Sweet and Shabby Patriotic Pillow

Good day to you, lovelies!

Thursday has arrived and the weekend is just around the corner.

My dear friends, will you be doing anything special?

I would love to hear about your plans.

Today I wanted to show you these delightful patriotic pillows that I made

using a lovely blogging friend's pattern.

Aren't they just the sweetest?

My wonderful friend Donna from Lavender Nest

shared a pillow that she had made which you can find here

and when I saw it I simply fell in love with it.

Donna was very kind to point her readers in the direction of 

Heather from Vintage Grey 

for the tutorial which you can find by clicking on the link below:

Patriotic Flag Tutorial

The tutorial is very easy to follow along

and I must say that once you start making the blocks

you'll want to keep making them as they are fun and addicting :)

I had intended to make only one,

but three later. . . 

You might be wondering where the third one is.

Well, I made it with more country-type fabrics.

I used a cream, blue, and dusty rose color-theme.

I love that you can do almost any color

and it still looks like our American flag.

As you saw in the photos I kept one pillow "traditional" with the reds and blues,

but I stepped outside of the box and made one with pinks, blues, and whites.

I have to confess that it was very hard for me to keep from embellishing these pillows

with a fabric flower, pearls, or buttons.

You know how I love to embellish,

but there are some things that look beautiful just as they are

and these pillows are one of them.

I tucked my two patriotic pillows in a vintage crate by my tea cart.

What do you think?

And the other pillow looked nice on my bed. . .

But I knew it would look better in my mom's home

since she likes Primitive country decor so I gave it to her :)

Many thanks to Heather for the delightful tutorial!

I greatly appreciate her sharing her talents with us.

I hope you check her beautiful blog out

and make one of your own patriotic pillows.

You can find the tutorial here.

And thanks to sweet Donna for mentioning Heather's block tutorial.

Have a beautiful weekend, my friends!

And Happy 4th of July!

{{ hugs }}

The Stars and Stripes Forever

Let martial note in triumph float

And liberty extend its mighty hand

A flag appears ‘mid thunderous cheers,

The banner of the Western land.

The emblem of the brave and true

Its folds protect no tyrant crew;

The red and white and starry blue

Is freedom’s shield and hope.

Other nations may deem their flags the best

And cheer them with fervid elation

But the flag of the North and South and West

Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom’s nation.

Hurrah for the flag of the free!

May it wave as our standard forever,

The gem of the land and the sea,

The banner of the right.

Let despots remember the day

When our fathers with mighty endeavor

Proclaimed as they marched to the fray

That by their might and by their right

It waves forever.

Let eagle shriek from lofty peak

The never-ending watchword of our land;

Let summer breeze waft through the trees

The echo of the chorus grand.

Sing out for liberty and light,

Sing out for freedom and the right.

Sing out for Union and its might,

O patriotic sons.

Other nations may deem their flags the best

And cheer them with fervid elation,

But the flag of the North and South and West

Is the flag of flags, the flag of Freedom’s nation.

- John Philip Sousa -

My dear friends,

I hope you are well and enjoying these last days of June.

It's always a delight to have you visit

and I hope you enjoy today's little project.

I made some shabby American flags that I tucked into a patriotic jar

and I thought maybe you might want to make some to place around your home

during this wonderful time of year.

Supplies Needed:

fabric with stars on it

scrap lace

red and white checked fabric or ribbon

buttons

twigs

hot glue gun and glue

needle and thread

The fabric with stars on it is 4 1/2-inches x 6 1/2-inches.

I tore  1/2-inch wide stripes out of the checked fabric for a sweet shabby look

and hand sewed them onto the flag for a Primitive look and feel.

I used my sewing machine to sew on the scrap lace.

I applied hot glue to the backside edge of the flag

and folded it over a twig.

A scrap piece of lace was added  over the top two stripes of the flag

and each button was sewed on.

I found the jar at Hobby Lobby

and filled it with Spanish moss.

I tucked the flags into the moss

and added some pretty red berries and cream pearls.

I placed the flags on my dining room table. . .

but they also look pretty by the flag that I made last week.

You can find the tutorial for that project here.

Hurrah for the flag of the free!

May it wave as our standard forever,

The gem of the land and the sea,

The banner of the right.

Let despots remember the day

When our fathers with mighty endeavor

Proclaimed as they marched to the fray

That by their might and by their right

It waves forever.

- John Philips Sousa -

Hugs, joy, and blessings 

to you, my friends!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Come by Rose Petal Blessings 

and enjoy 20% off your entire order.

This offer is good through the 4th of July.

He The Pearly Gates Will Open

But as it is written,

eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,

neither have entered into the heart of man,

the things which God hath prepared 

for them that love him.

- 1 Corinthians 2:9 -

Love divine, so great and wondrous,

Deep and mighty, pure, sublime!

Coming from the heart of Jesus,

Just the same through tests of time.

Like a dove when hunted, frightened,

As a wounded fawn was I;

Brokenhearted, yet He healed me,

He will heed the sinner’s cry.

Love divine, so great and wondrous,

All my sins He then forgave!

I will sing His praise forever,

For His blood, His power to save.

In life’s eventide, at twilight,

At His door I’ll knock and wait;

By the precious love of Jesus

I shall enter Heaven’s gate.

Chorus

He the pearly gates will open,

So that I may enter in;

For He purchased my redemption

And forgave me all my sin.

- Fredrick A. Blom -

My heart is glad, I'm saved by grace,

to Christ my life I give;

And He's prepared for me a place,

where I with Him shall live.

In heaven's land, heav'ns glory land,

we'll live eternally;

Our home prepared by Christ's dear hand,

and there His face we'll see.

Heav'n has no night, Christ is light,

its sun shall ne'er go down;

There clothed we'll be in garments white,

from Christ receive a crown.

In heav'n with Christ, we'll sing with joy,

no tears our eyes will dim;

And sin shall ne'er our hope destroy ,

when  we're at home with Him.

Blessed rest with Him to live in heav'ns land

with God's own Son.

Even here His peace He'll give-

But the best is yet to come.

- N. Frykman -

Have a blessed Lord's Day,

precious friends!

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All Summer Long - Book Review

Tia gets a second chance at love 

when an old crush suddenly reappears.

Tia D'Amico is thrilled to move to San Francisco 

to help her aunt transform an old luxury yacht into an upscale floating restaurant. 

What's not to love? 

Sunset dinner cruises, upscale wedding receptions - the possibilities are endless 

and far more appetizing than staying in a monotonous job in her Podunk hometown. 

Besides, some of her best memories are tied to San Francisco-

especially the memory of Leo Parker, 

her crush from a long-ago sailing camp.

When the self same Leo Parker turns out to be the yacht's captain, Tia is floating on air. 

But will it all come crashing down around her 

when she discovers his heart belongs to someone else?

Get ready for a romantic summer in San Francisco, 

where the future glistens brighter than the bay at sunset.

My Thoughts

This book is the second installment in the Follow Your Heart Series

and can be read as a stand alone book.

You can read my review for Once Upon a Summertime here.

All Summer Long is a very easy and light-hearted read.

It's a book you can grab and enjoy by the pool 

or while sitting under a tree during a hot afternoon.

While it was an enjoyable book it was not one of my favorites.

First of all, Tia D'Amico was a delightful character

and I thoroughly enjoyed her upbeat and happy personality throughout the book.

She is also very loyal to her friends and family 

and would do anything for them.

Leo on the other hand was so-so.

I wish the author would have given the readers more with Leo

as his personality simply fell flat for me.

It seemed like any romantic connection between these two

was one-sided meaning it was all on Tia's side.

There was no real connection for me

and by the time any connection came it was too late as the book was almost over.

At times I felt as though I was reading a young adult type of book

because the storyline was shallow here and there.

And often the characters {who are in their late 20's} 

would talk like teenagers. . .there was nothing deep or meaningful.

My last "issue" has to do with the faith that was hardly mentioned in All Summer Long.

This book is labeled as "Christian," but the Christan aspect was missing from the pages.

Oh, the characters went to church a couple of times, but that was it. . .

no mention of our great God and Heavenly Father.

Alcohol was mentioned several times

and one of the main characters {who claimed to be a Christian}

was often getting drunk whenever she went out to supper.

If you have been reading my reviews for a certain length of time

than you know that this is my personal opinion

and you know I have a problem with books that claim to be "Christian" 

but are no different from secular fiction.

I know I say this a lot,

but we as believers of Christ have a high calling to be set apart. . .

to be a testimony for Him.

When we claim to be a follower of Jesus,

but do things that are opposed to him than how are we being a light?

I truly beileve there needs to be a difference

and I didn't find that difference in this book.

If this book was not labeled "Christian"

than I wouldn't be writing this because it's not expected in a secular book.

Again, this is my personal and honest opinion.

I'm giving this book three stars.

** I was given a free copy of this book from Revell Publishers for an honest review.

All thoughts are my own. No other compensation was received. **

About the Author

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books

with sales of more than 6.5 million.

She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award

in the inspirational market for her many books, including Finding Alice.

She and her husband live in central Oregon.

Learn more at www.melodycarlson.com 

America The Beautiful

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

With Independence Day just around the corner

I thought I had better get busy and make a few decorations for my home.

I just completed this sweet and shabby American flag

and I thought I would share it with you, dear friends.

I have seen these type of flags on Pinterest and other blogs

and have been itching to make one :)

I went with a shabby and primitive country theme
and simply made it my own.

I also tried to add lots of texture by using a variety of ribbon and lace.

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,

Whose stern, impassioned stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America!

God mend thine every flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law!

To make my flag I simply used a wooden hanger

and folded the ribbon over the rod

then hot glued the fold in place.

I pinned the star fabric onto two pieces of ribbon

and the fabric was embellished with vintage lace.

O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness,

And every gain divine!

A pretty lace flower was added to the corner of the hanger.

And for the finishing touch I tied some ribbon around the metal part of the hanger

and added a shabby rose which has a paper tag glued onto it .

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

- Katharine Lee Bates -

Have a lovely day,

sweet friends!

Sharing with:

Fresh Raspberry Pie

Good day, my friends, 

and Happy Summer!

Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; 

to me those have always been the two most beautiful words 

in the English language. 

- Henry James -

I hope your summer is off to a beautiful start 

and I also hope you are staying nice and cool.

We will be enjoying temperatures in the mid-90's this week,

but I know several of you are enjoying even hotter temps.

The 4th of July is just around the corner

so I thought I would share this fresh raspberry pie recipe

since it's a delicious pie to take to a picnic.

And the red makes it nice and patriotic.

Ingredients Needed:

enough pastry for two pie crusts

{if you're looking for an excellent crust recipe click here;

my mom shared my grandma Betty's recipe and it's amazing}

4 cups of fresh raspberries

1 cup sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons tapioca

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons cream

Roll out half of the pie crust

and place it in a pie plate.

Gently press down so that there aren't any air pockets.

Blitz the tapioca in the blender to grind it until it's fine and flour-like.

Mix together the raspberries, sugar, tapioca,

cinnamon, and lemon juice.

Pour the raspberry mixture into the pie shell

and dot with butter.

Roll out the remaining pie crust and lay it on top of the raspberry mixture.

Trim off any excess crust 

and use your fingers to create a pretty scallop design on the edges.

Brush the cream onto the top of the pie

and sprinkle with some sugar and cinnamon.

Cut 3 - 4 slits in the top of the pie.

Set the pie on a baking sheet in case the juices run over.

Preheat oven to 425F.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 375F and bake for another 25 - 35 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Enjoy!

You can find the original recipe by clicking here.

The perfect treat to enjoy while sitting on your back patio one summer evening.

Serve this pie with ice cream or whipped cream

for extra sweetness.

It was June, and the world smelled of roses. 

The sunshine was like powdered gold 

over the grassy hillside. 

- Maud Hart Lovelace, Betsy-Tacy and Tib, 1941 -

Have a splendid week, sweet friends.

{{ hugs }}

Sharing with:

What Is A Father. . .

A father is created in God's image.

So God created man in his own image, 

in the image of God created he him.

- Genesis 1:27a -

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A father is a man of honor.

Be not ashamed of thy virtues;

honor is a good brooch to wear in a man's hat at all times.

- Ben Jonson -

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

He is a man of prayer.

Prayer. . .

A man stands tallest when he is on his knees.

- Unknown -

A father is not afraid 

to show love and compassion.

A father is respected because

He gives his children leadership...

Appreciated because

He gives his children care...

Valued because

He gives his children time...

Loved because

He gives his children the one thing

They treasure most - himself.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A father is full of integrity.

The just man walketh in his integrity: 

his children are blessed after him.

- Proverbs 20:7 -

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

He is selfless.

True leaders are selfless.

They have always been servants of the people first.

- Unknown -

He is a man of good character.

Live in such a way,

that if someone spoke badly of you

no one would believe it.

- Unknown -

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A father is the perfect teacher.

One father 

is more than a hundred schoolmasters.

- George Herbert -

He is simply. . .my father.

Dads are most ordinary men turned by love 

into heroes, adventurers, story-tellers, singers of songs.

- Pam Brown -

A good father is one of the most

unsung,

unpraised,

unnoticed,

and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.

- Billy Graham -

I may be all grown up now,

but my dad will always be my hero.

He will always be a man I look up to and admire.

My father will always have a special place in my heart

and I will always need this special man in my life.

I consider it a privilege to have a father that is all the things I listed and more.

I love you, dad!

I love my father as the stars-

he’s a bright shining example 

and a happy twinkling in my heart. 

- Terri Guillemets -

Have a blessed Lord's Day, sweet friends!

Hugs to you!