A Joyful Noise

Happy Friday! Enjoy your day!! Search for some butterflies this weekend!!
May you be blessed or be a blessing.

Do you know I have always loved visiting some of the Beautiful Blogs that have music playing in the background.




This first piece is call Butterfly Waltz! How perfect is that?!

 It's as if you have entered an enchanted space.

 (source)

                                                                     

 Cielo's House in the Roses ( Now called Little White Cottage in the Woods ) that you can find HERE, use to have an entrancing playlist playing and while you were looking at all her beautiful images and reading about her adventures you were being serenaded. Like being in the "Secret Garden".

                          (source)

 I have always loved it so much, I found myself leaving the tab open and the music playing, while I finished my work up on the computer. What a wonderful way to work! So, this is my little tribute to the magic that music is and the gift of Joy it gives us, as it lifts our spirits and soothes our souls .                                                                                       (source)

                                              (source)


 I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
~Theresa.




Sharing with: Beverly@Pink Saturdays Natasha@
Say G'Day Saturday Courtney@Feathered Nest Friday
Marty@A Stroll Through Life's Inspire Me Tuesday Katherine@
Thursday's Favorite Thing

Garbage To Gorgeous for FREE!!

Goodness, where do I start? Well, First of all, Let me wish you all, albeit late, A Happy Easter!...Happy Mother's Day!...Hopes that you had a good and safe Memorial Day weekend! Yes, I know, I have been away for a little bit, but that didn't stop me from creating, cooking DIY'ing (probably not a real word, huh?) Either way, I am back at it again and sincerely hope that you have hung in there with me!  Ok, let's get to it!

Did you see the title? Garbage to Gorgeous for FREE? That's a wonderful fact of this wonderful little treasure that has now become part of my home. 

Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, depends how you look at it, this beautiful little dresser was found on my very own street side next to the garbage cans, ON garbage pick up morning! I know, I couldn't believe it either!! In all fairness, it looked nothing like this. So, let me show you how it got this way, after I snuck down in my robe and saved from the garbage truck!

What I originally found was this!

I know!! Completely different right? All the same solid wood, tattered, stabbed many times (I think they used the top of the poor little thing as a butcher's block) and to top it off some kids had gone to town on it with their large marker pens! 

Still, what a cute little dresser.

What I usually find at the GW or other thrift store is in good enough shape that chalk paint will cover any imperfections. Not this little one. So, I got out my sandpaper and went to town on the really bad parts and cleaned up the rest.

Finally, I was ready to paint!! I was so excited to get to this point I can't even tell you.  I have done alot of work with Behr's version of AS Chalk Paint. This time, I was thinking I really wanted this piece to have that authentically antique feel and look. So, I added a little leftover "peanut butter paint" I had on hand, to tint the white into an older creamier white. I was very pleased with the results. If you are trying this, yourself, I used approximately 1 tablespoon of the colored paint to 8 ounces of chalk paint. 

The drawers out, I began! Side note here:  You are going to notice a little variation in the colors on these images. It's all the same, just the difference of day or night, when the photo was taken. I, rarely, like to use the flash for the images I share with you.

With the drawers and the front done, I slid them back in for convenience. (And to see how it was coming along)  Progress + Incentive is a wonderful thing and quickly turns into a motivator to keep on going!!  

   

Once the painting was done, it was time to get my finer grade of sandpaper and start "distressing" the dresser, being mindful of where normal where and tear would occur, I lightly sanded the corners and heavily used spots. Because this wood was so blonde, after sanding the stain and varnish off, I decided to rub in some wonderful Old English Dark wood oil, for a more authentically aged piece. I took a picture of it here, with just the top drawer done, so you could really see the difference.

By this point, I couldn't wait to see it all done, so I worked on it for another hour or so and ended up with this beautiful little treasure!! I'm so happy with the way it turned out! What do you think? 

Do you look on the curbs for treasures to make over? I highly recommend it. It is the ultimate in recycling! Plus, no need to spend money, if someone else is, literally, throwing it away!  I hope you enjoyed my project as much as I did!! Many more to come. 

Thanks so much for coming along my journey with me today! Many Blessings to you and yours!

~Theresa 

I'll be sharing this fun little find with:

Jen @ Tatertots and Jello  Lorie@Be Different..Act Normal Courtney@French Country Cottage Natasha in Oz@Say G'Day Saturday Wendy@ Frugal Friday's Shabby Nest

Cindy@My Romantic Home Jody and Stan@Rooted in Thyme Shauna@The Weekend re-Treat Alison@Nancherrow's Fridays Unfolded  Kathy@Life on Lakeshore Drive  Create with Joy's Friendship Friday   Theresa@Dear Creatives    Kerryanne@Shabbilicious Friday  Angie@ Knick of Time  Nici@ Posed Perfection Create With Joy's  Inspire me Monday Anita @Cedar Hill Farmhouse's THE Scoop Wanda Ann & Joy@ Treasure Box Tuesday   Marty @A Stroll Through Life  Sandy@ Cherished Handmade Treasures' Creative Corner Hop  Katherine's Corner's "Thursday Favorite Things"   Shanice@City of Creative Dreams
Beverly@How Sweet the Sound  Vanessa@Nifty Thrifty Sundays Susan@BNOTP's Metamorphosis Monday    Stringtown Home's Sisterhood

On My Path~Welcoming Spring Once Again

For almost two years now, I have been Blessed in being able to welcome Spring by sharing with you my rose garden, as it comes to life. 

This year is no exception. I don't believe I will ever get bored or cease to be amazed of the beauty Our Lord creates for us. 

What a gorgeous feast for our eyes.  This year's offerings came a little later than usual and I am aware that many of you are not yet seeing your Spring flowers.

So, it is my hope that you will enjoy the ones I have to share with you, here, until yours arrive.

                                                 (Having some fun with photo editing)

This beautiful Jasmine permeates the air on one entire side of my house. 

Wishing you all a relief from the cold weather and many beautiful days to enjoy. Many Blessings, as always!
~Theresa

Sharing this post with:
Katherine's Corner's Thursday Favorite Things
Rooted in Thyme's Simple and Sweet Fridays 
Posed Perfection's All Things Thursday Blog Hop 
Imparting Grace's Grace At Home 
Create With Joy's Friendship Friday 
French Country Cottage's Feathered Nest Friday 
Romantic Home's Show and Tell Friday 
Delightsome Life's Home and Garden Thursday 
Natasha In Oz Say G'Day Saturday 
How Sweet the Sound's Pink Saturday 
The Sunday Showcase By Stephanie Lynn

The Hundredfold Gift & Courtney's Senior Project

Good afternoon, Friends!  I'm so glad you are here! If you are new to my Blog, Welcome! If you have hung in there with me for awhile, Many thanks!

I'm not sharing a "project" with you today 
per se.   At least, not one you can physically recreate.  Curious?

My Pastor recently gave a wonderful Sunday teaching, as he usually does.  But, what came out of this particular Sunday, really hit home with me.  He started out by asking if there was anyone with less than $10 on them,that was willing to give him one of their dollar bills. He made a point of saying that we "wouldn't be getting it back." I love my church and knew what I had in my purse fell into that category, so I held up a dollar for him. He asked me if I could bring it up to him, which I was happy to do.  He posed this question, "How much are we willing to turn over to God?"... (The dollar was symbolic, of course) He, then, did something I hadn't seen coming... He ripped off a portion of the dollar bill he believed most people were comfortable giving away.... which, I would guess, was roughly a fifth.  He went on to remind us that Bible says, in Matthew, that what we give to the Lord, in His name, we will get back a hundredfold. Then, to my complete shock and disbelief, he pulled a brand new $100 bill from his pocket and told me to come back up and take it!....

Is your jaw dropping??? Because mine was. I didn't quite know what to do. It was not my money. It didn't feel right to take it. People around me were clapping and I was waved up to come and get this $100. I told my Pastor to keep it for the church, but he smiled, that all too wonderful smile, that I have grown so accustomed to, and said,"No, that's yours".  

Okay, so you know how some comedians say, "I told you that story, so I could tell you this?" Well, that was true here.  I needed to tell you that story, so I could tell you the best part of this, God's "Hundredfold gift"


There is a beautiful  girl at my church, I should say young lady.  Her name is Courtney.  
This is Courtney.

She is a Senior in High School. She is beautiful, not just physically, to look at, but her Heart and Faith make her one of the most beautiful  young ladies, I have had the pleasure to meet in awhile.

Minutes before my Pastor started speaking on this particular story, I had read about Courtney and the "project" she was working on.  As a matter of fact, I had just marked a box, in our church's connections,  that I would like to volunteer to help Courtney with her 
"Senior Project."  Simply said, Courtney has a heart for God.  She saw her senior project as a way of making a difference, a very big difference, in the lives of some children. Not just any children, but some very specific children, orphans, to be exact. Not to build them a home, give them a trip of a lifetime , or have them as exchange students...but instead,  to provide for there most fundamental, basic, human need..... To feed them.   That's it! 

A finite amount of children at 3  orphanages, that needed daily food. How many high school Seniors do you know that are looking beyond their senior prom and pictures?  I wish I knew more!  Does that speak to your heart??  Because it spoke to mine.   So, when I was walking back to my seat with God's hundredfold gift, I knew immediately it was Courtney's. It wouldn't be enough, but I knew God had put it in my hand so that It could help empower her to help those children.

Courtney, with the help of her friends and family, organized and solicited volunteers and donations to set up and put on a beautiful dinner.  Not just a fundraising dinner, but also a very large raffle to benefit these orphans. I believe she had at least 50 different, donated, raffle prizes! Believe me, that itself is no easy task..  She, along with her friend and classmate, Julie,worked tirelessly on it.  They contacted the church and advertised in our Sunday "Bulletin", as well as, requesting people to volunteer to help with the dinner and raffle to ensure they achieved success.  Brilliant!! She went out and spoke on the radio, she spoke to classes about The Alkare Foundation's "Hungry Stomachs Have No Ears" program and pretty much answered anyone's questions and the word spread.

Her goal was this:  to fully fund 21 children in need. It was a gigantic goal! But one she didn't back away from. I'm happy to be able to share with you that Courtney's Fundraiser was a humongous success!!  With her dedication and hard work, 10 of the 21 children were FULLY funded by the end of the night . That is 10 lives that will be forever changed because of this 18-year-old girl!! Not to mention, generations to come will feel the rippled affects of her choice to do this.  Now, this is where you come in!!  I would love to continue to follow her example, and ask you to join me in funding the remaining 11 children. Courtney's donation page is still open!!  If this speaks to your heart, as it did mine, you can help her fund more children by clicking  HERE or you can go directly to The Alkare Foundation's page, Here .

 The ALKARE Foundation's site explains it's belief "that orphanages are a foundational place of social and spiritual repair in any society and, as such, are a perfect place to show God’s mercy, grace and hope. Providing nutrition, allows the organization to contribute in a fundamental and critical way to these facilities, allowing the administrators, educators and care givers to meet all the other needs of the children with lower burden." 

Courtney shared, in her description of Alkare and her "project" about this fundamental need..."The Alkare Foundation is a non- profit organization that  provides basic nutrition for Christian orphanages in highly economically challenged areas of Africa and Mexico." It's just that simple.

With my single dollar bill, this girl's hope & work, and God's promise, much was accomplished. Can you imagine how far it could go with your help? How about a thousandfold? "Nothing is impossible with God". (Luke1:37)NLT 

I will be sharing this post with the following Lovely Ladies:

Heather @ Stringtown Home's Tips and Tricks , Joy and Wanda Ann @ Yesterfood's Treasure Box Tuesday Marty@A Stroll Through Life's Inspire Me Tuesday,Anita @  Cedar Hill Farmhouse's Tuesday's The Scoop,Jami@The Blackberry Vine Stephanie Lynn @ The Sunday Showcase, Susan @Between Naps On the Porch's Metamorphosis Monday, Katherine's Corner's Thursday Favorite Things , Posed Perfection's, All Things Thursday Blog Hop, Debra@ Common Ground's Be Inspired, Courtney@ French Country Cottage's Feathers Nest Friday, My Romantic Home's Show and Tell Friday, The Charm of Home at Home Sweet Home

I Love and appreciate your comments more than you'll ever know!! Thank you for joining me!!

Happy New Year and Blessings to all!!

Good Morning and Happy New Year, Friends!!  I'm so glad you had some time to stop by today. 

So, Of course, I can not just simply put up a Happy New Year sign or image. I need to share a little more than that with you!  If you have been following my Blog you already, hopefully, know that I am a woman with a strong Christian Faith.  So, as one year ends and another begins, I always feel it is a great opportunity to see how my walk with Our Lord is. Let's just say there is always much room for improvement. 

So, I am simply sharing this video with you today (courtesy of YouTube and Mercy Me) It's called Word of God Speak! It is what I pray for in my life, to hear His voice more and my own less. It is also what I pray for all of you! He has such miraculous things for us!! Far more than our minds can fathom.

                  

So, as I pray and wish a Happy New Year to you all, I also hope that you will see God's hand in it and that His voice will "Fall down like rain" to all of you!! Many Blessings to all for 2014! ~Theresa.

I'll be sharing this message, this week with the following Lovely and Inspirational Ladies:

Katherine @ Katherine's Corner, Thursday's Favorite Things    

Richella @  Imparting Grace: Grace At Home    

Kerryanne @ Shabby Art Boutique's Shabbilicious Friday    

Nici @ Posed Perfection's All Things Thursday Blog Hop    

Create with Joy's Friendship Friday  

Alison@ Nancherrow's Friday's Unfolded 

Evelyn@ My Turn for Us' Freedom Fridays  

Kate @ ChicOnaShoestringDecorating's Flaunt it Friday    

Kathy @ A Delightsome Life's Home and Garden Thursday  Cindy @ My Romantic Home's Show and Tell Friday   Beverly @How Sweet The Sound's Pink Saturdays

Old Memories & a Recipe Updated!!

Hello Friends!! I know you probably think I've abandoned my Blog, and I am sorry about that, but nothing could be further from the truth.  I have, however, taken some time off to take care of myself, and nurture my relationships, and spend time with my Friends and Family. I am still doing that! But have found the time to share some of that with you!!

It is December!! I know you already know this, yet, I want to tell you that, for me, this is "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year"! Even as January creeps closer.  I love this holiday time, celebrating the Birth of Jesus,  and having "special time" to spend with my Loved ones. I truly believe, and wish people would have a little Christmas in their hearts all year long, present company Included!!

With that said, if you've  been keeping up with me on Shoestring's Facebook Page, you'll know that I have been doing alot of baking, decorating and spending time with Friends and Family! I can think of no better way to spend my time!!

This year, I called all my Sisters, Nieces, Grand Nieces, In-laws.... basically, every female member of my family to start things off with a "Begin Ladies Baking Day!" the Saturday after Thanksgiving!! (it was a Smashing success, by the way!) I want to share some of the things we made with you!  Some of the decorations and arrangements I've been working on with you over the next month. I simply can not, prepare, decorate and post Holidays and occasions a month ahead of when they actually are! There! I've said it!  Most Bloggers do this to help provide Inspiration! They all do a wonderful job at doing just that! For me, however, it is not practical (and I feel like I miss out on the here and now). I am my Blog's photographer, writer, creator, and editor. It takes a bit of work and time to share these things with you and I love doing it! But, I often find myself doing or making something fun and thinking I should have took a picture of that "before" so I could show you how to get the same end result. What can I say, "I am doing my level best!

Sorry, back to the Baking Day!! Every year My mother, I and a sister here and there make a Bounty of Christmas Cookies, Breads and Candy! This year I wanted to start our "Baking Day" as a means of having and cherishing time with my Family, but also to alleviate the pressure of all these goodies from my Mum's list of to do's! We make ALOT!

In the last couple of  weeks, I made some yummy "Shortbread Cookies", that are, wonderfully, common place for most of my Canadian Family and represent special memories, for me, of my Grandmother. Shortbread Cookies are not really as enjoyed here as much as others, and I wanted to do something about that!! I made a beautiful batch of these Nova Scotia-style Shortbread Cookies, the day before my families baking day to be decorated and include in what we all have to share. 

This week, I made another batch.  This time, with a little more dimension, to share @ A Christmas Tea with my Women's Group from Church. So here's the simple trick I did to make them more appealing to most!

They usually are a very basic 3 to 4 ingredient, no frills, delicious buttery cookie. That, in my opinion cannot be beat to have with tea!

But, to make them universally appealing and festive, I simply melted some chocolate in a double boiler, about 1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate and about a teaspoon of flavorless oil (like canola) The oil helps maintain the nice color and shine!  Then, you just take a fork, and on a wire rack OVER wax paper, have fun drizzling the chocolate back and forth over your shortbread, it couldn't be easier!! But what a difference! They were a big hit at my Christmas Tea and with friends and family.

 (Note: I never work on drizzling more than 6 cookies at a time, or you loose the beautiful way the chocolate overlaps the side of your cookie)








I'm thankful to tell you that there were a few remaining, that I can now enjoy with tea and quiet, going over the fresh memories of this Christmas just passed. Such an easy way to "fancify" a wonderful old recipe!!

This was me tonight!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying a little quiet time before the New Year begins! 2014!! Very difficult for me to fathom "2014!. As always, I wish Many Blessing for you and yours!!

 Sharing this week with:

 Kerryanne @ Shabbilicious Friday
Courtney @ French Country Cottage's Feathered Nest Friday 

Debra @ Common Ground

Cindy@ My Romantic Home's Show & Tell Friday
Desiree @ The 36th Avenue

Evelyn @ My Turn for Us' Freedom Fridays
Wendy @ The Shabby Nest: Frugal Friday
Doreen @ At the Hop/House Honeys

Jamielyn @ I Heart Naptime's Link Party Palooza

  Kristi @ I Should Be Mopping the Floor's Inspiration Monday
Laurie @ Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday 
Create with Joy's Friendship Friday

Shauna@ The Best Blog Recipe's Weekend re-Treat

Recipe: Traditional Nova Scotia Shortbread Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Vanilla ( not traditional, but I love vanilla!)

2-1/3 cups All purpose Flour, sifted twice

Wrap and chill dough at least 1 hour, 2 is better

Roll to 1/4 inch, make sure to fork your cookies well, or you get air pockets (which really does ruin the cookie)

Cut cookie as you like!

Bake in a slow oven, 300-325F/just until the edges get a very light golden, no brown here.

Cool on rack & enjoy or finish with chocolate or raw sugar.

File under: traditional Nova Scotia Shortbread Cookies,  Shortbread cookies, christmas cookies, basic shortbread 

Merry Christmas!!

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life"!~ John 3:16

Merry Christmas to you all! Wishing you all many Blessings today and every day.

I pray you are all having a wonderful day surrounded by your Loved ones.

 Good Afternoon, on this the 11th day of November, Veteran's Day.  I'm remembering with Gratitude Our Veterans today.

"I don't know your name~  

Nor for which battle you died. 

I do not know your home, 

Nor the tears that were cried. 

I do not know where you rest~

Nor the promises broken.

 I do not know your uniform

 And your fears lay unspoken.

But, I now your Spirit exists~ 

That your courage is admired,

 And your Sacrifice is honored 

By each soul that's inspired.

And, I offer you from my heart

Thank you, to Guardians unknown

For offering yourselves for us all

That we may keep Freedom...

Our Home." (Source)

There's not much more one can say, other than "Thank You". You're sacrifice did not go in vain. There's no words to express the love and respect I have for you and your families. Be well. God Bless You, though I know, He already has and does. 
~A Grateful American Citizen.

"All gave some, and some gave all..."