Blessings for a Happy Weekend!

Here's hoping you all have a happy, beautiful and blessed holiday weekend. I'd also like to take this time to remember all of our friends in the Gulf Coast area.

Let's all pray this storm just disappears - that would be the best thing. But if that is not what is meant to be, we pray for your safety first and also for your homes and livelihoods to be protected. Our thoughts are with you all.

Blessings,
Cathy Cobblestone

I want to Include You!

Sometimes when I think about how much of a joy it has been blogging with my friends - I'm somewhat overwhelmed at all the kind comments, e-mails, even some phone calls ever now and then. With my hectic schedule, and I know we all have craziness in our lives, sometimes I fail, never on purpose though, to get back with the people who do such kind things for me, like give me blog awards I never seem to pick up ('cause it's always midnight and my eyes are crossin'- hee). And another thing, I always mean to add you all to my "Links I Love" and I get side-tracked - anybody else have this problem. So I'm kindly asking you, if you'd like - I want to include you in my blog roll. Just leave me a comment and I'll get it on there.

In the next few days, I'm gonna talk to you about my friend, Audrey's, darling "Lil' Booger Bows", my sweet friend, Cathy Jean's, absolutely precious pincushions. Oh I could go on and on - I admire the talent of so many people.

Next week, after the holiday, stay tuned for my first blog give-away - handmade fall "ornaments" - like candy corn, pumpkins, "boo" buttons. I can't wait to share with you all. I'll give you instructions on how to make your own - but some lucky person will win some - so check back!

Thank you all again, for everything - your very kind words brighten my everyday!

Let me know if you want to join the "links"!
Blessings,
Cathy Cobblestone

New Goodies in Store for You!

Thought I'd share with you a few new things in the shop today. This whimsical pottery just arrived last week and I LOOOOOVE it! I think no matter what your style whether it be cottage, country, prim, or even contemporary - a lil' whimsy just lightens and brightens the space. They all have scriptures on them as well - so it's fun and inspirational - how perfect!



These small platters would be perfect for a wedding or housewarming gift.



Love the beautiful colors in this large platter!



Isn't this the cutest spoon rest? I've never had a spoon rest and I've always wanted one - so I kept one of these for my self (I can't help it) - so cute!



These pretty pastels are sweet for maybe a get well, birthday, or thinking of you.

You all know I love to paint and I've always wanted to paint pottery. So this is going to be my next venture. It's gonna take me a while to get it going - I have to invest in a few things but I'm so excited. Do any of my blogging friends paint pottery - I could use any tips and pointers you have to offer!!!

So wish me luck and I'll keep you guys posted - first I have to find a few more hours in the day!

Have a splendid week!
Cathy Cobblestone

Thank You All so Very Much!

Just wanted to let you all know how very much I appreciate your thoughts, comments, phone calls, e-mails, and most importantly, prayers. We are all O.K., feeling well and yes, still very grateful! It is wonderful to have friends, what a blessing!

Thanks again and God Bless,
Cathy Cobblestone

So very Grateful..

...to be able to be HOME tonight and safe with my family. Unfortunately, today I was taking my mom and grandmother home and we were involved in a car accident. I had my sweet son with me and it is still all very fresh on my mind just how quickly my life could have been turned upside down. We are so very lucky to have escaped injury and had significant impact on both sides of the vehicle. We are all sore and still a lil' shook up but I'm just so incredibly grateful that the good Lord was watching over us all today like HE always is. The others involved in the accident escaped major injuries as well and I'm also so thankful for that also.

I'm so blessed tonight to still have my family safe and I'm incredibly grateful.

Hug your loved ones,
Cathy

Here's How My Garden Grows

These are our mums that we planted mid-June. Do you remember the pictures of them when they were oh-so-tiny - well they've grown. Actually they double their size in the month of August - so they still have some growing to do and they will be bloomin' in about two weeks. Can't wait to see them come alive with color!!



This picture is of our millet - as it matures it turns a beautiful shade of deep Burgundy/plum. It blooms kind of like a cattail and makes a great height statement. We like to place it with a mum and flowering cabbage in a pot - so very pretty for the fall season.




This is a picture of our ornamental Kale - it will make a center that looks like a giant rose - showing in either white, pink or purple.




Here is a mixed basket from last year to give you a better idea of the finished flower. This basket contains asters instead of mums, which we grow also. Actually in our zone, asters are considered more of a perennial than chrysanthemums.

Just letting you see what's growin', bloomin' and waiting for you to enjoy!

Everybody have a great evening! Happy Plantin' Friends.
Cathy Cobblestone

A "Basket" Window Box

Just sharing an idea with you today. On my screened in back porch I have a window that is kind of high - our swing is in front of it but it always looked like it needed something. So one day going to visit my mom, I stopped by a yard sale and got these great french door frames for $5.00 each - didn't know what I'd do with them but I just had to have them. Turned out, they were jus' what I needed for that window. I painted them and placed them on each side of the window, attached a cast-off shutter to them and used that as my base for my basket. I filled up my "great big" basket with ferns and geraniums and here you have it - A "Basket" window box.

Happy Creating Friends!
Cathy Cobblestone

I hit the JACKPOT!

OH MY GOODNESS - well, I wish I could just tell ya how excited I got when I hit the jackpot on Saturday afternoon. My friend, Pat, from church called and said there was a man trying to clean out the shed behind the house next to her. She said she thought there might be some things in there I would like to plant flowers in and she thought I should come by and have a look. I told her I appreciated her thinking of me and would stop by Saturday after I closed the shop. So mid afternoon Sat. I took a lil' road trip not knowing where I was going but I found it with no problem. The gentleman was there waiting on me and so I stepped inside expecting to find some neat enamelware to plant up with mums and ornamental cabbage, and when I walked in I was like - WOW - red chairs, pink chairs, green tables, blue bed, pretty dishes - well, I jus' 'bout jumped out of my pants. My hubby says he has never seen anybody get as excited over "junk" as I do. Well, he just doesn't see the potential like we ladies do, right? So here are a few pictures of my finds. He reasonably priced me these things, so I'll be redoing some pieces for the shop and some are perfect jus' the way they are. I'll show you before and after pictures as I get them ready!



Love my aqua lawn chair, my quilt top and those lamps. I'll make some pretty shades, maybe red and white check for those gold lamps - so french country.



What about that beautiful shade of green on that sewing cabinet - still with the "SINGER" machine inside - this is one of my favorite finds.



A pretty blue bed that my sweet Papaw will make into a beautiful bench. Can't wait to see what that one turns out like!!! Might have to keep it!



What a pretty cane back chair - perfect condition! I'll probably just cover the seat in a sweet pattern.



Another picture of all my goodies - Enamelware, frames, dishes, wood to paint on, going to turn those yellow chairs into a bench, I gotta a drop leaf table to that is not in the picture along with many pretty platters and bowls. Oh, I must stop - my mind is in overload. I'll keep ya posted on my progress.

Everybody have a great start to your week!
Cathy Cobblestone

Have a Sunny Weekend!

Hope everyone has a beautiful and HAPPY weekend! Many blessings to you all!

Cathy Cobblestone

A special Event

I mentioned to you a couple of weeks ago that I was able to help prepare for a special event that took place at a beautiful home here in my hometown. Well, I thought I'd share with you a few pictures from that day - it rained bucket loads the night before but turned out to be a glorious day. I was asked to add flowers to the exterior of the home as well as make an arrangement for the food table. The incredible food was prepared by two local women from Classic Country Catering - it was as delicious as it looked. I wanted to thank my friends at Brenda's Flowers for getting me the perfect color coral roses to make the arrangement for the ice bucket. You can not tell, but in this home are ceilings that are probably 20 feet and the walls are coral so the roses were a PERFECT match. The owners of the home were so very kind to me and I appreciate the opportunity to have been a part of that day.

Flowers from local growers, food from area farmers - if it all possible it was asked that everything be supplied from "local" people. I think that is so important - to support small businesses and those who love their work and have a true passion for it. I'm so grateful to have been asked as well as all those that were involved. A sincere thank you to Bill, Justine and David. And in the end, everyone was happy!

Just sharing with you today - Be blessed,
Cathy Cobblestone

Happy Monday!

I just wanted to encourage you on this Beautiful Monday to do something that lifts the spirit of someone else as well as your own! These veggies are from our small garden and I tell ya - as good as they are - I almost enjoy sharing them more than eating them - and believe me - I LOOOOOOVE tomatoes!!! We have a new neighbor - so that is where these are headed and to some dear friends of ours!

Happiness is a sunbeam....
When it strikes a kindred heart,
like the converged lights upon a mirror,
it reflects itself with redoubled brightness.
It is not perfected until it is shared.

-Jane Porter_




This basket full of flowers is from my cutting garden - jus' simple sunflowers, cosmos, and zinnias - so easy to grow but aren't they just BEAUTIFUL! This lil' basket was ordered up by my dear friend, Ms. Evelyn, but let me encourage you to grow these simple flowers for yourself. I have flowers in lil' vases EVERYWHERE - on my kitchen window seal, in a vase on my dining room table, a single zinnia on the vanity - they just make me so happy and they'll do the same for you!

Remember to share something today - the joy will be all yours!
Cathy Cobblestone

A Beautiful Day

Oh Happy Day!

I thought I would share with you a few pictures from my dear friend Kathy's son's wedding. Now, even though I helped with the flowers, she had many of her close friends lending a helping hand - all of which were absolutely wonderful. So let's just say, it was a team effort. And even though it was warm, nope, let's just say it - down right HOT!! - it truly was a beautiful day. This wedding was meant to be casual with a light hearted atmosphere and all who came enjoyed themselves as they danced into the evening.

But can you believe, that I did not get one picture of the wedding party or the front of the house where the wedding actually was????? OH ME, another one of my mistakes. Actually, I was running around everywhere doing last minute things - I had to lay my camera down - So sorry I missed it. Some of these pictures are before everything was complete - they were working on the cake as I was snapping that one(notice the arm on the right of pic) and the chairs were not around the tables yet. Just so you know, the bride looked beautiful and all of the attendants wore sweet raspberry colored dresses and the men all looked sharp in their tuxes with matching raspberry vests and ties. The colors were beautiful against the lush green landscape.

So BEST WISHES Jordan and Whitney - may your lives together be richly blessed.

Cathy Cobblestone

Pretty Pitchers all A BLOOM!

My white stoneware pitchers all lined up on my kitchen counter....



filled with fresh from the garden flowers (plus some from our local flower shop). A simple arrangement makes for a sweet garden wedding centerpiece.

I was gonna do a lil' slide show for ya today of the wedding - but wouldn't ya know it, it wouldn't work - so I'll try again later. But this is just to show you - you can use things you already have - these pieces have meaning plus they are easy on the pocketbook!!!

Grow your own flowers - the reward is "Beauty on a Budget!"
Have a great day friends!
Cathy Cobblestone

So much to tell ya, So lil' time....

This is my sweet son, Casen. Today was his first day of Kindergarten - a very bittersweet day for me. I'm grateful that he was happy and excited to go but at the same time, I felt like I left my heart in that classroom. I teared up and he said "Mommy, you are just sad 'cause I'm not gonna be with you today" and I said, "Yes" and he simply said, "It's O.K., I'm gonna be alright". So, I had to dry it up and be strong for him. He has been blessed with two wonderful teachers and I know it is gonna be a great start to his education. But Oh My, it was a tear jerker.



This is the front door to the home where I helped with a wedding over the weekend. Now, doesn't that just look like a happy way to enter a home! I had discussed with my dear friend, Kathy, a color for her front door just for this special occasion - and we decided on yellow - I don't think she could have picked a happier color! I love it!


Sorry I've been gone for a few days - now I've got so much to tell ya, I'll never get it in one post. But jus' so ya know - in the next few days - I'll show you some pictures of the wedding I just helped with, a delicious food table from another event I assisted with and I'm also gonna toot the horn of another one of my sweet friends. Now, let me jus' tell ya - you are gonna crack up when you hear the name of her lil' venture - but she is Oh So talented. If you have a lil' girl, granddaughter, or jus' know a special young lady - you are gonna love her hair bows!!!!!


I'll be talkin' with ya real soon!
Cathy Cobblestone