IN THREE DAYS...

...my granddaughter, Miss Aidyn Esther, will make her appearance!

...this is a picture of her, when she was but little bigger than a lima bean...

...and this Thursday, I will get to hold her in my arms.

Sarah and Jonathan will be checking into the hospital THIS Thursday, at precisely 3 PM.  If Miss Aidyn does not make her appearance before Thursday on her own, she's coming no matter what on Thursday afternoon.

Pictures are guaranteed.

Bliss, wonder, joy, and crazy-grandmotherly-love.  That is what I am feeling this week.  Heaven help me, I am good for nothing.  I seriously got nearly nothing done today.

I'll say it again:  whatever you got going on in your life...whatever you are "about"...I'm happy for you, I truly am.  But please understand me (and try not to misunderstand me) when I say - I am rich in most ways money can by (comparatively)...

...but I am rich in all ways money could never buy.

So yeah.  You can have your estate, you can enjoy being your high profile "bad self", you can have your thriving business or your Lexus or your sheep and oxen and various farm animals, your acreage and assets, you can enjoy your diamonds or furs or exotic vacations...

....give me this.  Just this.  Give me "sequel motherhood", give me grandchildren, give me the generations, give me little souls to care for, give me old souls to care about, give me newborn-in-Christ souls to rejoice over...give me the local church, give me friends, and give me my Preacher to have and to hold.  Give me one man who is completely crazy about me, and me about him.  You can't write a check big enough to buy that.

Those are the "things" I am about...and you are right...they aren't "things" at all.  You can't drive them or use them or flaunt them (well...you can flaunt your grandbabies) or wear them or display them or design them or deposit them in your account or show them at a 4-H competition or fence them in.

You can only love them.

The crazy thing is?  They love you back, sometimes.

God's favorite "things" aren't things...not even mountains or flowers or "nature" or Nubian goats or gardens are His favorite...

God loves people.  People are God's favorite.  Oh, may I be found valuing what He values!

Another Friday Giveaway (This One's Going to be a Favorite!)

I am so excited, this gorgeous (and sunny and hot) Friday to offer you the best darn Giveaway YET...(and I am always looking for ways to make my Giveaways bigger and bigger)...

My daughter Hannah has been sewing bags and totes for about a year now.  I've waited and watched as her skills have increased exponentially (under the able tutelage of Miss Mary, in our church)  and I think she is ready to take her business to the next level.

I am proud to be offering your choice of one of three of her designs.  I almost feel sorry for everyone, because you do have to choose...and I am not sure I could choose!  I am pretty sure I love the Leslie bag the best...but then, there's Albany, and I very much want a bag in her rich, mustard yellow color, since that is one of the "it" fall colors, this upcoming season!  But then...I so love the structure of the Ashley bag...

Nevermind.  You go on ahead, and choose for yourself.  Then, be sure to follow the steps at the bottom, to be entered to win one of these very well made bags!

Good Morning Lovely People, 


 It’s so nice to “meet” some of you and to “chat” with you others of whom I’m so proud to know. My name is Hannah McConnell (for those of you I don’t know). I am a new mother, teacher’s wife, aspiring philanthropist/homemaker/designer--- you name it I haven’t decided yet--- and last but not least, daughter to Sheila Atchley of none other than Sheila Atchley Designs/A Season of Harvest. 


Thus,… the give-away on her blog! I have been slowly churning out different purses and such over the past year or so, trying to get my feet under me dreaming of starting my own business… in the near/distant future. 


“One small step at a time.” If I’ve heard that saying once I’ve heard it a hundred times… but, it’s so true for me. I take what I do no less seriously than the next person; however, I am a new mother and time doesn’t come easily to me. That being said, I LOVE what I do… and I love ROCKING at it. I am proud of the product I create and sell… if I weren’t you wouldn’t see it here!


I am so thrilled that I was asked by my mother (someone who never skimps on quality) to participate in a giveaway on her blog because that says something about how she views my work. She wouldn’t ask just anyone to participate. She has very high standards… and I am HONORED!


So, after a great deal of thought (and maybe even prayer) I have decided to give all readers and followers of Sheila Atchley Designs THEIR CHOICE of one of three of my designs, as follows:

Please meet the "Leslie" tote...she's feminine and beautiful and Bohemian, and comes with a detachable fabric flower (not this exact one, but one like it.  This one belongs to one of my mom's Jeanne Oliver bags...). 




She is lined on the inside with a striped ticking fabric...beautiful!

And Leslie has three...count 'em...three inside pockets!




Next design is this mustard yellow bag (huge, going into fall 2012!) ~

Her name is "Albany".  She wears a beautiful mustard yellow ruffle, and is lined at the top, and on the inside, with a slate gray chevron pattern - chevron is the "it" pattern this year.  She also comes with a detachable fabric flower...

...she also has THREE inside pockets...

...and Albany has a zipper closure!


Last, but not least, perhaps you'll choose this beauty ~

Meet "Ashley".  She too is lined on the inside.  She is structured and preppy, unlike her Bohemian sisters (who she loves, by the way).  She has one pocket on the inside, and a pocket on each outside panel, for a total of three pockets...

...and comes with a detachable bow.  You can keep the bow, remove the bow, or substitute the bow with a bow of your own...Ashley is flexible.  


So there you have it.  This Giveaway is for YOUR CHOICE of one of my bags, either the Leslie, the Albany, or the Ashley bag.  
  
 Anyway, moving on towards how you’re going to win your choice of one of my lovely bags (if-I-may-say-so-myself). 

1.  First, comment below on this blog posting- this will give you 1-one entry 


2.  Second, go to my blog: www.daughterbydesign.net and leave a brief comment on my blog re: this giveaway (if you really want to you can check out my shop while you’re at it) This will count as 2 (two) entries 


3.  Third, become a follower of Sheila Atchley Designs here (if you’re not one already). This will count as 3 (three) entries 


4.  Fourth, share this giveaway on your Facebook and/or Twitter account by including the information that there’s a giveaway and the www.sheilaatchleydesigns.com web address. This will count as 4 (four!) entries.


 Anytime you do any of the above steps…and you can do one step, just leave us a comment...or, to increase your chances of winning, you can do all steps...but when you do,  please come back and let us know in the comments section of this posting so that we can be sure to count that for you. 

The end.  You can do one or all of the above steps, depending on how many times you want to enter for the drawing!  You’ll find out who the grand prize winner is next Friday!  I hope it is YOU!


 Thank you, Hannah McConnell

13:13

"And now abideth faith, hope, and love...these three...but the greatest of these is love."

I finished my Poppy Series this evening...well, I am not quite finished. I want to have them framed. I think I want graphic-yet-vintage, unusual frames for these. Maybe stark white. I haven't decided. They'll be in the shop soon.

 It has always struck me, that I can accomplish what can seem to be such great things. I can "speak with the tongues of men and of angels"...I can be a great communicator. Or I can operate in a very real spiritual gift. But I can do that without love.

 I can build and create incredible things. And have no love.

I can be so very, very giving...give my body to be burned, in fact. And, in fact, have no love.

But I can't be patient without love. I am not kind without love. I can't believe all things, hope all things and endure all things (all in context of relationships)...without love.

 And without people to try my patience, without people to be kind to, without people to endure all things with and for...love is just an idea. We must be in faithful relationship to practice love.

 Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:13...I am considering designing a leather charm cuff...with a sterling silver chain, or set of three chains, twined together and anchored across the top of the cuff, and then those chains would have four charms...one that is stamped the numbers "13:13"...one that says "faith"...one that says "hope" and one charm that says "love"...

True W.E.L.L. Being...A Video Weblog Series

A Customer Review From My Beta Launch Giveaway...

What a great blessing it was to win the beta review. I could not wait for my special parcel to arrive. When it arrived in the mail I quickly opened the box to find the most unique and fun wrapped gift. First I must say that I love online shopping, mainly because I love receiving packages in the mail. However when I received this package it was better than any package I could of purchased online. The package was very personable. You could tell that time, talent, and creativity went it this package. It had great flair and warmth to it. It may sound crazy but it did. It was so nice I almost did not want to open the rest. After admiring the beautiful parcel I finely opened the rest up. 




One of the wrapping was the bracelet that read "loved" I really admired the bracelet in looks and that it had two settings for how tight it would be so that you could wear it accordingly to how it suited you or fitting if you have a petite or larger wrist. That was a winner for me. Looks may be there but if you can adjust it to what you need or comfortably then to me it is not worth it. This bracelet had both and I was very pleased. 




 The number one thing I loved about the purse is that it was reversible. What a great way to mix things up without having to buy another purse or rummage through a box for the changing of seasons. I carry a lot of items in my purse and heavy ones at that so it was nice that the straps were nice and strong as well. For my own personal taste I do prefer a purse deeper and more stiff. A few more pockets would have been nice but I know that can be more difficult to do when you are making reversible purses. I latch over piece would have been nice as well but again not sure how you can make it work for reversible. I am still using the purse right now and like it and it is great if I just out for an evening and need a few items in my purse. It does not fall over my shoulder easy at all which is great because I hate it when a purse won't stay on your shoulder. I was very pleased with the items and would love to see more of different type of purses. 




 Thanks, Rays of Sunshine.


Thank you so much, "Rays of Sunshine" for such a great review...honest and detailed!  I appreciate it so much.

Do You Have a Hidden Agenda?

‎2 Cor 4:2


We have renounced hidden agendas (employing a little bit of the law in an attempt to “balance” out grace); we have distanced ourselves from any obscure craftiness to manipulate God’s word to make it mean what it does not say! With truth on open display in us, we highly recommend our lives to every one’s conscience! Truth finds its most authentic and articulate expression in human life. This beats any doctrinal debate!

~Mirror Bible Translation (and no, this isn't a perfect translation...and no, I do not use it for study purposes...and no, Du Toit is not a universalist...and yes, repentance is necessary - mostly, repentance from dead works, whether they be "sinning" dead works or "sainting" dead works - and salvation from our sin condition is necessary, and has been accomplished through no other means but Christ.)

And The Winner Is....

...so...I prepared for the Big Moment:

We are so high tech around here.  No, seriously.  Don't believe that.  Actually, we kick it old school.

All the names...in a cute little Anthropologie-esque bowl... (if you don't know Anthro, where have you been?)

This drawing is legally certified by my daughter Hannah McConnell.  She drew the name of the winner.  Everyone acquainted with me had deep concerns that I'd draw my own name.  (Brownies were involved in this giveaway...)

And the winner is....

LIZ!!!!!!!

Liz, Maria Kear will be emailing you privately, to get your mailing address.  Sistah, your brownies will be on their way.

I'm jealous.

And hey...stay tuned.  Call the neighbors.  There will be another giveaway here NEXT WEEK!  And you will want one.  And your odds are GREAT at winning, since I haven't gone all "Pioneer Woman" on y'all.

(Pioneer Woman does a lot of giveaways, but she has, like, 30,000 followers on her blog!)

Aren't you glad I'm not a household name?