Buttons And Hearts

You 

make my heart

smile.

A very happy day to you,

lovely friends and followers.

I trust your week is going well.

Today I have a fun little project

that is oh-so-easy to make.

It's the perfect thing to make

while sitting by the warm fire

and drinking hot tea. . .

and maybe snacking on a cookie or two

{{smiles}}

These charming hearts have been cut out

of pretty paper and glued onto striped paper straws.

A simple but fun project for Valentine's Day.

Here is what you need 

to make your own heart bouquet:

card stock

heart punch

paper straws

tulle or ribbon

stamps

ink

embellishments

hot glue gun and glue

Hot glue two hearts together

so that you have a nice front and back.

On the backside

apply a dab of glue and place the straw on it.

Tie some tulle or ribbon

at the base of the heart.

I made paper banners out of card stock

and stamped words on them,

such as:

love

true

hugs

kiss

and wrapped them around the straw.

I used hot glue to hold them on.

Then, I added an embellishment.

Easy peasy,

right?

And oh-so-cute!

I tucked my hearts

into a jar of buttons 

that I had in my craft room.

I also tied some tulle around the jar

and added a pretty little gem to the center.

I placed my bouquet of hearts and buttons

on my tea cart in the dining room.

To finish off the look,

I added three gold frames to the tea cart.

I found the frames at Hobby Lobby.

Good ol' Hobby Lobby, right?

I used some sparkly card stock

along with wooden hearts

to create a sweet Valentine's Day look.

I like the look of the frames so much

that I might make different backgrounds

for each season and holiday.

All I have to do is switch out the card stock

and then I can leave them on my tea cart year-around.

Last week I hosted a small giveaway for the book 

Stories Behind The Great Traditions Of Christmas.

The lovely winner of the book is. . . 

Kathy from Looking At Life Through My Bifocals.

Thanks to all of you sweet ladies

for entering the giveaway.

I wish I could send a copy to each one of you.

Have a most beautiful day!

{{{hugs}}}

A Sweet Little LOVE Banner

A hundred hearts would be too few

to carry all my love for you.

- - Unknown - -

Happy day to you, my wonderful friends!
I want to thank all of you
for leaving such sweet comments on my last post.
I truly appreciate your love and support
as I slow down on my blog.
I look forward to "seeing" you each week.

Today I want to show you
a delightful little "LOVE" banner
that is made with sparkly paper
and plenty of "bling bling."
You can't go wrong with sparkles, right?

If it's pink or sparkly
YES.
I want it!

Here is what you will need 

to make your own banner.

{2} sparkly 12 x 12 pieces of card stock

{2} heart 12 x 12 pieces of card stock

tulle

glitter letter stickers

gemstones

buttons

hole punch

hot glue gun and glue

Cut 4 pieces that measure

6 x 8 from the sparkly paper.

Cut 4 pieces that measure

4 x 6 from the heart paper.

Place the heart paper 

onto the center of the sparkly paper

using hot glue.

Apply the glitter letters

to the center of each heart paper.

Add some gems

to each piece.

Punch out holes in the corner of each paper

and slide the tulle through the holes.

Then add the buttons in between each piece.

I simply hot glued the buttons on 

and added a small piece of felt to the back side.

I used this elaborate button

for the center of my banner.

And volia!

You now have a beautiful banner

to hang in your home for Valentine's Day.

Everything I used to make this banner

was found at Hobby Lobby,

including the buttons.

Loved you yesterday,

love you still,

always have,

always will.

- - Unknown - -

- - LOVE - -

Love you

Only you

Very, very much

Every day, more and more.

I have my banner

hanging in my dining room.

Someone wanted to be in the picture. . .

can you find Burrito the cat?

{{smiles}}

And before I wrap up this post,
I wanted to share a charming little book with you.
Now I know it's a Christmas book,
but it's one I think you will enjoy reading any time of the year.
Or you can get it now
and save it to enjoy during the next Christmas season.

Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas 
brings you the fascinating stories and origins
behind Christmas traditions such as the colors of red and green,
the Christmas tree, caroling, nativity scenes, the Yule log,
gift-giving, stockings, advent wreaths, mistletoe, and holly.

The traditions of Christmas lend beauty,
awe, and hope to the holiday,
causing people all over the world to anticipate it with joy.
The stories in this book will warm your heart a
s you rediscover the true and eternal significance of Christmas.

Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas
by Ace Collins is truly a fantastic and remarkable book.
The introductory alone held my complete attention
and left me shaking my head in awe
at how little I really knew about Christmas.

"Before we brood and protest too much over the ruin 
of what we think Christmas must have been like
in generations long past,
we might actually feel encouraged 
about the season we celebrate today
when we consider what Christmas was really like 
in the days of old."
- - Ace Collins - -

This book may be small in size,
but it's quite large and rich in detail and history.
Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas
will offer some wonderful and insightful information.
I can honestly say that I was utterly captivated
by the history of Christmas
and the traditions that have formed over the years.
I highly recommend this book
as I believe it's one that will encourage and inspire the reader.

** I was given a complimentary copy of this book 

from BookLook Bloggers for an honest review. 

All thoughts and opinions are my own 

and no other compensation was received. **

Because I found this book to be so delightful,
I am giving a copy away.
To enter the giveaway,
please let me know in the comment section
that you would like your name entered.
I will announce the winner
next Wednesday, January 30th.
This giveaway is open to all USA and Canadian residents.

Hugs to you, sweet friends!

New Year...New Hopes...New Dreams

To accomplish great things,

we must not only act,

but also dream;

not only plan,

but also believe.

- - Anatole France - -

A very HAPPY NEW YEAR

to you, sweet friends!

I may be 2 weeks late 

in wishing you a happy new year,

but please know that I hope 2019 is extra special

for you and your loved ones.

I hope this year is filled with a million moments

that contain joy, love, hope, and peace.

I pray that this year is truly extraordinary!

And now we welcome the new year.

Full of things that have never been.

- - Rainer Maria Rilke - -

Another year is dawning: 

Dear Father, let it be, 

In working or in waiting, 

Another year with Thee; 

Another year of progress,

Another year of praise, 

Another year of proving 

Thy presence all the days. 

Another year of mercies, 

Of faithfulness and grace; 

Another year of gladness 

In the shining of Thy face; 

Another year of leaning 

Upon Thy loving breast; 

Another year of trusting, 

Of quiet, happy rest. 

Another year of service, 

Of witness for Thy love; 

Another year of training 

For holier work above. 

Another year is dawning; 

Dear Father, let it be, 

On earth or else in heaven, 

Another year for Thee.

- - Frances R. Havergal - -

'Tis a new year, my friends.

It's a year for new hopes, 

new dreams, new aspirations.

It's a year for being adventurous,

seeing new places, trying new things.

It's a year for deepening our spiritual lives 

and growing closer to the Lord.

I asked the New Year

for some motto sweet,

some rule of life

by which to guide my feet.

I asked and paused;

it answered soft and low,

"God's will to know."

- - Unknown - -

With this new year comes some changes. . .

My sweet and lovely friends,

I feel the need to slow down on my blog

and have decided to post only once a week.

I will do my very best to share beautiful creations,

delicious treats, encouraging words, and all-around loveliness

on a weekly basis.

I am also stepping away from my online shop.

I don't know for how long,

but for now I simply want to create 

and make treasures at my leisure.

Often I get too wrapped up in trying to keep my shop fully stocked

that I forget to enjoy making something just because I feel like it.

You are never too old

to set another goal

or to dream a new dream.

- - C. S. Lewis - -

I have dreams. . .

my husband and I have dreams. . .

and maybe this is the year 

that some of those dreams will come true.

{{smiles}}

I am truly hopeful that this year will be extra special

filled with an abundance of blessings.

I hope the same for you, sweet friends.

Every day take the chance
to do something new.
It won't cost much more
than the courage it takes to do it.
- - Unknown - -

It's good to be back, my friends,
and I look forward to catching up with each one of you.
I hope you have a most beautiful day
and I will "see" you next week.

Love and hugs!

A Bound Heart - Book Review

Though Magnus MacLeish and Lark MacDougall 

grew up on the same castle grounds, 

Magnus is now laird of the great house and the Isle of Kerrera. 

Lark is but the keeper of his bees 

and the woman he is hoping will provide a tincture 

that might help his ailing wife conceive and bear him an heir. 

But when his wife dies suddenly, 

Magnus and Lark find themselves caught up 

in a whirlwind of accusations, 

expelled from their beloved island, 

and sold as indentured servants across the Atlantic. 

Yet even when all hope seems dashed 

against the rocky coastline of the Virginia colony, 

it may be that in this New World 

the two of them could make a new beginning together.

My Thoughts

Laura Frantz never disappoints

and her latest book A Bound Heart

is truly a winner.

Laura has an eye for detail

and that attention flows through to her writing.

When I began reading this heartwarming tale,

the words were like artwork. . .

they were a feast for the eyes

that brought beautiful images to the mind.

With the lyrical Scottish words

and the talent of Laura's writing

well, you're bound to be captivated by this book.

A Bound Heart will take you 

on an epic and unforgettable journey.

Lark and Magnus face many hardships,

but love, hope, faith, and grace will prevail.

One of my favorites things was the delightful quotes 

at the beginning of each chapter.

Here are just a few to give you a taste

of A Bound Heart.

A gaudy dress and gentle air

may slightly touch the heart,

but 'tis innocence and modesty

that polishes the dart.

- - Robert Burns - -

I find as I grow older

that I love those most

whom I loved first.

- - Thomas Jefferson - -

The true measure of a man

is how he treats someone

who can do him absolutely no good.

- - Samuel Johnson - -

I highly recommend this book

especially if you enjoy and appreciate historical fiction.

Laura Frantz is an extraordinary storyteller

and you will not be disappointed if you add

A Bound Heart to your library.

** I was given a free copy of this book from Revell Publishers for an honest review.
All thoughts are my own. No other compensation was received. 
Thank you Revell! **

About the Author

Laura Frantz is a Christy Award finalist 

and the ECPA bestselling author of several books, 

including The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, 

The Colonel's Lady, The Mistress of Tall Acre, A Moonbow Night, 

and The Ballantyne Legacy series. 

She lives and writes in a log cabin in the heart of Kentucky. 

Learn more at www.laurafrantz.net.

Code Of Valor - Book Review

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My dear friends,

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas Season

and I trust your New Year is off to a beautiful start.

I am still on my blogging break,

but I have a few book reviews to share with you

in the next week.

I look forward to returning to my blog

and hearing about your holiday festivities.

Until then,

know that you are thought of!

Love and hugs!

Book Review

What Detective Brady St. John really needs 

is a relaxing vacation. 

Unfortunately, just as the sun is setting 

on his second day at a friend's cabin on Lake Henley, 

he hears a scream and races to rescue a woman from her would-be killer. 

When the killer escapes only to return to finish the job, 

Brady vows to utilize all of his many resources to keep her safe 

and catch those who would see her dead.

Financial crimes investigator Emily Chastain

doesn't trust many people.

And even though she's trying to cooperate

with the detective who saved her life,

there are some things she doesn't know-

and some things you just don't share with a stranger.

Little does she suspect that what she doesn't know

just might get them both killed.

My Thoughts

Woooeee, Lynette Eason does not hold back

in Code of Valor.

This book is a real page-turner

and when I say page-turner, I mean it.

From the very first line in the book

to the last word of the story,

the reader will be spellbound by Code of Valor.

Lynette Eason has been one of my favorite authors

for many years and the story of Brady and Emily

is just another reason to admire her work.

This book is packed with all of the good stuff. . .

suspense

mystery

intrigue

action

forgiveness

compassion

hope

second chances

love.

Emily is quite the lady.

She is someone who allowed the Lord to pull her up 

from the deepest, darkest pit and live a life full of hope.

As I read further into the book

I couldn't help but admire her tenacity and outlook on life.

She's a gem and if you read this book

I think you'll enjoy her unique character.

Brady is a true gentleman with honorable intentions 

and a desire to protect those he cares about.

What can I say. . .

the reader will like him immediately.

While Code of Valor is the book three in the Blue Justice series,

it could be read as a stand alone.

If you would like to get to know the St. John family

than start from book one because this series is about them.

But if you just can't wait and want an amazing book to read now

than start with Code of Valor.

You'll not be disappointed with Lynette Eason

and her skill for writing a phenomenal story.

Also, I would personally recommend this book 

for an older audience such as 18-years and older.

** I was given a free copy of this book from Revell Publishers for an honest review.

All thoughts are my own. No other compensation was received. 

Thank you Revell! **

About the Author

Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of the Women of Justice series, 

the Deadly Reunions series, and the Hidden Identity series, 

as well as Always Watching, Without Warning, Moving Target, 

and Chasing Secrets in the Elite Guardians series. 

She is the winner of two ACFW Carol Awards, 

the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Readers' Choice Award. 

She has a master's degree in education from Converse College 

and lives in South Carolina. 

Learn more at www.lynetteeason.com.