Last Week of 2015

 Sunrise - New Beginnings

        Christmas is behind us now and before you know it the New Year is here. For me it means new beginnings, a fresh start, to make new goals, plan an adventure. In the past I mostly dreamed of the adventures and never really thought I can make it happen. I have made Resolutions and they were good ones but they never took. My most famous one is to wear make-up everyday, fix my hair pretty, and wear a babble or 2. Now I have never been one to wear make-up as what I call a full face; just a touch of mascara and a tinted gloss, do more than a pony tail, and wear earrings and a necklace. Fifteen - twenty years ago when I started this Resolution it would last 3 months, mainly because my children where little and I had other issues going on in my life. But I never gave up, so again this year Make-up makes the list of things. Only this year I am not calling it Resolution, I'm making it my Vision. God has plans for me and when I still my mind & listen; I hear God tell me how to get the things I ask for, to achieve the purpose He has for me. That is My Vision, to be able to see what He has for me.
        This past week I have been looking for the tools in which to help me; one is what I had learned in my Health class, that 15 Step process for Goal obtaining. Looking at different 'to do' / weekly list planners. I had a monthly calendar that I wrote assignments due and a daily list of 'to do' when I had more then a few things to have done. It works for now, luckily I am a flexible in that if something better is presented I will give it a try.
      For the year 2016 the Vision which God has given me is the job I chose and the ability to let my creativity flow and share it here with you.

Christmas Eve

 Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people will perish....  (Red Letter Edition)


                      with love & blessings,
                                               Mia

Case of the Kitty vs. Christmas Decorations

            Let me present to you the facts: Levi Kitty willfully and succeeded to take down Christmas Decorations. Proof is in the pictures.

1of 2 sconces Entry Hall

second sconce in Hall

Levi Kitty at the scene of the crime - Hall

sconce minus ribbon

at the scene of the second attack - Entry Hall

                            As you can see the hanging ribbon is no longer there and
                     the pictures are in the order of attack - Hall then Entry Hall and
                                   Levi Kitty is present at both scenes.

Fall Leaves     

 

 

             As to Levi's character, he is constantly attacking decorations as proof to the Fall leaves

Levi's sentence: become Christmas Decoration

     Levi was wiggling to much to get a good picture, but all in Christmas fun and joy, that is what this time of the year is all about and who you spend it with. I pray that the fun and joy of Christmas stays with you all through the next year.


              with the blessing of our Loving God,
                                                       Mia

Christmas Village

             My Christmas Village .... each year I try to add a new piece last year I wasn't so lucky I could not find anything that was the right size. And what makes it harder to find the right pieces is that I have found everything from Thrift stores and they are not name brand Department 56 or Lemax signed pieces. But I love them and building a tiny little village is what I want. Maybe this year before I put them away I will measure them to know the size and do a bit of research through the year so I can add a house or two.

the Village

Thrift store ornament that fit in nicely as a Village Tree

another ornament that fit the Village

Thrift store Bottle Brush Trees

My first and only house - people came with the Bottle Brush Trees

the Gazebo

 

 

 


  these are last years pictures, water had gotten in a container and the tray is gone. So this year I will have to find a base for it, one that is just for the Village and a tray to use as a tray.

               Well, off to do some studying - Finals Week and then time for some real Christmas fun!
                                                    Mia


                                Isaiah 7:14           Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:
                                                     The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a
                                                     son, and will call him     Immanuel.

On the Title....

    Let me say that I haven't really had very many Random Thoughts lately that have stuck in my mind, it can be a result of Finals week rapidly approaching. This morning I did get a thought stuck and could not move forward to start all the things I need to do today:

                                               God is Love.

6:30 this morning

1 John 4:16

Levi Kitty reading

that has been my first thought of the day. I know that this verse is in the Bible, just I can never remember where, I do however know how to find it. And Levi Kitty is learning too about the meaning of love.

         Today I will be helping my sister with her business, she will be having a Q&A about finances for single Mom's; babysitting provide - by mawa and I kept thinking how does God is Love and these kids connect. I have a belief that young kids are very close to God, they have this ability to know what it means to love a person without being showed. A newborn instinctively know that this is Mom & Dad, these are the people are my siblings, grandparents, etc.. and know that this warm fuzzy bubbly happy feeling is love. That is what you get from God and more. I find it hard to put into words that the love from God is so much more then a warm fuzzy feeling.
     I leave you with this Random Thought: 
                                 Love is a warm and fuzzy feeling and it is from GOD.
  

                          have a blessed week, 
                                                       Mia

Presenting Homework 15 Steps

 

beautiful Spring Sky 2015

         At the end of September I wrote of my Wellness Project for my Health Class and a week ago Thursday I presented what I did and how it has been helpful, I had also received my grade on Tuesday ( 80 points out of 80 = an A). If you haven't read what this Wellness Project was, it is a 15 Steps to achieve a finished project plan. My Project: to Create 10 Stories for my Blog. This is my tenth story. Which could not be done until I published this story. How did I get an A for a project that was not finished, you ask? The hard copy of this plan, topic of story and it's publishing date was said in my presentation. 
           The 15 Steps is a great life tool. I find it  very effective in getting things done. It has helped me with knowing where I was in the process of these 10 stories and will continue using this process. I also feel that it will help in other projects I want to do, like preparing for finals and stepping up in the job searching process. I have seen how it has helped in my time management and that I can see the steps to complete a project. The Goal to have the home, the space that reflects a Life of Artful Living. Goals that are realized daily and enjoyed constantly if planned.

           Well, I'm off to plan my week and laundry; next week Christmas home all decked out.

                                                           blessings, Mia

My Sister's Serving Dishes

This weeks table centerpiece

the table

the Gravy Boat never has enough Gravy

these platters will be full of ham or asparagus and the square one: sweet potatoes

the soup Tureen usually has a vegetable

The Star of the meal's Plate

             Our family doesn't have one big meal on Thanksgiving but several all weekend. My late husband's family, my sister, my brother, and my mom all have dinners planned. Sometimes my family collaborates on the meal or we just hit all the spots. Great thing for me is that I rarely cook, maybe a side dish and/or dessert but I am involved in the set up and clean up - dishes.  Here are my sister's serving dishes that I pulled out of the high shelves of her pantry














































                                   have a blessed week and may your turkey be over flowing!
                                                                 with blessings, Mia

Life unplanned

             Life has a way of getting in the way of good plans. I mean I had every intention of spending my weekend working on some homework due this week, by the way my Friday night starts Thursday noon, then I have Fri, Sat, and Sunday as my weekend. But this is what happened: Tuesday my nephew (he was sick and not able to go to school, needing someone to watch him) comes out from the Big City; Wednesday I have a migraine all morning  but am able to finish studying for a test for Thursday; Thursday get that done & school but now Sister wants me to bring Nephew on train Friday & she would bring me back Saturday after Nephews football game & errands.So off to the Big City we go, Friday goes as planned. Saturdays Game was awesome, errands they take longer then expected so I don't get home till late - bedtime late.  Leaving not much time to do what I want to show you here. I will do it this week because it is part of my homework. Remember the 15 Step Project for my Health class, which is the above mentioned homework.

                                 I am glad to not have missed this, my Heroes playing ball. 

Nassir, Brandon, and Cassius Game #1 of a 2 game day in blue

Brandon as Quarterback, Cassius is in motion with Nassir

Nassir on the sideline Game #1

Game #1

Game #2 of the day, Brandon in white reaching for the flag

Game #2 Cassius in yellow in the middle of the picture

  at least they are all on the same team and my sister doesn't have to juggle different game times or even places.

       Check in later this week and see what I have to show.    
                                            thanks for stopping by, Mia

3rd Annual Turkey Hunt

              A few years ago I started a Turkey Hunt with family and friends.  This is my way to show family and friends that I am thankful for them and to help keep us in touch. Because quite often we become so busy with what needs to be done now and the phone call gets put off to tomorrow, then you realize it has been a month, a year, since you last talked with them.

The rules are simple:
              1. find image of a turkey and share it with the others in the Hunt, via text, email, or
                  Facebook.
              2. have fun
              3. game time is for the whole month of November
              4. the prize: love
                          players: family and friends and a Caller. The Caller is the person who invites
                                        everyone to play and picks the day to begin.

                the Turkey is fair game, so let the game begin.....

   

                          Happy Hunting, gobble gobble,     Mia
     

Fall Baking

 

Self-cleaning the oven

  Tomorrow begins the season to bake for this household. I have been thinking of all the things I want to bake.... banana bread, apple pie, scones. I had plans in which to get the oven ready for all the work it will be doing, so I turned on the self-cleaning function of the oven. The house became an oven itself and the oven did not really clean, so I will be using  oven cleaner in the coming week. I wanted the oven to be sparkly to bake the Banana Bread, once I bake it I will share with you.
     I do want to show you the Table Collections. As you can see I have the same items but arranged in a new way.


    Have an awesome week,
                    Mia

Table Collections on the Move

Techno support

 

   My son-in-law made this banner image for my Random Thoughts, Thank you Gerardo. Now I just hope it looks the way it should. If not I can finagle an extra visit from them. Three of my children live in the Big City, an hour away and my oldest even farther, 5 hours. So visits are hard to make happen with work and their home. At least we all have cell phones, Thank you Inventor of the Cell Phone
I am really excited about this gift (the Banner) that I was trying to wait for Saturday to share but I couldn't.


                            see you on Saturday, Mia

Traditions

Christmas Tea

              
              I am a person that likes Family Traditions. I think because I never thought of them as a child as traditions. Growing up our Mom always took us to Grandma Mable's for the major Holidays and for things like Valentine's Day or The 4th of July, not really much was going on. So when I began my own Family, I thought of what where the things that was always done. I began making my own, we had Christmas Tea, a week of Easter instead of a weekend, making our own Valentine's cards for each other. As life goes on my siblings find what they had liked most about the holidays and family gatherings. My brother loves to cook and we all expect him to make his ham for the holiday meal. I have noticed that the men in my family aren't afraid to use a sewing machine. That we expect our kids to be goofy and celebrate along with them.

A goofy Nephew Ryan

          What is important is that when we hear that "Grandma Mable done this... " or that "Granny did that..." and that it become part of what we teach to our children. With both my Grandparents gone, I let the next generations know that Grandma Mable always had a Cardinal on her Christmas tree keeps Grandma Mable alive and well in our homes.

Cardinal under Glass

          Traditions start from the heart and are handed down from generations to generations to be loved and treasured. Not just the holidays but the everyday stuff that keeps us connected to the ones we love and the future generations know we love them.

The Ham ... I mean my brother

       It seems that there is another tradition in the works.... Auntie Mimi (that's me) weekend babysitter. I am at my brother's house helping with his boys and not being able to bring the story I wanted to you, so next week be ready for some baking and the dishes in which to serve them it on.


                            have a blessed week,   Mia

Table Collections #1

          Dressing up a table is my way of encouraging me to sit down at the table and enjoying a meal. Most often you will find me standing at the kitchen counter having a bowl of cereal or a PB&J, makes for a quick and easy cleanup. Then I'm back at whatever it is that I'm doing. I want to get out of this habit. To sit down and have a cooked meal with a table collection that will soothe me.

want pumpkins and books but needed something more...

add some leaves move things around a bit ...... pretty

                  until next time,
                                 stay blessed,
                                             Mia

Morning Coffee

        Last week when I wrote, I wanted to share with you was of a special place; the tree in the backyard.  Over the Summer I had the luxury of enjoying my morning coffee sitting under the tree a few times. With the beginning of School the opportunities to relax there, feeling the Morning Song of the Raising Sun have not been possible. Oh, how I miss this ritual, to slowly wake, smelling a cup of coffee and to watch the sun rays slant across the yard, feeling the morning sun warm upon my skin and hear the birds sing is truly to know God's love.
      Realizing how much that space is calming to me I will be making a date for coffee under the tree often. I also wanted to share with you this important time of quietness. Everyone needs that time in which to unwind, to reflect on your weeks past and the week to come. I have practiced quiet time for a while now and I believe that it has kept me nicely balanced. Not that I have it all down to a precised part of my life but I know when it is missing. Things get unbalanced and out of focus for me. Making the time to be quiet, things began to focus, goals are forged and journey's start.
           I realized that even though summer is over and schedules change, so as cooler weather comes I will bundle myself up to sit there or make a spot in my room for just that Quietness Date. I hope you will make a Quietness Date for yourselves, I know I will.

roses making things pretty

coffee & breeze

coffee filter roses I had made 

                               " I want to make pretty things that make a difference!"
                                                                           Ali Nelson

                have an awesomely blessed week,
                                                    Mia
                                                   
                                                                                  PS check in on Wednesday a see my new table
                                                                                               collections. Thanks!  :)

Saturday's & Tables

 Sunflowers

                         Hello Saturday,  how has your week been? mine has been fine, not awesomely, but I still believe it to be blessed. Wed & Thu I was just tried, blah you can say that all the little things that happen those days, just made me want for Thurs evening to come. That is the evening  our Small Group meets and being in the presence of these friends is Love. If anyone knows the feeling of being with family and friends that just makes you smile because of a hug or smile.... that is this group, Love.
             One of the Little Things was that on Thu I had my Midpoint homework due. It is about this blog progress (keeping me on task/goal) and I plan to post it today. Only, I accidentally, some how published it Wed night. I thought why type the homework and the post separate, just type it all here and print, let the post sit in draft till Sat. Nope my 'techieology' skills failed me.
            Now what to post today you say? well, I have had this thought: Tablescapes and today is the perfect day to introduce you to my collection of things for the table. So along with my Saturday post, I will begin to post on Wednesday of the Table Collection.

 New Table Centerpiece

 table almost at full size, has a seat 4,6, & 8 but we've had 10 seated here

                               have an awesomely Blessed week,

                                                                             Mia

Midpoint Homework

   life at school.......

campus library before the start of the semester

    This post is about the Midpoint Progress Report on homework for my Health class. The 15 Step Goal I wrote of several weeks ago(the goal) has changed, and the steps I wrote became useless. Enter new Goal: 'Create 10 stories to Post on my Blog' is much better. I wanted this blog to be about how I journeyed from the girl that lives in her sister's house & going to school to the girl that has a career and home that is comfortable for me and my guest. I totally am impressed of this way of doing things, even though I may not have perfected the system; I know that with use and time it will be second nature.
             

1 of the 2 stories I am working on

          Since the beginning of the 15 Steps Project I have already published 2 stories (Fall on 10/3-  and this one) and am working on the next 2 at the moment. 



                 I am also thinking of another for a December story - has to do with lights, one I found through a Step: community events.

the other story which will be ongoing about tablescapes

One step you won't see, it is my filing system. The policies, story ideas (along with a Step Guide to produce) and a master list of the stories and pictures (still working on a good system since my pictures all willy nilly stored). I've never been much of a filer so this will be a nice adventure, it could become a story too.