TEA CUPS & VALENTINE'S DAY SURPRISES

Hi everyone,
 This isn't a traditonal tea post today, but I did want to share some of the surprises that I received for Valentine's Day.  How did you spend your Valentine's Day?  I took my father out for breakfast at The Black Bear restaurant.  Click here to visit their main website. As far as I know, they're only on the West Coast. Oh, it's so down home. Do you have any place like that where you live? They make a seriously delicious breakfast, and their buttermilk biscuits are ginormous. My father was so excited.
I also treated my father to a Sierra Mist and myself a coffee from The Human Bean. The Human Bean is my favorite drive-thru coffee stop :) :) You can click here to visit their website. The girls at our local stop know my father and I. The drinks are good and the service is good, too :) :)

Then we came home and just did our usual stuff. When the mail arrived, two lovely surprises were waiting for me in the mailbox. So cool. Here's a photo of what I got: 

Here's what I got in the mail. Well, not all of this. Some of this stuff was already  in my house.  However, what I did receive was the lovely letter with the green and pink florals plus some earrings from Bramblewood Fashion. Then the pastel card with stripes and flowers came from my friend Jennifer. Both were totally unexpected. However, the fact that they arrived on Valentine's Day was so cool. It felt really good to have someone think of me. I suppose I should thank the mailman for delivering those items yesterday, too.

I knew that sweet Ashley from Bramblewood Fashion was sending me something homemade. However, I had no idea what it was. Oh, I was so EXCITED to get a real letter. It's becoming a lost art. So I'm seriously thinking of  reviving this art in my own personal life. Anyways, Ashley sent me this really sweet letter and fabulous earrings. I LOVE them. They're heart-shaped and very romantic. Click here to pay her and Gabrielle a visit over at Bramblewood Fashion. Oh, they're sweet young ladies, both have great photography skills, and Ashley has some serious dress-making skills. Peruse her website, and look for the video she posted where she creates a dress from scratch.

This is how I usually store my earrings. I use a teacup and hang the hook earrings off the rim of the cup.  It's a bit unusual. At the time I didn't have a jewelery box. Now I don't even want one. I like finding alternative uses for my teacups. This is way cuter and it adds a bit of whimsy decor to my life, too :) :) This is a close-up of the lovely earrings that Ashley sent me. She also has an Etsy shop, so you can order some things for yourself, too. The rose teacup is sitting on top of a pillowcase I found at a yard sale on Saturday. I'll share about that another day. It's so cute and has all the right colors.

 Here's the lovely card that my friend Jennifer sent to me. She's a wife and mother now to two beautiful boys.  We've known each other since junior high school. She loves Jesus Christ and has been such an encouragement to me, as have lots of other friends from my Christian school days :)  Jennifer included a surprise in here too, but that I'll keep private just for me :) :)  Isn't it great when those types of unexpected surprises come your way. I'll pray that God surprises you in a way you don't expect this week :) :)  God is so good  and loves us so very much :) :) :)

In other news,  I sometimes sign up for freebies when time permits. I received a free sample of some teeth whitening strips and some foundation. I haven't decided if I'll post photos of that. Maybe I will, since I'm trying to live a more frugal lifestyle.

I went to church last Sunday and it wasn't easy. I LOVE Jesus Christ, but this day I just wasn't "feeling" it. When I'm feeling discouraged, church is exactly where I need to be.  Plus, my father was preaching this day, too.  Well,  after it was all said and one, I was so glad that I went. I was blessed by the message and encouraged by the new friends I'm making at church. My father talked about Peter, the disciple of Jesus... I didn't take notes, because I just wanted to listen. The one thing that really stuck out at me was just how messed up Peter was and impulsive, too. However, Jesus didn't get on Peter's case for messing up. He did ask "Peter, do you love me?" "Yes, LORD, you know I LOVE you." I think that it's so easy to berate ourselves, especially in Christian circles and feed ourselves lies that are just that...lies. Jesus loves us so very much, and it's amazing how that truth can change your life. I choose to accept the truth of God in my life :) :)  

One last funny, our worship leader had concluded worship and was encouraging everyone to get some coffee, treats and greeting one another. The way he said it made me laugh a LOT. Quote "Say hi to someone next to you, grab a donut and rejoice in freedom in America" :) :)

Oh, I've noticed you people new to my blog. Welcome and thank you for following my blog. If you are a follower or a visitor, I love to hear from you !!!!

Well, that's the news from Oregon today. Extra love and hugs, Heather :)

Happy 4th of July. It's been a fantastic 234 years so far..here's to many more!!!

Hi folks.....Happy 4th of July. I hope everyone is having an awesome day today...lots of fun, friends, food, family etc.  This lovely photo is courtesy of Prairie Flower Farm. Check out their blog here.  Thanks for letting me borrow this photo.  It's really beautiful.  I went to church this morning and had a fantastic time.  I'm going to try and catch some fireworks tonight....Why? WEll, when the whole nation parties down...fireworks are a necessary part of the day's festivities...AND I want to try out the "fireworks" button on my camera!!!

My dad and I went to church this morning. He treated me to coffee from The Human Bean this morning...."Kahlua Madness"...yummy!!! Alright, remember last Sunday?  I told you I'd go to church and get photos as proof.  Well, here you go....:) :) :) I don't think I ever told you all the story of how my dad and I moved into the apartment we're living in now...I'll save that for another time. The short version is because our old apartment had "black mold" and it was slowly hurting us. Anyway, we moved to the other side of the apartment complex and this sweet little tabby cat tries to adopt us...Well, "Stubby" as I call her...she's still trying to get in.  Here are a couple of photos I snapped of her today...In the first one she's looking at the door...just waiting for my dad to let her in...even though we were on our way to church...


Here she's trying to look less obvious...I tried getting a photo of her from inside the apartment.  She saw me in the window and stood up on her hind paws..meeowing extra super cute.."let me in, let me in..I'm a cute furry kitty with extra love...let me in"..That's how I translated her meeows!!! She actually belongs to a neighbor a few doors down.


Here's the church I attend...Mountain Christian Fellowship. Click here to check out the church website.  The building the church is in now used to be a bank for many, many years. Then they moved...and some people from Applegate Christian Fellowship bought the old bank building in the heart of downtown and converted it into a church.  It's a really good influence in the area...There's even a coffee shop to the right of this photo...just on the other side of the railroad tracks..You can pick up a nice cup of joe before and after church and during the week too...I'm telling you, this is not a typical church building from the outside...


I said I'd get a photo as proof that I was actually in church today. Here it is...What's funny is you can see my dad's reflection in the picture frame. He's the one taking the photo. I didn't notice it till I posted it here this afternoon!!!


Here's the sign for the church...one of them anyway.  It's a neat church...the people love God and love each other...which is just how it should be!!!  Parking is limited at the church itself..so they reserve that for elderly and handicapped. However, there are plenty of places around town to park.  There are some great old buildings here..I'll have to snap some photos one of these days...

Some pretty pink flowers nearby....I'm always taking pictures of flowers...God's handiwork!!!


Just took a random photo here. The building no longer serves Veterans of Foreign Wars..I don't think so anyway...but they've left the original paint up there...It's now being used as a restaurant, if I'm not mistaken.


This is the inside of the prayer room at church. When the building was still a bank...this used to be the money vault. Now it's the "prayer vault" as we affectionately call it. You can come in for prayer, have someone pray for you or have a private time of communion if you'd like...

This is the door leading into the prayer room.  It was a former money vault as I mentioned earlier. The door stands open permanently...but it's kind of funny...because I don't know of any other church that has a prayer vault...hee hee hee :) :)


This was taken well before the church service started.  This is the front of the room. It's very simple...nothing fancy..just the necessary things and Jesus Christ...the primary reason we come to worship!!!!

My dad and I sat in the very back row of chairs that you see at the very bottom of this photo. There was an elderly couple sitting right in front of us...really cute.  They were old and had hands that were wrinkly and knobby like a 100 year old pear tree...but there was an awful lot of beauty in those hands. During the singing, the husband was trying to raise his hands in worship. He could only keep them up for a few seconds and had to rest his hands again. One of the ushers came and held his hand up for him!!! I just about lost it in a pool of tears here...because there he was with his wife...in their twilight years...still worshiping Jesus..and raising old tired hands to Him!!!! It was a simple gesture but I'm telling even now my eyes are starting to tear up... I won't be forgetting this simple act of true worship and beauty...never ever, ever!!!



Our pastor veered off topic for today...and spoke from James 3 about the tongue and gossip etc..and how it can be used to destroy and to build up. I pray that we would always use our tongues/mouths to build each other up and encourage each other.  Sometimes we...and I'll count myself in this group...we are the best at injuring our own...the sheep bite is sometimes much harsher then the wolf bite...I pray that I'll never be one who uses my tongue to praise God one moment and then say mean things the next moment...I want to love God and love people.  It's that simple!!!  There was a lot more I learned today...took notes!!!

All of the announcements, events etc are put up on the walls...and well, this one if very important...about where to go to get some good coffee!!!!....If you know me by now...I love me a good cup of joe...coffee!!!..Keeps us awake during the sermons...hee hee hee :) :)


This was stamped all over the  pavement outside the church..specifically around the train tracks. Now this has been here much, much longer than the church...but I like the word...so I took a photo!!!!


Just a photo of the street corner by the church. The church is off to the right...not visible in this photo.


Okay, it's Sunday and that means time for some memory verses...Put on the armor y'all and memorize that Scripture. It does a body good...:) :) :) I had to post two today..both of these verses came up during church this morning...both touched my heart. They're short and easy to memorize!!!

The first one is especially appropriate for today...from the Author of true freedom!!!!

This one I love too...the whole verse is good, but especially this last half...and it's just as true today, as it was during the days of Samuel!!! I couldn't find a photo I really liked...but I like these roses...so here you go :) :) :)..Enjoy...

Oh, if any of you are fans of Mary Jane's Farm magazine...or all things Mary Jane Butters for that matter :) :) :)There's a button that links to the Mary Jane's Farm website ...go check it out. It's all that and a bag of chips!!!! I love her books, website, magazine...etc.. Anyway..here's something cool...check out this blog written by Rene'..she wrote the Rural Farmgirl Blog for MJF magazine!!! Click here or click the link on my sidebar!!! I hope everyone is having a great time today!!! My day has been really good so far...after church my dad and I went to have lunch at SONIC.  That place is fantastic..!!! I can't wait to see what'll happen this evening.  That's the news from Oregon everyone. Much love and hugs, Heather :) :) :)