Deep Breaths ...

It is incredibly hard to process all going on in our world at this moment.  So much heartache and so much loss.  Truly nothing short of shocking and devastating.  I find in times like this the only thing I can do is pray.  Pray for our people, pray for peace in the suffering, pray for healing. Just pray.

This image popped up in my feed on Facebook yesterday and I immediately knew it described all I felt and the feelings I have every single time I deal with anything that is more than I can handle.  Life is hard, sometimes completely unbearable.  And we have way more questions than we do answers.    But it is also full of joy and love and good times that truly do overcome in the bad.

Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful and relax and exhale during the ordinary.

Much love and prayer!

The Magic of Wonder

Last summer my youngest child was instructed to read the book Wonder for part of her summer work. I had no previous knowledge of the book but reading the back cover I realized it would be a book that changed her perspective on so many things. What I didn't know was how much she would absolutely love every single page she read.

Little Bit is a Teenager!

I am quite possibly in shock that on this day at 12:20 pm thirteen years ago we were blessed with a tiny baby girl.  She was so much smaller than her brothers, quite possibly the size of a large Kleenex box when she was all swaddled.  The spitting image of her Daddy and her oldest brother she entered this world with a bang. So tiny, yet so mighty and truly a sweet baby.

Gathering Silver

I shared last year that I started collected a silver pattern for our youngest. Since she is the only girl I am thrilled to be collecting something she can use in her home one day with her family.  I have put other things aside for the boys, as they also are truly sentimental.  But for her I have started a silver collection.

I originally started the collection with just a few random pieces and over the last 18 months I have been able to locate and collect quite a few more. This weekend after two trips to Scott Antique Market I snagged even more.  It is exciting to hunt for her pattern and then come home, wash and polish the new pieces and add them to her silver chest. She even gets excited when she sees me pull out the chest and wants to know what is be added.

The pattern I selected for her is Grosvenor by Community and it is a silver plate pattern from 1921.  I love that it is silver plate for two reasons, she can use it every single day and it frees her up to collect a sterling pattern if she chooses later on.  The pattern is elegant yet classic and she can add a monogram to it if she chooses.  I truly do love the pattern.

At the moment she has 12 dinner forks, 8 dinner knives, 6 luncheon knives, 6 gumbo spoons, 2 teaspoons, 2 salad forks, 12 cocktail forks, 1 tomato server, a few butter knives and butter spreaders and a lemon fork. This weekend I also found a ladle and this morning I found a carving set and a pair of ice tongs. Along with antique shops and Scotts I have perused Replacements.  Their prices are a bit higher but they do stock hard to find pieces and sometimes the prices are truly perfect.  As I said before, it is all about the hunt for me. At the moment I am also looking to find a silver chest with more than two sections as her chest is beginning to fill up and you truly can't see what is inside.  We own Lawyer's grandmother's silver and it is in a rather large chest but I am noticing these are harder to find.  I am on the quest for something similar.

As I find pieces I don't always know what they all are.  The lemon fork was a tough one to identify.  I originally thought it was a pickle fork, but I was incorrect.  This guide is so useful and I printed it out to keep in the chest to help me identify what I find.  The knives and spoons are the most difficult for me since there are so many of each.  At the moment I am hunting more salad forks and teaspoons which seem to be the hardest to locate outside of the internet.  I will find them, it will just take some time!

What I love most of all while I am collecting is how involved Little Bit has become.  Every single time she sees me pull out the chest she is excited to see what I have found.  She knows I am saving it all for her and it is fun to see her enthusiasm as she sees me wash and polish each new piece.  Maybe one day she will even want to help me hunt.

Well, that is if she ever decides it is more fun than making slime with her besties ...

Happy Tuesday!!

Last Call #801

I have eluded to being off the blog the last week or so for personal reasons but I didn't give any details.  Today as I sit here at my desk the week weighs on my heart, not in a bad way but instead in a way full of love and purpose.  The story I have for you is one I will never forget.  I write today with full permission of the parties involved and can tell you this post will inspire you beyond words.

Feeling Like Me ...

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We all have bad days and some of those bad days extend for more than just the day and we end up with a bad week.  It happens to everyone and sometimes it takes a little more to get back to feeling like yourself.  Last week was that way for me.  It started off emotional with my youngest starting her 7th grade year and then hit me hard after losing a large and ever present member of my family and I was left feeling drained and lost and totally in a fog.  Part sad, part grief and just completely and totally drained.

We can all relate.

Let's Be Friends ...

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Isn't that the truth??

Did you know that TPC is on Facebook?  If you are new to this fabulous idea, let's fix that now and immediately become friends.  Over the summer there will be amazing happenings and I do not want you to miss even one single one of them!

Head on over now here and let's be besties, want to??

Have the most amazing Thursday!

Oh, and its National Best Friend day, so love on those who love you no matter what crazy antic or hair brained idea you have.  You know you owe them your life!!  xo

What Makes Me Happy ...

Happy Wednesday!!  Today I am posting at The Uptown Acorn with my friend Ron as part of his What Makes Me Happy series.  I was thrilled when he asked me to contribute ... I love working with other bloggers.  It was hard narrowing it down to just four things I love since I have so many things I adore, but when I sat and thought for a few it was way easier than I thought!!  I mean, there are four things I just can't imagine my life without!!

Pop over to his blog and read my article ... I think you will agree all four of my items are what make me the happiest!!  You will love his blog.  His eye for detail and his incredible style will keep you coming back for post after post.  I love when he posts about parties, I can just see myself popping over and having the absolute best time!!  I can't wait to visit New Orleans and have drinks on his porch!!

I am off this morning to spend the day with one of my favorite people, my darling friend Skipper. It is her birthday today and we spend our birthdays with each other doing things we haven't done and I have a fabulously fun day planned for her.  I pick her up just after 8:30 and we are off on a full day.  You can follow along with us on Instastories!!!

Have a fabulous Wednesday!!  

Inspiration du jour ... an idea that grew into a BLOG

Almost seven years ago, 12.17.2007, I wrote my very first blog post.  It was tiny and quite simple and I remember when I posted it thinking ... well here goes!