At Home With White

Okay.....I admit it...."I want a white house with blue shutters and a window overlooking the water so I can paint (or sew) and a big old porch wrapped around the entire house!!!"   If you've seen the film, The Notebook, and most women have (right?) you will recognize this quote.  White calms our souls and is soothing and serene.  In interior design, shades of white are always in style and the mood stays the same in a room until a splash of color is added and in our lives often we do need that splash of color and truly, sometimes just a touch of something colorful can keep one balanced.  Okay back to white.....

Recently, while in Savannah visiting Shelly she took me to one of my favorite stores, "One Fish, Two Fish."  If you visit Savannah, you'll be inspired by the lovely array of furnishings, books, and gift items found in the store.  One book in particular caught my eye, AT HOME WITH WHITE,  by Atlanta Bartlett.  I thumbed through the book, admired it, wanted to buy it, but put it down and kept browsing.  Lucky me....at the next shop Shelly took us to, the book was on sale by 20 % so I just bought it on the spot!  It is full of ideas room by room and if you find during these winter months that you need a pick me up, you might think of white working for you.  White after all, is a perfect blank canvas with limitless possibilities!  Isn't that what our lives should be.....full of possibilities!  I hope you will enjoy just a few of these white places that you could be at home with.

 

AT HOME WITH WHITE

 

This beautiful all white bedroom!

 

This room is almost all white, except for the colorful splash of yellow, grey, and blue from fabric by Marimekko that I added to this all white bedroom for a change.  The room with the twin beds has everything white except for the pillow on the top in a shade of gray.  You can see how just a touch can change the feel of a room.  

 

This all white room, again with a splash of color, was the hotel we stayed in on our visit to Savannah,

The Mansion at Forsythe Park

 

And now a favorite.....the white chairs all in a row at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel!

Prayer

This beautiful chapel is called Faith Chapel and it located on the grounds of the very beautiful Jekyll Island Club Historic Hotel.  It was built as an inter-denominational chapel on the grounds in the early 1900's for the families who owned homes there or visited the club.  Times have changed.....to think that in building their homes, their faith was so important to them that a chapel for worship was included and of importance for the families and their lives.  Sunday worship was a way of life for families.  Praise God that places like this have been restored and preserved for families today and for others who happen along the way and find such a special place to pause, reflect on the Holiness of God, and to perhaps offer a prayer for those who the Holy Spirit prompts us to pray for.  Several years ago, I was very blessed to know a precious Godly woman, Betty, who reflected Christ in her words, her actions, her teaching of the Word, and her countenance.  Betty taught me the importance of prayer in my life and I have saved her notes for twenty years. She shared from her heart without any notes on prayer and I jotted them down that winter day long ago and still use them often and always with a reminder that God honors prayer........

 PRAYER....."Prayer comes spontaneously from those who abide in Jesus.  Prayer is the natural outgushing of a soul in communion with Jesus.  As the leaf and fruit come out of the vine branch without any conscious effort and simply because of its living union with the stem, so prayer buds and blossoms and fruits out of souls abiding in Jesus.  As stars shine, so do abiders pray." 
Charles Spurgeon

Prayer is trusting God will answer according to His perfect will.  There will be times when you receive an answer right away but often we wait for God to answer.  The Bible often speaks of "waiting" for God:  "We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and shield." 

1. Wait through earnest specific prayer.
2. Listen for His Voice - Pray you will hear that still small Voice.
3. Develop a love for God's Word.
4. Ask the Lord to be steadfast.
5. Read His Word, meditate upon it.
6. Memorize His Word.
7. Words of the Bible are Living.
8. Obey God's Word.
9. Overcome fear and trust in Him.  Expect intense struggle as you seek to obey.
10. When you know you are in God's will leave the results to Him.  Give Him Glory and Honor!
11. When you wait, wait expectantly, ultimately it will be good.

May peace be with you~

Very Special Birthdays.....

Two of our daughters have January birthdays!  Kara's was on the 16th and Shelly's is on the 27th and Steve and I were blessed over the weekend to share a great weekend with both of them in Savannah where Shelly is now living working toward the goal of obtaining her master's in Graphic Design.  Kara flew from New York and we picked her up for a whirlwind weekend.  We are in the process of planning Kara and Phil's wedding which will be May 22nd so it was a joy to be with both of them.  Shelly has literally just moved into her apartment but when we arrived, she had the living room filled with yellow balloons all over the place, roses for Kara in two different vases, banners declaring her birthday and a drink for toasting Kara's big year.  So much love and preparation went into her planning for Kara.  That's Shelly....sharing, giving, loving, and doing it all joyfully!  This was a picture from our dinner celebration for the girls!  Shelly is designing the save the date cards, invitations, and programs for Kara and Phil's big day! Happy Birthday to both of you.....with so much love! 

Sweet Little Smiles

These little dresses on my precious little granddaughters....Ava, Olivia, and Isabel were part of my sewing projects last week!  As I've always said...English smocking is such a fun and graceful way to make a little girl look girlie!!!  Ava's dress and the French Hand Sewn collar were made  years ago when Kristen was five years old.......It pays to keep treasures........where your heart is, there your heart is also.  I do treasure these precious little ones!

The Open Door

This beautiful room was featured  in House Beautiful Magazine.....it's one of my favorite magazines for gleaning ideas and just browsing with a cup of tea on a sunny afternoon.  I love the neutrals because they are so calming and serene!   Notice the open door in the picture........ "May your troubles be less, and your blessings be more and nothing but happiness come through your door."  An Irish Blessing......may your day be blessed and may your enjoy those God has placed in your path today! 

Prayers

Two prayers for the Weekend.......

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed by thy Name;

thy kingdom come, thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who

trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and power,

and the glory, for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to

accept the things I cannot change,

courage to change the things I can,

and wisdom to know the difference.  Amen.

Have a blessed and wonderful weekend! And remember.....Angels watch over you......

"For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.:  Psalm 91:11

Wedding Flowers.......

We are celebrating, planning, and.......looking at Wedding Magazines as our daughter, Kara prepares for her wedding in May! She has found her wedding gown (the second one she tried on) and she didn't want to take it off.....a good sign that it was the right one. I have had the honor of helping two other of our daughters with their weddings and each wedding held the dream of each Bride. Now, it is Kara's turn. She is pure romantic~dress, flowers, and all the details. Growing up, she read all the classics in literature and always loved the "love stories" and then movies....she was the first one to see anything classic! She desires a simple and elegant wedding. Phil is from England so the logistics of his family coming to the US is not easy but we will accomplish it! This will be an extraordinary year for Kara and Phil. In two weeks we will be going to the wedding site and preparing more of the details. It will be a beautiful place to be married! I'll keep it a secret for now and after we return, I will post pictures. These beautiful flowers are just a few of her favorites! She loves peonies! But then, what Bride doesn't?