Blue Monday

As many of you know I love blue, so I decided to join in on Blue Monday. It happens over at Smiling Sally. She has a list of all the other participants and I know you will find it fun to see all the blue.

In the afternoons when the sun shines into my kitchen all this blue glass just sparkles and I love it!

I've been given the "lemonade award" by Donna at Donna's Art . Thank you Donna! This award is based on displaying great attitude or gratitude and I always enjoy visiting Donna because she always cheers my day. Please stop by to see her and check out her fabulous art!

I hope when you read my blog that it is a positive part of your day. There are so many reasons to be discouraged right now so I like to think that stopping by for a cup of tea with me will cheer you up just a little bit.

Here are the rules for this award:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show GREAT ATTITUDE &/or GRATITUDE!

3. Be sure to link your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love & link to this post & to the person from who you received your award.

I am going to pass this award on to just one person because of all the bloggers I know, I think she most epitomizes great attitude and gratitude. It's Marie at A Year From Oak Cottage. If you don't know Marie , you must visit her and if you do, you'll see why I think she deserves this award! What I love is her positive attitude, and her gratefulness for everything in her life, both good and bad. I always feel encouraged and hopeful after reading her blog. Oh and she makes the MOST DELICIOUS recipes ever!

Hope you have a great day!

Rhondi xo

Pink Saturday

Last week was my first time to participate in Beverly's Pink Saturday. I had no idea there were so many people who liked pink! I showed all these delightful pink homes. Today I decided to choose one that would be the house I live in just for Pink Saturday.

So, this is the house that I live in on Pink Saturdays.

This is the furniture that sits on the porch

That is at the front of the house

That I live in on Pink Saturday.

If you can, make sure you take some time to visit the other participants in Pink Saturday. You can find the list of everyone at Beverly's.

Happy Pink Saturday!

Rhondi xo

Stuff

Why do some of us collect so much stuff? When I arranged these few shells on this plate I realized that I just keep on collecting more and more. Every year we go to the beach for a week and I come home with bags of shells. When I was putting them away I noticed that I already had 3 large bags and when I dumped them out I chose this assortment to display. They are all lovely. I enjoy the shapes, textures and colors of them. I had these ones from last year so why did I need to collect more? I wasn't even appreciating the ones I had. They were just in a bag in a closet.
If I see a piece of blue and white china and it is cheap I'll buy it even though I have more than enough. If you're a quilter you know what I mean because you have a stash somewhere.
So my question is- why do we collect stuff?
Hope you have a great day.
Rhondi xo

Thankful Thursday

Today is Thursday and already 2009 is one week old! I am just now getting into a routine after all the travelling we did in December, so I am doing Thankful Thursday again.

I am re-reading a delightful book called Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. It really fits in to my aspiration for 2009 to "Rest and Be Thankful"

We are having lots of birds visiting our bird bath lately. If you click on the photos it will enlarge them for you.

Every morning when we wake up we are given a wonderful gift-another day of life. So I'm going to make the most of it today.

I am thankful for today-a blank piece of paper waiting to be written on. I wonder what how the story will play out. I have some plans of what I hope to accomplish, but sometimes plans have a way of getting interrupted don't they?

I am thankful for a day in which I get to choose what I'm going to do today. That is a luxury for most people. I don't have to go to a job I don't like, or interact with people who are negative. I am very blessed and I am thankful.

What are you thankful for today?

Rhondi xo

Since it's been a month since I posted Thankful Thursday I'm not sure who still wants to post Thankful Thursday also. If you let me know I will link to you.

These friends are helping to spread gratitude and thankfulness in blogland today:

THE QUINTESSENTIAL MAGPIE

MOM MUSINGS

SEEKING GLITTER AND GRACE

THE LAUNDRY IS NEVER FINISHED

Everyone Deserves Their Own Spot

Every woman needs her own spot, a little corner of the world where she can call her own.

I have had this chaise lounge for over 25 years and it has always been a place where I could sit and dream or read or pray.

Now it sits in the corner of my studio. I no longer have just a spot. I have a room and it's wonderful. However for many years my chaise lounge was never in a quiet spot because with 4 children, there were none! Even so, when I would sit in my chaise lounge, usually early in the morning, I could always find quiet and comfort there.

Sometimes now when someone comes to our home and sits there they often comment on how it feels so peaceful sitting in it.

I love my "spot" with a quilt in case I'm chilly. Just add a few favorite books...

a "spot " of tea in my own little tea pot for one.. a few little bears that remind me of my mom. and I have the perfect spot.

Sometimes what we think is perfect , isn't quite, so I must be honest and show you the other end of the room. This beautiful little corner is in the midst of my constantly messy sewing studio.

But if I just look out the window and have my back to the mess, I can pretend that I have the perfect life, just for awhile.

Perhaps you can find a spot of your own in your home. Take a favorite chair, cover it with something warm and cosy to wrap up in, put a flower or candle on a table. Grab a few magazines or a book, fix something comforting to drink, turn your back to the mess and enjoy your own spot. After all, "Everyone deserves their own spot".

Rhondi xo

Pink Saturday

I thought it would be fun to join in on Beverly's Pink Saturday. I don't have much pink in my home, but I wear pink glasses and I read pink books ...

and I would love to live in a pink house. Any one of these would be perfect !

Wouldn't it be delightful to sit on the porch and sip pink lemonade on a sunny summer afternoon? I wonder what these homes look like inside.!

Hope you have a great Saturday.

Rhondi xo

Rest and Be Thankful

Happy new year!
Another year begins and I wonder what it will bring. This past year has been very stressful so I am glad to put it behind me!

Last January I posted about reading a book where the house was named Rest and Be Thankful. Ever since I read that book, which was years ago I have thought it would be fun to give that name to our home. Our home is a just a standard 3 bedroom 2 bath red brick ranch and is certainly much too ordinary to have a name, but name it I plan to do. So today I bought some wood to paint a sign for over the front door and our home is officially named Rest And Be Thankful.

I just love the whole idea of rest and be thankful. That's what I want for my life this year and that's what I want for anyone who steps inside our house.

Wouldn't it be easy to rest and be thankful in this room? It belongs to my new blogging friend, Carolyn who lives in Prince Edward Island. Her home and garden are absolutely wonderful and I know you will love visiting her. Tell her I sent you!


Today is Thursday and I usually have a thankful thursday post but today I'm not listing anything. Instead I thought I would try to have an attitude of thankfulness all through the day.

Jesus said, "Come to me all you who are heavy laden and weary and you will find rest for your souls." That's where I'm going to find my rest today and I'm thankful I can do that.

Hope you enjoy this first day of the new year!

Rhondi xo