Sheet Music and a Happy Heart

When I start thinking about Fall and Christmas, my palms get sweaty and my knees start to shake...L.O.V.E!!

God is so good to give us seasons and with each transition comes a newness, a freshness in the air. I couldn't wait for summer to get here, and as it quickly races past me, I can't help but breathe in the smells of apple pie and bonfires, envisioning pumpkins and falling leaves, scarves and sweaters, and B-O-O-T-S, my favorite!

September is in the air...and in craft world that means kicking Christmas into high gear!! Most "seasoned" (tee hee...no pun intended) crafters work all year on Christmas goodies and treasures, but if you're a procrastinator like me, you wait until you look at your calendar and see only 1 month between you and your first show of the season. Geez...I know, it's crazy, but I work better under pressure, what can I say?!

So, to usher in the first day of September, what better way to kick it off than with a creation for the holiday season...


I know, I skipped right over Fall and dove head first into Christmas but I have been eyeing this idea for too long!! I couldn't take it anymore. I have spent the entire summer searching for a beat up, musty smelling, stained hymnal, and yesterday...I FOUND ONE! Oh how happy this made me!! So you can imagine that waiting until today to get started on this was pure torture...

An old foam wreath that I paid $1.50 for, an old tattered hymnal that cost me $2, some hot glue, and a few golden, beat up Christmas balls transformed my evening into a vintage, shabby chic house of FaLaLaLaLaLaLa!!

Starting with the hymnal, I tore several pages out...Ok, maybe a little more than several, let's try, maybe 100?! ( I had to say a prayer of forgiveness, I felt kinda bad...Oh, and Tim Ervin Cooper, whose name was inscribed on the front cover, if you are reading this, I apologize to you, too!!).

So, here is what I started with...



...and then as I rolled pages...



a little dab of hot glue here...lots of dabs of hot glue there... some Christmas balls and few more dabs of hot glue and VOILA...~!!



Well, it took a little longer than that, but you get my drift. Lots of fun and a beautiful wreath that I cannot wait to showcase over the fireplace...You'll definitely be seeing a lot more of these!!

Before I go, I have to share with you the sweet moment that this crafting session led to...while I was rolling up those old Methodist pages of sheet music, and as I taped each one, the Southern Baptist in me couldn't help but humming a few of the lines. My heart became so full, i thought it might just burst! Any of you reading this that know me, know how much I love to sing, and how much more I love a good ole southern hymn. And even more than both of those things, I just love how in the stillness of some moments, it's as if God reaches down and wraps His big ole God arms around you, pulling you in real tight, whispering in your ear. And in this moment, that's exactly what He did, softly telling me, "My child, just breathe, rest in this moment." I adore those simple little reminders of His goodness and His grace. And as my head was already spinning at the thought of how quickly craft shows and Holidays would be approaching, He knew exactly what I needed to hear...and maybe you need to hear it, too...


"My child, just breathe...rest in this moment..."