Essential Valentine...

On Valentine’s Day we think about

Those matchless people who

Give extra meaning to our lives

--The very special few.

Without them, skies would turn to gray;

Things wouldn’t be the same;

Life wouldn’t be as colorful;

It would be a duller game.

And when I contemplate that group

--Friends and family who are mine,

I appreciate and treasure you;

You’re essential, Valentine!
By Joanna Fuchs

~Much love to you all, for Valentines!

Rhonda :)

Linking post to

Laurie's Valentine Party, at Bargain Hunting with Laurie

and

Foodie Friday, at Designs by Gollum.

Dreamin' of Spring...

Unseasonably cold & dreary Winter

~~~

Visions from a Spring past

Need I say more....

Photos were taken at my home in 2008, and were featured in the first few posts of my Blog.

Linking post up to...

Blue Monday, at Smiling Sally's

~~~
A Second Time Around, at A picture is worth a thousand Words

{Green Boopie Glasses & Candlewick Pieces}

~~~

Tabletop Tuesday, at Grits and Glamour

Co-hosted by Southern Whimsy Today

~~~

Outdoor Wednesday, at A Southern Daydreamer

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Hope the sun is shining in your little part of the world! ~Rhonda :)

Sharing the "Valentine Love"

Thanks to Deb, at Garage Sale Gal,

I was able to create this super cute Valentine Vignette! I won her Valentine Vintage Giveaway!

....and I was thrilled!!!

Deb is such a sweet lady,

and I feel she is a kindred spirit, through our love for second-hand treasures!

Her comments always leave you with a smile, and encouraged!

If you don't know her, go over and meet her {HERE}.

~~~
Everything came in the sweet little box below.

....filled with precious vintage Valentines,

{David got a kick out of these!}

...a sweet little felt heart,

beautiful, dainty hankerchief embellished with a needlework heart,

and a vintage silver key,

...a vintage playing card,

that I tucked in a milkglass piece I found at a thrift store a couple of weeks ago.

...and a little pink and white hand-crocheted doily,

which reminded me of my Grandma M.

She made dresser scarves and doilies similar to this one.

There were many daughters and grandaughters in our family that wanted one of her beautiful creations, that I unfortunately didn't receive one passed down. But this one makes me think of her! :)

A couple of the Valentines were placed in stands...

The back Valentine is actually a vintage postcard.

And last, but not least,

Deb sent some chocolates, which didn't make it in the photos! :)

They were eaten before a picture could be snapped and were delicious!

And also,

she sent the flower magnet below.

Ashley placed it on the refrigerator, glamming it up, "and making it a girl!" {her words} LOL!

Thank you, Deb, for everything! :)
On another note,

Darlene, at Darlene's Days, created the cutest Valentine Mailboxes for Lexi and her dad.

Each day, Darlene fills them with some sort of Valentine treats!

I thought this was a really cute idea, and wanted to do some for David and Ashley.

I couldn't get out to find the cute mailboxes or containers.

But, I did have tons of empty pastry boxes.

Mine isn't nearly as cute as Darlene's, but it works. :)

I decorated the boxes in less than 30 minutes with letters and shapes cut with from my cricut machine. The treats look a little lost in the boxes, but the kids love the gesture!

A definite way to share a little "Valentine Love."

Ashley is on a ski trip with her church youth group in West Virginia. She wanted me to make sure her box was filled even though she wasn't here!

Please pray for their group of 80!

I was a nervous wreck yesterday, as they traveled through the terrible mid-atlantic snow storm. The van she was in, made it as far as Virginia, and spun out in the road, leaving them stranded for awhile. They are due back Sunday evening. Please pray that they will be able to come home and will have safe travels.

...And for a nervous Mama, she could use a prayer or two, also! ;)

When Your Hut's On Fire...

A friend sent this to me, and I wanted to share it.

It encouraged me,

hope to pass that encouragement along...

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, 'God! How could you do this to me?'

Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! 'How did you know I was here?' asked the weary man of his rescuers. 'We saw your smoke signal,' they replied.

The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

P.S. You may want to consider passing this on, because you never know who feels as if their hut is on fire today.

~Rhonda :)

"Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand."

Psalm 37:24