Shoestring's One Year Anniversary!!

One year ago this week, I shared my very first post with you.  It's hard to believe it was that long ago and yet it seems like yesterday!!

You've come and walked with me through my garden... Encouraged me to tackle projects I loved!

Shown me a wonderful friendship and encouraged me with your wonderful Features and kindest words!

We have done chalk paint projects and had tea together!! Baked some muffins and made thrifty transformations!

                             

 Oh what incredible joy you have given me with your kind words and constant encouragement!!

I can't think of anything I would have rather have been doing..

It definitely is an ongoing learning process...I just last week finally figured out how to make a text link!

I can't think of anything I would have rather have been doing..It definitely

 is an ongoing learning process...I just last week finally figured out how to make a text link! You would have never seen that back when I was writing about my love for Cielo's House in the Roses which I can  now show you  that you can find her, Here

I have shared all my ideas with you! Some of them inspired and some not so  clever, but Always an adventure!!

I've shared prayer time and prayer boxes, for that matter!

You have even slowly watched me transform different parts of my home and the things in it and it has been such fun and a great benefit and Blessing to me!!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to every single person that has popped in to check on what I was up to, or clicked on my thumbnail @ a linky party, followed me from Facebook, or just stumbled upon my little Blog!!  Most of all, Thank you so much for every single comment and follow!! They mean the world and give what I do some small bit of validation...and for that I could never truly express my gratitude. I have had a blast and hope you will journey on with me for awhile longer!!

So here's a few more highlights from the last year here at Shoestring Elegance!! I hope you have been Blessed in some small way!

Remember

this?

  Thankfully, you all seem to enjoy this centerpiece as much as I still am!!

I like it, too!!

Celebrated Family and church events...

 Fall Favorites

Remember all the things we shared for Christmas?

 

Saying good bye to old friends. 

 And enjoying new finds!

Creating Beauty to lift the spirits...

to The Spirit lifting me!

I almost forgot to include your favorite post to date!!! It's still funny to me with what connects people, but in a wonderful way!!

~Blessing Always,  

Theresa.

As always  I am sharing this post with some incredibly talented Bloggers, like~

The Incredible, Bev over @ How Sweet The Sound's Pink Saturday

The Incredibly talented Coutyney!! @ French Country Cottages Feathered Nest Friday

Kathy's Home and Garden over on A Delightsome Life

Another Talented Lady, Karen @ REDOUX

The Wonderful Debra @ Common Ground

The Very Wonderful and Kind, Katie over @ Katherine's Corner 

Jody and Stan over @ Rooted In Thyme 

The Wonderful Cindy @ My Romantic Home

Diana @The Girl Creative

Jamielynn @ I Heart Nap Time

Stephanie Lynn's Beautiful Sunday Showcase Party

Making The Scene Monday with Sarah@ Alderberry Hill

Tiffany over @ Making The World Cuter

Susan's Metamorphosis Monday@  Between Naps On the Porch

Sandy and Holly's Creative Corner Hop @ Cherished Handmade Treasures

Kathy @ The Clever Chick's Blog Hop

Decorating for a Very Special Event - Part 2

As promised, my friends here is Part 2 of our special decor assignment:

The final 12 arrangements are done and ready to be transported to the event!!  My Dear Friend, Linda,  came and packed up and made at least three trips from my dining room table to the church so that they could be setting the tables  while I was here working on these  (they were there setting up the dishes, stemware  and silverware).

We figured out how to bring that water, that our Pastor wanted,  into the room..  and so it gave birth to The Feature Table!

 Sparkling Cider and Hibiscus Tea Ready for the guests. 

My Friend, Carol Ann,  created this Beautiful Dove Tree with some Bling...LOVE it!!

Floating Camellias ( from my Garden!!)  and Candles!  So Simple, but what a Beautiful Presentation!

Doesn't it look Beautiful?!  We added

 a simple 1-1/2 Spring Green Satin Border to the inside of the table arrangement just to give it that little extra something!

and here is The Final Result!!

We finished setting everything up, while the volunteer cooks were hard at work in the kitchen and left 15 minutes before the guests of the evenings celebration arrived. 

 I was told that everyone enjoyed the event! 

Thanks so much to my dear friend, and co-decor team member, Carol Ann, who stayed a couple minutes after me and lit the floating candles so we could have this one last wonderful image of our hard work!!

And to Linda, as well,  who made many trips back and forth to my house and then stayed for the evening to serve the food (and send me pictures via text on her phone!)  I am Blessed with good friends and a wonderful church!

I hope you've enjoyed it! It was alot of work and alot of fun!! But, after all is said and done, we got to welcome new Christians to our church, in, what we hope they thought was a nice style!!

Blessings Always~

I'm sharing here: 

Also Sharing with:

Amanda @ Serenity Now
Cindy @ Romantic Home
The Sundae Scoop @ I Heart Nap Time
Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps On the Porch
Stephanie Lynn@Under The Table and Dreaming
Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
Lauren over @ Mercy Ink 
Courtney from French Country Cottage and Feathered Nest Friday

Decorating for a Very Special Event! (Part 1 of 2) Sorry.

I've had a difficult time deciding whether or not to write this blog entry. You see, last week, my church celebrated 30 newly baptized Christians. What a Glorious thing!! I want to sing "Hallelujah!!" Actually, I want to hear Hallelujah ( My singing voice is not the best, but I do it anyway.) I was Blessed to be part of the Decor Team for this event, it was the first one of it's kind for my church.

We have had many Baptisms, but we are a fairly new church (just celebrated 15 years!!) and we are  "working" things out everyday to make the experience even greater for His Glory. I am behind that 100%!!  I was very happy to be able to a part of this event and my difficulty was whether or not this should be private to our church, and the newly baptized  or should I share it?! So on that note I've decided to share 'my side' of the experience and then leave my church and the people baptized there, their privacy, as this is such humongously private, important time for them.

I decided, after some prayer time, it was more important to share this event with you to Glorify God and the Good that He does everyday! I did get to decorate and make beautiful things and put together a beautiful room, along with my other church members, for this event and the photos, I think are beautiful and worth sharing. Not to mention, that, as usual, we made an Elegant event on a Shoestring Budget! You know how much I love that!! So, one of my favorite things I got to do for this event was buy 4 dozen beautiful roses!!! Heaven!! Or at least I believe their will be alot of them there!

These were bought 2 nights before the event and this is a shot of them in a bucket of cold water in my bath tub, Believe it or not. Unfortunately, my bathroom is the coldest room in this old house.  I still cannot get over how beautiful these were, want a couple more pictures? I sure took alot!! 4 Dozen gorgeous roses for $40!! Can you believe it? I can do so much with this many.

(These ones that look kinda yellow were green on the edges, hard to see in the photos, but quite striking and were called "Mint")

Yes, Like I said in the tub!

We also made these beautiful little bouquets of Baby's Breath for place card holders and a memento for the day! Aren't they adorable?! Each one was about 4-5 inches in height and they were laid on the napkins in the center of the place setting with each recipients name attached!! So fun!      

Now to arrange the roses? Mason Jars!!! You absolutely have to love the versatility of Mason Jars.. We ( our decor team) had decided that for this event we should stick to light, clean, bright. New! Rebirth! And our Pastor asked that water be present, in some way.  Don't you love it when someone says include "this" or 'that" with no other direction? Well, we love him so much, we let it go this time. Answer....24 Mason Jars Decorated with Lace and ribbon, satin, etc... 12 for floral arrangements  12 larger ones for water! Well, to be more specific, FLOATING candles!! A-ha!

12 down! 12 to go!

Now for the flowers!!

(First 6 done..Wheww!!!)

I just realized that this definitely a two-part post.  Laughing at myself, friends!  I apologize.  If you'll be patient with me, yet once more,  I'll post the rest tomorrow,  I promise and show you all the end results of this work!!! It's definitely worthy of two posts. I hope you're enjoying this as much as I did doing it!! 

Many Blessings~

And: Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style
Lauren over @ Mercy Ink
Wanda Ann over @ Memories by the Mile