Light-Bearers

Light.  

It’s a word that often comes to mind this time of year.

Christmas tree lights, shopping mall lights, houses lined in lights, and candlelight. All in celebration of the real light... the one who called himself, “the Light of the World.”

We like the way The Voice translation conveys the meaning of this expression, the light of the world:

 "Jesus: I am the light that shines through the cosmos; if you walk with me, you will thrive in nourishing light that gives life and will not know darkness.”  John 8:12

Amazing.  We can thrive in nourishing light.  
In light that gives life.  Just by walking with Him.

That’s all he invites us to do here … to walk with Him.  
The Light of the World.

This walking with the Light of the World will transform us….really make us into something quite different…a new creation, a new species of being, a child of the Light…with His light shining bright out of our ordinary, everyday lives.  

Jesus knew this kind of luminous transformation would occur within us, as we began to walk with Him. He talked about it with his closest friends, and said words like this, to all who would reach out, take His hand, and walk with Him:

“You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.  God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill.  If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you?  I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand---shine!  Keep open house; be generous with your lives.  By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:14

So, go ahead, light up all the lights in the house this Christmas.  And as they twinkle and sparkle, may they remind you to walk with the Light of the World, and become the light-bearers He so wants us to be in this world.  Light-bearers who bring out beautiful God-colors as they shine on the hill.

Letting our light shine,

The Velvet Lime Girls 

P.S. Thank-you James, for the inspiration you bring to us with your soft pastel artwork that lights up our studio with light-bearing, beautiful God-colors.

Fragrant Gifts

A season of giving is about to be ushered in as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Immanuel, our "God with us". We've been thinking a lot about giving and gifts in the Velvet Lime Girls studio. Quite often, the most memorable and treasured gifts are the ones given fully from the heart. Gifts like the one Mary Magdalene gave Jesus, a pint of pure nard in an alabaster jar. Nard was an expensive, lavish, aromatic perfume and many scholars believe this may have actually been an essence of lavender. The Bible records it would have taken a year's salary to pay for the amount of precious ointment given by Mary to Jesus. It was an extravagant gift, poured straight from her heart, filling the senses of all those present, and continuing to touch people today, whenever the story is retold. We've wondered if this gift came from a field of lavender as vast, as beautiful, as costly as the one pictured here, a never-ending field of fragrance. The heady aroma from this lavender field seems to waft off the paper and into our hearts, reminding us of just how beautiful a gift is when it is given from the heart.

We'd like to thank James, our "Platinum Advisor", for bringing this inspiration to us. He picked up his crayons again after 40+ years, and with soft pastels created this fragrant work of art, and we've just been inhaling the inspiration it brings to our souls. The artwork sits on an easel in our studio, it is a work still in progress, but we wanted to share its fragrance, it's reminder to all of us in this season.. that gifts given from the heart last forever.

"Then Mary took about a pint of nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped His feet with her hair.  And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."  John 12:3

Learning to give from our hearts,

The Velvet Lime Girls

Live Simply

Live Simply.

It's an expression we welcome this time of year.
Just before Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve come rolling in with all the family, memories and significant celebrations.
We know the holidays also come with their bags packed full of lists, programs to attend, presents to buy, packages to wrap, trees to decorate, cookies to bake, and cards to mail.
It can be overwhelming. Especially when we forget what the celebrations are really all about.

So, we'd like to take a little pause beforehand and just reflect on the joy of simplicity.
The joy of living life a bit more carefree and, well...simply.
It's an important thing to embrace just before the full season ahead.

So, take a brief moment with us and treat yourself to a cup of tea, a five minute coffee break, or just a moment of solitude and let our Live Simply artwork bring a little rest to your soul.  You weren't meant to go 100 miles an hour in a day.  We hope our artwork reminds you to just lighten your load a bit and allow yourself to live life a little less encumbered, a little less burdened, a little more simply.

The word "simply" has a few interesting synonyms that include:
easy, effortless, uncomplicated, and child's play.
Hmm... child's play.
We remember someone who encouraged us to be like a child.  To become like little children.
He's the same person who said this:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with 
me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or 
ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:28-30

and this:
"Don't store up for yourselves treasures on earth...store up treasures in heaven...
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:19-20


Live Simply,
The Velvet Lime Girls

Purple Grace

Just beyond the last coreopsis still standing in our studio garden, a cloud of purple flowers floats above the flowerbeds closing up for winter.  

The purple mist appeared just as fall began, carrying a bright hope that covered all the weary, heavy-burdened, faded flowers, standing valiantly in the face of the soon coming chill. 
With its soft, purple blanket, the flowers draped the garden in a silent, beautiful grace. 

A beautiful purple grace.

A grace that carried our hearts and minds back to the grace given to all of us by God. 

A grace that covers weary, heavy-burdened, faded lives and brings a beauty to all who reach out and let grace pull a heavy blanket of love over their lives. 
It's beautiful, it's life changing, it's amazing.  
It's amazing grace.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  2 Corinthians 12:9

With temperatures dipping below freezing tonight, we wanted to warm your heart and soul with the  

purple grace that blooms in our garden, gently reminding us of God's beautiful, amazing grace.

The Velvet Lime Girls

Journal Samples!

 

Samples of the journals we did for Divinity Boutique have arrived!

We're just thrilled with the quality and the crisp colors.  

Our favorite part was opening up the first journal page and seeing the personalized tag that says, 

" This journal belongs to..."

Our hearts just leapt with joy when we began to think of the people who will write their name here, and then capture thoughts, dreams, sketches, whispers, and prayers on these pages.  We hope the scripture that graces each page will inspire, encourage and lift the hearts of each journal writer, doodler or dreamer. 

The journals are available at many Christian bookstores now.  If you'd like to find a store in your area that carries these journals, please contact the the wonderful company we've had the joy of working with, Divinity Boutique, on their website highlighted here - Divinity Boutique

Capturing life in new journals today,

The Velvet Lime Girls

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."  Psalm 126:3

Giving Roses

Bushels of roses spill all over our studio garden this time of year.   We plunge them into vases, pass bouquets on to those stopping by to visit, and share them with just about everyone.

They just keep blooming.
Blooming, blooming, blooming...an endless tangle of flushed petals, drenched with the scent of heaven.









The more we give them away, the more they come.
We just can't out-give the roses.



It's as if the giving triggers an unseen force inside their tiny ruffled faces and they explode in pink profusion at the very site of the last cutting...the last giving place.

They seem to whisper one of our favorite quotes, by 
Saint Francis of Assisi, in every scattered petal...
"It is in giving that you receive."


The little roses know a hidden truth. 
Life is enriched, fulfilled, multiplied ... as we give.
Giving doesn't take away from us ... it releases us to be more than we could ever imagine.

Giving, real giving, scatters self-focus to the wind and showers the world around you with grace, beauty and the very fragrance of heaven.

Oh, you are so beautiful when you give.  

When you pour yourself out for others.  

When you live your life to be a blessing.

Inspired to embrace a life of giving more,

The Velvet Lime Girls

"Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” 

Luke 6:38 - The Message

Dragonfly Inn

  

It was the blue shells. 

The simple wooden bowl of blue shells, glistening in shades of sand-washed, sea-glass colors, that began to slowly pull me out to a sea of summer calm.  I had just stepped into the spa-like, never-never land, of the Dragonfly Inn, nestled in Corolla, North Carolina, and already, that deep soul-exhale one has when they’ve found a place to really relax, was beginning to softly ripple in.

Who would take the time to search for a thousand shells in shades of blue, to simply match the colors of ocean, sky and sand that grace this beachfront inn? Only two gentle souls, schooled in the fine art of hospitality, and gifted with an eye for design, luxury, and comfort ... the Dragonfly Inn innkeepers, Dan and Lori Evans. These two creatives have fashioned a sand-castle getaway on a secluded strip of beach in the very remote Outer Banks of North Carolina. 

Pause a moment and take a beach stroll with me, through photos, as I sift through memories of a recent stay here, with my husband, where we slumbered on silky bamboo sheets, counted stars on the edge of the ocean, awakened to gourmet breakfasts, and lived like pampered beach royals for 3 days.

Roses, roses, roses...everywhere! 

Greeting us upon our arrival, gracing our bedside and breakfast table, and filling the entire beachfront inn with floral notes mixed with salty air.

Sunlight dancing off sparkling details, draped on a hand-forged iron chandelier, and suspended above the expansive breakfast table. A tiny detail...just for delight.

Breakfast splendor every morning! 

Five shining orbs, instead of a single light fixture, illuminating a circular staircase, nestled in the center of the inn.

Colors of calm everywhere.

Beach views wrapping themselves around us everyday.

And a lovely wooden bowl filled with a thousand blue shells
that seem to whisper this old adage,
"Offer hospitality to one another."  1 Peter 4:9 

Finding bliss at the beach,

A Velvet Lime Girl

post scriptum

Pictured above is a casual gift of randomly collected beach glass given to us from Ellie, the innkeepers beautiful daughter. Hospitality just runs in this family and it's on full display in the next generation.

For those of you still planning a vacation, please visit the site of this recent inspiration that slipped into our studio today @
The Dragonfly Inn

Poppies!

A poppy burst open this morning in our studio garden. 
It's been said that one can actually hear the sound of a poppy opening...a subtle little "pop!" 
One thing's for sure, they do make a grand entrance!
A poppy opens up with such bright faced joy, and summer surprise in its petals, that we've wondered if it silently plans the explosive, celebratory debut for weeks ahead, inside its fuzzy little head?  

That little head must swirl around with thoughts of celebration, joy and gratitude...and it's probably because the poppy has its mind set on right things, on good things, on the beauty that is to come in its life.

This poppy unfolded a few thoughts in us today. Thoughts about the same joy, the same celebration, that we can hold in our hearts, as we, like the poppy, set-our-minds-on-good things, good thoughts and promises spoken directly to our hearts by God.
 
We know that when we let our thoughts, inspired by God, swirl around in our heads and hearts, we too, like this fresh-faced poppy, will be able to lift our heads and be filled with a joy, a gratitude, that simply overflows and kind of "pops" out into our own worlds.

So today, we'll be looking at the poppy party going on and letting our hearts join in with lovely thoughts like this...
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of The Lord rises upon you."
Isaiah 60:1

Enjoying the party in the garden and in our hearts,
The Velvet Lime Girls

HOPE

Hope is sunshine for the soul. ©

With the Memorial Day weekend about to begin, our thoughts are already bobbing out to sea with images of the beach, and the sand-salt-and-sunny-serenity about to roll in with summer.  Actually, it's not technically summer yet, but here in
the south, summer begins on Memorial Day, as we slip into white shorts, sip on sweet tea and inhale the first breezes of summer. Life just lightens up with the very thought of summer!


Summery thoughts are a bit like hope.  
That beautiful gift from God that lifts our hearts up to a puffy, white cloud level. Carrying the expectation, the anticipation, the belief, that God will really come along to be with us, help us, and never leave us.  When God gives you hope, it's as if He breathes His powerful-life-giving-breath into the very chambers of your heart ... fully inflating you to live again. Life just lightens up with the very thought of hope!

Hope was the inspiration for this artwork recently created in our studio. We are thrilled that Divinity selected it to grace the cover of their upcoming catalog. For those of you who are retailers, please visit their website below.  
http://www.divinitywholesale.com/Scripts/PublicSite/


We hope you'll slip into this weekend with hope shining bright in your heart,
The Velvet Lime Girls