~Monday Blessings: Married At Last and A New Daughter~

Ahhhhhh.....I waited a long time for my first 'daughter'. Jackie and Jeff have now been married 8 years and have blessed us with 3 grand-babies. And now....a second 'daughter'!!! Amy and Tom were married last weekend. They planned the entire weekend....from the Open House at their new home Friday nite....to the beautiful marriage ceremony con-celebrated by three priests....to the magical reception. Everyone said is was "the most fun wedding we've ever been to". I know I will remember every detail all the days of my life. Amy looked beautiful....Tom, so very handsome....both of them so totally in love. They have their whole lives ahead of them right now.....and Jim and I not only get to 'watch' it unfold....but we get to be a part of it. Talk about blessings!!!!

More wedding photos to come~

~Weddings and Tutus and Monkeys, Oh My~

The wedding is now only 11 days away. I'm working on finishing up Amy's veil today. Along with shipping out 8 jewelry orders. And seeing Mom. And my Aunt Grace, who we moved into the same place Mom is at this past weekend. And making more Cheeky Tutu Monkeys and Tutus for little girls, as my first 3-weekend show begins in August~

The nightmare of all nightmares happened last week: I shipped the wrong necklace which was meant to be given at a shower on Saturday. This is the second time in 8 years that I've done this. I feel awful about it, and am waiting to hear back from the customer....and the OTHER customer, too. sigh.

So....I'm off to the nursing home.....and then the studio this morning....waiting for the gray clouds to clear and let the sun shine. May it be sunny wherever YOU are in the world today~

~Monday Blessings~

June is "busting out all over", and so are the blessings here at RoseCreekCottage:

~Amy's bridal shower was a huge success. She and Tom received many beautiful gifts to help them set up housekeeping in this 'almost' new chapter of their lives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Amy and her Flower Girl~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Mom turned 90...quietly. She continues to sleep much of the time. During her 2 hour party, she was awake about 4 minutes~


~Amy's sister, Allison, is here to for the month to help Amy and Tom with final wedding preparations. I've threatened to hire her full-time and not let her go back to college in August. She's getting so much done!!

~My new hand stamped jewelry line, The Heirloom Collection, has taken off!! I'm struggling to keep up with the orders in addition to working on product for my upcoming fall shows.



~We're looking forward to all the friends and family who will be flying in to join us in celebrating Tom and Amy's wedding over the Fourth-of-July Weekend.

~I'm on my 3rd cup of coffee and need to head to the studio, and then to visit Mom. Have a glorious week wherever you are in this beautiful world~ Carol

~Monday Blessings~

Ahhhh....Monday again, and lots to be thankful for again~

Mama and Emilia are doing well. Jackie can 'officially' drive this week, which makes everything easier!

Tom and Amy's wedding plans are going along well. We tasted the wedding cake yesterday and it was delicious. Now the happy couple just needs to make the final design selections.

We went to John Carroll with them yesterday to see the layout of the reception area. It's just beautiful....outdoor balconies, staircases....an absolutely beautiful venue for a wedding reception!

Shower plans are being finalized. It will be held at a beautiful inn.


I've finally launched my new Heirloom Collection of hand stamped sterling silver jewelry. I love it!! Sentimental memory-makers, each piece is personalized and is sure to be treasured forever. All pieces are sterling silver. Birthstones are Swarovski crystal....and each letter or design is hand stamped one-letter-at-a-time. Beautifully unique. Take a peak at my Etsy Shop. I'll be adding new designs daily~

Have a wonderfully Blessed Monday. Remember to count your blessings~

~Introducing A New Grand-Daughter~

Introducing our latest grandchild: Emilia Bay. She's beautiful and looks exactly like her big sister, Ella, looked at birth.....except that she has dark dark hair. Her eyes are light blue...even lighter than Ella's were. She was welcomed home by her big sister and big brother, who jumped at the chance to hold her whenever they can: Jackson, at 2, for short little spurts....but Ella, at 5, for sometimes an hour-at-a-time.

Jackie is on her way to recovering from her c-section. Emilia nurses quite a bit more often than her mama would like at this point. She was smaller than her sister and brother, and is already gaining weight since her birth 10 days ago.

I was so honored to go down and spend time helping out. I drove Ella to and from the bus stop each morning and afternoon....and will miss watching her climb down the stairs to the bus at the end of each kindergarten day with her headband askew, socks sagging, hair flying, with a huge smile on that sweet little face! We made paper doll dresses out of pressed flowers, 'danced' princess stickers down the ballroom steps time-and-time again......polished nails, and spent time swinging on the swings and picking flowers for her mom and her teacher.


She took me by surprise, when while tucking her into bed the first nite I was there, she asked, "Grandma....how did Emilia get into my Mom's tummy?". Oh boy....I quickly explained to her that God put her there. He's like "magic". She quickly looked skyward and whispered, "Thank you, God". And then added, "Will He put a baby in MY tummy?". Oh my. I could tell it worried her. "NO.....I answered....you must be married to someone you love first". "Oh", she answered....and with that I kissed her good nite, shut the door, and leaned against it in the hallway before skipping down the steps. She's a smart little cookie!!

Jackson is into all the "I Spy" books....and I can tell you we read them each at LEAST a hundred times!!! He even carries them up to bed with him. His favorite phrase, "No way" when he doesn't want to do something. He looks exactly like a Hummel figurine!



And Emilia? An angel here on earth. No crying. Just long periods of sleep...and then wide-open blue eyes looking around at her new 'home'. I just couldn't get enough of holding her...or that sweet baby 'smell'. I couldn't help but wonder if she remembers heaven. I am sure they are missing her!!

I am so blessed to have a daughter-in-law who has made sure that both Jim and I have had a chance to 'bond' with each of our grandbabies soon after their births. I cannot thank her...or love her....enough for that!

I will drive down there again. Often. 2 1/2 hours is not at all far for this Grandma to go to spend precious time with these three little angels. And in between....I will be missing all their smiles...and oh......those sweet hugs and kisses that only they can give so unconditionally~

Happy Mother's Day to all my blogger friends out there....from one happy but 'pooped-out' Grandma~

P.S. Does anyone know if they still make Geritol??!!!!

~To the Sea....Just the Two Of Us~

There's a song by Steven Curtis Chapman called "Fingerprints", that goes:

"I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with the fingerprints of God."

God's fingerprints continue to show themselves throughout our lives. For Jim and I, we started out "just the two of us", and after raising two boys, it's "just the two of us" again.

Some people think this 'empty nesting' is sad. There are parts that are. But now, it's time for us again....just the way God had us start out. Here we are again like we were in the beginning.....full circle.

Today we head to our place at the ocean....no kids, no 'friends' of kids, no moms, no grandchildren. Will we miss them? You bet! We'll miss the sandcastles, the banana pancakes, eating chinese food around the coffee table, board games, piles of wet beach towels, little sandy toes and bottoms. Yes....we'll miss them. Will we still enjoy ourselves?? OH yeah!!

We've been taking these trips to the island for 18 years. And whenever we were about to cross the bridge to the island, we listened to Carly Simon's "Never Been Gone":

The wind is coming up strong and fast
And the moon is smiling on me
Miles from nowhere so small at last
In between the sky and the sea

I'm bound for the island
The tide is with me
I think I can make it before dawn
It's night on the ocean
I'm going home
And it feels like I've never
I've never been gone

Seagulls cry and the hills are green
And my friends are waiting for me
Great ambition is all a dream
Let me drown my pride in the sea -

I'm bound for the ocean
The tide is with me
I think I can make it by dawn
It's night on the ocean
I'm going home
And it feels like I've never
I've never been gone
Oh it feels like I've never
I've never been gone

And that is just the way it always feels: like we’ve never been gone.

After watching the sun rise and set over the ocean, long walks on the beach, lots of talking, bike rides, shopping, lots of fresh lobster and crab.....many margaritas and pina coladas later……just the two of us....we’ll be ready to ‘rejoin’ the hustle-bustle of life back home once again.

After leaving our island retreat, we’re headed to meet our new grand-daughter, who is due to arrive (via caesarean section) on April 29th. Talk about Fingerprints!! Life doesn’t get much better than this~

Have a beautiful week….wherever you are in this world~

Stop over to Beki’s blog to read more Fingerprints.

~Monday Blessings~

Our Ella Layne at 20 mos.....she's now 5, and will soon be a Big Sister not only to her 2-year-old brother, Jackson, but to her new sister.


~Spring has finally arrived here in Ohio. Daffodils, tulips and flowering trees are everywhere.

~Our 3rd Grandbaby is scheduled to arrive on April 3oth. We can't wait to welcome this new little girl to our family.

~Putting the final touches on my new line of jewelry.

~Working on lots of TuTu Cute Cheeky Monkeys for my fall shows.

~Just had the outside of the house painted....it looks 'new' again.

~Making final arrangements for Amy's Bridal Shower.

~Listening to all the exciting plans Tom and Amy are making for their upcoming July wedding.

~Adjusting to the new medication (Victoza) for my insulin resistance. My stomach hurts terribly. I can't eat. ugh.

~Can hardly wait to stick my toes into the ocean come Saturday~

~Hoping that each of you are counting the many Monday Blessings in your lives~