Happy New Year 2014

Happy New Year! I have to admit that New Year's isn't my favorite holiday. In fact I really don't like it much at all. Not sure why but it just isn't my thing. What I do like is a new beginning. I'm also a fan of quiet winter days - which is what January and February in Pennsylvania bring. Yes, there are those of us out there who don't cringe at the W word. I enjoy being at home, cooking warm food, crafting, reading, watching movies. I'm sort of a home body so Winter suits me just fine.

Do you make resolutions? I do, but try to keep my list short. The main reason is I'm pretty bad at keeping them. This year my resolutions include:

praying more
crafting more
spending less & getting on a budget

Let's hope I can actually keep on track this year and follow through.

I also want to blog more. I follow some amazing ladies out there in cyber space who always inspire me. It is so nice to see other women who love homemaking, vintage, cooking, crafting, creating. There is a scripture passage from Provers {27:17} that says "iron sharpens iron". I believe in that totally.


Source: http://wanelo.com/p/6435928/religious-coaster-mug-rug-bible-verse-scripture-as-iron-sharpens-iron-proverbs-27-fellowship-light-blue-flowers

When I am in fellowship with other creative, spiritual, inspiring, women I want to be better myself. Of course sometimes looking at others and their accomplishments can backfire and become envy. If I compare myself to others in a negative way {Their blog looks amazing. They have more followers.} it most surely will zap my joy.


Source: http://www.pinterest.com/stacij15/cool-sayings/

Because if you aren't doing something with joy in your heart than you shouldn't be doing it. So while I look to other's for inspiration I will stay true to myself.

So if you are here for the first time, or you have visited before, thank you! Thank you for giving up some of your time to walk into my life for a few minutes. I hope that in some small way I have inspired YOU - because that is what sharing in this forum is all about - inspiring and encouraging others. If you would take a few minutes more and leave a comment I would greatly appreciate that. I love it when you comment to let me know your thoughts about what you have read or seen or just to tell me that you were here.

And with that lets move on to one last resolution - to use this in 2014!

This beauty came to me back in the summer. It is milk glass and in amazing condition. My husband found it at a flea market and bought it for me. He told me that the seller was an older lady who was parting with some of her own treasures - downsizing if you will. I won't even tell you how much he paid because it is criminal. Let's just say that it cost less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks - her marked price, not my husband's.

I wanted to show it to you months ago - filled up with some delicious-looking frothy punch. I never did because I never actually used it. As we speak it is boxed up and stored in the basement. I hope to change that this year. I may need to have a party purposefully to make punch - because that would be good enough reason to have a party in my eyes anyway. :)

Truthfully I would be happier receiving a gift like this than jewelry or furs. This is just my kind of happy!

I have this wonderful vintage cocktail book with some recipes for punch.

Now there are no excuses! I will be keeping this resolution!

So here is to new beginnings, staying true to yourself, being inspired and making punch {and serving it in a vintage punch bowl of course!}.

Happy New Year
love,
KayteeJane

Advent Ornaments

In all the busy fun of the Christmas season each year I purposefully try to set aside a little time each day to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. I especially want my children to know that Christmas means more than stuff and Santa. Last year I saw THIS idea on Pinterest. I cannot take credit for the idea itself, but I adjusted it to reflect my style by using vintage ornaments instead of new. I like this idea because it is simple and can be whipped up last minute - which is how I roll much of the time. This idea is so simple that even though today marks the first day of Advent, you could still make these ornies in a jiffy and get started. {It won't matter if you do it a day late either - the point is you are doing it}.

To get started all you will need are:
~25 solid colored ornaments {I just dug into my stash of vintage ball ornaments since I already had a ton and didn't mind using some for this - but you could just as easily buy a box of plain or clear glass or plastic ornaments at Target}
~A white or black Sharpie or paint pen.

This advent calendar will celebrate 25 different names for Jesus used in the bible. Each name will have a scripture reference to go with it. We'll hang one on our tree each day of December as a way to learn more about Jesus and celebrate His birth.

To begin choose 25 names for Jesus that you would like to use. Go HERE for an online reference of names and coordinating scripture reference. When I chose 25 I wrote them down on a piece of cardstock in my own handwriting. I keep this with the ornaments. When I pack up my decorations after the holiday I put this list along with the ornaments in the box to be used each year.

Next get out your ornaments and your pens. Begin writing one name from your list on each ornament. If you have kids, get them into the act too. If they want to decorate the ornaments in addition to the words, great! For me I just went simple and only put on the names.

I place all of my finished ornaments in a bowl by the Christmas tree. Each day I allow one of my kids to choose an ornament and then hang it on the tree. They must also look up the scripture in the Bible and read it. It doesn't take much time out of each day, it is simple, and if you miss a day because you were really busy, that is ok because you just do two ornaments the next day or one in the morning, one in the evening - whatever suits your schedule.

Variation - If you didn't want to do this every day you could adjust it so that you only hang the ornaments on Sunday - instead of doing one ornament at a time allow each member of your family to choose an ornament. Or, wait until Christmas Eve and do them all. If you are having guests over to celebrate this could become an activity with each guest choosing an ornament to put on the tree or a family tradition to be done before bed.

 This would also make a fabulous gift for a newly married couple or new parents. Make up a box of ornaments for them and include the list of names/scripture references. The gift that becomes a keepsake year after year.

I hope you will try this idea. It is super easy. It will work for all ages also - not just for kids, not just for adults. I like it because there is very little pressure involved and it gets me into the Word. I have tried other advent calendars and daily scripture readings and truthfully I usually don't do them after a few days or the kids lose interest. This idea did work for us.

Happy Advent!
KayteeJane

Baby Shower

I recently hosted a baby "sprinkle" at my house. A "sprinkle" is a baby shower for someone who is having their second baby.

I decided to decorate using my vintage baby collectibles.

Here are some pictures.

This is the table that welcomed guests as they arrived. I decorated using an old baby scale, baby shoe planters, a Johnson's Baby Powder tin and some old baby cards. A metal store sign holds a homemade welcome sign.

This baby scale is used to hold the favors - which were a bag of Trader Joe's kettle corn (love the blue & white stripes) and a drinking cup.

I used some of my favorite vintage baby planters to hold flowers.

Blue McCoy baby shoes

Vintage flash cards & more baby shoe planters

Old baby blocks spell out the baby's initials. Little plastic "Kewpie" dolls are part of the decorations too.

Another baby scale is used to hold cups.

A table outside is decorated with vintage flash cards, an old book with a great title, vintage baby hangers & more pottery.

I LOVE this idea so much. I hung 3 umbrellas from our clothesline. I had some crystals left over from a broken chandelier that I saved and I hung those from the line as well. The crystals are the rain drops.

My chalkboards were put to use too. This one on the front porch welcomes people.

One of my favorite scriptures that I think is perfect for a new mother or baby.

I had such a good time decorating using items from my own collections. I didn't have to buy one thing to decorate with! I love how it all turned out. The best part...I get to keep all of these decorations to enjoy again and again.

KayteeJane

Inspirational Signs

Here are some great inspirational signs for your Sunday.

Wise Words

Not sure how you should be treating your sweetie this Valentine's Day?

Look to your life manual - The Bible

1 Corinthians 15: 4-8

There is some good stuff in there. I wish everybody would read it!

Here is to love and doing it His way,

KayteeJane

Hands

One of my favorite scriptures, Isaiah 49:16 -

"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands"

inspired me to snap some pictures of hands around my house.

Vintage Glove Molds - hanging out on a towel rack in my bathroom.

A Pink Glass Glove Mold - holds my wedding rings when I'm sleeping.

Praying Hands - a reminder to bring your troubles to Him in prayer.

Milk Glass Hand - used to hold jewelry on my dresser.

Hannah's Hand at 6 Months Old - how sweet & tiny!

Don't you just love looking at babies hands?

My Hand - A cherished Girl Scout project from my childhood. We traced, cut out and stitched our "hands" onto green squares. This reminds me of my dear mom who came up with the idea for our GS troop. I have been wanting to frame this and hang it up for ages. Maybe this will be the year?

Copper Cookie Cutter Hand - just a little tarnished from sitting in a box. I always envisioned these as cookies with painted red icing fingernails.

Thank you Lord for loving me so much that you would engrave my name on your hand - never to be forgotten or forsaken.

I lift up my hands to you in praise.

Have a great day!

KayteeJane

My Daily Bread

Sometimes you find the coolest things at yard sales. In honor of the Lord's Day, I thought I would post about this cutie that I scored a couple of years back at a sale in Saegertown, PA. It is a "Our Daily Bread" mini bread loaf that holds lots of multicolored cards with Bible scriptures on them.

I can picture the lady who owned this before me as having this sitting on her kitchen table amongst the salt & pepper to be looked at over morning coffee.

The scriptures are probably KJV because of all of the thou's and thee's, but great none the less. I personally love to memorize scripture and usually write my favorites on an index card to refer to later. So, when I saw this little set I was over the moon.

To prepare to take some pictures I just grabbed a few cards out of the loaf and randomly laid them on the table. I smiled as I read the ones that were chosen.

The card in pink is a great one!



"In my Father's house are many mansions...I go to prepare a place for you." John 14:2
I've always wanted to live in a mansion and rejoice in the knowledge that the Lord has one waiting for me!

Another great one that gave me a chuckle is the little red one on the right. It reads
"Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9
The "if we faint not" shows that God really does have a sense of humor.

I hope you enjoyed this little collection. God Bless & Happy Sunday!
Katie