True Love Story

Happy, happy day to you, friends! In honor of my upcoming birthday along with my son's {yes, we share the same birthday} I am hosting a giveaway. I love birthdays and I love giving gifts so what better way to celebrate than with a giveaway! You, dear readers and friends, are ever so special to me and I greatly appreciate the time you take to visit and comment on the posts I share. You bless and encourage me with your love and kindness and now I want to do the same for you. This lovely little giveaway consists of a few of my favorite things that I hope one of you blessed winners will enjoy. Let's take a peek at the goodies up for grabs, shall we. . . As you know, I love tea cups so I am giving away this pretty Royal Albert tea cup that is just perfect for the spring with its soft colors. The matching bracelet is also part of the giveaway. You will find three tea towels included along with matching napkins and a cute spoon holder. Of course tea is a must to go along with the tea ...

The Boden clan thought their problems had ended  with the death of a dangerous enemy,  but have they truly uncovered the real plot to take their New Mexico ranch?  Rancher Justin Boden is now in charge.  He is normally an unshakable and rugged man,  but with his brother, Cole, shot and in mortal danger,  even a tough man faces doubts.  And it doesn't help that Angie DuPree, the assistant to the doctor trying to save Cole,  is as distracting a woman as Justin ever laid eyes on. With her and the doc's timely skills, Cole looks to be on the mend,  and Justin and the rest of the Bodens can turn their attention back to the dangers facing them.  It's clear now that everything that's occurred is part of a much bigger plot  that could date back to a decades-old secret.  Can they uncover all the pieces before danger closes in on them,  or is the threat to the ranch even bigger than any of the Bodens could imagine? My Thoughts Ah, t...

Sweet is the hope that is thrilling my soul— I know I’ll see Jesus some day! Then what if the dark clouds of sin o’er me roll, I know I’ll see Jesus some day! Though I must travel by faith, not by sight, I know I’ll see Jesus some day! No evil can harm me, no foe can affright— I know I’ll see Jesus some day! Darkness is gath’ring, but hope shines within, I know I’ll see Jesus some day! What joy when He comes to wipe out ev’ry sin; I know I’ll see Jesus some day! Chorus I know I’ll see Jesus some day! I know I’ll see Jesus some day! What a joy it will be When His face I shall see, I know I’ll see Jesus some day! - Avis B. Christiansen - Therefore we are always confident, knowing that,  whilst we are at home in the body,  we are absent from the Lord: For we walk by faith, not by sight: We are confident, I say,  and willing rather to be absent from the body,  and to be present with the Lord. - 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 -  For our conversation is in heaven;  from whe...

From afar, Cimarron Creek seems like an idyllic town  tucked in the Texas Hill Country.  But when former schoolteacher Lydia Crawford steps onto its dusty streets in 1880,  she finds a town with a deep-seated resentment of Northerners--like her.  Lydia won't let that get her down, though.  All will be well when she's reunited with her fiancé.  But when she discovers he has disappeared --and that he left behind a pregnant wife-- Lydia is at a loss about what to do next.  The handsome sheriff urges her to trust him,  but can she trust anyone in this town  where secrets are as prevalent as bluebonnets in spring? My Thoughts A Stolen Heart is sweet, but a tad blah. It's confession time, my friends. . . I made it through 2/3 of the book before jumping to the end. I know, I know, shame on me! I truly hate skipping pages in a book  and I can count on just one hand the times I have done it. Sadly, this was one of those times. A Stolen Heart if ...

Good morning, friends! How are you on this beautiful Wednesday? I trust you are well. Believe it or not I don't have a craft or sewing tutorial and I haven't baked anything in the last week which means no recipe. With the Tea Cup and Mug Exchange going on right now I have been rather preoccupied. 212 beautiful ladies from around the world joined this delightful event and oh, what a wonderful time we're having! So today I thought I would show you these precious little butterflies my husband bought me on Monday. We were just about to walk out of one of my favorite antique stores when I looked down and saw these sweet little butterflies sitting on a table. I had never seen anything like them before and I must say that it was love at first sight! Okay, maybe not "love," but I did fall for them. My wonderful husband said right away, "Get them, honey!" But instead I put them back and started to walk away. Then I paused. . . . and I said to my husband, "Do...

Holy Bible, Book divine, Precious treasure, thou art mine; Mine to tell me whence I came; Mine to teach me what I am. Mine to chide me when I rove; Mine to show a Savior’s love; Mine thou art to guide and guard; Mine to punish or reward. Mine to comfort in distress; Suffering in this wilderness; Mine to show, by living faith, Man can triumph over death. Mine to tell of joys to come, And the rebel sinner’s doom; O thou holy Book divine, Precious treasure, thou art mine. - John Burton Sr. - Thy word have I hid in mine heart,  that I might not sin against thee. - Psalm 119:11 - O how love I thy law!  it is my meditation all the day. - Psalm 119:97 - Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,  and a light unto my path. - Psalm 119:105 - Heaven and earth shall pass away,  but my words shall not pass away. - Matthew 24:35 -  The Spirit breathes upon the Word, And brings the truth to sight; Precepts and promises afford A sanctifying light. A glory gilds the sacred page, Majestic...

A very cheery hello to you, my lovelies! Today I have an oh-so-fun tea cozy tutorial that you can whip up in less than an hour. Now, shall we do a little sewing. . . Here is what you will need: two fat quarters batting Yep, that's it! Of course you'll need a sewing machine, scissors, thread, measuring tools and so on, but you already knew that :) Let's get started, my friends. Choose your two contrasting fat quarters. Fold the fabric in half and use a large plate to trace the top part. The plate gives a nice round top. Then you will simply draw straight lines down the side. This is what my handmade template looks like :) It is 12-inches wide and 9 1/2-inches long which is perfect for a 4-6 cup tea pot. You can adjust your measurements to the size of your tea pot. Cut out two pieces for the outer fabric and when you cut out the two pieces for the lining you want to make it 1/2-inch longer!  This is so you can have a bit of the lining peeking out at the bottom. In the pictur...