Venerable Vintage Hats: Daffodils!

The Daffodils

William Wordsworth, 1770 - 1850

I wandered lonely as a cloud

   That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

   A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

   And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretched in never-ending line

   Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they

   Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A Poet could not but be gay,

   In such a jocund company:

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

   In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

   Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

(I memorized this poem as a kid, and as I was thinking about this hat, it came to mind. :~)

Something I absolutely love!

Something I absolutely love is when the invisibly barriers between toys are broken and creativity comes to life!

Playmobile toys explore the unlimited creations that can be made with these building pieces.

A tiny house emerges in the cabinet space of a dresser.

Treasures are collected and stored in a safe place.

The fairies are ready to make play-doh creations! 

A tablecloth for a tea party? Why not use it to swaddle the baby?

Who says that dolls need to be all from the same set when you play? With dolls of all shapes, sizes, and ages, adventure is imminent!

“It's delightful when your imaginations come true, isn't it?” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Be Still

I never like talking about my personal time with God while I'm praying or studying the Bible, but I wanted to share something special with you all.

For the past few days, I've had to get up at 6am. It's been rather lovely watching the world awaken. Yesterday, I had the brilliant idea of grabbing my prayer journal and using the time before the girlies wake up to spend some time in prayer. Last night I decided I'd do the same today, as it was rather nice to be uninterrupted and it would be a perfect time to do so. So this morning I grabbed my prayer journal, and this morning I grabbed my Bible as well. I decided I'd sit on the couch, and my kitty came up & curled up next to me. He was a slight pest, but it was nice nevertheless, because I was freezing! I was about to turn on the light so I could actually see, and I paused by the window. The sky was just starting to lighten, and it was breathtakingly beautiful! As I was standing there thinking to myself, how quiet and still it was out there, Psalm 46:10 in my head. The first part actually. "Be still and know that I am God." I just stood there and was amazed....then I thought to myself, hmmm, I'll read Psalm 46. So I did. Then I spent some time in prayer, and had a lovely start to my morning. 

 

 

Later this morning, I had someone who needed prayer. I went upstairs to the top of the stairs where the sun was streaming. Usually when I go to the stairs, I'm at the bottom, but the sun was beckoning me. (Anne of Green Gables moment) If I'm not able to go to my room, I like to sit on the stairs as it's a quiet place. As I was kneeling there in prayer, I could feel the sun on my back, and I turned around and the window was just beautiful! The sun was streaming in and everything was aglow in the warm sunlight! Again, I heard the words, "Be still and know that I am God." Twas a wonderful morning to say the least.

 

 

This afternoon was a bit stressing, but as I walked to dance tonight, the moon just set the world aglow with it's shimmering light. I paused a minute to gaze at the stars and the moon, and again, I could just feel the words, "Be still and know that I am God."

When I returned home from dance this evening, I grabbed the camera and headed back outside so I could observe the sky. As I stared up at the sky, I whispered softly to myself, "Be still and know that I am God." 

 

God is the I AM. He says:

"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" - John 14:6

"I am the Vine" - John 15:5

"I am the Good Shepherd" - John 10:11

"I am the Resurrection and the Life" - John 11:25

"I am the Bread of Life" - John 6:35

"I am the Light of the World" - John 8:12

Even in the midst of a busy day, God is there. He is the I AM. (Exodus 3:14) And when I've stressed out today, or gotten frustrated about something, those words have softly come to me like a gently whisper.

"Be still and know that I am God."

Psalm 46:10

Venerable Vintage Hats: Primly Perched!

A cup of tea...

...a good book...

...a warm summer day...

...a kitty on my lap...

...primly perched on a white garden chair...

...a piece of chocolate...

...white gloves...

...a pale pink dress that sways in the wind...

...with a dainty gauzy straw hat upon my head!

A Wee Bit of Irish Step

(Last St. Patrick's Day!)

As you may or may not know, I love to dance. Literally, I get in trouble for dancing too much around the house. ;~) Heehee! That aside, I love to dance. We recently did some dancing at the YMCA Folksmarch, and we put together this so you could enjoy it as well!

3-Hand Reel and Solo Hardshoe

(I tried to get it to cooperate, but it's not. You'll just have to click the link to watch it! :~)

Venerable Vintage Hats: Not Seen Everyday!

Minerva: What do you think, Mother?

Stepmother: Uh, it's certainly not the sort of thing you see everyday.

Calliope: I saw it first. How do you think it looks on me, Mother?

Minerva: Ech, awful.

Calliope: I didn't ask you.

Stepmother: How can a mother choose between two such extraordinary daughters!

Calliope: Cinderella. Cinderella!

Cinderella: Yes?

Calliope: Does it look better on me?

Minerva: Or me?

Cinderella: Well, I don't know much about hats, but I don't think it flatters either one of you.

(Stepsisters gasp!)

Minerva: What did you ask her for?

Calliope: She doesn't know anything about hats, she said so herself!

~ Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella 1997

Venerable Vintage Hats: A Stroll down Broadway!

I am in love with the velvet of this hat. It's a bit quirky, it's brown (my favorite color) and it's velvet. Best of all possible worlds!! Can't you picture wearing this hat, strolling down Broadway in New York City in the 40's & 50's? :~D Maybe carrying a purse that matches? You can hear the chatter and laughter of people who are out and about. Heels are clicking on the sidewalk and men tipping their hat as acquaintances pass by.

Safe in Strong Arms

We like to feel safe. We like to know who we can trust and who we are safe with. We usually feel the safest in strong loving arms.

This past week in Sunday School, a little girl in the class I work with, told us a story when we were talking about trust and trust falls. She recounted her tale with shining eyes how her big strong brother would always catch her if she did one with him. She had so much trust in his strong safe arms. She knew that he would always be willing to protect and take care of her.

My sisters personally like being in safe in Daddy's arms. Every day before he goes to work and when he comes home, they clamor for hugs. Sometimes they ask for two or three because they love getting a great big bear hug from Daddy!

One day when they were getting hugs, I thought I'd like one too! So I went up to my Dad and he picked me up, giving me a great big hug. That day shall always be a memory for me. In fact, the day he did that, I wrote the following poem:

Sweet Daddy of Mine
He gives them all a hug goodbye,
as he heads out the door. 
As he turns around he sees me, 
standing in the middle of the dining room floor.

He gives me a great big hug,
and whispers in my ear:
"You have grown to be such a young lady,
with the passing of each year."

He jokes I've gotten way too big,
so I say he should shrink me.
He puts his hand behind my shoulders,
and puts his other behind my knee.

He holds me in his arms,
the moment marked in time.
Then he sets me down,
this moment now etched in rhyme.

I personally love getting hugs from my friends and family. I feel safe and loved in their arms. As I pondered these things, I realized how awesome it is to be safe and be able to trust in God's strong arms. I pursued the topic a bit, and came across the following verses.

Jeremiah 17:7 (ESV)
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    whose trust is the Lord.

Isaiah 26:4 (ESV)
Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.

Psalm 118:8 (ESV)
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in man.

Knowing that I can put my trust in God's safe strong arms, I feel safe! I know He will protect me through the good times and the bad. If I go through a trial-filled time, then who can I turn to? God! I know He's always there for me. I can put my complete trust in Him.

Hebrews 13:6 (ESV)

So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear;

what can man do to me?”

Venerable Vintage Hats: We Want a Hat!

Cornelius Hackl: [infatuated with Irene] Well, you see, we're two ladies about town and we're looking for a hat to Malloy and...

Barnaby Tucker: We're hats, you see, and we're looking for a lady to Malloy with for the af...

Cornelius Hackl: [signals Barnaby to be quiet] We want a hat!

~ Hello Dolly

Venerable Vintage Hats: A Little Garden!

A little garden of flowers,

sitting on my head.

With tiny white florets,

growing in the garden bed.

Every which way they sprout,

upon my lovely hat.

I dream of a spring day,

with tea, a book, & furry cat!

Venerable Vintage Hats: Satin Grandeur!

This hat has an air of grandeur about it. I will admit, I love the pillbox style of hat! The style is quite flattering. Gleaming satin, and the small touch of sparkle, makes this hat unique! I think I'm ready to don this hat and explore a chateau (or two! Or castle, perhaps?) in Europe. Anyone care to join me? Heehee!!

Venerable Vintage Hats: Spring!

Every time I look at this hat, I'm instantly transported into spring. The air is filled with the aroma of flowers abloom! The lilacs fill the trees; my apple tree is in bloom. A gentle warm breeze is blowing softly through the garden. My skirt flutters softly with the wind as I twirl in the evening light. Birds call to one another with their delightful twittering and chirping. My kitty wanders around the garden as I dance and sing with joy. And maybe, just maybe, the moon peeps out above the trees as the sun slowly sets. In the warm twilight, I look back at my hat, and remember it's still winter! lol Brrr...it's frigid outside!! :~D

Venerable Vintage Hats: A Jaunty Plume!

I've never had a hat like this before! It's such a daring jaunty hat! The white band makes it quite striking. I must admit though, it reminds me the milliner, Irene Molloy, in the movie "Hello Dolly".

Irene Molloy: What's this? A return from Miss Mortimer again?

Minnie Fay: Same old story, cherries and feathers, cherries and feathers. To catch a beau I suppose.

Irene Molloy: If you ask me, she'd do better with a heavy veil.

Heehee!

It's been a while....

It's been a while since I just pulled up a fresh post and just talked. Right now I'm feeling really accomplished as I completed some work I brought home from work this week. It's really an amazing feeling, and I'm glad I was able to do it!

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. - Colossians 3:23-24
 

It's easy to forget that sometimes. I'm thankful for being reminded of this, even when I'm doing things that aren't fun to work on. Things like sweeping under the dining room table, or sorting through things that have been collected in my room over time. I will say again, the feeling of accomplishment is like no other!! 

After that, I think it's time to relax, call it a night, and just crochet!! :~D  

Venerable Vintage Hats!

This has to be one of my favorite hats at the moment! I have two vintage yellow dresses in this color, and I've been dying to have a good hat to wear with them!! I've also been wanting a wide brimmed hat like this, so when it came in an assortment of vintage hats my boss gave me, I was in love. Hahaha! If only spring would come sooner so I can wear them together and not freeze.... ;~)

(Here's one of the dresses, by the way. I love this dress! This is what I wore when I dressed up as Elizabeth Taylor for Throwback Tuesday)

How can you Pray for the Girls in your Life?

I've been meaning to finish up this series and it's been 2 months since I last wrote a post for it! I'm hoping to have it finished up by next week!

For this part of the series, I asked my girlies what they usually need prayer for most:

Guys and the emotions that go with them
God's direction
Worry
Attitude
Confidence
Strength
Self image
Health
Arguing
Self control
Obedience cheerfully
Procrastination
To be closer to God/Hungering for God/Staying strong in God's faith

Each of these things are daily struggles and when you pray for, pray with them, it is such an encouragement!

"Knowing that someone is praying for me, usually brings me a peace, knowing I'm not in it alone."

"I feel stronger."

"I would feel stronger. It really tends to help me when I know that someone cares enough to pray for me in a hard situation. It is effected in a positive way. I tend to be able to say no to myself easier, and it gives me joy."

"I'd love it if someone was praying for these things. It makes me feel loved and it also makes me feel like I'm not alone in my struggles. It's a great feeling to know that someone is on the sidelines rooting for you and praying for you. When someone is praying hard for me, I can see it. Loads start to feel lighter and my prayers start to slowly get answered. Whether it's a yes or a no to a prayer, it'll still be answered in some way. Sometimes it takes a while, but something always happens. Sometimes I'm shown the purpose for a situation or I'm given more wisdom. Prayer always works in the way it's supposed to for that situation."

Now, one of them gave an interesting point, and I'd like you to think about this carefully. When you pray for someone, it should be done in a loving-kind way. Don't pray for, pray with. Praying for is when you're asking God 'for' something and/or on behalf of the other person. Praying with is when you are both praying in agreement for the same thing.

"I think my attitude on people praying for me changes with the person who is doing the praying. If, say, a person I find to be self-righteous or hypocritical is praying for my faults to be absolved, I might not truly appreciate their prayer. More likely, it would completely get on my nerves; however, if I truly have a relationship with the person and know that they will not hold my faults against me in a "I am holier than thou" type of way, then the prayer is greatly appreciated, much wanted, and much needed."

Prayer is so important. Take time today to pray for the girls in your life. Tell them you're praying for and with them. And as I said, it's such an encouragement to know someone is praying for you.

Galatians 6:2 (ESV)
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

A new year, a new series - Venerable Vintage Hats!

As you may or may not know, I collect hats. Seriously, I have at least 90 hats. I need to count them one of these days....

So, every couple days, I'm going to post a picture of a hat. This shall replace Throwback Tuesday for a while, until I feel inspired again!

So today's hat is one I was given the day before yesterday! It's a cute little hat, and I'm in love with the feathery curls along the edges! It just adds a sweet little touch to an otherwise boring feather hat. Come to think of it, most feather hats are pretty sweet! Heehee!! 

Look at the little curls!! They're just so sweet looking!! 

And if anyone wants to know, the label says "Adoria, Kaufmann's, Pittsburgh"!

The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 12

For the 12 days of Christmas, I have decided to share 12 Christmas movies that my family loves!

So to end our fun little series, I've picked a really cheesy movie! lol It's a good Hallmark one though! :~)  

"A teenager has his Sitka Spruce tree chosen to be planted outside the White House as the new national Christmas Tree" 

They go cross-country from one side of America to another, run into a wildfire and other numerous problems, but in the end everything turns out great! As most good movies end.... ;~) Heehee!!

The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 11

For the 12 days of Christmas, I have decided to share 12 Christmas movies that my family loves!

Ahh...I haven't watched this one in forever! I remember watching this with some microwave kettle corn popcorn as a kid! Heehee!! I will admit, I haven't seen this one in a year or two, but it's still a favorite of ours! Maureen O'Hara did a wonderful job in it! :~)

Fred Gailey: Your Honor, every one of these letters is addressed to Santa Claus. The Post Office has delivered them. Therefore the Post Office Department, a branch of the Federal Governent, recognizes this man Kris Kringle to be the one and only Santa Claus.
Judge Henry X. Harper: Uh, since the United States Government declares this man to be Santa Claus, this court will not dispute it. Case dismissed.

The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 10

For the 12 days of Christmas, I have decided to share 12 Christmas movies that my family loves!

While this isn't a Christmas movie, it does have Christmas in it!! I love the pageant the kids put on. It's such a cute scene. If you haven't watched any of the other clips I've posted along with these posts, at least watch this one. ;~) Heehee!! In "It's a Wonderful Life" the movie playing at the movie theater is "The Bells of St. Mary's". The director had made this movie before "It's a Wonderful Life" so he wanted to give credit to his previous movie! :~)

(email readers need to go to the blog to view it) 

The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 9

For the 12 days of Christmas, I have decided to share 12 Christmas movies that my family loves!

"The Christmas Bunny tells the story of a lonely foster child (Sophie Bolen) who finds a lost, injured rabbit in the woods on Christmas Eve. The rabbit is nursed back to health by The Bunny Lady (Florence Henderson), who runs a rabbit rescue in an old barn behind her Michigan farmhouse."

This is a sweet, tear-jerking Christmas movie we watched for the first time last year. We've watched this one year round, also. It's not a big budget movie, in fact it was filmed in 18 days, but it's still a sweet movie. It is becoming a favorite in our family!! :~D

(email subscribers may want want to go to the blog if they want to see the trailer for it)

The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 8

For the 12 days of Christmas, I have decided to share 12 Christmas movies that my family loves!

If you need a good cry, this is the movie to watch. Christmas Child is a bittersweet story. The description is as follows:

As Christmas draws near, Jack finds himself disconnecting from the holidays, his job, and ultimately his wife. His latest assignment as a journalist takes him to Dallas, but a mysterious photograph draws him to the town of Clearwater, Texas. It is here he discovers the town's life-sized, intricately carved nativity. As Jack delves into the mysteries surrounding the nativity and its creator, he uncovers secrets from his own past, reunites with the family he never knew, and returns to the love that never left him.

So yes, it's a sappy Christmas movie, but it's still a favorite Christmas movie of mine! :~)

The 12 Days of Christmas: Day 7

For the 12 days of Christmas, I have decided to share 12 Christmas movies that my family loves!

 How could it be so? It came without ribbons!... it came without tags!... it came without packages, boxes, or bags! He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. Maybe Christmas, he thought... doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps... means a little bit more! ~ the Narrator

This is another one of our favorites that we watch year round! As everyone pretty much knows this one, I won't elaborate much on it, but I will say it's such a good one! Sigh.... :~)