Monday with Me

             You are cordially invited to my Monday:


What to wear: Whatever you feel comfortable in.  I will most likely be in workout gear or lounge clothes.

What we'll  do:  Probably lot's of chats about weather and world events while I tend to some laundry.  I'll show you any projects I'm working on or have completed this week.  Then we'll probably head outside to see the horses, have a small tour, and enjoy the sunshine.

                                    A Necklace I made:

                  Kota & I. Be prepared for horsey kisses.

What we'll eat:  Lot's of snack foods, probably some water and tea.  I'd rather have lot's of time for chatting then be in the kitchen.  If you want something more filling maybe we can find a dish to cook together.  It's more fun that way :)

What may surprise you:  How quiet I can be when I'm working on something, or when I get lost in thought.  I tend to disappear in my own world a few times everyday. If you want my attention simply say my name and I'll return to the present. The amount I giggle..I'm a joyful person so I find humor in pretty much everything. Most people start to giggle when they hear me giggle..so if you like to laugh then you've found a friend in me.

Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is far the best ending for one. Oscar Wilde
 
Before you Go: I'll probably offer you food & drinks to take home, as well as a big hug goodbye.  I'll tell you to be safe on your drive home and to call or write soon.  I'll probably text you in a bit too, just to make sure you've made it home safely.



                                                          I'm Glad you Came! xoxo

The Battle is Not Mine

"and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me." Psalm 50:15

"Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise."
James 5:13

"For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock." Psalm 27:5


I've had to take a few days to really step back from everything.  The bad weather, and tornadoes seemed to just keep coming and I felt so many emotions.  From Anger, to fear, to sadness.  I've been learning to praise him in the storm, to rejoice in times of trouble.  It's not always easy for me, in fact I find myself  having this same set of emotions almost  every time something really bad happens.  Maybe it's harder this time, because it's a similar circumstance ?

Whatever the reason what strikes me as somewhat comical about it all, is that just a week before the devastation our pastor did a sermon about how being a Christian is not about being "comfortable".  There is this big misconception that when you take up the cross to follow Jesus, that life will be "trouble free".  That's not the case.   "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" 2 Timothy 3:12 
There are other verses too that talk about hardships, and I know that all of us have gone through things that were not easy.
In my own life I could not have overcome the struggles I faced on my own. 

I'm just glad that I do have someone to call on
 That I can ask him for peace
 That my hope in him reassures me that things can and will get better.

Many places are facing devastating weather, flooding, and fires.  My dear friend Erin @SweetnessItself wrote from a great perspective about the fires in California, that have been too close for comfort to her family.  If you'd like to read her post, and offer words of encouragement and prayer, I know it would be greatly appreciated.   Prayer changes things. 


We are fortunate to not have flooding where I live. The rain has made everything grow, and bloom .  My flowers are starting to bud too, so expect some photo's of those very soon.  If the weather cooperates this week I'll have some new photo's up of projects I've completed. 

 

I hope your Monday has been great, and I thank so many of you who have offered kind words and prayers. 

If your facing hardships and need prayer please be sure to leave a comment.  I would be happy to pray for you .

 

Take care until our next chat XoXo

 

 

Where Does My Help Come From

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.  Psalm 121:1-2

These words are heavy on my heart this week.  By now I'm sure you've seen the media & social network coverage of the tornadoes that touched down in  Texas & Oklahoma.
The devastation these tornadoes left is very real, but the resilience of the people in these places who serve a great God and know it is also truly beautiful.
Moore, Oklahoma has been hit hard 3 times that I can recall.  This week was very scary for everyone who lives in Oklahoma & Texas.
None of us born and raised in "tornado alley" are strangers to this kind of weather.  Trying to explain why you would chose to live in a place that has this kind of weather is not something easily explained.  All I can tell you is that the good outweighs the bad.  You can see from the media coverage that we have great people in these areas.  Blue collar families, who are God fearing, and not afraid to work or help one another.

I was thankful that none of my friends or family were hurt or lost their homes.  My mother lives mere miles from where the  Oklahoma tornado was it's largest and most destructive.
Mom texted me as the tornado was going over her while she sought safety in a friends tornado cellar. Miraculously her home, and the home of the friend she sought refuge with were both unharmed.  Mom has shared some photos with me that I'd like to share with you.

These first photos were taken along I-35 in Moore

This Photo is looking West Down 4th Street in Moore.  Mere blocks from where the 7-11 stood that was completely demolished.

Other area's that I don't have photos of that were hit are Shawnee, Carney, Norman and Newcastle.  There are also the towns in Texas that were hit as well.

We are so appreciative to first responders, volunteers, and all of you who have stepped up to offer prayers and support.  I truly believe that in tragedies like this something great comes about.  When we experience something like this it humbles us, and reminds us of the value of life.

I know some people won't look it the same way I do, but life is not about comfort.  If we never had problems we wouldn't know the value of peace.  It would become something else we take for granted.  So please be encouraged.  Don't try to internalize it all, give it over to God, pray and trust that he will work it all out. 

I am encouraged more and more when I see how many people are helping.  I believe when you see an out-pouring like this that you are seeing the grace of God acted out through his people.

In our World today we need that reminder daily.

If you would like to offer more then prayer here are a few places you can offer monetary aid to:

You can support response & other disasters by txting REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10, or online at http://redcross.org

 Text “STORM” to 80888 to support SalvationArmyUS relief efforts in Oklahoma

Jessica @ Blogging 4 Jobs  has posted a great list of Resources for tornado survivors & those who want to help.  So be sure to check that out & give her a big "Thank You" for taking the time to compile such a great list of resources.

I will also be donating 50% of sales in my Etsy shop to families in need.   

Thank you all for your love and support Xoxo!

Thursday Treasures

I hope today finds you well friends.  Spring seems to have set in for us now, so we've had a nice dose of storms and interesting weather.  I'm glad to report that my allergies have calmed down a bit, and my head seems to be clearing up.  Strep throat seems to be going around in the state, so I've been staying in and being a bit of a recluse :)

The creative juice was back this week so I created a new set of slider bracelets:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/150756517/owl-pearl-and-rhinestone-slider-bracelet?ref=pr_shop

 

Owl's are still everywhere, so I thought it would be fun to put together a set featuring a little owl.

 

I also took pictures of another slider bracelet set, and got it listed in my shop as well.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/150758930/the-cross-is-the-key-to-my-heart-slider?ref=v1_other_1

 

If your still in the market for Mothers Day gifts then come see me. 

I hope you all have a wonderful & safe Thursday and I appreciate you coming by to visit my blog.

 

Take care XoXo 

 

Hairspray & High Heels Birthday { $250- Sephora Giveaway}

Many of you know how much I adore Ange @ Hairspray & High Heels, and this week she is celebrating the 1 year Birthday of her blog by doing an amazing Giveaway.  A $250- Sephora Gift Card Giveaway!!

Be sure you take a minute to wish her Blog a "Happy Birthday" and of course don't forget to enter the giveaway  here or on the official Hairspray & High Heels  site!   Hooray for Giveaways & New Blog Friends


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday Thoughts

Well what can I say?  I went and got myself sick this week..not sure if it was a bug that I caught, or if it's just ragging allergies from our wacky weather.  Whatever it was it kept me down all day Tuesday, and most of the day Wednesday.  Today I am feeling better, and my head is a lot less congested.  This year has just been crazy in regards to sickness, so I'm thankful I haven't had to contend with illness more then just a few times. 
The weather forecast has been something to see for many of us this year as well.  How is the weather where you live?
                           A little turtle that came to visit last year.

We had a beautiful day yesterday with temps in the low 80's and lot's of sunshine, then around 6pm a cold front moved through and knocked temps down into the 30-40's with strong north winds.  Some parts of Oklahoma experienced May snow, which is something we haven't seen in a long time.  If your interested in reading more about snowfall for May, in Oklahoma you can read this article on KOCO. 

The bad weather hasn't kept me from working on a few things.  I will have some photos up once the sun returns without all the wind. 

One thing you all may be able to help me with is deciding on a phone.  I've recently lost the ability to share and upload photos to instagram because of old technology.  So I've been debating on upgrading to either an I-Phone 4S or I-Phone 5.   In looking at the body style I really prefer the I-phone 4S.  What kind of phone do you use?  What features and Apps do you love?  Any major complaints? 
I hope to have that issue worked out by this weekend, so all of your advice, and tips are very much appreciated.

Other then that I'm still working on several side projects.  Skin care regimens, beauty tutorials, etc.  I should have more info to share about those things soon. 
I really hope that things will work out in regards to the planning for that this next week, as I've been eager to get started for awhile. 
Thanks for sticking with me friends. Enjoy the rest of your week, we've less then a day till Friday.

                                                             Lot's of Love XoXo

                                             

Sleepy Friday

Another week has gone flying by.  I don't feel like I've accomplished as much as I wanted to this week.  The allergy pills are making me feel so zombie like it's not even funny anymore.  Thinking it's time to do more research on some natural allergy relief.  I know for certain that I don't react well to Echinachea..but if you know of any other natural herbal remedies for allergies please feel free to let me know in the comments.

This was what I did manage to finish this week.  A set of gold slider bracelets with faux pearls, rhinestone cross, Heart Key Charm, and Heart Lock Charm:

They are still available for sale, so if your interested in purchasing them just let me know. 

Have you noticed that the bright colors are still really popular?  I think I may try to do some new pieces incorporating many of the bright, fun colors soon.  I think accessories with color that can be versatile are always fun to have on hand.

I'm also thinking of writing a post on some new skincare related news, and products.  Mom has been dealing with post menopause rosacea.  It's not something she's ever dealt with before, and after no luck at the Dermatologist, I've offered to help her find some natural based skin care to help treat the issue.  So far we've been fortunate enough to find a soap that works well, and I am in the process now of finding a good moisturizer. 
It seems to be a common skin condition along with acne, so I think it would be nice to share the things we find work, so that others will have a chance to try them.

I would write more, but my eyelids are fighting with me to stay open.  Such a shame since it's not even 5pm yet.  Yawn!

                                   Thanks so much for coming by. Talk again soon XoXo