Vintage Photos, Laces, Hearts, and Dried Roses

Nostalgia, Blessings, Remembering, Growing.

It always seems that when I work with my laces, I'm thinking of people who lived long ago.

When I touch the beautiful designs made by hands long ago, it connects me in the NOW, with people from the PAST.  And it makes me think.  What will people in the FUTURE think or know about me?

Am I leaving something behind for those who will come after me that will be of value?

I know I am.  Because I'm a living, breathing, human being of value to God, and so are YOU.

We have a purpose here.  We have a place, and we have HIM.

My value?  Only God knows the real value, but I can name a few that I see.

To my husband, my children, my church family, and my friends.

You see, things would be a lot different if I wasn't here.

And that's what I guess I'm getting at.

I almost wasn't.

These vintage photos are just so sweet.  Beautiful children who lived long ago.

Their pictures left behind for others to value.

But the people themselves, they had value, and they probably grew up to have their own children, and then THEY had children who may be those of you who are reading this today.

Being you today is a gift from God.  Life is a gift.  And it's God's to give or take.

The old things I collect and love to play with are truly just things.  They have little value.

And as I grow older, I seem to be able to pass more of the items I've cherished on to others.  Realizing that it's the OTHERS who have value!

I'm so thankful for photos.  They are the visual history of our world.  Truly, a picture is worth a thousand words!  And the photos I cherish of my loved ones from the past as well as my children from today make my life happier.  Those have value.  Because THEY had/have value.

And some day when photos are all that is left of me, I hope that the people seeing them will realize that life is precious.  That life if of value.  That THEY have value!

Mankind is always trying to do or make something that will keep their NAME remembered.

I don't care if my name is remembered.  I want them not to remember my name, but my JESUS!!

And the VALUE He puts in THEM!

I almost wasn't born, I was not wanted. And in a day and age where life is now an item that has little or no value, it makes me incredibly thankful to the ONE who gives life.  And to the one who decided to go against her parent's wishes and give me a life. 

Each of you who are reading this have been given a miracle.  LIFE.

Live it for a purpose.  Live it because you are special.  Live it because YOU HAVE VALUE!!

And thank the ONE who gave it to you.

Blessings,

Doni

Pearls and Lace Thursday #83 Redwork And Keeping a Promise

 

I've been really busy!  We have two litters of puppies that demand a lot of time, a 50th Anniversary renewal service and reception for some very dear, sweet friends, traveling a bit, and a funeral too.

Busy but very sweet...lots of family and friends.

And in the evenings, I have had this project in my hands.  I've done a lot more on it as you can see, but it's still far from finished!

Do you ever make a promise?
I made a promise almost two years ago to complete a project for someone, someone who had promised to complete the project and was in the process of doing so, but couldn't finish.
I promised, and now they're complete.
All four of them!
I didn't do the majority of the work, in fact it took years from what I've heard from start to finish.
Oh, and I still need to iron them...
but here they are!

The very palest roses were embroidered by the hands of the original woman, a long time ago.
Another pair of hands picked up the work where she had to leave off, and when those hands could no longer work on the project, my own hands went to work on them.
Only the darkest pink flowers were completed by me, and so three pairs of hands have lovingly worked on them.

I will get them in the mail shortly, but wanted to share with you some of the things I've been working on the last few weeks.

I'll be sharing this post with some of the parties I have listed on the sidbar so be sure and check them out!

Pearls and Lace Thursday is here again (finally!) after two weeks off, and I am already thinking about what to share with y'all next week.

I have been looking at French embroidery blogs the last few weeks.  Oh my!  They are incredible!  I so hope to be able to do some of the lovely projects they've done over there! 

Join the party if you'd like, and thanks to you all for your sweet comments even when I've been too busy to respond much.  AND, for those of you who left comments on the last post with helpful topics for me to try to make my photo skills better, a huge hug!  I have tried some of the hints, and am working on others!

Perhaps someday I'll get it all right!

Link your post to the linky below and I hope you all have a blessed week!

Doni

Pearls and Lace Thursday #52

Stitches from the Past to the Present

Works in crochet as well as tatting are some of my very favorites.  I have learned both crafts (tatting is easy by the way...I learned over the internet!!) and enjoy them at various times during the year.  Whenever I see vintage work though, I just drool.  The women of history have left a wealth of beauty for us to enjoy, and just think...if you are a crafter, someday in the future, YOUR work will be handled gently and loved by someone and maybe even be blogged about!!

This sweet little baby cap is silky soft with a lining of muslin.  The stitching is wonderful, and I know that loving hands made it and cared for it over the years.  Though not my own, it has recently become mine, and who knows...maybe some day I'll be a grandmother to a baby girl and I can take pictures of her wearing it, and then pass it on!

The ball of thread is from the attached doily that ruffles and swirls into a large sized doily.  It's not complete, but it's close.  Should I finish it?  Or should I leave it as is by the original stitcher??

 The crocheted roses are from the Present...I made them.  I have a huge jar that I keep them all in...various colors of crochet thread and lots of roses!  I've used some on my heart shaped pillows (a few are on the pillow on the right), and I love the softness they add to my projects.  The heart shaped crocheted pink pin cushion is an older relic from a bygone day.  Well worn, it saw its share of pins and I'm sure was loved by the previous owner.  A whole shopping bag full of sewing goodness for a song!!

The tatting was from an etsy sale, as are many of the objects in that box, but they are favorites and therefore beloved by me!!

You know, I aspire to take beautiful photos of beautiful (to me) objects.  This particular grouping was the easiest to put together for me because it includes ALL of my favorites...sewing, roses, vintage yummyness as that awesome box!  If any of you have a similar box (with roses or something sweet covering it) that you'd be willing to sell, please email me and let me know about it...I'd love to add to my 'collection'!!

I am going to be linking up this post with a number of parties including the following:

Vintage Thingie Thursday

http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/

Treasure Hunt Thursday

http://www.bluecreekhome.com/

Home Sweet Home

http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Open House Party
http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/

Feathered Nest Friday

http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

It's a Hodgepodge Friday

http://itsahodgepodgelife.blogspot.com/

Frugalicious Friday

http://decormamma.blogspot.com/

A Crafty Soiree

http://www.katiesnestingspot.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday

http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Thrifty Things Friday
http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

 

Pink Saturday

http://www.howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Be sure and check them out and also join the Pearls and Lace Thursday party here!!

Just link up your post's url code to the link below and show us your pretties!

Please no blog url or sales (ebay, etsy, personal stores) urls.  We just want to see your pretties!

Thanks to all who have joined me in the past.  I love your comments too! Y'all are so sweet!!!

Blessings to you all,

Doni

Pearls and Lace Thursday #33 and Giveaway Winner Announced!

The Best of 2010

Pearls and Lace Thursdays of the Past

As I've been blogging for the last year, I've realized a few things about myself.  I find that I love pearls and lace (of course) more and more.  I seek the laces and pearls wherever I go shopping.
But I have also found some new favorites.  Hand Painted items have become a HUGE love for me!  Even today I received a new object (to be shared later), and I'm on the hunt for more.

My mother's stichery, and dried roses are also some of my favorite subjects. 

I have a camera now that I'm trying to get used to, and as the new year progresses, I hope to capture new subject material in much better light and with much more appeal.

I've also found out that I love old books, especially pastel colored children's books!  I seem to use them all the time!

The hand painted bowl below has become my favorite piece ever.  It sits in a place of honor in my home.  I've only once seen a piece that compares, and now I own a piece to be proud of.

And along with the pearls and lace theme, I have begun making pillow recently.  I have opened an Etsy shop, and hopefully I'll be adding more and more items to it during the year.

The pillow below is the Giveaway item chosen by the winner of my Giveaway!

Purple and black are the main colors, with pearl and rhineston button accents.

A vintage embroidered doily was used to make a pocket, and the roses were crocheted by me.

Congratulations to Sherry at Blessings From Our Nest!  Be sure and click on her Blog name and visit her.  She has a wonderful family and lifestyle, and her blog is a joy to follow!

Now.  Tell me what your favorite Pearls and Lace Post was last year, and join me this week for Pearls and Lace Thursday.  Either share a past favorite with us, or share a new one, but please only add the url link to your single blog post, not for your whole blog, and please also include a link back to this site.

I hope the new year will be full of Pearls and Laces for you all!

Blessings, Doni



God is Awesome!

These shots were taken on Friday, February 12, 2010 by my wonderful husband and I'm so excited to have them. We had one of the "Once in a Lifetime" snows here in the northeast Texas area. It was really beautiful.

The pond is located just outside our back door, and off to the right. We watch the ducks come and go in the Winter, and the Blue Herons during the rest of the year. It's so pretty with the lacy snow patterning the tree limbs and brances. Even the barbed wire fence has a beauty that only the snow can give! I wish the sun had come out so that it sparkled and shone. That would have been glorious! With all of the beauty we see on the earth in all its different forms, whether snow or sun, pond or ocean, I am thankful that God allows us to be a part of it. Don't you know that heaven is going to be more glorious than anything we've seen yet or can even imagine! I can't wait!!

I know...it's not Spring yet. But I just LOVE flowers, and spring, and warm but not hot or cold weather. So I thought a picture of one of my many favorite flowers would be pretty! I'm not the greatest photographer (obviously), but I try my best and hope to get better in the future!
One of the many projects I have in the back of my head to work on is a scrapbook of my numerous photos of flowers. I should have already started it, but it's such a huge project, and I don't know what size book to make it, or how to do it! Should it be by flower? Roses on one page, violets another, or should I do it by color of flower? Pinks, whites, purples, etc... So many decisions. So, I'll just keep on taking pictures and maybe one of these days I'll just jump on it and start it! Enjoy the picture!