How amazed I am...

Crisp and bright, the inspiration colors for this treasury were blue, black, and white.

'How amazed I am' by HandiworkinGirls

Open up my eyes to see All of you, your mysteries I hold my breath, You hold my hand As heaven melts the heart of man How amazed I am

CaptureBeautif... $25.00	mompotter $16.00	thebitsybeau $4.25	LittleIdealPot... $16.00
PotatoFace $31.00	BurchDesigns $32.00	TooKute $12.00	LAPaperDesigns $1.75
IngridsCreatio... $24.95	NickiLynnJewel... $11.50	simplyseekingp... $15.00	ArtsyClay $12.00
BonJeanCreatio... $16.49	elsielight $9.00	thestrawberryh... $9.00	BirdlegsPhotog... $20.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Cottage Colors...

A warm combination of coral and burgundy, periwinkle and navy blue, and celery and olive green adds sparkle to our shop's newest addition - a six by nine inch snack mat. Larger than our mini snack mats, but smaller than our square trivets, the snack mat is appropriately sized for both pratical and decor purposes. The dainty piece makes for a lovely alternative to a doily on a dresser or vanity table, or a cute cushion for a hot cup of coffee and a cookie at your computer desk.

He can move the mountains...

Playing with blue and green, nature-inspired palette in the treasury today led to this collection. Don't the cool water and mountain colors seem refreshing on a hot July day?

Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose & conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
 - from the song "Mighty to Save"

A plethora of treasury fun to share this week - check out the variety of colors, and especially the Christmas in July items! It's a great way to beat the heat and avoid the Christmas rush.

So Shabby...

White and cream, cream and white...nothing but a pure palette of one of the world's most soothing colors takes the stage in our newest rag rug. The crisp, clean collection of whites is a lovely complement to a laundry or bath, or a cozy, cottage chic kitchen. Warm up a hardwood floor or cushion your feet while you stand or sit - you won't be disappointed with this delightful rug!

Summer's Pink

Pretty, fresh, and playful...pink's the theme in our newest treasury.

"I've heard it in the silence
Seen it on a face
I've felt it in a long hour
Like a sweet embrace
I know this is true
It's calling out to me
It's a voice that whispers my name
It's a kiss without any shame
Something beautiful
Like a song that stirs in my head
Singing love will take us where
Something's beautiful"

- from the song "Something Beautiful" by the Newsboys

And a few other summery bright treasuries:

Chocolate times two!

What could be better than a fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie? A chocolate chocolate chip cookie, naturally. Double the chocolate for double the fun! This "Doubly Chocolate Chip Cookie" is a great way to satisfy your chocolate and cookie cravings at the same time, or just to add a little variation to your usual baking repertoire.

Doubly Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips
½ cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture. Mix in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoon onto cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly; remove cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 4 ½ dozen cookies.

Cool Cotton

What's could be more summery than a cool cotton rug on which to toss your sandy shoes, or wipe your grass-stained feet? Our latest t-shirt rug is just the right blend of white and brights, popping a kaleidoscope of color into your decor.

Shabby and Sweet

Today's treasury inspiration was MaisonVogue's vintage cushion - both the shabby chic style, and the aqua and creamy white color scheme. How's this for a shabby and sweet summer collection?

"Father this my invocation

That You would come and meet me once again

And I know that You will hear my pleading

And You will find me ever once again

Breathe in me

Breath of God

Mend in me, this wounded heart

That I may know You've made You're peace with me

Breathe in me."

- from the song" Breathe in Me" by Aaron Shust.

Also for your visual enjoyment, check out these three summer escape treasuries we were delighted to be a part of!

Color Play

Time for a quick treasury round up! A constant source of color and style inspiration can be found in Etsy's treasury, and these collections in which our items were included are just plain fun. Can you spot the thread of orange, green, and blue tying these three treasuries together?

Lemon & White Chocolate

Summer calls for sweet treats of all kinds, and these lemony white chocolate bars certainly suit this season of warm and sticky! A riff on a traditional brownie recipe, these bars are an excellent dessert to share with your family and friends that can't (or even more sadly, just don't) eat chocolate.

Lemon & White Chocolate Bars

¾ butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1 ¾ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups white chocolate chips

Melt butter, remove from heat. Add sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon extract. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, stir until well blended and smooth. Stir in white chocolate chips. Spread in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool and serve.

Aqua and White

Treasury challenge of the week - featuring the CAST team shops, WatercolorsNMore and SewFaithful. The sparkling aqua and turquoise shades of their items were the inspiration for our summery collection.



This week we had the pleasure of being included in a variety of treasuries - bright, rustic, rich, and cottage.

Joy Cottage...

The treasury today is part of a CAST Team challenge - featuring Elegant Quirk and Vintage Niki.


And a few other treasuries... These are not ones that we made, but that we were included in. Enjoy!

Luscious lime...

Shown here with our white trivet, these sweet vanilla cupcakes with a swirl of lime frosting are a refreshing dessert for a warm summer day. The soft green tint from the lime zest is the perfect color to complement a party scheme, while being free from artificial food coloring.

Vanilla Cupcakes:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and whip again.

In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18 minutes or just until set and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, pipe on frosting. (We used Wilton’s 1M tip.) Sprinkle with white sugar for a sparkling finish.

Lime Buttercream Icing:

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup shortening

6 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

5-6 teaspoons lime juice

Zest of 5 limes

Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer. Add lime zest and juice. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all the sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at high speed until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered with damp cloth until you’re ready to decorate. For best results, keep icing in refrigerator when you’re not using it.

Makes about 3 cups of frosting.

Celebrating a birthday!

Yesterday was the U.S. Army's 237th birthday - time for a black and gold treasury, right?



We've also had the pleasure of discovering our items in these splendid treasuries:

All things bright and beautiful...

Vivid pink was today's treasury muse. Paired with black and white, it makes for a bold retro palette!

"Things aren’t always what they seem
You’re only seeing part of me
There’s more than you could ever know
Behind the scenes
I’m incomplete and I’m undone
But I suppose like everyone
There’s so much more that’s going on
Behind the scenes."
- from the song "Behind the Scenes" by Francesa Battistelli

And for some more color play, check out these sky blue, teal, and coral collections that we were thrilled to be a part of: