Jack In The Pulpit

May 19, 2015 by Pearl Sanborn

{Surprise}

It’s amazing what surprises you’ll see when you’re looking for them!

Needing a little break from work, I decided to take a walk down one of our woodland paths. I always expect to find some little treasure, so I keep my eyes open for them. I was inspecting the progress of the lilies of the valley in front of an old stone wall, when right there in front of me, my eyes caught this gorgeous green & purple “Jack in the pulpit”! I’ve never seen them in our forest before, and I was definitely not expecting to find one so beautiful!

Native Americans gathered the fleshy taproots, dried them to eliminate the poisonous qualities, & then used them as a vegetable. I’m not big on poison, so I think I’ll just stick to enjoying their beauty 😉

I plan to keep my eyes open for the seed pods in the fall, so I can plant them & expect to see many more covering our woodland floor!

Take a few minutes for yourself today… you never know what surprises await!

Violets Are Blue

May 15, 2015 by Pearl Sanborn

After a long hard winter with snowbanks over our heads, it was such a delight to see the snow melt away, and masses of tiny violets begin to unfurl their leaves. I know from experience, that in what seems like a blink of an eye, the violets will be sending up their precious deep purple blossoms. And this year, like every other before it, the violets haven’t let me down!

To some, these sweet little plants can be considered an unwelcome guest. And although I do admit to having more than expected pop up in the cottage gardens, each spring I welcome them like the arrival of a long awaited friend.

With their heart shaped leaves, and sweet little faces, how can you not love these little gems?

And just look at that gorgeous deep color!!

I think I must be a kindred spirit to the Victorians, as they too had a deep love for violets. They used them for perfume, ate them in salads, candied them & used them to adorn their cakes & pastries, pressed them for use in their crafts, & used them as an ingredient in many of their toiletries.

People called “violet-sellers” would have baskets filled with nosegays and tussie-mussies, and sell them from the street corners. And it wasn’t just the women buying them to pin to their dresses, but the men also had a love for violets & tucked them into their lapels & the brims of their hats.

Violets could be seen on everything from china, jewelry, home decor, & ladies stationary.

The Victorians also felt that different flowers had different meanings, and that they could be given as a “silent message” that actually spoke volumes to the recipient.

If you received a violet, the giver was giving you a message of affection.
The white violet meant deep affection, while the blue violet spoke of faithful love.

I gathered several bouquets for our home, and here is one that I put in a vintage inkwell that belonged to my grandfather. He loved flowers, and I think he helped pass that love on to me. So here are some blue violets in honor of my love for him … until we meet again.

If you don’t have any sweet violets in your yard, I’m sure a friend would be willing to share a plant or 3 😉

Nest – a hope for the future

November 27, 2015June 10, 2014 by Pearl Sanborn

I’ve always loved nests, eggs, & birds! My earliest memories of life in the nest, was on my great grandmother Pearl’s farm. She had lots of trees in her orchard, and she would encourage us to explore & peek at the developing homes among the branches. I’ve always loved everything to do with birds ever since. We even raised different types of parrots for many years, and each baby was a joy for our family to watch hatch & grow.

Recently, my husband & I were exploring the forest & the little stream that runs through it, when all of the sudden, a tiny bird flew up from in front of our feet. I think she was as startled as we were! As we looked down, there in the green leaves was a tiny little nest… filled with 3 very tiny blue eggs.

My heart still sings every time I see a momma bird filled with hope & preparing for her future, and today was no different.

To me, a nest resembles our lives … a place to gather your family, and call home.

From the time I was a little girl, the thing I prayed for the most, was a man who loved God & loved me, and many children to share our lives with. When Daniel & I started dating & talking about our dream of children, we both had been praying for exactly the same thing – 4 children of our own, then possibly adopt 2. Well…God has answered our prayers, and He blessed us beyond measure. And the blessings keep coming!

Our little nest started out with just the two of us. Then one by one, we were blessed with four little ones. Now, those little ones have grown into beautiful young adults, who are some of the most wonderful people you’d ever want to meet. They have found loves, and now our nest is bursting at the seems with wonderful children!

“Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from Him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.” Ps 127:3-5

Our oldest son Daniel. We are very proud of him!

Our baby girl Casey Chere’ married her love Zack back in April!

Our youngest son Ryne & his love Hannah got engaged last month!

Our son Cameron is waiting for his love – she’s coming soon we can feel it!

And just last week, our baby girl Casey & her love Zack announced to the world… that they are starting a nest of their own & will be having their first little one next winter!

With Spring all around us, and life bursting forth in every direction, I can’t help but stop & thank God for His blessings in our lives! Thank You Lord for our little nest, & those of us who have already started to build nests of their own.

What a wonderful journey this life is…when you take time to feather your nest <3

Decorating for Spring

October 27, 2011April 24, 2007 by Pearl Sanborn

Although I love to decorate for the holidays, I never really thought about changing things around during each season… until now 😉

About 8-9 years ago, we decided that someday soon we would move into a different home. We wanted something a little larger for our growing family, and more land for our growing desire for gardening! After we found our property, we went through the process of finding a house plan & building the new house. Fast forward several years… I finally feel settled & excited about decorating & gardening for the future.

In the past, I would normally get in the mood to decorate when the holidays came around a few times each year. Now, in our first year in the new cottage, I find myself thinking in terms of seasons – not just holidays.

I’ve always loved to look through magazines & see the beautiful pictures of homes as they go through their seasonal changes, but I always thought it was to expensive, as well as to much work. Now, however, I have a new philosophy… Why Not?

Even if the only thing you change is a picture, a piece of fabric, or a potted plant, you’re still keeping things interesting & current. And expensive? I should have known better 🙂 I have been known to uncover “many a good deal” in these parts 😉 So… I wanted to share some of the recent changes for the new season. This is our first Spring in the new house – as well as the beginning of a wonderful new tradition… change 😉

My friend bought me these little prim chicks from a favorite prim store of mine.

I love having different platters & bowls to serve our family & guests. When I find one at a great price, I snatch it up quick 🙂 This one was only $6 from a Pier One Sale!

* I just had to dress the rusty tin star with a dash of color 🙂

I love vintage wooden butter bowls – I picked these up in a $1 box at auction. The little bunny is cast iron.

I love these pears! I picked them up for .79 cents. They have such a vintage look with their coat of sparkles.

Inspiration Board

Primitive Angel

Isn’t she beautiful! I especially love her little red lips!

P is for Pearls

A gift from a friend – I love pearls & my name is Pearl 🙂

Angel Ornament

My friend made this little ornament for me. I love the way it sparkles!

I picked up the waverly toile runner for $5 at a local discount store. I want to add some pots of green plants to the center.

Here’s a close up of the little cast iron birds in the table wreath.

I can tell this is going to be fun!! 🙂

Thrift and Auction Treasures

September 24, 2013April 23, 2007 by Pearl Sanborn

I am a firm believer in keeping your eyes open for a great find! After all… why pay full price, when you can have it so cheap? 😉 Here are a few of my latest finds.

This little print above is one that I just picked up in my local thrift shop for .99 cents! I love roses, and for .99 cents … it had to come home with me 🙂

I try to find things to display in my little Victorian glass house, so for Spring it’s a simple cast iron bunny & eggs 🙂 The little vintage lace piece was in a $1 box of goodies that I picked up at auction!

I love this new platter! I just picked it up from the thrift store for $1.99! I love the bright red apples & the different shades of green in the leaves, stem, and platter. When this piece caught my eye I had to pick it up, because I knew that it would go with my decor perfectly! When I brought it home – I simply added it to the new Spring display (I think it will work for most of my displays 😉 in my vintage pine cabinet.

Apple Blossoms Line a Country Lane

October 27, 2011April 21, 2007 by Pearl Sanborn

My daughter & I just returned home from spending a week with my mom & dad in MD. It was the first time that I had ever driven such a distance by myself, so I was a bit nervous. I figured, at 38 years old, I should at least give it a try 🙂 To my surprise (and with much prayer) I did a fine job! With my little princess at my side we were off.

To help keep me awake, and to side step trying to find a suitable radio station every little while, we decided to pick up some audio books from our local library. Although I see audio books available, I had never thought of picking up any for my own enjoyment, but now I’m so glad we did! We had a marvelous time & finished 2 novels as well! I would encourage you to go to your local library & pick up some audio books for yourself. It’s free – and you can order the kinds of books that are appropriate for you & your family. I think I’m hooked!

We had a great time with my parents. Even though we are only 5-6 hours away, the seasons unfold about a month ahead of us. We left little piles of snow, and were greeted with apple & pear blossoms, smiling forsythias, and dancing daffodils!

I had to share a few pictures of a country lane lined with apple trees that we spied along a winding country road. The white blossoms made them look like they were covered with beautiful dreamy cotton balls! The sight reminded me of a scene from Anne of Green Gables, when Anne & Matthew were first arriving at Green Gables and the horse drawn wagon enters into an old apple orchard dripping with white blossoms… <./Pearl stops dreaming> 😉

While in MD, my mom took us to the most fabulous fabric shop! When we walked in, I could see that I might need to linger there for quite a while 🙂 I headed straight over to the wonderful home decorating section filled to the brim with waverly fabrics and every kind of toile imaginable! And the prices… 50% – 70% off! Needless to say… I picked up a “few” lovely pieces of fabric for future projects 😉

I’ll be sure to share some pictures & ideas with you tomorrow!

When my husband & I came home yesterday, it was so nice outside that we decided to go down by the river and drink in the goodness of God. We spent an hour or so just taking in the sights & sounds of our little heaven on earth. The water is higher than normal due to the Spring meltdown, so the sound of the water rushing over the rocks was wonderful! We spied a pair of ducks swimming towards us, so we tried to be as quiet as possible as to not scare them away. Here in the forest we seem to see so many different types of birds that we were not used to seeing at our other home down in the heart of the village. I guess even being a short distance away – as well as being tucked back in the forest helps bring out the best of area wildlife 😉

Well… the sun is shining – the birds are singing – and the peepers were out last night for the first time! It must be Spring!