Winter Beauty in the Garden

This romantic and delicate beauty is a recent addition to my flower garden. And it is in full bloom right now! If you do not reside in the Southeast, it may come as a surprise to you that flowers are blooming in January and February. But this little beauty is a bright spot in the middle of winter. It is so well loved that it is our state flower.

I am posting more about the beautiful Camellia over on the Andrea Howard Blog today. Hop on over for more photos and info!

Psalm 101:3

For many years, we have had Psalm 101:3 printed near our television. It is a great reminder to us of God's command to purity in all of life, including what we watch. The verse was printed on a tent card made of card stock paper. I picked it up at a teacher's conference one year at the Al Menconi booth.

The tent card has stood guard and been our reminder for more than 10 years now.  It is beginning to show wear and tear. So, I sat down with my trusty Photoshop and favorite fonts to create a new one this week.

Perhaps you need/want this reminder in your house. Just click on the photo below and print on 8.5 X 11 card stock paper.  Cut the paper 7" from the top of the page, then fold in half to create a tent card.

Book Review: Fearless

Reading is one of my favorite things to do. I remember my Grandmother teasing me, because I spent too much time reading. Occasionally, she would shoo me outdoors to get some exercise. Today, all of the duties of my adult life don't afford me as much time to read, but I try to get a good book or two in every once in a while. 

When I learned about Blogging For Books, I decided that it might be a way to encourage me to take a few moments each week to read a good book for pleasure. While I am not a professional reviewer and may not know the terminology of the publishing world, I do hope I may add something to the discussion of good books.

The first book I selected from the program is Fearless by Eric Blehm.  

Fearless is the story of Adam Brown, a Navy SEAL Team Six Operator whose military story is one of courage and patriotism. But the surprise of the book is that his personal story is just as amazing as his military one. I was immediately drawn into the life of Adam Brown; initially because he grew up in Arkansas, just 100 miles from my grandparents. I spent many a day in their small town Arkansas, so I could easily imagine the setting in which Adam grew up.

As I read further, I became absorbed in the life of this young man who was reared with strong family support and had a natural propensity for protecting the underdog. I grieved as he followed a girl he loved into a dark world far from that of his upbringing. My heart was broken with his parents as I imagined how they must have felt they were losing their son. But while many a life has been cut short by these same imprudent decisions, this was just the beginning of Adam Brown's story.

Fearless is an amazing story of a prodigal returned, of bondage liberated, of addiction battled and of ultimate patriotism. Perhaps the life of Adam Brown can be summarized by his own words,

 "The truly courageous and powerful never have to prove it. It is always shown in their actions."

*I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

More Pretty Dishes

This week I had a LOT of fun being a part of a mini-series over at the Andrea Howard Blog in which we told the stories behind the fine china we own. If you missed those, you can read about Classic White Nordic, Old Country Roses, and Rosalinde by following the links.

In preparation for the stories, I took a LOT of pictures! There were many that I could not include in my posts, but had to post somewhere. So I am posting them here.

These are of my Grandma's wedding china. I packed them up and took them to a nearby orchard for a photo shoot.

I love the contrast between the delicate porcelain and the rustic barn. And, there was something fun about placing a formal setting on the ground in the middle of a field.

While my friend, Amanda, and I were photographing this beautiful cake plate, we noticed that the handle had an awesome reflection in it.

On closer inspection, it became evident that the handle was reflecting the surrounding field and nearby barn and was reflecting it upside down!

And last, but definitely not least, is this shot. It is my absolute favorite of all the photos I took! I can't stop looking at it. It makes me grin!

My Grandma's Wedding China

I am over at the Andrea Howard Blog today, finishing up our mini-series on fine china. Today's showcase is extra meaningful to me, because it is the china which my Grandma chose upon her wedding in 1932. Head on over to the Goddess for more info and pictures.

Join me back here tomorrow for some more of my favorite pictures from the photo shoots of china. Who knew photographing dishes could be so fun!

Wedding Fine China

I am showcasing my china pattern today over at Andrea Howard Blog. In fact, Andrea and I are having a mini-series of sorts over there. We are talking about the fine china we own and adore. We are sharing how they came into our possession and the special people behind them. Today, I shared my wedding china. On Thursday I'll show you my Grandma's wedding china. So if you love all things pretty, click on over and feast your eyes!

Wedding Cake Table Decorations

A friend's daughter recently asked me to help recreate a photo she found on Pinterest of a lighted table for use at her wedding reception. After searching the internet for tips on how best to do this, and finding none, I decided to create a tutorial. You can read this tutorial over at the Andrea Howard Blog