Pinkpomegranate

So Familiar

This is my Grandfather Luiz Deniz. He came to America when he was seventeen years old. Here he is pictured with his many nieces and nephews....

I remember my Avo well, I lived and grew up with him on the farm until I was nine years old. My grandfather
was a strong man, yet little in stature, quite, gentle and very thoughtful...He loved his family, six brothers and three sisters. He visited with them almost every single day. He was the last of his siblings to leave the
Azores to come to a new life bringing is two younger sisters Rose and Anna.

This is a transfer-ware bowl my Grandfather brought with him along with a handwoven linen towel, my mother guards these family heirlooms and shares our rich family history in wonderful stories for all her
grandchildren....

I remember my Grandmother Lena's stories of how they would go to the fields to gather flax to be beaten
in to thread that would then be woven in to beautiful cloth such and this towel....

This is a paper doll my mom made from the photo above of her Grandmother Maria....She never made it
to America. My mom said her life was hard and she was not well, her dream was to see her children have
a better life in this land...While my mom was creating her she said she had a sense of her drawing near as she dressed her in her beautiful new clothes and saw her smile....

While attending a family gathering a few days ago I had the privilege to spend time with my Grandfather's family....several of his nieces are pictured here from the original photo of him almost 90 years ago...(Annie Deniz and Delmeda Deniz) (from left to right) Judy Bush, cousin, Annie Deniz cousin,Robin, my mom Mary, Joan Thodus,cousin, Anne Amaro Corriea, cousin, Elaine cousin, Kathy Ingraham, cousin, myself and Pamela Edwards cousin. As I gazed into my cousins eyes they were so familiar, I felt my grandfather Luiz very near....

My Mother's Day Gifts

I am doing my Mother's Day post a little late...We had a wonderful day with all of our family, my oldest Zachary is away at college studying to be a Geneticist. It is finals week and he was not able to come home.
It was also his  21th birthday and  he was certainly  my greatest Mother's Day gift....he was born on Mother's Day...

This is my next son Ryley Joseph, we call him "Joe" he is 5 years old and just about ready to finish kindergarten. He told me this morning, " Mom I only have to ride the bus 8 more day's. He has an hour bus ride in the morning and afternoon....He loves when his sister's drive and he doesn't have to take that long ride... He loves to play outside and ride his scooter and bicycle and do stunt tricks

This is my youngest Liam he is 4....He gets to stay at home with mom alot while everyone else is at school.
Liam is my little helper, he loves to help and sticks right by me, he also is good at making messes.....

This is my oldest daughter Heidi, she is 19 and attends Chico State and plans on majoring in Art...
She loves to draw and create and is really into vintage clothes....

This is Savannah at prom a few weeks ago...She is 16 and a Junior, she loves sports and softball, she wants
to attend college and plans on being a teacher...

This is my youngest daughter Mia...she also went to prom, she is 15 and loves to play sports too and plans on going to UC Davis and study Medicine.....

This is my Mother, Mary and my youngest Liam...I just want to say thank you Mom for being such a wonderful teacher and mentor....She raised us well and gave us lots of love and a rich heritage...We were all together for Mother's Day except for my brother Eddie who live in Arkansas, but we heard from him though....Hope everyone had a wonderful day spent with loved ones as we did Pinkie

New Beginnings,Flea Market Treasures

This weekend I spent alot of time with my mom, we went treasure hunting, to thrift stores and woke up
early for yard sales.....I found a few treasures, vintage jewelry boxes for storing plunder...

Large sea shells for an altered art project, vintage pearls and earrings,a set of crocheted napkins and a small single gold salt shaker...

Old antique buttons, and junque from a old button box, the woman said she had a bunch of old buttons and
she would like to share...people amaze me...

Cute little vintage baby shoe, depressions glass salt shaker and an usual rhinestone studded dish...

I think its a planter, it was 50 cents, my favorite find of the day...

I picked these fun shadow boxes up up Michael's Crafts to help store and organized my new studio....

A Corner of my new studio, still have a long ways to go...

I started hanging up some of my vintage hats over my window seat and this is a curtain I made from old
drapery fabric and chenille bedspreads...

My sister Rene' was moving this weekend, we went down to help her make a final load, she has been staying with my mom while her new house is being renovated....I'll share more of that later....Well, today is still
show and tell Sunday to me, hope you enjoyed my finds and Happy Sunday Pinkie Denise

A Busy Weekend....

I have three girls, Heidi Maryanne, Savannah Rachelle, and Mia Emyle....Heidi is 19 and goes to college at
Chico State, Vanna is 16 and loves to play sports and is hoping for a Softball Scholarship to college, and Mia
is 15 and wants to attend Davis to be? not sure what something in engineering or maybe medical....Every day her major concern is her prom dress........When they were little I alway made them matching dresses for Christmas, Easter, then it was easier to by them.....Now they just want these beautiful Prom dresses to
wear only once and they seem to be way out of my budget....we are working on it last year I had three to buy. I shouldn't be complaining now I only have two to buy.
I apologize I said I would have my Easter up in the shop it just was too crazy this weekend, we had 2 extra girls over and because of the raining and flooding they couldn't go home. Heidi and her friend came home to
visit and we had a Scholarship Pancake Breakfast to do early Saturday Morning, run home change and a long
time family friend had a memorial service, then my husbands niece, who is Nomalaki Indian was being named in a Baby Naming Ceremony. I was a very nice dinner and I enjoyed the tradition of the ceremony
they name her Little Star in Indian I can't say the name........Church and Youth Group I lead the teens and
they run a coffee shop after service and the weekend was gone.........So this morning I am working on the
Shop items and hopefully there will be something on the shelves......thanks for your patience Pinkie

This is Vanna and Mia and the end of Basket ball season they have already started playing softball, I can't
wait, I love going to see their games, A bit more action than little league which Ryley Joe is starting to
play, he is just 5......Happy Monday, I just love Mondays don't you?

A visit to Grandma's

The sun was shinning and warming the room, as I sat and gazed upon these brightly colored linens I began to remember the stories told to me about my ancestors.............My grandparents on my mothers side
were from the Azores Islands. They traveled here to find and make a better life, they were farmers and dairy mens, I grew up on a farm. My grandmother Lena, Bobe we called her would travel back to her homeland many times to visit family. She would always return with souvenirs from her country. Her grandparents owned a vinda or store and her grandfather was a shoemaker. He made goulashes wooden soled clogs , like the ones in the picture above, I remember wearing a pair and clacking around in the gravel
or our yard, I still have my galoshes. These brightly colored blankets are made of wool and woven on a loom, I remember seeing these all the time growing up.The women in her country are famous for their hand work and embroidery called Madeira work like the linen above, it is so beautifully  made each  stitch  taken by hand......
My grandma loved dishes and china, over the years she became a collector, her appreciation for beauty was
passed to my mother , sister and I we too love china and my mom (Godmother Mary) is a china painter)

My mom collects German cups among many other things, heres a peak into her china cupboard...............

I feel so blessed have grown up with my grandparents, living right next door, her door was alway open and
goodies and treats on her table, when she became older she moved to town.....................................

My brothers still live on the ranch in the country, I live only a block from my mom. My littlest son Liam who
is 4 years old is the only one home now, the others all go to school. Every day he begs me to go to Grandma
Mary's, and see her and Aunt Rene', I tell him we must get our chores done......He waits patiently to go.....

To grandma Mary's house...............................Here is Liam with my mom

and here I am.....no its one of my dolls, I wonder why I like such bright colors? Hmmmmm, I don't know,
lol!We had a nice visit yesterday with Grandma Mary and I finished up a project its so nice we live only a
little ways away and can visit anytime, and guess what, she always has treats on her table too!

So Many Blessings!

Well, sometimes dreams do come true............................Mine was to get a digital camera for blogging
and starting an online business and well................................................................................

Well, the camera had my heart set on went on sale on the Black Friday ad's. My son looked it up on the
computer and there it was. I have never went shopping on the imfamous day after Thanksgiving sale in
all my life....I do not like crowds and fighting all the aggravation involved. When doing my last minute
grocery shopping last night I decided to check it out at the store. I checked it out it was the camera I had
been dreaming about a Cannon SD1000 I decided to treat myself to an early Christmas present, I even got
a free printer! They let me buy it early before closing Wednesday evening Yeah! While reading the sale papers this evening for tomorrow it said only 2 available per store, wow I know someone was watching out
for me....... Today I spent all day playing with my new toy and enjoying a wonderful meal with my beloved
family and my many blessing........Here are a few pictures I took around my home a little peek.............

Some of my seashell collection........

Our Thanksgiving table decorations at my mom's.........

Some of my shoes displayed on my mantle.............

This little rose was created by one of my sweet blogging friends loving hands. I think it was made especially
to be held in my little basket, I don't know how she knew?

Hope everyone had a blessed and wonderful day............. Goodnight Pinkie Denise

La Familia

This is my oldest, my son Zachary. He is going to college in Southern California, attending a brand
new UC in Merced. Zach had alway said he wanted to live on an island like the movie Island of Doctor
Marrow and conduct strange experiments. He was kidding , I hope? No, Zach is studying Biological Science
and wants to go into Genetic Research. He has only one year left and then wants to go to Medical School.
It seems just like yesterday we were dropping  him off at the dorms and three years have gone by.

Mia peeking around the corner.........

This is my second child and oldest daughter Heidi. She graduated this year and is attending nearby Chico
State University where she wants to Major in Art. She is loving College and it is nice not to have her
too far away. She comes home alot we miss her.

This is my third child Savannah and second girl. She just turned sixteen and has been driving.
I kept thinking it was going to get easier but it's not. I hope my nerves survive. She is a good driver.
She is the one in red with her friend Brittany. She is very family  oriented and is always watching out
for her sisters and little brothers especially.

Happy Birthday Mia! This is my baby girl Mia Emylee. She will be 15 years old today. Time is going by so
fast. It seems like she was just running around everywhere being herself, busy very busy. Mia is my mathematician and wants to go to UC Davis to be a Engineer. Today I am making her favorite dinner
super nachos and our family will all get together at grandmas.

This is my second son Ryley Joe. He is five and just started kindergarten. He is a daredevil and love to ride
his bike doing all kinds of tricks. Standing up and just loves going fast. He wants to be a motorcycle rider like his dad when he grows up.

This is my youngest son Liam, he is going to be four in a few days. He is as sweet as can be.
I feel so bless to have all my wonderful children. Sometimes its a little crazy at our house but what
can I say. I wouldn't have it any other way.   Thanks for sharing and I love to share my family with you.

The Little Fisherwoman

I love to fish! When I was little my mom would take us fishing to entertain us.
I remember my brother still being in the stroller. I couldn't wait till  the school bell would ring so I could go home to get my fishing pole. I would fish almost every day.
I remember my husband taking me fishing on one of our first date. He made us a picnic lunch and we headed off for the mountains. My brother has been salmon fishing in the river and has been asking me to go and this week I am going! I just love being out in the water ( we take the boat) water is alway so soothing. I am really
looking forward to it. Wish me luck I hope I get the big one......................................

Lost but Found

This is a truly amazing story. While at a ladies retreat a couple weeks ago, we were
sitting in our cabin visiting. In walks a woman looking for her girls. We didn't know who
she was looking for , but asked her to join us. She gazed at the handmade pink quilt on my bed. I love things like this she said. We told her that we loved to decorate, love and antiques and old things. So do I she said. We are Portuguese, so am I! Well alot of people are from mainland Portugul but we are from the Azore Islands. My greatgrand
father was from the Terceira she said. So was are family. What is you name? Costa she
replied. My mother said that was my mothers family name. We stared at each other in
amazement. Well, there are a lot of Costas. Well, my  great grandmother was a midwife
, so was mine. Her name was Ephugenia, your kidding that was my grandmothers name. Someone was a shoemaker, well that was her husband. Oh, my gosh, could we
be related? But who are you said my mother puzzled? We laughed. We visited and laughed until almost a 4 o'clock that morning. Our new found relative had to go. My mother and her have the same eye color and most unusal golden brown, I do too.
They had the exact shaped hands, side by side you could not tell which was which.
We hugged and cried and said we keep in touch. My mother went home pulled out
her family history papers. She knew her mothers aunts and uncles she just couldn't figure it out. Well, there  it  was here Grandfathers name was Joseph. The paper said
Joseph Costa vanished? Went to Brazil disappear after 6 month never to be seen again.
This was more than 100 years ago. Michelle our new cousin called her brother, he said well are Grandfather was from the Terceira  but came here from another country.
Michelle thought she was looking for her girls it was no accident she wandered into our
cabin, she found who she was looking for, her girls....................................................
new found friends and cousins.

The Other Side

Well, we made it to the other side. Sometimes when you trying to get somewhere it
almost seems impossible. It can be so slippery, and a long way to that next stone. Then finding the right balance is so tricky. Slow and steady we get there. My mom sister and I finished and made it to the other side. We took on a huge creative project and to tell you the truth a few times I didn't think we'd make it but we did it !!!!!!!! Pulling together we got the job done......we'll see you there