Tidy Brown Wren, bringing order to your nest

My Newest Milk Glass Container

2012-01-30T20:19:00.002-05:00

One of the rules I set for myself when I go thrifting is that I must find a use for each item I find. I don't allow myself to hoard things just because they are a good deal.

Last week I showed off my latest thrifting finds and promised to share what I decided to do with the milk glass pedestal dish.

I thought it would make a great holder for many of the small items I use next to my sewing machine.

The small scallops around the dish are the perfect size to hold small scissors, seam rippers, and threading helpers ( because I'm old and can't see the silly needle slit to thread it - ack!). The sweet heart fabric is a ballet bag I'm making for my Etsy shop. I hope to have it photographed and listed tomorrow along with a few other bags.

I'm enjoying collecting the milk glass containers to use as accessories on my studio work surface.

I'm still using my grandma's old red tomato pin cushion. My sewing machine was my other grandmother's machine and I've been sewing on it for almost 20 years. I love having a family heritage of women who created things.

Thrifted Finds To Cheer Up The Kitchen

2012-01-27T05:00:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to be shopping for a bedside table.

Ahem. . . a bedside table. . . not dishes.

See, if I went to a regular furniture store instead of a thrift store, I wouldn't have this problem. They don't sell dishes in furniture stores, but they also don't have very interesting bedside tables in furniture stores (at least not the ones I'm interested in).

Apparently I have a disease called "dish-itis". I think it's contagious because some of my friends have it too.

Some of the fun things I found are an amber pitcher (to replace one I broke before Christmas), a mortar and pestle (to grind spices), a yellow glass tray (I think I'll use it in the bathroom to hold bottles), a milk glass pedestal dish (wait until Monday to see what I did with this cutie), a Villeroy and Boch rectangular tray (I need this to serve Stromboli on), and a handmade creamy floral vase (it matches the one I use on my spring mantel).

Oh, I almost forgot - the brown and cream checkered table cloth was a treasured find too! Total spent for everything? $10.79 and that includes tax.

I still don't have a bedside table, but I'll save that hunt for another day. In the meantime, I'll just balance my books and coffee cup on the window sill.

What treasures have you found lately?

P.S. I did a little bit of research and found that the Villeroy &Boch sandwhich tray in the Mon jardin pattern costs $99.95 at Replacements. I paid $1.75!!!

2012-01-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

It's amazing how God works through His people to get a job done.

A few weeks ago at my Bible study, a friend mentioned that she and her husband were going to Honduras to help with an orphanage there. She was asking us to donate small stuffed animals or "lovies" to take with her to the orphaned children.

My thoughts immediately went to a pile of fabric that a dear family friend had given me. I hadn't been sure of what I would do with the fabrics. . . but now I knew.

White flannel on one side and children's cotton print on the other. But what else could I add?

Silky tags on the corners. Children love to rub silky things. The purple ribbon came from wedding gifts my daughter and son-in-law had gotten last year - thank you Bed, Bath, and Beyond for adding plain purple ribbon to your gift wrapped packages. I didn't even have to take your logo off of it.

I had been told by my friend that they were worried that the gifted items would possibly be taken from the children by the orphanage workers and sold. I started praying that God would protect these little lovies and make sure they stayed with the children they were intended for. Well, God took care of that too.

He woke me up at 2:30 one morning and gave me the idea - write blessings and prayers on the blankets so that they would be less likely to be taken by the workers.

At Bible study, we sat around the kitchen table and wrote "Gracias Jesus" (thank you, Jesus) and other prayers on the lovies. We also wrote phrases that warned not to take the blankets because Jesus was watching! I got help with the phrases from some friends at my church who are fluent in Spanish and have experience working with orphanages.

I was so excited to be a small part of this project. So many people used their talents and abilities to add their special touch to the project. God will use these lovies and all the other donations to love on some of His littlest ones.

Wrensday: What's Blooming In My Garden In January

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

It's been unseasonably warm here this winter. Only a few days (and nights) with frigid weather.

I'm loving having some blooms around the yard to cheer me up.

Yellow Violas in the window box on the deck railing.

Pyracantha espaliered in the courtyard.

Carolina Jessamine on the arbor gate in the courtyard.

Beautiful pink Camelia near the front porch. (I bought this bush for $3.00 two years ago at Lowe's during their fall clearance sale. I make it a point to shop there every fall to pick up shrubs and trees.)

Buds are starting to form on the Forsythia. I'll bring a few branches in next week to force. Then I'll have yellow blooms inside and out.

What's blooming in your garden?

How To Make Clay Tags

2012-01-24T07:39:00.001-05:00

I've been up to my eyeballs in clay lately.

Rolling and stamping. Poking and shaping. Baking and Sanding.

It's a bit of a process, but the the Fimo clay is very easy to work with and I've been having a great time trying out a new medium. I bought mine at Walmart in their craft section.

We've got a lot of new mommies at our church, so I thought I needed to make some tags for gifts. I also made some tags to use with my Etsy orders. Little birds are always my favorites.

To make the tags: Knead a hunk of clay to make it softer and easier to work with. Roll out the clay with a rolling pin. I rolled it out on freezer paper to make it easier to pick up. Use a rubber stamp and ink to stamp your image lightly into the clay. Punch a hole into the top of the tag (I used the top of an old mechanical pencil - the part that hides the eraser). Place the tag onto a cookie sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Bake according to package directions. After the tags are cooled, use fine sand paper or a nail file to sand any rough spots.

Fixing Up A Plastic Bakery Cover

2012-01-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

While thrifting one day last week, I came across an old bakery cover like you would have found covering cakes and other types of pastry goodies at a diner.

What I liked about the cover was it's size - nice and big. I have an old aluminum cover that was my grandma's but it is pretty small. Whenever I've made a 3 layer cake or an angel food cake, the cover would smoosh the cake and that's NEVER good.

What I didn't like about the cover was that it was plastic - not my favorite. It also had a few scratches and smudges from being used over the years. At $1.99, I decided to take my chances and see if I could fix it up.

Here is a photo of what it looked like before:

I used my Gel Gloss which is made for fiberglass, marble and acrylic finishes. I figured the plastic could be acrylic so I gave it a shot. . .

The Gel Gloss definitely gave it a shiny luster and buffed away some of the scratches and other marks. I got the Gel Gloss at Lowe's in the kitchen and bath section. I've had the bottle for many years and it is still good (it has a price tag on the can if that tells you anything about how long I've had it)

So now when I make angel food cake for Easter I don't have to worry about the top being smooshed down by my bakery cover.

I'm thinking about putting an etched "M" onto the side using a stencil and some etching paste. I've done it on glass before but not plastic. Do any of you have any experience etching onto plastic? Give me a shout if you do. Thanks!

How To Recycle Ribbon

2012-01-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

We received a beautiful fruit basket from Harry & David for a Christmas present. With the whole gang at the house for several days, the basket was emptied pretty quickly. All that was left was the basket (which I'm using on the kitchen island) and the grosgrain ribbon.

You know how I can't stand to throw perfectly good things away - especially ribbon! Well, I had to brainstorm an idea of what to do with the ribbon. I kept thinking "if only it didn't say Harry & David". And as I thought that, I started scraping at the writing with my fingernail. Hmmm. . . the writing started to come off a little bit.

See how the last part of the name is disappearing?

I got out a scrub brush and some "Sparkle Cleaner" and went to town. A few minutes later and the names were gone. There's only a faint shimmer of color every now and then. I washed it in the washing machine and it came out great.

I'm not sure where this ribbon will end up, but right now it is nestled in with my other purple ribbon, waiting for just the right project.

Wrensday: I'm Dreaming Of A Veggie Garden

2012-01-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

I've been browsing through my seed, plant, and bulb catalogs this past week and I'm so ready for spring. I can't wait for the tiny sprouts of green to start popping up through the brown dirt. It makes me giddy.

Speaking of giddy - get a load of these tomatoes. Couldn't you just drool? I want a tomato sandwich. Now!!!

What will you be planting in the spring?

Fun New Etsy Items

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

I've been working on several items for my Etsy shop and I finally got them photographed and entered into the shop.

This was a fun project. An upcycled evening bag got a punch of color from a floral skirt and several men's dress shirts (the rolled flowers).

This next one is just a preppy little wool purse with vintage buttons on the front and back.

This utility apron is unusual because it is a full size apron. Useful in the kitchen, classroom, or while running a craft show or yard sale. Lot's of potential. I love that it is practical but feminine too.

These next two aprons aren't in the shop because they were a custom order, but they certainly are adorable. I couldn't show them off before Christmas because they were being ordered for Christmas presents and I'm pretty sure the recipients read my blog (at least I hope they do).

My Word For 2012

2012-01-16T14:30:00.000-05:00

I've been contemplating what my word for 2012 would be. 2011 was quite an amazing year and I've been thinking that 2012 would just sort of be a shadow year. You know, one of those years where you just live - nothing big happens. You live in the shadow of what happened previously because it was so bright and shiny that everything else paled in comparison.

Well, as usual, God wouldn't let me live in a shadow. He reminded me that he healed me from kidney disease and paralysis for a reason -

for a PURPOSE.

Source: sarahjanestudios.com via Lorraine on Pinterest

(Sarah Jane Studios has some adorable artwork - sarahjanestudios.com)

Selfishly, I wanted a year to rest. A year of sabbatical. A year of just hanging out.

But do you know what happens to you when you rest for a whole year? You turn flabby. Your mind turns to mush. You stop going forward and start to drift backward.

That doesn't sound too good to me. How do I find my purpose?

Every morning when I wake up, I dive into God's word and ask him what He has for me to do. What is my purpose for the day? Who am I supposed to minister to?

Some days He puts a particular person or project on my mind. Other days, I just focus on looking for opportunities and He provides them. I don't need to create purpose - it's already there waiting for me. I just need to keep my eyes wide open and pay attention.

I can't wait to see what happens in 2012.

I'm ready to live my life on purpose.

I'm linking to:

January's Organizing Job - Your Home's Entrance

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

If you've been following this blog for awhile, you're familiar with Monday Motivation. Monday Motivation was a prompt to help you clean and organize your home - one room/area at a time. By the end of the year, we had gone through the entire house (including the car) and purged, sorted, and organized. I've decided to include these posts, once a month, for those who want to continue through their home again. I'll be doing this in my home too. I've already started on my foyer closet!

The first Monday Motivation post of 2011:

This is this first post of 2011 that deals with decluttering and organizing our homes. Since we're moving in an organized fashion, we'll start with the front door.

When people enter your home through your front door, what do they see first? Piles? Shoes? Stacks of Papers? Maybe you don't even have a real entrance, like a foyer, in your home. If you don't, can you improvise by placing a short bookcase or sofa table perpendicular to the door to make a mock entrance?

(Here is a photo I found of a bookshelf that one family built in but you could also use a freestanding one as well)

Perhaps your family enters your home through the garage or back door. That area needs to function as well.

First impressions are important for guests, but think about you and your family too. Does your family come home to a mess every day? Do they have a place to put their belongings when they come home to roost? That's what we'll work on today.

Here are steps to help you work on this:
1. Stand at your front door and take a good hard look at the entrance to your home. Ask yourself these questions. . .
a. Does my front door look welcoming?
b. Is this area too crowded to function properly?
c. What seems to cause the biggest mess in this area?

2. Decide what activities need to be represented in this area. Coat storage? Shoe storage? Key storage?

3. Check to see if you have a place for every activity. Do you have a closet or hooks for coats? A bench for shoes? A hook or bowl for keys?

4. Remove any items that aren't needed in the area and store somewhere else in your home (or even better, get rid of it).

5. Look for things that will help this area function better. Perhaps you have a small bench in your kitchen that can function as a place to sit and remove shoes. Maybe a small table in your bedroom can be used to hold keys and the dog leash. Window shoping might be needed to pick out a set of hooks to hold coats or a new door mat. (tip: hold off buying anything until you have weeded out and decluttered the area)

Today we're only looking at the function and "hardscape" of the entrance. The rest of the Monday Motivations in January will be devoted to weeding out belongings and making the area function properly.

Now. . . go forth. . . and organize!

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This week's Monday Motivation is a continuation from last week. Have you already done the first step in organizing your entry way?

With step one out of the way we'll start step two - cleaning out the coat closet. Because I've already blogged about this step before, I just copied it to this post (no reason to reinvent the wheel). I've updated the links so everything should work.

I like the look of this functional coat closet from REAL SIMPLE. I think most of us struggle with keeping the coat closet tidy because during the cooler months that closet is in constant use. I think this week is a good time to purge the clutter and organize the useful.

1. Start with the top shelf. Take everything out and sort like items with like (hats with hats, gloves with gloves, etc.)

2. Go through each pile and remove items that are worn out, don't fit, or you don't like any more. Put any items that are still useful into a bag for the thrift store or homeless shelter.

3. Gather containers that you can use as a drawer/bin for each of the groups of items you have. I have one for gloves, one for hats and scarves, and one for tote bags.

4. Now, do steps 1 and 2 with the clothes that are hanging on the rod.

5. Place clothing back onto the rod according the person they belong to. For example, start with your smallest person. Hang up all of their coats on the left side of the bar. Then, go to the next tallest person. Hang up all of their coats to the right of the previous person's coats. Continue on to the tallest persons's coats. This will give you extra floor space to the left of your closet.

6. Next, gather everything from the floor of the closet and go through steps 1, 2, and 3. This would be a good time to vaccuum the floor and baseboards. Also, check for any mold that may have grown in the dark depths of the closet when you weren't looking (Ewwwww). Wipe it down with a bleach cleaner and let it dry thoroughly.

7. If you need to store shoes in the closet, place an extra door mat or a shoe tray on the floor to catch any dirt or rain/snow drips from the shoes.

8. If you're in the mood to make some improvements to the closet, you can add some hooks to the door or use an over-the-door hanger to hold an organizer. There are many to choose from. Here is one I like and here's another good idea.

I like the double rods in the picture above. It would work well if you only had shorter coats. Long coats would hand down over the bottom rod. I also like the rolling bin. It would be good for back packs and re-usable grocery bags. If you only have one pole, you can add one of these hanging shelves to give you a bit more storage space. I have a few of these I have purchased from Walmart and I love them.

When my children were little I used a series of tote bags for keeping everything organized and ready to go out the door. I had a different color bag for every activity we had (library, church, PTA, work, beach). When I came across something, like a library book needing to be returned, I simply placed it in the correct bag and it was ready to go.

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If you've been following the Monday Motivations in January you'll probably be looking at a nicely organized closet in your home right now.

There are a few items that I'd like to purchase for my closets as my budget allows. I thought I'd share them with you. If you have some items that work for you, please share them in the comment section.

1. My first wish list item is the new skinny hangers, sometimes called Velvet Hangers. I found some at Ross for 50 cents a piece (they came in a package of 12). If your closet is crowded, these hangers will give you a little bit of extra room on your rod. You can also get them on Amazon.com.

2. Another item I like is the square utility totes from thirty-one. I got to play around with one last Fall and found that they were so much lighter than the heavy wooden ones I'm using now.

3. Lastly, I'd like to get a few of these cute hooks to put on the inside of the closet door. I just can't resist them!

So, how's your foyer and coat closet coming along? If you're really proud of it, send me some pics and I'll post them.

So if you're game, join me in going through the house again, getting everything ship-shape. Just look for the Monday Motivation post on the first Monday of each month. Don't forget to leave any comments or suggestions in the comment section (or email me) so we can all learn from each other.

Ten Things I Got Rid Of This Week

2012-01-06T06:20:00.002-05:00

Ten things I got rid of this week:

1. 3 pairs of shoes that hurt my feet. Remember, life is too short to wear shoes that hurt your feet. One pair got thrown out and 2 (almost new) pair were donated.

2. 1 worn out make-up brush. In the trash can.

3. 14 books I'm never going to read again. Donated.

4. Christmas wrapping supplies from my wrapping bin that were too wrinkled or smooshed to use. Trash.

5. Several pens that were out of ink.

6. 3 worn out towels. Put in the garage to use as car washing towels.

7. 6 coffee mugs. We got 6 new mugs as Christmas gifts, so 6 old ones go out. Donated.

8. 1 warm blanket that we didn't need anymore. Donated to homeless shelter.

9. 1 half dead plant. I have fought to keep this plant alive, but I'm over it. The return on investment was just not there. Compost pile.

10. 1 pot holder with holes. Trash.

So here's a challenge for the weekend - can you find 10 things to get rid of?

2012-01-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

Wrensday has always been my favorite day here on the blog. I enjoy taking photos around "The Wren" as we call our home. I decided to make a "wrensday" button and it will be featured every Wednesday (Wrensday) to announce the photo(s) of the day.

I love that this little Black Eyed Susan was still blooming on New Year's Day. It's starting 2012 off on the right foot (eh, I mean root). Bloom little girl, bloom!

A Few Ideas To Inspire You In 2012

2012-01-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

I think most of us look at the beginning of a new year as an opportunity to do better.

Do a better job at taking care of our bodies, our jobs, and our homes.

Work on our relationships with our Lord, our spouses, our family, and our friends.

Learn new skills, new words, and new knowledge.

After the Christmas decorations were packed up I spent a bit of time on the computer looking for ideas for the new year. What new things would inspire me? I bookmarked a bunch of sites and thought I would share them with you. Let me know which ones you like the best.

Spiritual:

I'm not the kind of person who usually says the "C" word - but I love this quote and this is how I want to live.

Source: designsbycp.com via Kelly on Pinterest

I would love to get a new Bible, but I'm so comfortable with my old one and I love reading the notes and dates I've added over the years. See the notes in the margins? (PS. . . this is not my Bible - I got the pic from Pinterest). I love the quote from C. Spurgeon that goes with the picture:

“A bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” -Charles Spurgeon

Source: lesapea.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Homemaking:

Ok, this is really silly - and probably a bit OCD - but it makes a difference. This site shows you how to fold a plastic grocery bag into a little triangle to save space. I take my own bags when I shop so I don't get too many of these, but I like to keep some handy in my kitchen and in my preschool classroom. I'm serious - it will change your life. It's folded the same way we used to fold notebook paper into a football shape and flick it over our finger goal posts when we were kids. Anybody ever do that? Anybody? I guess I'm dating myself.

I'm getting ready to use this idea in my kitchen and bathrooms. A simple and inexpensive tension rod can hold several spray bottles and make more room under the sink.

Money Saving Mom has created this free form to customize and print out for your daily to-do list. I like how she has a way to monitor her water consumption (see the little glasses midway down in the middle row?) Click on the link to see how she uses her daily list in her homemaking binder. This is the most manageable and practical list I have ever seen.

Healthy Living:

A new blog I'm reading "Our Simple Farm" has given me inspiration to grow more of our own food to eat. We're already raising chickens for eggs, growing a lot of veggies, and trying our hand at growing some fruit and dabbling in bee keeping. There is so much to learn!

The Healthy Home Economist has some great posts, including this one, about eating healthier.

The Nourishing Gourmet has a recipe for making homemade sauerkraut that I'll be trying soon. You can read all about the importance of eating fermented foods.

Relationships:

Source: pinterest.com via Dani on Pinterest

Thanks Pinterest for all of your help and inspiration. You rock!

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2011 In Review

2011-12-31T22:11:00.001-05:00

On this last day of 2011 I thought is would be fun to look back and review the year as it was documented on the blog.

It was an unusual year for me. Lots of changes and improvements to my body, my life, my home, my family, and my business.

January:

I started out the year teaching a few workshops. I had a great time meeting so many new friends and sharing what I'm passionate about - organizing. Click on the tab "Presentations" above to see a list of all of the topics I speak on.

Several packages were sent out from my Etsy shop. I like to make each package special and I try to use upcycled paper and ribbon when available.

February:

In the beginning of February, I had the first of two surgeries for 2011. My recovery was slower than I wanted it to be but I've never been known to do well sitting still.

I made a lot of muffins for the family and to freeze for later.

We had good success with our winter garden, growing winter crops under row covers.

We enjoyed a great visit with our oldest daughter and our two grandsons, visiting from Boston. We had no idea that in a few short months their prayers would be answered with a job transfer down to Virginia with Chick-fil-a.

March:

We added onto our organic veggie/fruit garden by doing some lasagna gardening.

We got our order of peeps. Five golden sex links. Good egg layers.

Surprisingly, one of my more popular posts of the year was about how I make my brick floor shiny.

I get a lot of requests from readers, asking how to organize the kitchen. While photographing my pantry, I decided to write my favorite Bible verse on the chalkboard paint I put on the inside of the door.

I found some cute birds that I hung over my fireplace. This photo cracks me up. It's just how I feel some days!

April:

On April 11th my life changed forever. I had been prepping for a kidney transplant, hoping to receive a kidney before I needed to go on dialysis. My friend, Cathy, volunteered to be tested and she was a match. Our family is so blessed by the gift that Cathy (and her family) gave us. There aren't even words to describe how thankful we are. **Cathy raised over $2000.00 for the National Kidney Foundation on the day before she gave me one of her kidneys by participating in the Kidney Walk - yup, she's amazing.

Here we are the day after the transplant. She came down from her room to visit me -they wouldn't let us room together like we had wanted to - you know, slumber party style. My daughter, Ashley, did a great job blogging about it all.

May:

With a new kidney energizing me, I was ready to get back to work. Due to some nerve damage during my transplant, my right leg was temporarily paralyzed so I had to get around with a cane and a bit of help. That didn't slow me down though. I sat in a chair in the middle of the garden and ordered people around. LOL

Because the transplant interrupted our garden expansion, we decided it was a good time to experiment with a new technique (well, new to us). We planted our tomato plants directly into bags of potting soil. It ended up being the best tomato harvest we've ever had.

Our kids threw us an anniversary party to celebrate our 30th anniversary. It was a wonderful evening with family and friends.

June:

Not much happened in June except that I went to the doctor and physical therapist regularly, watered and weeded the garden, and worked on products for the Etsy shop.

July:

I made patriotic buntings from for the house to celebrate the 4th of July.

I was able to buy a Weed Dragon for Hubs, using my Swagbucks (see my link on the sidebar). He's had way too much fun burning up weeds.

I made lots of recipes with our abundance of tomatoes and basil.

Our youngest son joined the United States Marine Corps. Semper Fi

Thanks to a great physical therapist and my sheer will to beat the paralysis, I was finally able to ride my bike.

August:

With our grandsons living in Virginia (finally), we get to spend lots of time playing outside with them. Our oldest grandson happens to be a fantastic tree climber. J and I wrote a story about his tree climbing adventures, using the photos I took on this particular day.

Still continued picking tomatoes and canning them.

Hubs and I celebrated my graduation from physical therapy by going on a camping trip.

And. . . we picked and canned tomatoes. . .

Pinterest loves the picture of my milk glass desk accessories.

September:

And. . . more tomatoes and canning. . .

Some beekeeping. . .

Some chicken wrangling. . .

More bee keeping.

And. . . green tomato relish canning.

With just enough time left over for adventuring.

October:

I was able to sneak a photo of our family's favorite cake before it was completely devoured.

I always enjoy decorating for fall.

November:

Marine Corps graduation at Parris Island, SC was amazing. I'm so proud of all of our young marines.

Back home, we visited Full Quiver Farm with the grandkids and learned all about pastured livestock.

After a trip to my local Re-store, I made a lamp using Oma's old wooden thread spools.

December:

December was pretty quiet - by choice. I was determined to slow down and enjoy the season by simplifying everything. It was my best Christmas ever.

Taking time to play, and snuggle, and read.

We took advantage of the mild weather after Christmas to neaten up the yard and tuck some free pine straw (thank you pine trees in the yard) around all of our plantings.

Well, that's 2011 in snapshots and snippets. It's a year I'll never forget. I'm not the same person I was when the year started. I have a different perspective on life and I'm determined to continue growing and improving as the Lord leads me.

Thanks to all of you who prayed for our family during this past year. God worked in amazing ways - ways I never could have dreamed of.

Happy 2012 to all of you. I can't wait to see what God will do next.

2011 Holiday Home Tour

2011-12-24T21:19:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Brown Wren Acres! I hope you don't mind that I've brought you through the back door. I just love how the Christmas lights look through the window.

I've kept things very simple this year and I think I really like it. I've always thought that more decorations meant cozy, but I've come to realize that less decorations can be be cozy too - and surprisingly calming.

A simple swag of greenery and a metal star on a piece of barbed-wire adorn the fireplace mantel. We use our fireplace a lot so I have to keep things as fireproof as possible.
I've borrowed the picture below from a previous home tour post because the stockings are exactly the same as the previous years.

Here's a view from the dining area, through the keeping room, into the kitchen. I'm still loving the surprise pop of bright green on my island stool. I hope I never grow tired of it.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law live in Alaska and gave us this fun pillow a few years ago. It is the softest pillow you'd ever snuggle up with.

A mitten cookie jar and snowman mug make a fun display on the island. Both of these items were "white elephant" gifts from previous Christmas parties. I like to keep everything on a tray so I can move it when necessary.

I keep some of my favorite mini decorations on my kitchen window sill. The little wheelbarrow ornament is from Hubs. My daughter gave me the small glass greenhouse (also an ornament) and I enjoy using it year round. I placed a glass coaster, upside down, onto a milkglass vase and then placed the greenhouse on top of that. I topped a bit of moss with one of my baby button nests. I clip a little baby button nest onto every Etsy package I sell. I have a great time making them.

I refurbished these faux pinecones this year and added new ribbon. They hang on the knob of my china cabinet.

A perfectly simple tray of lanterns and greenery sits smack dab in the middle of my dining room table. It's easy to move when we're ready to sit down for dinner and large enough to make a statement when the table is not in use.

Our tree is an artificial, pre-lit slim tree. We had a hard time finding a tree that would fit in our awkward room. My dining room sideboard boasts two lamps, a hurricane on a pedestal, a picture of my favorite Marine (son Ryan), and Lenox ornament.

A slim table in the hallway holds a small tree and a family nativity set. I put a small piece of fabric under the display to show it off a little bit better.

My newest Christmas purchase is a tree shaped card holder. It holds a lot of cards. I found it in a little shop in Richmond, VA that I'll be talking more about in the future.

Even my famous cobalt blue bathtub gets a bit of Christmas cheer.

I put a touch of greenery, a glitter shell, and a white sea star into a fishing basket next to the bathroom sink to welcome guests.

The table in the corner of the bathroom holds a small tree that I call "The grandmother tree". It is decorated with items that once belonged to each of the grandmothers in our lives. Small blue vintage balls from my grandma. Small birds from Bible story time that Grandmother developed. Lace and trim from Hub's grandmothers. When my kids were babies, Sears had a special photo package that included little photo lockets. They were perfect grandmother gifts, which were returned to me as each grandma passed on. The rock at the base of the tree is heart shaped and I picked it up on the first outing with my first grandchild. (I think I might cry now)

In the foyer, I kept things subdued. The word rejoice and a beautiful display of Mary, Joseph, and the Christ child.

This nativity set sits on my coffee table. Frequently, all of the animals are found nestled in the stable with Baby Jesus. My grandson explains that the animals are keeping the baby warm.

The master bedroom sports some cheerful red touches and my favorite pillow made by one of my daughters.

Up on the third floor, the guest room remodel is on hold because of a very special project. . .

As you can see in the background, the bed linens are ready for the newly painted bed. Some things are just more important than decorating. . .

Merry Christmas to all of my readers. You guys are the best cheering squad ever. May this season of joy and hope fill your hearts with a renewed faith in Christ our Saviour.

Monday Motivation: Storage Solutions For Your Dining Room

2011-12-21T08:43:00.000-05:00

If you love linens and dishes as much as I do, then you know the challange of storing all of your treasures without being overwhelmed by them.

I found some creative ideas for dining room storage that should help you get started.

Here's an idea from Martha herself. Perfect for a narrow hallway. If you don't have room for folding and storing linens, then hanging them is the next best thing. I hang my ironed linens on hangers and store them in an extra closet. That way they are ready to use at a moments notice.

Source: themarthablog.com via Jen on Pinterest

I've always dreamed of having a cabinet with dowels to hold my tablecloths and runners. Hmmm. . . maybe one day.

Source: southernhospitality-rhoda.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Here's another option.

Source: bhg.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

I like the idea of a small buffet near the dining table to work as a storage solution as well as a place to serve food. Drawers are my preferred choice over cabinets because they store more than cabinets and shelves.

Source: thelennoxx.com via Barbara on Pinterest

Tall china cabinets are a beautiful storage solution when you need to optimize a small space. I love how the back of the cabinet is stenciled.

Source: unskinnyboppy.blogspot.com via Beth on Pinterest

Looking for other storage solutions? How about using a storage ottoman at the dining table? I like the open shelves too. This would be a perfect option if you needed to use the room as a home office/dining room combo.

Source: younghouselove.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

If you've got something to hide - as in hidden storage - then a covered table is a great idea. I've done this very thing with filing cabinets. It worked great.

Source: brynalexandra.blogspot.com via Kelley on Pinterest

Speaking of an office/dining combo, here's a table that includes enough storage for dining and working. A quick cover - up with a tablecloth and formal dining can commence.

Source: sfgirlbybay.com via Suchandra on Pinterest

So there you have it. What creative storage ideas are you using?

Peeking Through The Window

2011-12-15T07:51:00.000-05:00

The other night, as I was walking across the back deck, I glanced into the back of the house and thought "how cozy".

I simplified the Christmas decor this year, so I was a little worried that I wasn't "Christmasy" enough.

Instead of using a lot of little items, I simply used larger decorations and fewer of them.

I think lights make the biggest impact. They contrast with the darkness of the winter evening.

The front of the house got a photo at night, too.

The Christmas tree on the front porch is covered with rustic ornaments that will hold up well outside.

Thanks for peeking through the window with me.

Monday Motivation: How To Clean out Your Dining Room

2011-12-12T05:28:00.001-05:00

I've never really met a dish I didn't like.

Bowls, plates, pitchers, platters. I love them all.

The problem with loving dishes is that you have to have a place to store them.

This week the Monday Motivation will be to clean out your dining room in preparation for the holiday festivities.

Where to start?

1. First, go through any piles or "stashes" you have in the room. Dining rooms tend to be a dumping ground for items you don't know what to do with simply because it is a room that is not used frequently. If you've decluttered with me before, you know the routine. . .

a. set out a black garbage bag for trash

b. set out a box or bin for sorting your items (keep, donate or sell, return to another place in the house, return to another person, needs repair etc.) Your categories can be whatever works for you.

c. as you go through your items, sort each item into the proper category ( trash, donate, repair, as well as platters, linens, serving utensils, as well as any other categories for items that need to be kept in the room)

Look carefully at each item and decide if it is really worth the space it is taking up in your home. If it's something you never use, find a new home for it - a relative, friend, or stranger might just love to have your cut glass pitcher with hummingbirds engraved on it.

2. After every item has been sorted, decide where your items will live in your newly organized dining room. Keep like items together so they are easy to find.

3. Throw the garbage bag into the dumpster, place the donate bag into your car to drop off tomorrow, and place the items to be repaired in your work area to be repaired.

P.S. Thanks to all of you who have emailed with concern for my lack of posting. I had a bit of a medical issue, but my wonderful doctors at VCU have fixed me back up - the new kidney is still working great. I've also started an additional job at my church which has taken up some more of my time. I won't be posting as often as I'd like to, but I will still be checking in a few times a week.

Upkeep Of Christmas Ornaments

2011-12-02T07:14:00.000-05:00

This was the first year, in many years, that Hubs and I decorated our tree by ourselves. Our daughters are married and have homes and families of their own. Our son is away at Marine training (but will hopefully be home for a few days near Christmas).

Without the kids around to fight over ornaments or step on each other's toes, the house was strangely quiet, except for the Christmas music playing in the background.

What I noticed when opening our box of ornaments was that several of them needed a bit of TLC. Over the years, I haven't really done much with the ornaments except unwrap, hang, unhang, re- wrap, and re-pack.

I decided that this year would be the time to repair and refurbish some of those little cuties. I put together a little kit to help with the process.

I used my Sparkle Cleaner, a jewelry polishing cloth, super glue, small sharp scissors, and a small paint brush. I also ended up using some clear finger-nail polish which I didn't show in the picture.

The sparkle cleaner and a soft cloth worked well for cleaning glass ornaments. The jewelry polishing cloth polished metal ornaments until they shone. Super glue reattached loose ribbon and trims, re- secured wobbly eye-hooks and wire hangers, and reunited broken pieces of ornaments. The scissors worked well for trimming loose threads and frayed ribbon.

I used the small paint brush to touch up some ornaments, using acrylic craft paints. The clear fingernail polish worked well as a top coat after the paint dried (leaves a shiny finish).

I'm happy to have that little chore finished - it wasn't planned but I feel better that our family ornaments are looking good.

Monday Motivation: Organizing The Dining Room

2011-11-28T05:15:00.001-05:00

How did your dining room function for you for the Thanksgiving holiday?

Does it need to be organized before Christmas?

For the month of December we'll check out how to organize and spruce up the dining room.

This week we'll do some brain storming about the purpose of the room

Next week we'll get our hands dirty with purging and rearranging.

The following week we'll look at storage solutions.

Our last week will cover decorating and inspirational ideas.

Source: architecturaldigest.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

So, let's do some brainstorming by asking some questions. . .

1. Is this room used daily or occasionally?

2. How many people use the room?

3. What activities take place in this room? (eating, homework, crafts, home office?)

4. What items need to be stored in this room? (dishes, linens, school/office supplies?)

5. How well does the lighting function? Does extra lighting need to be added?

6. Does the room need to be painted?

7. How well does the flooring function? Does it need to be cleaned or repaired?

8. How about the window treatments? Do they need to be changed out to allow more light in or do you need to add a light blocking option to make the room more comfortable?

9. How does the room flow? Would the room function better if some of the furniture was removed or rearranged?

So, get in your dining room and check it out with a discerning eye. Pretend like you're walking into someone else's home. How do you feel in the room? A little too cozy? A little too cold and sterile? Next week we'll roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Blessed All Year Long

2011-11-24T06:22:00.001-05:00

Wishing you and your family a very blessed and thankful Thanksgiving.

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow.

Praise Him All Creatures Here Below.

Praise Him Above Ye Heavenly Host.

Praise Father, Son, And Holy Ghost.

Amen.

Function Trumps Form In The Pantry

2011-11-22T05:55:00.001-05:00

When does aesthetics give up it's rights and give in to practicality?

That is a question I have had to mull over in my little brain lately.

You see, I just couldn't leave my canning jars be canning jars. I had to "cutify" my home canned relish, salsa, and tomatoes by adding tags and burlap toppers.

It was fun while it lasted, but something had to go. I had neglected to remember that burlap sheds. Badly.

After several weeks of opening my pantry to find burlap dust on the shelves, I knew it was time to take action.

I removed the burlap covers and left the hairbands and labels attached.

Function over form. I knew better - I really did - I just wanted to try something different.

The new hair bands and labels by themselves are working great. Now my shelves are clean and tidy again.

All better, now.

Monday Motivation: Organizing Your Laundry Chores

2011-11-21T05:52:00.001-05:00

I'm so glad I don't have to use this old washing machine for what it was originally made for. I much prefer to plant flowers in it and set it on my back porch.

It's one of those chores that you either love or hate - doing the laundry. Dirty laundry can quickly take over your home and cause you great consternation every morning when you try to get your family dressed for the day.

Every family will have different laundry needs and it's important to develop a schedule and routine that works for you instead of following what someone else does. For some families it works better to finish all of the laundry in 1 or 2 days. For others, it works better to run a load every day or every other day. As your family grows, shrinks, and changes, you'll find that you will need to reevaluate your routine and adapt as necessary.

Right now, as empty nesters, we (and when I say we - I mean me) wash 3 loads a week. I don't use chlorine bleach, so I like to soak my lights/whites with detergent and an oxygen bleach overnight and then run the load in the morning. I also do a load of darks and one of linens later in the week.

When my kids were little, I ran a load of clothes every day. I found that if I did too many loads in one day, I became overwhelmed with the folding and putting away later in the day.

You've heard of the adage "Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS)"? Well, that's particularly true of laundry. Whatever you can do to keep the process simple will keep you from getting frustrated. Here are some ideas that might help:

1. Keep laundry baskets near where clothes are removed. Also, rethink whether you want to have a cover on the basket - that's one more barrier between you and putting the clothing where it belongs.

2. Treat stains as soon as you know about them. This will save you from accidentally washing and drying the untreated stains and thus setting them, ruining the clothing.

3. Keep extra laundry supplies on hand so you never run out. Stock up on detergent and other items when they are on sale, or make your own in large batches.

4. Have a place handy for mending and dry cleaning to be kept until you can process it. Otherwise, it will get forgotten about or accidentally tossed into the wash with the other laundry.

5. Keep a small basket for unmatched socks, found money, and other items you come across on laundry days. Once a month, clean out the basket. Use the extra socks for dusting rags and toss the money into your change purse. Any other items can be put away or thrown out.

6. Reconsider how often you wear your clothing. Years ago, people wore the same clothes all week - that's why every woman had an apron to wear over her dress to keep it as clean as possible. Nowadays, we change clothes several times a day - hmmm. . . makes me wonder!

7. Think about how many clothes you actually own. Many of us own so many clothes that we don't have storage space for them. That's why they are piled on top of dressers and stacked in the bottom of closets. If you dread putting clothes away, or you don't even bother to put them away anymore - could it be that you simply have too many clothes? If so, go through your closets and dressers and purge them of unnecessary items.

8. Make sure your laundry area has everything you need to do the laundry quickly and without unnecessary effort:

a. proper lighting

b. storage for supplies

c. a place for folding laundry

d. a wastebasket

e. a line or rack to dry laundry

f. basket for unmatched socks and found money

g. a place to hang your ironing board, iron, and hangers

h. a rug or padded mat to stand on for comfort

If you're finding that you dread going into your laundry area because it's just too dreadfully drab, then now is the time to brighten it up. Here are some ideas from Pinterest to get you started:

A patterened ironing board cover makes the board look like a piece of art.

Practical storage and an adorable rug make this laundry room bright and cheery as well as functional.

source - iheartorganizing.blogspot.com

Why not hang a chandy in the laundry room - after all, you are the queen of the house.

Well, I hope you've been inspired to change up your laundry routine to make it work better for you and your family. Be sure to share your ideas in the comment section or shoot me an email. I'd love to see some pics as well, if you're willing to share.

If you're wondering if line drying your clothes is beneficial, then check out this website that touts the positives of drying your clothes that way. For a little chuckle, scroll down the page to see the picture about "global warming". Cute!

Guestroom Bed Begins It's Makeover

2011-11-16T05:04:00.000-05:00

My first step in making over the guestroom on my third floor was to paint the bed I want to use in there.

I bought the bed at a junk sale over 20 years ago for $20.00 (my birthday money).

See the bed frame leaning up against the back wall?

I decided to paint it black to showcase the linens I plan on using.

This shows the before (on the left) and the after in my official spraypainting area (a tarp thrown over my portable composter). I used Krylon black spray paint in a satin finish.

In this photo, the paint is still shiny wet, but it dries to a nice satiny finish. I can't wait to see how great it looks in the new room.