Shell earrings by "Marie's Miracles"

Hand painted Capiz shell earrings.

 *sorry for the slightly strange layout. I've had alot of trouble trying to set this post up.  The template is not easy to use :(

There's a story behind these shell earrings. I was in Maine last summer and I was at my Grandmother's house in her basement.  She had a glass jar full of white round shells from a broken mobile.  I asked her if I could have them to paint on for earrings. She let me bring 'em home.  

The shells had been sitting in my room for months.  Recently I started thinking about painting them.  Visualizing ideas of what I could paint.  I pulled out the shells and got to work.  Often times each pair might take about one hour to paint.  Certain ones with tons of details and dots take a lot of time. I enjoy taking time to do detailed work.  

I love beachy summery accesories. I have recently posted these earrings in my Etsy shop.  If you have an idea for a custom pair that you'd want to order, let me know.

(I recently picked up a "mess of feathers" and 3 vintage clutches to decorate.  I want to put them together and post on etsy too... The decked out clutches would be perfect for a wedding or formal event.)

My sister Krista Delvalle: Make-Up Artist!

My baby sister, who is now a young married woman with her own apartment, in the city of Richmond, which she shares with her husband is pursuing her dream of being a make up artist..  Though a string of events God set up she was networked with a professional Make Up artist.  Krista has been able to work under the Make Up artist, to learn and grow as an artist.  She has a natural gifting for this art.

Here are a few before and after shots of the women in our family.  

My beautiful mother:

myself, Marie!

My sister took all of the previous shots!

Krista Rose

Nicki Metcalf, a photographer friend of Krista's took these model shots.

sisters!! Krista took this last shot of us.

Here's a link to a blog post the photographer, that's worked with her recently, has posted on Krista. Enjoy!!!

http://88lovestoriesblog.com/2012/06/personal/in-her-beauty-makeup-artistry

Spring Break-2012

I am at home this week for spring break!  It's kinda strange going from college where I have to seriously study to being at home where it's sooo laid back and I'm sooo lazy! It's nice :)

I went on a walk with my mom on Monday and (poor Mom) I brought my camera.  I took TONS of pictures, especially of the flowers on the bush. Soo pretty!  These pictures are in chronological order of when I took them on the walk.  The little purple flowers are along one side of our driveway, they bracket my visual walk for you.  

Hopefully looking through my photographs will bring a touch of beauty, spring and nature into your day.  It was relaxing to myself to take these pictures!  

The gift of Hope

I wrote this out on Christmas day. 

My dad wanted us to share something, a scripture passage or something special.  Some of these thoughts had been on my mind, so I wrote it out.

With what my family is going through right now with my mom

 I thought it was fitting to post it now.

It can be hard to want to get into the so called "Christmas Spirit."  I know as a kid sometimes I'd "feel it"-whatever "it" was.  It was this magical feeling, a feeling of mystery and excitement.  A joy and happiness.  The "feeling" of Christmas.


As I grow older I wouldn't feel "it" as much if at all.  Somewhere I got it in my head that I had to "feel it."  It HAD to feel like Christmas.


I know this year I wasn't all "gung ho" about jumping into Christmas.  My mom wanted to get a tree right after Thanksgiving. I wasn't ready.  For some reason my lack of readiness was attached to a huge loss I experienced at the beginning of the year.  A beautiful girl that I was "Thramu" (teacher) to left us permanently.  A tragic set of circumstances sent her to an early death.  


As I've grown up the plasticness of consumerism-Santa Claus and even the idealism of Christmas movies has shown thin.  Not enough of a reason to "feel" the Christmas spirit.  


Even last night, Christmas Eve, I heard about some tragedys and it practically took my breath away.


What God meant by Christmas- His plan wasn't the tinsely star on a tree, the big man with a fake wooly beard but somehing so very much deeper.  Christmas is about HOPE.  The HOPE that there is more to life than tragedy...than the devastation of loosing people you love.  


It's deeper than the lights and the music.  It is a beating heart!  It is about the life giving, breath giving person that was born on Christmas morning.  


He was born into poverty.  He was born with a death warrant on his head.  He was a refugee like my student from Thailand.  


Mary and Joseph sought peace.  They ran for their lives.

They did realize there was something special about this Jesus.  The separate visitations from the angel to Joseph than to Mary did not keep them from running for their lives.  But I bet it gave them HOPE.  


they knew that beyond themselves, beyond the overwhelming reality that was right in front of their eyes, the poverty, the insecurity they had to deal with they had HOPE.  I don't think they fully fathomed the truly INFINITE HOPE they held in their arms.  

The truest purest meaning of Christmas is the black and white reality that God is with us.  He gave Jesus to us.  He is our gift.  He is our HOPE.  No matter what the past has been, what we are dealing with today or what tomorrow brings the fact of the matter is through Jesus Emmanuel-GOD truly and really is with us, and because of that I have the gift of HOPE.  

Prayer Request for my mom

On behalf of my family I'm asking you to pray.

My mom, Pat Parker has a lump in her breast and growth in her lymph node near the effected breast. Friday she had a biopsy of the lymph node and of the lump in her breast.

The doctor's attitude is "It's cancer until proven otherwise." 

My parent's do not agree with that attitude. We believe in God and having Faith in Him and holding onto His promises and not a negative doctors prognosis. My parents will talk to their doctor tomorrow and get the official results of the biopsy.

The way that this medical issue is being treated by my parents at this time is Mom has changed her diet and has started a cleanse. And they are digging deeper into their faith in the Lord. They are reading an excellent book full of scripture and truth about believing God for healing.

Prayer requests: 

-Ultimately complete healing

-God's wisdom about what treatment's to pursue 

-peace for Pat and the family: Richard (husband), Dana, Matt, Marie, Adam and Krista (kids)

Thank you for your love and prayers!

Marie for the Parker family