The Gift of Marriage

I seem to not be good at keeping a steady schedule with posting. It isn't that things aren't happening around the house it is just that time constraints and a stupid computer conspire against me to discourage me from wanting to take the time to write a post. My computer has been acting up for a while and I cannot seem to figure out how to fix it. Truth is I have no idea how to fix it. My touch pad is super touchy, it moves things and erases things if my fingers even as much as hover over it in typing. I think that is probably what happened to my last post. The Mr. has not been able to figure it out even though he is pretty savvy with these machines that now we cannot seem to live without. It is a love/hate relationship. Grrr.

  

Anyway..... the snow is finally starting to melt here in New England. I can now see part of the arbor gate in our front yard. I have seen and heard the beautiful song of cardinals in the trees around our house. Spring will come. Winter cannot hold her back much longer! Today it is raining and thus it is a good day for a shower.....a wedding shower that is.

Isn't she sweet?!

A young woman in our church is to be married next month and today we will shower her with gifts that she will need in her new life as a wife, homemaker, and helper to her husband. I thought I was all ready with a gift for the bride-to-be but a technical difficulty sent me in a different direction than I had started in. 

I like to give something personal. And have become rather fond of doing something on canvas. I used the picture from the couples "save the date" card and superimposed the lyrics to the song that will be their first dance as Mr. and Mrs. but I needed a frame and that .....meant.....shopping!

Printed onto tissue paper then Modge-Podged onto canvas
with a coating to seal it.

I thought I remembered conversations with her in the past about different antique stores and what a coincidence, it was the weekend for Vintage Thymes!

They let me take pictures again! Come see!

Love everything!

Fabulous! 

The theme this month was Weekend in Paris-yay! I shopped and took pictures and got to talk to some lovely ladies and yes, I did find a frame that I could paint and make up nice. Happy, happy.













When I walked out of that shop and turned the corner I came face to face with the perfect frame at 23rd & Bird. It was already finished and a little more ornate which was perfect for the black and white canvas that I had aged a bit with paint and artists chalks. I had a wonderful conversation with the owner, Mary Ellen. She was so helpful and encouraging. She even offered to show my girls how to paint furniture when I told her we are home-schoolers; saying it could be an art lesson. She was very sweet and talented. Her work is beautiful!

Thanks, Mary Ellen!

Here is the finished canvas, mounted into the frame:

The song is by Steve Green titled Holding Hands

Random, but note worthy photos from the days trip:

One of my girls fell in love with this.

I like giving gifts but nobody ever gets really thrilled to see the new whisk or the baking dish that was already on their gift registry so I like to try to make the wrapping pretty, you know, oooh and aaah worthy. 

I was wrapping a cooling rack and two different sized cake pans. Awkward and bulky!  After a few attempts it dawned on me to wrap them to look like a cake! Duh. The cooling rack would be the foundation board and I stacked the pans upside down to look like layers. It still looked small so I headed off to the store to pick up some cake decorating bags and tips. I stuffed them into the box and ta-da!

The bride is a sweet girl that likes lace and flowers but she is down to earth and so I decided a little brown wrapping paper would suit her "cake" and then I could figure a way to dress it up.

I had ribbon from a Victorian Christmas tree that I used to put up many years ago and used it to decorate her cake but it still seemed a little plain so I pulled out some rose ribbon-y stuff that I had gotten on sale a few years back. (Never know when you might need it, right?) And, with my trusty hot glue gun I went to work.

I dabbed hot glue to stick the layers together. Made a bow for the top and scattered a few paper roses. I have made them numerous times throughout the last couple years. Here is the tutorial where I first saw them done. I strategically placed a few on top of the cake and done. I was happy with the results. It got the okay from Mr. and my girls.

So happy for her response!

We are so happy for her! The day was wonderful. Good food and dear friends and much to be thankful for, like the gift of marriage.

 

Praying for the newlyweds-to-be that their marriage will be used by God to exalt the glory of Christ as they seek to honor him in their life together. 

I am joining these linking parties;
Coastal Charm, I Should Be Mopping The Floor, Skip To My Lou,  Huckleberry Love, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Through Life, Elizabeth&Co, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Savvy Southern Style, Simply Designing, Gingersnap Crafts, The DIY Dreamer, The Blissful Bee, The Turquoise Home, Lamberts Lately, Imparting Grace, Too Much Time On My Hands, AKA Design, The Shabby Nest, Chic On A Shoestring, Just Us Four, My Romantic Home