The High Altitude Tea Duchess

A Month of Letters- update

2012-02-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

This whole, 'getting to the mailbox before the mailman comes' thing is getting a bit annoying.

The upside to it is the smile it puts on people's faces to receive something in the mail besides adverts. and bills.
My sister was having a no good, rotten day yesterday. I had sent a letter to her 2 days ago and it arrived yesterday. It put a smile on her face and helped to smooth her ruffled feathers. So...it's worth it to remember I have a mailbox deadline.
How about you? Hae you sent out any letters this month? Do you plant to?

Purple roses for, 'J'

2012-02-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

Painted a 9x12 for a friend today.

A Month of Letters: update

2012-02-04T16:58:00.000-07:00


Photo by Melissa Bishop, All rights reserved.

Well my first four letters are away. Hubby and I left the house yesterday to do some running around. As I walked out the door I thought perhaps I should put the letters in the mail box but changed my mind thinking I would have time to post them when we returned home. Nope. Missed the mail pick up by probably a couple of minutes. Something we do not think about when sending email. That would be funny, I think. 'I have to remember the last email delivery is at 5:00p.m. Must make sure all emails go out by then.'
The picture is of my fountain pen from Xfountainpens.
It was a birthday present from hubby a few years ago. I love it! When I made the decision to join in the, A Month of Letters event, I decided to hand write my notes and letters. You can print them on your computer, but I need the handwriting practice; to which those who receive letters from me will be able to attest. i think I am already forgetting to slow down. This is not an email. Sending a letter is designed to slow one down a bit. In visiting a friend's PS post today, I paid more attention to the beautiful photos of the sunset and less to her words, I am embarrassed to admit. She was talking about her son who had passed away and I missed it! Those are the things that can be lost to us as we (nay, I) rush around. Check me out. I used the word, nay in a sentence. Ha!
This, A Month of Letters project is my own reminder to take things that matter a bit slower. I hope you will join in on the fun. Whether you leave your mailing address here in comments to receive a letter from me, or prompt your own readers to leave theirs for you, I think letter writing is a great tool in being calm, and patient while at the same time, bringing delight to those involved in the process.
Your addresses will be kept confidential.

Pink Saturday and tea pots

2012-02-03T13:07:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago, my sister and I went to a local tea room for GF cake and tea. While I was there, I took pictures just for you. You're welcome.

Please join our hostess of Pink Saturday, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.
Thank you for stopping by. I read, and love, your comments.
P.S. it is still not too late to leave your address in comments HERE if you would like a letter from me during the Month of Letters event.

P.P.S., Please see the sidebar on the right. There is a box titled: HELP SUSANNE. She is the owner of the blog: Chickens in the Road. She has put up a notice on Kickstarter to raise funds for a studio on her farm. If you might be interested in donating or are just curious, you can click on that box to be taken to her Kickstarter page.
Thank you!

White Wednesday

2012-02-01T08:45:00.001-07:00

It really IS white!

It is a bit hard to tell in the low light and using the camera on my phone, but this little, 'King of Spring' is a creamy, off white. Some pink roses which have opened up beautifully complete the photo.
I am linking up with, 'White Wednesday'. I hope you will join us.

P.S., I am sending out my first letter today for , 'A Month of Letters'.
There is still time if you would like a letter. Follow the above link to my post about how to have a letter, or postcard, sent to you by me.

A manly tea for one

2012-01-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

With its woodsy picnic of; fish, hard boiled eggs, bread/cheese and cherries, and a stein of beer with which to wash it all down, this appears to be a tea for one made for a man who loves the out of doors. He can take it down off the shelf, make his cuppa all the while dreaming of warmer days for gallivanting about the countryside. I love the lid on the mug which is, most likely, usable on the tea pot as well.
Have you ever seen or heard of these before; CABMAN SHELTERS.
I think they are adorable! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Pink Saturday

2012-01-27T07:09:00.001-07:00

Click on photo to enlarge.
SORRY THE FONT IS HARD TO READ. THANK YOU THOUGH FOR STOPPING BY!


The cup from which I am drinking as I write this, sans bee.

LINK TO FONTS

I will be linking up, later today, to Beverly at, How Sweet the Sound, for Pink Saturday.
LINK TO MY POST ON A MONTH OF LETTERS.

Also, I have a button on my left side bar that will take you to the website of the originator of the event. I do hope you will participate!

Teavivre tea review

2012-01-26T10:18:00.001-07:00

BAI LIN GONG FU

PREMIUM KEEMUN HAO YA BLACK TEA


YUN NAN DIAN HUNG (BLACK TEA GOLDEN TIPS)

Reviewing teas is difficult at times. It is so subjective. These three teas are Chinese black teas from Teavivre. Now, I am one of those people who loves flavored teas. I asked the rep from Teavivre to send these unflavored, black teas so I could experience something new and different. There is nothing about these teas that I can point to specifically as undesirable. They each have their own unique, 'personalities' and appeal. The, 'golden tips' tea is a mild tea. If you are used to a strong tea, it may take some getting used to as the flavor is so delicate. For those persons who like mild teas, this may end up being a new favorite.
The other two teas are a bit stronger in flavor. The Keemun black has a slight, citrus taste while the Bai Lin has a hint of maltiness. I suggest sticking to the manufacturer's brewing recommendations. Brewing these delicate teas too long, even just one minute or so past the recommended time, can result in bitter tea. These are delicate teas and are different form the super-massed produced stuff sold by the super market which is, I think, more user friendly and forgiving of being over brewed due to, perhaps knowing the habits of their customers very well and the likelihood of the tea being left in the cup a bit too long.
My taste buds are, 'American-ized' and I like my tea hot, black and strong with some flavoring. Earl Grey is my favorite followed by Monk's Blend from, The Metropolitan Tea Co. For those who are more into experiencing new teas and prefer unflavored/scented tea, you may wish to explore more of the teas of Teavivre. They certainly do have much to offer. Their service is excellent.
Teavivre is a new company and sometimes they run out of stock. Be patient. New stock comes in regularly.

p.s., I received this tea from Teavivre gratis, but this is no way affected my review.

A month of letters- want a letter?

2012-01-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

I am participating in this and I am hoping some of you will join me. During the month of February, I will be mailing out one item a day, minus Sundays and the one holiday on which the mail will not be be running. That means, 24 letters or postcards will be sent by me to...whomever.

If you would like to receive a letter or postcard from me, place you name and mailing address in the comments section and I will write to you. I will NOT publish your mailing address on my site. I will transfer it out of comments and then delete the comment. To read more about this fun event, please click HERE.

Mornings with Jesus- book review

2012-01-24T08:44:00.002-07:00

I am reluctant to write this review. I know quite a bit of effort went into compiling it and writing the devotions. I respect that. For all the effort put into it, Mornings with Jesus is still, 'milk and cookies'. A light snack, unable to sustain the spiritual energy needed by Christians to get through these tumultuous and uncertain times. As we read in the first devotional, 'Martin Luther said, 'I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.' Mornings with Jesus is not that deep, meaty, devotional prayer time Luther advocated. It is more of a, run-out-of-the-house-with-a-bagel-in-your-mouth, devotional.
I would much rather see a book like this being read by women everywhere. A Woman's Guide to Spiritual Battle

I know, unfortunately, that not everyone is there yet. You're busy. I get it. So until then, I am offering both copies of, Mornings with Jesus that I received from the publisher. That's right. Two of you will receive this devotional. Leave a comment if you would like to win a copy. I will draw names Friday and put them in the mail next week.
BUY THIS BOOK
Disclaimer: I received two copies of this book from the publisher, gratis. This did not influence the outcome of my review. OBVIOUSLY, and they were not given as payment for my review.

Pink Saturday, Pink Tea Room

2012-01-20T10:20:00.001-07:00

WARNING!!! PHOTO HEAVY POST!!!

This tea room kind of reminds me of a tea shop we have here in town. This tea room is in Georgetown, CO. We stopped there on our way back home from the mountains. When I returned home, I looked up reviews for it online. I have a mini sermon about one of the reviews I read and It will appear at the end of this post for those interested.

Hand painted screen. Delish!

I blurred portions of this photo to try and keep people's names and email addresses hidden.

Ok, here is the sermon on one of the reviews this tea room received.
The only bad review this tea room has received was from a man who wrote that he and his wife hopped on their motorcycle and drove for over an hour to come to the tea room as an anniversary treat. After being on the highway on a motorcycle he and his wife were understandably dirty and of course, they were dressed for motorcycle riding, not tea room visiting. When the owner of the tea room (a nice lady whom I had the pleasure of meeting) turned them away (well, duh!!), he and his wife were offended, ya think?, and retaliated with a bad review.
Ok, people. I would NEVER visit a sports bar dressed in a ball gown. Why do people think they an go somewhere fancy dressed shlubby? It's not as if you need to wear a suit to this tea room, but come on, dirty jeans and t-shirts? Oh, no. So here is the sermon part.
The kingdom of God also has a dress code. Oh, yes it does.
Matthew 22:11-14

¹¹ But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ¹² ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. ¹³ Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

¹⁴ "For many are invited, but few are chosen."

Many are invited, my friends, but few are chosen. There are so many people right now who are being deceived and deceiving themselves into thinking they can be a Buddhist (or whatever it is hip to be right now) and get into heaven. That, 'it's all the same'. It is NOT all the same. There is a difference between Christianity, metaphysics and cult religions. Stop committing spiritual adultery against God. We are to be holy as Jesus is holy, not getting by by the skin of our teeth. If you show up to heaven, clothed in your dirty garments of sin, you will not gain access. Yes, I said the sin word. Stop freaking out about legalism and strive to be holy. People seem to be more concerned with legalism in the church than sin in their own lives. Stop it! We need to be clothing ourselves daily in righteousness and striving for the over-comer's crown of glory. 2 Timothy 4:8

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.

1 Peter 5:4
And when the Chief Shepherd (Jesus) appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
James 1:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

The time to clean up for the wedding feast is now, while we are on earth, not at the gates of heaven.

¹⁴ "For many are invited, but few are chosen."
Be one of the chosen, my friends!

Full scripture on the above verses can be read by going here:

Matthew 22:1-14

in your search engin or bible.

p.s. for those not familiar with, 'church lingo' a. read your bible more, and b. we (Christians) are the bride of Christ. When we get to heaven, we will be married/united with Christ and that includes a wedding feast as a celebration.

Please join our hostess of Pink Saturday, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Russian impressionist art...in a book

2012-01-19T10:05:00.001-07:00

Remember the post I did the other day telling you about our trip to Keystone, CO? Well, one of the things we did, as I mentioned, was we went to the Breckenridge and Vail Fine Art galleries. We met the owner and purchased one of the books he wrote and he signed it for us. This book, while a wonderful resource, does not feature my new, favorite Russian impressionist artist, Kolotivo, but I will be buying that book as soon as he finishes writing it! I love the art in this gallery. It is bright, interesting and exciting. Some of it even got me a bit emotional. Not for the deeper meaning behind the content, but for the sheer beauty within the confines of the canvas. In our town, the galleries all pretty much have the same art. Southwest, trees, and horses. Blah! These galleries in Breck and Vail, even though primarily filled with art by Russian artists, showcase a variety of scenes from florals, to people, to industrial paintings (one painting even hung in a Russian factory for over 60 years!), to unusual 'tree scapes', to city scapes. Portraits of ballerinas in frilly tutus also graced the walls and a small variety of sculptures doted the interior floors. Since I am not financially ready...yet, to purchase original art, we bought a book about one of the artists featured on the walls of the gallery. Below are a few photos from the book as well as the cover should you wish to buy a copy from the gallery for your own collection. Impressionistic art may not be your cup of tea, ha-ha, but I encourage you to look at all kinds of art sources to study the use of color and the brush work. You never know what kind of inspiration you will receive when looking at the works of other artists.

Tea review:Teavivre

2012-01-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

Before we left for vacation last week, a package arrived for me from China. I had been contacted by a gal from Teavivre, a tea company, to review some of their teas. When I saw they carried Pu-erh tea, I jumped at the chance to sample this much talked about, tea.

Pu-erh tea is processed into cakes and stored for various lengths of time during which, fermentation takes place.
an enzymatically controlled anaerobic breakdown of an energy-rich compound (as a carbohydrate to carbon dioxide and alcohol or to an organic acid); broadly : an enzymatically controlled transformation of an organic compound-Mirriam-Webster online dictionary
If you would like to read more about how, and why, this is done, here is a LINK to the rest of the Wiki article.
^{The Pu-erh tea from Teavivre comes in mini-cakes about the diameter of a quarter. I love this as it makes them easy to transport and to use. One mini-cake brews a single, 8oz cup of tea.}
^{The surprising things about this tea were 1. how dark it is, and 2. how mellow it tastes. This tea goes great with milk and sugar and would be a good compliment to just about any dish with which it is served. It is also good as a stand alone tea meaning; you do not have to serve it with food. It is easily enjoyed by itself. If you have ever wanted to try Pu-erh tea but were wary of how it might taste, but aside you fears and give this mild, mini-tea cake from Teavivre a go. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the mild taste and may even end up adding it to your regular tea palette.}
^{Brewing tip: I recommend brewing this tea in a separate container and then transferring it to your tea cup when it is done brewing. Remember to use a strainer when pouring.}

Chasing Mona Lisa-book review

2012-01-16T01:51:00.004-07:00

A couple of years ago, I watched a film titled: The Rape of Europa. It is a powerful film about the massive art theft perpetrated by the Third Reich upon the Jewish people during the 2nd World War. I was amazed at the seeming infinite number of works of art lost during the holocaust.
Fast forward to present day...Chasing Mona Lisa brings home this tragic loss of art in a very real and personal way through the eyes of the characters portrayed in the pages of this fast-paced thriller. In between resisting the Nazi occupation and clinging to some semblance of normalcy during such tremendous insecurity, uncertainty and conflict. The characters in;Chasing Mona Lisa bring to life, how tough it must have been during the Nazi occupation of France as well as during the days and weeks after regaining their freedom from the clutches of the Nazis. The danger, romance, intrigue and narrow escapes bring alive post liberation, France and the people struggling to preserve, among other things, their art heritage and bring back that which was taken from them in more ways than one. Though France is technically now free, the war is far from over. Is there a traitor in the midst of the resistance fighters? Will the Mona Lisa be recovered, and if so, how? These questions and more are answered in this, can't-put-it-down thrilling page turner.
How far would you go to protect yourself, your friends, your family and the artistic creations of the last several centuries?

Tricia Goyer

Mike Yorkey

Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey, co-authors of Chasing Mona Lisa present such dilemmas in this fast-paced, action packed, historical thriller. With believable characters, beautiful back drops, great villains and even better heroes, Chasing Mona Lisa delivers.
It has been awhile since I have read a really good book that I would recommend to others, good thing since I'm reviewing it, eh? lol This book was exciting from page one. It is well written and I was genuinely interested in the story and the characters. This book has great imagery, the dialogue is well paced and it is interesting. I did not find myself day dreaming while reading it, this often happens when I read other books. I hope I am not going on too much but it is well written which is rare these days. Not once did I feel as if I were being talked down to by the authors, or that I knew more than they about the topic and was waiting for them to surprise me. This book is full of twists and turns that are sure to keep you on your toes. I do hope you will give yourself a break from whatever you are, or have been reading, and give, Chasing Mona Lisa, a go.

From the back cover...

It is August 1944 and Paris is on the cusp of liberation. As the soldiers of the Third Reich flee the Allied advance, they ravage the country, stealing countless pieces of art. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring will stop at nothing to claim the most valuable one of all, the Mona Lisa, as a post-war bargaining chip to get him to South America. Can Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler rescue DaVinci's masterpiece before it falls into German hands?

With nonstop action, Chasing Mona Lisa is sure to get readers' adrenaline pumping as they join the chase to save the most famous painting in the world. From war-ravaged Paris to a posh country chateau, the race is on--and the runners are playing for keeps.

Read an excerpt, watch a video and find out more here. http://www.triciagoyer.com/historicalfiction.html#ChasingMonaLisa

WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN!

Win an iTouch SPY Pack in the Chasing Mona Lisa Giveaway from @triciagoyer @mikeyorkey!

Chasing Mona Lisa is the continuing tale of Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler (first introduced in The Swiss Courier). This time the due are on a relentless quest to save the most famous painting in the world - the Mona Lisa. You can help Gabi and Eric with your very own spy pack when you enter The Chasing Mona Lisa Giveaway!

One passionate protector will receive:

iTouch (The must-have device for any spy. Camera, Maps & Music.)
Starbucks Gift Card (For all those late nights.)
Moleskin Notebook (For those important notes.)
Invisible Ink Pen (Don’t want anyone reading those important notes.)
Chasing Mona Lisa by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey (Great handbook and intriguing tale for any spy-in-training!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on January 31st. The winner will be announced at the Chasing Mona Lisa Facebook Party on 1/31. Tricia and Mike will be hosting an author chat (on Facebook and Live from Tricia's website) and giving away their books and a Book Club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club AND a LIVE Author Chat for your group with Tricia and Mike.)

So grab your copy of Chasing Mona Lisa and join Tricia and Mike on the evening of the 31st for an author chat, spy training (do you know how to pick a lock?) and lots of giveaways.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 31st!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book to review, gratis. This in no way swayed my opinion or review of the book.

Keystone

2012-01-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

An old, purple building.

My husband and I just returned from a week in the mountains. My sister and her husband own a condo up in Keystone and let us use it after the doctor told them their son could not snowboard for a while while his arm finished mending. He broke it a few days before Thanksgiving and had his cast removed on the 6th. They had planned to go up the weekend the cast was removed but after the bad news, decided not to torture their son by taking him up there and telling him not to do anything. We packed up our little Jeep and zoomed off! Hubby was still dealing with a cold so he convalesced for a few days. By Friday we were ready to explore. We went into Breckenridge and visited my all time favorite art gallery, The Breckenridge Fine Art Gallery. I think it is better than any museum in Colorado. The owner was there and he treated us to a mini art lesson as well as a personal tour. He was so sweet. He talked to us for 2 hours about the artists and his adventures in Russia bringing the art back to the US. It is so wonderful talking to someone with a passion for what he does. I could have listened to him all day but eventually, with reluctance, we left the gallery and had a late lunch at Kenosha Steakhouse. On Saturday, we drove to Vail to see the other gallery owned by the same man. We walked in and a few minutes later, the same man we spoke with the day before, the owner, greeted us. He once again shared his stories with us. What a delightful way to explore a gallery with tales of discovery right from the owner/art adventurer. I call him that because acquiring the art was an adventure for him. He has a passion for Russian impressionist art and that is the majority of work that hangs on his gallery walls. I learned much and we ended up purchasing a book written by the owner. It was fun to see paintings from the book upon the gallery walls. So inspiring.
We drove home today and stopped in Georgetown on the way back. I took photos in a tea room there and I will share them with you for this week's Pink Saturday.
Thank you to everyone who visited me on last week's Pink Saturday. I'm sorry I missed you and I appreciate your interest in my blog.
This week, I am posting about the review of the new book by Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey: Chasing Mona Lisa. If you love art and thriller's this is the book for you. Check out my review tomorrow, Monday. Also, I will be putting a review up on GoodReads. Additionally, I have received some tasty teas from China to review and will be posting those this week as well. Once again the Lord shows us His favor in amazing ways. It has been such a blessing to spend so much tine with my husband after his hectic work schedule the last few months. It was a wonderful way to reconnect. I enjoy him and spending time with him. No one makes me laugh the way he does. I hope you are all enjoying the beginning of 2012. There are so many possibilities on the horizon. Remember to connect with the Lord regularly to hone your ability to hear Him so that He may direct your ways.
He is so good.
Thank you for stopping by.

Pink roses for G

2012-01-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

The first rose painting of the new year.

100 books

2012-01-09T08:44:00.001-07:00

Did I ever tell you about the time I checked out 100 books from the library? No? Well, in a fit of decorating enthusiasm, I sat at my computer and did a search in my library's data base looking for books on French and lux decor. Not that either of these two things play into my decorating scheme, if you can call it that, to a large degree. We are living on a budget, after all but I do what I can when I can and it helps to have books around in a style you prefer. Well, it's a good thing the library puts a cap on how many books you can order at a time or I might still be carting them all home. You see, I felt I needed to order all the books in which I was interested so that later, I would not reorder the same book having read it already in during the first gleaning of the shelves. You should have seen it, an entire shelf at the library all to myself! lol Well... it was more like two shelves but whose counting. I gained some notoriety with the library ladies when I went in to pick up my books. I thought they would have arrived a bit more staggered given the odds that some would have been checked out or traveling from greater distances. No such luck. When I got them all home, I stacked them going up the stairs. The husband was not amused.
This morning when I went in to my list of blogs I follow, Maison Decor has a list of books for suggested reading. Uh-oh! Some of these are titles I have not read AND...they are at the library. Squeal! Looks like I will need to go in with doughnuts and juice!

Villabarnes Giveaway!!!

2012-01-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

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Villabarnes, that oh so delicious blog where she magically turns just about anything into a well aged masterpiece, is having her first giveaway of the year. It's delightful! Please head over and take a peek at the lovely vignette to be given away to one lucky reader of her blog. Good luck!

Pink Saturday, mini photo tutorial

2012-01-06T08:54:00.001-07:00

I use GIMP an open source (this means free) photo editing program. If you have been wanting a photo editing program but could not afford one, you might want to check it out.

Our eyes are amazing. They are much more delicate than even the most sophisticated camera. They pick up more color variations and more light than a camera. Many times on my Flickr group: Tea, Tea, Tea, I see many dark photographs. Too dark. If you enjoy taking photographs using natural light, consider buying something to use to reflect the light back onto your subject matter. Now, I like this cheap and easy and foam core boards from Hobby Lobby work just fine for this. You can cut them down to a manageable size or leave them big to illuminate larger areas. If you like to blog on-the-spot, and find yourself at a restaurant or tea room (these photos are especially dark) use a clean plate or white napkin as a reflector. One thing that happens quite frequently is that people will take a photograph of, let's say, a tea set against the light from a window. The result is; the window area is very bright, almost washed out, and the tea set is completely lost in shadow. A reflector works great in this case, bouncing the light from the window back onto your subject. Now, if you have a DSLR camera, you can 'trick' the camera into light metering in such a way so as not to make the photo too dark. It's times like these I really respect those person with an aptitude for writing good, easy to understand manuals. In order to trick my camera (I have a Pentax that I just LOVE!) I point it toward the darkest part of the set up and only depress the button half way. It then meters the light for a dark setting, not a bright setting. I then turn the lens toward the main interest in the photo and snap the picture. You do need to be aware of distance and focus when doing this little trick. You want the are on which you are focusing to be near your main focal point in depth of field so that your photograph does not turn out blurry. The next time you watch t.v., try to pay attention to the windows during an inside shot. If it is not a , 'set', but a building with natural, outside light streaming in, the light coming in from the windows will be very bright, washing over what is near to them. This is because in order to make sure the interior, and the actors can be seen, the light is metered using the darker parts of the room. You can see a good example of this in the show, The Mentalist.
Also, I first learned the art of photography waaaay back in college when we used...FILM! lol Digital photography has had its own, oft times difficult, learning curve. One thing I carried over from my college days is to try and do as much work, 'in camera' as possible. You can only edit a photo so much so try to make sure it is as good as you can possibly make it in your camera before down loading it into your computer. As much as I enjoy photo editing, I would rather be taking the shot than fixing it in post. Here are some examples of that for you.

Before

After: I have a tendency to tilt to the right when I shoot an object on a flat surface, so rotating the photo is sometimes necessary. Here is the photo after being rotated, cropped, brightened and focus enhanced.

I just threw in this one because I like it.

Before: a bit too dark and I want to crop out the wood showing through on the left.

After: Cropped, a bit brighter and refocused. Changing the dimensions sometimes causes the photo to blur.

While I am by no means a photography expert, I do hope you find these tips useful and applicable to your photography. Please join our hostess, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for more pinks on our first Pink Saturday of the year.

My word for this year is...

2012-01-05T18:59:00.001-07:00

I had read on other blogs that people were choosing a word to represent how they were approaching the new year. I had not had anything come to mind until today. I want to be braver with my art. my word for this year is brave.

What to do with bottles?

2012-01-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Okay my super creative bloggy friends. What would YOU do with these bottles? I have four of them; three with labels and one without a label.

I appreciate your input!

Bucket list

2012-01-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

Some ladies wait too long to go to the opera and miss out entirely. Never put off until tomorrow what you can cross off your bucket list today.

Have bucket lists replaced New Year's resolutions? To a certain degree, I think they have have and with good reason. When we make resolutions, we have a much more limited amount time in which to check off items on our list than on our bucket lists, or do we? Since most of us do not know when we will die, we seem to add to the bucket lists a few more items that are challenging, or expensive, perhaps to give ourselves more time to be able to cross them off. There are many things on bucket lists, some fun, some hard, some life threatening (those we save for much later) and the list is much longer, or should be, than a simple resolutions list since we are under the impression we will have more time to accomplish what is on the list. Since bucket lists generally contain life long accomplishments, sometimes painted with broad strokes, what are some of the things you could put on a smaller bucket list or have it look like this; 1. 1a.?
For example...Denise from: Count it All Joy, made a comment on a previous post about adding printing on fabric to her, 'bucket list' she has for quilting accomplishments she wishes to finish before, 'bucket day' arrives. This got me thinking. What sort of artistic or creative, 'bucket lists' do I have...or need to create?
The first and biggest item on my bucket list is to go to the brocante (or flea market) in Paris. I would buy furniture (even that which had good bones, and not much by the way of fabric, knowing I would most likely just have it reupholstered anyway. I would buy chandeliers, rugs, statues for inside the house as well as for the garden. I would purchase drapes, linens, porcelain and china. Silver, vases, ephemera...all would come home with me. Some would be refurbished, come would stay in its lovely state of advanced patina and some might even be redone to appear aged and with a good patina-so many wonderful things can be done with paint these days. I would buy crystal goblets, urns, perhaps a doctor's medical case that still contained its original glass bottles and maybe even the doctor's spectacles. Paintings would find new life with me, but no dolls, they creep me out.
Paris, that is my major bucket list. Japan was on my bucket list before I even knew what one was and look what happened there, unfortunately. I accomplished artistic goals on my bucket list last year and I didn't even know what I was doing could be considered related to, 'bucket-listing'. I just knew I had specific art goals I wanted to complete and I did not want them to take forever. So, thanks to, Denise's comment, I will be sitting down and seriously contemplating this artistic, bucket list thing. After all, I will not live for ever on this terrestrial plane. When I finally stand before my King, I do not want to have anything on my list, un-checked. I've already been given two opportunities to, 'come home' and I turned them both down knowing I was not even close to being done down here, but I'm getting closer. Next time, I just might say, 'yes'! Did I freak you out? lol
So, how about you? What are you artistic, bucket-list items? I'll share some more with you as they come up. If you are a Christian, you should be consulting with the Lord on your list items. You just might be surprised at what He wants you to do. He is, after all, the Master Creator. The original maker of beautiful backgrounds, gorgeous sunsets and everything else that has breath. I tend to get worked up when I think about all the beauty He has created for us...just because He loves us.
So whether you call it a bucket list, or a New Year's resolution, don't forget to add some creative goals and share them with us. I know I would love to hear about on what you are working.
Thanks for stopping by!

Printing on fabric

2012-01-02T15:15:00.001-07:00

I have not, yet, tried this...but I will.I know many ladies who use transfer paper to apply printed graphics to fabric to use in various projects. One blog post I read gave instructions for using card stock to stiffen fabric to allow you to run it through the printer thus eliminating the need for transfer paper, thereby keeping your fabric nice and soft. Now I find there is paper already attached to paper. When you are done running it through your printer, you simply peel off the paper backing and you have a finished cloth to do with whatever you imagine.
How neat is that? I have for you a video tutorial and just one link (I'm sure there are more) of where you can purchase paper backed fabrics.

p.s., if you do end up using this idea and create something, please let me know. I would love to see what you make!

Grocery store flowers

2012-01-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

There were a myriad of rose bouquets at the store the other day. I hastily, and not very well on some of them, snapped pics using my phone and now I'm posting them here for you to enjoy. Hope you have a blessed day!

For those of us who love the patinas of life...

2012-01-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

This very cute couple take whimsy to a whole new level.

Kenyan & Grace by Gary Nadeau from gary nadeau on Vimeo.

2012 Calendar

2012-01-01T03:25:00.000-07:00

I usually purchase the collectible tea pots calendar every year, but this year I decided to go for the art of an artist whose skill I greatly admire, Linda Nelson Stocks. How about you? Are you buying a calendar this year or are you completely electronic when it comes to this sort of thing?

Cutting roses

2011-12-31T02:15:00.000-07:00

There is a trick to cutting roses to make sure you get as much life out of them as possible & that they do not develop the dreaded, 'droopy head' a few days after bringing them home. I bought these roses Wednesday at Sam's Club for $5.98 and they are still going strong.

For optimum rose beauty and longevity, we want to see them open up and go from shy bud to brazen beauty. To achieve this, cut the stems while they are immersed in a bowl of water. If you do it slow enough, you can actually see air bubbles escape from the stem as you cut. It is this air bubble that prevents water from traveling up the stem to the flower head and causes that sad drooping to occur. Keep the stem submerged for a few seconds before removing it from the water. Now, you may have only part of the stem under water while the rest of it sticks out. This is ok as long as the part you are cutting is under the water as you do so. I always place my roses in cold water from the tap with some of the powder from the packet that comes with them, sprinkled into the water.
I hope this helps!

Tea and Roses and Pink Saturday

2011-12-30T13:29:00.004-07:00

Tea and Roses, a set on Flickr.

Here are some photographs I've taken over the years. If you have a Flickr account, I administrate a group called, Tea, Tea, Tea. I'd love for you to join and contribute some tea photographs.

Please visit our hostess of Pink Saturday, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

p.s. I'm on a bit of a rant here, folks. You can skip this or read it, I'm fine with both. I just cruised through some Pink Saturday posts, and I am astonished at how many of them feature stolen photographs from other websites and blogs. This is becoming more and more rampant and while I love a professional photograph as much as the next person, it is still stealing and not at all a representation of you. With the exception of something found on The Graphics Fairy who allows use of her graphics, if proper credit is given, all my photographs and art are my own. Good, bad or otherwise. Some people give credit for where they found the photograph, but how many actually received permission to use that photograph? I'm sure few, if any. When I encounter a blog that is solely made up of stolen photographs, I feel cheated. I want to see your work. I want to see pieces and bits of your life through your eyes. Now, go out there and show me what you can do!

My cup runs over...

2011-12-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

I am so blessed. This year comes to an end with it being the best for me health wise. For as long as I can remember, I have been sick during the holidays. This is the first time ever, that I did not become ill and laid up in bed for days at a time. Praise, God! He is so good!
I also had a wonderful time with my family which does not always happen. I was blessed to meet my nephew's new girl friend. She is completely adorable. A real sweet heart.
There is only one dark cloud hanging over us at this time. My sister's husband has been infected with the e. coli bacteria. It is in his bladder and they are not yet sure if he has suffered kidney damage. We are still waiting for permission from the insurance company (completely ridiculous) for the doctors to do an ultra sound on his kidneys. I'm asking my Christian pals to please pray for him. He is only 47 and is not saved.
Thank you!

Comfort and Joy!

2011-12-28T18:44:00.001-07:00

Comfort and Joy! How a season of hospitality helped me overcome my fear of lack.

I wrote a little book. It is 28 pages long. In order to access the pdf file, you will need to copy and past the below link into a new search window. Please let me know if you have any trouble opening this and also, I would love your feed back. I hope this little document blesses you in some way. It is my gift to you. Enjoy.

/home/mjb/Link to comfortandjoy2.pdf

Here is an excerpt.
I'll never forget the day I went to my husband telling him we needed to go grocery shopping and hearing him say, 'we do not have money to buy groceries.'. I was stunned for a moment. We had always had enough to eat, even though he had been out of work for a few years, a time where he was what we jokingly called, 'gainfully unemployed.' because the Lord had continually blessed us through this time of unemployment. Perhaps because this was not our first time around the, 'no money mountain' I calmly leaned back against our sofa and thought, 'hmm...I wonder what the Lord is going to do now?'.

My top 5 posts of the year

2011-12-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

Well, as 2011 comes to a close, it's time to look back over the stats and see which posts you all loved the most and revisit them for some of my newer followers. Thank you to everyone for making 2011 a great blogging experience and thank you to all my followers. I am truly touched that you would come and visit me in my little, mountain tea parlour and studio.Please click the links to see original post, not the photos.

Number 1 post: Where Bloggers Create

Number 2: Romantic Pink Roses and Pink Saturday

Number 3: Revamp/Repost Mirror

Number 4: Baroness von Blixen Roses

Number 5: Pink Saturday-more roses &, Mom

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you enjoy the recap.

Pretty boxes holding secrets

2011-12-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

My mom drew my name this year for gift giving. Well, really she was at the big, once-a-year craft show and called me to ask me what pieces I needed for my, With Joy nativity set. THEN we drew names around this shopping spree for the giving of the rest of the gifts. Here is the box in which she gave them to me:

She can tie the prettiest bows!

CAMELS!!!


CAMEL!!!

I love my camels. Now, they just need some wise-men. Next year...

I must say, this was the best Christmas I remember in many years. Not because of the gifts, although they were very nice and I appreciate every single one. In a few years (he turns 14 tomorrow!) the nephew will be going off to college and my husband's work might take us to another town, or not. We just do not know. What I do know is that being around my family this year was especially delightful. Comfort and joy indeed.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T01:45:00.005-07:00

Santa Says...

2011-12-23T12:39:00.001-07:00

...it's tea time!

Please join our hostess of Pink Saturday, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!

2011-12-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

A gift from a friend. An adored Christmas hymn.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Christmas Hymn and Carol

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

What I saw at TJ Maxx...1

2011-12-18T01:50:00.000-07:00

I do not get out to TJ Maxx too often as it is literally on the other side of and at the outskirts of town. When I do get out there, however, I always find something I like. I did not buy these items as they would not go too well with my decor, but I sure thought they were cute. This might become a semi-regular posting theme...What I Found While Shopping at.... Hope you like it.

A lovely blue, French country type pitcher.


...and this cutie sitting next to it on the shelf.

There were also some large, alter candle sticks I would love to go back and buy, if they are still there, but I'm not stepping into a store this weekend. Can you say, 'mad house!"?

Christmas tree is up!

2011-12-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

My Christmas tree is finally up. I ran into a couple snags, just as I was getting ready to set it up. The first, 'snag' was when I read Rebecca's post over at A Gathering Place where she wrote about painting her tree. It turned out so great (isn't she brave?!) that I also had to paint my tree as I did not like how dark green it was, painting it would make it much better. Great plan except we were just going into a cold snap. A few days went by and then it looked like we would have one day of warmer weather, but for how long? At that time I was following the local weather man on Twitter, I have since deactivated my account, and through a series of tweets with him, I found out how long we would have temps over 32 degrees. The warmth would last longer than the sunshine so I had to get busy. Here are some before and after pictures.

Per Rebecca's instructions, I placed 1 part paint to 2 parts water in a spray pump container, and promptly squirted my reddish brown stained house with Titanium white acrylic paint. Sigh. While the pain ton the tree was still wet, I liberally sprinkled it with glitter to make the paint look more like glistening snow. It was still slightly damp when I brought it into the house later but the sun was setting, fast so I had to bring it inside. I set it down on some magazines and it was dry by morning. I took it back outside and brushed off the excess glitter. My second snag happened when I went to light it. My mom had given me the tree and with it, 2 strands of candle lights. I love the lights but trying to space them evenly was fast becoming an aggregation. I ended up going to Hobby Lobby and buying 2 boxes of 20ft, 100 count mini lights for $3.99 each (last years prices).
Here is a video of how the tree turned out.

Come over for tea!

2011-12-16T08:06:00.002-07:00

Hello dear friends. I know we have all been busy making our homes glitter with joy at the holiday season. Why not join me in a refreshing cuppa? A nice, China black tea flavored with bergamot or scented with roses. A few cookies frosted and sprinkled with sugar or with a dollop of jelly plopped into the thumb print left in the dough for just such a purpose. Yule logs, Turkish delight, Russian tea cakes, all await us as we gather round to share our stories and ourselves with each other as a buffer against the cold outside our doors. A light, not in our windows, but in our hearts.

Chick-a-tea

2011-12-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

Afternoon Tea
My copper kettle

whistles merrily

and signals that

it is time for tea.
The fine china cups

are filled with the brew.

There's lemon and sugar

and sweet cream, too.
But, best of all

there's friendship, between you and me.

As we lovingly share

our afternoon tea.

~Marianna Arolin

Happy Pink Saturday, my dear friends. Thank you for visiting my blog and sharing my painting journey over the last several months. Your words of encouragement and enjoyment of my paintings has meant so much to me. I also have enjoyed reading your blogs and getting to know you. So many beautiful words and photos and great ideas too! Here is a cup of tea and my little Paris Chick-a-dee. May they warm your heart and body as I wish a very, Merry Christmas. Please visit our hostess of Pink Saturday, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

AND THE WINNER IS...

2011-12-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

CHUBSKULIT from Roses, Obstacles & Glories.

She won the pink rose painting featured in my giveaway.

I will be shipping it to her this week (if I get her address in time) so that she can have it in time for Christmas. Congratulations! Thank you to everyone who posted a comment and entered the giveaway.

Paris Chick-a-dee

2011-12-06T18:59:00.001-07:00

Is he not sweet?

He is going to live with me. I think I'm going to work in more birds into my paintings.

I decided to, 'linger' this over into Pink Saturday. Please visit our hostess of P.S., Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. I hope you all are having a good time gearing up for Christmas; decorating, baking and sending out Christmas cards. The stores sure are getting more and more busy with shoppers, even during the weekdays. I think I am done with all my shopping; having bought my last stocking stuffer Thursday. Now it is time for tea and Christmas movies starting with 'A Muppet Christmas Carol'. Which is your favorite Christmas movie?

As promised...

2011-12-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

...gratuitous photographs of anniversary roses.

Shabby, white, window frame

2011-12-06T01:04:00.001-07:00

Also at the antique's mall.

They sell these corner brackets at Hobby Lobby. With some ingenuity and elbow grease, you could fashion one yourself. Affix the brackets into the corners of an old frame, paint them and then shabby them up with some sand paper. Attach a picture frame type bracket hook to the back and then hang on your wall or set it against a wall as part of a meme. If you hang it on a wall, you could also apply to the wall within the frame rub-on wall phrases or hang song bird prints.

Anniversary events and stuff

2011-12-05T07:15:00.001-07:00

I will post a photograph tomorrow of the flowers hubby bought for me for our anniversary. I want them to open up a bit more.
Because of his crazy work schedule, we were not able to go to our favorite restaurant for dinner last night as they are closed on Sundays. We went to the grocery store and picked up some of our pre-prepped favorite foods to take home and enjoy. I told him I would be happy to eat tuna form a can as long as it was with him. Luckily, we were able to buy better food that canned tuna! lol While we were at the grocery store, I spied a lady dressed in her Disney, Chip and Dale chipmunk pj's. Yes, she was wearing her pj's in public! I cannot judge her too harshly as I once had a job I hated and on one of our casual Friday, days, yep...I wore MY pj's to work but at least they didn't look like pj's. They just looked like a knit outfit. I wore them with gold sandals and even received compliments on how cute I looked. Here is a picture of the pj lady from the grocery store.

I think though that if you are going to wear pj's in public, at least try to make them not look like pj's!

Last week, I drug hubby to the local antiques mall. I saw something I had to have. You know how we vintage loving gals love weird, old things.

Can you tell what it is?


How about now that I've turned it upside down so it's right side up?

Confused? It's a grand, piano leg! There were two, so I snatched them both up. Whomever had them before me put them on a board upside down. I'm not sure if it was so that they could be hung from a wall like sconces or what. I may turn them into a glass table or just set them on the shelf above my front door. Either way I love them and I am thrilled to have them come live with me.
What would you do with them my clever friends?

Pink Saturday, Christmas decor, and GIVEAWAY!

2011-12-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

I am also having a giveaway. To see what is the prize, please click HERE. I would love to have over 100 followers by the end of the year. If you do not already follow me and would like to, place a comment in the giveaway post (please not this post)and it will add to how many times your name goes, 'into the hat'. Good luck and please visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for additional Pink Saturday goodies. Thanks for stopping by.

Upholstery

2011-12-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

Schindler's Fabrics LINK, is having a sale on their Ralph Lauren upholstery fabric. For some reason, I never would have thought of Ralph Lauren carrying floral print anything. I think this fabric is timeless and classy...and out of my price range, for now.

But I can absolutely see this, and my chair (no picture yet)

covered in the gorgeous stuff.
How about you? What are your upholstery day dreams?

Victorian Hair Style

2011-11-30T10:54:00.001-07:00

Victorian Hair Style, a photo by MelissasCozyTeacup on Flickr.

I posted this photo on Flickr in Feb. of 2009. Since then, it has been viewed over 2000 times! It is the most viewed photograph I have ever taken, and it's just the back of my head. lol!

Giveaway!

2011-11-29T07:37:00.001-07:00

December 4th marks my 7th wedding anniversary to my wonderful husband. I can hardly believe it has been 7 years. It feels like we just got back from our honeymoon.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, I am giving away the above painting. The painting is an original oil painting on canvas, 11x14 inches. Here are the rules of the giveaway.

This is the only post for placing entry comments for the drawing. Comments placed in other posts concerning this drawing will not be honored as entries.
One comment per person will earn a chance at the painting.
Following my blog will earn another entry. If you already are a follower, please note this in your comment so I can put your name in 2x.
If you refer someone to my blog giveaway and they leave a comment naming you and linking to your blog, you get an extra entry. (they get theirs, you get an extra)
Mentioning this giveaway on your blog with a link to my blog (you may use the picture of the painting) will earn an extra entry for you, just be sure to mention this in your comment.

Contest is good from today until 5:00 p.m. December 10th, my local time meaning; if it is 5:00 p.m.. here, it is 7:00 p.m. in New York.
If you have a blog and win, please post about your win. I will ship the painting the week of the, 11th-17th if I have your contact information in time. PLEASE REMEMBER TO INCLUDE A WAY FOR ME TO CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN. IF I CANNOT CONTACT YOU, YOU FORFEIT YOUR WIN AND I WILL DRAW ANOTHER NAME IMMEDIATELY SO THAT THEY CAN RECEIVE THE PAINTING IN A TIMELY MANNER. The winner will be announced December 11th.
Good luck!

A trip to the eye doctor

2011-11-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

Went to the eye doctor today. I have known I need some sort of reader type eye glasses for some time now but have been putting it off. Talking with the doctor today, he recommended progressive lenses. Even with insurance, they would cost about the same as the GDP of a small country. during the consultation, I also asked him abut Lasik surgery. He said they could do a mono-vision type surgery with one eye under corrected so that it would be possible to read without an extra pair of glasses because who wants to go through surgery and still needed glasses? I do not. So I asked him if I could be fitted for contact lenses and do the mono-vision since that is how they test you to see if you like it and are a good candidate for this type of surgery. He said yes and I have the contact lenses in now. My eyes are still dilated so near sight is distorted but I am looking forward to seeing how well this will work for me. I'm excited at the prospect of being able to see near and far with just contact lenses!

Seventeen roses

2011-11-18T15:16:00.000-07:00


Seventeen Roses 28x22 inch canvas by Melissa J. Bishop

Hello everyone. Here is my latest. It was inspired from a picture of a Limoges brooch that also had 17 roses painted upon its porcelain surface. I figured that if that artist could fit that many roses on such a small surface, painting them on a canvas would be a breeze. While not entirely, 'easy breezy', it went better than I initially expected. I hope you enjoy it, my friends.
please visit our hostess of Pink Saturday, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.
On an entirely separate note; I started a blog a few months ago about a journey I began to improve my health and weight. That blog is: PALEO NOMTASTIC!

Here is my first post from that blog. I hope you will stop by for a visit and if needed, it provides the inspiration necessary to encourage those who need to, to go on their own journey of improved wellness. I think taking care of ourselves to live a long and healthy life is as much a gift to our loved ones as it is a gift to ourselves. I feel so blessed to have 'discovered' this diet and to be able to hit the reset button on my health and life.

I started my Paleo diet journey a little over a month ago and I can feel a huge difference in my health. Things that were constantly aching no longer hurt. Fingers that would not bend are now forming a fist. It truly is amazing how much better I feel after eliminating certain foods from my diet. I am getting a bit ahead of myself though.
My is Melissa, aka ' Cavechic' and I used to be a Celiac. I started my no gluten journey a little over three years ago. At first, things went well and some of my health returned. About a year into my no gluten journey, old symptoms started to flair up. I could not figure out what was going on. One day, by chance, I read a blog entry from Heather Armstrong over at Dooce. She had been eating the Paleo diet for athletic reasons. As far as I know, she is not doing it for specific health issues as am I. Curious about this diet she was on, I started doing research on my own. One of my favorite sites has been THIS ONE. This is not a mere diet. this has now become a necessary lifestyle change for me. A last, ditch effort to improve my health.
The Paleolithic diet goes way beyond what Atkins was telling us although there are some who will argue it's just a beefed up, ha-ha, version of what he was trying to do. This is not a diet for dieting's sake. I am eliminating foods that have been shown to have a negative and severe reaction in my body. Do I hope to lose weight, heck yes! (UPDATE... I AM NOW UP TO A 22.5 LB DROP IN WEIGHT) My primary goal, however, is to keep my body from being attacked and destroyed by what I eat. My body cannot handle wheat, grains, beans, legumes, potatoes, tomatoes eggplant, etc. By etc., I mean nightshade plants. Read more about nightshades HERE. My body has reached its limit of toxins. It just cannot handle digesting and processing the foods with the highest amounts and those foods are the main building blocks of the food pyramid. I do not think the obesity epidemic in American can be blamed solely on how much people are eating or on how little they exercise. For some (a very large amount) of people, no amount of caloric restrictions or working out until they drop is going to change the fact that their bodies cannot handle certain foods and this inability to properly digest them can cause malnutrition (yes even in the obese), auto immune disease, joint pain, bone damage and many more medical issues including a possible link to Alzheimer's. I know that when I do not eat these toxic foods I feel 100x better. When I do eat them, I experience severe joint pain, mood swings, nerve damage, dizziness, well, you get the picture. If you or a loved one has been fighting a chronic illness such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, osteo issues including bone loss and arthritis please consider taking a good, long, hard look at your diet. Your family medical history does not have to me your medical future. I have already experienced freedom from some of the medical issues faced by other female members of my family. I am not telling you to do anything but I am asking you to research and decide for yourself if the Paleo lifestyle is for you.
This lifestyle change can be difficult at first because there are no easy, fast foods on this diet/lifestyle. It is hard because when you go out to eat, you will learn that most restaurants cook their food in and use soy oil. Soy is a restricted food on the Paleo diet. It is hard to do becuae if you slip up and eat something not on the Paleo diet, your reaction could be swift, severe and painful depending on how sensitive your body is to those toxins. I ate two gluten free waffles on Tuesday and I'm just now startingfailed you. You do not need 'will power' on the Paleo. It is already within you. It's called, 'The Desire to Be Healthy'. That's your will power. That and the fact that you're going to feel like crap if you cheat. You will know what foods you can and cannot eat. Your body will tell you in no uncertain terms. Do not worry about exercising right away while you transition your eating style. Just chill and concentrate on learning what you can and cannot eat, how to cook it, how to incorporate it into your daily life and learn how to listen to your body. Read everything you can about this lifestyle change. Find cook books that work for you because you will be cooking more than you ever were before you switched to the 'Paleo way'. This is a good thing, really. You know exactly what is going into your body because you made it. Get that fast-food monkey off your back and reclaim your health! It is just not worth it.

Painting preview

2011-11-16T14:40:00.000-07:00


Photo by Melissa Bishop all rights reserved do not copy or use on your blog.

A little preview of a painting on which I am working. All will be revealed on Pink Saturday.

A rose for a friend

2011-11-14T16:41:00.000-07:00

This is the rose I painted for my friend last week. Thanks to my new, faster drying medium, it can already be framed. What do you think? I thik she is going to love it.

Spiritual Sunday-Being a great steward

2011-11-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

I, like most Christians, am challenged to be a good steward of the things the Lord has given to me. These things include, but are not limited to: times, money, resources, gifting in the spirit. Although we are challenged to take care of the finances we are given, most of us are not taught just how that is done. Talking about money, for some and for some odd reason, is looked at as vulgar and yet it is a vital tool in almost every aspect of our lives. Money is a tool. It builds things, funds things and feeds people. How well you understand this tool determines how much of it you get to use to build the dreams the Lord gives to you. Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump both have unique ideas on money, wealth and how to use this powerful tool. Here is a review of a book by Kiyosaki which I am in the process of reading.

An Unfair Advantage: The Power of Financial Education by Robert T. Kiyosaki

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I do not think Kiyosaki talks down to anyone as some have accused him. I do think most people lack financial education, he realizes this and is trying to breakthrough the rhetoric and fog that has clouded most people's thoughts on finances which contributes to them being in their present financial state which is not good. In order to breakthrough the mental barriers put up by decades of bad financial teaching and advice, things need to be repeated and broken down into an understandable vocabulary. His audience are those person with little to no financial education so of course he is going to present the information as clear and as concise as possible. So far, it is a great read and all of his books and games should be taught in schools across America, even beginning in elementary grades. Enough of glamorizing and romanticizing being poor. Let's all increase our financial education and thereby our financial standing and become part of the solution, by not adding to the problem.

View all my reviews

Give away!

2011-11-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

Brenda, over at Brushed by an Angel, is having a give away of adorable, hand painted, by her, snowman ornaments. Please click on this LINK for details.

Brenda's snowman ornament.

This photo of the cute snowman ornament is taken from Brenda's site.

One Stroke rose painting in Poland

2011-11-09T18:03:00.001-07:00

Mauve rose

2011-11-08T18:34:00.001-07:00

12x12 inch canvas board. Mauve rose in oil paint.

To frame or not to frame your art?

2011-11-07T21:31:00.002-07:00

True Strength by Kevin Sorbo

2011-11-06T15:09:00.000-07:00

True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal--and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life by Kevin Sorbo

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You can read my review by click the above link.

View all my reviews

It's beginning to look a bit like Christmas

2011-11-04T16:16:00.001-06:00

The snow I used was...

...and here is the bird house I told you about in the video...

It is a bit hard to see everything from this angle but you can see the snow and branches used in its decorating.

Goodbye, blue mug

2011-11-02T21:43:00.000-06:00

On Monday, I was racing out of the house to go to the house of prayer to enjoy the evening with Christian friends instead of dodging the door bell (trick-or-treat?). My arms were overly full and when I went to lock the front door, my favorite blue and white tea mug fell and made contact with our concrete stoop in a spectacular shatter. I briefly paused to mourn and scoot the shards of it into the plantar that holds a tree that drops red berries and autumn leaves all over my car and driveway, until I could ~~take the time~~ face the sad task of cleaning them up. I know some might say, it's just a mug' but it was one I carried everywhere and was a bit classier than your average mug with a graphic and saying on the side. It's statement was that it didn't make a statement beyond what it contained...tea. It even had a cute lid to help keep in the steamy tea goodness. Sigh.

Goodbye, blue tea mug. I'll miss you. Picture taken in garden of the gods park in Colo. Spgs., CO

Pink Saturday-another pink rose

2011-10-28T17:30:00.001-06:00

Different color but they inspired the painting I created today.

Please join our hostess of Pink Saturday, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Winsor & Newton Oilbar & contest

2011-10-22T08:04:00.001-06:00

The other day when I painted the For Get Me Not flowers in this video, (please note at the bottom of the page how you can enter to win your own, slightly used oilbar sample)

I used a product called: Winsor & Newton Oilbar in French Ultramarine Blue.

This is, well, it's kind of like a big crayon made from oil paint and wax. It's pretty neat. Figuratively and literally. I liked it from the stand point of not having to deal with messy tubes of paint. Traveling with your paints can cause the tubes to expand or contract which can lead to leaking. An oilbar would not do that, it couldn't. A soft skin forms over the outside layer of the bar. To use it, simply rub off the skin with a cloth or paper towel. You can apply the bar directly to your canvas or surface you wish to paint or smoosh it directly onto your palette. I did a bit of both as I wanted to mix the color with white to create my flower color. I also used it as a shadow and to under-paint the bouquet by applying the bar directly to my canvas. I wasn't too sure about how the bar would perform at first (before I received it) because it does contain wax. I was pleasantly surprised at the softness of the paint texture. I would recommend not using too much medium with the bar. It has a wonderful, creaminess to it that lends itself beautifully to blending. I recommend heading HERE to enter your name into the drawing to win a set of these beautiful paints, or even to buy them if this post has whetted your curiosity. I think you'll like them.

I was hoping to receive more than one to use in a giveaway but... If you do not mind a slightly used oilbar, please leave a comment here letting me know you would like it and I will pick a name and mail that person the sample I received. As I said, I like the product but I already have a tube of French Ultramarine so why not share my sample? Adding yourself as a follower gives you an extra entry. If you already follow me say so in your comment & I'll put your name in 2x. The picture posted of the oilbar is my actual sample & shows how much of it is left.

The sample was provided free of charge by Winsor & Newton but in no way did this influenced the review.

Annual Harvest of Love food drive

2011-10-21T14:20:00.000-06:00

It sure is bright and sunny today as you can see by the picture of me standing next to the local, KRDO weatherman, Matt Meister. I was at the news studios today (thanks for the tour, Matt is was so cool!) dropping off canned goods for the annual food drive. Where ever you live, even if all you can afford is 1 can of food, I urge you to give to your local food banks. I think it is a national shame that America, one of the richest nations in the world, is also home to children who go to bed hungry or only eat during the week at school. Please, give.

Harvest Of Love Food Drive

Join us on Friday, October 21st from 6:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. at the KRDO Newschannel 13 studio located at 399 S. 8th St. Stop by to say "Hi!" and drop off your donations. See below for details and most-needed items:

Builder's Tea; manly tea tins

2011-10-21T09:05:00.000-06:00

A while ago, I did a review of Builder's Tea. This is a fun tea company with an eye turned toward the male tea drinker. Their boxes are cleverly designed with a construction theme, get it? Builder's Tea. Love it. Well now, they are developing a new line of tea tins that resemble lunch boxes. Here is a preview of the tins. I just cannot make up my mind and I'm sure I will end up owning all of what they make available to the public.

Hercules wrote a book!

2011-10-21T07:01:00.002-06:00

Here is a commercial for the new book out by Kevin Sorbo: True Strength.

I stumbled upon the Hercules series quite by accident and was hooked from the word, 'go'! I read about how Kevin and his beautiful wife, who has her own blog, met and fell in love and got all kinds of choked up when they appeared together again on Andromeda as lovers who would never again see each other. You'll have to pick up the series to see what I mean. Now, Kevin Sorbo has written a book about the darkest time of his life when he had a series of strokes. It is inspirational to see how this man's life was transformed by trial. I'm getting ready to read his book and will review it here when I am done. I hope his story will inspire you as well.

Forget me not- Victorian floral art

2011-10-19T16:38:00.000-06:00

This is a small, 12x12 inch canvas on board. Muted grays, blues and lavender make this a great painting for romantic, French or English decor.
It will be for sale when it dries.

Floral painting inspirations

2011-10-19T09:37:00.000-06:00

Need sources of inspiration for your art? It may be closer than you think. Study the works of artists you admire can help to improve your, 'eye'. Looking back into the past can be helpful as well. there is a reason why certain artists remain beloved favorites through out the ages. I hope this video helps spark new creative ideas for you.

Birthday dolls

2011-10-17T12:31:00.001-06:00

I felt sad when I saw these dolls at the thrift store the other day. Usually I see 1 or 2 here and there but I have never seen this many all in one place unless at a retail store. What happened to the woman who owned these? Did she move, die of did she think she was too old for them not realizing in a few years she would wish she still had them around?
I have the sweet sixteen doll. I can turn my head right now and see her sitting on the shelf. Do you have a birthday doll? Maybe we should make this, Birthday Doll Week, and everyone post a picture about their doll?

Sub Rosa

2011-10-16T20:53:00.000-06:00


The Latin phrase sub rosa means "under the rose" and is used in English to denote secrecy or confidentiality.-Wiki

It looks as if these two cute mice are sharing a secret. I love old art like this postcard. So much care and detail was taken in its creation.It makes a delicate, sweet impact and has definite, 'aw' power. Awwww!
Is there an area of your creative process that needs an overhaul to reach the impact level of this postcard? Interesting segue, eh? Every week I intend to paint and every week I allow myself to be distracted. Yes, allow. I wish to go further in my art skills but as the old saying goes; 'Working will, when wishing will not!'. So, who wants to take their art, craft, D.I.Y., decorating or sewing projects to the next level? Let's set some specific goals and work toward achieving them this week. This is on the honor system. No one will scold you for not reaching your goals but also, you will not reach your goals if you are not cultivating the necessary discipline needed to reach that next level. Boy, I really needed to hear that! I have a very specific goal of seeing my art work featured in Romantic Homes magazine. I know I need some work to get to that level. I will be checking in with you, my wonderful readers, to show you my progress. Who is with me?

Rebecca is having a giveaway!

2011-10-16T10:48:00.002-06:00

The lovely, and talented Rebecca, over at A Gathering Place, is having a very generous giveaway. Up for grabs is one of her beautiful, hand painted train cases, once featured in a 2006 Romantic Homes magazine.
Head on over to her blog to this post to see how you can enter to win.

Blog content question...

2011-10-12T20:42:00.001-06:00

Would you like to see more of:

A. Painting how-to's & tips.

B. D.I.Y. projects.

C. More tea videos.

or

D. other (and let me know what in what sort of 'other' you are interested.)

.Thank you.

...and then it went, BOOM!!

2011-10-12T14:30:00.000-06:00

At the junkyard.

Last summer. at a hamfest* (sadly a hamfest has nothing to do with actual ham or yummy ham-like items) my hubby and I spied a FOR SALE sign on a 1991 Ford Econoline van. It was in great condition and the asking price was super low. Visions of road trips filled my head as I gazed upon it with delight. I was so tired of traveling in the scrunchy little Jeep Wagoneer with terrible suspension. We decided to buy it, a decision I have never regretted, even today when it blew up very near my face. We had taken it out east to a mechanic friend so he could take a look at it and when we filled up, we got a hold of some bad gas. Some very, VERY bad gas! We have been spraying ether based starter fluid into the main valve of the air intake. The spray had been doing its job well, helping the van start. Today, it was having a particularly bad time of it and we, unknowingly, sprayed too much starter fluid into the air intake. The fumes built up and KA-BOOM! The cover on the air filter blew apart into several pieces and I was left standing stunned and partially incapacitated for a moment in our driveway. All I could do was stand there with my hands over my ears praying my hearing would come back. Hubby jumped out of the van and ran over to me to make sure I was ok. I am ok but wow! I could not hear anything for a minute and boy were my ears hurting. We called around to various parts stores and the local Ford dealership and ended up at the junkyard pulling our own part. We found something comparable for the van but it is still having issues because of the gas. I'm praying these issue go away soon and that there are no long lasting effects. Any of those flying plastic pieces from the cover could have pierced me. I'm so glad I escaped relatively unscathed. Thank you, Lord for Your wonderful protection.

* a hamfest is a big indoor (in our area at least) bazaar of electronic parts of all kind but mostly for ham radios and computers.

Still life: Blessings

2011-10-10T18:12:00.001-06:00

My first attempt at a still life. I'm so very tired right now and I'm barely 1/2 way through. Christian friends, please pray for me to get it done and that it will look good when finished. Thank you!!

Photo set up. I decide to omit the book.

Layout on gray toned canvas.

I'm amazed at how long this took. I thought I was moving pretty fast!

A very happy Columbus day to you

2011-10-10T07:20:00.000-06:00

Columbus Day Pictures Comments - Photobucket

Book reviews

2011-10-08T16:17:00.001-06:00

I enjoyed reviewing and interviewing, Laura Schaefer so much, that I went in search of book review opportunities and stumbled upon,

I have filled out the form and if accepted, I will be bringing you regular book reviews of Christian literature. I'm so excited!

Book Review: The Secret Ingredient- Laura Schaefer

2011-10-06T10:42:00.004-06:00

I wish I could say that I sat down with Laura over tea in a cute tearoom somewhere but I didn't. I emailed her some questions and she was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer them so they could accompany my review of her book: The Secret Ingredient. The Secret Ingredient is a follow up to her previously published book: The Teashop Girls.
I liked, The Secret Ingredient. I felt it was a good Young Adult read that, although is centered mainly around the goings on of a young girl working at her grandmother's tearoom for the summer, also deals with growing pangs such as; body image, friends changing and evolving into their own identities & how to show up not only for your life but for theirs and of course, what to do about those pesky boys that may not be so pesky after all. The Secret Ingredient shows readers that you can get through life's curve balls even if you mess up. Friendship, forgiveness, playing fair and being a good sport are all part of life lessons learned by the characters of, The Secret Ingredient.
The best part of The Secret Ingredient? No glittering, emo vampires found at all in this book. Woot!

1. What was your first tea experience and how does that influence your writing?

I can't remember a very first tea experience, but I first became truly interested in tea when I realized you could buy it in loose leaf form in so many varieties. Until my twenties, I thought of tea as a rather boring drink that came in a box. When I started tasting loose leaf tea from my local co-op and learned more about tea history, I knew it would form the perfect back drop for a young adult novel. It has everything: ritual, history, comfort, health and elegance. It's a beautiful invention, tea.

2. What is your favorite tea?

I can't pick just one favorite. My tastes change through the seasons. Now that it's fall, I find myself having chamomile tea with mint almost every night. It's the perfect way to put off turning on the heater at home--a natural warmer!

3. Loose leaf or bags?

I use both. There's nothing wrong with tea bags as long as you realize there's a whole other world of tea out there and you don't miss out on it!

3a. Cup & saucer or mug?

I use a mug, but I also have some really adorable tea pots that I like to bring out now and then.

4. what drew you to the teen/YA audience?

I started writing full-time when I was fairly young myself (right out of college), so it just seemed like such a natural fit. Add to that the fact that I had such fond memories of devouring books when I was a tween/teen. Writing for this age group has always felt so meaningful to me. I was also lucky enough to begin my career when this market in the publishing world was just exploding. Thanks, J.K. Rowling!!

5. Teashop Girls is a progressive series. will we be following the girls to college and beyond?

No, I don't anticipate that. There are two books in the series now and I believe there could easily be a third (and perhaps as many as five). But I have many interests and feel myself being pulled in other directions, writing-wise. I expect to write for older readers in the fiction realm and I'm also working on another series of non-fiction books right now called Planet Explorers: Travel Guidebooks for Kids.

6. Is anything that happens to the girls based on personal experience?

Absolutely. Writing is a personal business for me, and I draw on a lot of my own emotions and memories when I do it. Though I didn't grow up with a grandmother who owned a nearby teashop, I did grow up with a family that values entrepreneurship and the "can do" attitude that Annie displays. I've also always had close girlfriends like Annie does. I like to take a personal memory or sensibility and put my own fictional "twist" on it. One of my goals for The Teashop Girls and The Secret Ingredient was to create a world for my characters that is both very realistic, yet cozy and supportive. I want people reading the books to feel good. And I think they do!

7. What inspires you?

Other creative people, history, excellent authors, free time. I spend a lot of time reading and it drives me to become a better writer myself. I'm also a big proponent of having "nothing" to do. I thrive when I have vast stretches of time to walk, think, and make connections between ideas. I worry that everyone is so over-scheduled that we may lose something.

8. where do you write?

I write both at home and in various coffee shops/teashops in Madison. My desk at home is under two skylights and I find it quite pleasant. But it's also great to get out and be around people.

9. how many rejections did you receive before you were published?

Oh, lots. I still get rejections. Everyone does. It's hard. But if you want to be a professional in a creative field, it's just part of the deal. I'm not one of those people who hangs them on the wall or anything, but I am pretty good at saying "NEXT!" when it happens.

10. Any advice for unpublished writers looking for their big break?

Spend time cultivating ideas. You probably aren't going to have one good idea or book concept in your lifetime. If you're serious, you'll have good ideas all the time. Once they're really flowing, pick out the best one, the one that haunts you and won't let go of you, and work on it until it shines. Work on it until it's evident to everyone who picks up your manuscript that it's fully formed. A book gets published and embraced when it is undeniably excellent. As to how to make it so, there are a thousand different ways and styles. You have to keep doing the work, keep revising. It's not easy. But it is possible.

To purchase a copy of either The Teashop Girls or The Secret Ingredient, please click HERE.

Also, Laura has and is writing a series of travel guides for kids. You can link to them HERE.

Bobcats!

2011-10-04T14:32:00.000-06:00


Click to enlarge.

Okay, there is only one in the photo but 2 bobcat cubs scampered across my sister's yard this afternoon. So cool!

More blogs!

2011-10-03T11:58:00.000-06:00

I follow a bit of an eclectic mix of people on Twitter, one of whom is an agent for writers. She retweeted a tweet from someone who is just getting started in blogging and this person asked; 'Does the world need another blog?'. I'm sure this was asked in jest but my answer is a resounding, 'Yes!'. I do not think we are at the pinnacle of what blogging can do or at what it has to show us. I believe that each blogger should follow at least one blog of someone living in another country. I believe blogs can enact political, social and moral change if used properly. Just as with anything in the world, an object is only as useful, or deadly, as the hands of the person in which it is held. I also believe that as much beauty of the Lord should be reflected back into His creation as possible. Blogs can help with that process. I'm addicted to beauty and creating and I know I'm not alone. I follow blogs of so many creative women who would not have otherwise been given a voice. I've learned so much and I hope taught others a thing or two when they have stopped by to visit. I have received and extended the roses of kindness and friendship. So, yes, yes, yes! More blogs. Put it out there for the world to see; your creativity the beauty you want to share the wisdom you wish to pass on to the internet. Let's show the naysayers just what blogging can do. Personally, I wish there were more comprehensive blogs about art. I will try and share the knowledge I have gleaned from my self-education. Would you like that? Please weigh in on this idea.
I would also like to challenge you to think about how your blog could be shaken up a bit. You do not have to, it's not mandatory. Maybe you like it just the way it si and that is of course fine. If, however, you would like to take it to the next level, contemplate (or if you are a Christian) pray about what that next level would look like for you.
Blessings!

Psalm 116:7

2011-10-02T10:15:00.001-06:00

I took this picture last year and it remains a favorite of mine. I decided to use it again this year for my blog header. It is part of a series of photographs I put together to make a calendar. The Lord has indeed dealt bountifully with my husband and I this year, in previous years and continues to be our comfort and source of provision. I used to joke that we were, 'gainfully unemployed' because although neither of us had, 'real' jobs, the Lord continued to provide for us. My husband hired on in August with a start up company. He is blessed to be working in an environment that is challenging and where the Lord shows up and helps him figure out how each step should be in the project and how to over come obstacles. We of course have glitches now and then; cars that act up, unexpected expenses, etc. but the Lord continues to show up and provide as needed and beyond our wildest expectations. I continue to paint, praying for that breakthrough where my art will be, 'discovered' and that my marketing efforts will find the right people who are looking for my kind of art to fill their homes and offices. How are you doing this year, my friends? How has the Lord blessed you, kept you and made His light to shine upon you?

Cartonnage box

2011-09-30T13:06:00.000-06:00

I bought this at Ross...

So that I could go from this...


to this. Neat as a pin and no one is the wiser.

Please join our hostess of Pink Saturday, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for more pinky goodness.

Black berry china plate

2011-09-29T15:33:00.000-06:00

Saw this adorable serving plate at the ARK yesterday. What a shame that something so painstakingly created ended up chipped & overpriced on a thrift store shelf. I did not buy it but wanted to share the photo with you. I think the person who painted it may live in a town not too far from me. I think she did a great job.

Tea tutorial; using different pots for different teas

2011-09-29T10:21:00.000-06:00

Aspen trees & mirrors, oh-my!

2011-09-24T16:44:00.001-06:00

Hubby & I drove into the mountains earlier today to view and take pictures of the aspen trees. Most of them were still green but a few displayed the first signs of autumn.

Then we stopped in the town of Woodland Park and ate at the Ute Pass Inn. Eating out has grown increasingly tricky with all the recent food restrictions I'm on and even with careful diligence, I still managed to contaminate myself with wheat. Sigh, another week of aches and pains until the poison is out of my system. I went to use the ladies' room and this amazing and beautiful mirror was hanging on the wall. It is about 4' in length and you can see some of the gold gilding that used to adorn its ornate scrolls and flowers. It is still a work of art. What amazing craftsmanship.

Hope you have a fun-filled weekend!

Tea leaves: so what's the difference?

2011-09-23T13:00:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between; green, black and oolong teas? I explain why three very different tea types come from the same plant. I did not include white tea as it is processed much the same as green tea, it's just that the leaf is picked at a different time in the growing season and includes the tea bud (flower).

Learning curve

2011-09-22T14:47:00.001-06:00

A practice run. It is not done but I ran out of steam. So much more to do and the other two roses are not cooperating. When finished, it will look more dimensional. I think I'm going to need some smaller brushes. This is part of that video I was telling you about the other day.
Please visit our hostess of Pink Saturday, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Learning a new technique- painting roses

2011-09-20T07:48:00.001-06:00

I have been bit by whatever, 'bug' it is that makes a person strive to paint beautiful roses. Last week, my husband and I called the Jenkins Art Studio to place an order for another how-to video on painting roses (and we spoke directly to Gary Jenkins, squeal!). I love my roses but I have always felt they were a tad on the wild side. The technique in this new video will hopefully help me paint more, 'refined' roses. Soft, misty, ethereal. That is the goal. Here is a picture of the roses featured in this new-to-me technique.

Photo from the Jenkins webpage for promotion & educational purposes.

If you would like to learn how to paint roses and flowers, I recommend buying the Jenkins double video set linked HERE. These two videos will give you a good understanding of the basics. Practice, practice, practice. I'm thankful that there are folks out there like the Jenkins who make learning how to paint roses fun, easy and affordable. Talk about a life long dedication!

Pumpkin Spice tea from Boston Tea Co.

2011-09-17T10:58:00.000-06:00

Pumpkin Spice blend tea from Boston Tea Co. from ThreeBeesTea on Vimeo.

Please click HERE to go to the Boston Tea Co. website.

Pink Saturday-Angel ornament center piece

2011-09-16T13:52:00.000-06:00

Hark, the herald angels siii-ing!

I know it is too early for Christmas but I just could not resist showing you what I made the other day. Hobby Lobby had their ornaments on sale and had some that where various cutie angels. I picked this one up and decided to use it to make a center piece for my table. I already had the large, glass cylinder. I double layered a thin, gold ribbon over a wide, pink ribbon, glued them so that they over lapped each other and when that dried, I glued her to both ribbons where they met. When they were dry, I dipped the top and bottom of the glass into glitter then allowed that to dry. The bottom of the glass container will mos likely be filled up with white sand or glitter in which will sit the pillar candle. The goal is to have the flame of the candle bouncing off as much of its surroundings as possible. Hobby Lobby's ornaments sometimes sell out fast in my area. If this is something you think you might wish to make for yourself, I recommending not waiting until too much further into the season as you may end up selecting from a diminished supply of ornaments.

Please join our hostess of Pink Saturday, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Beverly, I'm still not able to leave comments on type pad blogs, but I wish you and your husband a very happy anniversary!

Trompe l'oeil

2011-09-15T01:31:00.000-06:00

Trompe-l'œil, which can also be spelled without the hyphen in English as trompe l'oeil,^[1] (French for 'deceive the eye', pronounced [tʁɔ̃p lœj]) is an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects appear in three dimensions.

I saw this poster at a thrift store and took pictures of it to use as a template. I have an entry way that needs some tlc. Have you ever used or wanted to use a trompe l'oeil?

More than just Celiac

2011-09-14T08:44:00.001-06:00

I have discovered lately that I am more than, 'just' Celiac. I cannot eat grains or beans of any kind. I am on the Paleo diet and I can tell a big difference in my health. So, what to do with all that flour I had sitting around? Well, my dear friend LaTeaDah at Gracious hospitality has a great idea for using flour, a recipe for puff paint. Amazing!
p.s. My camera is working again. Come to find out, it was never really broken. Operator error but it was not until my husband received a Divine revelation that the issue was revealed. If that revelation had not come, I would have unnecessarily spent money on a new lens. Silly, Rabbit!

Wow Us Wednesday- Table reveal

2011-09-13T14:16:00.001-06:00

A not so funny thing happened on the way to completing this table...I goofed it up! I took strategic photos to hide my painting mistakes but I will be sanding off paint from the top of the table and repainting it, including the peacock feather. My mom said, 'I'll bet you could get $75.00- $100.00 for it...or were you hoping for more?' I am hoping for more, Mom. Sister said, 'Well, we'll see if people like peacocks.'
Then I was at her house today watching the decorating show; 'Donna Decorates Dallas'. Yes, based on what I watched on her show, I think there are enough people out there who like peacocks and that someone will like this table well enough to take it home. Despite their comments, both mom and sis did say they liked how it was painted. What do you think of how the table turned out?

Sanded and primed.

Top color is Black Plum. Legs are a mix of black paint.

Gold rub & buff on the sides. You can see the end of the feather.

Top of peacock feather.

Please join our hostess of Wow Us Wednesday, Kim at Savvy Southern Style.

Black table makeover

2011-09-10T16:47:00.000-06:00

One more coat of primer on the legs and it will be ready to paint. I'm saving the reveal for Wow Us Wednesday. I hope I can get it done in time (I'm pretty confident I can). Now that the boring sanding is over, I'm excited to get on with the creative part.

Loose leaf vs. tea bags, is there a difference?

2011-09-09T14:23:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone. Here is a 7 minute video I hope you will enjoy about the differences between loose leaf tea and tea bag tea. If you use tea bags, I still love you but you might want to venture out into the world of loose leaf tea. You can taste the difference in the quality.

Loose leaf tea vs. tea bag tea from ThreeBeesTea on Vimeo.

I would love to answer your tea questions. In the video I spoke of the Dream Email button to the left. I'm changing it to be just an 'Email Me' button. As added incentive for emailing a question to me or for leaving a question in comments, if you ask a question and I READ IT AND ANSWER IT IN A VIDEO, I will send to you, a packet of loose leaf tea.
Please visit our hostess of Pink Saturday, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Vintage Inspiration Friday- French graphic pillow

2011-09-01T15:05:00.000-06:00


Supplies for making French graphic pillow.

I have been surfing, The Graphics Fairy's website lately, enjoying all the cute and creative projects. I decided to do my own. I do not know if I will place this graphic on the pillow but I know one, (I bought 2 pillows) will be a vintage tea pot graphic. I will show completed photos when I have them, I just bought everything today and have been too busy to work on them. I am hopeful I can do it all tomorrow.
Please visit our hostess of Vintage Friday Inspiration: Debra at Common Ground.

What to look for in a quality tea pot

2011-08-30T10:31:00.004-06:00

Untitled from ThreeBeesTea on Vimeo.

Hello, all.
In this video, I show you what to look for, and avoid, when shopping for a tea pot. Plus a brew tip or two.

Getting ready for hospitality pt.1

2011-08-29T07:08:00.001-06:00

In the hustle and bustle of summer, we tend to find ourselves wrapped up in all the activities we are unable to do during the colder months and when, for some of you, the children are back in school giving you a few more child-free hours during the day. Fall and winter are my favorite times of the year for opening my home to others. It is easy to make comfort food and offer steaming cups of tea. In the darker winter days;candles are lit earlier, not sooner than 4 o'clock, and the world seems softer when I, and my quests, am tucked in to the corner of an overstuffed sofa or chair happily sipping a cup of our favorite brewed tea. There is still, however, quit a bit to be done before company comes. I do not have a Mrs. Rabbit to help me as does, Button Willow Chronicles, but with planning and organization, it can all be accomplished.

Many people do their intensive house cleaning in the spring. Musty winter air is expelled along with accumulated dust as the windows are thrown open and the frenzy begins.
Fall is also an excellent time to do additional cleaning and organizing as spring and summer decor is changed out for fall and eventually, Christmas. Fluffing pillows, bringing out lap blankets, hand crocheted throws and possibly shifting from one type of dinnerware to another; contribute in the transition from one season to the next. If your summer was filled with more fun than cleaning, it may be time to look around and see what needs to be caught up. Inspect your linens; towels, wash clothes, napkins, table clothes, doilies, sheets, etc. Are there holes, tears, stains or signs of visible wear? Repair what you can re-purpose or toss the rest as you see fit. There is no sense in keeping things in the house you will not use because of the state of their condition. Wash blankets and bedding to freshen them up for the upcoming, 'long winter's nap'. Tuck sprigs of rosemary and lavender in with fresh linens or inside pillow cases to help ease your mind into a restful state of sleep. Dust bedroom end tables, night stands lamps, windows, televisions or entrainment centers and headboards. Fluff and/or vacuum curtains. Check under the bed for dust bunnies. Do throw rugs need shook out? The windows probably need a good washing after such a dusty and rainy summer.
This is quite a list. Let's stop here and re-visit this topic another time. I hope you are getting excited about having people over this fall and winter to share the bounty of blessings the Lord has given you. It an be as simple as a cup of tea in a comfortable corner of your living room or as elaborate as dinner for 12. Please spend some time with Him, asking Him what He wants you to do during the next few months to glorify Him and share His love with those around you.
p.s. if cleaning house is not your, 'thing' then check out the Fly Lady for great ideas on how to keep your house 'company ready'.

Spiritual Sunday- being prepared

2011-08-28T08:54:00.000-06:00

Times are tough. Food banks are running low on supplies. What can we as Christians do to help?

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!

7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,

8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

Proverbs 6:6-8 (NIV)

10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest-

11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.

Proverbs 6:10-11 (NIV)

4 Lazy hands make a man poor,
but diligent hands bring wealth.

5 He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son,
but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Proverbs 10:4-5 (NIV)

23 All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Proverbs 14:23 (NIV)

25 The sluggard’s craving will be the death of him,
because his hands refuse to work.

Proverbs 21:25 (NIV)

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,
but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

Proverbs 22:3 (NIV)

Well, clearly, the bible has a thing, or several things, to say about being prepared. While we prepare for ourselves, we can also help those who cannot (I do not mean will not) prepare for themselves. There is a phenomenon going on right now called; 'Extreme Couponing'. I just went to the local convenience store and picked up 5 newspapers for the purpose of cutting coupons. Eventually, my church will start a food pantry. We just moved into a new facility and we are still getting our feet under us. When the pantry is up and running, I plan to donate my, 'extras'. Yes, you should have enough food and necessities for your family for 6 months to 1 year, however, as Christians, we need to give not only our tithe, but also alms and offerings. More and more people are flocking to churches in hopes of utilizing their food pantries. What a wonderful opportunity to not only give them what they need in the natural, but to also provide prayer and comfort to them as we pray for them. I believe food pantries will become a huge mission field across our nation. Is your church ready? Are you? There may come a day when a neighbor knocks on your door, in need of more than a cup of sugar. Having supplies on hand, and ready to give away, creates a wonderful ministry opportunity. So many people hate us Christians, but they know enough of the bible to know we are charity and community minded and so they come to us with an expectation we will give, and we do, even to those who have hated us in the past. God always turns evil around and uses it for His good.

Be careful though about what information you share about your supplies and with whom. You do not want to make yourself a target to vandals or thieves. We know the enemy is always looking for ways to destroy our good efforts. Be careful not to make it easy for him to target you. Be especially careful that you continue to keep enough supplies on hand to take care of your family... plus some extra. In the case of the hurricane going on right now, how many people do you think were prepared to cook their food without electricity? How many had several days of food on hand? Or a generator?

So keep in mind when shopping, to use those coupons and try to pick up a few extras here and there to either have on hand or to give to your church so that they may give to those in need. To read more about extreme couponing or about how to operate better in the spirit of hospitality and being prepared, please go to the links provided and see how you can get your hands on one or both of the books listed.If you have read a great book on being prepared, please let me know. thanks!

Pick Another Checkout lane, Honey

A Christian Woman's Guide to Hospitality

Vintage Inspiration Friday- Table lace

2011-08-25T08:55:00.001-06:00

Few things in the world evoke an almost perfect image of femininity than ribbons, lace, ruffles and roses. One such article of femininity; lace, can transform a mundane ritual into one of romantic luxury-dining. A bare, uninviting table turns into an island of beauty after
one lays across it a cloth of frothy lace and ruffles; or delicate eyelets that have been carefully hand cut between embroidered flowers and ribbons. A cloth of darker color under an eyelet table cloth shows off even better the intricate patterns cut into the cloth. A table set with a lovely cloth upon which sits a centerpiece of either candles, flowers or both can help to keep the table from turning into a, 'catchall'. Instead of looking at clutter all day, one is always exposed to beauty as she passes a well appointed table. Are friends coming over on short notice? Your table is half way to being set. All that is needed now is a few plates for scones, cups and saucers for tea and a fat teapot filled with Earl Grey de la Creme. So go and dig out those table clothes you have been saving for a, 'special occasion' and make today, and everyday, special by dressing up your table.

I picked this one up while vacationing in Mexico with my husband a few years ago.

I just love the roses and butterflies.

This cloth is usually under my eyelet clothes to better show off the patterns.

I just picked this one up at the thrift store for $5.00. Score!

Ribbons in the corners.


Baskets on the ends.

Fall is right around the corner. I hope my little post has inspired you to get out some of those items not normally displayed and to invite friends over with whom you may share your, 'treasures'. I always love entertaining in the fall and winter. Tea and comfort foods abound and I can throw ingredients into my slow cooker, walk away and enjoy my day while dinner cooks. Thank you for stopping by and as always, I love hearing from you.Please visit our hostess of Vintage Inspiration Fridays, Debra at her blog; Common Ground.

French Decor & Borders

2011-08-22T06:31:00.002-06:00

My husband and I used to head to our local Borders bookstore to reconnect. For some reason, I thought only a few, select stores were closing their door s& that some how, 'our' store was exempt. Imagine my surprise when I drove past it the other day and saw the large, 'GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE!' banner across the front of the store.

My husband and I were at Sears picking up a new sander so I could finish this table project I started last week. I suggested we stop by Borders to see what might be had at a great price. I shed a tear or two upon walking in and seeing shelves and displays in the cafe' area rendering it unusable, knowing that it really was closing. I can't believe we have lost another bookstore in our city. I wanted to find something to buy knowing it would be my last shopping trip ever to this store. An end of an era.
The magazines I like were all gone but I did manage to find one; 1900 Style and a book: The French Connection, by Betty Lou Phillips.
I fell in love with Phillips' use of color and luxe. Here are a few pictures for you from her book. I hope you enjoy them as much as I. The book was published back in 2005 but good French decor never goes out of style.

Love the use of the color lavender throughout.

Who could hate paying bills at such a gorgeous desk?

I love the rich fabrics and colors used here.

If I were to ever write a decorating book, I would use my sister's papillon as an accent piece.

Twin bassinets fit for royal babies.

Pink Saturday and soap

2011-08-19T14:50:00.000-06:00

Soap and water and common sense are the best disinfectants.
William Osler

Rosemary & mint.

Hubby uses a generic soap of which I am tired of smelling. It's okay for him, but I like my products more feminine. I bought it at Ross.
Happy Pink Saturday everyone. Please visit our hostess of P.S., Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.