Inspirations......

 In this archway, leading into Norwich Catherdral from the side, the aging beauty of stone that was once fully white is beautiful!  I see so much potential in decorating a room in shades of cream and even adding a touch of grey.....

 This lovely window seat, and of course the beautiful window, was snapped inside a tiny cottage in England.  The once white stone has aged to a beautiful cream!

 Stroll down any street in Paris and every turn is a picture!  The white on white with the pop of red flowers says......BEAUTIFUL!

 Another Parisian photograph of blonde wood Entry Doors against ecru stone!

 This treasured pillbox hat was a gift to me from my Grandmother's treasures!   I can just see her now wearing this beautiful hat to church on any given Sunday!  The off white color inspired me this week to change a few things in one of my guest rooms where the hat now has a place of promience.  The pillows below in the following pictures are all made from cream linen in different weaves!  I used a French edge on all of them!  Sewing is so much fun......in just a few hours you can transform a room!  The seashell is a mushroom coral I found this week at our local shop that sells seashells! 

 The beautiful painting of the Angel was a gift from my daughter, Kristen, that she painted and gave to me after I helped a few days after the birth of her little girl, Olivia!  I love the whites against the blues! 

After finishing my pillows of cream, I needed a little pop to finish off the decor' so I found this scrap of fabric from another pillow I had made and realized that cream and grey  do look pretty good together!  One rule:  Never throw away scrap fabric...you might find it useful!

Beauty found in nature and the natural, unattended beauty of earth's creation is one of God's greatest gifts to mankind!  In His wisdom, God gave us such an inspiring and beautiful world to live in! The natural colors of the stone, wood, seashells, and fabrics used above are so beautiful to me and extremely calming.  Decorators are using less and less of color and more and more of natural creams and whites!

I  so enjoy  helping other people create homes that are comfortable and beautiful! I like to do this because the home is where my heart is! 

The beautiful people that live inside your home look to you each for inspiration too!!!  Who inspires you?  What inspires you? Where do you search for encouragment and direction when you need an answer?   As we are about to begin a new week, let me encourage you to  arrange your days so that you create an environment in your home where others are loved and nurtured. A house decorated with LOVE is the most beautiful!  Before the day begins, you and I have been given a clean slate! Thankfully, it is calm early in the morning. Turning toward the Lord gives direction (not perfection) for our day. 

We can begin each day by rejoicing in Him and being thankful for all the blessings around us.  As you begin your new week, may I share with you a passage from His word than sustains me daily as I look to Him for guidance.  In His way and In His time, He truly is able to make all things in our lives beautiful!  From the scraps of our lives, He is making something beautiful....even inspiring.

"Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every sitaution, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable~if anything is excellent or praiseworthy~think about such things."  Philippians 4:4~8

May your week be blessed and may your home be a haven or blessing and peace!!!