Are you Fruity or Chirpy?

The weather has been playing silly buggers for too long and I am getting fed up with it. To help keep my mood upbeat, I've been on the lookout for things that make me smile. If they make others smile, all the better.

One such great discovery was Pancoco on Etsy.  The shop has the most delightful items on sale but my favourite is this watermelon scarf. Its warm, well made and so very cute! The shop also sells pencil scarves which I'm eyeing up for next time.

If you are not the fruity types but feeling chirpy, check out Aussie designer Madeline St. Clair. She recently launched her her debut jewellery collection for SS13 which has been inspired by the Art Deco era. However, my favourites from her collection are these quirky parrot earrings. So smile-worthy! Her handbags and jewellery collection are available on her website www.madelinestclair.com.

What are you wearing to make you smile today? Ann x

P.S. I have not been compensated for writing this nor received any discounts towards the items in mention.

Chelsy's Blog

To all of you who follow my blog over at www.ChelsyRenee.com,  I apologize for the issues you may have had trying to access my site in the past two days. To make a long story short,  my domain name expired and someone else purchased it immediately afterwards, before I realized what was going on. So at this point I have reverted back to my old blogspot address for the near future, until I am able to figure out something else. (www.daughterwithavision.blogspot.com)
So...you can continue to follow me here!

{posted by chelsy}

Autumn Bucket List

Those living in this part of the world will share my post-summer blues; England is far far too cold and wet right now! As I find myself so much more productive when the days are lighter and the air warmer, I felt the need for a focus list to keep Autumn blues at bay. Add to that, there are a lot of changes afoot in our personal lives that bring with them their fair share of stress and anxiety. I'm hoping that a happy wish list will help mange those anxious emotions too! 

1. Make an autumn wreath: Last year, my friend and I made a gorgeous Christmas wreath. The base for that wreath works as a perfect foundation for seasonal decorations. I'd like to create an autumnal version full of bright seasonal foliage, flowers and fruit.

 2. Create delightful preserves for winter: I have a two-pronged strategy with this particular item. I'd like to make something useful out of all our allotment produce ( grapes, crabapples, apples, jellies, pears etc) and, I'd like tasty homemade jams, pickles and jellies all through the winter!

3. Brush up, re-learn or learn a new crafty skill: Perhaps I'll take my crochet skills to the next level, or learn to knit properly or maybe I'll find a whole new craft to get into! Basket weaving perhaps? In any case, I'd like to up-skill myself in the crafty sense.
 

 4. Visit a beautiful city that I haven't been to before: Lets face it, when this weather is dreary like it is now, all one wants to do is cuddle up in bed. However, there are so many lovely places out there waiting to be explored. I'd like to discover at least one such place this autumn.

 5. Make a beautiful item of clothing: I am no expert seamstress- quite the contrary really. However, I think there is great joy and satisfaction in making your own clothes. I get so many compliments for my kanga shift dress that I once made (inexpertly) and wear with so much pride. I'm reading The Sewing Bee at the minute and dreaming up a piece of personal couture.

6. Visit Paris (again): Oh I do love Paris! Wandering Champs Elysees and checking out terribly expensive fashion, exploring St Germain, appreciating Monet, drinking really lovely yet inexpensive house wines, warm pain-a-chocolats for breakfast from the local boulangerie, hanging out near Monmarte and Scare Coeur soaking in the art and music, there is so much life to enjoy in Paris! The Eurostar cheapie fares are a godsend!

7. Create autumn inspired fashion: I love taking inspiration from nature and the changing seasons ( see hay bales and rapeseed fields ) and would like to take that through into autumn. Spoiler alert: I have a feeling it may involve Hunter wellies ( thanks to the weather!)

8. Visit a museum that I haven't been to before: I'm not really a museum geek. However, every so often, I like to take in a bit of knowledge,  history and culture. With working from London so often, perhaps I must stay late in the evening and explore some new museums? I hear the Natural History Museum is quite cool?

9. Do an eco-friendly autumn deep clean: The flip side of gallivanting all over the place with work is that I don't tend to find as much time as I'd like for housework. I recently discovered eco-cleaning (vinegar and bicarbonate of soda!) and I'd like to do nasty-chemicals-free deep autumn clean of the house

10. Make applesauce or toffee apples: We have an apple tree in our garden and another on our allotment. We have lots of lots of apples over the autumn that need speedy consumption or conversion. I fancy making some applesauce or even giving toffee apples another go for bonfire night. The latter took on a scary dark shade last year due to the caramel getting overheated :o

 Have you got a bucket list too? If so, I'd like some more ideas please! Ann x

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Grandma Bontrager's 80th Birthday Celebration/Reunion

The other weekend we celebrated my Grandma Bontrager's 80th birthday!  Eighty years- that's reason to have a party!!!  And that's just what we did.  Nearly all her descendants (we missed the two grandchildren who weren't able to make it) gathered for a weekend reunion.

Of course, we had to take photos to commemorate the occasion.  We don't have the photo of the entire family from the photographer yet, but above is one of Grandma with her grandchildren.

Aunt Mary, Grandma, Aunt Karen, and Aunt Wanda.

This is the tribe my father grew up with!!!  His father died at the age of 49, so most of us grandchildren have never met him, but we are grateful for the legacy he left.

Grandma and her little boys-grown up.

The siblings and their spouses with Grandma.

The "originals"- my dad and his seven siblings.  Today the clan has grown to include 39 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.

Maybe they never quite grew up??!!

Our cousin, Will, and his beautiful bride, Katie.

We loved all hanging out at Grandma's house- relaxing outside, playing games, taking walks, and eating yummy food.

storytime

tree climbing

There was just one piece of Grandma's chocolate pie left, and there may or may not have been a mad scramble and some good natured sharing of the last crumbs by certain people.:)

One afternoon Grandma did an "interview" for us all.  It was so special to hear her share about memories of her childhood, fun experiences in life, and hard times she has been through.

Sharing about her childhood doll.

gathered around listening to Grandma's stories and wisdom

One afternoon some of us girl cousins went to the coffee shop.

We played a trivia game that involved everyone writing down random things about themselves and then guessing which things went with which people.  It was rather hilarious.

The score sheets.

Sunday morning we all went with Grandma to the church she attends.  In afternoon, we had an open house party for her.

With everyone working together, set-up went very quickly.

Chels and Victoria

all ready to receive the guests

My grandmother is a blessing.  She faithfully prays for her children and grandchildren, and her doors are always open when we want to stop by to talk, borrow something, or grab a bite to eat (she always has things like home-made bread and pie on hand!)

Me, Hannah, Katie, and Teresa

Carson and Tyler- serving "plain", "vanilla", and "regular" ice-cream.:)  gotta keep life interesting....ahem!

Eating......again!!!

This is the dress my Grandmother wore on her wedding day!!!  It was really special to try it on.

Football is a favorite with the guys.

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

"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children." 

(Isaiah 54:13)

My Grandma has given her children and grandchildren a precious legacy.  She loves the Lord Jesus and has sought to serve Him with her life.  When my father was living in rebellion, she would stay up and kneel by her bed to pray for him until she saw his car lights come in the driveway.  Today, I am grateful that she prayed for my daddy before he knew Jesus, and that she still prays for him and all of us.  

Her amazing cooking skills, hard work ethic, love of reading,  honesty, hospitality, and friendliness are some other traits that my Grandma exemplifies. 

Grandma, thank you for your example.  Thank you for loving Jesus and encouraging us to do the same.  Thank you for always having an open door.......your home is so welcoming!  You are an amazing woman and I'm so blessed to have you as my Grandma and one of my best friends.

Allison