MIA

Hello Friends,

I have been absent from my blog as we were having difficulties with the blogging program and since I am computer illiterate, I was at the mercy of my computer guru hubby. All is better now, complete with a beautiful new background, kudos to Shabby Creations for her beautiful blog design (and an updated website in the works!)

We have been getting some wonderful/lovely new goodies in the shop…little handmade birdie keychains and little pouffy heart pins, vintage style wrapping paper, more scarves (sold almost completely out of an order the day we put them out!) and locally made appliqued tee shirts for the little ones… and more! And more coming! Yay! (please let me know what kinds of products you would like us to carry, we would love to hear from you).

Yummmm, we have been experimenting with some new soap scents and will be offering them soon… I have a new favorite :)

On the home front, we continue to pack boxes and prepare our home to sell. I think we will be putting it on Craigslist later this week. We have been looking a little north of Wasilla to move to but have nothing specific in mind… I admit that it can be a little unsettling for this Mama!

We continue to love Saturday Market, this is our 8th year and it is going well  (downtown Anchorage, we are on the back row) and we are also doing the Wasilla Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays (weather permitting).

And in the garden we have been enjoying a nice mixture of sun and rain; we have peas, potatoes, beans, zucchini, lettuce and herbs growing quite nicely, as well as a plethora of weeds, lol.

Several of our children are participating in the National Bible Bee www.biblebee.org and it is so nice to hear their precious voices quoting beautiful scriptures throughout the day.

A new Hannah’s Pick is on the way later this week.

XOXO,

Tammy

Hannah’s Pick of the Week

For her week 2 pick Hannah chose our Simply Devine Electric Candles. We have carried these gems for years and they have continually been a best seller . Available in 2 sizes and a variety of yummy scents these are a safe way to gently scent your room. They are made of scented wax and then warmed slightly by the glow of a small bulb (dipped to look like a candle flame~how cute is that !?). After a few months the scent will fade, we have refresher oils and replacement bulbs. These are a ‘candle’ that can literally last forever! We love them and use them ourselves, we have several in our home but our favorite scent depends on who in the family you ask! Mine is Hazelnut Latte while Hannah swoons over the Vintage Vanilla and Sweet Pea ones.

Because these are so wonderful, unique, long-lasting and packaged in nice boxes, our Simply Devine Electric Candles make excellent house-warming, senior citizen,  anniversary, birthday or ‘just because’ gifts.

And this holiday season be sure to check out our holiday scents! Hannah’s pick this week will certainly keep you glowing :)

Rubby Duckie

We have a whole pond of these wonderful rubber ducks at our shop, aanndd we are expecting some really cool, brightly- colored polka dot ones any day! Wahoo, bathe away!

(From Sesame Street which I haven’t watched in YEARS but I still remember, with great fondness, this fun song)

Rubber Duckie, you're the one,
You make bathtime lots of fun,
Rubber Duckie, I'm awfully fond of you;
Woo woo be doo
Rubber Duckie, joy of joys,
When I squeeze you, you make noise!
Rubber Duckie, you're my very best friend, it's true!
Doo doo doo doo, doo doo
Every day when I
Make my way to the tubby
I find a little fella who's
Cute and yellow and chubby
Rub-a-dub-a-dubby!
Rubber Duckie, you're so fine
And I'm lucky that you're mine
Rubber Duckie, I'm awfully fond of you.
Every day when I
Make my way to the tubby
I find a little fella who's
Cute and yellow and chubby
Rubber Duckie, you're so fine
And I'm lucky that you're mine
Rubber Duckie, I'm awfully fond of -
Rubber Duckie, I'd like a whole pond of -
Rubber Duckie I'm awfully fond of you!
Doo doo, be doo

Introducing Hannah’s Pick of the Week

Hannah is our 15 year old daughter who works with me on most Saturdays. She is very creative, has an eye for beauty and is developing a good business sense. We have a lot of fun in the shop together. Recently Hannah got very excited when reading over the back of our Lavender Dryer Sachets and thus our idea for ‘Hannah’s Pick of the Week’ was born,  we hope to feature each week a product that Hannah loves.

Aren’t these beautiful? The back of the package says:

“ Bring home the scent of lavender with our organic Lavender Dryer Sachets. Each sachet will last up to 6 cycles in the dryer and your laundry will be left with the scent of fresh lavender fields. Afterwards , the lavender will make a great carpet freshener—just open the sachet and sprinkle on your carpet before vacuuming.”

What Hannah loves about these: the beautiful packaging, the lovely lavender scent and the value.

Bathe Away

 “Noble Deeds and Hot Baths are the best cures for depression”. unknown author

Counting My Blessings

My Mother’s Day Bouquet

Last week was very overwhelming… it seemed that everything that could go wrong, did. At times like that I often will take my eyes off of the Lord and focus instead on all that is going on around me… all the negative anyways. When at last it seemed that I could do no more, handle no more, think no more, I heard the still small voice of my Heavenly Father reminding me to count my blessings. Here is a short list in no particular order:

*Friends ~ we are incredibly and wonderfully blessed to be surrounded by loving, caring people including the family who loaned us their car (complete with a full tank of gas!) and fixed the brakes on our van without charge. And gratitude overflows from the depths of my heart when I consider the God who answers prayer and all those friends who are praying for us.

*Customers and a business we love~ it was a slow week at the store but there were customers and the Lord wanted me to remember that fact…. those who came in, who praised our store, who love our soaps, who spent their hard-earned money in our shop rather than somewhere else.  We are still working with our hands, together, all these years later and in spite of slow times, in spite of  supplier problems, in spite of  rising shipping costs and shipping impossibilities, it is a blessing without measure.

* Home and hearth~ we continue to have a comfortable home, wood for the fire (yes even in May we sometimes need one!), food to eat and lots of love to share… the simple everyday blessings that so many around the world go without and yet we often take for granted.

*A royal court~ here in my home I am queen, the Mama who presides over her royal court along side her husbandly king. My husband and children are my family, my friends, my loves. I am treated far above my station and expectations and it is a joyous position I hold.

* The Word of God~ true spiritual meat, soul refreshment, encouragement in drought time, life and water. Who can put a value on the blessing of being able to hold God’s very word in my own hands? Priceless.

So just like the hymn “Count Your Blessings” admonishes : “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done”. Amen to that.

Happy Mother’s Day

Mother Prayer

Dear Lord,
today we pray for mothers--
our own mothers, and mothers everywhere,
who have made such a major contribution
to the good qualities we have,
sometimes through genetics,
more often through great effort and patient instruction,
and who have done their best
to gently polish away our rough edges.
Lord, please bless our mothers
for the endless hours of time they spent
and the boundless energy they invested in us.
Bless our mothers for their sacrifices on our behalf
as they often gave up or deferred their own dreams
so that we could have ours.
Bless our mothers for always being there for us,
for being the person we know we can turn to
when we need comfort, encouragement, or just a hug.
Bless our mothers for making a home for us
where we could feel safe, where we felt we belonged.
Most of all, Lord,
bless our mothers for their unconditional love,
for loving us no matter what,
and for frequently showing love
in ways that make us feel valued and cherished.
Lord, please bless our mothers mightily.
Strengthen them, soothe them,
wrap them in Your infinite love
and shower them with blessings
too numerous to count, too magnificent to describe.
We love them, admire them, respect them,
and we wish that You would give them back
many times the good they gave to us.
In Jesus' name we pray; Amen.

By Joanna Fuchs