H & K Banner

Here are the directions for the Heart & Keeper banner I made for the retreat. I made each flag with a piece of our girls quilt material! I am really into repurposing which I sometimes think is harder than going out and buying exactly what I need, but all of us want to be good stewards and this is a better way of using up what we already have.

I cut a stencil for my flag out of cardstock for a guide. With pinking shears I cut my back flag out of cream colored material I had in my "Textile Collection" to my desired size. (above picture) Pinking shears finish off the edges keeping them from raveling so you don't have to turn the edges under, it just cuts out a few steps.

Then I cut the inner flag 1/2" to 1 " smaller than the outer flag out of pieces of our girls quilts!

I pinned the two flags together, right sides facing up, sewing near the edge of the girls quilted material.

Next I opened up a wide blanket binding, placed the flags into the inner side of the binding leaving a 1/2 inch between them, once they were all sewed down I folded the upper edge of the blanket binding down and sewed through all the layers. I put ribbon on the ends to make it easy to tie your banner up and embellished each flag with a cute-as-can- be button!

finished project!

Personalized Pillows

Some of you requested the directions for the pillows I made for the retreat. I used "Printed Treasures" by Dritz (can be bought at JoAnn's) A package of 5 sheets cost $18.99. You pick a picture you want, put one of the sheets in your printer and print your picture, peel the backing off and sew it onto your pillow. This method you don't use an iron at all.

"Unwrapping Love..." Fall Retreat 2011

The Heart & Keeper of the Home Fall Retreat - at
Rancho Palmas Country Club
in Rancho Mirage

"Now unto Him who is able..."
Eph 3:20

"Unwrapping Love..."

Focusing on love in the common things,
our emptying nests, and with our husbands.

"It is the beginning of list season. Lists of holiday menus, lists of handmade projects, lists of must-buy gifts. Could I begin another list, a list of thins I love? Across the backside of a scrape of paper I begin. Not of gifts I want but gifts I already have. Sometimes you don't know when you're taking the first step through a door until you're already inside...that is the beginning and I smile. I can't beleive how I smile. I mean, they are just common things and maybe I don't even know they are gifts really until I write them down...Gifts He bestows. This writing it down - it is sort of like...unwrapping love." by Ann Voskamp from her book "One Thousand Gifts"


Workshop with Ruth -
Homemade Raspberry Preserves


With a devotion from Duet. 6:4-9



Bon Appetit!








Janie, always a good student!!
And actually Janie gets an A++

I asked Janie to make a menu and put together breakfast for us and away she went!!! She made the most adorable cookies that looked like acorns, and her dishes had acorns on them and after a close look my invites for the retreat even they had acorns on it! Well from small acorn grows a big oak trees with long solid roots and acorns represent longevity, we decided that described our group perfectly!





Don't leave Lyn alone in the kitchen by herself!

























Did I say Lyn, I meant Chrissy!

(She assures me she has not caught anything on fire in the kitchen in a long time!)















T.J. and Ruth working side by side. (they look like they are having fun!!)












Thank you Ruth.

Your Raspberry Preserves are the best!

You made it look very easy!!











An acorn ornament I picked up to represent our weekend together!! Well we officially decided our charm to represent this retreat would be an acorn. I had fruitlessly looked for charms before our weekend together and couldn't come up with anything, and like Lyn said, "Sometimes you just have too discover it together!"

Build Our Youth

"We cannot always build the future for our youth,
but we can build our youth for the future."
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Ahhhh, such WONDERFUL girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Give Thanks!

"It's relatively easy to give thanks after the answer has come. But how much better for your health, your faith, your witness, if you'll take up the tambourine in faith before you see the Red Sea part--and watch the worm of anxiety drown in the waters of praise!" by Jon Courson (per Sharon Schutte)

"Welcome Home"

-A yellow rose symbolizes friendship, happiness, and warmth-

This week my "Heart & Keeper of the Home" mentor group planted a rose bush in honor of my Mom. We have done this for a couple of years now in our group. After the passing of someone dear to us instead of sending perhaps 12 bouquets of flowers, that would soon be gone, we decided to plant a rose bush from all of us, something that would last. On one such occasion I was searching the rows and rows of rose bushes at my favorite nursery in town, a little overwhelmed with the choices when I came across this beautiful yellow rose named "Welcome Home", I knew I had found just the one for our group gift, as we are comforted knowing our loved ones are welcomed into Heaven, their eternal home - healed, whole, and complete! Now with the passing of my Mom this last June a rose bush was being picked out for me...
I was reading up on this particular rose after my dear friends planted it and read, "it is a rose that radiates warmth like a light in a window." I loved that. It reminded me of each girlfriend surrounding me in the picture, each one of them have brought me warmth from their love and support and have been light in the dark days of my grieving.

I picked this spot in the yard for them to plant the rose bush, because when I sit in the living room to read my bible and do my devotions this is what I look out on. Thank you!

"You are the light of the world.
A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket,
but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine..."
Matthew 5:14-16

Storm Warning

Never make a permanent decision in a temporary storm.
No matter how the storm may rage today remind
yourself that this too shall pass.

"Be still, and know that I am God."
Psalm 46:10

Watch For His Leading

Waiting is

much more
difficult than walking.
Waiting requires patience,

and patience is a rare virtue...
But God has a purpose in all His "holdups".

Watch for His leading!

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord." Psalm 37:23




from Streams in The Desert

Set The World On Fire

"We have shared together
the blessings of God."
Philippians 1:7



This is one of my favorite pictures of our girls,
taken at Heritage House in Riverside.
What a day it was getting us all together. Some of the aprons we're ones we'd sewn in our group, a few were borrowed or part of our collections, others were treasures passed down from one generation to the next.
All have a story to tell for sure!

As our girls are setting their world's on fire for the Lord in their places of work or school, homes, dorms or apartments - all are in places of ministry.
As I think of our girls and you I am listening to Britt Nicole's "Say It" cd.
The song I return to over and over again is "Set The World On Fire". So often I'm certain He is calling me to big and bold things (and sometimes that is the case) yet lately the Lord seems to be bringing me back again and again to do the small and simple where it quietly gets done, and I am content with that when I remember that that is where He has lead me.

from the song -

"I, I am small but
You, You are big enough
I, I am weak but
You, You are strong enough to
take my dreams
come and give them wings
Lord, with You
there's nothing I cannot do."

What's He calling you to today?

What A Crisis Reveals

"Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?"
Matthew 8:26

"When we are in fear we can do nothing less than pray to God, but the Lord has a right to expect that those who come in His Name should have an understanding confidence in Him. God expects His children to be so confident in Him that in any crisis they are the reliable ones. Our trust is in God up to a certain point, then we go back to the elementary panic prayers of those who do not know God. We get to our wits' end, showing that we have not the slightest confidence in Him or His government of the world; He seems to be asleep, and we see nothing but breakers ahead.

"O ye of little faith!" What a pang must have shot through the disciples - "Missed it again!" And what a pang will go through us when we suddenly realize that we would produce downright joy in the heart of Jesus by remaining absolutely confident in Him, no matter what was ahead.

There are stages in life when there is no storm, no crisis, when we do our human best; it is when the crisis arises that we instantly reveal upon whom we rely. If we have been learning to worship God and to trust in Him, the crisis will reveal that we will go to the breaking point and not break in our confidence in Him..."

My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers (August 12 reading)

He is a place of refuge. He can be trusted and relied on. Praying He strengthens you to be the reliable one to your family and friends.

Parting Song of Hope & Comfort

The Heart & Keeper Group visited Montana and were the guests of the Burnt Fork Ranch two years ago this coming fall. Not far from our bunkhouse was this sign that we followed to a most charming chapel in the woods. A place that would become our favorite as we sought the Lord and spent much quiet time there. It became such a place of refuge and comfort as He always desires to meet with us whenever we seek Him.

I did say charming!

A peaceful place we all eagerly journeyed to,
as we could sit at His feet and drink in His promises.

Above the foyer was a wonderful church bell,
we did not ring it until our last visit to the chapel the day we flew home.

Each one of us pulled on the rope that hung down from the bell tower as we exited,
letting its ring be our parting song.

The Lord had surely filled our cups to overflowing.
Notice the lettering on the bottom of our shoes -
MOMtana
as this trip was affectionately dubbed!

More Beach Days Ahead

Summer Retreat at Newport Beach in 2010

"O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions-
this great and wide sea,
in which are innumerable teeming things,
living things both small and great."
Psalm 104:24-25

The Heart & Keeper of The Home
"The Silver Suitcase Society"
August 20, 2011
Linda & Kari are hosting down at their place in Newport Beach!
Kari is preparing a Home Interior Presentation!!
More details to come!!!

___________________________________________________________________

Keep your swimsuit in shipshape year to year with these simple tips:

1. If you've been in the pool or ocean, soak your swimsuit in cold water for 15 minutes before washing it in the gentle cycle or by hand.
2. Never put your suit in the dryer. Instead, roll it in a towel to soak up the excess water-wringing it out can stretch and pull-then, let air dry in the sun.
3. Before storing away after the summer, throw your suits in the washer one final time to remove any chlorine or salt water that might be lingering.

From author Linda Cobb.

T-shirt Dress at the Bradley's!

Getting together in July for
The Heart & Keeper of the Home "Silver Suitcase Society"
was a delightful gathering at Lyn and Amber's home!

Sweet and precious Mom's and daughters.

Katy and Kari

Kayla, Amber, Chelsea, and Melony

Linda, Lyn, and T.J. (What's that in Lyn's hand?)

Christy, Teresa, Myself and Chrissy

Chrissy and Ruth

Katy and Amber with my sister Harriet and my twin sister Lorna.
It was a delight to have them join us!

Yummmm. Strawberry Shortcake!

T.J. and Chelsea

Ruth and Katie

Melony, Kari, Amber, Katy, Chelsea, and Katie.
Katy's in her finished dress, more pic's to come of finished dresses!