Light and Blooms

There are so many choices in life, but it you choose well, life can be a wonderful journey of twists and turns, highs and lows and sun and shade. Knowing that God has it all planned out makes it easier in the tough times because you don't have to figure it out, you just have to choose to trust and follow. These next two mugs remind me of that Truth and that is the core of choosing well. Trusting and following the One who knows the way. My tag line of "Bloom" reminds me that I have chosen to "bloom" where God has planted me. He provides the sun and shade, the right amount of water and the right amount of wind for me to thrive. I just have to wait to wear the "blooms".   This "Bloom" mug is huge. I have not used it to drink out of but it always sits in a prominent place reminding me of my commitment to trust and follow and wait for the "bloom". This other "blooming" mug has become my evening tea mug. It is a

Mugs can identify a stage of life, an accomplishment or a reason of celebration. These three mugs identify roles we hold in the family, whether it is all five of us or soon to be the two of us once again as our youngest daughter, the last of our children to be living with us gets married in just a few weeks and leaves us as the world claims, "empty nesters". We will not be empty nesters, because we are still here. Our nest is intact, healthy and vibrant. And full of memories. We began our life together as a family of two and will continue on as a family of two as our children live outside of the shelter of our roof. These Mr and Mrs mugs identify the roles we hold and the special way we think of each other. The inside rim of each of these mugs is inscribed with the verse "I found the one my heart loves" Song of Solomon 3:4 The "You are Special Today" mug is simply known in our family as the "special" mug. When one picks it for ano

There are just some things that you know are special when you first see them. Whether it be the color, design or craftsmanship you are just drawn to take a closer look. This next set of mugs was like that for me. They are all made in Poland and have a long history with some interesting stories. At the end of this blog I will post some links to some sites that talk about them. I spotted the blue one while shopping an outlet store and was immediately drawn to pick it up. The feel of the pottery and the details in the design combined with my love of anything blue confirmed my initial draw to this piece. While these pieces can be very pricey, this one was not because of the store it was in. Perhaps it was an overstock or a retired design or maybe it had a flaw that kept it from a different retail store. Regardless, I purchased it and have been using it as one of my favorites ever since. The one with the green and blue flower design is a favorite for spring and summer afternoon te

It is no secret in my family that I love mugs, I have a hard time resisting the purchase of a new mug and I am thrilled when I get a mug as a gift. It is also not a secret that I love the store Anthropologie. So the first three mugs I am sharing are all from that store, and all are a embellished in their own way with the letter P for Patti. The yellow one is my first monogram mug from Anthropologie. I loved it so much that each member of the family has one. Its a great shape, size and I love the shade of yellow. When we all are having coffee, you never pick up the wrong mug and accidently sip another's drink. The gold monogramed mug is from a special edition series one Christmas. It is a little fussy as you can't put it in the dishwasher, but what a lovely presentation it makes so it is worth the hand wash. We discovered a wonderful tea drink called a Peppermint Bark Fog at the Oxford Exchange in Tampa. I purchased the loose tea and have made several pots over the win

It has been way too long since I have written a blog, but that's the beauty of working on your own time table. You can jump out and jump back in when you are ready. I am ready. It is funny to me though not a surprise that as I have contemplated how to jump back in and on what subject I would write, that I had been pondering writing on the subject of one of my collections that tell stories, MUGS! Then I decided to continue where I left off on my Alphabet Organizing and what letter do you think was next in the lineup? "M" of coarse! So I begin my 2017 year, although mid year as it may be, but I will remember that I make the rules and its okay to jump in mid year! I will take some time on the letter M as I ponder and write about my Mug collection and the stories that go with them. I will be writing under the heading of "Mug Shots" for this section. I trust you will come along and enjoy my ponderings. As with any good collection, you need a good home to ho