In Praise of Mom

One of my goals—during my first year of blogging—is to introduce you to those whom I hold most dear to my heart. 

Thus far, you have been given a brief introduction to my incredibly talented Yankee husband, several glimpses of my precious granddaughter, Lana, and an in-depth intro to my lovely daughter, Asheley.

Since this is the time of year when everyone in the blogosphere seems to show off their moms, I thought I would join in on the celebration. 

And yes, I am aware that Mother's Day was yesterday.  But my mom's birthday is today, May 10th, so I decided to postpone my tribute by a day and combine the post for Mother's Day and Mom's birthday.

I am the eldest of five children—all girls. 

When my mom got pregnant with me, she was in Germany—thousands of miles from home and family,

for the very first time in her life.

I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for her to be in a foreign country, where she could not speak the language, where she knew few people, other than my dad—who was often gone on military maneuvers—and where she had to experience all the ups and downs of pregnancy without support from loved ones.

Yet, she made the best of her circumstances for my sake, as well as my dad's.

Throughout the years, as I have spent countless hours pouring over family photos and videos, I have gazed into the same sweet, loving face of a woman totally devoted to her husband and children.

I have learned so much from my mom about what it means to be self-sacrificing, totally giving of oneself to meet the needs of others—especially loved ones.

She has the most caring nature and generous spirit of anyone I have every known. 

And, the love she has for her family has been a beacon of light that has been a constant throughout the good times and the bad.

Though each of her children—myself included—have given her much cause for work and worry in raising us, she has always fulfilled her role of mother with patience, kindness, and an understanding heart. 

She has been the most wonderful role model of a loving, devoted wife and mother that I have ever witnessed. 

And her example has molded and shaped who I am as a wife and mother more than she will ever know.

My prayer for you Mom, this Mother's Day and birthday, is for...

health, happiness, and a long, long life...

and to be blessed beyond measure, as you have blessed me.

I LOVE YOU MOM, WITH ALL MY HEART!!!

"Her children rise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:  'Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.'"  Proverbs 31:28,29

Wasn't It Just Yesterday

Wasn't it just yesterday...

 I was rocking you to sleep as a baby in my arms...

and swinging you on the playground after Sunday School?

Wasn't it just yesterday...

that you thought every character at Disney World was your very best friend?

Your zest for life and sweet spirit

 made the toddler and preschool years pure joy.

Remember when you dressed up as Laura Ingalls

for one of our many homeschool events? 

I cannot believe how fast those twelve years flew by!

What a precious little ballerina you were. 

Wasn't it just yesterday you were taking lessons?

Then at the blink of an eye,

 the teen years we upon us.

And I found myself taking lots of

deep breaths and praying—even more—

especially when you got your first car...

and went to your first dance alone with a guy—in his car.

Wasn't it just yesterday that you were

sitting on your dad's lap as he read to you? 

By the time your prom came around, you were as tall as him.

The day of your graduation,

I could not contain all the emotions welling up within me. 

My baby was graduating,

and our homeschool days would be no more.

As I have watched you blossom into

a beautiful young woman...

my heart has yearned for days of old,

when I would hold you in my arms and sing silly, childish songs with you.

But those days will never be again.

Now, you have given me a precious granddaughter...

who in many ways helps me to see you...

as you once were.

In my heart, you will always be my little girl,

and now...

you are also my special friend!

I love you Asheley Elizabeth!  Happy 23rd Birthday! 

Sharing at Beverly's Pink Saturday.

Be sure to visit Jeanette at Good Mornin' Beautiful and let her know you found her by way of the Brambleberry Cottage.

Fourteen Days of Love - Day 14 - Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

There may be one or a hundred and one loves in your life. But this day, Valentine's Day, should be dedicated to that special someone who can make your heart sing!

I'm a person who loves easily. By that I mean, caring for and about people seems to come naturally for me. 

And those I love, I love deeply.

I am blessed with two wonderful parents, four very special sisters and their husbands and children, two terrific children of my own, and one super, incredibly cute granddaughter…all of whom I love dearly!

 But the person who can make my heart sing with the greatest passion is my Yankee sweetheart!

Yet, you've most likely realized, from my previous posts, that he and I are two distinctly different personalities, with unique and sometimes ofttimes opposing takes on life.

In many ways, we are the clichéd "odd couple."

image source: www.dvdactive.com/

No…not that odd couple.

We actually more closely resemble the couples portrayed in these magazine ads.

Over the years, the Yankee has summed up who we are as a couple with some very familiar metaphors, and I'll just let you guess whose who in these images.  ; )

Leather & Lace

Fire & Ice

image source: www.ua.com

Oil & Water

image source: AllPosters.com

OK, so you get the idea.

In essence, what I'm attempting to communicate to you is how different the Yankee and I are. Yet, even with all our differences, it works. 

Or should I say we work at it?!

Any relationship takes effort, but a relationship such as ours takes even greater effort...

and commitment. 

That's what we have...a lifetime commitment.

Though there are at times points of disagreement between us, there is one thing the Yankee and I totally agree upon.

There is no one either of us would want to share our lives with more than one another! 

Our love truly is a many-splendored thing!

Now for today's final addition to this week's giveaway—and the finale for the Fourteen Days of Love—this sweet little frame. 

There couldn't be a prettier way to decorate your home than with a photo of that special loved one tucked inside!

Reminder:  Please be sure to publish your

Valentine's post, before you link to the party. And

don't forget to mention the Brambleberry Cottage

in your post.

Remember to leave a comment to be entered in this

week's drawing for the giveaway!

It is so hard to believe, but we've actually made it through fourteen consecutive posts!

Please be sure to link any posts for days 8-14 by 12:01 a.m. PST, February 15th.

Mr. Linky will be closing sometime after that.

1. http://ckaspardlov.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-i-love-him-so-much.html 2. Donna 3. Marilyn

4. Jenn Raley 5. lululiz

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A Side Note

If you have followed along with me from the beginning, or if you've ever ventured back to the very beginning of my posts, you've probably gotten the sense that blogging was something I wanted to do for quite a while, before it became a reality. 

But, certain "life challenges" repeatedly pushed that desire to the back burner.

I finally determined I was going forward...no matter what!  And, I'm glad I did,
however...

If you were to watch me create the vast majority of these posts, you would roll in the floor in hysterical laughter.

My sixteen-month-old granddaughter is usually crawling between my legs, pulling the mouse (or something) off the desk, trying to pull herself up on my lap, or...

 I'll be wrestling her with one hand, while desperately trying to type with the other, and on and on...

Very often, as I'm attempting to take pictures for posts, she will be pulling on my legs or jumping into the frame of the shot, or...

well, you get the picture.

The truth is...half the time that I'm composing my posts, I can't even think straight!!!

So, when you see spelling and grammatical errors in my posts...rest assured that sweet little Lana has most likely been assisting me!

Oh, and by the way, I won't be offended if you let me know when you observe a mistake. 

Thanks, Jenn, for pointing out the correct spelling for "palate."  ; )

xo,

Liz

Fourteen Days of Love - Day 1 - How do I love thee?

We demonstrate our love every day to the special people in our lives.

But, there are certain days set aside during the year—such as birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine's Day—when we can exhibit our love and devotion in unique and fun ways—

ways that make that particular day stand out when compared to the other 364.

Each year, I spend the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day trying to choose an unusual, fun way to express my heart to my beloved Yankee.

Shall I share a few of those past gestures of my affections with you?

Let me take you back to the very beginning—before he and I were even married. 

Remember those fun paper chains we used to make when we were kids?

One particular year, I made a very special, rather long chain—100 links—for the Yankee.

What made it special? On the inside of each paper link, I hand wrote a specific reason why I love him.

Each day—for the ninety-nine days leading up to that special one—he tore off a link and read my sentiment. 

I had taken those ninety-nine expressions of my heart and shuffled them in a basket,

drawing at random to make the chain.

Even I didn't know which one he would be reading

on which day—except for the last link, which I had purposely chosen to be read on the final day.

Each morning, he would read my words of love and then call me to let me know which one he had opened that day.

It was a fun way to share our hearts long distance for one hundred days!

Photo Credit: Doreen Frost of Vermont Harvest Folk Art

The Yankee attended a small Bible college for a few years—in the early years of our marriage.

During that time, I only saw him on weekends.

One of those years, I paid him a surprise visit at school on Valentine's Day.

www.balloonmoments.co.uk/

I had purchased a bouquet of red Mylar heart balloons—one for every year we had been married.

After drafting one of the Yankee's fellow students into service to deliver the balloons, I hid to watch his reaction. 

To make this an even more memorable occasion, I waited until the entire faculty and student body was assembled in the cafeteria for lunch for the bouquet to be delivered to him.

Being a predominantly male student body, the noise level of that large cafeteria during lunchtime was usually quite intense.

But, when the Yankee's schoolmate entered the room with those balloons, you could hear a pin drop. 

All eyes watched intently as that shiny bouquet was delivered to its intended recipient—my sweetheart.

That occasion was so memorable that it was the talk around campus for weeks—among students and faculty!  ; )

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

That couldn't be more true for my guy.  He especially likes gourmet items—all the more, if they're sweet. 

Over the years, I have found wonderful specialty treats—at incredibly low prices—at stores like T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and Ross…

and, conveniently enough, there is usually a very large selection of these items that goes on clearance right after Christmas.

On more than one occasion, I've gathered an assortment of gourmet goodies and placed them in a decorative basket as a surprise for my Yankee.

And guess who gets to keep the pretty basket? ; )

My honey has quite a sweet tooth—especially for dark chocolate.

Thankfully, discount stores—like those I mentioned above—provide a wonderful variety of quality sweets.

 You can choose to buy those packaged for Valentine's Day, or be frugal—like me—and purchase from the clearance section. 

The Yankee has received quite an assortment of dark chocolates over the years. And…he has even shared them with me!

Could that be why the gift of chocolates has been duplicated a few times?!

 

I'll share one final fun Valentine's gift idea with you.

Have you ever used conversation hearts as miniature love notes?

One year, I bought a bag of the larger hearts and strategically placed them throughout the house and car, for the Yankee to find. 

I matched the saying with the location where it was placed.

Throughout the day, he would find those tiny messages and be reminded of my love.

Just one note of caution here: count the hearts and make a list of where you leave them.

Otherwise, there may be a very sticky surprise in your future!

Now…can you say Chocolate Mint Bliss?

Today I will be adding a delicious bag of Ghirardelli chocolates to the giveaway assortment.

So…what are the special ways you show your love on Valentine's Day?

Reminder:  Please be sure to publish your

Valentine's post, before you link to the party. And
don't forget to mention the Brambleberry Cottage
in your post.  

Don't forget to leave a comment 
to be entered in this week's drawing for the giveaway!

1. bj 2. Jenn Raley 3. Donna 4. Meghan

5. Marilyn 6. Ann-Tin and Sparkle 7. Tammy- Chocolate 8. anat

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Meet The Yankee

When I shared with hubby that I was
contemplating periodically adding posts of our family life,
he was concerned that people might find that type of post boring. 

He reminded me that one of the major themes I had decided to cover in this blog
was the blending of two entirely different decorating styles.
And...did I really want to confuse the issue with too much information?
 
That was a brief conversation we shared just before he left for work—
one I pondered throughout the day.

Image Souce: Incandescent light bulb (no labels).svg; YassineMrabet

Then a light bulb went off in this Southern noggin of mine. 

Hey...wait a minute! 
Women will make up the majority of the readers of this blog...and WE LIKE DETAILS!

Since The Yankee is a major player in this whole decorating challenge
here at the cottage, I'm giving him the honor of being the first to be introduced to you all.

I know, I know.  Real Southerners are suppose to say y'all, right?

He's a very hands-on kinda guy and can do

just about anything with respect to a home. 

I tell people all the time,

"He can build a house from the ground up

and design and construct all the cabinetry and furniture needed to fill it!" 

This is a bathroom cabinet he built

from scratch for our old house. 

I had found an inspiration picture in a

decorating magazine and asked if he would build it for me—

when we remodeled that particular bathroom.

Of course, I had my own ideas about some of the alterations

that were necessary to make the design EXACTLY what I wanted.  After all,

the style of the cabinet had to be just so in order to complement

all the other elements I had chosen for that room.

So, as I showed him the picture, I asked in the sweetest voice I could muster—that's

 a Southern thing—"Honey, instead of the door and

drawer trim shown in the picture, would you make it like that

(pointing to an old cabinet outside his workshop)?"

"And would you mind making it a bit longer? 

Oh, and I would really like it to be constructed of solid maple...

with a warmer colored stain."

The end result...TOTAL PERFECTION!

When we remodeled the kitchen of that same house,

I desperately wanted an island—something there had

not been room for prior to the remodeling. 

We discussed the features I most desired: 

drawers that pulled out from both sides, open shelving on both ends, black paint

with a distressed finish, and the feature I desired most...

a checkered top.

Bless his heart!  He painted every single square

 of that top individually—just for me! 

Thanks again, Honey!

XOXOXO

Now would you mind indulging me a bit further,

as I brag on him a little more?

This is a piece he designed and built for the den of our old house. 

I'm using it here at the cottage—temporarily—until he can find the time

to finish building our kitchen cabinets.

  Umm, exactly how much longer will that be, Dear?!!

And he also made this cute little bench—with a top constructed

from one-hundred-year-old barn wood and old cut nails.

By now, I'm sure it has become obvious that that home
was decorated in a country primitive style—which suited
The Yankee's New England tastes quite well.

Now let's move on to the style that I prefer
and some of the projects we've worked on since moving to the cottage, several years ago.

 

We pulled some old beaded boards out of a Victorian house in our little town—one

being torn down to make room for a parking lot. We repurposed the boards

 for lots of projects like these cute storage boxes.

Hmm...

Are you up for a tease?  Good!  The next four images are actually only partial images.
 I will share these pretties in their entirety in future posts.

Sorry!  You'll just have to come back!



This transformation started out with an antique vanity
from the 1920s or 30s—well past its prime.

With The Yankee's ingenuity,

it was given new life. 

Hint:  What once was one, now two has become.

The Victorian beauty below was in much need of a face-lift,

though she still had wonderful curves in all the right places. 

The Yankee performed his magic to give her

a more youthful appearance—

while maintaining the character that time had graced her with.

And you won't believe the incredible

 transformation of this tired old buffet from the 30s. 

Many would have given it its last rights and put it to rest on the spot—

but not The Yankee. 

He lives for this type of challenge!

You can get the full scoop on this particular piece on Monday—

when I link to a few other bloggers' hosted events. 

I told you you were in for a tease!

Hopefully, by this point, you've begun to recognize the challenges I face,

while attempting to blend our two distinctly different decorating styles—

my "ABOUT ME" gives a few other clues.  

Now, please don't let the introductory photo of my Yankee sweetheart fool you

 into thinking he's a softy.  He is very much a man's man!

You know the type...

loves fishing, camping out in freezing temperatures—

outfitted with nothing more than extreme-cold gear—enjoys hunting...

Need proof?

That's him standing in one of the fields of our little farm...

holding two Canebrake rattlesnakes that made the fatal mistake

of venturing a tad to close to the cottage.

I have to admit, at times like those,

I REALLY appreciate our differences!!!   ; )