I love to decorate! My home especially but I have loved styling weddings, parties and events too. I'm trying to start a home decorating side gig where I show up to your house and decorate for the season or holiday using your own items (or shop for you too). How fun would that be? To see your items displayed in a different way thru fresh eyes! 

Anywho... I've realized after going thru my photos from a few years that I really love doing Tablescapes.

It's a small area where you can really saturate your design items and the dining table is really the heart of the home isn't it?  I just love sitting around the table praying, talking, eating and laughing with family and friends. It's the place we spend most of our time when guests are over leisurely eating and catching up so why not make it pretty too!! 

Here are some basic ideas to help you get your tablescapes going...

Tablecloth or not... it all depends on the look you are going for. I have a beautiful antique trestle farmhouse table that I love to expose most of the time. I'll use runners and sometimes tablecloths. I have one handmade crocheted heirloom one (that was made by my Japanese adopted mom who went to live with Jesus almost 7 years ago) that I use for special occasions or big holiday dinners because then it feels like she is still with us.  But in the end, it's all about what you want.

I love cloth napkins and napkin rings or special folds for them. It's fun and feels more elegant than paper napkins but I also am ok with paper when it's going to be a messy meal especially!!  I usually search on Pinterest for fun napkin folds. Napkins can really make the color stand out for the season or holiday you are decorating for.

Chargers or large dinner plates make for a good base of color or texture. I do love dishes and I have tons, but a good rule of thumb is to have a full set of white dishes, then you can just add colorful chargers or round placemats to set underneath. I collect 6 small dishes like dessert or appetizer size to set on top of the white dishes to make it more festive too. Seasonal paper plates work WONDERFULLY for this! So much cheaper and don't take up cupboard space. I have a set of white dishes... just basic nothing fancy and a full set of Green Pfaltzgraff dishes my hubby bought me. I feel these two colors can be utilized as my base color for just about any season or holiday.

The centerpiece is where the creative fun is! I never have the same one for the same holiday because I just lump all my seasonal decoration for the whole house in tubs and pick out whatever my heart wants for the table at that moment! But of course, you can find a look you love and recreate it every time! Use what you have, mix and match.

These are all photos from my own home with my phone camera so don't judge the quality of them but I do love changing up the look of my home. Stay tuned as I figure out how to start up a home decorating business so I can come play with your home and help give it a fresh look!!  I need more "canvases" to play with and photograph!! 

A new start from this old heart!

Well would you lookie here! This Blog platform I started years ago is still here! lol  😁

How about a start over and some more insight into my crazy blessed life. I say YES!!

I've had so much happen in the past 7 years that I can't even wrap my head around it sometimes! 

But here is what hasn't changed. 

Jesus! He is still my Lord and Savior and bestest of all best friends. (I honestly couldn't have made it to this point without him) 

I'm still madly in love with my hunka hunka burnin love of 42 years.  38 of those married! I think almost losing him a couple times thru work and health has really made me cherish everyday we have together.

My two Sonshines are still the beat of my heart and I am so stinkin proud of the men they have become 

I still love making things pretty. While I have retired as a wedding planner I am still decorating ad styling up parties and homes.

I still love natural wellness. If there is a natural remedy I am going to find it and use it. (I'm not against western medicine, there is definitely a time and place for it!)

I love my dogs... While Enli the beagle lived a good life we had to help him cross the rainbow bridge in 2020. We now have two rascals. Max, a border collie and a cattle dog reject and Maizey our giant standard poodle who is a wreck... Lovable and cute but a wreck nonetheless (kinda like me, her mama!)

So..... stand by to hear about what has changed and to get a better glimpse into my Feathered heart. 

You've heard about feathering your nest.. making your house a home... well, This is going to be all about feathering all parts of our lives. All areas that incorporate our Home and Heart. Welcome into my home and heart.
I hope I can be an inspiration to you!

A Little Soul Bearing.....

Good morning friends! You all know me either personally or thru my posts, as I am an open book and pretty transparent. I share my thoughts and soul with you all. If you have had the chance to be a face-to-face friend of mine you know I enjoy talking. wink emoticon You have seen my love for my sonshines and their girlies and my undying devotion to my hunka hunka burnin love. You know how much I enjoy planning weddings and making them pretty. You know how much I enjoyed having chickens and how I wish I still had a few. (but can't right now as bears think my house is the local KFC) How Enli the beagle is a hoot. If I find a good deal or article that moves me you will know about it. My pinterest pins have let you see my food choices and decorating styles. You know how much I love inspirational quotes. My journey right now with losing someone I love on hospice is being shared because I honestly couldn't go thru this without all of you. If I held it all inside I would implode and that would be messy and who wants a big ol hot mess on their hands. You also know that I love Jesus and lean on Him in every aspect of my life. I have been pursuing health and that I am an essential oil lover....ok, fanatic.... ok, fine... an addict! But you all know this! wink emoticon
It's been a whole year.... a year of learning and amazement. A year of tweaking my lifestyle choices. A year of focusing on health and being aware of what I put in and onto my body. A year of fitness? not so much, but health a big fat YES!! I have managed to pass thru "mid-life" relatively unscathed without having to resort to any non-natural treatments or remedies. I have released some emotional baggage in order to live life with less fear and anxious moments. I have become even more in tuned with Jesus as I turn to Him even more in my quest for honoring His temple. I am totally amazed at the provisions God has given us thru nature... why have we pushed them aside?
Any who.... Just wanted to share all of this because I want you to know when I do talk about all of these aspects of my life I am doing so for several reasons....
1) I have no face-to-face life.. I live in the boonies and don't get out much as far as face-to-face relationships go.. so this is my social life... sad but hey, it's like a party all the time. (for those of you who do see me face-to-face you get to hear all of this with your ears,,and you will probably get a hug or two thrown in)
2) If I don't talk about it I will go stark raving mad. My 3rd grade teacher put it eloquently (waaaay before ADHD came on the scene) "Barra is an energetic child who enjoys visiting with her neighbors" haha!!! nailed it... another teacher said on one of my report cards that I was a "social butterfly" !
3) If I think something is wonderful or worth exploring I need to share it.. the end.

So.... Get ready to hear about me and my life, what I love and what I recommend for all the areas of life! 

Are you prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse?

I'm a Prepper, he's a Prepper, she's a Prepper, we're a Prepper wouldn't you like to be a Prepper too!! ... haha!! Remember those lyrics?(ok, I'm oldish) In these days of unrest and rioting and all around craziness, it has made me a bit more neurotic about being prepared.
As preppers we stock up on medical supplies, we count bandages, tape, gauze, and bottles of liquids on our checklists. as well as stockpiling food and water. Many of us store and grow herbs like mullein, hops, rosemary and oregano to supplement medical needs with tinctures and concoctions. We take our family’s health seriously in every situation and try to prepare for every possible scenario. It's all very important and each of these things play a part in preparing for a future where the availability and quality of healthcare, food and water is unknown.

Personally I have racks of canned goods and boxes of medical supplies in the basement. I grow herbs in my garden,  and many medical and survival books line our library shelves. I’ve also learned another level of preparation, another way we can care for our family’s health needs both now and during uncertain times ahead – "What is that " you say? Well, let me tell you!! ESSENTIAL OILS!!!!! I have discovered that essential oils are safe, compact, and relatively inexpensive as you only use one drop of oil at a time. They last forever, are easy to transport, they are very effective as well as versatile and these oils belong in every prepper’s arsenal and bug out bag!

So here’s the scoop….. I am hooked on essential oils...not just any brand though because purity is a biggie for me. I only use Young Living essential oils and can’t speak for any other brand as I am a Young living junky! =)  So here’s a little info on them before I tell you what I’ve used them for.

Essential oils are the life-blood of the plant. When organically grown and distilled properly without solvents or synthetic additives they contain concentrated amounts of amazing  properties and have the ability to soothe and aid where other methods of healthcare don’t. Stored properly with tightly closed caps in a cool dark place they will last forever and maintain their integrity and amazing health aiding  properties. Young Living Essential Oils are oils that are therapeutic grade, 100% pure and safe enough to take internally, use diluted on children as well as adults and your pets and recommended for every ailment in this article. They are never diluted or synthetic. The quality is guaranteed from “Seed to Seal”  by Young Living. The plant molecules in essential oils are quickly metabolized by the body, they find the receptor sites that need them and jump right in to soothe, detoxify, strengthen, and restore... Unlike the man-made synthetic properties readily available for all sorts of issues and ailments that we take everyday.  Within 21 minutes of applying essential oils the molecules have reached every cell in your body and determined if they are needed or not and have cleansed and done their jobs….. leaving your cells healthy and restored.

Ok now that you got the science of it all here’s the practical side of it! (my favorite part!!)

Well….  soon after learning about Young Living Essential Oils and purchasing the premium starter Kit I had a chance to put them to the test. I burned myself...unintentionally...with my curling iron and one drop of Lavender resulted in no discomfort or blister or scar. It also has provided quick relief when I cut myself pretty good when working in the kitchen. Thieves has been beneficial in soothing our throats as soon as the sickies arrive in our house. It seems like the germs stay away too, as we have not been laid up in bed feeling miserable and going thru boxes of tissues. It is even used in a toothpaste for “just gone to the dentist” feeling!  PanAway and Deep Relief ( lovely blended oils) have relieved overworked backs and legs from strenuous hiking or working in the yard. Peppermint  is tasty dropped into hot cocoa or rubbed on tummy after eating too much at Thanksgiving or rubbing on your forehead and temples to stop a throbbing ache..  Lemongrass is one of my favorites! It tastes great in hot tea and is known for getting rid of swelling. It smells like fruit loops when diffused! Lemongrass along with Purification and Peppermint keeps bugs from invading your home or pets. Oregano is super powerful in helping to get rid of deep seeded unhealthy germs and ickiness that you usually need a pill for.  The Thieves oil comes in a cleaner too that I use to clean my home. It has been shown in science fair projects that  yucky germs don’t stand a chance when in contact with it! It has cloves in it so it smells wonderful and isn’t harmful if used near pets or kids and it cleans like none other! There isn’t a day when we don’t use Young Living Essential Oils in our home.

To cover larger areas like your bad back or overworked legs, the essential oils can be added to aloe vera gel, olive oil or coconut oil for soothing relief. Although entirely safe for children and babies, the oils should be diluted 50/50 with coconut or olive oil until you see how your children respond. But you will love how happy and comfortable your kids will be living in a healthy home and spending time playing instead of feeling bad in bed.

Your pets will also benefit from using essential oils to repel ticks and fleas and prevent parasites from taking hold as well as treating cuts and scrapes  and to keep them calm during stressful situations like being alone or thunderstorms.

As you probably figured out in the way I described some of my favorites, you can simply inhale the aroma from the bottle, use in a ultrasonic diffuser; apply topically; and take internally either under the tongue or in capsules.  So versatile and every bottle assists you in the best way to use that specific oil. I use each and every method depending on what I’m using that wonderful drop of oil for!  And yes I said One Drop!  More is not necessarily better… One drop is all it takes to get into your system and go to work finding where you need soothing or relief or restoration. A miracle really!

Basically there are so many uses for these wonderful oils. There will come a time, my fellow preppers, that we won’t be able to get to the grocery or corner drug store. These little bottles of liquid gold will be used over and over again to help where you need them for health issues. Ok... I'll be honest here.... I know it will help in so many issues physically and emotionally that you would face in a time of living off the grid, intentional or not, but I can't promise that they will help in the event of a Zombie bite. Haven't tested that one out yet! ;)

Here is my oil shelf…. yes , I know… I have an issue... but you will be jealous when you find yourself in need of some!!

My advice to you is to use these amazing oils NOW and experience natural health and wellness while educating yourself to all of the issues they can be used for. Then as a wholesale member you can start stocking up for the future health needs of your family.     You’ll be glad you did… if you don’t , you might be kicking yourself when you most need it for the health of your family!

I hope Zombies don't descend upon us or terrorists or crazy natural disasters or civil war but I'd rather be prepared and not have to use all of the stockpiles than not be prepared and really make a stressful situation even more stressful and scary! But these OILS? I use them every day.... for something or other. You can too! I promise that you will love them and feel so much more in control of your family's health and well being! Pinkie swear!!

Disclaimer – this blog post is not intended to treat or prescribe anything. I am not a doctor, I am a woman who has taken control of my family’s wellness and has made it my JOB to educate myself in natural and holistic methods of wellness. This information is meant to inform you but in no way be a way to diagnose, treat, or cure sickness as a medical professional. Use your own instinct and seek medical attention in an emergency as there is always a place for modern medicine for certain ailments and circumstances.

Sheepdog up

It is Police officer awareness week... normally I would post without reservation...but....this year to be totally honest I'm a little afraid... alot of us Leo Wives have changed our names on social media so our husbands can't be found thru us. We've tolerated hate speech without literally knocking someone's block off... we've waited anxiously for him to come home safe and sound with our hearts in our throats after a newscast tells of another officer down. BUT.. despite all of that we are so very proud of our sheepdogs. If you see an officer, a sheepdog... tell them thank you and that you appreciate them being that thin blue line that stands between order and chaos. Now, more than ever, they need to hear it! So to all sheepdogs and to my hunka hunka burning love especially. .. Thank you and I am so very proud of you!     This video is for you.......  I see you..... thank you.... Sheepdog Up!

I turn into a hot mess...

I have PTSD.... there I said it. Finally after 23 years of dealing with it I have said it out loud. My close friends have known in confidence but I'm ready to face it and rise above it.  If you don't know much about PTSD let me enlighten you. Basically, when triggered,  it takes a perfectly normal silly girl and turns her into a hot mess.  Anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and other physical/physiological reactions to an irrational fear. Not fun, Not fun at all.  

Here is my journey....... June 28 1992 at 4:57 a.m. my world came crashing down around me.... literally. Some 3 hours later it flattened me.   A HUGE earthquake...7.3....  hit at 4:57 a.m. in the town of Landers, CA. We were living out in the boondocks running a summer camp up in the mountains near Big Bear Lake. Luckily our campers and staff had yet to arrive but my family were all sleeping soundly in our beds... I had 2 little boys, an almost 5 year old & an 18 month old. Now, Landers wasn't that close to us but it shook us up pretty good and toppled things in the house. It was a little scary but I was fine.... started cleaning things up and watching the news.  At 8:05 a.m. another quake... 6.7... hit hard. We were all in the living room watching the news except for my littlest sonshine... he was sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor playing.  As I ran back into the kitchen... as the rest went outside... I saw dishes falling out of the cupboards landing all around my little boy. I swooped him up and ran back thru a hallway to get outside, hardly able to because of the violent shaking. (Cal tech came up a few days later to place equipment on our camp because they deemed it the epicenter of the Big Bear Quake) The ground didn't stop trembling for 3 days.... I still have not stopped trembling.  

nbcnews.com

I grew up in Japan.. the land of earthquakes and had lived thru many good size ones. I had NEVER been affected by them....until I became a mommy and I couldn't promise that the ground wouldn't start shaking again or that dshes wouldn't fall out of the cupboards.  Oh but it gets better!  5 days later my oldest sonshine started Kindergarten.  The closest bus stop was 6 miles away on winding mountain roads... you know the ones with a cliff on one side and rocks/mountain-side on the other. Talk about a traumatized mommy sending her little one so far away while the ground was still trembling. I can tell you right now, I can still show you the places where I would pray wouldn't slide across the road and keep me from my little man. I lived out worst case scenarios in my head daily as I rove him to the bus stop.  I lost 30 pounds that summer....(I wish for the weight loss but NEVER to lose it from stress and PTSD) I honestly have not slept well since. If a big truck drives by, my heart skips a beat as the sound is similar to an approaching earthquake.   Any small quake triggers my flashbacks and causes my anxiety to reach epic levels. Hearing about large earthquakes like the recent one in Nepal not only break my heart for those affected and the lives that will never be the same but it makes my heart race. Images of devastation fill my dreams and the dreams ALWAYS involve not being able to find my boys. Not fun, Not fun at all.

                                                                 

nypost.com

Oh! It gets better!  PTSD is evil because it causes fear and anxiety to rise not only in obvious earthquake related things.  I have a stupid irrational fear of flying now too .. Seriously? I grew up flying back and forth from Japan for the first 16  years of my life I loved being on a plane.... even thought about being a stewardess.  Now, I'm a hot mess in an airplane ...oh I hide it well but inside...not pretty!  I have turned down vacation destinations because of the flight time... that is not ok!

                                                                 

Basically it has caused me to be fearful of so many things.   Certain situations my hunka hunka burnin love has been involved in as a Sheriff deputy, has compounded the issue and sirens have me racing to the radio just to hear his voice.  Watching the news from the recent riots in Baltimore has allowed the fear to creep in and niggle at my brain. I don't want to be this way and I have been really praying for deliverance from this PTSD hell.  

Well.... as you know, I am a crazy hippie oil lover so I have been looking for a natural way to help me deal with my issues of anxiety and sleep. I have found ones that help me sleep better... not crazy great but good enough for now as I continue my search for the best essential oil for me for sleep.  But here's where it gets good.  I have been applying Release (a Young Living oil to help with anxiety , sleep and PTSD) daily for a couple weeks now and normally when I hear about earthquakes or this whole crazy Baltimore thing my anxiety goes thru the roof and I need to medicate. Guess what?  All I had was compassionate feelings for the people of Nepal and anger and frustration for the riots! No debilitating fear... what?!  When I stopped to think about it, it actually brought me to tears. Maybe I am capable of dealing with things like all you normal folk.  I've been praying for a solution.... I never thought it would be in a little brown bottle with a purple label. An oil.... made from sandalwood and geranium and blue tansy and lavender and ylang ylang.....  the life blood from those plants that God created is helping me like I never imagined.  I often wonder why it took so long for me to discover them. But I believe with all that I am that God's timing is perfect. I don't regret any of my years of dealing with PTSD... I have learned alot about myself and I am now way more compassionate to people who are suffering from it. 

I may have PTSD...... but now I can control it and it doesn't control me!

Wait for it....

Waiting…. wondering…. that is always the hardest part for me. I can deal with the situations (well, once I get over the actual news, good or bad) but the waiting…. so hard.  

I can only imagine Mary and the disciples on this their Sabbath day, still grief stricken from the ugly heartbreaking experience of watching Jesus die on the cross, trying to wrap their heads around all of it.  The conflict of their brains and their hearts. Standing there in unbelief the day before as Jesus actually took his last breath with the words “It is finished”. I know I would’ve been thinking “He is God’s son isn’t He, why is this happening? God wouldn’t let this happen would He? “  Oh my goodness my faith would’ve been rocked to the core.  This isn’t what it was supposed to look like...life was going to be so good...this Man is my Savior …(however, Mary had no idea what having a Savior was supposed to mean or even look like) Did she have an idea in the back of her mind about Jesus rising from the grave? I don’t know… we have always been taught or heard about Jesus dying on the cross for us and rising from the dead on the third day but she had never heard that …. it was happening before her eyes. Jesus mentioned it but did she even understand what He meant?  But regardless of her knowledge she had to wait….. wait to apply the burial spices and oils, which were super important not only to mask the death smell in the hot Palestinian weather but a personal and loving gesture of anointing  a loved one with very expensive oils….. (which I have to say I have access to even today….. will explain later … stay tuned)

As a woman, who loved someone so much, to be told they have to wait to attend to their loved one is crazy hard….Mary wanted the best for her Jesus and to tend to his body in a loving manner but due to the sabbath she was forced to wait. It had to be gut wrenchingly hard for her. Like if your child is going into surgery and you have to just sit and wait in the waiting room until it is over……..or a mammogram comes back as “suspicious” but you have to wait til the results come in…. even harder.…or your husband who knows the wilderness like the back of his hand is “lost” but you know he isn’t lost but that it was a medical incident or foul play…..or that a bad, bad man is in a shootout with police and you know your hubby is smack dab in the middle of the fire fight and knowing there are officers down..(those were two of my hardest days).  But it’s in the waiting that you can learn some of the deepest things about yourself, who you trust, who your friends are and how awesome Jesus and God really are.  It may seem like you’re in a deep hole and all alone with your panic and grief. Lean into the wait…. experience the emotions but don’t get caught up in it. Jesus knows and tells you that Joy comes in the morning whatever your circumstance. That Joy he spoke of is thru His perspective and in His timing and sometimes that Joy might be that you or your loved one wakes up in Heaven. Sheer Joy, right?  Listen to the still small voice of Jesus that whispers in the waiting room of life…….. just wait…….

ps… so the burial oils and perfumes…. Mary was going to anoint Jesus with Myrrh.. the burial oil of choice…. Did you know it is mentioned 3 times in the Bible regarding Jesus. The first time was when the wisemen brought Him Frankincense and Myrrh… (didn’t make the connection til right this minute...whoa.. they brought Him his burial oil…crazy awesome ) the second time was when He was on the cross they offered him a bit of wine mixed with myrrh to help with the pain but Jesus refused it. Then Nicodemus brought about 80pounds of it to use when they buried Him. It was very expensive but was very aromatic to cover the smell of decay.

Myrrh comes from a small bushy tree, cultivated in ancient times in the Arabian peninsula. Myrrh was used raw or crushed and made into an oil to make a perfume. It was also used medicinally to reduce swelling and stop pain.  

Spikenard was not a traditional burial oil. It was very costly and was the oil Mary used to anoint Jesus feet and wiped with her hair. It was reserved for special occasions and was a genuine and pure oil used in worship. Spikenard is a costly spice which comes from a very rare plant and is usually blended with olive oil for anointing acts of consecration, dedication, and worship.  Interesting that this is what Mary was bringing to anoint Jesus body with.

As I said before, it is crazy awesome that we have access to these oils today…I am going to get myself some……... want a bottle of it? ….I can hook you up!

(comment below if you want more info and we will chat about it )