Faith Family Friends

Celebrating the Joy of Living & Home Making ~

Baking, Cooking, Decorating, Tea Time, and taking Inspiration from those I love and the world around me...

A sharing of my heart and my home from a Christian perspective

...with a wee bit of whimsy added.

Wednesday 21 November 2012

HOME


Hello friends and Welcome to my HOME ~ I would like to wish all my American friends a Very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

"There is nothing like staying at HOME for real comfort." ~ Jane Austen


While decorating my home the past few days, I have been reflecting upon my many blessings. I am grateful for so many things; my faith, my family, and my friends.
Everyday I awake in a nice warm bed, knowing I am cherished by my loved ones. We drive a nice car and we have clean clothes in the closet. There is food in the refrigerator and this week Hubby and I will go grocery shopping to replenish it. I am free to worship my Lord and go to church on Sunday and the wondrous season of joy is upon us. Lots to be thankful for!

I realize there are many who are not so blessed and my thoughts and prayers go out to all of you. May God bless you and watch over you. I pray your needs will be met this week.

Here are some posts that caught my eye last week:

Sally @ Drinking From My Saucer  shared her wonderful vintage hymnal ornaments.  She used pages from her grandparents' hymn book and filled these Christmas ornaments with them. 



CynthiaCloches and Lavender repurposed her cabinet doors. I think she did a fabulous job! Please be sure to visit her for instructions.


JudyGold Country Cottage shared a beautiful post filled with  Autumn and Thanksgiving vignettes. I loved her harvesters on the mantel. Perhaps you will get inspired by visiting her.



BellaBella's Rose Cottage shared her lovely tablescape. If you like feminine and serene then Bella knows just how to put it together. Isn't it dreamy?



This week I am sharing my Christmas mantel. I used  some evergreen garland as well as some glitzy magnolias. I do have a couple of new mercury glass pieces which I love.




Pine cones, Christmas balls, and fairy lights finish it off.


I had to take the picture on an angle so my reflection wouldn't be in the mirror but you get the idea.


Have you started decorating yet?


It's a busy time of year and one can get worn down fairly quickly what with all the preparations. So, why not take a few moments and indulge yourself in a little pick me upper? I like to pour myself a cup of tea or coffee in a pretty cup and enjoy a little treat like Raspberry Fool. It's quick, it's easy, it's pretty, and oh, so good!
Just taking a few moments of solitude for yourself can restore you before getting back into the groove.



I found this simple yet delightful dessert in an older Victoria magazine. Just gently fold some pureed raspberries into whipped cream and serve in a pretty dish. Why, it's good enough for company!

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." ~ William Arthur Ward

Do you have something special you would like to share? Please refer to the list below and kindly link up. I will be happy to come and visit you.  Have a beautiful day dear friends and once again, Happy Thanksgiving!



I am joining the following parties as well~

Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Cottage Style Linky Party~ http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com/
Tutorials Tips and Tidbits ~ http://www.stonegableblog.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Open House~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/  
Potpourri Friday~ http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

30 comments :

  1. Oh wow hon! I absolutely love your Christmas mantel! It is absolutely stunningly gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I always feel such a gentleness when I visit you, dear Sandi! Your mantle looks so pretty and the raspberry fool looks divine! I love the ruby dishes. Happy Thanksgiving to you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your mantel is beautiful Sandi! I have been decorating and I am now down to the tweaking to make look diff from last year phase. LOL Thank you for hosting!

    ReplyDelete
  4. How nice to have a mantel to decorate lovely. Magnolias are wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello Sandi
    The mantle looks lovely and the angle shot is perfect; I too like glitzy things. I miss having a mantle to decorate but when we downsized our home, I had to give a few things up I would have liked.
    Raspberry fool sounds delicious.
    Judith

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love your pink mantle. Sparkly gorgeous! Mercury glass is really *in* this year. Everywhere I look I see it. It does add a bit of old-fashioned feeling sparkle and elegance. Thank you for hosting!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks again for the feature. Your mantel is truly beautiful. Happy Thanksgiving!

    Cynthia

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lovely. Such beauty brought to the blogosphere from all of the lovely ladies! Happy Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sandi,
    Your Christmas mantle and mirror with the wreath looks stunning!! I would love to have a fireplace in my downstairs but there just isn't a wall to put one on!!

    Thanks so much for hosting, dear friend!!

    Hugs,
    Deb

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sandi,
    Your Christmas mantle and mirror with the wreath looks stunning!! I would love to have a fireplace in my downstairs but there just isn't a wall to put one on!!

    Thanks so much for hosting, dear friend!!

    Hugs,
    Deb

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Sandi, Thank you for sharing these inspiring Christmas decoration photos. Everyone is so talent. I loved your pink mantle. Of course pink is my favorite color. I have not started decorating yet, today and tomorrow are pretty busy for me with Thanksgiving. Friday I will begin. I will have to take some photos to share on my blog. Again thanks for sharing. Have a blessed day.

    Hugs,
    Janet

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Sandi, such a beautiful mantle. Love the silvers and pinks and reflections. Thank you for hosting and sharing such great features too.
    Joy

    ReplyDelete
  13. A wonderful post Sandi. All I can say is ditto, ditto, ditto! I am grateful for the bountiful grace of Jesus in my life and the amazing manifold ways it is given! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am giving thanks for your friendship and testimony my dear sister!
    Ruth

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your mantel is really beautiful, Sandi! Love your new header photo too. The raspberry fool sounds very good! Wishing you and your family a blessed holiday season.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sandi, great features and I love your mantel. Have a very blessed Thanksgiving!
    Hugs,
    Jann

    ReplyDelete
  16. What an elegant Christmas mantel, Sandi! I haven't started decorating my house for Christmas yet. I'm waiting until the day after Thanksgiving. My children have gifted me with several Thomas Kinkade lighted houses/cottages, and they decorate my mantel during the Christmas holidays. I will probably blog about them soon. ~ Phyllis

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hello Sandi,

    Such beautiful and touching words... You have said it so well. We have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I am spending time with my beautiful family so I am not posting anything this week. But have a wonderful Thanksgiving...

    ReplyDelete
  18. Your mantel is so pretty, Sandi. I bet everyone is drawn right to it when they enter your home.
    Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving. Deb

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Sandi,
    Thank You for sharing my tablescape and your kind words! Your mantle is lovely and I love the mercury glass, I think it is perfect for the holidays:-) I haven't started decorating yet, Friday is the big day around here:-)
    Hugs,
    Bella

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your mantle looks absolutely wonderful!
    As usual Sandi, you have created something very feminine and special for Christmas.
    Your love for your home and family is so inspiring!
    Bless you, my friend..Trish

    ReplyDelete
  21. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi there,
    Your Christmas mantel decorations are beautiful, and those recipes look great! Although we don't typically celebrate Thanksgiving here in Aus, it sounds like a wonderful time with some great traditions!
    Hannah :o)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Happy Thanksgiving! These are all wonderful things to be grateful for and I share them all! :)

    (Except that we have no car and I'm fine with that! ;))

    ReplyDelete
  24. Love the quote by Ward...and all these photos...beautiful. Hope your thursday is shining.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wishing you a wonderful and blessed week-end. Hugs, C. (HHL)

    ReplyDelete
  26. I really enjoyed seeing your fireplace! Lovely! Wonderful post as always!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi Sandi. Thank you so much for featuring my harvester mantle. I love joining your parties and you always do everything in such a beautiful manner. Your mantle is a thing of beauty and I can only imagine how much better it looks in person. Anything that sparkles for Christmas is perfect..Happy Friday..Judy

    ReplyDelete
  28. Yum--I think I will try that dessert out--a great idea!

    ReplyDelete

I am delighted to have you visit me and I read every comment. Please forgive me for not being able to visit you all as there are so many of you lovely bloggy friends now. I will visit as much as possible. I wish you a day filled with JOY!

Also, due to the amount of spam I've been getting, I have had to set Comment Moderation. ~ Sandi

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.