images, now could I? I will be redoing this space and taking you along with me in the next couple of weeks and then on to the garage... ugh!

I took a break over the weekend...
and went to Minnesota to celebrate two important birthdays.
My daughter Nicole turned 30

Happy Birthday!

My five daughters, my mother and me...
From left to right Sarah, Kerri, Jennifer, Nicole the birthday girl, me and Jody... my mom in front!

My son James

Jen

Jody and Savannah

Kerri, the twins and my mom
It was a fun time had by all and then the next day another party!


My sister Cindy turned the big
60

Happy Birthday, Sis...


Blessings,
Rebecca

Learning Lessons

Hello

I am joining Kathleen at Faded Charm today for White Wednesday, please join in the fun...

I am in my studio today, 

as I have been for over a week now but not creating or having fun.

 I have been tearing apart and sorting and putting things in bins. 

I am moving out of the studio at the Gallery. 

It has been fun but I have not been there enough to justify the cost. 

As you may know I have a studio in my back yard, it was even featured in Where Women Create a year ago. 

But since closing the shop it has been used for storage.

It is a mess!

I have been strung out

I have had one busy year and I just have not had any time to simplify my life, it is full of clutter and unfinished business. So I set aside this time to re-group and organize. 

But as life would have it, I need to be out of town this weekend and be out of the studio too. 

So what would have been a good plan turned into stress and frustration.  I have been working in heat and humidity, so I haven't been as productive as I would like and I am fighting against time.

Somewhere between things going wrong, such as putting a double tent up to put all my stuff in from the studio, so I could paint and reorganize and waking up to it being a crumpled mess from storms and not being able to move things because of a bad shoulder... 

I lost my joy.

I started looking at the problems and trying to muddle through on my own strength and all I got were pins and needles... headaches!

And then the light finally went on in my head...

Give it up and give it all to your Lord. Stop trying and let him handle it. This is not a new concept for me, but sometimes I get so head strong in what I have in front of me that everything else gets out of proportion... 

am I the only one that is so head strong?

I have to tell you the minute I did this, things started falling into place. I felt like I had gotten the winning ticket. 

My son dropped by out of the blue and fixed the tent as good as it could be... (it is now a single) but it did the trick. I made headway in packing and today my son and son in law came and moved me out of my space. 

All of it done in an evening, which I thought was going to take days.

Today I am grateful for such wonderful children and for the lesson I have been taught this week by my Heavenly Father.

I am also grateful for you... 

Please enter my follower give away 

here

Many Blessings

Rebecca

Over-Due for a Give Away

Hello 

I am way over due for a follower give away and my 2 year blogging anniversary.

 I don't know where the time goes but I have been around here for two years now and some times more than others.

Lately not as much but life happens and I do my best.

 I have loved getting to know you and even meeting many of you. I have heard this time and again of how rewarding blogging has turned out to be and what a surprise it has been to meet so many wonderful women and to truly make friendships from all around the world. I have said it many times and feel so lucky to know you. 

You have blessed my life and for that I say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Nothing, that I can give you can come close to what you have given me but as a small token to say thank you, I have two gifts to give.

They will be given in the traditional blog way, please leave a comment and I will choose by the random generator two names from the comments. The only stipulation is that you must be a follower, since this is a thank you to my followers.

First gift is one of my linen aprons stenciled  with a French feed sack  image and a French lavender sachet made of vintage rustic French linen.

The second gift is a piece of my jewelry made from vintage found treasures and religious charms.

The give away will end on August 8th at noon and I will post the winner that evening. Please leave a comment to enter, I always love hearing from you.

I always appreciate you grabbing my button and putting it on your side bar but not necessary to win. Thank you so much.
Have a great Sunday and stay cool!


Blessings
Rebecca

Summer Whites

Summer Whites,

  a welcome color scheme in the hot weather. It is cooling, peaceful and relaxing.  
Since most of us are in what seems to be a never ending heat wave, white seems to be a good choice to post on today.

My family room is through the living room and down a few steps on ground level. We added this room in 1992, I wanted it to be mostly glass and on patio level so I could enjoy my garden from this room.

We wanted it to be tucked in and to mirror the roof line of this great old house that was built in 1864.

The fireplace is a marriage of old architecture and a top to an old fireplace I bought at a fleamarket. The mirror was a wedding gift from my husband, it fit perfectly. 
The majolica tiles around the firebox is from an old house in Penn.

My collection of old angel wings from France

Right now the color on the walls is a Ralph Lauren Raffia. The room needs fresh paint so I will be painting in the fall. I like the color but I haven't decided what color yet.

This cabinet houses the television and all the electronics. It is made from old doors, old tin and reclaimed wood and molding.

This room is shaded by a huge 100 year old tree just outside the sliders, so it stays pretty cool even though it faces west.
 In the winter it gets plenty of light,  which I love.
Because of this wonderful tree we could only go so big with the room and we hand dug and poured the foundation... no big trucks could come in to compact the roots.

 And as I was taking pictures of the tree, I hear behind me... here I am grandma take one of me.

My little man enjoying his bomb pop that he says
 "makes him strong".  In this heat it probably does...
We just celebrated his 4th birthday last weekend...

Happy Birthday to my little super hero!


I hope you are all staying cool, we are hot and humid here in Chicago.  Here's hoping these whites will send cool and peaceful thoughts your way.
 I will be linking up with Kathleen at Faded Charm for her White Wednesday post. Please visit her for more summer whites.
Blessings
Rebecca