A Wee Welcome

Some dear friends of ours recently adopted their first baby -- it has been a long journey, but now they hold a precious little one in their arms!

They're in our Bible study group, so a little celebration was in order. I volunteered for the cake (Italian Creme Cake -- oh goodness, do I love that cake!), and thought a little decoration was needed. After viewing some ideas on the web, I went for a modified cake bunting. I used scrapbook paper instead of fabric, since I don't much like the frayed look of most of the fabric cake buntings I saw. Forgive the blurred name -- I have neither permission nor the desire to reveal this little baby's identity!

I didn't think my slender bamboo kitchen skewers would quite do the job for this one, so I enlisted a pair of bamboo knitting needles to serve as my "posts." A few strands pulled from a scrap of burlap for ribbon, and the bunting was ready to go.

A wee (though very hearty) welcome seemed very fitting for such a wee (though quickly growing) baby!

Bridal Celebrations

A dear friend from church is getting married in a few short days, and the ladies in our church went all-out to prepare a beautiful bridal shower for her.



My friend Sarah made these little flags for the gourmet cheeses (I told you they went all-out!), which I just love:



I found this tutorial for paper flowers -- I actually didn't realize there were written instructions at the bottom of the tutorial, and figured it out entirely from the pictures! To me that indicates that the pictorial instructions were quite good!



I'm totally addicted to these now, and can see myself making many more of them! The origami folds are quite soothing for some reason, and after a few petals you don't even have to think about what your fingers are doing. They look great "blooming" on dried twigs and displayed in a recycled jar or bottle. The bride actually liked these so much that she plans to use these instead of the paper flowers she had purchased.



A lady in our church makes the most amazing cupcakes. Want proof? Here you go:

{They taste even better than they look!}

I brought Yvonne along for the occasion, draped in ribbon and antique lace and belted with a burlap-and-silk bloom.



The wedding will have a natural/metallic theme, so Yvonne also sported a little "Welcome" tag and a copper key.



Three of the paper flower "vases" were World Market natural soda bottles (I knew I saved those for a reason!), banded with ribbon and vintage 30's buckles.



I'm so thrilled for my sweet friend -- she is such a gracious and radiant bride-to-be, and I know she will be a godly and loving wife!

Tea and Roses

There's nothing like a hot cuppa in a vintage teacup and a handful of nature's loveliest blossoms in a vintage teapot.

The old-fashioned rambling kind of blooms, of course, not those stuffy hothouse hybrids.

It's a simple equation, really:

Tea + Roses + Spring = Bliss.

This is Love

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying,
"Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:
therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."

~ Jeremiah 31:3 ~