Home Sanctuary

Company Girl Coffee!

Rachel Anne — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:14:21 -0700

I have to admit that my Home Sanctuary has suffered this week. Neglect and fatigue have plagued my domain as I've struggled to the finish line on my painting project. Hopefully, today is our LAST day on this job and then I can return to my normal pace of life.

I've spent the last few days with my head in the clouds. So what's new? I'm always off in la-la land, but this time I'm on a 12 foot ladder.

I did manage to post Ecclesiastes 9:11 on the fridge and now I'm just waiting for my son to say "HUH? I don't get it!" I can't wait to explain it to him....I took a picture but it won't load into my post.

So what's up at YOUR house? Invite us over by linking up below! I noticed that a few of the blogs I visited last week didn't sport the coffee logo (which is fine), but it made it hard to know exactly which specific post to read. You can grab the logo by copy and pasting the code from the little box in the left sidebar...you just have to make sure you scroll all the way to the end of the code to make it work. I was surprised to find how much easier it was to feel at home when I spotted the familiar logo! Oh, yeah, this is where I'm supposed to be! Company Girls rock!

Even if you're not linking up, I encourage you to stop in a visit these nice Company Girls. Make some new friends!

P.S. There will not be a Small Thing for today or Monday. We are going camping this weekend and won't have internet access. I hope you all have a great weekend, and I will see you on Tuesday!

That's a Wrap

Rachel Anne — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 04:58:26 -0700

Do you have a Gift Center at your house? It's a drawer or area that stores gift wrap, tape, ribbons and maybe even some gifts that you may have on hand.

I've been jamming my gift things into a small, dark closet. The items had overflowed from a drawer and needed more space. All those gift bags! They really accumulate after awhile!

For several years now, I've been stuffing things in this closet and hating the disorganization of it. Oh, for the time to straighten it up! Poor me, I never have enough time for things like that. So I continued to dig for tissue paper and squished bows every time someone had a birthday.

A couple of Saturdays ago, I decided I would give myself 15 minutes to work on that closet.

I'm ashamed to say that in 15 minutes, I had my Gift Center looking pretty spiffy.

Organized, even!

Before:

After:

I sorta ran out of the right sized containers for things, but I made do with what I had. I threw out the ragged gift bags and the tissue that was really crumpled. Who was I kidding? I'd never re-use those old things anyway! Grouping the small gifts made it easier to see what I have and what I need. It's nice to have "little somethings" on hand for last-minute gifts!

Today's Small Thing is to straighten up your gift wrap area. In just a few minutes it could look so good that you'll be calling it an official "Gift Center!" With Christmas and a bunch of Fall birthdays coming up, now I feel like I'm prepared to be generous and happy to get the gifts ready!

Would you like that in a gift bag or a box? I've got it right here....:)

POINTS: 40 generous points for spending a few minutes (limit yourself!) organizing

This might be a great idea to share tomorrow for Company Girl Coffee! Let's see your Before and After pictures, or share what your favorite gift to have on hand is!

Counter the Mess

Rachel Anne — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:43:59 -0700

Besides making my bed each day, the other area of the house that gives me a feeling of satisfaction is my kitchen counter.

Well, satisfaction..... when it's clean.

It's a constant battle because the kitchen is where most of the household activity takes place. Food preparation, eating, homework, opening mail....it is tough to keep those counters cleared and shiny.

Today's Small Thing is to keep after your counters today. Give them a nice wipe down, even behind the canisters and decorative stuff, and remove the clutter to another part of the house. Try to clean as you go today, so that you can actually SEE the counter!

It's such a simple thing, but so rewarding! Aaaaaah! I feel like a kitchen diva.

POINTS: 30 for wiping down the counters and keeping them neat today!

October Prizes!

Rachel Anne — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:33:21 -0700

Thank you for bearing with me as it's taken me so long to sit down and get organized. Our painting project is almost done and I look forward to not spending 3 hours a day commuting!

We have a very special prize for this month's Most Points winner. One of our Company Girls, Cheryl, has graciously donated a hand-crocheted prayer shawl!

This is a beautiful wrap that is specifically for using during your prayer or quiet time, and it is a wonderful reminder of your heavenly Father's arms wrapped around you as you pray! Here is what Cheryl wrote:

I have been a part of Home Sanctuary for several months now, blessed each day with Rachel Anne’s creativity in assignments. The Lord spoke to me in September and told me to offer Rachel Anne a crocheted prayer shawl to use as a monthly prize. This shawl was crocheted with prayers said for the recipient’s family...prayers that health would prevail, blessings would be bountiful, old hurts would be healed, and sanctuary would abound in your home. May this prayer shawl become a sanctuary of sorts to you as you pray for your family and others.

Cheryl blessed me with a prayer shawl of my own and I literally cried when I saw it. It is beautifully made with a lot of love....and I know whoever wins the prayer shawl this month will love it. Thank you, Cheryl!.

For the Random Drawing, the winner will receive a signed copy of:

If you've already started thinking of Christmas gifts, this would make an excellent gift for a man in your life. It's a powerful story of faith and strength in the life of a remarkable man.

And lastly, to help you keep track of your points this month, here is a tally sheet for your to print off and keep handy. Pencil in your points as you go, and make notes if you like!

Download TallyOctober

This is already shaping up to be a great month. Thank you all for participating and being such great Company Girls! You keep me excited about the Small Things, YEAH!

October Verse - God of Time and Chance

Rachel Anne — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:36:47 -0700

Our verse this month comes from the book of Ecclesiastes, a book which seems to have a little bit of a "cynical" tone. It was written by Solomon, a king who had seen it all and pretty much knew it all. Some scholars say that this book is based on human wisdom (as opposed to Divine wisdom), but there are nuggets in it that are pure gold, no matter how you slice it. Solomon observes:

This scripture appears to be talking about the unfairness of life. At first glance, it's a "hard luck" verse. It makes me think of the USA women's track team, who was a shoo-in for the 4x100 gold medal in the 2008 Olympics, but dropped the baton in the qualifying race in a case of bad luck. What a heartbreak!

But for another team, who had trained just as hard and wanted that gold just as much, that race was a case of having the BEST luck imaginable! Why, the unthinkable happened! The gold did not go to the swiftest on that day, and the Russians were ultimately crowned the champions. Time and chance went their way.

I certainly don't delight in anyone's "bad luck." In fact, I don't even believe in luck at all.

But Time and Chance? Now, there's another story.

You see, I believe in the God of Time and Chance. I believe that there is a Supreme Being who defies all limits of time, who is INIFINITE and all-powerful, and who knows all about my battles here on this earth. He creates opportunities, chances, if you will, for things to happen.

I absolutely LOVE Ecclesiates 9:11 because I know I am not the swiftest runner in the race. I know I am not the strongest, or the smartest, or the most capable. The odds are against me being a successful competitor. The gold will most assuredly be given to someone else.

But I have a heart that wants to win, and a soul that is giving God every opportunity to make me a "winner." My job is to stay in the race when my inclination is to drop out after comparing myself to the others. They seem so much more together. So much smarter. So much more connected and well-educated. Look at me! I'm a nobody! I'll never win.

Ah! But you never know when the God of Time and Chance will say, "This is YOUR day! This is YOUR time! This is YOUR race! RUN, girl, RUN!"

God will put you in a position to succeed if you just keep preparing yourself. Be willing to do the hard work of conditioning, even though the odds are against you. Show up for the race, even when no one gives you a chance of winning. Get on the starting blocks and then run with all your might.

Because "Time and Chance" happen to everyone! Give all your best to God and let Him take care of the outcome.

He will put you in the right place at the right time.

He will give you the opportunities you've been waiting for.

You see, this "hard luck" verse is really about a door being left open for all of us, at any given point in our lives. When we are a David facing a Goliath, or a Gideon facing a huge army of Midianites. When the deck is stacked against us and there is no hope of winning. Except.

Except that we believe in the God of Time and Chance, who holds victory in His hands.

Today's Small Thing is to put Ecclesiastes 9:11 where you can see it. Don't look at this verse through "glass half empty" eyes, but see it as a beacon of hope that says, "Your opportunity will come!" Stay in the race no matter what.

POINTS: 40 for posting it up somewhere.

BONUS: 20 for sharing it (along with the devotional so it will make sense) with a friend...email it, forward it, copy and paste it, stick it on your fridge as a reminder!

Download October verse

Tomorrow: October prizes and tally sheet, finally!

Penny Pincher

Rachel Anne — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:17:06 -0700

I was once told by one of my free-wheeling, frivolous friends that I was "tighter'n bark on a tree" when it came to spending money. I considered it a compliment.

This economy has all of us (my friend included) rethinking our spending habits. We consider a little longer before making a purchase, and try to find ways to save some green. Our family is quite used to a fairly frugal lifestyle, but there is still lots of room for improvement.

Today's Small Thing is to pinch a few pennies! If living on the cheap has you down in the dumps today, earning some points for being a tightwad ought to make the even the scroogiest of us smile.

I realize that not everyone will be out shopping or spending money today, so I'm going to stretch this Small Thing out through Friday. That means you'll have through Friday to complete the task.

You can utilize any or all of these saving techniques this week, and see what a difference it will make to your budget.

Re-use or re-purpose something. Rather than throwing something away, can you find another purpose for it that can save having to buy something else?
Clip coupons. I admit I don't clip coupons, but I'm beginning to see the folly of my ways when local stores offer double and triple coupons.
Use the sales sheets in the paper. Again, I have my favorite store and I sorta glance at what's on special, but I usually don't make my menu based on what's on sale. Big money mistake.
Buy something pre-owned. I'm looking for some furniture on Craigslist and at garage sales because I don't want to pay retail.

Do you have a favorite money-saving or dollar-stretching technique? Please share it with the rest of us! While the world's leaders try to figure out how to save the universe from an economic meltdown, we can work on our own little worlds to make ends meet!

POINTS: 40 for pinching pennies this week

BONUS POINTS: 20 if you share a tip today OR share ideas on Friday for Company Girl Coffee!

Home Sweet Home

Rachel Anne — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:28:01 -0700

Do you have a busy weekend planned? We do. I leave for a Women's Retreat later today, and the boys have various activities planned that they'll have to get to without my help. And now that hockey season is underway, our Saturdays and Sunday afternoons are gobbled up by sticks and pucks.

There is nothing better than coming home to a clean house when you've been running around all weekend. However, when you're running in and out the door, it is likely that your house could resemble a hurricane aftermath when it's all said and done.

It would be nice if we all got up and did chores first thing Saturday morning, like in the olden days of yore, but that can be nearly impossible for some families. Today's Small Thing is to do a little pre-weekend planning so that you can enjoy coming home after all the activities.

Ask yourself 3 questions:

1. What will we eat?
2. What will we wear?
3. What can I eliminate?

1. If you did Home Sanctuary by Nursery Rhyme, you might have already figured out the answer to question #1. If not, decide now if you will be eating ala Chick FilA, or if you need to thaw a roast from the freezer.

2. Clothing is always an issue. Dragging in on Saturday night and realizing your kids have nothing clean for church is depressing. Not again! Do you need to toss a load of soccer uniforms in the wash? Today is a great day to it.

3. Eliminating something is one of my favorite ways to work through my To-Do list. AHA! I can just put a line through polishing my silver and ironing my drapes. Feel free to put things on your list for the sole purpose of eliminating them because it feels so exhilarating. Try it! It's fun. You may still have to do all the important things, but sometimes giving yourself permission to not do something will give you a little breathing room.

Wow, these are easy points today. All you REALLY have to do is CONSIDER the questions and you will get the points. Following through on them will give you intense satisfaction and a sweet home to come home to.

POINTS: 30 for asking yourself 3 questions!

Progressive Coffee, Company Girl Style

Rachel Anne — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:26:11 -0700

On Fridays, I host Company Girl Coffee and then ask you to follow suit and invite the girls over for more goodies! One cup is never enough, I always say. We can just traipse from one blog to another to see what's happening from house to house this week. It's a lot of fun and need not be intimidating! Just link up below and throw out the welcome mat in the form of the Coffee logo or a link back to me.

While I am working on letting you know about our prizes this month (hopefully I'll get it posted later this morning!) I will share the project we've been working on this week. The house is close to an hour and a half away, so it has presented some challenges to my blogging ability.

Here is the gorgeous trim. It started out glossy white and then was primed and given 2 coats of black paint. (3 days). Then, I used a dry-brush technique that is incredibly simple and looks stunning.

Wanna try it? It's EASY!

1. Start with a black base coat, flat or satin. (We used Sherwin Williams 6258 Tricorn Black)

2. You take a "Chip Brush" and dip it into metallic paint.

I used antique copper and antique gold (available at hobby stores). Then you wipe almost everything off your brush onto a paper towel so there is very little left on the brush.

3. Lightly dust the raised edges of the trim with your brush in all different directions. I kept a damp rag handy to dab up any heavy splotches.

4. Layer on the dry brushed paint until you get the look you desire.

This is a great technique for lamps, light fixtures, furniture or frames.....anything you want. There are many cool metallic colors to choose from so you can get a variety of looks, from vintage to contemporary. This is one of my favorite finishes and I never get tired of it!

We are finishing off this dining room with a faux finish on the walls and a re-staining of a buffet. Are you interested in either of those techniques? I could post instructions to those if you like....over another cup of coffee.

I hope you'll stop over and visit the girls who link up! Just click on the link below and it will open up a new page with a list of participants.

Get Motivated

Rachel Anne — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:09:07 -0700

We've got a lot of new girls this month and I want to welcome you all to the Company Girls! I am thrilled that you've joined up and I hope that you'll all jump right in and get started with the Small Things!

Claudia asked me a question the other day that has echoed around in my head since then.

She asked who motivates ME!

Oh, Claudia, that's a whole post in and of itself, but naturally, I figured out a way to work it into a Small Thing.

I wish I could say that I'm motivated toward Home Sanctuary entirely by my love for order and a heightened sense of aesthetic beauty. I wish I could say that I "just can't rest" when my house is messy, but honey, I can manage a nap pretty much any time. I wish I could say that I love to entertain and that welcoming people in is my natural gift. I wish I could say I have too much energy and so I enjoy working like a busy bee around my house, but ya'll know me too well.

But the truth is far less glamorous.

I'm motivated to create sanctuary for my family because I see what happens when things run smoothly. I'm motivated by having a husband who has a far greater need for order than me, and I want to honor that. I'm set into motion by my feelings of failure and mediocrity. I don't want to be stuck this way all my life.

But mostly, I'm motivated by the belief that the little things matter. That I can't do it ALL, but I can do SOMETHING...and that something counts.

I'm motivated to encourage others through this blog because all the "experts" on family life seem to have it all together: money, time, energy and college degrees. Darn it, they are so perky! And I am often so derailed by my own inadequacy by comparison that I can't hear a word they say.

But I've found that God can take an imperfect family (and an imperfect mom) and make something good happen. I've seen it in my own life and it's too important to keep it to myself. And I believe that God is intensely interested in making something good happen in your family, too. Living a good life is not just for the people who are naturally organized and creative. It's for the rest of us, who simply want a better way to live, and are willing to take one step at a time toward that end.

Today's Small Thing is a Thinking Thing. If you've been with me since the beginning, you might recall that we made a Housekeeping Mission Statement in January. Let's take a look at that again, or write a new one today. Having a goal is an important part of any endeavor, and creating a home that is a place of sweet refuge for your family is a worthy goal.

So what do you want to see happen in your home? What motivates YOU?

POINTS: 40 for writing (or reviewing) your Mission Statement. Think about sharing your Mission Statement in tomorrow's Company Girl Coffee or in a comment!

Visit me at Writer, Interrupted today, where I share my substance abuse story. Whoa, Rachel Anne! I didn't know you had a dark side!

P.S. October Tally Sheet not ready yet, sorry! CRAZY week around here. See what I mean?

September Winners!

Rachel Anne — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 05:05:39 -0700

Well, Company Girls, we have a TIE! The Most Points Winners are Camille and Cara...they both raked in all the possible points in the month of September! They will both be receiving a necklace and bookmark from Ann Margaret! Congratulations, Ladies! Both of you (and your books) will be sporting some bling!

Our Random Drawing Winner is Wanda, and she will receive the book by Ellie Lofaro. Alright Wanda!

Thank you to all who participated...the points and prizes are just a fun little "extra", but the REAL PRIZE is what happens at home when you do the Small Things! I love what it does for my home and family.

I will be announcing the October Prizes on Friday....so stay tuned!

A new Tally Sheet for October will be available for download tomorrow. Print it off and scribble in your points as you earn them! It makes it so much easier to keep track as you go.

Let's have another great month of Small Things! Feel free to invite your friends. The more the merrier!

PS If you've emailed me recently about becoming a Company Girl and haven't heard back from me, just go ahead and jump in with the Small Things! I'm working at a job site that is an hour and a half away this week, so I'm a bit behind in answering emails and updating my blog roll.