Spinning

Well it's just amazing what rest and peace of mind can do for you. We've been on vacation for a few days and I already feel like a new woman!!!! A while back I posted about my desire to master the art of wool spinning here. Although I may not have actually MASTERED the concept yet, I have been working on the project quite a bit and I think I may have actually found my niche. (Or at least another one!)

I love it so much that I actually bought a travelling wheel to bring with me on vacation! She is an Ashford wheel and her name is Joy. Let me just tell you that she definitely lives up to her name. I had a quirky dream of spinning wool while watching and listening to the ocean.....so....that's when I became obsessed. I started looking at my favorite shop and trying out different portable wheels. Joy was perfect. She even came with her own travelling bag! I am SO thankful I went ahead and took the plunge. I LOVE my Ashford Elizabeth wheel, but she's delicate and prefers to stay close to home:)

Here's just a peek at what I've been doing.

Is that gorgeous or what? Not perfect maybe, but lovely just the same:). Will post a few pictures of spinning at the beach soon....Have a beautiful day sisters!!! Much love~~Shine

Rested thoughts

Guess what girls? I'm at the beach!!!! When we arrived here I was virtually in a comatose state. Isn't it interesting how the world can beat you down? I have always been a very optimistic person, choosing to see the good and positive in all situations. I still feel optimistic, but the older I get, I am afraid I feel I am just getting down right weary. At this point in life, I can see the end of the tunnel. Not that the tunnel has been terrible, it has just been very long. At 52 years old....perhaps I just need more breaks...more rests. This one has done me a WORLD of good.

I feel light and refreshed. My mind is beginning to be at peace. I have time to be in His word and ponder on things my mind usually just pushes to the dark corners. I am so thankful for all God has given me. While pondering here I asked myself..."what is the difference between me and so many others..?" I see families splitting apart left and right. Mothers leaving, fathers leaving....so many children left behind with no choice. My marriage has never been an easy one. I love my husband with all my heart, but even so, hard times have been at my back door many times. Many times I have wanted to run away.....to be "at peace" even if it meant being alone. The way I dealt with those thoughts however, I believe, has been the reason I am in the "minority". Number one, I seek His answer daily. I will not give in to what my "self" wants today. I am always seeking, and will not be satisfied, until I am quite certain, that I am doing the best I can for Him....even if it's not what I think is the best for me. In the end though, He always knows best, and He always protects me with His sovereignty. Also, I choose to believe that rather than giving in to the thoughts of "I deserve better", I pray to ever believe that "I have so much more than I could ever deserve". 

Today is a lovely day. I have a beautiful family with good health. We have managed to stay afloat financially despite this crazy economy. God is good sisters. When you can't be certain of your own feelings, your own heart....seek Him and He WILL help you through always.
I am getting ready to celebrate my 29th anniversary. Not with the perfect man, but with the man God gave me, the man that is just right for me:) Have a blessed day girls!
Much love, Shine

Bad blogger

Hi girls! Thought I'd better just make a short post about what's going on with Anna's wallpaper. I've started a dozen, but the long and short of it is....the wall paper in NOT coming down. Hubby is NOT doing bead board, and we are NOT painting over it (my husband's words:) So....we did our best to decorate around it. I'm vacating right now, but here's a quick peek at the beginnings:)

I suppose you've guessed by now, she LOVES music:) 

Have a BLESSED day!!! Much love....Shine 

I'm in Trouble

Well.....I've gotten myself in a mess:( I started removing Anna's wallpaper and I am in bad trouble indeed. I have removed approximately 2,500 sq. ft. of wallpaper from this house and I thought I had encountered every kind of wallpaper problem there could be, but alas...I was wrong.

Girls, this paper will NOT come off.

This small corner of the room has taken me over 12 hours.:( I've tried Downey and hot water. I've tried vinegar and hot water. I've let the solutions set....but the problem is this. When the room was built, they did not prime the walls as they were suppose to AND they used gorilla glue. Well, probably not, but, whatever kind of glue it is I have never encountered such a thing.

It is only coming off in teeny, tiny pieces. I've torn the sheet rock multiple times already from trying to soak the paper too long, which means extensive repair work. My only hope now is that my dear, sweet hubby will come to my rescue once again and save the day by......putting up bead board for us:) Yep....I've got a new plan. Wish me luck!!
xoxo Shine

Never grows old

Today I'm going to link up with Kathy again for another one of her blog parties. I always find great ideas at these parties and always come away making sweet new friends.
One of my paternal aunts passed away a while back. She was in her nineties and a spunky little thing right up to the last. She had this painting in her home for many years and I feel very honored to now have it in mine.

She had it in a very flimsy little frame, but I found this one at an antique shop and it was a perfect fit. :))))

It also doesn't hurt anything that hubby dear just happens to be custom picture framer. All that being said, I love the picture. I love having Jesus in my dining room. Well....you know....He's always there, but I love looking at the picture. So nice to reflect when we are having our meals. The picture never gets old. I could look at it forever and never tire of it.
A sweet friend gave me the little sheep linen for Christmas....I LOVE IT!!

So cute with all the little sheep lined up in a row. All hand stitched....and I just love that little black sheep at the end.....sometimes I think that's me:)

Jesus watching over me....I like that.
Stop in and see A Delightsome Life today......you won't be sorry!!
Blessings~~Shine

I'm going in

I have had a spinning wheel now for about 8...maybe 10 years. We bought it, finished it, assembled it....I played with it sporadically, but I have never given myself over to it.

I love looking at my wheel....and I've dreamed over the years of making her fly...and spinning the most beautiful of yarns.

I just never could seem to make the time to learn it properly. I wanted to make gorgeous yarn, but when I spun, my yarn was knobbly and not even cute like the popular knobby yarns these days...just ugly and wrong. 

Most people wonder why on earth I would want to do such a thing in the first place....just go buy yarn. I can't explain it, it's just something I yearn to do....and not only just do, but do well. Have you ever seen gorgeous handspun yarn? If not take a look here. This yarn lady is awesome. Her yarn is exactly what I want to do. SO precise and gorgeous. 

For the past two weeks, I have been pondering on my wheel. She has been beckoning me to come and master her, and guess what? I do believe that now is the time. For the first time since I've had my wheel, I did manage to produce a fairly decent yarn. Not willing to share that just yet, but it wasn't all bad, and now, I'm jumping in head first. I've been in touch with my spinning lady who has DVD's ordered for me....rovings for me and best of all....I'll be having some private lessons.

So soon dear friends.....very soon...you'll be seeing lots of postings on newly spun yarn. Who knows???? Perhaps even an etsy shop in the near future:) Whatever is calling your name girls....go for it....CARPE DIEM!!!

Blessings ~~Shine

Too good to be quiet about:)

In our home, we have lots of OLD furniture. Some we bought at yard sales, flea markets...etc. Sometimes out of necessity, sometimes, when we were fortunate, just because we love old things. I have tried over the years to take care of what we have, just kinda felt a responsibility to do that. One day one of my sisters said that we (my husband and I) were better caretakers of what God had blessed us with than anyone she knew. That made me feel like it mattered....the things I do. To think that God blesses us is beyond my comprehension, but, maybe, that is why I do the little things I do....to be a good caretaker of my blessings:)

Once while visiting a favorite  blog...(I have many:))....I read where Cass had used a new product that she gave very high reviews. This product truly is amazing. It's inexpensive, so I thought I'd give it a try. What do you think?......these are the results.

No need to tell where I used it:) If you love your old furniture, you need to feed it...it really does dry out:(
Just thought this may be useful to some other antique lover. Think I'm going to have to order some more:) The product name is Feed-N-Wax. You may be able to purchase it locally, but it was easier for me to order it. Hope you all have a lovely and VERY blessed evening.
PS.....Think I'll link this up with a new sweet friend, Kathy, at A Delightsome Life. Visit her awesome blog for lots of new inspiration and ideas!!
Much love~~Shine