A Very, Merry Christmas!

Merry,

Merry

Christmas!

&

A

Happy,

Happy

New

Year!

xo

A Colorful Prayer

My friend (who has a great etsy shop, She Ate My Crayons --- check it out) found these stunning old prayer beads for me.

I just couldn't resist adding the antique hyacinth blue rosary chain and the green chalcedony beads at the back. And then there were these fabulous old thread swatches that I had just picked up at Artifacts, here in Iowa City...

All made for such a wonderful, colorful combination!

Red

                         I'm seeing red...

Little Red Riding hood.

Red beads from France.

Tiny red eyes.

Delicate red feathers.

Garnet red.

Sparkles of red.

A bowl-full of red.

Tick-tock, red.

Sisters with red.

And lovely red... ?

um?..

Oh, yes! 

Red, 

at

Age Before Beauty

The Ugly Tulips

Easter Sunday, dear Rosemary was helping me in the narthex as my daughter and I tried to figure out which flowers were ours to take home.

There was a mix-up on the sheet and, of course, I couldn't remember what I had ordered.







"You could have a mum, or a lily, or a tulip", Rosemary said reading from the list of options.

I looked at the breathtaking wall of colorful flowers and noticed a pot of shriveled brown tulips tucked to the side.

"I like those," I pointed to the odd, hidden flowers.

"You're kidding aren't you?" Rosemary gasped in disbelief. "We thought they were dead so we hid them in the back."

"They're interesting looking." I picked up the pot and looked at the puckered bulbs.

"I think they're called parrot tulips," Rosemary scrunched up her nose, "And you are more than welcome to take them!"

The wrinkled, brown buds opened into lacey yellow, flaming orange, and burnt red petals. 

Aren't they lovely? 

All these colors tightly closed together made a muddy brown. 

But as they opened... 

all this beauty was revealed!

Bling Love

Love is in the air...

 

or at least it is at Age Before Beauty.

 

  A friend pointed out that the shop was rather low on show-stopping sparkle, 

 

so I set out to rectify that problem. 

 

 

It seems that during this bleak, dull time of year, a little sparkle is just what the doctor ordered.

 

 At Age Before Beauty.

The Happiest Wishes

 My mother sent me this glorious old pin. So I set aside a few moments in all the chaos to make myself a little Holiday cheer. 

 It makes me think of her, and all things important this time of year.

Wishing everyone a very happy holiday season--- enjoy!

A Little Ho Ho Ho-ing

 I promised you, in an earlier post, that I'd give you a sneak peek at what's on my art board. I'm hoping to have some fabric made for a holiday project that I'm working on. How cool is it that you can make your own fabric? Check out Spoonflower for amazing ideas and inspiration.

 

I have some big plans for gift wrap sheets and (hopefully) some gift tags which will be available at www.JBReinhardt.etsy.com, but not tooooooo soon!

I don't like it that stores start to sneak holiday sparkle in so early. Back-to-School immediately morphs into Halloween and Christmas Season nips at Halloween's heels--- basically snubbing its nose at poor, overlooked Thanksgiving. Usually by mid-November I am forced into a brain-washed-panic that I don't have all my shopping completed, wrapped, and shipped. Catalogs are delivered to my door over a month before Christmas, trying to consol me by stating that, "It's not too late to still recieve your order in time!". 

I guess I'm really not much better, am I? Well, I can promise you that none of this will be in my shop that soon!

How Do I Love Thee?

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
 

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight 











For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

 

I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. 

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
 

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

 With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Poem by--Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Jewels by--- Age Before Beauty