Mart JOY!

"Joy is that bubbling-over, effervescent, fizz of life, that can't be contain inside one person"   © The Velvet LIme Girls

                                                                        

Oh, we are just bubbling over with seltzer smiles today after seeing some of our artwork on Custom Decor products in the Atlanta showroom, Darrah and Co.
Garden flags, mailbox covers and lovely doormats covered with our uplifting artwork and inspiring messages... it's a little bit of the dream and vision in our hearts coming to life.  

Here's a closer view of one of our favorites pieces with Marybeth Wydock, the artist who created these lovely designs.

Some people are just born creative ... notice that her shoes match the pantone color in the artwork. 

The Atlanta Mart is just buzzing this year and we loved the energy and creativity that freely flowed throughout the day. We stopped for a fun visit with our licensing agent, Jan Draheim and her assistant Rebecca Hubert of Painted Planet Licensing Group,  to discuss new color trends and designs with Alison Gordon of Custom Decor.

And we were thrilled beyond expression to spend some time with Jacqueline Decker, an artist we admire who is as refreshing and genuine in person as her lovely works of art.  Jacqueline's studio is the choir loft of an old church, now restored into her family's  home. You really have to take a look:http://jackiedecker.blogspot.com/

Two gracious gentlemen at Little River Gift spent some time telling us about the heartwarming history of this family-owned company and the inspirational products they create. Thank-you Bret and Clay! Take a look at their uplifting website if you are not familiar with them, so inspiring!

http://littlerivergift.com/

And we re-connected with some old aquaintances at Kindred Hearts.  They're another creative family owned business that are just so uplifting to visit.  

http://www.kindredhearts.com/

We'll have some more Mart info to come, including our fun trip to the Westside Provisions area for gourmet cookies for Jan and a relaxed, casual dinner at Taqueria del Sol. It's just around the corner from the Mart, for those of you in town this week.   http://westsidepd.com/dining/

Grateful Hearts in Atlanta,

The Velvet Lime Girls 

Impressions

 

Some creatures leave the most beautiful impressions. 

When a little dove flew directly into this sunroom window yesterday, it left behind an imprint on the glassy canvas and a story in our hearts.

We're grateful to Laura's Dad, who captured this feathery photo and sent it to us with the following note: 
"...there was a heavy frost on the ground, and as the sunlight struck the glass, an image of the dove impacting the glass became abundantly  clear. The combination of frost, sunlight and dust on the glass created a breathtaking image that faded away almost as quickly as it appeared."

An impression left behind...

                  a fleeting glimpse...

the lingering essence of something beautiful.

It reminded us of the impressions our lives can leave behind everyday.  We're little carriers of light and even when we face bumps in our road, just like this dove, we can leave behind

 an imprint of beauty, 
                  an imprint of grace,
                           an imprint of hope. 
                               
In fact, we're encouraged to do just that.
"Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message ..." Phillipians 4-16 

The faint impression left by this dove still radiates a fluid, transcendent feeling of flight. Our spirits kind of soar when we stop and gaze at it.  He left a beautiful, uplifting image and a quiet reminder for us to do the same in our world. 

We hope you'll be encouraged to be little light carriers today. Spilling out joy, grace, compassion, hope, love and beauty as you soar through this world.

Leaving impressions,
The Velvet Lime Girls 

detail of dove wing... the sparkle on the end just appeared.
Photos by Clarence P. Skinner

Nativity

This slightly crooked and fragile nativity scene is a quiet reminder that the birth of the Son of God was not quite perfect looking at first glance. A long trip, instead of the comforts of home, a manger instead of room at the inn …this was probably not the way they had it planned.

God had a plan though and it was perfect. Nestled within this humble beginning was the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace … our Emmanuel.

This little nativity whispers to each of us that the bent places in our lives, the weathered journeys and the fragile moments of life may not always be perfect looking from the outside … but our God always has a good plan and tenderly reminds us:                        

“...I have come that you might have life and life more abundant.”                      John 10:10

  

Thanking God for each of you this Christmas and for all the shared moments of crooked times, fragile times and good times.  The best is yet to come!

The Velvet Lime Girls

Christmas 2012

Season of The King

 

December is here.

Ornaments are coming out of hibernation, Christmas trees are slipping into festive attire and lights are filling the nights with brilliant expressions of joy.  The celebrations of Christmas are unfolding everywhere.

Here in our studio, in the midst of all the anticipation and excitement, we’ve paused a moment to reflect on the heart of Christmas.  We’re remembering that it’s the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, the King of Kings.  This is the moment we wait for all year. Celebrating the One who loved us enough to come to earth and “move into the neighborhood” (The Message- John 1:14)

What a love story Christmas is to all of us. The King of Kings humbling himself and being born as a child in the little town of Bethlehem.  Just for us.

We captured these thoughts and reflections into some artwork a few years ago.  We filled a background with ancient manuscripts telling the story of the birth of Jesus,

 added washes of symbolic red and gold

and then finally sealed the layers with a crown, signifying the royal lineage of the King of Kings.

We like to pull this artwork out each December, just to remember what it’s all about, and we hope it brings a moment of peaceful pause to your day today.

In the spirit of Christmas, we are giving away one archival print of this artwork to one of our facebook “friends” in a random drawing on December 10^th.  To be eligible, simply tell us what word or words capture the heart and the essence of Christmas for you on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/VelvetLImeDesigns

We’ll be looking for your facebook comments whether they are funny, pensive, insightful, silly, thoughtful or brief. Just a word or phrase will do!

Anticipating Christmas,

The Velvet Lime Girls

 Print also available @ http://www.etsy.com/shop/velvetlimedesigns?ref=pr_shop_more

Banana Bread

Small packages deliver the most heartfelt messages.

When this loaf of homemade banana bread arrived in our studio recently, we just couldn’t resist capturing a photo of the warm, nurturing feeling it seemed to bring to our little world.  Wrapped up in a buttery gold satin ribbon, it seemed to hold the very essence of love beneath its simple transparent wrap.  Someone had cared enough to bake a simple loaf of love and embellish it in the grandest style and we were blessed by this gracious act of giving.

With the approaching season of gift-giving, this humble loaf was a silent reminder of the beauty of simplicity. This little package would overshadow the showiest, most glittery gift or ornament of the season.  It was a recipe made with love, care and time and the absolute splendor of it just took our breath away for a few moments.

You can only imagine how divine it was when we took our first bite! Yum.  It was so good we just had to share the recipe with you.  This is a special recipe and we hope it is a reminder that "YOU are a special recipe made by God."  Like this simple loaf of banana bread, you've been tenderly created with love and wrapped in ribbons of grace. And "oh, what a flavor you are!" (© Ann Embry-1999)

Celebrating the simple things,

The Velvet Lime Girls

Rose’s Banana Bread

3 or 4 very ripe bananas

1 cup of sugar

1 egg

1 ½ cup of flour

¼ cup of melted butter

1 tsp. baking soda

I tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Mash bananas with fork or potato masher. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into a buttered loaf pan.  Bake 1 hour at 325.

P.S. Thank-you to Laura's mother, Rose Skinner, for the recipe and to Laura Belle Skinner, Laura's sister-in-law, who baked this lovely loaf of banana bread.

  

Fresh Starts

A droopy looking shrub hung out in our studio garden all summer long, looking like it was barely getting by.  We tried to perk it up with fresh drinks of water and fertilizer smoothies, but it just stood with its head down and slumped shoulders most of the summer.

Deep inside that dreary exterior, though, there was a great work going on.  The Creator knew what He was doing with this one and although things looked pretty despondent on the outside, inside, a magnificent work was being done.

We’ll never forget the day we caught a glimpse of just how extensive the hidden work had been. It all began with a little tender bud. 

A soft pink envelope, barely containing the strong, vibrant life beneath its veined petals.  This bush was coming alive again! It had been renewed!  It had exchanged its former life with a new life … an abundant life … an exuberant life!  This new life filled it up so much, it just began to explode with joy, and flowers burst out in every direction. Wow, what a sight to behold. Flowers everywhere with their hands lifted up in praise!

All of this was inside that old bush all the time!

It made us think of the transformation, the actual exchange, that can happen in our lives and re-create us into the person God made us to be.

It’s conveyed in The Message beautifully:

We don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look … now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new.  The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! (grows, rapidly expands, flourishes) Look at it!

So, we hope you will “look at it!” 

Look at this bush that is now alive and flourishing with flowers!  Let it remind you of the fresh start, the new beginning, the absolute-total-recharge of your life that's just waiting for you.

 

Celebrating fresh starts,

The Velvet Lime Girls

P.S. A special thank-you to Travis D. Rhodes, Laura’s father-in-love, who gave the small cutting that became the magnificent star in our garden. Like the Confederate Rose, his life overflows with reflections of God's abundance, extravagant love and transforming power.

Heaven Streamers

Heaven streamers came down today. You’ve seen them before. Those soul lifting light shafts that streak through the clouds and lift your eyes and spirit to Heaven.

We often wonder if Heaven just can’t contain itself and has to let a little of its wonder slip through the skies, down to us.

Or, perhaps the joy of loved ones up there is so great that their piñata praises of heavenly celebration burst through the clouds in multi-colored light shafts.

It’s always a invitation to connect with God.

These heavenly streamers followed Marybeth on her morning bike ride a few days ago … really followed her. It was as if God and dear loved ones were looking down and smiling on her.  Moments like that lift your soul and speak to your heart. Hoping to capture the moment forever, Marybeth snapped a photo and thought of this verse:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a crowd of witnesses, let us strip off every weight that slows us down…and run with endurance the race God has set before us.”  Hebrews 12:1

 We hope you’ll be on the look out for heavenly streamers ... those soaring light messages filled with the confetti and color of an eternal celebration.

Looking up,
The Velvet Lime Girls