Goodbye 2021, Welcome 2022 prayerfully!

We unconsciously take a lot for granted daily. God forgive me when I have ever done this from the greatest to the least. You are so faithful. From January 1, 2021 til December 31, 2021 right now he has kept us. No matter the trials or tribulations we have endured he continues to carry us from day to day. We don't wake up on our own, we don't keep our hearts beating and our minds functioning right, He does. We are not by chance able to speak, think, hear, see and walk. It is all by God's Grace. God is Merciful. He gives us chance after chance after chance. We fail him repeatedly. It makes you wonder why in the world would he care about us. He could easily wipe us all out in the blink of an eye and start humanity all over again. Yes, He can because he is God. As I sit here on the threshold of a new year I am grateful for all that God has given me and allowing me to keep in my life according to his will and purpose for me. I thank him for Grace and Mercy, forgiveness, provision, protection, family, friends and new beginnings. People are dying daily from things known and unknown. I will continue to live day by day by Faith trusting him and whatever comes I know he will be with me his rod and his staff will comfort me. I pray for all those hurting and who have suffered loss this year. I pray for healing for the sick and comfort for the grieving. I pray for shelter for the homeless and food for the hungry. I pray for provision for those in need. Lord I also pray for a gathering of souls unto you.

 Father God in Heaven, I pray that the lost will turn to you and trust in you. We are living in perilous, fallible times on borrowed time. We know not what tomorrow will bring and or even if tomorrow will come. When this world is no more and we have to be transported to another place of existence and refuge our prayer is to be counted worthy to be in that place in the presence of God. All of this is temporary as we are seeing from day to day the rapid decline. Let us not live in fear those of us who know and trust God. I am not saying we don't have concerns just like the next person but what I am saying is their is a difference when you know God is with you to endure the daily changes and happenings. Believers know know that God is with us and for us and if God be for us, who in the world can be against us? He is in control, trust him even when you don't fully understand the process of what you might have to endure to the end but endure it with Faith knowing God is our deliverer. Draw near unto God while time is still left to reconnect with the Father through his son, Jesus, the Christ.

Shine Jesus Shine

 

It is in your honor Jesus that my first order of business was to have this tree beam with the light of who you are. Amongst all the other Christmas splendor I wanted you to shine more because its all about you Oh God. It is the focal point over all that is displayed in my home. This one section alone embodies what I want to relay to my visitors. Shine Jesus Shine is a song I remember singing in Church. Let the light be on you because you are the Light of the world. ISAIAH 9:6 says your name is WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER and THE PRICE OF PEACE. 

A crown adorns the top because you are KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS. The ornaments on the tree display your many names. It tells a story within itself of who you are and I celebrate you God. We reflect on the 25th of December your first coming as a baby who grew up to fulfill the purpose and plan of God. Your second coming you will return as God and King over all for all eyes to Behold. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father. You are ALPHA and OMEGA, the BEGINNING and THE END, the FIRST AND THE LAST. To you is all honor and Glory given forever and ever. AMEN!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

 

Be still, close your eyes, and think. You are here in this moment in another day that God has created, rejoice, God is great. I know that things are going on all around the world and everybody's circumstances is different which is why we pray for one another. For the past 72 hours I have been feeling something in my spirit. It is not a spirit of sadness its almost like a spirit of rebirth. It is hard to explain and my emotions are all over the place at times but I can feel God in the midst of all of it. I am not sad at all. I am grateful for what is and what is not. Things can change in an instant so right now right where I am I am rejoicing within with gratitude unto for just his moment right here.

I am warm inside my home and God provided breakfast for me and he continues to keep my heart beating and my senses sharp. He has laid before me opportunities to do things daily. He has enabled me to love, share, care and forgive others. We all have a choice to be kind or rotten, to be loving or hateful, to be giving or selfish, to care or be cold hearted. I am happy that God keeps me on the right side of the fence and not let me cater to my flesh. Flesh profits you nothing. Doing right is what makes a man rich, not rich in money but rich in the goodness of life from God. Money is not the measure of one's blessings and not material things. If you woke up this morning with a functioning body you are rich beyond measure.

There is a blessing in so much we take for granted on a daily basis. Let us open our hearts and mouths and give God the praises he so deserves. Take the I's and me's out of your sentences and put God in place of those two words more often then you do because He is at the root of so much in our lives that we often want to take credit for but if it were not for the Grace of God you would not have or experience those things.

Today is the second Sunday of Advent. Let us be grateful for the reflection of the first coming of Christ. He came with a purpose for you and for me. He came with the greatest Gift that any of us could ever receive and that is eternal life to all who will believe in Him. I believe and I am grateful for His first coming and also for his pending coming a second time only under different circumstances then his first one. Glory to God in the Highest. Have a blessed day everyone!

Love and Hugs,

Sherri

Welcome Fall

 What took you so long? Lol

Fall is my favorite Season because it ushers in the two of my favorite holidays: Thanksgiving and Christmas. Visit my YouTube channel for fall decorating inspiration and my IG page. You can also find decoration inspiration from me via Pinterest.

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Thanks for stopping by and have a happy Fall Season!

Walk in Creativity,

Let your Vision Flourish,

Live in Your Vision.

Painful Reflection

I can't imagine many who does not have this date seared in their memory for life. My heart and prayers goes out to all the families who lost loved ones and those who remain in the aftermath surviving the horrific events of 9/11/01. Yes, its 20 years later but that doesn't mean it's forgotten. Innocent lives were lost. Each day is a gift not to be taken for granted because there are no guarantees as to how the day will transpire and what any of us might have to endure and or suffer in the aftermath of whatever situation we may find ourselves in. I can't imagine and I don't want to but in reality things do happen, things we never imagined.

Love one another, tell one another, show one another, you might not be able to do it tomorrow. Father God in Heaven, help us in this world full of hate, deception and evil. I am not saying kind, compassionate, loving and caring people don't exist but there is a remnant that is the opposite of the four words I just used. Ask God to guard your heart, mind, soul, body and spirit from evil and even your tongue, thoughts, and motives. Pray over your families and try to be a light in the darkness for others. God is able. Before today ends say a prayer of thanks to God because He is the only reason why we are still here with time to make a difference in the lives of others. The difference starts with each of us.

Peace and Blessings, my prayer is that your day will be blessed. It has already begun because you are alive and reading this message only by God's Grace!

September Splendor

I think September has become my favorite month of the year. It's the turning point of the Summer Season when we all get ready to embrace Fall. Labor day is coming to a close and it has always been called the unofficial ending of Summer even though we have sixteen more days before Autumn officially begins. The weather has already started changing. It's cooler in the morning hours and the warm up comes more toward noon hours. I embrace this cooler, colorful season. The Season of Fall decorating, Thanksgiving planning and the anticipation of Christmas to come in the last month of the year. September is the beginning of the BER months, my favorite time of the year.

My home is already bathed in Fall decor and it will stay this way until the end of October. It is usually around this time that I start pulling out my decorations for the last two holidays of the year, Thanksgiving and Christmas. 2021 has been a year of changes in my home. I am not finished yet. Visit my Youtube channel to keep up to date on all the changes. I love the art of transformation. Use what you already have, revamp it. Paint is your best friend when transforming items in your home as well as  slipcovers and pillow covers. If you are a seasonal decorator you learn the tricks of the trade in order to change your home's look in a cost efficient manner. Color is key in seasonal decorating and proper storage so you can preserve your decorations for years of use to come. You may optionally add a few new pieces as styles change but you will at least have the foundation on which to add to. If the backdrop of your rooms are neutral it's easier to mix and match and switch and swap to achieve your color palette from season to season.

If your a beginner don't get frustrated when things don't all come together at once. It takes time and patience  As time passes you will discover your style and it will be easier for you to pull it all together season by season. We all start as beginners when we set out to bring our vision and or plan to life. Take your time, have fun with it, make list after list if you have to until all that you hope to see in your home comes to pass.

Enjoy the Fall Season,

Walk in Creativity,

Live in your vision.

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Creativity and Vision

I use the words Creativity and Vision a lot because you have to have both in order to make your plan come to light. There are many creative people in the world with and without a plaque that deems them Interior Designer, Interior Decorator or Home Decor Expert or a television show to showcase your skill. When in search of your design style you become the interior expert for your personal space because it is being designed totally by you and for you. Your taste, your home, your style. There are so many different design styles and some even have a few in their home as they decorate room by room.

Design Styles:

Country 

Farmhouse 

Scandinavian 

Traditional 

Midcentury Modern 

Art Deco 

Bohemian 

Coastal 

Victorian

Shabby Chic

Figuring out your Design Style:

In figuring out your design style make a list of the things you like seeing in your living space that bring you comfort and tranquility. Document the colors you like and types of furniture pieces. List the types of plants or flowers your fond of for your indoor and or outdoor space if you are also designing an outdoor living space as well. Colors are the backdrop of your design so choosing a neutral color makes it easier to layer other things within your space without sticking to one color pallet. With neutral walls and ceilings you can add pops of color from season to season without having to choose certain colors so you wont clash with your wall color. You cant go wrong with a neutral backdrop.

You can find inspiration or ideas from decorating magazines and videos or Pinterest. It is fun to browse and see design pictures. You are bound to find a design or designs you like and just go from there. Most of the time you just need a starting point. I remember mine came from being an avid watcher of Country at Home on HGTV back in the early 90's. They had some beautiful design shows and Country at Home and Country Style really pulled my heart in and before you knew it Country Decor was my design of choice. I have been thrifting since the late 80's and I still thrift. Another person's giveaway can be your treasure at a deep discount, dust it off, clean it up and or repurpose it. I have found many things in good condition and all I had to do was to give it a good sanitizing just for safety sake. I was doing this before the pandemic for each piece I found especially because others were handling it before it made its way to my home. Once you have the walls and ceilings painted and the placement of your furniture pieces you can move on to what you are going to accent your space with. I love shopping for accent pieces.

Tip #1----If love to display things as I do you will want to choose furniture pieces with layered levels so you can display your antiques or favorite decor accents. Hutches, Cabinets, Curios and Shelving units are good choices because they are multi level and have lots of space to showcase.

Tip #2 ---If you have limited storage within your home it's a good idea to choose furniture pieces that are multi functional such as ottomans, side tables with draws and even coffee tables and sofa table that are multi-leveled. Another good idea is the use storage trunks and stacking decorative boxes to store stuff in. They double duty as decorative displays as well. I use a buffet to house my tv in my living room and it has 9 draws which I store placemats, linens, napkin rings, tablecloths and my batteries that I use to keep my battery operated candles lit. 

When you begin shopping for accent pieces you will want to choose those that fit in the style of design that you have come to realizing you like most and want to wake up and go to sleep with each day. I love shopping for accent pieces because they really give your rooms that personally finished touch. Make a list of which accent pieces you are looking for to complete your room and go shopping. Remember you are not always going to find everything at once. It make takes weeks of searching for the pieces you desire so have patience and wait for it all to come together in the end. You will be happy with your finished look and be glad you didn't just grab anything in a hurry to get it done. You want to be satisfied and you want it over and finished so you can enjoy it and live in your vision. Surroundings are always more comforting when they are visually appealing.

Accent Pieces

Candles

Wreaths

Storage Baskets

Greenery

Rugs

Pillows

Trays

Shelving

Mirrors

Above are a few Home accents but you be the chooser of what to buy that best fits in your vision of pulling the look for your home together.

Aromatherapy

Last but not least don't forget to tickle your senses with smell. You have taken care of the eyes as far as decorating but the smell goes hand and hand with it. It just brings everything full circle. It's just like when you're dining out. The waiter can can bring you a plate of fine looking food and sit it on the table but if it stinks you will refuse it each it and tell him to take it back. When you enter a home and its looks beautiful to the eye but stinks your whole feel will be turned off to a degree. Yes, houses have natural odors, odors that we are use to because we live there but believe me there is nothing wrong with giving your home a boost of lavender, citrus, or eucalyptus. I rarely use burning candles. I have a lot of battery operated ones so to give my home a delightful scent I use oil diffusers. There are many scented oils to choose from. There are other ways to bring other light scents in your home. You can use dried fruit, potpourri, wax warmers and even scented pinecones depending upon the season.

You can do anything you put your mind and spirit into. Don't complicate matters by stressing or rushing to get things done in a hurry. Keep in mind you can do it budget friendly. Shop the clearance aisle within your favorite stores, go to second hand stores, frequent yard sales and church bazaars. You will be surprised what you find. I am not suggesting you can't buy things from stores that aren't second hand. I am just saying why pay more if you don't have to if you feel comfortable doing so. I have never encountered a problem yet shopping thrifty and or on a budget. Yes, I have bought many things new and unused but at some time you have to learn to cut corners and save. It's nice to decorate but we have to stay mindful that bills continue to be due and it's always, always, wise to save for a rainy day or just in case, God forbid, some unexpectant occurrence in life happens and you find yourself depending upon yourself to fall back on for support. Enjoy your decorating experience, shop, create and design to Live in your Vision.

Salutations,

Walk in Creativity c/o

Sherri Catherine