The Art of Rest

This past snowstorm we had really caught me by surprise. It came the day after Christmas, after all of the preparations and work were all done. What a wonderful gift! Now, I have to tell you that honestly I used to dread snow. The thought of shoveling a driveway that was 3 cars in length and twice as wide as a single car use to really upset me. After that was done, there were some really long sidewalks to clean, all on the North side of the house. So, of course that all froze solid. Well, I was pleasantly surprised by my reaction to this snowstorm. My husband and I have moved to a community where the snow is shoveled for us when it snows so I had a totally different outlook on this past snowstorm. I loved watching the beauty of the snow and didn't mind at all when we had 24 inches plus of accumulation. I actually enjoyed it! That was a nice feeling after 25 years of dread! This snowstorm also taught me something. I learned a bit about REST. The timing of this storm was perfect! It forced me to stay home and since the holidays were over I really did not have anything pressing I had to do. so I rested! I had not realized how tired and busy I had really been. For the first time in a really long time, I sat in my recliner during the afternoon and actually fell asleep. Then I watched a movie at night. It was really great! I guess I needed that rest. The next day was beautifully sunny but windy with snow blowing everywhere! The snow swirled around and around blowing drifts high and low. As I sat at my kitchen table looking out onto our deck, I noticed a small, brownish bird sitting on the end table next to my loveseat on our deck. There she was; a beautiful mourning dove. The picure above is the actual bird on my covered porch. She had decided that my covered porch was a good choice for her to rest. The sun was shining brightly on this wind-chilled bird and you could see she was so thankful for the brief respite she had found. She basked in the sun for over an hour and I could see her appreciation of the warmth that the sun offered her. As I observed her, I realized that we all need to stop and rest sometimes. I could relate to her as I also needed the rest after a busy time such as Christmas. I would like to inspire you to rest as we begin this new year. I realize that my most creative of all times usually comes after a period of rest. I am extremely inspired and creative after a vacation on the beach where I have had time to think and rest. I am energized after several days of rest after this snowstorm and I cannot wait to start on some more creative projects. Giving ourselves the time to think is imperative to our creativity. If we continuously push ourselves, even when we are tired, we will burn out. But if we allow ourselves the time to rest without feeling guilty about it we can truly get in touch with our inner selves and what our hearts are yearning for. So, my wish for you this New Year is guiltless rest and lots of creativity! May you also have a blessed, healthy, prosperous New Year filled with the love of your family and friends, old and new! Thank you for your continued support of our blog and please contine to post your thoughts and ideas so we can see what you are thinking about!

Fruit Filled-Thrifty Gifty #6

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday! After dinner at my in-law's house I noticed what would make another awesome "Thrifty Gifty"...a fruit filled jar of clementines! Clementines are so seasonal and delicious! The best part of this is that you can usually find them on sale at your local market or grocery store. I was at Shop Rite this morning and a whole crate of them were on sale for $4.99. Shop your local Goodwill for jars and turn up the most unique vessels for piling up these colorful treats!

You can easily put this lovely hostess gift together for under $10.00! I would love to receive something of this nature from a friend! It is healthy, delicious, makes a lovely centerpiece and adds a festive splash of color to anyone's tablescape or countertop!

Make this gift extra special by wrapping it in clear cellophane with a knot of raffia at the top! Add a gift tag and voila!

Remember that clementines aren't your end all...there are so many beautiful seasonal fruits like pears, lemons, pomegranates and apples that would fill any jar with holiday bliss!

BE INSPIRED!

Candle Centerpiece-Thrifty Gifty #5

The holidays are rapidly approaching and if you are like me, you may tend to grab a pencil and paper and start making lists of the people you want to give gifts to. For many on my list, I like to give a handmade item because when you make a handmade item, it speaks to the heart of the recipient telling them that you spent that extra special moment thinking about them personally. The thrifty gifty that I am going to tell you how to make today is a great hostess gift for Thanksgiving or a wonderful Christmas gift for one that you love.

The candle centerpiece shown above is a simple, practical and beautiful handmade item that can be created in any size and on any budget. It can be filled with a beautiful berry garland shown above or stashed with sand and seashells for the beach lover. The great thing about this thrifty gifty is it's ability to be personalized for that special someone as you can fill the base with almost anything you can imagine.

The key to this creation is to make sure that you purchase a candle that burns into itself. A drippy candle is not a good option because the hot wax will melt onto whatever decoration you may have in the base of the jar.

Finding jars is easy and doable on any budget. Pier 1 Imports always has amazing glass containers as does HomeGoods if you are looking for something unique and one-of-a-kind. Find a lightly scented candle at Michaels or AC Moore and the filler for your jar at a local arts and crafts store or a HomeGoods/Marshalls/Walmart/Target-type of place. This thrifty gifty can be put together with a one-stop shop or you can shop around for unique one-of-a-kind pieces and compile them all together. Either way, you will be creating something extraordinary.

Dim the lights, put on some dinner music, light your new candle centerpiece and BE INSPIRED!

Easy Homemade Granola-Thrifty Gifty #4

For a most delicious and healthy "Thrifty Gifty" idea, you can't go wrong with this yummy homemade granola! Whip up a batch or two and put a few scoopfuls into a mason or ball jar with a crafty label and voila! You will be the hit of any breakfast table or ice cream social as you can use this yummy treat over yogurt or ice cream. I personally even like to eat it by the handful!

Here is the secret recipe...that's not so secret anymore!!!

• one 18 oz container of Old Fashioned Oats
• pecans, walnuts, almonds, and/or pumpkin seeds added in accordance to your liking
  (I usually stick to a 2:1 ratio of oats to nuts.)

• Melt 1/2 lb (2 sticks) of butter and add to the mixture of oats and nuts.
• Add 1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to the mixture as well.

• Drizzle in some vanilla and REAL maple syrup to taste.
• Add a dash of salt.
• Bake at 250 for 2 hours
• Toss every 20 minutes
• If you would like to add chopped prunes, apricots or craisins, add during the last 10 minutes
  (to prevent the fruit from getting hard enough to crack a tooth!)

Enjoy and BE INSPIRED!