WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2008
Cleaning Out the House
It has been a busy week of cleaning out the living room/dining room in preparation for painting. Re-organizing always starts a domino effect of cleaning. It started with deciding to move *G*s desk area into a little cubby/closet space in the living room. Of course, this cubby had lots of things in it already, so those things had to be moved. Where to put them? Some went to the storage building, which had to be re-arranged a little. Some went into the trash and some needed a new home which had yet to be decided. We built shelves in the little, now empty, closet. As *G* moved her desk and film making things into the new space, some of the other children helped me put things away and move some furniture. You can see the before (above) and after (below) pictures of the new desk area. It is now better arranged for our current needs (which are ever changing). Now next week when I go to the big city I will get the paint and the rooms will be all fresh and cleaned. Of course, this will only serve to expose that the hallway, bathrooms, bedroom, etc. all need to be painted also.
SUNDAY, JULY 27, 2008
We are finished with the walls! (read: not finished with the ceiling) The walls are fresh and bright and there are no marks in it anywhere. I love it! These are a few photos, although you can't really see the magic unless you are standing in the room, so come see us! (keep in mind that the walls were RED before, so it took several coats of primer and paint)
This is the dining room/school room. The ladder leads to *G*'s loft/bedroom. You can see our collection of "Little House" things on the school shelf below the white board.
One side of the living room..... (the kids are laying on the floor so you can't see them in the picture. There are a couple of legs in red pajamas in the bottom left corner)
The other side of the living room. This is where we have a wall of school desks.
This is the dining room/school room. The ladder leads to *G*'s loft/bedroom. You can see our collection of "Little House" things on the school shelf below the white board.
One side of the living room..... (the kids are laying on the floor so you can't see them in the picture. There are a couple of legs in red pajamas in the bottom left corner)
The other side of the living room. This is where we have a wall of school desks.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2008
Transformation
I have two wicker chairs in my living room that needed to be brightened up. So I spent yesterday afternoon sewing new covers. I even put our monogram on the top pillows. They look great!
Before
After
If only transforming were as easy to do with myself. God is faithful to keep me moving ahead. I get mired down in my own sin and I forget that He is making me into a new creation. It may take me a lifetime, but I know that I am more beautiful to Him than I realize. He promises me in 1 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
**DUH thinks these pictures don't show how much better the chairs look. So again, you'll just have to come visit to see how pretty they look :) **
Before
After
If only transforming were as easy to do with myself. God is faithful to keep me moving ahead. I get mired down in my own sin and I forget that He is making me into a new creation. It may take me a lifetime, but I know that I am more beautiful to Him than I realize. He promises me in 1 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
**DUH thinks these pictures don't show how much better the chairs look. So again, you'll just have to come visit to see how pretty they look :) **
SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 2008
Since we moved into this house I have wanted to add a backdoor in the kitchen leading to a small deck. We finally did it! No more going through the utility room. We can have lunch on the new deck (when I get a table). I finished the painting this morning. I love it!
After
LABELS: HOME DECORATING
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2008
I Love a Clean Closet!
If only my sweet husband really understood what excites me....more than flowers or dinner out or jewelry....I love a clean house. When everything is shiny and the sheets are washed and the closets are straight....Ooooohhhhh....I LOVE that!
Yesterday I cleaned out my closet and I plan to finish it up this week. I love watching the bags of garbage head out the door. I thrill over the newly organized shelves. I delight in having the Christmas gifts all sorted and ready to go. I love knowing where everything is again so that I don't spend time looking for things.
Between that and this spectacular weather it has been a great weekend. Maybe I just needed a free weekend. It has been a very long time since we had one.
As I sit here listening to the kids playing and laughing in the yard, I give God all of the glory for this sweet time at home.
Psalm 19:1-4 The heavens are telling the glory of God, they are a marvelous display of His craftmanship. Day and night they keep on telling about God. Without a sound or word, silent in the skies, their message reaches out to all the world.
Yesterday I cleaned out my closet and I plan to finish it up this week. I love watching the bags of garbage head out the door. I thrill over the newly organized shelves. I delight in having the Christmas gifts all sorted and ready to go. I love knowing where everything is again so that I don't spend time looking for things.
Between that and this spectacular weather it has been a great weekend. Maybe I just needed a free weekend. It has been a very long time since we had one.
As I sit here listening to the kids playing and laughing in the yard, I give God all of the glory for this sweet time at home.
Psalm 19:1-4 The heavens are telling the glory of God, they are a marvelous display of His craftmanship. Day and night they keep on telling about God. Without a sound or word, silent in the skies, their message reaches out to all the world.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
If you give a mouse a cookie....
What happens? I'll tell you what happens. It has baby mice and they begin to live in your house and you see the second one tonight which is two days after your husband has gone out of town for the week and your 16 year old son has to take care of it for you because you are too paralyzed with fear to go into the kitchen! That's what happens!!!
You may wonder how I know this. You may think it's silly that I live on a FARM and I am deathly afraid of mice! First of all, I blame my mother (I know you read this blog Mom, and you know it's true!). I came home from elementary school one day to find her and my grandmother standing on the kitchen table waiting for my 6 year old brother to come home from school and take care of the mouse in the pantry.
But alas, I cannot judge. I have passed this paranoia on to my daughters. My oldest now has the same affliction. Tonight we sit, too scared to go into the kitchen where we saw the rodent a couple of hours ago. We are seriously wondering how what we are going to eat for breakfast tomorrow since neither of us will go in there. I am also wondering what good are my five cats doing if they won't at least keep the mice out of my house!
But our savior (I mean *J*, not the real Savior) has set out traps and poison and he assures me that he will persevere until the job is done. I guess the real Savior has also promised me He will take care of me.
Ok then, I feel better. I'm still not going in the kitchen, but I feel better.
What happens? I'll tell you what happens. It has baby mice and they begin to live in your house and you see the second one tonight which is two days after your husband has gone out of town for the week and your 16 year old son has to take care of it for you because you are too paralyzed with fear to go into the kitchen! That's what happens!!!
You may wonder how I know this. You may think it's silly that I live on a FARM and I am deathly afraid of mice! First of all, I blame my mother (I know you read this blog Mom, and you know it's true!). I came home from elementary school one day to find her and my grandmother standing on the kitchen table waiting for my 6 year old brother to come home from school and take care of the mouse in the pantry.
But alas, I cannot judge. I have passed this paranoia on to my daughters. My oldest now has the same affliction. Tonight we sit, too scared to go into the kitchen where we saw the rodent a couple of hours ago. We are seriously wondering how what we are going to eat for breakfast tomorrow since neither of us will go in there. I am also wondering what good are my five cats doing if they won't at least keep the mice out of my house!
But our savior (I mean *J*, not the real Savior) has set out traps and poison and he assures me that he will persevere until the job is done. I guess the real Savior has also promised me He will take care of me.
Ok then, I feel better. I'm still not going in the kitchen, but I feel better.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2008
Poor People's Trash
Last weekend I went to a high tea that my sister's church was hosting. I got to spend the night in a hotel all by myself. Before you get all up in my face and tell me how spoiled I am....I know that already. OK?
So, back to my story. This was a very nice place. I am a card carrying member of the Comfort Inn rewards program, so the opportunity to stay in a Hilton was a rare treat. My room was lovely. It was on the 16th floor and I had a nice view of the city. There was a flat screen TV and a down comforter on the bed and an actual thermostat (as opposed to the noisy widow unit I am used to when I travel).
But there was one tiny, little thing that perplexed me. This (at exactly 12" tall) was the only trash can in the room....
Now, tell me....do rich people not accumulate trash? This thing wasn't big enough for my Chick-fil-A bag. Oh, maybe rich people only order room service and they don't have fast food garbage issues. But seriously, this little thing was practically full when I threw a tissue away. What if I had needed to change a diaper? Don't some rich people have babies? Maybe the nanny carries the stinky diapers down the hall to the garbage chute.
Despite the overflow of refuse, I had a lovely time. I worked out in the gym on an elliptical machine that was so sleek it made me feel like a Trump offspring. I lounged on my leather sofa and wondered why there was no one feeding me grapes.
All in all I felt pampered and adored (the adoring came from afar in the form of a wonderful family that made the sacrifice to let me do this). I knew I would never stay there again. It was a one time only deal.
After this I'll go back to the Comfort Inn. 'Cuz down deep inside I know it's true....I'm really just a Chick-fil-A kinda gal.
Ed note: My Grateful friend asked for a hallway photo. She asks because I was complaining to her that I had to walk 3 miles from the elevator to my room. I am standing about 10' in front of my door and the elevator is all the way down. Who needs to workout after THAT?!
So, back to my story. This was a very nice place. I am a card carrying member of the Comfort Inn rewards program, so the opportunity to stay in a Hilton was a rare treat. My room was lovely. It was on the 16th floor and I had a nice view of the city. There was a flat screen TV and a down comforter on the bed and an actual thermostat (as opposed to the noisy widow unit I am used to when I travel).
But there was one tiny, little thing that perplexed me. This (at exactly 12" tall) was the only trash can in the room....
Now, tell me....do rich people not accumulate trash? This thing wasn't big enough for my Chick-fil-A bag. Oh, maybe rich people only order room service and they don't have fast food garbage issues. But seriously, this little thing was practically full when I threw a tissue away. What if I had needed to change a diaper? Don't some rich people have babies? Maybe the nanny carries the stinky diapers down the hall to the garbage chute.
Despite the overflow of refuse, I had a lovely time. I worked out in the gym on an elliptical machine that was so sleek it made me feel like a Trump offspring. I lounged on my leather sofa and wondered why there was no one feeding me grapes.
All in all I felt pampered and adored (the adoring came from afar in the form of a wonderful family that made the sacrifice to let me do this). I knew I would never stay there again. It was a one time only deal.
After this I'll go back to the Comfort Inn. 'Cuz down deep inside I know it's true....I'm really just a Chick-fil-A kinda gal.
Ed note: My Grateful friend asked for a hallway photo. She asks because I was complaining to her that I had to walk 3 miles from the elevator to my room. I am standing about 10' in front of my door and the elevator is all the way down. Who needs to workout after THAT?!
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2008
Our Home at Christmas
I LOVE to see how other people live. I love to see the way they celebrate Christmas, whether it's with a lot of decorations and traditions, or with a simple, quiet Christmas. So here's a tour of our home and some of my favorite things we do for Christmas, old and new....
This past year I re-painted all of the inside walls. I wanted to lighten up everything and my tree is no exception. I got a white tree and used red and blue-green ornaments.
I love the colors.
But we still have our old tree too. I used the same decorations and put it in the dining/school room. We have to use very narrow trees. That's the cost of having so many kids and homeschooling in an old house....there's no room for anything!
Speaking of large families, here's the chimney lined with stockings....
I put framed pictures of Christmases past across the mantle. I just love remembering the kids when they were littler.
We have the Playmobil nativity on one of the tables for the kids to play with.
I found this ring at IKEA and I added lights and ornaments....cute!
I also have a small tree with Precious Moments ornaments only. DUH and I have gotten a new one every year since we were first married, so now we have 23 of them! The kids love seeing theirs, so even though I am past my Precious Moments stage in life, I love to have this tree out. It reminds me of our days of early marriage and how we dreamed of having the life we have now!
But here's everyone's favorite....the Nutcracker Ballet! Many years ago G&G gave this to *G* as a gift. Everyone loves to watch it when they come over. Boys and girls alike are fascinated by it. It plays the music and goes through the whole ballet. Every time the curtains
open it's a new scene.
So those are some of my favorite things about my home during the holidays. Check out BooMama to see lots more!
This past year I re-painted all of the inside walls. I wanted to lighten up everything and my tree is no exception. I got a white tree and used red and blue-green ornaments.
I love the colors.
But we still have our old tree too. I used the same decorations and put it in the dining/school room. We have to use very narrow trees. That's the cost of having so many kids and homeschooling in an old house....there's no room for anything!
Speaking of large families, here's the chimney lined with stockings....
I put framed pictures of Christmases past across the mantle. I just love remembering the kids when they were littler.
We have the Playmobil nativity on one of the tables for the kids to play with.
I found this ring at IKEA and I added lights and ornaments....cute!
I also have a small tree with Precious Moments ornaments only. DUH and I have gotten a new one every year since we were first married, so now we have 23 of them! The kids love seeing theirs, so even though I am past my Precious Moments stage in life, I love to have this tree out. It reminds me of our days of early marriage and how we dreamed of having the life we have now!
But here's everyone's favorite....the Nutcracker Ballet! Many years ago G&G gave this to *G* as a gift. Everyone loves to watch it when they come over. Boys and girls alike are fascinated by it. It plays the music and goes through the whole ballet. Every time the curtainsopen it's a new scene.
So those are some of my favorite things about my home during the holidays. Check out BooMama to see lots more!
No comments:
Post a Comment