Friday, November 1, 2013

We Will Make Art

We will make art. I am reading a wonderful book A Million Little Ways by Emily Freeman. Here are a couple of quotes from her book:
“You stare at your living room and imagine ways to make it better and then you do and it changes your mood. It should be silly, except somehow it isn’t.”
“I don’t believe there is one great thing I was made to do in this world.  I believe there is one great God I was made to glorify.  And there will be many ways,  maybe even a million little ways, I willed declare his glory with my life.”
It’s not just painters or writers or musicians who are artists.
Anyone who has an idea in their head and presents it in such a way that people can be inspired, encouraged, comforted, etc  is an artist.
I like to make quilts.  The fun for me is choosing the colors and putting them together in an interesting way.  I’m never sure how it will turn out until I’m done.
When people look at my quilts it makes them feel happy because they are colorful.
When people sleep under my quilts or wrap them around themselves while watching TV it makes them feel warm and cared for.
I have made quilts from shirts for a friend whose husband died and a quilt quilted with Psalm 91 for a friend who was battling cancer, which brought comfort and love. ”
 In her book she says, “What if you began to see your art as something other than your idea?  What if it was less lofty and more necessary to your daily rhythm?  What if your art is part of a bigger picture, part of a daily grace God has in mind for someone else?”  So when I am thinking about the colors and how to put them together it is so much more than just some talent I have.  I am  doing something God has called me to do.”
So, “we will make art”
I am going to make something with fabric, some type of quilt.  The first thing to do is decide what colors to use.
Decided to use blue (what a surprise)
It always gets quite messy.
I was thinking of using some pink to, but finally settled on this simple block with 16 2″ squares.
More messiness. My sewing room has a bed in the middle of it!
I start to arrange them in a pattern.  I don’t know what it is going to be yet, a quilt for a bed, for a tablecloth, to throw over the back of a couch.  For right now my job is just to arrange the pieces and wait to see how it turns out.
This is the art I am making right now.  Here is one more quote from the book:
“The world needs you awake and alive.  Does the world need another book? Song? Painted living room? Not necessarily, but the world does need you to come alive right where you are and not where you wish you were.  If writing books, or songs, or painting  living rooms is what makes you come alive, then that’s what you’ll need to do.”
What makes you come alive?  Are you doing it?
Rhondi xo

I am linking with Emily’s blog Chatting At The Sky today.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Magpies

                     I’m taking you on a field trip to one of my new favorite shops, Magpies in Matthews NC.
                           The path to the front door wanders by a garden filled with lots of rustic treasures
                                                               and interesting plantings.
                                 Cheerful yellow boots filled with lantana greet you on the front porch.
Inside the shop is filled with vintage treasures, dishes, glassware, linens, and wonderful things for entertaining and decorating.
Sorry about the quality of photo. I took them with my phone and the light wasn’t right.
Right now she has lots of things for fall and Halloween in the shop.  I have a teapot like this in red. You might remember it.
I almost bought this basket of dishes because I need some more blue and white china lol.
One whole room is filled with a wonderful collection of books.
Other rooms hold bedspreads, quilts, tablecloths,, things for babies and young children,garden items, bathroom items and so much more.
Magpie Treasures is a unique shop.  It is always being filled with new merchandise, some of it new, most  of it found by Becky .the Magpie who owns the shop.  The prices are great, the variety of items is amazing.
It is only open at certain times.  You need to get on their mailing list to be notified of when it’s open.
It is open this Saturday October 26 from 9:00 -2:00
The address is 6809 Potters Road Matthews NC
If you go be sure to say hi to Mary Beth the sweet lady who works there.  Tell her I sent you. Oh and make sure you have something to eat. Last I was there time she had made pumpkin cheesecake squares with chocolate on the top.  Yummy !!  I won’t be able to go this time because we are having a yard sale with some of the neighbors.
Rhondi xo

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

A Bit of Fallishness

A little bit of fallishness started when I was at Home Depot getting some paint and I saw they had pumpkins on sale.

                                   Next stop was WalMart where I got this cheerful yellow mum.

I just happened to have this wire chicken I bought a few weeks earlier at Olde Tyme Marketplace in Marshville, one of my favorite shops with my favorite shopkeeper Beth.  You can “like” her on Facebook.  The chicken was just looking for a place to perch, so this was the perfect spot.


All the pine trees around here are laden with pinecones, so I collected a bunch.
I bought  a grapevine wreath at Michaels, using the app which gives me 40%  off, then used  my trusty hot glue gun to attach the pinecones to the wreath.


 Some left over burlap made a simple bow.

                            And  now I have a little bit of fallishness to greet you when you come for a visit.

Rhondi xo


Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Wedding On The Beach at Sullivan's Island

I have been absent for a while because we just had a wedding on the beach at Sullivan’s Island SC.  It was a our only daughter and youngest child. We haven’t got the official photos yet. This one was taken by one of the family.
Here she is with her new husband and all our grandchildren.

It was a perfect day: our daughter getting married and being with all my family.  It doesn’t get any better than that!
Rhondi x0

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Fall Mantle Party

It’s the annual fall mantle party at Thrifty Decor Chick.  I love a party, don’t you?   And I LOVE fall, so decorating the mantle for fall is a fun way to celebrate.  I recently painted our living room and dining room pure white  but I have been too busy with wedding plans for our daughter’s wedding so the room is still not accessorized but I did decorate the mantle.
Some empty picture frames painted with Annie Sloan chalk paint Louis Blue are above the mantle and I added a bunch of other stuff I had around the house.


One of my favorite framed bible  verses.
                                         A pumpkin I covered with fabric last year.
                                           Dried hydrangeas from our garden
                           
                             A candle my daughter gave me  and some little gourds from Michaels.


                           A garland of bittersweet that I bought several years ago at Michaels.
                         Little glass pumpkin candleholders I got at a garage sale a couple of years ago.




I would love to invite you to stay and have a cup of something warm and “fallish” but our daughter’s wedding is a week today  so I am kind of busy :)
After next week I will have lots of time so I hope you’ll come back for a visit then.
Don’t forget to go and visit Sarah  Thrifty Chick to see lots of wonderful ideas for your fall mantle
Rhondi xo

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Happy Fall Y'all

It’s the first official day of fall.  The morning air is cooler. The crickets sound is sweeter.  The summer humidity is gone.
With our daughter’s wedding less than 2 weeks away, I haven’t had  time for much fall decor, but I did gather up a few pumpkins from last year and display them in the living room.
With our daughter’s wedding less than 2 weeks away, I haven’t had  time for much fall decor, but I did gather up a few pumpkins from last year and display them in the living room.



Well that’ s it.  Happy fall y’all.
Rhondi xo

Saturday, September 21, 2013


Dear friends
I have taken my tea set and my rose colored glasses and moved to Wordpress.  You can find me here http://www.rhondisrosecoloredglasses.com 


I hope you'll come and visit me!
Rhondi
xo