Creating is pure "Bliss"....

Oh, I haven't been on here for a long while. I know that is a no no for a successful blog. Head colds and working a lot with two jobs....well, that is my excuse!!! BUT, I have been also creating and, yes, it is pure bliss when I can get some things done upstairs. I am almost done with my "Children of the King" series. I will be offering them at the antique store where I work and also on ebay and etsy. I will provide a link when I get it done. I am so excited!! After sharing with a fellow crafter about the dilemma of spending time, balancing time, etc.....well, my heart is that if I can "Praise the Lord" in my creations that is a most fulfilling feeling!!! So, will be sharing those pictures quite soon. Have to work at the store tomorrow....am excited with sorting jewelry stuff to start some "steampunk" bracelets, necklaces and pins. Enjoying the thought of giving items character.....hopefully, building on the good character already present!! Blessings....debbie

Pondering Spring.....again.....

Good afternoon! Looking for some pictures and came across these as I and many others around here, ponder Spring!!! I do love winter in the sense that it means "flannel". It is my favorite material....doesn't usually go well in the warmer months. I don't want to wish my days away, but I do find myself sighing too often these days hoping for warmer temps. What is amazing is way up north where the Olympics are going on that they have such a lack of snow!!! Oh, they could have some of ours! Even though we wish for warmer temps, it will have to come gradual or we will have major flooding.

Now that Valentines is over, time to get in the mood for Easter. Our Lenten services are starting tonight. I enjoy this time of year because we get together with two other churches and take turns meeting together up until Easter on Wednesday nights. Have a service and then great food and fellowship afterwards.....oh, how I enjoy the fellowship! It gives us an opportunity to stop in our busyness and reflect on God's great gift to us and share with one another!

Will be posting some of my other creations soon. Am so excited to be sharing and hope to get things on etsy and ebay soon. I figure people aren't really shopping seriously until April....paying off Christmas and getting their taxes done!

I sure have enjoyed looking at blogs....so many many creative and wonderful people out there. Technology in this sense....I am just so thankful to have it!!! Blessings.....deb

Bird Feeder Chandelier!!!

Oh, just real quick!!! I was on the junkmarket site. I get it e-mailed to me. You can too. Just click here:

JunkMarket Style

A gal made a wonderful chandelier redo and I did this one. Fun!!!
This is a bird feeder! Have another one that I did in blue and has beautiful rose saucers for feeders or birdbaths!

Visit Prairie Pastimes!!!

Visit Peggy's blog

This is an area in the store. I just put

the same picture below. Peggy is very

talented and loves to create in the primitive. Her area looks different right now as she has sold the red topped table and has added and changed out things. Seeing her area in the store would be worth your time, if you are ever in our neck of the woods! I will share some of my stuff in the store later! Blessings!

More from the "Antique Store"

As promised, more from our antique store in the Midwest! Keep in mind that the store changes all the time. We are constantly adding new items, rearranging, having fun with the different holidays and happenings in the community.

Heading up north to Aberdeen, a town of 25,000 plus to do shopping, etc. Have had tremendous winds, not much snow, thank goodness, but lots of drifting.

Enjoyed our Valentine banquet last night. For the white elephant gift exchange, I ended up with a ceramic snowman 12 to 15 inches tall and my husband ended up with the ET movie and a large bag of peanut MM's. I would say we didn't do too bad. My snowman is in the front entry looking outside. I need to get organized and get some pictures taken of our snow. We have had some amazing mornings where the snow is frozen on the tree branches and looks like a winter wonderland.

Spink County Mercantile, Redfield, South Dakota

I was reading some other blogs and how some are showing their shops, etc. Well, I thought I would share with you where I work and where I sell things that I create. I have been working here over 3 years. It is a part-time job that works well with my other job. Here, I can work and create at the same time! It is an amazing situation really. It is a job that I get paid for but also provides me with a great outlet for time to create and time to visit with people in our community. As with all businesses, we have our slow times. We are considered the Pheasant Capital area in the world, so hunting seasons are busy for us. A local dentist bought this building when it had a false ceiling in so the previous renters wouldn't have such high utility bills. The false ceiling was taken out and the building was restored to the way it was when it was a furniture store so long ago. It has very high ceilings covered in tin, a great balcony and is just an all out amazing place to have an antique store. We sell a variety of items from furniture, pottery, jewelry, glassware, advertising items, handmade items, collectibles of all kinds. The manager has a gift with arranging.....I love assisting her. She knows all about color and flow of the eye. Anyway, I may post more pictures at another time. These were taken in 2008. Don't you think this is a beautiful place. Come visit anytime! Our hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 to 5 and from May to the end of December, we are open on Sundays from 12 to 5. See you.....deb

My Sister's Keeper movie

My Sister's Keeper

Happy Valentine's Day!!! We had a wonderful Sunday School time and church service. Tonight, our youth are putting on a banquet for couples. All the monies raised goes into their youth fund to do retreats and such. We are looking forward to it. Every year, we do the "white elephant" swap or gift exchange. One never knows what he or she will end up with when all is said and done. It is fun to try and figure out something to bring that may get fought over in a fun way. Everything starts at 6pm with a menu of chicken corde on bleu. Don't know if I spelled it right but am sure it will taste good!

I just recently finished the book by Jodi Picoult and we rented the movie last night. Yes, the movie does deviate from the book.....I found some of it rather maddening, but still a good story. One of the lines that was most powerful to me was during the trial or hearing. The mother, a lawyer representing herself in a suit filed by her daughter, asks her husband who is on the stand if she shows love to all three of her children the same (something like that). He said something in response like, "You showed love where it needed the most attention at the time." She was really struck by that, almost struck down. How often as a mother can I wonder about that, "did I show love where it was needed the most and neglected others?" You see, my husband Mark died of kidney cancer in May of 2006. We dealt with his illness for over two years. Our four children were around 7 to 16 at the time. Those two years altered the course of everyone because the love and attention often was on Mark and dr. appts., surgeries, therapies, etc. Now, it is almost four years later and I see the results still of being physically and mentally and emotionally absent at times where my kids needed me. Oh, we have grown. We are stronger and more empathetic to those around us, but we are forever changed. So, we all hope to be better and know that a storm, not the last one we shall ever see, set the course of our lives and we decide if it will be for the better. Yes, we decide everyday to be better or bitter!

Would welcome any comments on those that have seen "My Sister's Keeper." Blessings.....

Oh, and I had a great time with my daughter. Brought her back to spend a couple of days with us.....