~ Happy Thanksgiving ~

I apologize to you, and to myself, that I have been so absorbed with other things that I have had precious little time for doing anything crafty. I am making an oath to myself that over the holiday, I am going to get things cleaned up and put in order enough that I can get some things accomplished!

I wanted to share with a poem I found years ago, that is on my fridge year-round. To me, it is the epitome of what Thanksgiving is about. Have a wonderful holiday. Rest and be thankful.

O God, when I have food,

help me to remember the hungry;

When I have work,

help me to remember the jobless;

When I have a home,

help me to remember those who have

no home at all;

When I am without pain,

help me to remember those who suffer.

And remembering,

help me to destroy my complacency;

Bestir my compassion,

and be concerned enough to help;

By word and deed,

those who cry out for what we take for granted.

Amen.

~ From A Thanksgiving Prayer by Samuel F. Pugh

~ Sunday ~

I haven't had much time for crafting...or blogging...lately. Not only have we been in the swing of a crazy fall season, but my crafting areas have been overrun by boxes packed up from my living room. Not for much longer, though...my husband promises, and then I'll be back to my crafting self! I found this here at a blog that talks about his lovely, lonely old home. To me, there is something beautiful still about old buildings that have been long forgotten. I'll be back soon!

Something Spooooky

I decided to experiment with canvas this past week, and I like the results! The strip of paper at the top is from a card deck of scary stories. It was too funny, and I had to include it. It says,
" She was nervous when her husband said they were to stay in the abandoned house, for it contained the corpse of a hermit who had once lived there, enshrined in a coffin in the loft."

Um, nervous. Ya think so??

~ Fancy Finery ~

Splurging on an old 1922 fashion magazine this weekend

gave me the perfect springboard to create two envelopes

for special friends.

Special goodies to be tucked inside...bliss!

~ Shabby Chic Interiors ~

I admit I was sceptical about the new Rachel Ashwell book, Shabby Chic Interiors. Was it a ploy to scoop in some last minute income in the midst of a breakdown of her company? But nothing could be farther from the truth. Each page is beautiful, bringing home the lesson that even in the midst of her personal sadness, she sticks true to her principles and ideals. Inspiration for us all...

~ Farewell To Summer ~

What a great summer it was (sigh). We topped it off a few weeks

ago with a trip to New York City.

I found this gorgeous outdoor flower market in a small neighborhood.

Flowers to drool on...

Ahhhh...

We told the kids they were in charge of finding the restaurant

on the last morning there. I said we would we watchingto see if they

followed all the safety rules along the way...

They held hands...

Life is good...

~ Treasures ~

This week has brought lots of new treasures from places far and near! I found these beautiful pink paper flowers at Michael's (of all places! I'm usually not a fan of their fake flowers) and some great old photos from the flea market in New York. Now...what to do with it all! Ahh....!

Once you have started seeing the beauty of life

Ugliness starts disappearing.

If you start looking at life with joy,

sadness starts disappearing.

You can not have heaven and hell together,

You can only have one.

It is your choice.

~Osho