The smoke filled my nostrils and stung my lips, but as I rounded the corner while walking my dog, this was my view.  Now wait a minute….scroll back up and drink in the whole picture….the light stinging the bottom of the green leaves, only to illuminate into brilliance the reds of the maple.

No.  I mean it!  Scroll back up!  You won’t get this if you don’t!

OK.  Let’s continue now…

So I had to stop walking to take it all in.  “He’s got the whole world in His hands…”  Breathless anticipation of what God was speaking to my heart held my feet to the pavement…

Papaw wasn’t much of a singer, but that song he belted out to us as children.  And not just on special occasions…..on every occasion that I remember being together!  He sang the lyrics, but he lived the song.  His life demonstrated his trust in the Creator.  And his love for the Same.  So my wonder began to grow….I think I was likely about 8.

Climbing up into his lap as a young girl, he would tell me stories from the Bible as if they were being lived out before me that moment.  I would snuggle up to his chin as I sat on his lap, legs pulled up almost to my own face with the anticipation of the story that was soon to unfold before me.  He made what was ancient seem new….the stories….the way he told them…the way he believed them.  The way he knew their twists and turns.  He made the Bible seem real…important….even intriguing!  Maybe it was the sparkle in his eye as he talked about the One he loved so much.  Yes, I noticed.  And I wondered…

As I walked into the Tin Roof on Tuesday, one of our newest vendors, Pam (forgive me but I don’t know her last name!) was there, having just put the finishing touches on her booth.  Pam does amazing things with calligraphy…something I have never been able to do!  And her “wall art”- as I have grown to call it- drew me in to her space.

And there it was….”He’s got the whole world in His hands” spelled out on….get this….PINK paper!  Okay, I admit it.  I’m a sucker for pink!  To be the “burlap” sister, how in the world did I grow to love pink so much?!?  Isn’t that the most feminine color imaginable?!?

I digress…stay with me.

As I began to write this blog tonight, the evening news was blaring somewhere in the background.  That in itself is unusual for me.  I don’t normally get home in time to hear the news, nor am I apt to stay up late enough to see it before I hit the sack.  But I have a reason that I want to hear it now more than ever.

Let’s just be real for a minute….I figure that whatever I see out my window in the morning is news enough for me.  I am blessed that most days that is an amazing mountain view and a somewhat skewed view of the rest of the world.  But not this morning…the smoke was thick.

 

Meet my son and my only grandchild. (I know….she’s gorgeous!)  When our children aren’t where we can reach out and touch them, we have to know this…

“He’s got the whole world in His hands….”

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light….I Peter 2:9

I thank God that my sons know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

So there’s my point (just when you thought I didn’t have one!).  Our vendors at The Tin Roof don’t just fill their spaces because they need a dumping place.  They fill their spaces with meaningful things that speak to them.  The delight comes when what they have labored to showcase speaks to someone else…

Wander in to The Tin Roof this week, won’t you?  I guarantee you will find something there that speaks to your heart as Pam’s calligraphy spoke to mine…if you will only take the time to seek….you will find.  And I pray in the midst of the hunt you find Jesus….the One Who has the whole world in His hands….

~Blessings –

Connie

 

 

 

 

If you’ve been with me any time at all, then you have met both the Burlap and the Lace behind the business name.  My sister, Sandy, will forever be my best friend for so many reasons.   Always the lace….grace covers her and flows from her.  Oh how I love my sister!

We’re the perfect combination, Sandy and me.  Because of her, I can take a silver water pitcher and lace it literally with Queen Anne’s lace and hydrangeas.  Yet the rustic side of me can nestle in tree logs, moss and ceramic birds, intermingled with the vintage tablecloths we both love and there you have it….the perfect blend of the two of us.  It’s how the business was inspired, and how it has thrived now for over 6 years.

As new beginnings are just around the corner for Burlap & Lace, you may ask what that means exactly?

I’m smiling, because I am still praying about the answer to that question!  I just know that when Burlap & Lace returns, it will be the perfect match of the elegant and beautiful her mingled with the rustic and eclectic me.  In what way and form?  That is yet to be determined!

So walk down memory lane with me a bit, won’t you?

I adore the photo of us in my sister’s kitchen before her daughter’s wedding shower.  We were to dress in vintage clothing, and the styles we chose sure did express our personalities to the tee!  She looks a bit like June Cleaver, yes?  And I am the perfect replica of Carol Brady, don’t you agree?!?

Our styles and mode of dress may differ drastically (her the lace and me the burlap), but our love for the classic, the worn and tattered for the outdoors and the antiques go hand in hand.

I feel like breaking into song…”these are a few of my favorite things”….  From above, you see my tastes of floral arrangements, mixing the vintage with the fresh and new, my favorite flowers (daisies), my favorite colors (pink and green), my favorite holiday (Christmas) and simply a few of my favorite displays through the years.

Now for the signs  and wall art that gave me my start….and that I still enjoy creating…

And what about taking those forgotten but treasured furniture pieces and transforming them?

Oh….my….

Where will the Lord lead me now?  Again I am smiling.  The journey of faith is a fun ride friends!  I pray you will stay with me as I begin walking it out and letting go of the familiar, ready to embrace what is  new and to come.

Be sure of this…whatever it will be….God will be glorified in and through it!  Because He is the sole reason I do any of it.

~Blessings,

Connie

There you have it….my news.  But don’t let me lose you just yet! While Burlap & Lace has decided to go “home for the holidays”, that statement has more than one meaning.

If you read my previous blog, you know I have been in prayer over this decision…and it’s one that I promise has not been decided lightly.  But due to numerous reasons, I am bringing Burlap & Lace home….for a season.  Yes, I am leaving the Tin Roof…for a season.

While in our natural world, seasons take on the form of several months (3 to be exact), I cannot promise that my season will  be the same.  BUT…PLEASE stay tuned with me on my blog in the months ahead…my season of homecoming.  Because….I plan to stay connected to the Tin Roof to let you know what is happening there while at the same time giving you an inside look into my own home renovations soon to be in the works!  And when/if the time is right, I will be back in full swing.  And YOU will be the first to know when that is happening!

So let’s get back to the Tin and see what’s in store for you there!

If you’ve gone into any retail space of late, you have noticed that Christmas is all around us…at least in the decorating sense.  So since it’s my last month at the Tin (last day there will be November 30), I have decided to join the ranks and get us started on our Christmas spirit!  In fact, Thanksgiving is typically our family’s time to decorate, so let’s get started!

Let’s celebrate a Farmhouse homecoming this Christmas, starting with the great door featured here.  With the chippy table in front and the fabulous lighted wreath above, what a great place to welcome your guests into your home.

The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality, so in keeping with what Scripture tells us in Hebrews 13:2, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.”  Why not grace your entertainment area with these lovely lamps? Only $40 each!

You will find plenty of holiday dishware here this month, as well as the storage space to house those plates, plate chargers, cookbooks and serving pieces!  The braided wreathes are lovely gracing a table when overlapping three together, or they are unique enough to hang on a wall or door for eye appeal.  Cake plates await the holiday baking you will be doing…and don’t forget to peek beneath the glittery Christmas ornaments to find the silver-plated dishes beneath…the perfect dish for holiday candy!    Why not let these crocheted linens double as curtains after the season is done?

This round table with the scalloped edges disassembles into three pieces for ease in moving and/or storage.  It makes a lovely cake table for a wedding, or cover it with a round cloth for a bedroom where it can easily be nestled between two chairs.  Also a great table for seating up to 4 in a small area!  It can conveniently be taken apart after the dinner party and stored in a closet space, but you won’t want to do that…it’s too pretty not to leave out!

There are three trees for sale…all with lights already attached…$25 each.  Great for a table or kitchen counter!

Cookbooks are scattered about for only $.25 each!  Fabulous recipes…go ahead and take a peek inside one or two!   These would make great stocking stuffers.

The leather stool is a must for kicking up your feet during Superbowl night….ridiculously priced to go.

Stemware is now all priced to sell at $1/stem.  Get your holiday glasses while they last!

This door panel hanger has 7 hooks…perfect for those winter scarves, mittens and hats!  And speaking of hats….these baby caps were handmade by my daughter-in-law.  Great baby gifts and stocking stuffers for the newborn!

Tables grace the booth space this month…from farmhouse style to coffee table to side tables.  Take your pick!  And while you are looking, check out the napkins – only $3 each! – and napkin rings to match. This lovely Christmas cloth is less than $20! Square red and green plates make a wonderful holiday place setting for a family of 4, or wonderful to hold those holiday baked goods when guests come to visit!

This trunk would be perfect as a side table, or in a bedroom to hold toys, blankets or simply to hide your Christmas gifts until they are wrapped!  The garlands are less than $5….seriously?!?  Seriously!

Mercury lamps,  rustic lamps, coffee pots….There is simply more than I can tell you about in the space this month.  I hope you will stop by and enjoy Burlap & Lace in my last month at the Tin.  There is so much to celebrate going forward.  Remember that this is not goodbye…just simply a season of change.  I pray you will enjoy this journey with me through the eyes of my blog in the months ahead. And don’t forget to visit the Tin Roof often.  So many vendors with so many great things to explore! Thanks for the love…

~Blessings,

Connie