Happy New Year 2017

Greetings and Happy New Year blog friends. 

I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Holiday!

As we enter into the winter months with our young new year ahead,

 I can't help but look towards a new journey and the anticipation of all to come our way. 

Everything fresh with a new start,

 a new outlook with faith for the days ahead.

 Do you feel this way each new year?

 Do you like to re-evaluate your direction? 

Do you make resolutions? 

I am not one to make resolutions per say,

but rather,

 a conviction to ask God's direction

 and listen for the answers.

 Having new plans and trying to do my best.

Whatever you have planned for your journey,

 I hope the new year is filled with all that makes you happy.

 All that gives you hope, 

and 

all that makes your heart sing with the blessing of meeting each new day. 

May God give you peace and love along your path and may this new year be one to remember!

I will be back sometime in January with lots to share.

We are taking on a big home project this month with all the cottage windows to be replaced.

Needless to say,

the computer, printer, and everything in between will be covered till the dust settles.

We have a ton of windows so it's a big project and a dusty one! 

And,

 as some of you know,

 I also work for my hubbies company

and January will have me away observing and learning off site.

However,

I can try and stay in touch with my phone

through your blogs, FB, IG, Pinterest and more.

Thank you for a great year of blogging and friendship in 2016.

I look forward to another wonderful year ahead sharing with you 

and joining  in your adventures and blogland journeys!

Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend.

GOD Bless you in 2017

Remembering The Last Mother's Day with Mom~

Happy Mother's Day

For me,Mother's  Day is special, not only because my family blesses me with their thoughtfulness, but because remembering my mother is a gift that I can reopen each year. A treasured gift that lives in the depths of my heart.

This story begins on a gorgeous Mother's Day in the year 2000. The day was warm and sunny accompanied by plans for a special dinner for my mother in our home.

You see, after my father passed away in 1998, I brought my mother from Michigan to live with me in my home in Texas. God brought my family 2 years earlier to this very home that would have a room just for my mom. A home where just outside our subdivision and across the road, was a care facility. Little did we know at the time, there would be a need for that care. But God knew and was preparing us for what lay ahead.

At that point, mother settled in with me and my family and life continued by the grace of God. However, little by little my mother's health was failing. She had medical issues and needs that I could no longer meet. I tried, I really tried. I cried and  cried for the strength and courage to continue, but that was not going to be the plan. Now the help of the care facility was needed. So close by and so easy to visit every day. What a blessing it was.

Mom once again settled into her new home. I decorated her pretty space, with all her treasures to give her comfort and feel like home. Not a word of complaint was ever spoken from her lips, not a discouraged attitude was ever reflected in her pretty face. She was showing us the grace and dignity of a life in its final days. It had to be difficult for her making this huge change. The grand lady who worked and retired from the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, was also a homemaker, gardener, decorator, crafter, cook, wife, mother, church faithful and friend to all.

As time went by, my family and I spent every day visiting my mother. Mornings, afternoons and evenings we all stopped in to spend time with mom. I planned special events, picnics outside mom's room, sing a long times, birthday parties and so forth. It was a time to soak up so much to learn about life and the fragility of our days on earth. Mom still had so much to tell me and show me. She was an angel on earth and her work here not yet complete.

By now the first Mother’s Day after mom’s move was approaching. Mom was doing well enough to come home for the day to enjoy dinner and spend time with the family. We all were looking forward to the outing mom would take to be with us. I cooked and cleaned to make everything just right. I prayed for our day to be as special as could be, and it was.

I can still see mom as my husband brought her home for the day visit. He wheeled her up the walkway in her wheelchair and my heart beat quicker with the excitement to entertain my mother. She was dressed in a pretty lavender suit. The color was gorgeous against her pretty silver hair. A little blush on her cheeks brought out those gorgeous brown eyes that danced and glistened like the pearls around her neck. It was easy to see how happy she was to be in our home for Mother’s Day.

Dinner was wonderful as we all talked and laughed sharing family memories. I played the piano for mom and we sang her favorite hymns. We went outside on the patio to enjoy the sunshine of this perfect day continuing the laughter and family stories.

As the day came to an end, I cleared the dining room table and cleaned the kitchen as mom sat by talking and laughing just like many times before. What a gift when I look back. How fast time marches on as life moves us forward.

When it was time to take mom back, we all rode along to settle her in her pretty room for the night. We gathered to say a prayer as we always did in parting, knowing we had been blessed once again with a memory that would last us forever. Mom passed away just 3 and half months later. Just 14 weeks from that special Mother’s Day and last dinner. The last time she would ever be in my home. The last time I would see her in that gorgeous lavender suit, hear her voice at the dinner table and see her generous smile.  With fragile hands, mom stroked my hair as we said goodbye. Thanked me for a lovely dinner and special day. I can still see her hand wave as we walked out of her pretty room. “See you tomorrow, we all said.”  Tomorrow's did come and go in those weeks before mom took her final move to heaven. Looking back  on those days were the best of my life.  Times in which I learned so much from my mother.  The one who always had a smile on her face and kind word for all.  Generous to a fault and a giver of time.   Encourager and cheerleader to everyone.
Learning's that will never have a last time!

This Mother’s Day will once again give me the moments to look into my heart and reopen that gift from the past.  It will be a time to be thankful for the dear mother I was blessed with and the mom I hope and pray I can be, set by her example.

Mom used to say to cherish the moments, take time to be kind and in all ways ask God to direct our path. Insightful words from a wise lady.  I hope your days are special and blessed by gifted moments shared with family, friends and Mothers.      (c)Celestina Marie

Many Blessings Always.

Your Friend,

Celestina Marie

A Visit to the Garden

Hi Friends,

I'm stopping in to share a little walk around my spring garden.

I had some fun with a photo of my guys Texas birdhouse.

Gotta love photo editing!!

Welcome to my garden!

Lots of pretty blooms are sharing their beauty

along with so much in green 

due to our heavy rainy season.

Not complaining though as we will be very HOT and dry soon enough.

I have created several garden sections to the yard.

Starting with a side memory garden,

for  the angels and fairies that live and delight here.

Begonias are growing so pretty among the little village of fairy houses.

This corner shares with the birds,

Day-lilies, Rosemary and Carolina Jasmine.

Looking down the entry walk to the pool,

I have a sweet Saucer Magnolia here to the front,

Camellia Bush, Roses, Boxwood, Creeping phlox

and

a mystery plant.

What is it???

Each year it comes back stronger then the last.

Let's looks closer below.

Does anyone know what this is?

I'm calling it 

Jack's Beanstalk!!

It does make a small white cluster flower at times.

Maybe it's a big weed.

If so, it sure makes a nice filler to the walkway!!

Along the path, the angels enjoy story time

sitting in the Creeping Phlox.

This plant on the red iron seat is 

Purslane.

It does so great in hot sun and high temps.

This one hung on from last summer.

Last year my guy created this window box for the fence.

I fill it with faux boxwood and my version of "Knock Out Roses".

This spot is just too hot for anything to grow in the window box.

Sometime it's okay to help mother nature along in the decorating for the garden!

This side of the yard is the Bistro Garden.

Growing here is Clematis, Tea Roses,

 and a Palm Tree

that I started 20 years ago in a small poolside pot.

It grew leaps and bounds so it was quickly added to the ground.

This year for the first time, it made a flower.

Didn't get a photo of it, but it was pretty for a day or so.

This is a little prayer garden with St. Francis over looking 

carpet roses along the path and the birds that come to live here.

Carpet Roses vine and stay fairly close to the ground spreading along.

Another couple of angels having a story time.

And, 

Mister Lizard got in on the fun.

Here he is, sunny on the angel wing!

Going into that area to the prayer garden and my potting bench,

I have an arch of Trumpet Vine.

This vine grows like a weed

 and makes a gorgeous orange red 

Trumpet flower later in the summer.

Some have told me this vine can get wild and pop 

up anywhere in the yard.

I have not seen that happen though and it's been 4 years since planted.

It does attract butterfly's and it's a striking flower in bloom.

Herbs on the potting bench.

 My son built this bench many years ago

and gave it to me for Christmas.

This year, I'm so excited to see some buds on my Hydrangea plants.

I have them planted in a shady area to the right of my potting bench.

It gets good shade here since in Texas, they seem to do better out of the direct sun.

Last year, this area of bushes was huge, but not one bloom all season long.

Hopefully this season will be different.

I missed drying the gorgeous flowers!

This red rose vine is a Mr. Lincoln Rose.

The Tea Roses are all in pink bloom now and the scent is heavenly.

Lastly, on the patio coffee table, I'll share the mosquito plant 

or sometime called,

 Green Geranium~

although it doesn't make a flower.

This has the scent of citronella 

and helps to keep the mosquitoes away when we sit out on the patio.

Just pinch off a leaf and rub it on your arm or legs 

and

it's organic bug repellent.

So enjoyed having you stop by and visit in my garden today.

I'm trying to be back in blogland once a week if possible.

In the meantime, 

I'm looking forward to visiting you.

Have a great week!

Joining today

at

A Garden Party 

Texas Bluebonnet Blog Hop

Hi Friends!

So glad you stopped by for a visit today.

It's springtime in Texas

and

the Texas bloggers are welcoming the new season in with a little inspiration

from the Texas Bluebonnet Blog Hop.

Stacey 

from

Poofing the Pillows

is our creator for today's blog hop.

and 

I hope you will stop over and say hello

and visit the many participating today too.

************************

When I begin to style for a new season,

it usually means, cleaning and rearranging.

This spring finds me doing that and more

in my sitting room.

I first begin by taking everything away

and doing a good cleaning.

I remove all the accessories, wall art and more.

Notice the dust mop to the right?

It's my pride and joy and was my grandmother's from the 40's 

or maybe even earlier.

It's a work horse to reach those areas a vacuum can't.

If I had to run out of my house in a hurry, 

this is something I'd take with me.

Next, 

I completely empty and clean the mantel and fireplace.

Once the cleaning is done,

I gather my inspirational pieces from around the house 

and in my prop closet.

Here are some of those piece

 and 

I must confess, a few new goodies this year too.

I found this HOME pillow last year and love it.

As you can see, I'm going a bit pastel this season.

S

Some new art work this year.

This piece is a Texas treasure and I love it.

The artist is Paul Valencay.

Horses in a watercolor wash of aqua shades of blue.

Love it!!

Then I got busy and

 created this new banner for the mantel.

I simply stenciled SPRING

on cardboard banner shapes atop

pretty scrapbook papers.

I can turn it around and stencil summer in the future.

So now let's put it all together and see the before and after for spring.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Now you know me~ 

I make furniture switches all the time.

If you remember,

the red plaid chair that I placed here after Christmas~ still love it 

but, it went to the master bedroom where I have touches of red

and

 these vintage wicker chairs came from that space.

Perfect for spring!

Love them here better.

Lots of light streaming in makes this the sunniest room in my home.

I left the black and neutral design rug for an anchor piece

and

to balance off the darker pieces in the room.

So this is the beginning of spring inside my Texas cottage.

Here are a few little views from around the room.

Thank you for visiting today.

Before I go I'll leave you with one of my favorite Texas wildflowers to paint.

The 

Bluebonnet!

Come join the fun and visit the Texas Bloggers sharing springtime.

Have a great weekend.

xo

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