My Prayer For You…

I pray for peace for each one of you as life comes your way. 

I pray for joy and strength to fill your hearts and your lives.

I pray that you will spend this year developing a love and passion for Christ that you have never had.

I pray that you will have a hunger for the Word of God.  And, I pray that as you read, the Words will come alive to you.

I pray that you will have a desire to see lost people saved.

I pray that your family will be blessed beyond measure.

I pray that you will be filled with Godly wisdom.

I pray that you will realize that God loves to hear from you.  He wants to spend time with you.  He wants you to come to Him about ALL things…big and small.  Don’t save your prayers just for big things…pray about everything…please.  Remember that as a parent, everything matters to us that matters to our children.  In the same sense, ALL things matter to God.

I pray that you will know, that as you and your family draw closer to God, you will also draw closer to one another.  Try it…

I also want to thank God for the friendships I have made amongst so many of you.  I may never meet you in person, but so many of you have already earned a special place in my heart.

God bless you each and everyone.

In Jesus name, I pray this prayer.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Amy

Happy New Year, Snowbound, and The Winner!

Happy New Year, Everyone! First, I want to say a big thank you to Kristin of My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia. She asked me the other day if she could feature our blog on hers and of course I jumped at the chance and was so honored. She has an absolutely beautiful blog that you all should check out if you haven't already! I spent quite some time over there the other day and fell in love with so many of her projects. She definitely has one of those blogs you can get completely lost in and spend hours looking through! You can see this one post here that wraps up some of her top projects of 2010. Her kitchen transformation is incredible! I wish I had time to write more but I am not feeling so great so am going to try to keep this post as short as possible and I still have a lot to write about. This bench is just one of her recent projects:

Normally when we go up to New Hampshire I take a ton of photos. Everything is so beautiful and picturesque up there from the quaint little towns, beautiful homes and just the landscape in general. My parents property alone has so many great places to take pictures. This time however I didn't end up with practically any photos at all! After a very stressful month, we thought it was going to be a nice relaxing Christmas week but thanks to my ending up with some pregnancy complications, a major snowstorm (that resulted in 4 canceled flights for my sister and husband) and two trips to the ER for my parents with my Uncle Bob (he's still at the hospital and not doing well, so any prayers for him would be greatly appreciated) it turned out to be a wee bit hectic!

I started feeling not so great at the Carolina game in Chapel Hill on Tuesday but brushed it aside. By Thursday evening  though it wasn't really something I could ignore anymore. After a call to my doctor I ended up more or less on bedrest for the next 4 days. I had been so excited to take pictures of Jamie and Josh's party (fortunately I did get a few of their home and the decorating we did Thursday morning but none of the actual party), Christmas Eve, Christmas Morning, Christmas Day, the beautiful snow, etc... you know- all of the fun that goes with the holidays, but needless to say photos with my feet in front of whatever I was trying to shoot aren't so pretty. Thankfully, most of the complications went away after a few days and so by Wednesday I was able to be up and moving about more so I did take some photos of that (which are posted below). Having to lay around was actually fun for the first few minutes - I got to boss everyone around (actually my siblings would probably all say that is normal!) and have people bring me cookies and cake and everything else while I just laid on the couch (now that is not so normal...well, eating cookies and cake is but laying on the couch most definitely not), but that got old after about ten minutes and then I thought I might go insane! The good thing was, though most everyone got snowbound so they were all stuck in the house with me too! My sister's flight was canceled and poor Jon had three different flights get canceled on him! He never ended up being able to head out on his recruiting trip and had to change his entire route and ended up renting a car and driving back to Williamsburg to at least get to William and Mary's game on Wednesday. Lillie and I flew back last night. Unfortunately most of my complications came back pretty strong so I was in bed all day today and it looks like I will be not doing much tomorrow either. I am praying all of the complications will subside soon and everything can return to normal. Anyway, that is why we haven't given a date for reopening our shop yet. I know a lot of you have asked but I just don't have a definitive answer just yet. We had been planning on reopening as soon as I got back to Williamsburg but obviously that has changed. My goal is to open at some point towards the middle to end of next week but it is hard to know that for sure at this point. I will keep you all updated though and as soon as I am able to be up and about again we will be reopening. I have Valentine's Day shirts and pillows that I want to have ready as soon as possible!

So, anyway, that has what has been going on here this past week! The one day that I did get to be on my feet was Wednesday which was my mom's birthday! Happy Birthday, Moosie! Here are some pictures from that day (don't worry - I didn't shovel or go sledding I just stepped outside to take a few photos):

Here is Lillie and Uncle Jason in their matching Notre Dame hats. I can't believe he will be graduating in just a few months - he is supposed to the be baby of the family! I wanted to dress Lillie up in her new furry vest and one of the new knit hats Dana gave her for Christmas, but seeing how it was FREEZING out I figured that might border on cruelty so I figured we would save that for another day. I am dying to get a picture of the deep purple one, though, so that we can list it in the shop when we reopen! 

What a helper!

 Okay, enough shoveling! 

 Time to play in the snow with Mimi!

 Moosie "Mimi" and Lillie sledding!

Lillie helping Mimi make her birthday cake. When I asked Lillie if she wanted to help me make Mimi's birthday cake she informed me "ummm.....no thanks, I bake with Mimi!" So my mom ended up making her own cake with Lillie's help. I don't think she minded, though - she was probably secretly gloating that Lillie had said she'd rather bake with her than me - haha!

 And of course licking the batter is the best part of baking!

And now for the winner of our $75 Gift Certificate:

Note: I used ramdom.org to chose the winner a little after nine and at the time there were 445 entries.

Congratulations to Amanda!

Send us an e-mail to dearlillie@hotmail.com within the next 48 hours to collect your prize!

Hopefully I will be posting again in just another day or two with pictures of our new purple knit hat,  and then after that with some non-Christmas winter decorating, some Valentine's pillows and our next big project - turning our guest room into a nursery!

I hope you all have a beautiful New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

 

 

Jan and me wish you all a Happy and Healthy 2011 !

xx

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

    Jan and me wish you all a Happy and Healthy 2011 ! xx

Home Modern Design Interior

Home Decoration Interior DesignInterior design is a multi-faceted profession that creative and technical solutions are applied within a structure built to reach the interior environment. These solutions are functional, enhance the quality of life and culture of the occupants, and aesthetically appealing. The design was created in response to and coordinated with the code and regulatory

Swimming Pools Design

Swimming poolLuxury Home DesignPool design that can be placed in the home, lodge or villa you. kolan pool design is not very large so it may be many people able to have it. lekukanpada wall of a swimming pool is manjdai make it look beautiful, to make the atmosphere becomes more variety of plants and fresh flowers placed around it.

~I want Sunshine~

I think BHG

Yes, I want some Sunny and Warm days and lots of it..... and what makes you think of this more than anything?? Yellow and plenty of light too, of course!  Warm Sunshine days is all I can think about......It would be so dreamy to just escape to the beach,  drink some lemonade and take in some rays!! Ok, I'm going to stop complaining!!
Does anyone have any special New Year's plans? I don't think we are doing much of anything...just staying home with the kids, eating snacks, watching movies and maybe if we can stay awake watch the ball drop in NYC!!

Pure Style

We Heart It

Bathroom Modern Design Ideas

Modern Minimalist Home Design

Modern Minimalist Home DesignModern Minimalist Home DesignModern Minimalist Home DesignModern Minimalist Home DesignHome design refers to the practical, multipurpose function,use of of land / space in a clever ,minimalist material , but interesting . Home design trend refers to the same house at the time. Modern homes can also use the latest all-round material, interior amenities, exterior and

Sweet Hubby's Gift + More

Hello friends.  If you are a regular reader of my blog you know I have a love for sterling, especially Victorian vanity pieces.  For Christmas my sweetie bought me the perfect little addition to my collection.  Take a look and see if you can spot it.

Look a little closer

I am in love with my new sterling Victorian clothes brush. It has a beautiful repousse handle and horse hair bristles. I think these pieces appeal so much to me because I like to imagine where they came from, were they a gift from her sweetie, and what was the lady like that owned them.

These are also new additions to my collection of serving pieces.  I recently purchased these three pieces at a thrift store for fifty cents each!  They were so badly tarnished I could not read the markings but I assumed they were silver plate.  Imagine my surprise when I cleaned them and found monograms on two of the pieces and that all three were marked Sterling!!

Here is a close-up of the handles.  See the beautiful transferware plate they are on....

My sweet friend Lynn at The Vintage Nest  knows I love transferware and she gave me this plate filled with goodies she had made. The sweets were delicious and they didn't last long around here. Yum!

My newest blogging friend is Betsy from  A Perfect Setting  and we met for the first time a few weeks ago at the lunch I held for several local bloggers. Betsy brought me this gorgeous napkin holder. She knew I was a recent transplant to Virginia and she included these wonderful napkins.  

Thank you ladies for these wonderful gifts!  It is so true that bloggers have the biggest hearts.

I wish each one of you a Happy and Healthy 2011

xo,

Sherry

I'll be joining the parties at:

French Country Cottage 

Shabby Nest 

My Romantic Home 

Southern In My Heart 

Common Ground 

Bargain Hunting With Laurie

Amazing Home Building

Green Architecture is a combination of environmental elements, spiritual and physical health, healthy activities, architectural design and building materials that tdkmengandung poison. Blend all these elements generate the ideal home or office, modern, and healthy. Green Architecture inspired the architect, the client, consultants, construction managers, and other building materials supplier,

Kitchen design

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Swimming Pool Design

Swimming poolModern Home Design Pool design that you can place it in your About a house, where the pool design is not very big. Small swimming pool to private, a place where you can relax and find comfort in your spare time.

Luxury Bathroom Design with theme black color

Luxury Bathroom DesignDesign a bathroom with a beautiful black paint colors, although the design of this bathroom displays dark color of this bathroom look clean because of the lighting arrangement and combination of colors.

Bathroom Design Ideas

Bathroom Minimalist Modern DesignBathroom featuring a minimalist design but is able to look beautiful and modern, which only offers design bathroom wall color.

Luxury Bathroom Design

Luxury Bathroom modern designThis is one luxury bathroom design. course in the manufacturing cost is not small. Such designs are usually implemented in a hotel bathroom and the like but did not rule can have it your own.bathroom which has a high-class style, with a beautiful decorationmaking bathrooms blend with the the sea atmosphere

2010 Favorite Projects

CSI Project is having a Favorite Projects 2010 Challenge and Rhoda at Southern Hospitality  is hosting Top Projects of 2010.  I am joining their parties and have included some of my favorite projects.  Please check out the other entries for some great inspiration.

If you click on the highlighted words it will take you to my original post.  First is our buffet which went from oak to shabby chic.  You can read the entire post here.

My first (and Only) time reupholstering chairs. 

 

Dressing up a mirror

 Ballard inspired French birth certificate.

 Mirror went from shiny gold to French gray.

Free botanicals 

My home office before...

and after.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have enjoyed reviewing my 2010 projects.

I will also be joining 

Savvy Southern Style 

The Shabby Chic Cottage 

Between Naps On The Porch 

Coastal Charm

xo,

Sherry

Bathroom Accessories Sets

Water splash instead designed with the shape of a flower

My last blogpost of this year is dedicated to all of you !

My dearest readers, followers, blogfriends and blogcolleagues, I would love to thank all of you for this wonderful year, joining me at Belgian Pearls.

This year I met so many new readers and blogcolleagues, and a lot of you became real friends! It is amazing how many lovely people I learned to know through blogging!

Starting my blog, I never could have imagined that meeting all of you, would have such an impact on my life!

All those sweet and lovely comments on my posts, all these emails I received from you, were to me a huge support and motivation to go on with my blog!

‘Belgian Pearls’ wouldn’t be of any meaning without all of you!

I do hope that even in 2011, I will be able to bring you blogposts you will love and enjoy! I promise to do the best I can to not disappoint you!

I also want to make my apologies to all the people amongst you, who have sent me an email on which I have not answered yet! Sometimes I am so busy with my job and my family (I am also a wife and a mum, you know !), that I really don’t find enough time to blog or to answer all my emails!

We are only a few days away from a new year, and the next two days I will have to prepare everything for New Year’s Eve because we have our family to join us. So there are still a few things to do!

This post will be the last one of this year.

To thank you for your support and friendship the past year, I want to treat you with some random chosen eye candy images from my files !

Thank you so much for being a reader, a follower or a blogfriend!

You are all so dear to me!

___

Enjoy!!

Source : Four Seasons Hotel Florence

Source : Tim Clinch photography

Source : Magazine Seasons Januari 2011 Photographer Kat de Baerdemaeker

Source : Robert Couturier

Source : Campagne – Décoration

WISH YOU ALL A NEW YEAR FILLED WITH PEACE, PROSPERITY AND HAPPINESS !

Talk to you in 2011 !!

xx

My last blogpost of this year is dedicated to all of you !

My dearest readers, followers, blogfriends and blogcolleagues, I would love to thank all of you for this wonderful year, joining me at Belgian Pearls.This year I met so many new readers and blogcolleagues, and a lot of you became real friends! It is amazing how many lovely people I learned to know through blogging!Starting my blog, I never could have imagined that meeting all of you, would have

Bathroom Design Ideas

Challenging Myself

Last year at this time, I was challenged by a lot of other blogging friends to do a Pantry Challenge for the month of January. 

The challenge was for us to eat from our pantry and only buy necessities for the entire month.  We would be eating from our stockpile.

I took the challenge!

I set a limit last year to only spend $75 for the whole month at the grocery store.  This included milk, juice, fresh fruits and veggies, bread, and any other must haves.

I did very well, but decided if I did it again, I would give myself a budget of $100 for the month so I would have a little breathing room.

I will tell you that I have stocked my pantry, shelves and such for the past several months.  I canned a lot from our garden and put up lots of fruit in the freezer.  We also have half a beef in the freezer and have been blessed with two deer that friends have killed.

I am a coupon shopper and have been able to stock up on lots of food at good prices.  My shelves are full.

I will make one more run to the store to purchase a few more staples before the challenge begins.  I am also going to give my kids a small amount of money to stock up on certain things that they want to make sure they have for the month.

Then, on January 3, our challenge begins.

My husband loves this idea because of the money it saves.  I love it because I love the challenge of it and that I have to be creative in my meal planning and cooking.  I like thinking about things.   Does that make sense? 

I actually did this for about six weeks last year because I was having such a good time doing it and loved staying away from the grocery store.

My kids were going a little crazy by the end because there were certain foods they were missing having.  Don’t feel sorry for them though,  they ate great the whole month. 

So, that is my challenge and I can’t wait to begin.

What about you? 

Is this something you have ever done?

Would you consider taking this challenge yourself?

Let me know your thoughts or if you think you might want to do it with me.  We can hold each other accountable and help each other be creative with what food we have left on our shelves.  Maybe I could share some spaghetti noodles with you if you run out.

Happy almost New Year…

Subdued color palette

I do hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas !

I want to thank everyone who has sent me their warmest Christmas wishes! I wish I could have been able to write every reader or blog colleague to give my personal wishes. But unfortunately, I wouldn’t know where to start!

There are only a few days left to a new year! Can you believe this?!

Today I love to share with you some images of Belgian interiors with a soft, subdued color palette.

They all radiate a certain serenity and calmness.

Enjoy!

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Wish you all a wonderful last week of the year!

xx

Subdued color palette

I do hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas !I want to thank everyone who has sent me their warmest Christmas wishes! I wish I could have been able to write every reader or blog colleague to give my personal wishes. But unfortunately, I wouldn’t know where to start! There are only a few days left to a new year! Can you believe this?!Today I love to share with you some images of Belgian

Female Bedroom child Design

Female Bedroom modern designChild Bedroom Designwith pink colorFemale bedroom designchild bedroom design Explore more Bedroom Design and find your favorite on this site.

From Mine To Yours…

 

Sometimes it’s nice to see the people that are talking to you and are being talked about, so I decided to share a picture of my wonderful family with you all.

My kids are the apples of my eye.  They make my life full.  They are my gifts from God and I treasure every second I get to spend with them.

My husband is my best friend.  He is my hero.  He is the person who taught me to love Jesus and to accept Him as my Lord and Savior.

Our family wishes you a wonderful upcoming New Year.

God bless you all!