Porch Sale...

Do you remember last year when we attended the porch sale in an adorable cottage community where my brother lives? Well, it was that time again! Before I share my treasures come and stroll the streets with us....

A place where the street signs are marked on the trees....

and no cars are allowed!

There is something peaceful about walking along

 shade filled streets...

Last year I shared pictures of the cottages,

this year I though you might like to see some

of the community buildings...

The Library...

The Community Center...

The Gift Shop...

The ice cream parlor...

appropriately named....

The Jigger Shop

If you don't feel like cooking you can enjoy breakfast here...

(a great place to purchase local paintings)

And of course pizza here...

Shall we get back to the porch sales...

Today was a good day...

found a $5.00 chair to relax in by the pond...

Creamer and sugar bowl...

with a set of 4 cups and saucers for $5.00...

this cup is sitting on my syllabus for my current class!

This little tea cup helped to relieve some

stress and anxiety this morning!

The chalkboard fell the other day and broke...

I found this picture and frame for $5.00.

Planning to paint the frame white and the

cover the picture with chalk board paint.

For now I am kind of enjoying the picture!

(It is a strange picture,

we've been making up stories about it)

Seems like $5.00 was the price of the day!

Hope you had fun this weekend and found

some treasures in your day!!

Come and join me over at Southern Hospitality for more

fun thrifty treasures!

Truth be told...

It all started on a rainy Friday

with one little bird enjoying a tire swing...

and one little Blue whose leash was a bit too short ....
(and a little bird who knew he was safe)

I quickly grabbed my camera to catch the shot....

Pennsylvania seems more like Seattle the past few weeks...

sunny one moment and rainy the next...

My camera scanned the yard and found my

poppies also looking tired from the rain...

I understand tired...

but I also understand standing tall...

and here they are

on a beautiful sunny day...

when we had no rain...

I have read every comment and

every email...

You have again touched my heart...

inspired me...

My thoughts and I

 slowly walked the yard...

pondering the word BALANCE...

 Thinking about how to balance...

rain and sun...

 calm and busy...

 good and bad...

That was when I saw the sun pushing through the trees...

standing tall...

making its presence known...

and my answer came to me...

balance comes with help...

never alone...

A reminder to me that without this rain

 this beauty would not have been present...

Truth be told...

How could I not share this with you?

So...here is my plan...

I can't promise daily posts...

I can't promise weekly posts...

I can't promise monthly posts...

but

I can promise to share

little bits of beauty now and then...

Hope you'll stay...

Unplugged...

After much prayer and thought I have decided to take a
break from blogging.

Why...

I feel God is pulling me in another direction...

It is a pull I have been feeling

for awhile and now I am listening...

Thank you...

for your visits, support and friendship.

Each one of you has inspired me
along the way...

Hugs and Blessings to you..

With love,

Free photo fun...

Today I was on a mission to find a way to take a photo and add a watercolor effect to it. Along the way I discovered some other possibilities. All free...

Started with this photo....

Made a few changes in Picasa 3

(I think I just used the "I'm feeling lucky" button)

Then I up loaded it to Picnik

Next I up loaded the picasa 3 photo to PhotoFunia

and found the watercolor effect I was looking for...

Up loaded the Picasa 3 photo to  photoshop

(the free version)

Lastly I used Big Huge Lab to make a mosaic

There you go...

now go have some fun!

Picture fun...

This morning I was in Picnik trying to find a way to give a photo a watercolor effect. No luck...any ideas?
I am going to keep looking and I will share with you if I find a free site. Picnik does have a pencil sketch which is very fun! I am thinking I might print these and frame them....

 If you follow us on Facebook, then you already know we added window boxes to the house!! I am in love with them! Really I am...I actually talk to them as I water the flowers. I think it is good to talk to your plants...right?

Have a beautiful Sunday

and see you next week!

New beginnings....

Hello Friends....

How are you doing?

I am finishing my last week of class! One class down....too many to go!

It is okay, because I can hear God's calling...

a can see his plan...

When I need to re-energize I grab my camera and walk around the yard....

Watching our land come back to life....

Do you remember what it looked like in September when we moved in?

We can tell at one time someone loved this property very much,

it just needed someone to love it again.

It is amazing...

 all we needed to do was remove the weeds...

show it some love....

provide a little nurturing....

and watch it bloom....

"Be the change you wish to see in the world"

Mohandas Gandhi

We've always loved you best.....

This afternoon I was going through a box (yes, I have some unpacked boxes still) I found these poems....one for each child.....

To Our First Born...

We've always loved you best,

because you were our first miracle.

We prayed for you and Jesus sent us you,

all the way from South Korea...

You were the genesis of a marriage and the fulfillment of young love.

You sustained us through the hamburger years, a tiny yellow house,

our first mode of transportation, and the TV we paid for in 36 months.

You were new, had unused grandparents, and enough clothes for a set

of triplets. You were the original model for a mom and dad who were

trying to work the bugs out. You got homemade baby food,

brand new toys, and the three hour naps...

You were the beginning.......

To the Middle Child...

We've always loved you best,

 because you are our second gift from God.

A blessing more then words can explain.

You drew a tough spot in the family and

it made you stronger for it.

You cried less, had more patience,

and wore faded hand-me-downs.

But it only made you more special.

You were the one we relaxed with and realized that a dog

could kiss you and you wouldn't get sick. You could cross

a street by yourself long before you will drive a car,

and you helped us understand that the world wouldn't collapse

if you went to bed with dirty feet.

You were the child of our busy, ambitious years and without

you we never would have survived the job changes and the

tedium and routine that is marriage.

To the Baby...

We've always loved you best,

 because while endings are generally sad,

You are such a joy.

You showed us God does have a sense of humor!

You readily accepted the milk-stained bibs,

the games with missing pieces and the baby book

which is half way complete.

You are the one we held onto so tightly...

rocked a little longer each night.

You are the link with our past, a reason for tomorrow.

You keep us on our toes, squared our shoulders,

restored our vision and gave us a sense of humor

that security, maturity, and durability can't provide.

When our hair becomes the color of snow

and your own children tower over you,

you will still be our baby....

(poems adapted from the original poem written by L. Dutler)

Excuse me while I go find a box of tissues....

my tears have blurred my vision...