In the Bulb There Is a Flower ...

It was our privilege to attend our nation's capital tulip festival

A special tulip bulb was developed to help celebrate Canada's 150 Birthday.

We encountered this amazing engineered bulb in amongst so many of the tulip beds.

Can you see the red Maple Leaf in the tulip? Amazing!

Painted tulip statues at Lansdowne Park

Canada Children's Tulip Garden - sponsored by Home Hardware. Delightful!

I was definitely in my happy place, tip toeing through these tulip beds!

Tulip time spent with good friends. 

We even found a tulip quilt - love it!

One of my favourite hymns by Natalie Sleeth

just seemed so fitting for this post!

1. In the bulb there is a flower,
in the seed, an apple tree,
in cocoons, a hidden promise:
butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter
there's a spring that waits to be,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

2. There's a song in every silence,
seeking word and melody;
there's a dawn in every darkness,
bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future;
what it holds, a mystery,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

3. In our end is our beginning,
in our time, infinity;
in our doubt there is believing,
in our life, eternity,
in our death, a resurrection,
at the last, a victory,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

Meanwhile back at the homestead - my favourite tulip of all!

Till next time ... it was worth the 6 hour drive to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada!!!

Face Time

I don't have much of a "beauty" regime but thought

I'd share a few of my favourite things ...

I need all the help I can get at this age 😎

For many years (starting in my late teens) I used a wonderful

facial cleanser from a company called Allouette.

The product had aloe vera in it and I loved it.

However, over time (quite a long time and into my 30s) I developed

an allergy to aloe vera.

My eye lids would swell up and get chaffed and it took a while to 

realize that the aloe vera was the problem.

To this day I need to be careful not to buy certain products and shampoos

that contain aloe.

After experimenting with some expensive hypoallergenic skin care

products I discovered this locally made skin care line

Cocoon Apothecary

and have been loving it ever since.

It's made with totally natural ingredients and can be purchased retail,

not through a consultant at a home party!

Also comes in small travel size containers - bonus!

I'm pretty lazy when it comes to any sort of regime (especially at bedtime),

but I use these products almost every day.

My make-up is bare minimum and hasn't changed much since high school - eek!

I rarely ever (probably no more than 5 times in my life) use overall base make up,

but I do like to give my eyes and cheeks a little help!

Marcelle eye shadow quad, Covergirl eye enhancers, Loreal mascara,

and Loreal felt tip liquid eye liner are my go to.

For the cheeks - a quick dab of Marcelle Cream Blush does the trick.

My lips need some help too and for that I make my own lip balm.

I posted about it here.

When I want to be a little "fancier" I like to use a dab or two

of lipstick as well.

This process takes me literally only about 3-5 minutes a day!

That's about it for this old gal.

Some time I should bite the bullet and have a make-up consultation at a 

beauty shop and see if I could change my old habits for some new ideas?

Perhaps they've developed an "airbrush look" technique by now!

Have you ever had your make-up done professionally and how did you like it?

My next "beauty" hurtle will be to make a decision about my hair.

To Dye or Not To Dye - That is the Question??

Till next time..... trying to keep it real.

Soggy May Days

In April I posted an "April Winter" post.

It seems that May has begun with a similar theme although

so far it's not snow.

It's just buckets of rain!!!!

Well, the good that has come of all this soggyness is that I hauled out my

sewing machine again and with determination, continued

working on that quilt!

I really had to keep my wits about me with this project!

It was a bit like a puzzle to put together once all the blocks were pieced.

As of an hour ago - IT IS PIECED and ASSEMBLED!!!!

So, I'm just a tiny bit thankful for these past few rainy days.

A chance to keep working on the quilt before I forgot how to read the complicated instructions.

I think I'm going to love it once it's bordered and quilted.

Till next time ........ longing for sunny skies and cleaning up all the loose threads.