Rose Water

~ My Peaceful & Unlazy Days ~ 

Our Veggie Garden is finally put in just this week and I'm getting ready to tackle the flower beds next. But I just had to try something while my rose was ablooming!

My rose: Zephrine Druhin has a new purpose for me... my own special blend of Rosewater.

 I recently fell upon an old and ancient secret for soft skin ~ rosewater. So instead of letting all those pink petals fall to the ground, I gathered them up to see if I could make my own rosewater with this flower that is so dear to me.

For my first batch I thought a steamer would work - Um no - a waste of time...

But after strictly following instructions on Internet I found success!

~The home still~

 While I know I can buy Rosewater in a specialty shop/aisle,
 I just wanted to make use from one of my most wonderful
 gifts of spring (this rose).


First, beauty for the eye to behold; second, velvety soft bright pink petals to touch; and last but not least, the amazing distinct scent belonging to the rose.



I am finding myself becoming aromatherapy minded. So I've also experimented with making my own lavender oil smelling salts~which were also used long ago as a stress reliever remedy and for headaches. Just fill a little bottle with Sea Salt and Pure Lavender Essence Oil scented to your own personal strength 10 - 20 drops or so...

My Lavender Smelling Salts

My parents remember Lavender Smelling Salts being sold back in the 30's-40's. So, again, another lost legacy of our past that may help some of us today...





                  

I hope to have a most enjoyable summer and as the old saying from so long ago that my mom told me she used to sing as a kid goes.....  School's Out! School's Out! The Teacher Let The Fools Out!  ~ I thought it was kinda cute and with me working in a school cafe well, let's just say I myself was ready to be let out for a spell :)

HAPPY SUMMER!

Time Marches On...

I cannot believe we are almost half-way through July now... I have a wedding anniversary this week: 31 years on the 18th... Happy Anniversary Roger! 

This year the LORD has brought many blessings my way: I have a great job at the school  working in food service, I am off on the days my son is, which, of course, includes the summer break ~ Yay! 

I haven't accomplished as much as I thought I would while I've been off for the summer break, but I have to say I've had myself in time consuming activities... 

Vacation Bible School took up a great amount of time & preparation. It went well and I feel like I was of some service for the LORD as it should be :)  I love my church family and this is the church I have attended since before I was born :)

Allison Avenue Baptist Church

Our summer has blasted us with Hot Hot Hot , 100's were going on for many days in a row and that is not the norm here. We are back to normal temps now so warm and humid I can handle :) ~ We've planted our garden, praying to be blessed with a good harvest for canning beans and tomatoes. I've been canning corn and chicken so far.  I should have been on the garden a bit sooner, but the weather wasn't trustworthy to do it much sooner than we planted anyway. My oldest son wanted jerky, so we bought a roast to slice and dehydrate which was very good. Husband used his smoker and we made pulled pork out of that ~ yum! Yes, food seems to be the thing enjoyed the most around here :)

 I made a decision about how it would be best for me to pass along my " junk " to others who may be interested... I decided since there is so much time involved online and then with the packing/shipping it would not be the best way for me, so I am now a "Dealer" at a local antique mall:

Venice Pavilion Antiques

 

 This has taken a good amount of my time the past week or so, but now I think I have a system that will work for me, so here goes my first effort :) I think this will be easier for me in the long run.  I wanted to at least try it out and if it is not for me, I will go from there...

I am making time for crochet almost everyday even if it's only for a short time. I have other things to work on especially cleaning up my craft studio... I am excited to say I have an embroidery machine now, so I want to get on with some quilts and other fun things. 

I picked up a recent Where Women Create magazine and she wrote about wanting to learn all these crafts, buying the supplies and then not following through... basically that is the thing ~ being a dreamer vs. being a doer... I think I may be alot like her ~sigh~

To sum up my life :   Too many projects ~ Too little time :) 

Good Intentions

Hi ~ I hope all is going well in your lives. I had good intentions to keep my blog ongoing, but things and people in my life have needed attention ~ so now it's time to get back into it and time to get myself back to a routine. 2009 was a very stressful year, job layoff, health issues, loss of a family member, and different family members going through various problems. Through all this I have had the joy of spending more time with my son and time for devotions and scripture, which has brought a new understanding of my daily walk with the Lord.

I just read a book by Thomas & Nanette Kincade ~ 'The Many Loves of Marriage'. I found this book to be very interesting and if this is a true accounting of their marriage, they are truly blessed. I just wanted to share because I found many good ideas in the book for all stages of married life. If nothing else, it gives you some ideas to ponder on and possibly use to have a closer relationship with your spouse.

I painted my family room this fall 'Devonshire Cream' and added some flea market decor... I am in a peacock mood lately and have also developed a love of candelabras too ~ it's a hodgepodge, but I like it.


I plan on painting the living room next, its beyond ready for a fresh look too.

I participated in my first craft show in December, it was a great learning experience and I thank my friend Dottie for her help & support.

I am currently on a broomstick lace crochet fad... I made a cream baby afghan and when I finished it I couldn't stop so I started a purple one. Hopefully it too will be finished soon.














I am planning on adding some of my 'junk' to my etsy shop & ebay soon.

I am so excited with the first day of March and that means warmer weather is on it's way... Yay!!!

... encourage one another...

Brenda

The Magic Lily

Magic Lily's are blooming here in Southwest Ohio now... I love the flower so much I named our house ... because when we painted the trim pink they were in bloom and it just seemed the thing to do... (my husband really does put up with me ~ and I thank him)



I am excited that mine have produced more bulbs this year. I bought about 15-20 bulbs 2 years ago from Mary's Plant Farm and I am so happy to see about 34 have come in this year.

They must like it here...
I like the sweet scent that greets us out front.

I enjoy them while they last ~ it's never long enough...

I just wanted to share a few pics with you... We had a heavy rainshower this afternoon~the raindrops are still clinging to the petals.

I have been busy working on a few new crochet projects and gathering other items that I hope to list later this week.

Enjoy the present!
Brenda

Roses Roses Roses

Roses past...
I had a spectacular showing of Roses in May and June.

This Rose is Zephrine Drouin... a beauty in May and so heady with scent you can't imagine! No sweeter place to be on earth than the garden when it is bloomin'

My rose has a life and it wants to live it ~ let me tell you this rose story.

When my husband built the flower box we originally planted a trumpet vine ~ which never bloomed by the way ~ out it came (gone but not forgotten - it still springs up every year somewhere in the vicinity as it doesn't want to die either-go figure). We decided on climbing roses which we thought would look good and picked up two Zephrine Drouin ~ a thornless, strong scented shade tolerating variety. Beauty in about two years I couldn't believe ~ lasted a couple of years then the rose seemed to have spent itself ~ we dug them out and I let the flower box go the next year so we could paint the box and trellis. So for a summer we just planted some annual flowers for color & life. As I was thinking about what I would plant to replace the rose with and still not sure, the rose made that decision for me... the following Spring three came in where once there were two and over the years ~ this is my gift from mother nature.

My June blooming rose is a wild rambler I picked up about 3 years ago in Kentucky at the edge of my grandmother's family cemetery while we were there decorating. They say she was a lover of flowers and I like to think this may have been from one of hers, but if not it is at least from her property. I used the old fashioned way of getting a start ~ I snipped off about a 6 inch piece at the hip, put it in a cup with water for the trip home and that evening I made a mud ball, put it on the stem and placed it in the ground, watered it and put a glass fish bowl over it from early June until late August. Watered regularly ~ it was well rooted. The next year it just grew, last year it bloomed and grew some more. This wild rose only blooms once a year, but as you can see it is lovely to behold.

I'm enjoying other flowers now, but nothing is better than the first rose of summer...

I have designed and crocheted this "Romantique Summer Wrap"


~ anticipation for the first rose of summer was my inspiration ~

Wishing you a wonderful and enjoyable summertime.
Brenda

My Pink Powder Room

It all started with a vintage pink sink... and I just had to have it. Of course, it took a bit to convince my D.H. that I had to have it, but convince him I did.

After 2 weeks our half bath remodel is finally finished and I thought I'd share our project.



~ I just adore our little powder room ~









I'm on the hunt for a lacy white sink skirt ~ not an easy find ~ may have to make it myself.


The paint color is Serene Thoughts and at night with the nightlight on the room just glows.






The porcelain sink is an American Standard dated 1965 ~ I'm glad we were able to recycle this little gem.

The sink and light fixture we picked up at our local Habitat For Humanity ($20.00-sink and $5.00 for light); brass valve fitting for sink ($10.00); Paint ($20.00); Tile Flooring ($45.00); and the 2 x 3 foot shadow box style frame for white shelves was $3.99 at a local St. Vincent DePaul resale shop (D.H. added extra shelves with wood we had around the house and voila ~ a pretty perfume bottle~what nots collection display).
Ta-dah! $105.00-ish (Not too painful)

I am so pleased with our little remodel and give my husband credit for many hours of work and aggravation (the tiles I insisted just had to go in diagonally which took many cuts and more time to install, extra time also over that sink-after we had sink ready for install found out no studs... he had to cut drywall, add wood between studs, remudd that area and repaint, so needless to say he informed me my $20.00 sink was a pain in the ... well you get it I'm sure).

End of the story is ~ even my D.H. thinks it turned out good.

Until next time ~ Be of good cheer!
Brenda

♥Happy Valentines Day!

I love everything associated with Valentine's Day ~ the pink, red & white decorations to celebrate the most romantic of times ~ hearts, cupid with bow & arrow, love birds, roses, loveknots, lacy heart boxes filled with candies, true love tokens and those sweet little valentine cards.

Although February 14th is a happy occasion for most ~ I don't feel it's just about Romantic Love ~ I enjoy having this special day to show love and affection for those who are near and dear to my heart. I hope I do every day, but I admit it ~ I am guilty of living life & taking my loved ones for granted and at times forgetting to show them how much they mean to me. So I am quite happy there is a designated day to shower my sweeties with affection and sneak in some little token I think they might enjoy.

For the Romantics ~ Valentines Day is special because true love given and received makes life complete... My special valentine has been the same since 1980 and I am so thankful to have him.

~ Valentines Day is not just a day made up by the card companies ~ it has been a celebration all over the world for centuries and as one legend has it ~ it's all because St. Valentine wanted couples in love to be happy at a time when engagements and marriages were forbidden. I truly can't imagine not being married to the love of my life...

... so here we are ..........

My daughter-in-law, Michelle,
made this photo collage for me
about a year and a half ago and it's one of my favorite gifts.

Some say Kissing is a Sin, but I say not at all,
For tis been in the world ever since there were two.
If it wasn't lawful, Lawyers wouldn't allow it.
If it wasn't holy, Preachers wouldn't do it.
If it wasn't modest, Maidens wouldn't taste it.
If it wasn't plenty, Poor folks couldn't have it.
Author unknown
I've had this kissing poem in my stuff since the mid 70's ~ My sister went to a Valentines Social at church and it was in the program. I just thought I'd share it...


Being in the spirit, I did pick-up some little tokens for the loved ones and cards for a few special friends ~ I want them to know how much they mean to me too.

Wishing you a Happy Valentines Day!
Brenda