A Day For Miracles

Hello and Welcome Bloggerettes to a very special event! This weekend, there are two blog parties going on that are all about a Miracle Makeover for someone very deserving and very special!

Our dear to our hearts Pink Saturday hostess Beverly and Sherry of Wings Of Phoenix along with Spiritual Sundays hostesses Charlotte And Ginger and The Katillac Shack Kelee are co hosting an event to honor Colette, a very special and unique gal. Please go to Kelee's blog to read her very touching story of immense strength in the face of great uncertainy.....

Kelee with her team at Guidepost Magazine tell the story of how they went to Michigan in the dead of winter to reach out and help this desperately ill woman.

It is a story that will bring tears....a story of hope and goodness!

I have had my share of little miracles throughout my life like most of us, but I could not think of anything to really write about. My mind kept going back to my youngest son, from my first marriage, and a scary little episode with a happy ending....an ending that was and will always be a blessing.

When my youngest son was just five months old he became ill with what appeared to be stomach flu and just could not get better....blood tests revealed he had a low white count and he was put into the hospital for IV's and medication. We lived in the small town of Cotulla, TX. The hospital had just opened and our doctor owned it and had his office there. At home were our other three children, all very young. My Mom had just gotten home to La Jolla, Ca. with my Dad after a happy Christmas visit, but came back to help me. I lived pretty much at the hospital. Our little one did not respond to the treatments and he was growing weaker....I stayed around the clock in his room...they brought in a bed for me and taught me to handle his IV's as they were a bit short handed....(of course, a nurse came to supervise.) Many days went by and slowly the baby started responding to the treament and was well enough the doctor told me I should go home and spend the night with the rest of the family. We were only a few blocks from the hospital and they would call me if I was needed.

They did not call and I had a wonderful time with my other three. The next morning, early, I returned to the hospital, remember, no one had called me, to find many nurses around the baby crib and the baby looking grey with his little lips dark in color..He was still...much to still....one nurse saw me and told me to run and get the doctor....I ran through the hospital and his waiting room and insisited he come with me.....after he examined the baby he told me to go and get my husband. I did...... when I got back I learned that after I left, the night before, the baby woke and cried. There was a shift change at that time and the new nurse on duty did not read the chart or she would have seen that the leaving nurse had given him a sedative....the new nurse, a good friend of ours, gave him another. It was too much for his little system and he went into a coma. The reason for the sedative was to keep him quiet for his recovery and because of the tube in his little arm.

I sat by his crib and prayed and cared for him and the happy ending is that in the evening he woke out of the coma with a cry of hunger.....

Prayer is powerful and I have seen miracles, big and small many times in my life....Many that have simply amazed me and reinforced my faith....My faith is strong and personal and within me...I am thankful for the many blessings I have, big and small....from a birds early morning song, to what is left of my family.
Jil

~SOMETHING NEW...COME PEEK~

**CLICK on the pictures to enlarge them to see the details...


This is a bracelet and earring set definitely for kitty lovers....

I am so excited with the arrival of a new jewelry line for The Ruffled Rose ....I have been busy all day with photographing and I am far from finished....

Our designer is a talented little gal from Texas who has studied jewelry design in college and with other artisans....she has a unique style all her own and a wonderful sense of the use of color and texture as well as design....she is a college student with hopes for a career in the medical field....


Yes, she is one of my beloved Granddaughters....and each piece of jewelry she creates is a One Of A Kind Original!





This bracelet is so cute!!!!! It is full of beautiful beads in all the Halloween colors with Swarovski crystal beads and aren't the earrings sweet? You can wear them when Halloween is past.....

The lampwork beads on this bracelet are A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!


As I said, I am just beginning the long process of taking pictures of the large shipment of bracelet and earring sets as well as a few pretty key chains, so I invite to stop by the The Ruffled Rose often to see what is in The Trinket Box...In The Armoire to see this beautiful collection....


Busy As A Bee...
Jil

~Pastry Stand With Faux Cake~Fresh Out Of The Oven~

Here is what I have been doing the last few days....I love it as I think of it as "therapy" for getting away from the mundane of everyday....And, you should see the kitchen....it is as messy as if I were really baking!!! lol!




I found some dessert or pastry stands with the cloche lids a while ago and the weather has cooled off so I could finally do some faux baking....If it is hot with the humidity we have here so close to the lake, it takes forever for them to set up, so I wait for the cool days....I don't like to put them in the oven as they just form up nicer if air dried.

I love making the clay roses and I think these turned out pretty....I have been making them in the evening as I find it so relaxing....
This Pastry Stand comes with the piece of cake and can be found on my website.

The piece of cake on the sweet little dessert can also be found on my website..perfect for so many places in the Cottage home and a wonderful little gift for someone special...




Back to baking....
Sugary Hugs,
Jil

Hearts A Flutter....

This is my newest piece with ribbon embroidery.....It has over 2/3 cup of fragrant lavender buds tucked inside in its own mesh pouch....a rhinestone dangle that is a vintage earring....three gorgeous vintage buttons and my silk ribbon roses...it can hang, from its 1" lovely varigated pink and green silk ribbon bow or it can rest next to your bed, on a dresser, a shelf..........
**Click On The Pictures To See More Details On A Larger Image**

Beautiful, not only in the Cottage bedroom, but the chic and shabby and Paris Apartment, as well...


This can be found at The Ruffled Rose, In The Armoire under Posh Pillows and Sachets!

Hope your day is perfect in all ways!
Jil

~The Fun Of It All~

My Powder Jar, listed at The Ruffled Rose, was featured, with other lovely vintage jars, in the September issue of Romantic Homes....It is a sweet feeling to be featured in a top magazine and the lady that purchased the jar is thrilled as well.



We, also, have our first ad with Shabby Cottage Shops in this issue, so it is sweetness times two...




There is a soft breeze and rain, my favorite kind of day. What a wonderful way to start the week....

Jil
xo

Odds And Ends Of Pinkness....

I am not very well prepared for Friday and Saturday events as for three weeks now I have been getting used to blood pressure medicine that makes me so tired I can hardly move. And, a bit of vertigo from a plugged ear...the doctor irrigated the ear, but the vertigo is still here if I lie on one side. Very minor complaints, things could be worse, but they are just very annoying and keep me from getting done what I want to do!!

So, I am going back into my pictures and bringing up some things that I hope will quality as Frou Frou and PINK! The first picture is of three pretty little vintage pitchers from my collection of "too many" that are listed in my Etsy shop....

~SOLD~
Now, lets see what else I can find...I thinks this qualifies as Frou Frou with all the bits of olde lace, buttons and a sweet rhinestone button and my ribbon embroidery...This is listed on my website in The Armoire under Tea Time....

~SOLD~
And, this very Frou Frou picture frame that features a vintage birthday card and vintage buttons, vintage rhinestone jewelry, millinery and a few shells....I found this in Oklahoma in a wonderful antique mall on our way home from Texas...It, too is on the website....

Thats all for this Friday's Frou Frou...I am on my way over to visit Connie to visit all my Frou Frou Friday Friends...Come join us!
And, I am combining this post for Pink Saturday, too. Please go and visit Beverly for this weeks list of pink-a-licious blogs to visit and enjoy!
Jil
xo

~FINALLY, THE CICADAS ARE SINGING~

I love my little "buggie" that dances from a long spring, on the porch.....I found him at Mary Maxims, here, about five or six years ago....
Nothing says Summer to me, like the singing of the Cicadas.....I have waited and waited to hear their song and finally, they are here. They came with the cooler air and some soft breezes out of the North..they are late this year....the day is perfect, but you know by the feel in the air that summer is at its peak and is sliding towards fall.

Our youngest grand-daughter in Texas is leaving for her first year in college on Friday....her truck is packed and her parents will be following her to help her get settled in....grandchildren in NY are excitedly getting ready for school in two and a half weeks with new clothes and cleats for soccer to say nothing of the long lists from each teacher of supplies they must have when they walk through the school door on that first day....

The Arizona grands are involved in the same activities...summer flew by all to fast for all of them and me, too. I find it hard to think fall and then winter. I am enjoying these perfect days after a couple of weeks of hot sticky weather. I have no desire to sew or do anything else, at the moment....I just want to sit on the porch and soak it all in.

Hope all of you, too, are having a blissful summer day!
Jil
xo

PINK SATURDAY AND SHABBY COTTAGE SHOPS SPECIAL

Hello Pink Saturday Friends.... Beverly is our dear hostess for this weekly delicious pink event and when you to visit her, you will find the list of amazingly beautiful blogs whose owners are all lovers of PINK!.... Have fun!



Marian Elizabeth and myself are "The Ruffled Rose" and want to invite any of you that have been toying with the idea of joining an online mall, to consider Shabby Cottage Shops....we are very happy there under the sweet guidance of Debra and all the other amazingly talented store owners.

We were both a bit shocked to find how much we did not know about running a website and we both have had so much gentle help....the fellowship is wonderful and so are the forums. For instance we have one going on now on the importance of KEY WORDS that is so helpful.

Not only will you get marvelous exposure in the beautiful ads, but there is so much information available to help you succeed....and at the bottom of this announcement, you will see that those on eBay and Etsy are welcome to come and learn how to have your shop promoted...this is a wonderful opportunity for you in these difficult times! Click on the pretty button below to take a stroll through our shops....



New Membership Special

Become a Charming Member! Join us on French Cottage Cove and receive a FREE upgrade to Rose Cottage Court!! Enjoy 1 product display in our ads in National Magazines and 5 weblinks for six months at a special rate of $140.00 at Shabby Cottage Shops!!




This is a fabulous time to join an online shopping mall for additional Holiday exposure. We advertise in the top National Magazines! Victoria, Romantic Homes, Tea Time Magazine, Bedrooms and Baths, Cottages and Bungalows, Somerset Life and more! You can join French Cottage Cove (the third page) and receive a FREE UPGRADE on Rose Cottage Court (the second page) for $140 for a six month commitment!! With the FREE UPGRADE you'll have the opportunity to be included in one of our fabulous ads, along with 5 weblinks with your six month membership!


You also have the option to upgrade the Rose Cottage Court membership to include an additional product display ad for just $40 more! So you can either join using the FREE UPGRADE on Rose Cottage Court or upgrade on Rose Cottage Court and receive two product display ads during your six month commitment, for $180, the choice is yours!


Come join us now and enjoy the benefits of being a member of Shabby Cottage Shops and get your site noticed!


Do you have an eBay store or Etsy shop, you can join us too, we'd love to help you promote your stores at these sites!


Join NOW... and pick the cottage of your choice on Rose Cottage Court for just $140 for six months!!



Email us for any questions you may have about this special, hurry it's for a limited time only, ensure you get the best cottage selection available and fabulous Holiday exposure in all the best National Magazines at Shabby Cottage Shops, its where the finest boutiques gather...

This special is for new members only.

*** If you join us, please tell Debra, Jil or Marian Elizabeth, That Shabby Pink Girl, sent you...***

And Now For A Bit Of PINK...

Are you all into blueberries like I am? I eat them by the handfuls!!! ( Not only are they rich in antioxidents, but they are delicious! I am freezing baggies of 1/2 a cup of them in each for this fall....snacks, blueberry muffins or pancakes, in your cereal.....yum!.....)

I get ours at Sam's club as the price is right and the boxes are big! Yesterday I went to stock up and as I walked throught the door, greeting me, was a special on roses....roses of all colors, roses in different mixes, all red, all white, all pale pink, all colors together but only one with pinks like these and I made them mine!




Aren't they G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S??? I came home feeling like a Queen!
Thank you, to those of you that visit and leave comments....I LOVE comments....you are all so sweet and you make me feel so good!
Sweetest Blessings,
Jil
xo

~HAPPY PINK SATURDAY~

Without our wonderful pink loving hostess Beverly we would not have this fun event each and every Saturday....Do pop over and say "Hi" to her and see the list of pink-a-licious blogs to visit today....

My Mom, bless her heart, had such talents....she was an artist.....she had her Masters from the U of Iowa and she could paint, do magnificent pottery and make a house a beautiful home. Later when we lived in California, she was an interior designer as well as Master Potter. When I was young and we were living in Omaha, NE. we had one of the first track homes and ours was no cookie cutter!!!! No way!!....our house was painted a beautiful red with white trim and shutters.....a white ranch style fence and lots of gorgeous flowers....a window box in the front made by my Dad and she painted it black with lots of, her take on Peter Hunt, flowers in pretty colors she mixed herself. She laid a brick patio, herself, under our "picture window". I remember on weekends people driving by and stopping to look at our pretty home....I was always so proud to walk up the driveway and know this is where I lived! I know that I inherited, from her, my love of decorating and painting and crafting in general.....her loving hands were always busy creating or.....playing the piano.

Anyway, this corner cupboard is from our Omaha home. Mom loved maple and we had some pretty pieces....not that clunky stuff that came out later. We had a darling Cobblers Bench, Dough Box and other wonderful pieces....She used chintz for chair covers and drapes......she was waaaaay ahead of her time in decorating. She was so gifted and had idea after idea.....I rarely saw her thumbing through magazines for inspiration....




So now it is mine and I have been painting most everything in our large dining room white, but for some reason, I haven't touched this cupboard, yet. I wish I had pictures of how she had it filled, to show, as it was much different from how I have it. She loved copper and pottery and it had a very cottage feel but more a country cottage and I think of how I have it as shabby romantic cottage. I think, the more I look at it, it will be white one day. I have found that white shows off the curves and the style so much more than the natural wood and frankly, I am tired of all the dark wood....

I could live forever, happily and peacefully, in surroundings like this!
I found this picture on Yahoo and you can follow her blog, My Shabby Streamside Studio, by clicking on her button on the left hand side of my blog...there would be no blood pressure problems living in that dreamy little cottage...that is for sure!
Now I am off to do my Pink Saturday visiting....
:-)
Jil
xo
PS I found a magical blog and I want to share it with you. I have always been enthralled with pixies, fairies and even wicked little trolls....At The Pixie Forest you will meet Tobi and you will adore her blog for she is a bit pixi-alated (sp?) I do believe, and her blog and her sparkly designs are a great treat! I love her trees and have to have one, or two or maybe three!

~FROUFROU FRIDAY FUN~

I have to give Connie, our sweetheart of a hostess, a big basket of Thank You's for starting this fun Friday event! You can click on the badge to the left to go to all the other blogs having some good ole FrouFrou Fun! See you there!

My FrouFrou for this week is a china cake plate with matching dessert plates and other pieces of rosy china and faux cupcakes by moi and dainty slices of cake from Rhondas Rose Cottage....

Happy FrouFrou-ing!
Jil

Rosie The Snow Lady

Hello Everyone,

First, I want to thank all of you that have left me comments...I am slow to get to each of you because I got felled by blood pressure medicine this week. I am a high energy gal and this stuff slows me down so much that walking upstairs is an effort. I am working to get off of it as soon as I can, believe me!!! I haven't needed it for many years, but sometimes unhappy events, events that are other peoples decisions that impact my life, weigh unhappily and heavily on my mind. I try to let them go, but that is easier said than done and I wind up brooding about things I can do nothing about, sadly. It all winds up making me sick and questioning what my life has all been about...with prayer and positive thoughts I will get myself over this big mountain!

Creating has always been a cure for me and so this week, low energy or not, I made this little Snow Lady that I named Rosie....you can see more of her at my website. With her coal eyes twinkling and her carrot nose turned pink from the cold, she turned out awfully cute, don't you think?

SOLD


Hope your day is full of sunshine!
Jil