A Choice

"Maybe that's what it all comes down to. Love, not as a surge of passion, but as a choice to commit to something, someone, no matter what obstacles or temptations stand in the way. And maybe making that choice, again and again, day in and day out, year after year, says more about love than never having a choice to make it at all." - Emily Giffin

Art journal page from my Documented Life journal. Quote from the Nostalgic Musings App. 

"Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 

  Let the message about Christ, in all it's richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of The Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father" 

Colossians 3:14-17

Happy Valentine's Day everyone. 

Date Night

On February 15th our church held a Date Night for our couples. We used a DVD from Focus on The Family and had our own musicians. I was in charge of the table decorations. I've come to strongly believe that inexpensive decorations mean more work. We worked off of this lovely wreath below found on Pinterest and made by Kristyn from Lil Luna.  Check hers out it is beautiful!  

Source: remodelaholic.com via Karen on Pinterest

We found our frames at thrift stores. It took two cans of spray paint to cover 15 frames.

The doilies were made from Martha's instructions here.

We added a a little birdcage to the back side and candles. Hope you're not tired of Valentine posts.  

I've traveled to visit my girls and parents.  I'll have a little bit more to tell you before I head home. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

I've been making a few Valentines for my family. 

for Mom and Dad B

for HH

 for Mom and Dad T

for DD1

for DD2

They're simple. But I think they'll get the message. 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! I hope your day is full of love.

Love Watching

Who doesn't love a love story?  Okay, so many boys don't, but most of us girls enjoy a good love story.  Recently, I've been re-watching Sense and Sensibility.  I have two versions, the Emma Thompson version and the BBC version.  I can't decide which is my favorite.  I sort of like the BBC one since most of the faces are not familiar. But, who doesn't like Emma Thompson, really?

I noticed that Martha has shared her list of favorite romantic movies for February.  I'm sure they're all her personal favorites.  Check out the list here. there may be many you haven't seen.  I think I've only seen four out of the 18 on the list.

*I just found another list of movies at BHG.  They have 28 recommendations.

Here are some of my favorites:

I just watched The Goodbye Girl for the first time in years and years.  It's pretty sappy, but still enjoyable.

I've always loved Sleepless in Seattle.  Good ole Meg Ryan, she always gave a cute, girl-next-door presence to her movies.

Return to Me - such a sweet story.  What are the chances that would really happen?

You've Got Mail - another Meg Ryan movie.  Listening to the old dial up internet is funny.

Pride and Prejudice - Definitely the Colin Firth BBC version!!

Okay, that's enough. This could go on and on. What love stories are your favorites? Help me add to my list!  Gotta add to my Netflix queue!

Valentines for Strangers

Thursday I met my new friend, Amy, for lunch and then went to French General to make Valentines. Kaari has opened her doors to anyone who wanted to come in and make Valentines for patients at City of Hope Cancer Center. She posted the invitation on her blog, The Warp and The Weft. I gladly worked it into my schedule. Who wouldn't want to meet a friend for lunch then shop at French General? Wow, I've been twice now in just three weeks. Pretty cool, since I've wanted to go there for years. To top off all that goodness, making homemade Valentines for people who really need some encouragement was right up my alley.  

During my Monday night Bible Study, we share prayer requests. Rose had mentioned a few weeks ago her friend Sandi who is in very serious condition. I found out that Sandi is at City of Hope. It was perfect timing for me to make a Valentine specifically for her. I had her name and room number, so hopefully she gets it without a problem. What a blessing for me.

Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

 I apologize for the fuzziness and glare.

 Kaari had plenty of fun materials for us to work with,

Then of course, there was some snooping and admiring going on around the shop.

 I bought one of these velvet lavender sachet kits to make.

 It was all worth the stop and go traffic on my way home.

Have you made your Valentines yet? Only 13 days left!!!

Wings of Love Antiques

This last weekend was our monthly Matilda's Mouse barn sale.  I say "our" because I'm a regular.  Several of the vendors know me by name.  That's probably a bad thing, isn't it?  Shhhh, don't tell HH.  Their theme for February was appropriately named "On The Wings of Love".  There was a lot of pink and Valentines and lace, etc.  I thought you might like a peek. They pulled out the Johnny Jump-ups to brighten things up.

These vintage ribbons were perfectly embellished for Valentine's Day. 

Looks like I need to pull out my pink glass garland for February.

 Gale did a great job of displaying jewelry with bulbs and potting soil or bird seed.  

Perfect for the theme, I think. 

 Look at that dress!

 My friend went home with one of these very cute frog princes.

This birdhouse made me think of Mary Engelbreit, don't you think? They do such a great job.

Rainy Day Decorating

I guess I could be reading a book on this rainy day, or making my Valentines for my family. I have started them, which is early for me. Too often I'm waiting till I'm down to the wire and then I make them in a flurry. It's been unusually rainy and dreary here in SoCal. Today I decided to do a little more winter decorating. It's a mix of winter and Valentine's Day. I don't like to completely put away all the sparkle from Christmas, do you? So, I leave out snowflakes along with pine cones and some greenery.

I found these amazing hearts cut out of antique ceiling tile on ebay.  

They are covered with peeling paint.

I just bought myself this pretty yarn bowl from Christine at Red Hot Pottery.  

I think the handle makes it especially convenient to use. 

It works great!

My friends and I went antiquing yesterday at our monthly barn sale at Matilda's Mouse. Among the treasures I brought home is this velvet See's candy box.  It's in perfect condition. 

I used Rhonna Design's ChalkArt for my Valentine's Day message. You can even print them off and frame them, if you don't have a chalkboard or use them for your Valentine's cards.

There's more to do, but I'm hanging up my decorating hat for the day. Make sure you've entered into my giveaway for a book from French General.  I'll make the random drawing and announce the winner on Friday. Thursday I'm headed into LA to make Valentines for City of Hope with the girls there.  Make sure you read this sweet story. I'm looking forward to it and I'll be sure to take pictures!!!