Faith Family Friends

Celebrating the Joy of Living & Home Making ~

Baking, Cooking, Decorating, Tea Time, and taking Inspiration from those I love and the world around me...

A sharing of my heart and my home from a Christian perspective

...with a wee bit of whimsy added.

Saturday 31 October 2009

Spiritual Sundays


Hello everyone~ Welcome to my blog for Spiritual Sundays.

I came across this beautiful shot on the Weather Network. It was taken in August at Covehead, a village near where my husband grew up. I thought it a glorious photo of a sunrise, God's handiwork, and wanted to share it with you.






I was tempted to add a scripture verse to it but thought I would leave it as is. It brought to mind several scripture verses but I decided on this one.




Our Father, which art in heaven.
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Matthew 6: 9-13



It pains me to think that the younger generation will not learn to say this in school any longer. God help our children and our children's children! We must teach them ourselves for we can no longer depend upon the school system in Canada or the United States to teach it to them. But when you think about it, they should be taught at home first of all anyway!


Have a wonderful and blessed Sunday. Please visit Spiritual Sundays with Charlotte and Ginger and the other participants. Click here http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/ or the Spiritual Sundays button on my sidebar.


Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Someone Special Has A Birthday Today!

"Happy Birthday Brent"
Good morning everyone! Today I'm celebrating my second little grandson's birthday. Brent is 6 years old today; hard to believe!

This little guy is a cuddly, talkative, and critter-loving fella. He is my oldest son's second boy and Brent was named after him. When Brent talks to you, he looks you right in the eye and you are his whole world at that moment. He is a very special little boy with a big heart, who shares the same birthday as one of my all-time favourite celebrities, Michael Landon.


This is Brent and his best buddy, his little brother Jared. He has two brothers.

Brent is taking after his Daddy; he loves critters and nature. Here he is admiring the salamander he caught and took home and kept until a month ago. The salamander has since been released into the wild to hibernate for the winter.
This is Brent holding his very first teddy; the one we got him when he was first born. It is still his favourite.
Here he is pictured showing off the first tooth he lost. Isn't he a handsome little guy? I think someday he's going to have all the ladies swooning!
His grandfather and I are taking him out on the town this morning to help him celebrate his special day.


Happy 6th Birthday Brent!
Jesus loves you & so do we!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Thursday 29 October 2009

Another Award and Some Things You Don't Know About Me!

Isn't this cute? I was visiting Gwen at A Charming Home http://acharminghome.blogspot.com/ and she had gotten this sweet award which she then passed on to her bloggy buddies. I didn't have anything to blog about today, but now I do!

In order for me to accept this award, I have to list six things about myself that you don't know about me. So, here goes:

1. One of the reasons I love going to the beach is because I love to acquire a nice tan which enables me not to have to wear foundation in the summertime. I am very pale naturally!

2. I NEVER wear a bathing suit.

3. I gave birth to three sons by C-section.

4. I don't drink milk.

5. I love hot, spicy food.

6. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would have studied Psychology and be working as a Christian Psychologist today. Hubby claims he would be a good one to practice on! *smile*


Now I am to pass this award on to six gorgeous blogs. But you know me, I don't play favourites! So, if you would like this award, please take it with my blessing but you must list six unknown things about yourself. Have a gorgeous day friends.



Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Tuesday 27 October 2009

REDnesday


Hello friends~
Well REDnesday is here once again and I'm joining Sue at It's A Very Cherry World for her fun event.

I have a couple of reds for you.



This little girl with her real knitted red hat was a gift from my son and DIL one year. I love her little pinafore and red-striped socks. She has the cutest expression on her face! They claim she has her arms up in the air because it is my DIL thanking God for her wonderful MIL! Isn't that precious? I have the best family!

The other day I received this painting in the mail. It is a Giveaway which I won from Heidi at Fairy Footprints in the Sand http://myarizonaangels.blogspot.com/
I love red barns so I was happy to win Heidi's painting. Many of you know that Heidi is Amy's cousin, the young lady who lost her battle with cancer over the weekend. Heidi and her whole family would appreciate your prayers during this sad time.

Please join Sue and her red participants by clicking the link http://suelovescherries.blogspot.com/ or the REDnesday button on my sidebar. Thanks for stopping by today and have a lovely day everyone.
Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Saturday 24 October 2009

Spiritual Sundays



Hello and welcome to my Spiritual Sundays post!
I heard this little story a while ago and wanted to share it with you. It doesn't go exactly like this but I will do the best I can from what I remember.



TWO BROTHERS
It was the first day of school and two little boys approached their new teacher to give her their names. The teacher looked at them and smiled, asking them what their names were.
One little boy replied, Johnny, and the other little boy said, Joey.
Thinking they were twins, although they did not look alike, the teacher asked them when their birthdays were.

Johnny piped up and told her that his was on April 2nd and Joey told her his birthday was on April 21st. All during this time, the two little boys were grinning from ear to ear.
The teacher then asked them, "You're not brothers then?"
Smiling, they both answered, "Yes, we are brothers!"

Well, the teacher knew very well they couldn't possibly be brothers because their birthdays were only a couple weeks apart. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out!
The teacher then asked, "How is it that you both have a birthday in April but you're not twins?"
One of the boys said, "Oh, we're brothers but one of us is adopted."
The teacher then asked, "Which one of you is adopted?"
The little boys looked at one another and then smiling, answered, "We don't know."

That's how it is with God. We're grafted into His family when we become born-again. One is no more special than the other. But we all belong to the same family if God is our Father.

"In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will- to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves." - Ephesians 1: 5-6

Some of you may have heard that Debbie at There's An Angel On My Front Porch http://debbie-jeremiah3017.blogspot.com/ has lost her daughter Amy to cancer. Amy went home to be with the Lord last night after a long and painful battle with the disease. Debbie also has a sister Sherry and a niece Heidi, who some of us are friends with in Blogland.

Please pray for this family who has lost their loved one, that God will surround them with His love and comfort during this sad time.


Charlotte and Ginger are our wonderful hostesses of Spiritual Sundays, and I hope you will go pay them and the other participants a visit by clicking on the link http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/ or click on the Spiritual Sundays button on my sidebar.

Have a beautiful weekend everyone.

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Pink Saturday and A Winner!


Good Morning everyone ~ Pink Saturday is here again and we are so happy that Beverly is hosting this event. Lots of pink and lots of participants can be found at this site http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/


Do you know that two months from today is Christmas Eve? It will be here before we know it. Someone is going to have this cute pink ornament to hang on their tree or place in a wreath this year. But before I get to that and before I share my pinks today, I would like to introduce a blogger I 'met' last week on Pink Saturday~

Tricia at Altered Schoolmarm http://alteredschoolmarm.blogspot.com/ The photo above is what she shared last week on her post, a pretty soup tureen and other pink china that left me swooning! Isn't it gorgeous? Love the lace on the windows too; very charming! Please stop by and pay Tricia a visit. I'm sure she would love to hear from you.

Today I have a couple of pinks to share with you!
I found this little bowl at the Dollarama for, you guessed it, one dollar! It is twice the size of a cereal bowl and is decorated with little pink roses. I use it for serving dressing or veggies in.


This is another one of my many teacups which I received for a shower gift many years ago. I love teacups with the flowers on the inside of the cup. This one is made by Royal Albert.


Now onto my Giveaway....

I put all your names into this lovely piece of Cranberry glass and drew the name.
....and the name of the winner is: Olde Dame Penniwig http://penniwigs.blogspot.com/ Congratulations Dearie! Please let me know how to get in touch with you and I'll get this little ornie into the mail for you.I want to thank you all for entering my Giveaway and helping me to celebrate my one year Blogiversay. I appreciate all of you, your friendship, and your lovely comments. Those of you who entered my Giveaway are welcome to take this Award I made for you. That way, everyone wins something!

"You're the Blossom in My Garden"

I have a quote by Marcel Proust which I have written on the bottom of my blog.

"Let us be thankful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
I like to think of you all as flowers in my garden and I took my inspiration from this quote to make you the Award. God bless you!

Thank you for coming by today and I hope you all have a wonderful Pink Saturday weekend.

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Thursday 22 October 2009

I Won!!

Good afternoon~ Since I began blogging a year ago, I have met so many wonderful people. You have all made blogging so enjoyable and I cannot begin to tell you all I've learned this past year; it's mind-boggling! Not only has blogging been fun and educational but it has its rewards in other ways too.

I have been blessed with many awards including the two I'm about to show you. All my awards are at the bottom of my blog for anyone interested in checking them out. Each one is very unique and I so appreciate them all! It is just lovely knowing someone out there in Blogland thought I was deserving enough to pass these on to me. Thank you! *Smile*Last week I received this sweet award from my friend Gwen at A Charming Home http://acharminghome.blogspot.com/ and I have already blogged about it. Thanks again Gwen! Then this week, I received it again from Jil at Say It With Roses http://sayitwithroses.blogspot.com/ Jil has a beautiful blog where she creates lovely little goodies in her Shoppe, Adrianna's Boutique. I know she would appreciate a visit from you. Thank you ladies; your thoughtfulness is very much appreciated!

This award is meant to be passed on to ten of my favourite blogs but I have stopped choosing blogs because I have too many that I love, and I don't wish to hurt anyone's feelings.

So, if you are a friend of mine {you know who you are} and you would like to have this award, please take it with my blessing.


I stopped by another blogger friend's last night and she was giving away this cute award with her doggie Molly on it. Storyteller http://smallreflections.blogspot.com/ has just celebrated her second year of blogging and she was passing this out to all her friends. She has a great gift for making mosaics and is very talented with her camera! She has several other blogs as well. Why not stop by and pay her a visit? Thank you Storyteller and Molly!


I have also won several Giveaways such as the one I just received in the mail this week. This one came from Sally at Smiling Sally http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/ the hostess of Blue Monday. Sally and I have been friends for almost a year now and I really appreciate her friendship and quick wit. Please check out her blog if you haven't already done so. Who knows, perhaps you too will win a great read! Thanks everyone for making blogging a great pasttime!
Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Wednesday 21 October 2009

White Wednesday

Hello friends~ I am participating in two memes today; REDnesday and White Wednesday.

For White Wednesday I am sharing some whites from the Cottage party a couple of posts down. Thank you Kathleen at Faded Charm for hosting White Wednesday~ I LOVE white!!.


This is my favourite shelf in my home. Right now I have displayed a chippy rooster and chicken with a tarnished silver mug of dried hydrangeas and a tray.


A glittery white pumpkin under a cloche.And a bucket I painted white, filled with dried hydrangeas. The bucket is also covered in glitter but you can't see it in the photo.

Thank you for visiting and I hope you will visit Kathleen and all the other white participants by clicking on the link http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/ Have a beautiful White Wednesday everyone!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

REDnesday Is Here!

Good morning everyone~ Today is Wednesday and that means it is REDnesday over at Sue's It's A Very Cherry World. http://suelovescherries.blogspot.com/ Sue is hosting her red meme today and I'm joining in again this week. Do you like the colour red? Then why not join in too!
I am going to share something a little different this week.

First up is a little ladybug pin which I wear on my jacket this time of year. It has little crystals for eyes.

Then I have one of my all-time favourite confections- Chocolate! My favourite chocolate is Lindt/Lindor chocolate. When I have a craving for this delectable treat, I just help myself to one and voila! I'm satified!

All it takes is one and I'm happy. Doesn't it look yummy? Mmmm, what can I say? I'm a chocoholic! 80 calories in one luscious little mouthful, so it's a good thing I only need one.

Then I have these black beauties to share with you. I get a craving for these too. Of course I have to show them off in one of my little red souffle dishes.

Black licorice; the real thing, not nibs or twists. I like the cigars and pipes with the red sprinkles on the ends. Oohh, so good! Yes, I like my candy; and now you know!
I hope I didn't cause any of you to stumble!

One more red item today is this red toile teacup nightlight which my son and DIL gave me. Beautiful turned on or off!

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you will take some time to go visit Sue and her party of red participants. Have a lovely day everybody!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Monday 19 October 2009

Welcome to My Cottage


Note: Those of you who are regular visitors will notice that I no longer have my fairy dust. When I added my new background, it was causing some interference and made my blog very choppy, so I had to remove it for now. I miss it because I enjoyed the soft effect it gave my blog. Anyway, when my son comes home for Christmas, he will help me figure out a way to get the dust back on and keep everything else running smoothly.

Good morning friends~ Today, I am taking part in a Cottage Party at The House in the Roses and as most of you know, I love all things cottagey. White, toile, and anything shabby or aged; these are some of my favourite things. Tarnished silver and vintage dishes add charm and a sense of romance to your home. And who doesn't enjoy the embiance from the glow of candlelight?
I like to be surrounded by my favourite books and knick-knacks. Did I mention lace? Love it too and lots of it! Tea in my favourite teacup and flowers in a vase. I believe it's the little personal touches that make your cottage cozy; a place where you want to curl up with a good book and a hot cup of tea.
Please come in and I'll show you around. As you enter my cottage, one of the first things you will notice is my birdhouses. This little birdhouse which sits above the kitchen cabinets was handpainted by an artist friend of mine for my birthday one year. Notice the attention to detail! Curtains in the windows and birdhouses on the shelves; chairs on the front porch. I also love mirrors in my home. I love how they come in all sizes and shapes and how they reflect light.....I love glass knobs........especially on a birdhouse!and little white lights dancing behind a lace curtain........little white lamps which give off a soft glow. Tiny white pumpkins sprinkled with glitter.Dried hydrangeas tucked into every nook and cranny.....even in a vintage teacup adorned with a dried rose from the summer. Some find themselves nestled under glass too!A favourite teapot of mine. Would you care for some tea? I have any number of flavours. ....and some of my favourite dishes. I love how the pinks all go together. The lace runner is from Martha Stewart.The dinner plate and the saucer, both in my Rose Chintz pattern are vintage. I love how the flowers are sprinkled all over the china giving them a soft romantic touch. I never tire of them.Red transferware on a shelf...
My stereo stand below and coffee table were both painted and distressed for a more cottagey look. A homemade lace angel graces the front of this little aqua chest I found at Winners.
The toile bunny sits in his favourite chair. Yes, I know the winged back chair is in pink and I want to find a white slip cover for it, but I'm not having much success. This sweet little birdie soap dish has feet under it. I found it this past summer. This teacup wreath graces the front door. I haven't had the heart to take it down yet.
And this little birdie which used to be brown and yellow got a fresh coat of white paint. He sits on the window sill and bids you a farewell, hoping you will visit again soon. Thank you for stopping by today.
Please join Cielo and her guests for a Show Off Your Cottage Monday http://www.houseinroses.blogspot.com/ and have a beautiful day everyone!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi