« September 2008 | Main | November 2008 »
Received this cute story from my mom:
A woman was asked by a coworker, "What is it like to be a Christian?"
The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes the dirt off of you. Then he cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then he carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."
I did a dangerous thing last Sunday. I went shopping on Etsy, specifically JensCloset. It didn't occur to me to look at her profile to see if she sold her cool vintage wares, I just assumed she was an avid collector and I was jealous each time I viewed her photos.
I first saw this adorable pink vase in JensCloset Flickr photostream and pined over it.
These cute white flowers, pink bow and gold accents make this vase a timeless piece of art.
JensCloset.etsy.com with a link to her other shop, mymilkglassshop.etsy.com, has all my favorites: Milkglass Hobnail with ruffles. I had a very hard time choosing with all the fabulous pieces she has to select from. So I also choose this one...
and this one...
Jen surprised me by tucking this sweet milkglass bud vase
in my package as an extra gift!
Each piece came beautifully packaged, wrapped in pretty tissue and lovely ribbons.
Thanks, Jen. I LOVE THEM ALL!!!
This Gorgeous bloom was given to me by my sweet neighbor who picked it off her fence overflowing from her neighbor on the other side. It found a cool resting place in my ruffled hobnail milk glass vase. What a treat!!!
The Passiflora or 'Passion flower' acquired its name from descriptions of its flower parts given by 17th Century Spanish priests in South America. Referring to Christ's suffering, the parts represent the various elements of the Crucifixion.
The five petals and five sepals represent the ten faithful disciples, less Judas the betrayer & Peter who denied Him. The corona filaments are the crown of thorns. The five stamen with anthers match the five sacred wounds & the three stigma the nails. The elaborate flowers last only one day, symbolizing the one day Jesus was on the cross.
Harrisons & Crosfield's Mango tea is wonderfully tempting anytime of the year, delicious hot or iced. Available in my store packed in an attractive acrylic box appropriate for gift giving or setting on a tea table.
Harrisons & Crosfield's new Raspberry Tea is truly Luscious!! A black tea flavored with natural raspberry makes a deliciously bold tea, even without sweeteners.
A pack of 10 teabags in an acrylic box, suitable for gift-giving, is available in my store.
These lovely Rose handled silver plated tongs are perfect for serving scones, cake, or sandwiches. Perfect for any tea party table. Available in my store and match our popular silver-plated rose-handled Sugar Tongs.
When the weather gets chillier I anticipate comforting tea along with
warm conversations with friends that linger well after the tea is gone. These Antique silver plated Teapot Napkin Rings are the perfect finishing touch to any tea table. A box of 4 are available in the Kimberly Shaw Store.
This charming Silver-plated Tea Scoop makes a wonderful addition to any tea table. With a lovely scalloped shell scoop and teapot motif finial, it's a beautiful way to measure loose tea.
Available in my store.
This is one of my cards that has a REALLY BIG story.
I was in front of my house talking to my neighbor, Susan, from around the corner when Rebeca from three doors down the street walked over to say, Hello." Susan and I must have been talking about God, because all I can recall from our conversation is Rebeca's question, "How do you know God is real?" After sharing verses from the Bible, Rebeca repeated, "But HOW do you know?" After sharing the story of Jesus, Rebeca asked again, "BUT, HOW do you know Jesus is the way to God, not Buddha, or Mohammad, or...." she continued listing other religions. Finally I told her what I did when I didn't know either. I said, "I figured that if Jesus was real and He was God, He was fully capable to prove it. So, I asked Him to prove to me He was real, and He did."
"OK!" she said, "But it better be REALLY BIG!!!" and walked home.
A week later, after several headaches and confused speech, Rebeca went to the Doctor. Diagnosed with a brain tumor, she was quickly rushed to the hospital and operated on shortly after. Before the operation, she was told the surgery would cause impaired vision, hearing and speech.
To be a support, Steve and I were at the hospital during the surgery. As the family visited with her 30 minutes after she returned from surgery, they all wept with joy because Rebeca could see, hear and speak normally.
After Rebeca settled in at home I went to visit her. She reminded me of the conversation we had in front of my house with Susan. She told me she had made her peace with God before going into surgery, and if God was real, He could prove it to her by allowing her see, hear and speak after her tumor was removed. That was the "REALLY BIG" way God proved to her He was real and Jesus was the way.
Filled with overwhelming thankfulness for all that God had revealed to Rebeca, I painted this card.
This "Give Thanks" Teacup greeting card is only available in my store.
Fall Leaves Teacup Greeting card with Cinnamon tea
Peachy Thank You with Decaffeinated tea
Thinking of You with Cinnamon tea
Cherries Teacup card with English Breakfast tea
Teacher card with English Breakfast tea
Berries Teacup card with Afternoon Darjeeling tea
Vintage Floral Teacup card with White Mint tea
Remembering You with Chamomile tea
Prices are falling on each of these Autumn inspired Teacup greeting cards, now at HALF OFF through the end of October in my store.
Alan, at poddy56g.blogspot.com has written hilarious comments about Edmund in previous posts, always asking if Edmund has a Green Card. Walking around the warehouse, Edmund found this lovely Green Card.
The green Magnolia Teacup Greeting Card is blank inside for a personal sentiment and comes with Afternoon Darjeeling Tea.
Edmund has been watching the a lot of news this past week. Being a creative little monkey, he got an idea and began doodling on a piece of paper.
With help at the office, his doodle multiplied. He watched as the HP Laser printer processed sheets of his new Monkey Money.
Thrilled with the outcome, Edmund wallowed in the bliss of his new wealth.
Eager to spend his newly printed Monkey Money, he finished the process by cutting each $700,000,000,000.00 bill out.
Now, I'm guessing, you want to know what a smart monkey will do with all his newly printed Monkey Money?
He's definitely NOT going to invest in failed companies or bad loans. Instead, Edmund plans to invest in the SOCK Market: Striped Socks, Polka Dot Socks, Argyle Socks... It's his goal and ambition to establish a new colony of Sock Monkeys. So, Edmund will also be investing in Fluffy Stuffing companies so his monkeys have substance, and Button companies so his fellows can see the truth.
In response to the events that took place in our nation last week, this verse kept running through my thoughts.
"Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing." Isaiah 40:15
I imagined God holding a large galvanized farm bucket. With his wrist, He's twirling the bucket as a drop of water rolls around the bottom. I'm reminded that He is in control, and whenever He wants to roll our nation to the other side of the bucket, He can.
Edmund was happy to joined us at the warehouse for "Take Your Monkey to Work" day.
Georgia showed him how to invoice customer orders as he looked on intently.
Edmund was very helpful keeping the assembly counter stocked with tea.
Emmily gladly demonstrated how she assembles cards with tea, and bags them in packs of six with envelopes.
Steve was happy to show Edmund how he pulls packs of cards from the bins to fill a wholesale order.
Edmund spent a lot of time in the shipping area climbing the racks of boxes,
reading the UPS shipping log, and being a stow-away in a box to Hawaii.
Once he needed to be rescued from the bubble wrap.
After making sure the online store orders had their free bonus item,
he took a break in the front office on the teacup rack.
Curios why the rack was empty, I assured more teacups have been ordered.
While I tried to take new product photos, he poked his head in the shot.
It was fun having Edmund at the shop. His bright personality cheered our day and made us smile.
Like most Brits, Edmund loves his tea. This morning he woke up with a cup of Harrisons & Crosfield's hearty Scottish Breakfast, a full bodied black tea with a rich "malty" flavor, delicious with milk and honey. This afternoon he had a cup of fruity Mango, black tea naturally flavoured, delicious plain.
I was so happy the mailman delivered a Pippa Long Stocking sock monkey I ordered from the United Kingdom. The sight of him gave me so much joy, not only because I personally think he's adorable, but I have become very fond of Pippa who created him. I first discovered Pippa's creative art in her Flick photostream called Pippa's Arty Life. She creates delightful sock monkeys in polka dots and a variety of lively stripes, with new ones in the works. You can find them in her etsy shop at www.pippsalongstockings.etsy.com. She also has an incredibly moving sketchbook and delightful blog.
I first saw this striped orange, blue and yellow Sock Monkey chilling with his buddies. For me it was love at first sight. As a child I played with my aunt's brown and red sock monkeys whenever we visited her. Now I finally had my own to share with visiting children, although my grown-up friends have become quite fond of him. At my office he sparked a "Bring your Monkey to Work Day."
I gave him the name of Edmund, which means"rich protector" from the Old English ead "rich, blesses" and mund "protector."
He came in this adorably wrapped box tied with string, topped with an artful tag, and a surprise inside.
