Everytime you hear a bell ring an Angel gets his wings

Angel wings are so sweet. 

 They just tickle my fancy. 

Here are some

of my Flickr favorites:

Photos from Flickr

It doesn't stop there. 

Here are some pictures to

inspire your holiday decorating.
Love, love, love this photo:





photo: country living





photo: Country Living



And...a few items

you can purchase.







 


Venetian Mirror Wings by Graham and Green



How cute are these

 baby slippers?












Angel slippers from inhabitots







In the Kitchen

Today it's been cold and rainy.  The perfect time to make soup.  I just made a big pot of Minestrone...yum.  While I was in the kitchen cooking, I was thinking of my trip to Anthropology yesterday. I love their vintage kitchen items. Here are just a few of the awesome vintage kitchen items that I saw.

                                                        



Cute vintage apron



Whimsical tea cookie stand





Mismatched linen napkins




 embroidered kitchen towels





Stoneware soup tureen





How very french and fun!



Mismatched flatware, Tre chic.



Patchwork table cloth



Nice initialed cups



The cutest towels for wedding gifts.
All photos are from Anthropology

It sure would make being in the kitchen a lot more fun with these cute kitchen accessories from Anthropology.  They would make good hostess gifts too! Hint...Hint.  A girl can dream!



Is There Life after a Foreclosure?

Times are currently uncertain, retail sales are low, gas is up, and homes are being repossessed everywhere you look. There are two properties across the street from me that have signs on them, one reads bank owned, and the other, foreclosure. A lot of homeowners either have neg-am loans, second mortgages or equity lines of credit that were taken out when real estate was booming. Now homeowners are faced with the fact that their homes aren't worth as much as they owe. Deciding to let a home go is not an easy one. Let's face it, "letting go" is difficult especially when there is ego involved! There are so many psychological factors, stress, feelings of failure, depression, and lack of motivation for the future are just a few. But, are there any silver linings in the midst of all of the gloom and doom? Actually there can be blessings in disguise. I have a friend that was recently faced with an enormous decision. She lost her job and fell three payments behind on her mortgage. Should she keep trying to hang on to a home that isn't worth what she payed for it, or let the bank take it? She was suffering from stress related illnesses, depression, anxiety, and physical ailments, and had lost her health insurance. Examining her priorities, health (mental and physical) being at the top of the list, she made a courageous decision and decided to "let go". Notice that I didn't say give up. Since making her decision there has been a huge improvement in her outlook on life, and her future. She's now ready to make a fresh start. In hind sight she now realizes that she was never happy in her house or in the town where she lived. She is moving back to her hometown, closer to supportive friends and family, starting a new job, and has had her eyes opened up to new possibilities. It reminds me of how nature takes care of itself, a forest catches on fire, burns to the ground and renews itself, new growth and a rebirth take place. For her, the silver lining is that she has cleared the slate and has a new lease on life. When things look bleak there are always two ways to look at things, positively or negatively. What have you got to lose choosing a positive outlook? Nothing, in fact you have everything to gain.

Divorce, Children, and the Family Home

What happens to the sense of "home" for children when there is a divorce? Some couples choose to have one of the spouses stay in the family home, but in most cases each spouse moves to a new residence. Not all couples can afford to keep the family home, they just don't have the resources to be able to do that. It is not necessary, for the well being of the children, to do so. There are a lot of other factors that come into play when deciding what is best for the children. First of all, we have to define what is it that makes a home? Is it the house itself, the dwelling in which memories were made? Is it the family within the house? What happens then when the family is being torn apart? I believe it is "Love" that makes a family feel at home. It doesn't matter what house they reside in, as long as children feel a sense of love and belonging, they can still feel at home. If each parent lets their child know that they are always welcome, and that they always have a special spot in their heart and in their home, children will feel a sense of home, family, and belonging. Children need to know that they will always be welcomed in whichever home they visit their parent in, or that they themselves live in with their parent. Spouses may remarry or cohabitate with new partners, but children should always be made to feel that they still have a place in the home, if not physical, certainly an emotional space. There is the saying, "Home is where the heart is", that is not just a cliche, there is a lot of wisdom in that statement. The Dean Martin song comes to mind, "Memories are made of this". The song goes like this; With his blessings from above, serve it generously with love, one man, one wife, one love through life, memories are made of this. When there is a divorce the children are the one love through life that endures. As parents, we shape their memories, and it is our duty, to do it generously...through love.