A Christmas Giveaway

'Tis the season to be merry :)

I just love Christmas and I love spreading Christmas cheer.

So in honor of Christmas and the joy this holiday brings

I'm having a little giveaway for you, sweet friends.

I don't tell you enough 

how thankful I am for you.

Many of you have touched my heart in such a beautiful and meaningful way

that my life has forever been changed because of YOU!

It's an honor to "know" many of you

and I count it a blessing to have your friendship.

This giveaway will be today, tomorrow, and Wednesday.

I will then announce the winner on Thursday, December 3rd.

I am sorry it's open only three days,

but I want the winner to enjoy the goodies during the holiday season.

Let me show you what you could win. . .

A beautiful Christmas box.

A stunning glass vase with a snowflake jewel on the front.

A sparkly Christmas ornament for your tree.

This sweet frame.

And a handmade Christmas pocket card.

To enter the giveaway:

{ 1 }

Please be a follower of the blog by 

GFC, Email, Bloglovin', Facebook or other.

{ 2 }

Leave me a comment

sharing a special Christmas memory.

The giveaway is open to everyone including the lovely people overseas.

Thank you for enriching my life with your sweetness, dear friends.

May each one of you have a beautiful Christmas season.

Love and hugs!

Each Day Is A Day Of Thanksgiving

Now therefore, our God,

we thank thee,

and praise thy glorious name.

- I Chronicles 29:13 -

My dear friends,

each day is truly a day for thanksgiving,

and each moment of our lives is a moment that we have the privilege 

of thanking our precious Lord for all that He has blessed us with.

It's easy to get caught up in our daily routines and the busyness of life,

but the Thanksgiving holiday is such a beautiful time 

to pause and take a moment to think upon the many blessings

that our Heavenly Father has so richly bestowed upon us.

As I celebrated this sweet and pure holiday I was reminded of not only the physical blessings

such as loving family and friends, a warm home, food to sustain me, a car to take me places,

but also the spiritual blessings.

The third stanza of How Great Thou Art has been playing through my mind

and I would like to share the precious words with you. . .

And when I think that God His Son not sparing,

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in-

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin.

Chorus

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;

How great Thou art, 

How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Tee;

How great Thou art, 

How great Thou art.

- Carl Boberg -

Sweet friends, the salvation Jesus Christ so freely offers to us

is truly the greatest blessing of all and during this Thanksgiving season

I can't help but think about the love and grace

the Lord so tenderly wraps around us.

Salvation. . .a free gift-

a gift recieved by simple faith in Jesus Christ.

A gift that is for eternity.

My Lord and Savior gladly bore my sin and shame on the cross. . .

is there anything sweeter and more humbling than that?

How I rejoice and praise His name for such a selfless act.

This Thanksgiving we have so much to be thankful for

both physical and spiritual.

Thanks to God, for boundless mercy

From Thy gracious throne above;

Thanks for every need provided

From the fullness of Thy love!

Thanks for daily toil and labor

And for rest when shadows fall;

Thanks for love of friend and neighbor

And Thy goodness unto all!

- August Ludvig Storm -

Have a beautiful Sunday!

Black Friday Sale

Hi friends!

I hope you had a blessed and joyful Thanksgiving.

This holiday season has been extra special as I think of all the blessings and gifts 

the Lord has given to us. 

Even in times of heartache and despair there is still so much to be grateful for.

As the holidays take off and get in full swing

I wanted to offer you, sweet friends, a coupon code for my Etsy shop.

Christmas is just around the corner and if you need a little something 

for a friend or family member than Rose Petal Blessings 

may be just the place for you {{smiles}}

Take 20% off your order of $30.00 or more

and please remember that USA residents receive free shipping.

Have a delightful day, lovelies!

My family and I are headed to my sister's home 

for another day of Thanksgiving joy. . .and yummy food :)

Sweet hugs to you!

Rose Petal Blessings!

{{ Comments closed today }}

Thanksgiving Blessings

Now thank we all our God

With hearts and hands and voices,

Who wondrous things hath done,

In whom His world rejoices.

- Martin Rinkart -

The flames in the fireplace are dancing in time
To the hearts of our children at play,
And fragrance of turkey is drifting about
Like the tunes they are singing today.

The pies in the oven are light golden brown
And the pudding is still steaming hot,
The table is laden with delicacies
Brightly set and nothing forgot.

The chores are completed, the family arrives;
Now good friends and relations as well,
And the walls reecho fond greetings around
And nice things we've been saving to tell.

Our dinner is served, and each plate quickly heaped
With the best things that a wife can prepare.
Now voices are hushed and our heads slowly bow
While we pause for a moment of prayer.

As once did the Pilgrims on old Plymouth Rock,
We pilgrims of earth now thank Thee, God,
For all Thy goodness and blessings and love,
For abundance we reap from the sod.

Please grant us perception of beauty and worth.
Help us look at the things which we see,
That learning the value of life and its gifts
We'll be evermore grateful to Thee.

- James W. McLaughlin -

Sweet friends, enjoy this beautiful Thanksgiving season.
May we never forget the many, many blessings the Lord has so lovingly given to us.
I am thanking the Lord for YOU.
Love and tender hugs.

Roses of Inspiration #41

Welcome, my friends!
How I have missed hosting Roses of Inspiration
and I must say it's truly a joy to be back.
Can you believe it's been almost two months since the last link-up?!
Let me just say I am thrilled to have you here
and I am looking forward to seeing what you have to share.

You may have noticed the party is back to Tuesday. . .
Tuesdays work better for me.
Plus, there are already several delightful parties taking place on Mondays.
So from now on Roses of Inspiration will be live on Tuesday.
I hope that works for you, dear friends. . .

Now let's get this party started!

If you are new to the party than here are the basics. . .

{ 1 }

You can link up anything that your heart desires. . .
{please keep it family friendly}

crafting - recipes - encouragement

Scripture - devotionals - photography

healthy living - gardening - home living

sewing - crochet/knitting - fashion

beauty - tea time - home decor 
and even giveaways.

{ 2 }

You can link up as many posts as you want

and they can be posts that you have written today, last week, last month, or last year.

{ 3 }
There will be fun giveaways throughout the year.

I will simply add up the amount of people who participated in one of the link ups,
write the numbers down on paper and draw the number of the winner.
So if you link-up more than one post you will have a greater chance of winning.
These giveaways will be random
so you never know which link up I will choose for a giveaway.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Below is a button available for your sidebar
to let others know about Roses of Inspiration.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com" title="The Enchanting Rose"><img src="http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t377/peaches525/eca034cc-886a-4d9a-8e02-3a4f5bc60e74_zps45b994ad.jpg" alt="The Enchanting Rose" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Please take a few minutes to visit at least two blogs. . .
everyone loves a visit and comments.
I look forward to seeing what you share
and I will do my best to be around to visit throughout the week.
Have fun, sweet friends, and enjoy your day!

Also, have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
and cometh down from the father of lights.
- James 1:17 -

The Weekend, Roses of Inspiration, and My Etsy Shop

Good morning {almost afternoon}, my friends!

This post is going to have a lot of randomness so enjoy :)

First of all,

many of you emailed me and asked how the craft show went.

I am so thankful for your support and interest - it means SO MUCH to me.

The craft fair was absolutely wonderful

and I am thrilled with how my first one went.

I heard the show did not have as many vendors this year

and there were four other craft fairs taking place in neighboring towns 

so I was a little skeptical about doing well. . .

Well, thanks to the good Lord I sold quite a bit {{smiles}}

It was truly a joy to watch people look at the items I made 

and to listen to their feedback.

The journals, tote bags, aprons, fabric gift bags, tea bag holders, 

and tea cup coasters were the most popular items.

I had a great time and would love to do another craft show.

Here are a few photos from the weekend. . .

{ The story of Rose Petal Blessings }

Secondly,

my Etsy shop, Rose Petal Blessings,

is now open after being closed for a week and it's FULL of new merchandise

{ just in time for the holidays }.

Also, I have NEW LOW PRICES

and of course free shipping in the USA.

Here is just a little bit of what's in the shop. . .

And finally. . .

Roses of Inspiration will be back,

but I will not be starting the party on Monday afternoons.

I have decided to go back to Tuesday mornings.

Two of my dear blogging friends 

such as JES from Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth

and Julie from Julie's Lifestyle

have linky parties and theirs are on Monday.

Since mine originally started on Tuesday 

I thought I would simply go back to that day.

So. . .

the party will be live tomorrow morning and I hope to see you there.

I think that is all for now, dear friends.

I hope you have a blessed Monday

and hopefully I will "see" you tomorrow.

May you enjoy this beautiful Thanksgiving week.

MUCH LOVE!

I would love to have you stop by 

Rose Petal Blessings.

Praise and Thanks To God

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,

and into his courts with praise:

be thankful unto him,

and bless his name.

- Psalm 100:4 -

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing,

He chastens and hastens His will to make known;

The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,

Sing praises to His name, He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,

Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;

So from the beginning the fight we were winning,

Thou Lord, wast at our side: the glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,

And pray that Thou still our Defender wilt be.

Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;

Thy name be ever praised: O Lord, make us free!

- Dutch Hymn, Theodore Baker -

Come, ye thankful people come -

Raise the song of harvest home. . .

God, our Maker, doth provide

For our wants to be supplied.

All the world is God's own field,

Fruit unto His praise to yield.

- Henry Alford -

All praise and thanks to God the Father

now be given.

- Martin Rinkart -

Blessings and love to you on this beautiful Lord's Day.

Caramel Marshmallow Bars

Calling all chocolate lovers. . .

and peanut lovers. . .

marshmallow lovers too. . .

and oh yes, caramel lovers.

Maybe I should just say

calling all sweet treat lovers!

I definitely fit into that category :)

Have I got a tasty dessert for you and it's loaded with lots of sweet goodness.

Here is the recipe, my friends.

Crumb mixture:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts

Filling:

3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

1/2 cup salted peanuts

1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crumb mixture, in a small mixing bowl combine flour,

graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter and salt.

Beat at low speed, scraping the bowl often, until mixture is crumbly,

about 1 to 2 minutes. 

Stir in nuts .

Reserve 3/4 cup crumb mixture.

Press remaining mixture on the bottom of a greased and floured
9-inch square baking pan.
Bake 10 - 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

For filling, spread caramel topping evenly over hot crust.
Sprinkle nuts, marshmallows and chocolate chips over top.
Crumble 3/4 cup reserved crumb mixture over top.
Continue baking 10 - 12 minutes
or until marshmallows just start to brown.
Cool on a rack for about 30 minutes.
Cover and refrigerate 1 - 2 hours or until firm.
Cut into bars and enjoy.
Makes about 30 bars
{if you cut them small}.

Ooey, gooey, sweet goodness. . .it doesn't get much better than that :)

Have a beautiful weekend, sweet friends.
Sending love and hugs your way!

Linking up with:
Five Star Frou-Frou

Cooking and Crafting With J & J

Feathered Nest Floral

Good morning, lovelies!

I hope you are well on this fine and delightful day.

I wanted to thank you for the warm welcome back to blogging-

how you bless my heart, friends!

Today I am very excited to share a new and sweet Etsy shop with you.

Dear Martha is the owner of Feathered Nest Floral

and she specializes in floral design.

Martha started working with flowers at a young age

and her love for blossoms and blooms has only grown over time.

Now that she has a family of her own she is working from home 

and in doing so she is giving us the opportunity to bring her loveliness into our homes.

Martha may specialize in floral arrangements,

but she also offers other wonderful delights such as jewelry, home decor, and more.

This kind lady sent me a pair of earrings to try out and I am quite eager to show them to you.

First of all, the packaging was oh-so-lovely and feminine!

I had a hard time tearing into the package because it was wrapped so prettily.

The tissue paper, the gold doily, and the twine all made for a lovely presentation.

But alas, I cannot wear a gold doily on my ear now can I!

So without further ado, here are the beautiful earrings. . .

I have worn earrings since I was a young girl

and lately I have noticed they tend to bother my ears {age, maybe??}

With these little lovelies I have yet to have any issue with them.

They are comfortable and light in my ears 

and they do not make my little ol' ears hurt - yippee!

They are very well made and quite eye-catching.

Best of all, 

they match the pearl necklace that my husband gave me perfectly!

Beautiful quality and wonderful service from the Feathered Nest Floral.

Martha offers a lovely selection of delights at reasonable prices.

And right now she is offering a 15% off coupon.

Enter EARLYBIRD15 when you checkout for 15% off your order.

My heartfelt thanks to Martha for giving me the opportunity 

to try and review a pair of earrings - they will be enjoyed for many years.

Stop by and visit Martha at

Feathered Nest Floral.

Hugs and blessings to you, friends!

I'm Back, Sweet Friends!

A big happy hello to you, 

my friends!

My, how this last month flew by - I have so missed each one of you.

I hope you are well. . .

please know that I thought of so many of you during this last month.

I am truly looking forward to visiting your blogs this week

and spending some time catching up.

My dear friends, I honestly had not intended to stay away for a month,

but alas, life happens and life has been very busy {in a good way}.

I had hoped to simply be still while away from my blog

and in many ways I was able to enjoy some quiet time. . .

time of relaxation, reflection, and peace.

I was also busy in my craft room 

preparing for a craft fair that I am doing this coming Saturday.

Shortly before I took my blogging break

my dad asked if I would like to join him at a local craft fair.

I have never done one before, but it sounded like great fun so I said sure!

Well. . .I didn't have much handmade product on hand

so my days were spent making and preparing for the upcoming event.

It has been quite fun and enjoyable, but also slightly stressful {{smiles}}

The good news is. . .I am ready!

At least I think I am :)

I assembled my display the other night in my dining room for a trial run

and I thought I would show you how it looked.

I will also take pictures of the actual booth at the fair.

I will use three small Christmas trees to hold several handmade ornaments

and of course they will have twinkling lights wrapped around their branches.

I will also put up a "Pink" tree.

Vintage crates will be stacked one on top of another for added height

and the "old" look gives the table a warm and welcoming feeling.

And of course lace doilies will be added here and there :)

I used a baking sheet for my magnets

and slipped the sheet into a cookbook holder.

A shelf with wire drawers will be perfect for holding ornaments

and handmade stockings.

And I will be taking my lovely wire mannequin with me

as she has the honor of holding the many handmade bags :)

So. . . that is mostly what I have been up to :)

Tell me, sweet friends. . .

what have YOU been up to?

I sincerely mean it when I say that I missed each one of you!

I appreciate your understanding for my need to take a break from blogging

and for my need of quiet-

it means the world to me to have your support and love.

Thank you!

Roses of Inspiration will resume next Monday the 23rd.

I look forward to once again hosting the party

and having you be apart of it as each one of you is a beautiful inspiration.

It's good to be back

and I will find great joy in catching up with all of you.

Much love and sweet hugs to you!

Whispers In The Reading Room - Book Review

A cheery good day to you, friends!

I hope November is treating you well - 

we have been enjoying cold weather and SNOW! :)

I simply love it!

'Tis perfect weather for sitting by the fire 

while enjoying a good book and a cup of coffee.

I am popping in to share another book review.

I am greatly appreciative of all of your support while taking a break,

and I wanted to let you know that I will be back to blogging full time sometime next week.

I can't stay away any longer as I miss all of you!

Enjoy your weekend dear ones, and I will "see " you soon.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Lydia's job at the library is her world-

until a mysterious patron catches her eye. . .and perhaps her heart.

Just months after the closure of Chicago's World's Fair, librarian Lydia Bancroft

finds herself fascinated by a mysterious dark-haired and dark-eyed patron

He has never given her his name; 

he actually never speaks to a single person.

All she knows about him is that he loves books as much as she does.

Only when he rescues her in the lobby of the Hartman Hotel 

does she discover that his name is Sebastian Marks.

She also discovers that he lives at the top of the prestigious hotel

and that most everyone in Chicago is intrigued by him.

Lydia and Sebastian form a fragile friendship,

but when she discovers that Mr. Marks isn't merely a very wealthy gentleman,

but also the proprietor of an infamous saloon and gambling club, she is shocked.

Lydia insists on visiting the club one fateful night and suddenly is suspect to a murder.

She must determine who she can trust, who is innocent,

and if Sebastian Marks - the man so many people fear - 

is actually everything her heart believes him to be.

My Thoughts

Whispers in the Reading Room written by the talented Shelley Gray

is the third and final book in the Chicago World's Fair Mystery series.

You can easily read this book as a stand-alone 

as it does not really relate to the previous two books.

A few characters from the previous books were mentioned 

and it was a joy to "catch up" with them,

but there was nothing that made this book difficult to read 

due to being tied in with the other books.

You can read my reviews for the first and second book by clicking on the links:

Secrets of Sloane House - book 1

Deception on Sable Hill - book 2

I would have to say Whispers in the Reading Room

was my ultimate favorite out of the series.

It was truly a page-turner that had me reading late up into the night.

Indeed, there is a murder in this book, {and no, it is not gory and nasty},

and from the moment I found out who had been killed 

I was continually trying to figure out who did it.

I even pinned it on one of the main characters 

thinking surely he was the one who committed the crime.

I loved the fact that I wasn't completely sure about who would do such a thing

and I was surprised at the end when the individual was revealed.

That is what I like in a mystery book, my friends, I like to be surprised and shocked.

Well done, Shelley Gray!

Now, onto the characters. . .

Lydia Bancroft was truly a delight.

Saying she loves to read would be an understatement, but yes, she loves to read 

and it's a joy for her to bury her head in books - ah, my kind of lady!

She has a tender heart and she pours her adoration and love into her mother

who, unfortunately, is very ungrateful and dare I say it, selfish.

Lydia's father passed away some time ago

and he left her and her mother in a dire financial situation

so Lydia does all that she can to earn money at the reading room 

in order to provide for her mother.

Then, along comes the mysterious Sebastian Marks. . . 

Oh, I just loved Sebastian!

His character was different from the "typical" male characters

and I was instantly won over by his mysterious personality.

He has lived quite the life, a hard life, and had a difficult childhood,

but through it all he pushed himself to better his circumstances.

When he meets Lydia a part of his heart begins to thaw

and his senses are awakened to sincere kindness and love.

He begins to realize that maybe there is more to life than simply having 

never ending funds, a head full of knowledge, and a position of authority where men fear him.

As his heart softens he also begins to remember the words from Scripture

that he read in the past and as he remembers these words

he begins to think upon the great God and all that He has done for him.

A beautiful story that captivated me from the beginning,

and as I look back on the lives of Lydia and Sebastian

I am aware of how I, WE, can touch a life with gentleness and compassion.

May we always keep in mind that God can use us in a mighty way

in the lives of the broken-hearted.

** I was given a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers

for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and no other compensation was received. **

About the Author

Shelley Gray is the author of The Heart of a Hero series.
Her Amish novel (written as Shelley Shepard Gray), The Protector,
recently made the New York Times best seller list.
A native of Texas, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Colorado
and taught school for ten years.
She and her husband have two children and live in Southern Ohio.
Visit her website at www. shelleyshepardgray.com