Hair Care

    It is finally here! It has finally happened! It has taken me my entire life, but I have finally done it. I grew my hair out to my dream length, the bottom of my rib cage. For those who have not known me since I was twelve or who have not heard me talk about hair care, I am a little obsessed with the topic of hair. I spent several years researching ways to make my hair grow faster. Outside of going to hairdresser schools and reading their textbooks, I know everything there is to know about hair and hair growth. Well, that sounded prideful. I have considered getting text books from hairdresser friends to keep learning but have not yet done so.

    You are probably thinking, “If you have been hair-obsessed your whole life, why did it take you so long to grow it out?” Good question, friend. Answer, I am very indecisive about my hair and love short and long hair. From the moment I had autonomy over my hair around the age of twelve, I spent the next sixteen years cutting my hair, regretting it, re growing it and then getting bored of waiting for it to grow and cut it again. It was a vicious cycle. Five years ago, it occurred to me why I am so indecisive about my hair. You see, I was not a fan of the natural texture of my hair when it was longer ( past my shoulders), but I am also not one to spend time styling my hair daily, except when it was short (within an inch of my chin). So when it was short I could avoid my natural texture because I straightened it regularly and when I was growing it out I was focused on the process and not the texture.

    It has only been in the last four years that I decided to get serious about my goal length and did not cut it when I felt the urge to do so. My secret weapon, hair die. I discovered that when I got bored and wanted to cut it if I put some temporary hair dye in, it made for a nice colorful distraction and got me past the urge to cut it again. Worked wonders.

    So, in celebration of reaching this childhood dream and lifetime goal, I have decided to share my “secret formula” for hair growth. I once had someone argue with me that you could not speed up your hair growth, that it grew at a certain rate and that was it. They argued that by doing all the things I was doing, I was simply preventing damage and therefore making my hair look like it was growing faster when in reality I was simply reducing damage and thus giving it the appearance of faster growth. She made a fair point. Either way, here is my list of items to improve the health of your hair and possibly increase its growth as well. It may not have been growing faster, but it sure felt like it and made the journey that much easier.

1. Eat well and drink water. We all know that we are what we eat. If you eat junk, you will feel like junk. The same goes for your hair and skin. They too need nutrients just as much as your organs do.
2. Exercise. Exercise increases blood flow throughout your body including your scalp which encourages hair growth. Eating well and drinking water, it is also just good for your overall health.
3. Good quality shampoo and conditioner. This is more of a personal choice, I am simply not a fan of the idea that the ingredients in my shampoo are also in my dish soap. I wash my roots and then condition my length. This became more important the longer my hair got. You see, depending on how often you brush your hair and thus distribute your natural oils down the length of your hair, your length is not getting very dirty and thus does not need as much washing. I simply let the soap run down my length. Same with conditioner, there is no need, at least for myself to condition my scalp. Conditioning is for adding moisture and helping to detangle. Unless you have a dry scalp and need extra moisture, you do not need to condition your scalp.
4. Leave-in–conditioner. This became important once my hair was reaching chest length. I have fine hair and am thus tangle-prone and it may have been a little dry at the time. So use a leave-in-conditioner. I put it in after my shower from my chin down the length of my hair and then let it air dry. Then two days later I would dampen my length with a spray bottle and reapply.
5. Do not wash your hair every day. You are stripping your hair of its natural oils of you was it every day. Yes, I know that some people have oily hair and need to wash it regularly. Maybe use dry shampoo instead. I spent my life washing my hair every other day and then in the last three years washing every four to six days. More on that later.
6. Hot oil treatments. My mixture is coconut oil, olive oil, and castor oil. Each oil has its special nutrients that are good for your hair and thus I mix them. Equal parts coconut oil and olive oil and then half of that of castor oil. Castor oil is thicker and thus harder to run through your hair. I find this ratio works nicely. Now, for years I thought that the oil was penetrating my hair shaft and was giving it nutrients from the outside in, then a hairdresser friend told me that the molecules of the oil are too big to get into the hair and act more like hand cream for your hair. Not gonna lie, this discovery rocked my world for a few days and I contemplated ending this activity and then thought about how dry my hands get in the winder and my need for hand cream and figured my hair needed the same treatment. I also have a special bonnet that attaches to my hairdryer at one end and the other to my head and I use it to warm my head and the oil once I have worked the oil into my roots and through the length of my hair. I was told that for your to get the most out of a hot oil treatment you want to add the heat to open up the pores on your head and allow the oil to penetrate your scalp.
7. Do not brush wet hair. Wet hair is brittle and thus prone to breakage if you brush it when it is wet. I use my fingers to untangle mine after a shower and then let it air dry. I also use a wide-tooth comb instead of a traditional hairbrush.
8. Do not use a regular towel on your hair. Use a microfiber towel or an old cotton t-shirt. The fibers on your regular bath towel pull on your hair causing damage, whereas a microfiber or cotton t-shirt simply absorbs the water. I use an old t-shirt.
9. No heat. Or at least minimal heat and use a heat protector when you do use heat. Air dry your hair when possible and reduce the amount of heat styling you use.
10. Good hair accessories. Do not use the hair elastics with the metal faster on them. Use the ones that are glued together. We all know the metal piece rips out our hair.
11. Satan nightcap. I spent a lot of time going back and forth on this item. I was not sure if it was necessary for me. Satan and silk bonnets are marketed towards curly hair and African American people. I am neither. For African Americans, it keeps their hair from drying out. For curly hair women, it keeps their curls intact. For me, it keeps my hair in place and keeps it from getting tangled in my sleep. After a week or so of wearing mine, I realized it was also keeping my hair cleaner longer, and thus how I went from washing every two days to every four or five. You see, I braid my hair and then put my cap on before bed. In the morning my hair looks like it did when I went to sleep and therefore there is no need to handle my hair and style it for the day. The more you handle your hair the dirtier it gets.
12. Trim split ends. I keep a pair of hair-cutting scissors nearby and whenever I see a split end I simply cut it off.

There you have it, friends, these are all the things that I do regularly that have encouraged my hair to be strong, healthy, and “grow faster”. I hope that if you are on a similar hair journey that I was on these tips and tricks will help you to achieve your goals as well. Because no matter how big, small, or “weird” they are, your goals are important and you should work hard at achieving them and then be proud when you do.

God Bless

~Hannah

                                   I did a little personal photoshoot to celebrate this milestone.

We Have a Living Room!

 We have a living room! I know, odd sentence and even an odder thing to be excited about.

Let me backtrack. My husband started a Youtube channel three years ago and because we were in a one-bedroom apartment, his computer and studio took up half of our living room. Needless to say, our living space became quite cramped. We wanted a two-bedroom but were unable to afford it. So we simply managed.

    A few years pass and God calls us to move back down south to my hubby's hometown of Wallaceburg. We struggled to find a home right away so we stayed on some family property in a bachelor apartment, for lack of a better word. Thankfully it was only temporary.

We wanted to buy a condo instead of renting again, tired of giving someone else money, but that was not in the cards. Not yet anyway. Once we realized that renting was going to be our best option we started looking and quickly realized that a two-bedroom apartment was likely going to still be out of our price range. Even in this small retirement town. So as a family my hubby and I prayed about it and agreed that we would take a one-bedroom apartment for another year and simply make it work. Wasn't going to be fun, but it was necessary.

We started looking and found one that was well within our price range and looked into it. Dead end. My father-in-law then called a friend who is a superintendent for a local apartment building and asked if they had any apartments free. The next thing I know I arrive home from work and my hubby tells me that he and his dad went to an apartment viewing on their lunch break that day and saw the perfect apartment. God outdid Himself and not only did He bring us an apartment but it was within our price range and had two bedrooms. We quickly sent in our application. Then we impatiently wanted a month for an answer. Longest month of my life.

    We finally received word that we got the apartment. But wait, there's more! Not only were we approved for the apartment, but there was an even better apartment upstairs (with a balcony) that was available. I have been dreaming about having a balcony for years. Needless to say, God outdid Himself and double blessed us.

    It has been a few weeks now, we are slowly settling in, the apartment is functional, the closets need work, and there are a few boxes to unpack, but for the most part, we have moved in. After another long week of work, I am sitting on our couch in our living room with Blessing at my feet and a bowl of popcorn in my hands I'm so thankful that we finally have a home. Hubby is in his office at the other end of the apartment playing a game online with his friends, and I'm enjoying our quiet living room. It is the first time I have sat down since we moved in three weeks ago.

    The world around us is going a little crazy, and I sympathize with those who are affected by all the things going on. But right now, I am simply thankful for our new home. Some people do not have that right now and it makes me sad. Some have a home but it is not a nice place to go due to family situations and other such things. If you are reading this and that is you, my heart goes out to you and I am praying for you. Praying for circumstances to change and for brokenness in whatever form it is in to be restored.

    If that is not your circumstance and you have a beautiful home and family, then I praise God and remind you to count your blessings.

    I pray this post encourages you and reminds you to count your blessings, no matter how simple they may seem, and remember. God answered prayers.

God Bless

~Hannah

Our Living Room 💗

When I brought the camera out, Blessing sat up and posed for the picture.

Time to Wake Up

    Forgive me for falling asleep, Lord. It has been a few busy weeks, and I have been on auto piolet. I have been going through the motions of going to work, feeding my family, attempting to clean my home, and walking Blessing. It's been an exhausting few weeks, Lord. I know now it's because I have been asleep in my faith. Forgive me for that Lord. I was reminded this morning in church that the Christian faith is the only religion where we pray to a relational God who desires to have a personal relationship with me. Thank you, Lord, for wanting me, Father. I have been exhausted these last few weeks and have been wondering why. I eat right, exercise, and sleep well.  I do all the "right" things and yet I forgot the most important thing. Time with you, Lord. Proper, intimate, relationship-building time with you, Lord. I have been doing everything right by the world's standards and yet forgot about your stands Lord. Forgive me, Father. Thank you for your message this morning in church. In Jesus' name, amen.

    This was my prayer after listening to my pastor's sermon this morning. The message was from Matthew 26:36-46, where Jesus wanted his disciples to stay away and keep watch while He went and prayed to The Father. It was a powerful message that I needed to hear. You see, lately, I have a) been on auto piolet, and b) my thoughts have been a little too consumed by the world, by covid-19 and the state of the government, and instead of praying over it all, I have been complaining.

    It occurred to me last night as I was falling asleep that I have not gotten my journal out in a month. I also realized that outside of our time in quarantine at the beginning of the month, I have barely read a book and besides a family photoshoot before Christmas, I cannot remember the last time I took my camera out.

    Needless to say, God has given me a wake-up call this morning that I am eternally grateful. Not only has He waken up my faith. He reminded me of the importance of enjoying my life and my hobbies. Because there is more to life than just working and paying bills, God wants us to enjoy our life.

    So this afternoon with a beautiful snowfall that God has blessed me with (first snowfall since November). Blessing and I went to the park behind our home, played on the playset, and ran around the adjoining enclosed field. She ran, I walked. We also enjoyed a photoshoot on the playset. She is my good little model.

    Once we returned home, I felt renewed and reenergized. Thank you, Lord, for a wonderful afternoon. I woke up this morning with little interest in engaging with life today until you woke me up.

    Friends, I do not know where you stand today, but I know that God wants us to have an intimate and personal relationship with Him and that can only happen when we are awake and engaging with Him. He is not simply the guy who delivers your Amazon package, where you simply smile and say thank you for your order. He wants to be yours and my best friend, whom we tell everything to.

I pray that this post blesses you where ever life finds you today.

God Bless

~Ruth

The Things You Have Now, You Prayed For.

    Over the last few days (two weeks ago now) I have been frustrated and grumbling over not hearing word yet over the apartment that my hubby and I applied to live in. Hubby tried to remind me to be patient and that we are on the top of the list for the apartment and that the superintendent already knows and likes our family so, therefore, there is no reason the company would not want to rent to us. Even with this reminder and information, I am still anxious to hear back and move our family into our new home. Even with this 99% chance, we will get the apartment, I do not count my eggs before the chicken lays them.

    Do not get me wrong, we are very grateful to my in-laws for letting us stay rent-free on their property while we get our life set up here in Wallaceburg. It has allowed us to put a good chunk of money onto our debt and start our journey to financial recovery. Non the less though, we are anxious to move into our own home.

    A few days later, I was scrolling through Instagram and came across a post that read, "Remember when you prayed for the things you have now?" You can also word it like this, "The things you have now, you prayed for." The latter is how my brain interpreted it. It felt like God was smacking me right between the eyes, in a good way, because it is true. My hubby started working down in Wallaceburg right before Easter 2021.

    I would drive him to London (halfway) on Sunday nights and then pick him up on Friday nights. That commute got old, real fast, for both our family and our car. We did it though, by the grace of God, we were able to save up and prepare to move down to Wallaceburg. Once we had our moving expenses, we started looking for an apartment and a new job for me. To no avail though. 

    Meanwhile, we were getting very tired of driving and living separately. It was time for our family (hubby, Blessing, and I) to be under the same roof again. We were all feeling the strain. There was one night in particular where Blessing was missing her daddy and could not settle down for bed, I went to his t-shirt drawer, took two t-shirts out, one for her to lay on and one to wrap around her. Minutes later, she was asleep. The whole ordeal was very cute.

    We had talked about temporarily living where my hubby was staying during the week. It would not be a perfect setup, meaning it would not be "home" but it would get our family under one roof in the right town. Hubby shared his reservations with me about the idea and explained why it would not work. Later the idea came up in conversation with my in-laws, we shared our concerns about the idea and discussed if there was a way to make it work for everyone. We then prayed over it, and God said yes, it would be our temporary home. Praise the Lord! It had been five long months at this point and we were done.

    We quickly packed up our apartment, said as many good buys as we were able, and headed to our new home. An answered prayer. Yes, there have been adjustments, but even more blessings.

    While I sit here on my couch writing, I am thankful for this blessing. Yes, I am anxious about our new place, which I do not believe is wrong. It is wrong to be anxious and upset and frustrated about it. It is not wrong to be excited and anxious in the sense that we are waiting for an answer. Yes, I was frustrated and anxious about it at the beginning of the week and then hubby lovingly corrected me.

    God is always right. We did pray for our living situation. Ever since I saw the post on Instagram, whenever I start to grumble about not having answers for the apartment, God reminds me that not only did I pray for this, but if God wanted me to have the answer for the apartment, then we would have it. Waiting sucks. Guess He is also working on growing my patience.

    Friends, what things, people, or places are in your life right now that you are complaining about that you prayed and asked God for a few days, months, or even a year ago? It may surprise you. It is also a reminder to be careful of what you wish.

    

    I pray this post finds you well as you enter into the new year.

    God Bless

    ~Ruth

Today's photo was taken by my father-in-law the day we walked out our answered prayer and moved our family back under one roof.

Time to Declutter

    This past week I decided that my life is too cluttered. From the amount of stuff I have around my home all the way to how many apps I have on the cell phone and everything in between. I decided my first task would be to clean up my "phone time" and stop aimlessly scrolling on Facebook when I need to "kill time" or just need a few minutes to myself to chill. When in reality screen time is not relaxing, it contributes to your "fight or flight" response. No, I have no research to back up this claim. I just know that for myself and a few other people I have spoken to that the less screen time they have the less stressed and overreact/ get triggered less.

    So instead of scrolling on Facebook I started using my time a little more wisely and decided to start "scheduling" my Facebook time. Yes, I know that sounds ridiculous, but this way I can still go on and post my blog, connect with friends and family but not spend so much time that I end up aimlessly scrolling. It's all about moderation.

    The first few days were great and I accomplished a lot. It went a little downhill though when I replaced 20 minutes of scrolling with an episode of a TV show on Netflix. Netflix is not bad either though, but this was not the point of the exercise. That being said, I watch very little V.

    Anyways, before I got distracted though I was making good progress, and of course we all know that growth is not linear, there will be up and downs, so I am not going to be hard on myself, simply learning as I go.

    The next area that I wanted to start decluttering was my phone, so I looked through all my apps, notes in my memo pad, and my gallery (mainly my screenshot album) and started cleaning out all the things I no longer need, use or want. I was pleasantly surprised by how much stuff I had on my phone that I no longer needed.

    After that, I wanted to tackle my purse, which took just a few minutes though because I regularly clean it out. I would like to clean out my wallet as well and see how many cards I have that I have no need for or use.

    I have started making mental notes of all the "stuff" that we have in our home and how once we move in the new year I want to decorate our new apartment and anything that does not find a home gets donated or sold instead of simply putting it into storage with the mindset that "someday I will use that." No, I am not a hoarder, we simply have lived in small spaces since day one and thus never have the room to use all the things that have been lovingly gifted to us or we have purchased over the years and I am now ready to make decisions about the items that have been sitting in storage for years.  We are hoping for a bigger apartment for the new year and are just waiting to hear back from the company, so with a bigger place, we can decorate with more things and thus figure out what stuff is in storage we want to keep. I am also tired of dusting and maintaining all the things we have on display currently, but I want to see how they will fit in our new home.

    I have read that mental clutter is a result of physical clutter. There are lots of quotes on the internet that state that sentence with more eloquence and sound more poetic, but the meaning stays the same. The more stuff, the more stress. At least that is how I am feeling these days. I am tired of having to schedule a time to clean and tidy my home when I would rather be reading a book or spending time with my family. Do not get me wrong though, our home is clean and tidy, but I suspect with less stuff it will take less time to keep clean. I once heard someone say that their goal was to have 80% of their home clean 80% of the time. I love this idea and want to start implementing it. You see, I am an all-or-nothing kind of person. If the dishes are not done but the counter, table, and floor are clean, the kitchen is still not clean. If the bathtub is not scrubbed, but the rest of the bathroom is clean, it is still not cleaned in my book. So not only am I going to reduce the amount of stuff I have I also want to start giving myself more grace if my home is not 100% spotless 100% of the time.

    This next part is my favorite. I am excited to clean out my closet. Said no women ever right? I have started making a mental list and now a partial physical pile of clothing that I either no longer like or simply never wear. I am going through my closet with the Marie Kondo method and weeding out the clothing that I no longer love and blessing others with it. The part that makes me excited about this part of my cleaning is because I am going, to be honest with myself and decide what clothing items bring me joy and confidence versus what I think other people want to see me wear or expect me to wear or clothing I am wearing trying to be someone else. No, clothing does not define a person, but it does tell the world around you and yourself who you are.

    The final step in my declutter, or at least for now, is my daily schedule and routine. For about a week I have been waking up early every morning about thirty minutes before I have to get up. A couple of mornings I went back to sleep and a couple of mornings I simply got up. I did not give much thought to my new wake times at first until one evening Blessing and I were out for our evening walk and was processing my daily schedule and praying through my frustration about my daily routine. During my prayer, I told God that I am tired of how my evenings run and how at best I have thirty minutes to myself before showing and climbing into bed. God then told me to get up at 4:30 am instead of 5 am and then explained what tasks that are normally in the evening or sometimes get skipped all together can be done in the mornings. I instantly felt relief and excitement to alter my routine in the coming days to alter my morning and evening routine giving me more downtown for both myself and my family. There are still lots of tweaking to do, but it is a start. It is funny how a few days ago I was a little annoyed because I wept waking up early, now I know God had a plan all along. God was simply preparing the way and then prepared me for it.

    I find it funny though that I have spent just over a week doing a lot of mental work in prep for this declutter, and yet only now, a week later I have finally found the time to write in my journal at 7 am on a Saturday, in my kitchen while a batch of cookies baking in the oven. Yes, you read that right. I am up and baking at 7 am on a Saturday. Actually, I was up at 4:30 this morning, got myself ready for the day, and then headed to the kitchen at 6 am to start baking cookies for all the family gatherings to attend over the next few weeks. I feel a little like Betty Crocker at the moment. In my kitchen at 6 am with my hair and makeup done for the day and dressed for this evening's activities while baking in prep for it.

    I pray friends that as we navigate through this busy time of year we can all take an inventory of our time, energy, "stuff", and resources and see if it does not only represent who we are but more importantly who God is and what He has done for us. I once saw a quote that said, "If you are too busy to pray, you are busier than God intended." Not exactly what we are talking about today, but if you spend all your time dusting your knickknacks and leave little to no time to spend with God, then it's kind of the same thing. We have too much stuff friends.

    I pray this post blesses and encourages you where ever it finds you today.

    God Bless

    ~Ruth

    Today's picture was taken when my hubby and I first got our camera a couple years ago. Taken down the road from my now late grandparent's cottage. This picture depicts a beautiful open field and open space and that is what I am working on making in my home and life. Open space and time.

    When I took this picture I gave very little though to it, we were simply walking down the road to the cemetery to visit the gave of some of my relatives. In fact the light and quality of this picture is not what I would choose today, which just goes to show my growth as a photographer, but more importantly it is no longer a "poor quality picture", it is a memory of the home and life that my grandparents build and a reminder to not take anything for granted.

Jesus loves me, this I know.

     All my life I have struggled with knowing and accepting God's love for me. Yes, I know the Sunday school songs and John 3:16 but, it has never been heart knowledge for me. For years I have thought of Him as my Lord and Savior along with my provider and protector but never someone who loves me.

    Because I have never experienced His love for me or at least not in a way that spoke to my heart, I went to other sources for that love. Mainly my hubby. One problem though, my hubby, as amazing as he is, is not able to give me the love that I need from God, nor is he supposed to be able to give me that kind of love. As you can imagine that has put stress on our marriage over the years.

    Recently my hubby reminded me that I need to go to God for love, as he has many times before. This time though, it clicked in my mind and heart. Later that day I'm in the shower, crying, both literally and crying out to God asking Him to show me His love.

    He so clearly spoke to my heart and told me that He put Jesus on the cross because of how much He loves me.

    It finally started to hit me. Love is an action. God sending Jesus to the cross was and is the greatest act of love that mankind has ever seen and it is finally hitting home for me.

    I let the news settle for a few days with the intention of digging more into this new revelation. Unfortunately, a few days passed and I forgot. Then a week later I was in my journal and saw what I had written the day God first gave me the revelation and started praying over this new knowledge. I asked God to show me a scripture that started in plain English that He loves me. Outside of John 3:16 that is. Simply because I have taken that verse for granted for years and needed to see a "new" verse in a fresh way. He reminded me of 1st Corinthians 13:4-7. A passage that lists the actions and characteristics of someone who loves you. The first two are patience and kindness. That stopped me in my tracks. God has shown me patience and kindness countless times throughout my entire life. As the truth of this passage started to sink in over the next few days I started to notice a change in my spirit. I feel more confident in who I am and less of a need to prove myself to both those around me and to myself. All because I now know and understand just how much God loves me and knowing that someone thinks you are with dying for is a pretty big confidence builder. I feel calmer and find myself resting in my new self-esteem. What a joy these last few days have been. I'm excited to learn more about God's love for me and then show that love to those around me.

    Friends, I pray that you either know this truth already or are like me and are in the process of learning about God's amazing love for us. I also pray that we both continue to learn about God and deepen our relationships with Him.

    I pray this post finds you well this Sunday afternoon and blesses you.

    God Bless

    ~Ruth

Today's Photo is simply a photo that I love and am proud of.

My Rings

    It's been six and a half years since we said "I do" and my hubby put my wedding ring on my finger, completing my set with my engagement ring. Then three years into our marriage I started a physically involved job that damaged my ring. I probably should not have been wearing it in the first place, but I did. So it went into my jewelry box until we could fix it. It then sat there for three years. Between not having the income to fix it and working a job that either did not allow it or was simply a bad idea, I have not touched it in years.

    Well, we are now finally in a much better financial position and my new job is significantly safer and involves less machinery than my previous jobs. So I took it to the local jeweler and had them fix it. The arms that hold the pink rock and one of the smaller white rocks on the engagement ring needed tightening. A week later I had my ring set on my finger, all shiny and new.

    I have been wearing cheap Walmart rings for years and missing my real one. Not anymore though. My rings are fixed and back on my finger where they belong. It is hard to believe that they are finally back. I have been waiting years, half of our married life to be exact and now they are back. It is hard to believe that it finally happened. Every now and then I look down to double-check that it was not all just a dream. At one point I started to wonder if we would ever be able to fix them.

    As I started writing this journal entry, I started to question myself. I thought, "Who cares that I fixed my wedding ring set. No one will want to read that blog post." Then I reminded myself that I care and that is all the reason I need to write it. I want to write more and practice my skills. I often think that I do not have a whole lot to write about, but it is time to stop listening to that lie and start writing. So here it is, and to those who also feel insecure about their writing or other skill, remember that you are, I care and most importantly God cares. God gave you your craft and skill set for a reason. So use it and bring Him glory, after all, that is why He put us on earth.

    So go. Go, get a pen and piece of paper, a cup of your favorite drink, and a cozy chair and let your imagination run free. Be blessed my friends and enjoy your God-given skills and talents.

    Ps. If you are like me and spelling and grammar are not your best friend. Use grammerly.

Today's photo is my ring set, back from the jeweler. I love how beautifully it sits on the cushion of late grandfather's rocking chair. I tried to use a point background but it was not working. I guess you can have too much pink.😉 Who would have thought. 💁