Friendship- Lessons I Learned From My Mom and My BFF's

True friends are never apart maybe in distance but never in the heart!

Source : http://www.coolnsmart.com/best_friend_quotes/  

True friends are never apart maybe in distance but never in the heart!

Source : http://www.coolnsmart.com/best_friend_quotes/

True friends are never apart maybe in distance but never in the heart!

Source : http://www.coolnsmart.com/best_friend_quotes/

True friends are never apart maybe in distance but never in the heart!

Source : http://www.coolnsmart.com/best_friend_quotes/

True friends are never apart maybe in distance but never in the heart!

Source : http://www.coolnsmart.com/best_friend_quotes/

I remember a school day when I was 5 years old, this girl and I played together nearly EVERY recess.  In my heart I knew she was my best friend forever.  I talked about her every day, I came home excited to tell my parents what we talked about, what we did on the playground that day and our dreams for the future.  This particular day I didn't find her till recess was over.  As we were lining up I over heard her telling some other girl that SHE was HER best friend!!  WHAT??  I was devastated!

"Rather than focusing on labeling a friendship, live it day by day, by being a good friend."

Words of wisdom from my mom.  Words that stuck with me (maybe cause she repeated them many times over the next few years).  I realized I didn't need a single person to call my BFF, I just needed to be a good friend and a lasting friendship would automatically develop.

I am grateful for this lesson my mom taught me at such an early age, after all I have some of the best besties a girl could ever want!

The other day I was thinking about my best friends, how some I grew up with, some are new, and some I've recently met but they live far away.  Then I realized collectively they each contributed a piece that taught me a very important lesson, to......

Love wholeheartedly 

The most important thing I learned from them is to always love wholeheartedly.  To be a good person even when it is easier not to be.  To be strong enough to be kind in the face of cruelty.  To be understanding when people make mistakes and then to be brave enough to forgive them or ask for forgiveness.  Love is the most powerful weapon we possess; always use it to its full potential.

Thank You!!





 

True friends are never apart maybe in distance but never in the heart!

Source : http://www.coolnsmart.com/best_friend_quotes/

True friends are never apart maybe in distance but never in the heart!

Source : http://www.coolnsmart.com/best_friend_quotes/

Coffee, PJ's and Sharp Pencils - Things We Love

 

 **UPDATE - we will be updating this blog once a month **

This week everyone has been enjoying our beautiful weather, birds singing, and our creative atmosphere here at Sherman Street Design.  Here is our list:

 Extra Sleep, Finding Money and Children Laughing

Who doesn't enjoy a few extra sleep moments! When you work hard all day and get up early in the morning, it takes it's toll on you.  We decided to hit the sack 30 minutes early this week and oh my goodness it really feels good and helps with that positive attitude.  Kyle found a dollar in a jacket pocket - our weather gets a little crazy, he needed a light jacket and wholah, a dollar.  That always make me smile.  We have the privilege of my youngest daughter and her family staying with us for a couple months - I sooo enjoy the sound of children's laughter.

Ok all you music fans out there, this is for YOU.  The Tacoma Guitar Festival is on May 14th/15th.  The festival will feature over 150 exhibit booths and live performances music.  Come to buy, trade or sell!!

Thanks everyone.  Join us next month on the first Thursday for more Coffee, PJ's & Sharp Pencils

May Featured Item - ON SALE

Instead of featuring ONE item, we wanted to feature all of our items that are on sale!  HURRY!!

1.  Seven Vintage Glass Garden Flowers!!  One of these is a set of 2!!  These are stunning in any garden or patio setting.  Our family spends many hours searching antique shops and estate sales looking for unique, rare, vintage and beautiful pieces of glass dishes, china or silver.  These items are carefully inspected for beauty and quality, we clean them and then begin pairing them to make the forever flower.

2.  One pair of red, thick, recycled wine bottle earrings and........

3.  One Tea Cup Birdfeeder.  This is a beautiful vintage set that has a very small chip on the side, you'll have to visit the close up on our Etsy Shop page.

Thanks!!



Vintage Garden Flower, Dish Flower, Tea Cup, Bird feeder, recycled wine bottle, upscaled earrings

Coffee, PJ's and Sharp Pencils - Things We Love

Never knew discussing things we love would lead to such lively discussions!  This week our list is

Rusty Things, Little Things and Vintage Cars

Kyle and I often walk along a little piece of beach just at the bottom of the hill we live on.  The first thing we look for are the sea lions - they like to rest on the logs just off shore - although we usually hear them "barking" before we see them.   Along this beach I usually look for Rusty Things, hoping for something that has come off of a ship, however with a recycle yard close by I end up finding rusty car parts.  Either way, I have a little collection in my yard.  Kyle looks for sea shells - tiny ones.  He really loves Little Things, little rocks, sea shells, miniature ANYTHING.  He has a little collection that he sells on Etsy :)  if you'd like to check it out.  Next,  Vintage Cars.  We go to most of the car shows in our area and often visit the Lemay Car Museum, and Stews Man Cave is decorated with model vintage cars along with vintage signage.

If you have not been to America's Car Museum it is worth seeing at least once if you are a car enthusiast. 

Tips For Attracting Birds to Bird Houses

Cavity Nesting Birds are simply birds that build nests, lay eggs and raise young inside sheltered chambers, natural or abandoned cavities or man made birdhouses.

Kyle's First Bird House He Built.  Family Nest Every Year

Over the years of making and selling birdhouses the most common questions I get are:  When do birds use bird houses?  What is the best time to put up bird houses?  How can I attract birds to my bird house?

When Birds Use Bird Houses

Different birds nest at different times, the earliest nesting birds may begin investigating potential nest sites and bird houses as part of their courtship as early as January or February. Other birds may not nest until later in the season, but they may still use the available houses as shelters from predators, cold temperatures and poor weather both before and after the nesting season. 

Best Time to Put Up Bird Houses

There is no bad time to put up bird houses!  Put them up is as soon as you have them available.  The tips below will help you attract birds to your bird houses.

Tips for Attracting Birds to Bird Houses

No matter when you put up bird houses, there are ways to make them more attractive to birds looking for a home for their new family.

• Choose a safe bird house design (three elements are critical for safety: drainage, ventilation and floor size) that will protect the nesting birds from poor weather and predators.
   
• Check that the entrance hole size is appropriate for the birds you want to use the house so larger, more aggressive birds cannot take over.  Make sure its perch free!! 
   
• Position the bird house carefully so it is sheltered from inclement weather but not too far from food to help overworked parents.
   
• Clean out the bird house after the nest is empty or at the end of the nesting season to keep it from harboring mice or parasites that can harm birds.  In order to clean it out, make sure it has a removable bottom, top or side panel.
   
• Take steps to attract birds to your yard by providing a water source, natural plants that supply food and include offering nesting material to make the overall habitat ideal for nesting birds.

http://charswildart.blogspot.com/search/label/birds for more details on purchasing a safe bird house design, or to identify the birds visiting your yard

http://www.50birds.com/birdhouses/bird-species-that-nest-in-birdhouses.htm  for a list of 70 birds that nest in bird houses or on platforms

http://www.shermanstreetdesign.com/bird-houses.html safe bird houses made by Sherman Street Design

Coffee, PJ's and Sharp Pencils - Things We Love

This week for things we love our focus is on living here in the beautiful northwest.  Our state has long been associated with rain, rain and always raining.  I wont argue that we get our share of rain (sometime more than our fair share) but without it we would not be called the Emerald State.  Our list this month

Green Grass, Water and Hiking

Yip mowing season has begun.  Nearly every morning we wake to the sound of lawnmowers and the smell of freshly mowed grass.  Green Grass - mowed or long and natural is a beautiful sight -bonus, it attracts many species of wildlife - we see bunnies and birds daily enjoying lawns and parks.  

For our second favorite thing, we couldn't all agree on one source of Water - from our numerous lakes, to abundant ponds and streams to our salt enriched Puget Sound and Pacific Ocean.  We are certainly blessed with water.

For spring break we took several hikes on Mt. St. Helen's.  The nice part about hiking in the pacific northwest is you can do a small .75 mile hike - more like a walk - and see a beautiful waterfall or you can hike 3-5 miles to a beautiful secluded lake or you can hike and camp to the tops of mountains or along the pacific ocean. 

If your planning a trip to this area, check out Washington Hiking Guide -->  https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes  This guide is the most comprehensive database of hikes in Washington, and comprises content from eight guidebooks, user submitted info, and data compiled by WTA.

Join us next week for Coffee, PJ's & Sharp Pencils.

Thanks!!

Coffee, PJ's and Sharp Pencils - Things We Love

The Coffee, PJ's and Sharp Pencils weekly article has been a discussion theme at our house. We are really enjoying focusing on small, yet important, positive things we love.  This week we have chosen..

Quality,  Hummingbirds and Tin Snips  

Quality was discussed regarding our products, how we make sure our items exceed quality standards in beauty and functionality.  Quality was also discussed in regards to our family, we make our relationship a priority by spending quality time together in business, home and in relaxation.  Hummingbirds!! They are nesting and in need of extra diligence in feeding them and keeping their nectar fresh.  We've only counted 3 different birds that use our feeder, therefore I only make enough nectar to feed them for three days at a time.  Lastly, tin snips were just discovered by our son, he diligently watched me the other day cutting out flowers to add to my cork jewelry, apparently he was impressed.  Ever since he has been cutting cans to bits!!  He's always got ideas, so we are waiting to see what he comes up with.


Also, wanted to share a YouTube video on the harvesting of Cork.  Our family enjoys touring Vineyards and Winery's every summer and at Sherman Street Design we recycle wine bottles into lights and corks into pendants and earrings.  Did you know cork stoppers represent about 60% of all cork based production?  A study was conducted in 2008 concluded that cork is the most environmentally responsible stopper, compared with plastic stoppers and aluminum screw caps!

Join us next week for Coffee, PJ's and Sharp Pencils

Thanks!!