Tickled Pink Life

Do-It-Yourself Memorial Flower Spray

August 8, 2018

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to make a floral spray for a memorial service held to celebrate the life of one of my colleagues. Although I normally coordinate the delivery of sympathy flowers for our staff when their loved ones pass away, this unexpected death was more personnel and I wanted to […]

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Division and Unity – Lessons from the Founding Fathers

July 4, 2018

To celebrate America’s birthday, I wanted to share an excerpt from a speech that Ronald Reagan gave on Independence Day, July 4, 1986. In his Address to Nation from aboard the U.S.S. Kennedy in New York Harbor, Reagan told the true story of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Two men, who had worked side by […]

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Restoration and Transformation

April 23, 2018

My brother-in-law has a great gift for restoring classic cars. He can look at a non-operational eye sore and recognize the potential beauty waiting to be revealed. Restoration starts by taking the car apart piece by piece, removing the body from the frame. Every part has to be rebuilt, restored, or replaced with something new. […]

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Remembering Billy Graham

February 28, 2018

Last week at the age of 99, the Reverend Billy Graham went home to be with the Lord. His death has touched many thousands as they reflect on his life and legacy. People lined the streets to watch the motorcade transport his remains to the library which bears his name. Others, including two former presidents, […]

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O Come Emmanuel

December 20, 2017

One of my favorite Christmas songs is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. The lyrics speak of the long-awaited arrival of the Jewish Messiah. O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel O come, […]

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Collecting Blue Vintage China

December 13, 2017

I love collecting antique china and finding new ways to display it in the house. One of my favorite focal points is the marble-topped sideboard, which features a blue collection anchored around a vintage ornament wreath. The two plates are RS Prussia. The blue-dotted bread plate is a Minton. The top plate in the tiered […]

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Bringing the Autumn Indoors

November 5, 2017

Fall is one of my favorite times of year—not only because of the cooler weather, but also because I love watching the trees change color. Now I know that California is nowhere near a fall-color destination, but we do have a smattering of deciduous trees in my neighborhood and I wholeheartedly enjoy seeing them go […]

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Outnumbered and Surrounded

October 9, 2017

Do you ever notice how much bad stuff is reported in the news, and hardly any good stuff? I’d like to think it’s because the media chooses to report the bad over the good, and not because there is just less good to report. But increasingly, I’m beginning to think that there really is less […]

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Women of Faith Returns to its Roots with Sisters Event

September 20, 2017

Last week my twin and I attended Sisters: Celebrating the Art of Friendship, the latest conference sponsored by Women of Faith. In 2015, Women of Faith completed the Loved Farewell Tour after 20 years of ministry. The event essentially retired the original speaker team and the large event format. Since then the company was sold […]

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New Teacup Bird Flock Lands in Etsy Shop

August 1, 2017

My Etsy shop has added a new flock of teacup birds! This group features a wonderful assortment of repurposed vintage cups and saucers. Years ago I found a way to use broken and mis-matched sets, incorporating them into colorful silk floral arrangements. Many of the sets in this new group feature R.S. Prussia, Limoges, and […]