Everything is coming up roses and other pretty flowers!!!

Hi everyone,  It's a fine day in Oregon...I mean that for real...a very fine day.  Do you ever just have one of those moments were nothing particular is going on..just living life..drinking a cup of coffee or some tea, maybe..and you think "It sure is pretty outside".  I'm having one of those moments!!! 

Just a random note, before I forget. Blogger doesn't give me many choices for fonts. I was thinking of going a little fancier and changing my font to "papyrus" It's really pretty and has a sort of vintagey, rustic, romantic look to it..in my opinion anyway. What do you all think?



Feel free to borrow this photo with Scripture and share it with your friends and loved ones if you'd like...

I was able to spend a little bit of time at a friend's house today.  I won't tell you everything we talked about. Some of that I'm saving for a later date...for real!!! I just have to finalize some details first..then I'll fill you in on one of the dreams/goals that I'm pursuing. Anywho, I've known this friend for many years and she is a real sweetheart...and very funny!!!
When I got to her house, I was wild with delight because she has a super cute house...but also because she has roses everywhere. She graciously let me snap some photos which I'll share with you here...Oh, there some other nature shots here too...


I love the color.. God really goes into lots of detail for a simple flower. He spends so much more time on us and with us!!! That makes me feel really special :) :) :)


This was a bunch of roses growing right next to each other...really close...I love the peaches, oranges and pinks!!!!


I was trying to zoom in on just this flower...but some of them are just beautiful, they're hard to capture on camera!!!


I think this is the same rose taken from a slightly different angle. Even the slightest change in position can really affect the way light and shadow falls across the petals..

Below are a couple more photos of roses... I just love taking photos of flowers lately.. I try to focus on the details as much as I am able to... Oh, you know what, maybe a trip to Ashland, Oregon will be coming up soon...who knows?  It'll be hard to exercise some restraint taking photos there!!!...

My friend was showing me some of the really neat things growing in her garden.  She's doing lots of container gardening and I just think that's the best thing since sliced bread...really and truly. I admire anyone who can grow their own food. I haven't tried that yet...still a little unsure...but also don't have it in my budget to buy supplies yet. Maybe in July I can start something. Is it too late to plant stuff in July?

Here are a couple of photos of a cilantro plant. I never knew cilantro was this pretty. I know it tastes GREAT in salsa...yum yum...but who knew it's this gorgeous before it's chopped up and added to yummy food?



What's really funny is that the top photo, I was actually trying to focus on the little blooms up front...but my camera chose to focus on the background..so I went with it...
The photo below was more what I originally intended. Oh, I will have to try container gardening as soon as I am able too!!!

 

Talk about super cool, random but not random things that happen. My friend asked me if I had heard of a magazine called Mary Jane's Farm...Why, yes I have.... :) :) :) :) It's only my most favorite magazine in the world..I love it from front cover to back cover. I've been a subscriber for the past year AND I buy a copy of the rack...Why? I keep one copy in pristine conditon. The other copy I gently tear the pages and put them in my scrapbook and save for current/future reference.  If you want to check out Mary Jane's Farm for yourself, click here. Just browse around and have fun!! I also have the three book bundle, which is worth every penny.

 

Another funny site is Pioneer Woman. Click here to pay her a visit.  Somewhere on her site is  a story called "Black Heels"...or something like that...but it's about how she went from black heels to tractor wheels..how she met her hubby who she affectionately calls "Marlboro Man".  The story is really cute and it'll make you laugh... Someday I hope to met my own Marlboro Man...minus the cigarettes...but who loves Jesus...and maybe lives on a farm or ranch...so I can live out my farm dreams ??? well, that's not important, so long as the guy loves Jesus Christ...that's what counts.

 

Well, again I was planning on writing about something else and my plans change!!! It's really true the phrase "If you want to make God laugh, then tell Him your plans." :) :) I'm working on rewriting the French bath mitt pattern.  I'm going to add more pictures and details so it's easier to follow. In fact, I bought some more yarn for that today.  Well, I can find any excuse to buy yarn!!! Okay..let me tell you how much I LOVE yarn...more than flowers...if a gentleman caller ever presented me with a bouquet of yarn instead of flowers, I'd be a very happy lady indeed!!!

 

I've been reading my Bible this afternoon and just having a good time in the Gospel of John...Jesus sure must have had some dirty feet with all the work He did...but what amazing things He did for us all...okay...dirty feet not so bad after all :) :) :)

 

That's the news from Oregon today.  Have a great rest of the week!!! Love and hugs, Heather :)

Spiritual Sunscreen & the Funny Little Things That Dad's Treasure!!!

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before or not...but I'm single, in between jobs, no kids etc...and all of a sudden life got really busy.  Gosh...if it's busy for me, I don't know how all of you with families etc manage to cope :) :) :)...It's only because of Jesus Christ that I'm able to do what I do.. :) :) Just had to throw that thought out there :)



Feel free to borrow this Scripture picture and share it with your friends and family!

My dad was cleaning out a box of stuff in his closet yesterday morning. I was sitting at the computer checking Facebook and my blog. All of a sudden he starts dropping stuff onto the keyboard. The first thing he handed me was this Scripture you see at the top of the blog here. It was something I had written out quite awhile ago..and called it "spiritual sunscreen"...because that's what these verses made me think of :) :)...The LORD is the best protection...hands down!!!

He really keeps everything that I give him...even those things that I wouldn't consider worth keeping...but because I'm his only baby and a girl..he keeps it all!!!! So I'm typing away...and here comes the next thing...


....an old six-pack of Coca-Cola.  You may remember a few years back when they brought back the old retro-packaging. My dad liked it so much he bought it and kept it.  This is really cute. To be honest, I'd buy this if it was sold in cute vintage packaging like this!!!  At this point my dad is all smiles and giggles...


Next up are these two little specimens.  The one on the left was a guage swatch that I had knit prior to making one of my French bath mitts. I just cast off and wove in the ends..and voila...a drink coaster out of handknit cotton yarn for my dad!!! The piece on the right was made out of flannel scraps. I was trying my hand at paper-piecing for quilting..and made this little sample out of flannel scraps.  It's really tiny..and it's a heart.. I gave that to my dad,too!!!



This is a handmade dishcloth that I knit from a pattern I found in a book called "Mason Dixon Knitting". The book is really funny and full of great patterns. It would be worth your money to buy this..Click here to view their blog.  I'll write to them and ask if I can reprint this pattern only here. It's so cute...so easy peasy to make..and when it's done..well you can see for yourself how cute it is!!!!


Last, but not least, are these two items...the Santa hat and the wooden serving tray.  The Santa hat...my dad and I each won these after receiving 100% quality assurance scores when we were monitored on the phones at work. This must have been around Christmas time. There was a balloon attached to the hat..and inside it was filled with chocolate covered bing cherries :) :)

The serving tray belonged to my grandmother. She would serve tea and cookies, or pastry danishes, or cinnamon rolls on this.  It's gotten a bit dusty over the years from sitting on my dad's bookshelf. Does anyone know how I can clean it up and make it look pretty again? Is there an oil I can use to condition the wood?

So that was a lot of fun to see my dad's face light up everytime he found some new thing in the box!!! He was so happy and he was thinking of good memories attached to each and every object...good stories, funny stories!!!

Oh, did I mention that I won a secret blog give-away from Red Pine Mountain...specifically from Mountain Woman. Her blog is a great read. Check it out here.If you want to read Mountain Woman's blog click on "daily diary" or click here. I won this beautiful set of two 4th of July towels. They're really cute. As it happens I wanted to add some more Americana to my home, too!! I love them and my dad really likes them. 


Here's the link to the lovely, talented artist who made these hand-towels for the giveaway.  I included her business card with all the necessary details in case you wanted to order some for yourself or check out the other lovely things that she makes :) :) :) Or you can click here. I just received the towels in the mail earlier this afternoonn. What a beautiful gift to come home to. Thanks Vickie for making these towels.!!!!!

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you the funny story from yesterday.  My dad and I went to Staples. I had to get a copy of a PDF file that I'd saved on my USB port.  So we went to Staples, and this very nice guy behind the counter helped me.  Then he helped my dad with his printing needs. While the associate was working on printing my file, these two older gentleman came into the store. One looked to be in his 40s and other one in his late 50s early 60s.

 

The older gentleman started to huff and puff about having to wait "three hours" to get his job printed out. My dad and I both looked at them..and my dad smiled and said "That's life"..besides that, the associate was all by himself that morning and was doing a great job all on his own.  We weren't in any hurry and weren't going to grumble over having to wait a few minutes. There are bigger fish to fry for sure!!! So my dad told the associate to help the two gentleman first.  As it turns out, the older gentleman was only getting a wallet sized business card laminated.

 

The associate, Mr. Cool Guy I'll call him, printed out my dad's file, too.  When my dad went to the register to pay, Mr. Cool Guy said "You're money is no good here. Don't worry about it. It's free today" :) :) My dad was surprised at first, and then he smiled so big!!! What a blessing... Mr. Cool Guy is a fantastic employee...and Mr. Huff 'n Puff and his friend saw this whole transaction take place. I wanted to say something to them, but held my tongue.  I'm not afraid of a grouchy old man, but what I had to say wasn't nice,...so I just kept quiet instead. Later, my dad told me that Mr. Cool Guy has helped him before...and he's been there when Mr. Cool Guy had to deal with other impatient customers. My dad and I made sure to thank him profusely, in front of those two gentlemen, for taking the time to make sure our files were printed correctly...and for doing such a fine job!!!

 

Sometimes we just don't know what's going on in peoples minds when they are mean to store associates or don't treat them kindly.  Maybe something really bad happened. Who knows?  Or maybe they don't realize that if they're nice to people they'll still get some attention... However, I do try to be nice to them at all times...because I've been behind the counter and been the undeserving recipient of someones rude treatment. So I try to be the best customer I can be...and you always get better service that way, too!!!

 

I'm thankful that we have a Savior who treats us right all the time. He is an example of how we should treat other people in the home and outside of the home!!!

 

Thanks for stopping by and paying me a visit!!! I really enjoy reading your comments, too!!! That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :) :)

Happy Monday everyone...!!!

Feel free to borrow this Scripture picture and share it with your friends if you'd like!!!

I can honestly say that I have the real blessing/privilege of reading some great blogs written by some really neat people who love Jesus Christ, their families etc. Reading these super cool blogs is one of the few things I enjoy more than eating :) :) The one in particular that caught my eye at that particular moment was by Camille of Flowers in His Garden(TM - I could figure out how to add it here..) Click here to check out her blog. The latest entry was short - with the verses from Proverbs 3:5-7. I love it because it's literally one of my favorites. Plus I just happened to put Scripture together with a photo. It's the one you see at the top of this post!! So I wanted to share it with her and with all of you :) :)  The photo was taken by my friend Jennifer while on vacation with her family in Yosemite National Park. She let me borrow the photo and I added some Scripture to it!!!  She reads this blog...so let me thank you publicly...Thanks, Jennifer!!! You love Jesus, your family, your friends...you rock!!!

I wanted to post this before I forgot. Oh, I'm looking at the clock. I'm up way too late...I definitely need some serious beauty sleep.  Monday is here...smile big and make it a great day. Remember every day is the day the LORD has made... I will rejoice and be glad in it!!! 

Thanks for all your prayers. I always pray over everyone that pays a visit and those who've joined my site.  I love it when people pray for me...and I'll do the same for all of you!!!!!!! 

That's the news from Oregon.  Love and hugs, Heather :) :) :)

p.s. You may also call me Miss Heather if you'd like...I don't mind and I think it's really lovely!!!!

365 Day Photo Challenge ~ June 19th, 2010 till June 27th, 2010

Hi everyone.... I've been writing a LOT the last couple of days, so now I'm feeling a little talked out :) :)  Here's the next installment in my 365 day photo challenge which I began on June 5th, 2010. Enjoy!!! Oh, that's three posts in one day...SORRY :) :) :) I'll try and wait a little bit before I post something else. I'm trying to get caught up and get all of this into blogland :) :) Have an awesome day everyone..

Oh a couple of you have said that you wanted to go yard sale shopping with me... Thank you. That's high praise :) :) I don't know what I do to find the good deals...Pray that God will provide what I need within the budget that I have, that's for sure. God's always watching out for my pocket book..but that would be fun!!!! I love yard sales!!!!



Saturday - June 19th, 2010 Detail on a pillow case I bought at a yard sale for just $0.10...what a great deal!!! The lace edging is crocheted by hand!!!  I picked this up at a huge church yard sale. There's a rip in the pillow case, but that can be easily mended.


Sunday - June 20th, 2010 Dark blue irises.


Monday - June 21st, 2010 a few from the city where I live...


Tuesday - June 22nd, 2010 really pretty and purply flowers near the grocery store where I do most of my shopping :) :) :)


Tuesday - June 22nd, 2010 I had to include another photo for this day. This is another view from around town!!


Wednesday - June 23rd, 2010 I saw this car pull into the parking lot at the mall. The driver let me take a picture. The message says it all!!!


Thursday - June 24th, 2010...the best looking piggy bank anywhere...so cute I named him Jasper McPiggy.  This is where I literally put all my spare change. When it's full,I empty it out into a glass canning jar with a lid.


Friday - June 25th, 2010...not an artsy photo at all..but I found all this at a yard sale for just $12...the biggest prize was the king-sized comforter and matching pillow shams in perfect condition for just $10  :) I also found a cotton piano top covering with hand-crocheted lace edging for $0.50...pink Shabby Chic king sized  top sheet for just $1 and a beautiful old glass ball jar with extraordinarly detailed design on the front for just $0.50..I posted a close-up photo on an earlier post.  Click here to see the photos.  I love a good yard sale!!!!


Saturday - June 26th, 2010 A beautiful tree among trees!!!


Sunday - June 27th, 2010... This is a blue verbenia. It's so bright, it's almost neon in color. This one was hard to focus in on because of the richness of it's natural color!!!

That's the news from Oregon for the third time today :) :) I love it when you stop by and visit...and comments are always read/appreciated :) :) Love you all and am thankful you read my blog :) Love and hugs, Heather :) :) :)

How to knit a basic French bath mitt & how there's still beauty in imperfection!!!

Hi everyone,  I hope you all are enjoying your Sunday.  It's been so busy the last couple days that I haven't been able to post my photos of my knitting project - the French bath mitts.  I've got the basic pattern here, which I'll share with you.  I wasn't able to get photos showing how to cast on since I was doing this on my own.  The next project, I'll have my dad help me with that :) :)  Before we get started, I thought I'd share with you a photo of the very FIRST thing I ever learned how to knit...a pair of Norwegian two-color mittens. I learned how to knit while I lived in Bergen, Norway....now let me preface this by saying, it took me forever to learn how to cast on stitiches properly....but once I learned that, then everything else was easy...and this is what I made...no joke!!! it's like counted cross-stitch...but three-dimensional!!! Oh, looks like they need some repairs...




Okay...on to the good stuff...how to make a French bath mitt. I want to say up front that this project was knit in a hurry...and for that I'm sorry.  I'll be more detailed in my next  project. I did include some links to cover some of the basics that I didn't cover here...just in case you had questions.  This is just a simple, simple pattern..and you can do any style of knitting pattern you want to...the important thing is that the dimensions are right...OR customize them to fit your hand...whatever you prefer. It's a really easy pattern to manipulate.  I first saw something like this in Piecework magazine and decided to make some. Once I realized how easy the pattern is, I just made ultra simple ones, that were beautiful and functional...but also easy on the wallet in terms of cost of materials!!!  These are great for washing your body, face, or dishes for that matter...just make sure you clean them in between uses :) :) Or as a gift, include a nice bar of soap inside :) :) :)

What I used to begin this project:
*Set of 5 double pointed needles - Size 4.5 mm (USA 7)
*Cotton yarn..a small skein is enough to make one mitt, at least..anything left I'd save for use in another project and add a stripe of color somewhere.

Finished size should be 5"in wide x 7"in high..or whatever size fits your hand best. This is a standard size that will fit most hands. NOTE...5" wide when layed out flat is actually 10"inches knit in the round..remember that for later..

Now I'm going out from the fact that everyone knows how to knit basic knit and purl..so if I mention something you don't know how to do, let me know..and I'll try and get some photos next time...to illustrate.

Always knit a test swatch FIRST to verify gauge and guarantee correct finished project size.  The width is the most important for this project.  You don't those mitts too wide or too tight.  The height...well, you just keep knitting until you reach the desired height..but the width is the most important here.  The pattern is simple and extra rows can be added to reach correct height...but the width can't be changed once the project is knit up.

I knit a test swatch of 20 stitches wide by 24 rows.  When I measured it, I counted exactly 5 knit stitches per inch...



5 stitches/inch x 10 in. total = 50 stitches to cast on.
NOTE: I did lower it by 2 stitches to 48...so that I would have an even number of stitiches on each needle. That was just my personal choice.  Here I will be casting on 48 stitches...for a nice YouTube video tutorial on how to cast on stitches using one needle, click here.  You can check out the website listed at the end of the video. It's actually pretty good...and I love the video tutorial..it makes everything so easy to understand!!!


Divide the stitches evenly among four...yes, I said FOUR double pointed needles.  This is very common in Europe...and I actually prefer using four needles and knitting in with a fifth...It's a more even rounded shape...and there is much less stress at the pressure points/corners of your project :) :) :)

Before you start knitting in the round, make sure the stitiches are pointing in the same direction...so you don't end up knittnig a mobius :) :) :)



Add a row marker at the beginning of the first row, so you can keep track of where the beginning of the row is.  Since I'm using double-pointed needles, I placed the row marker one stitch in from the beginning, so it won't fall off.  As you're knitting...just transfer the marker from the left needle to the right needle...and knit as usual :) :) I also use  a row counter to keep track of how many rows I've actually knit.  I will actually take notes on each project and write them down, included number of rows knit...so if I make these again, and I don't knit a test swatch..I can refer to a previous project!!!


Here you see my row marker with the number three on it. What that means for me...is that I've already knit 2 rows and I'm about to begin row three. You can use whatever method is easiest for you, for counting...just make sure you keep track of the length...!!!

Join your knitting together...and begin knitting in the round, until the piece measures 7 inches from the bottom. If you are not sure how to join your knitting in the round using double-pointed needles click here.

As I was going through my knitting bag...I found a real handy tool that combines a row marker AND row counter all in one. This is nice...because I always lose my row counters...and these, I never lose...so I switched out the old row marker...for this one :) :)

Once the mitts have reached the desired length... make sure half the stitched are placed on one needle and the other half on another needle...as pictured below...cast off and weave in the ends...Here's a link...click here. Now this is for a sweater, but the principle is the same..and will work for this project, too.  Here's another fun video I found on how to weave in the yarn ends once your done knitting. She demonstrates this on a sweater, but you can use this technique on the bath mitts, too. Click here for the video.


This is what the finished project looks like. It's very simple and knits up within a few hours.  Now, I was knitting this while watching a movie last night...and the movie must have been really good because I forgot to stop knitting after 48 rows...but I kept on knitting until Row 54...so my project ended up being 8 inches in height..and 5.25 inches in width...So my project didn't come out exactly right...and that happens from time to time. that's okay.... I'm a bit of a rebel knitter anyway...and I still find beauty in this, even though I know where all the mistakes are...but I'll never show them to you :) :) 

Now this was a project done in quite a hurry.  I'm going to make another project and take much more time with it, so you really have more of an idea of how I do things...and also I'm not normally this careless in my knitting :) :) :)  I've also knit quite a few hats, mittens and socks..and they're fun and easy to do as well!!!


Here are some more lost/forgotten counted cross-stitch projects and one knitting project that I dug up while I was searching out my knitting needles. I'm telling you...I really do have all sorts of goodies stashed away!!!!

The words on the cross-stitch hoop says "She worketh willingly with her hands.."



Well that's it from Oregon today...I'll make sure to have more detailed photos etc for the next knitting project.  Thanks for stopping by. I love it when  you leave comments!!! Love and hugs, Heather :) :) :)

Happy Sunday everyone!!! It's a beautiful day!!!

Happy Sunday everyone.  It's really nice outside today.  It was supposed to be 90 degrees Fahrenheit today. It actually feels more like 80 degrees.  I really love being able to have all the windows open....all that fresh air and the occasional breeze :) :) :)  Here's my memory verse for this week :) :) Feel free to borrow this Scripture photo if you'd like.


So I was taking photos as usual today.  I also went to one of the laundry rooms here at the apartment comlex to see if there any magazines lying around that I could read.  I love anything country etc!!! No magazines to be had anywhere...BUT I did walk by a neighbor's apartment...the neighbor and his wife were both home. So my dad and I stopped to chat ;) :) They're a really nice couple.  They have some beautiful flowers on their patio. They were gracious to let me snap a few photos. Thank you!!!!! Take a look at what I saw today :) :) These are simply gorgeous flowers...



Hydrangeas...these sure are pretty, aren't they?


Even more amazing...these are some more hyndrageos that were growing in the same container!!!

Snapdragons....That's what my neighbor said these were called. They sure are a pretty shade of pink.  he said they started out purple when he first got them. 

These are blue verbenia.  The color was so intense, almost neon, it was difficult to get a clear photo,...they were that intensely beautiful!!!

Here are some beautiful fuschias that were hanging from another neighbor's apartment.  I love how they cascade over the side of the planter!!!


I don't know what these are called...but these were in a little planter on my neighbor's patio fence...(the married couple that I was chatting with on my way to the laundry room)..I was trying to focus on the flower in the foreground..and it seems like my camera liked the flower in the background instead.  It's an interesting perspective...but still very pretty.


Okay...here they are in better focus.  There's such a variety out there...and now is a really great time to drive through the neighborhoods and take a peek at what people love to plant and put on display!!!


This was at yet another neighbor's apartment.  The red flowers with the white centers caught my eye.  The pink ones are very nice, too!!

PRAYER REQUEST FOR ME...AND A MOMENT OF UNCOMFORTABLE HONESTY: Okay..so I have a prayer request/confession to make...I have not been to church in a few weeks..about five at least.  First off, I wanted to ask you all to forgive me if I'd said I'd been, because I wasn't.  I do love going to church very much..but lately I've been feeling really discouraged about many things...my weight (I've gotten fat in the last year and  do need to lose some pounds..no doubt), being single, still not having a proper career job etc, feeling alone at church because people are so busy with their own lives..and often I feel like I"m the last single person in the entire church..although that is not true...and wondering what exactly God has planned for my life & why He's not being a little more forthright about His plans for me :) :)  Most of the time I don't even worry about these things...but when it's quiet and there's nothing going on, that's when I start to feel sorry for myself.  It's not right and I let that discouragement keep me at home, instead of going to church where other people could encourage me.  Oh, I'm still doing regular devotions and spending time in prayer and reading my Bible..but church has really faltered... Please forgive me for not being forthright about that earlier.  My dad has been really understanding about the discouragement I've been feeling lately.  He's also been praying for me.  In some ways, I was afraid that if I said that I just didn't want to go to church today because I felt sad/discouraged, that maybe it would be frowned upon or that people would stop visiting here.  Again, I would ask that you forgive me for not trusting you ladies and for being more up-front about going to church. Pray that I'll have the discipline to go because it would mean being obedient to God and because honoring Him is way more important than how I feel at any given time!!...meaning, I don't want to be ruled by my emotions, but rather by the truth of God's Word!!!

Now I did actually get dressed and ready to go to church today!!!  I had on my nice natural face thanks to Bare Minerals...love that stuff!!! My dad and I were in the car and headed in that direction and then I literally started feeling kind of sick.  I have a minor form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease similar to colitis, called ulcerative proctitis.  I've had this for 10 years now.  It's more of an annoyance on a daily basis than anything else..but once in a great while I have what I call a very bad IBD day.  Today was one of those days...and I can never predict when they'll happen.  I'm only able to feel that something is not good...so my dad turned the car around and we stayed home. This time he stayed home with me, instead of gonig to church on his own.

I will definitely be there next Sunday...and I'll even take a picture and post it here to prove it :) :) :) Remind me, in case I forget to post the photo!!!!

That's the news from Oregon today. ..hoping everyone is having a great Sunday. Love and hugs, Heather :) :)  :)

If loving a good yard sale is wrong, I don't want to be right!! & how I met a really neat couple!!

Hi everyone, 
It's a really lovely Saturday afternoon here.  It's supposed to be around 90 Fahrenheit today. That's hot..well, for Oregon it is!!  I have the windows open and the lights turned off. It keeps things cool, while still being able to catch the breeze, when it comes...all that without having to run the air conditioner :) :) It's fabulous.

Oh I went yards sale/garage sale shopping again today.  I'm always on the lookout for useful, beautiful, vintage things that will fit into my decorating style...and when possible, also be very useful. I think I did very well today.

I also met a really beautiful married couple today. I'll talk about them later in this blog.  I purchased some very lovely things at their home today!!!  This first photo that you see was of this really tall rose bush at the entrance to the married couples driveway...I'll call them the beautiful couple, because that is what they truly are...and I'll tell you why later!!! Talk about how I felt super-blessed today!!! Anyway, these roses were huge and so bright!!!  This was their actual color. I didn't do any editing whatsoever...

This photo of the beautiful couples rose bush was actually taken as I was leaving the yard sale!!! Isn't it gorgeous??!!  It's breathtaking!!!

The following photos are what I collected at 3 different yard sales that I went to today. I'll use some of these items to decorate my room, the stairway, and the kitchen!!!

The photo below shows treasures that I found at three different yard sales:

The "beautiful couple" yard sale I found the following:
$1.00 for the 7-UP Bottling Co. wooden carrying crate!!! That will be perfect for some of my really tall craft books and such..plus I love the vintage look. It adds character and style.  In my eyes, it's got a story somewhere and it'll add some beautiful usefulness to my room!!! The husband was very sweet.  I saw this against the wall in their garage and just had to ask!!!  The wife was awesome,too...she greeted me when I walked up and was telling me some really neat stories.  The husband talked to my dad and that was such a blessing... The people running the other yard sales I went to were nice...but by far this couple knew how to reach out and talk to people!!!

Nice yard sale on a cul-de-sac:

$2 - the set of three green latch/hook lids with wooden spoons.  I just wanted the small one...for coffee...not realizing that all three were just $2...I thought that was the price for the tall one. So I snapped it up!!! It'll look great in the kitchen and be a nice addition for flower or some sugar,too!!! If you know of any other uses for those cannisters, please let me know!!!

$2 - for the light peach/orange colored end table. I like the color as it is...but I may sand it and repaint it!!! it's wonderful...and will be the perfect place to put my yarn and crochet thread.

At much smaller yard sale on the same street:
$1 - for antique, vintage toaster!!!! Yep, this thing sits on the stove and the heat toasts the bread. It still works. just needs a little cleaning!!!!  This reminds me of my grandmother. I have a memory of her showing me one of these. My dad says she never had one..but the jury is still out!!!


Spent only $6 for all of these items....God bless the people who were generous with their pricing!!!  These things are all useful!!!

Now here are some of the other items I found that I couldn't fit on the end table :) :) :)...mainly for the purposes of photographing everything together!!! Here's what else I found...
At the nice yard sale on the cul-de-sac...
$2 - for four antique silver spoons.  I thought these would make good soup spoons to use at home..and I can use my cheap stuff for guests if I ever have a patio party!!! They're old and need some serious cleaning...but that should be easy enough, right? Right!! Anyone have any simple recipes for cleaning silver? This couple had quite a few antique silver butter forks, baby spoons, normal spoons etc..yes, it was the real deal...I could tell by looking at it..None of those were steel...all silver!!!

FREE for the "Apples 4 Sale" wall hanging, with the two extra apples!!! Beautiful, country, rustic...yep, definitely for me :) :) Originally $0.50..but because I took the end table, cannisters and 4 spoons, he threw those in for free.  Very sweet couple as well...

At the beautiful couple's yard sale this is also what I found..
$2 - for the beautifully framed photos of the roses. at least I think they're roses...but they're beautiful pink and that'll fit into my decor!!!
$1 - for the cute country/romantic/vintage framed poem on the right!!! This will also fit fight into my decorating of my room!!!
$1 - for a genuine waffle/pie iron from Jøtul,NORWAY.  This was definitely the real deal...very heavy...If anyone knows exactly if it's a pancake iron or waffle iron, please let me know. The beautiful couple was curious as well...and I said I wasn't for certain..but that I'd seen lots of these when I lived in Bergen, Norway for a year. Help a friend out and tell me what you know, so I can go back and tell them :) :) :)


For all of these items I spent a total of $6

The following two photos are close-ups of the waffle/pancake iron from Norway.  I thought if I showed you some up-close detail, you could tell me some more about it...or if you have one in your home!!!  I'd love to hear your stories. Cast iron...real, good cast iron is not always easy to find. So if you do see good cast iron at a yard sale...definitely consider buying it!!!

NOTE ADDED LATER TODAY AT 2:44 p.m. - I posted a link to my blog on my FAcebook page asking about this piece..It's an antique Jøtul krumkake iron. Krumkake is a Norwegian rolled cookie...click here for some info about this tasty treat ..and there's a wooden roller that helps shape it into a cone. Here's an exact look-a-like I found on eBay. Click here

I lived in Bergen, Norway for a year...and they make some delicious pancakes...really skinny ones..and all sorts of other yummy goodies.  So this made me miss Norway, but also made me smile, too!!!

Isn't that detail amazing?  It's so pretty!!!

Below are close-ups of the two framed pictures that I purchased. There were quite a few others from the same artist who did the photos of the pink flowers.  It was hard not to buy the others...because they were outstanding.  However, these in particular really made my day and they're pink :) :) I also loved the framed photo with the lace..that will look nice in my room, too!!! Remember, I love anything that looks vintage, romantic, country, Victorian, rustic, feminine, frilly...or any combination of those :)

So let me tell you about the "beautiful couple"...and give you a piece of wisdom,too.  My dad and I actually drove past their yard sale initially because it was set back away from the drive-way. It was actually in their garage and at first I didn't think they'd have anything I could use in my home. However, again, on the way home, I told dad..."I think we really need to stop here. We HAVE to stop here."...No joke...I really felt the impulse to stop here and at least check it out. Sometimes the diamonds aren't always out in plain site..you have to search for the real gems.  It's work...but it's worth it...for yard sale treasures that you'll love and for finding out super cool things about people that live in your community!!!

Oh my...I found these great items which will be loved much in my home :) :)  I found out the couple was the one I had read about awhile back in the newspaper...They go down to one of our local parks here in town and make sandwiches for the homeless people there. They feed them some good food, where these "beautiful people" might not otherwise even see a meal that day...to be quite honest.  When I heard that, I got all excited...because I remember reading about that couple. My dad remembered that too. We both cried and were so touched...and we don't call those people "homeless"...but "beautiful people"..because I truly believe that's how God sees them as beautiful and precious in His Sight...and we should view them that way, too!!

In any case, this couple just goes down there and helps with the resources they have. They do it because they can!!!! We often talk about giving a cup of cold water in Jesus name..in this case, it's a yummy peanut butter & jelly sandwich and I think something to drink,too...:) :) :) That's showing the love of Jesus in a practical way!!!!

Through the course of conversation, she told me that her husband has to go to the hospital for some medical treatments. I won't share the details here because it's private..unless she says it's okay..then I'll leave a note later tonight!!...In any case, the yard sale was to raise gas money, because they'll need to make a few trips and gas, well, it's expensive!!!!  All of the items they were selling were donated.

The wife told me that it was really packed at 8:15 a.m. this morning. Wow...I'm so glad that I was able to find what I did.  Well, when she told me why they were having the yard sale and how they obtained these great items to sell...I asked if I could bring her some things?  yes... :) :) So cool.  I have some things that I was just going to donate to Goodwill. However, she can sell them to someone who'll want them...and earn more money to pay for gas and whatever else is needed. 

I'll tell you, I really came out more blessed today. If I hadn't stopped at that yard sale that I initially wrote off...I wouldn't have found these things to make my home beautiful/hospitable. More importantly,  I wouldn't have met this beautiful couple.  They were definitely the real treasures.....true diamonds in the rough!!!!  I'm going to see about taking some stuff over tomorrow morning!!!

I'm got photographs for my knitting project going.  I didn't have my dad to help me this time, so I don't have shots of how to cast-on or joining the knitting in the round.  I'll have to save that for another project. I'll see if I can find some on-line links to help you, especially if you don't know how to cast-on a knitting needle.

Have a lovely weekend.  I appreciate your visits and most especially when you leave comments!!!! That's the news from Oregon today.  Love, hugs and greetings, Heather :) :) :)