There is no place like home

Just saying hi...

2023-05-31T08:37:00.002-05:00

It's been a long time, but just in case anyone still stops by, I've been sharing on Instagram lately. I would love for you to visit me there! Here is the link:

https://www.instagram.com/kellis.house

10 year blogging anniversary

2016-05-17T15:44:00.002-05:00

Hello! I just realized that I missed my 10 year blogging anniversary. Of course, I've barely blogged for the past few years, so I'm not sure it counts!

This is the first picture of Grace that I shared back in 2006. Now she is 18 and getting ready to graduate high school. Her graduation is the 29th of this month, so we are busy getting ready for that.

Here is my beautiful girl, all grown up. She is starting Paul Mitchell beauty school in the fall.

We are also having an graduation open house in early June. I haven't thrown a party in so long, I don't think I remember how!

2015-07-13T10:51:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday!

Vintage Birdcage and Dance Cards

2015-07-08T13:35:00.003-05:00

Today, I'm sharing a little corner of my office..

The birdcage holds two of my favorite treasures...

Dance cards from 1888.

Sunday

2015-07-05T14:19:00.003-05:00

Enjoying a peaceful Sunday afternoon, at home.

July 1st, 2015

2015-07-01T14:05:00.004-05:00

Welcome July!

February Snow

2015-02-27T14:38:00.002-06:00

Woke up to a bit of snow this morning. February 14th was the latest date I remember it snowing in Texas, so I guess we have a new record now.

Grace's 17th Birthday

2015-02-01T19:42:00.001-06:00

Grace was only 7 when I stared blogging back in 2006.

Today, she turned 17. I really can't believe it!

Presents to open and pink carnations - her favorite flower.

Uncle Stephen made delicious pizza on the BBQ grill. It's been warm these past couple of weeks!

A new pillow case - perfect for the birthday girl!

Christmas Front Porch

2014-12-20T12:26:00.002-06:00

Good morning! Today, I'm sharing pictures of my front porch. The drawers are from an old sewing machine - I fill them with different things, depending on the holiday or season.

An old sled and ice skates.

My favorite Christmas wreath ever - $15.00 at Costco!

Emily and I are doing a little Christmas shopping today. Only 5 days left!

Bedroom Christmas Decorations

2014-12-16T11:53:00.003-06:00

I tried to keep my Christmas decorations simple this year, only using the things that I really love. I love bottle brush trees and found this large vintage tree last year. My bedroom is mostly neutrals and almost everything is vintage, so I put the tree on my dresser. As you can see, I also love vintage mirrors. The 2 smaller ones will eventually go in my bathroom.

I found these very tiny pink ornaments at the same estate sale.

A little sparkle.

Christmas Cookie Exchange

2014-12-14T23:09:00.001-06:00

Last weekend, we had a Christmas Cookie Exchange Party to start off the Christmas season.

Emily made sugar cookies - each one decorated beautifully!

We also exchanged ornaments, which is my favorite part.

Everyone brought their favorite Christmas cookies to exchange.

Each guest went home with a selection of all the cookies and a tea favor. Each bag had 3 different Stash Christmas tea bags.

Grace decorated the chalkboard. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

2014-12-14T15:59:00.000-06:00

The last of my Christmas orders are shipping out tomorrow and then I'll have a little extra free time for blogging! We had our 2nd annual Christmas cookie and ornament exchange party last weekend. This weekend we put up the tree. All of the other decorations are up too. I'll share pictures this coming week.

Busy, busy...

2014-11-21T13:33:00.003-06:00

I wish I could join Leo for a nap, but there is too much to do. My dad is coming into town for a few days, so we are having our Thanksgiving dinner on Tuesday. I have a little cleaning to do, laundry and grocery shopping. All of the Christmas decorations are down from the attic and we are looking forward to decorating next weekend. I love this time of year!

Autumn Decorations

2014-11-14T22:10:00.002-06:00

I'm going to be putting up Christmas decorations in 2 weeks,

so I thought I would share my Autumn decorations, before it's too late.

The burlap cutouts are from Hobby Lobby and I hot glued them onto ribbon.

My mom painted the picture.

I found a chalkboard picture on Pinterest that I liked and Grace drew it for me.

Front door wreath

Front porch table and yet another chalkboard!

Thanks for stopping by!

Pictures

2014-11-07T21:34:00.001-06:00

Thank you for the warm welcome back and the encouraging notes in my last post.

I thought I would share a few pictures that I have taken this past year...

My friend, Jenna and I hosted and Baby Shower Tea party this past February.

We made chicken salad sandwiches, cucumber dill sandwiches, fruit salad, scones with jam and lemon curd and lemon bars.

Tea favors for the guests.

We added a new furry friend to the family. Natalie is technically Grace's dog, but I take care of her and spoil her way too much. As you can see, she stole the Christmas elf, so she didn't get any presents last year!

Jenna and I went to lots of estate sales and I found things to add to my collections.
The ladies' pocket watch belonged to the little girl in the photograph.

A new vintage print for the living room (it doesn't look wrinkled in person).

The photograph is of my mom, a couple of her brothers and childhood friends.

I don't know why I love flower frogs so much, but I found all of these at the same estate sale.

My favorite thing to collect...old children's books.

My favorite picture in my bedroom.

Finally, I discovered that Ebay is a great place to buy dried hydrangeas. I got a huge box with an assortment of colors - blue, green, brown, and pink, for under $50.00. I have them in almost every room of my house.

Thanks for stopping by!

An Update

2014-11-03T22:07:00.001-06:00

Hello all,
I didn't mean to be gone for so long and I want to apologize for not writing sooner. I've thought about this blog post for so long, hoping that the words would come to me, at the right time. My blogging style is to post lots of pictures and write a short blurb here and there. But, too much time has passed already, so I'll try to share my thoughts...

In June of 2012, Phillip and I separated after being together for 22 years, 18 of those years being married. Just this past August 2014, after 26 long months, our divorce was finalized.

I'm not going to go into details, but I will say that it wasn't a case of "growing apart" or "throwing in the towel." There was a major issue that after many years (all 22 actually) the damage was irreparable.

I feel like a completely different person from 2 years ago and I'm doing very well. Most importantly, I believe that I am right where God wants me to be and to quote one of my favorite childhood songs, "My life is in His hands."

My family has been a huge source of love and support. Especially my parents. They encourage and inspire me every day and I'm so thankful for everything they have done for me and continue to do.

My children (all teenagers now!) are also wonderful and of course, there have been many bumps in the road and things I never thought I would have to face, but considering everything that has happened, they are doing great.

We aren't exactly homeschooling...I'm never sure what to call it. We have an organization here that offers homeschool classes in a classroom setting. Each class meets 1-2 times a week and then the student brings home their homework to complete before the next class. I don't do any teaching - I call myself a "homework supervisor"! They also offer extracurricular activities like proms, homecomings, graduations, etc. so it's been a great fit for us in the past 4-5 years.

Grace is 16 and is driving! She actually drives her brother and sister to their classes each week, so it's been a huge help. I give her Starbucks money and she is happy. :) She is getting all A's and will only have a few more credits to earn for her high school diploma, next year. She also enjoys working at a small local grocery part time.

Emily is 15 and is looking forward to being 16! 15 can be such a hard age, sometimes. She will be taking some driving lessons soon. She's about to get her permit - I had the wrong paperwork when we went last week. She is also looking forward to working part time starting next summer. She likes to play the guitar, singing and going antique shopping with me.

Benjamin is 13 and is very laid back and easy going. He helps me out with things around the house and running errands. He is doing great in school and just started guitar lessons. He and I are fans of cooler weather, so we are excited that November is finally here after a hot Texas summer.

The kids and I are still living in the same house and this is a huge blessing and miracle. Being from Canada, I didn't get a work permit until I was pregnant with Grace and by then, was fortunate enough to be a stay at home mom. I have never worked outside of the home and thanks to my Etsy shops, I'm still able to stay home.

I'm looking forward to the future and am very thankful for this gift of a new beginning. If you've made it to the end, thanks for reading and please be kind with your comments.

~Kelli Wilkins

There's a place at the end of the storm
You finally find
Where the hurt and the tears and the pain
All fall behind

You open up your eyes and up ahead
There's a big sun shining
Right then and there you realize
You'll be alright

There's hope in front of me
There's a light, I still see it
There's a hand still holding me
Even when I don't believe it
I might be down but I'm not dead
There's better days still up ahead
Even after all I've seen
There's hope in front of me
-Danny Gokey's "Hope in front of me"

Blogging Break

2012-06-25T20:31:00.002-05:00

I'm sad to say that I will be taking a blogging break for several months. We are all fine and I will be back sometime in the near future.

New Blog Design

2012-06-06T19:17:00.002-05:00

Hello! I want to say a special thank you to Karen from Valentine Custom Blog Design. She did a wonderful job on my new blog banner, Etsy banners, and business cards. My favorite color combination is yellow/blue and I love birds and nests, so I think she did a great job putting everything together. Thank you, Karen!

Vintage Needlepoint

2012-05-20T13:06:00.000-05:00

My sister-in-law and I are huge fans of estate sales and like to stop by a few every Friday morning, if they are close by. Sometimes we stop by again on Sunday if we see something, but would rather wait for the 30-50% off sale. I'll be honest...I usually can't wait. :0)

This beautiful rose needlepoint picture is a recent find for $5.00.

I have a shabby chic/vintage look going on in my work/crafting area, so it's a perfect fit.

Thank you for stopping by!

New Bathroom Picture

2012-05-03T18:57:00.001-05:00

Just a new little something for the bathroom.

I'm trying to add more flowers to the room, so I thought I would start with Lily of the Valley and Forget-me-nots.

Happy May Day!

2012-05-01T16:11:00.000-05:00

"The merriest month of the year arrives bringing with it sunshine, birdsong, apple blossoms, budding lilacs, and longer days to enjoy life as spring's promise is finally fulfilled. Start the month off on a high note with the celebration of May Day!" -Mrs. Sharp's Traditions

Grace and her friend made bundles of flowers and tied the stems together with pretty ribbon.

Now, they are off to deliver them to the neighbors.

Happy May Day!

'But I must gather knots of flowers,
And buds and garlands gay,
For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother,
I'm to be Queen o' the May.'
- Alfred Lord Tennyson

New Tablecloth

2012-04-30T07:54:00.001-05:00

Good morning! My sister-in-law and I went to a few Estate sales this past Friday and I found this beautiful crocheted tablecloth.

I used to have a white one that I loved, but it was too small for the new table we purchased 2 years ago. I've been on the look-out for a replacement ever since.

I made the centerpiece from a 3 tired tray I found at a local gift/candle shop, a few months ago.

I lined the layers with moss and added ceramic birds, nests, eggs, and tiny pots.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Cupcakes and Roses

2012-04-18T11:40:00.002-05:00

Good morning! Recently, a new cupcake shop opened near our house and yesterday we stopped by. Each day they have different flavors, which I thought was a neat idea. We got Chocolate Chip Cheesecake, Coconut Cream Pie, Hunka Chunka Banana Love, Key Lime, Raspberry Buckle, Scarlett's Red Velvet, And Wedding Cake.

I'm really picky when it comes to baked goods, so I was pleasantly surprised. I cut them all into quarters, so everyone could try a variety.

Now we are waiting for Friday...Chocolate Salted Caramel!

I also found these discount roses and the grocery store.

I'll enjoy them in the kitchen for a few days and then hang them upside down to dry for a little display in my craft room.

Thank you for stopping by!

Keeping things Cozy

2012-04-17T19:56:00.002-05:00

There is nothing like candle light to make home a little extra cozy...especially you are having a busy week. I'm still using up my Yankee Christmas cookie in the kitchen.

Another candle on the fireplace hearth.

Instead of candlelight, I keep my soft hutch light on in the dining room.

Hope your week is going well!

Easter Weekend

2012-04-10T09:21:00.003-05:00

Good morning! Can you spot the 3 sweet babies? My sister-in-law discovered a nest in our front bushes.

The kids and I drove down to Houston this past Thursday to visit my sister and her family for Easter. My parents and nephew flew in from Rhode Island and everyone had a wonderful time together. Phillip stayed home to be with Daisy and Leo and also to spend some extra time with his brother, who is visiting from California.

Now, everyone is back home and it's time to finish up the last 5 weeks of school. It's always hard when the spring weather is so nice! Hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend, too.