TreasuresInTerraCotta

The Nesting Place:  It Doesn't Have to be Perfect to be Beautiful by Myquillyn Smith Myquillyn Smith of  Nesting Place has been blogging for over six years and her first book just hit the shelves of our library.  She has been featured in several magazines, many other blogs and is wildly popular.  I have to admit, however, that I have never really followed her.  I just don't love her style.  Perhaps, because of that, I felt like she had nothing to contribute to my life or home.  In fact, I almost didn't read this book. But I must recommend: Read this book.  It is way more than a Do-It-Yourself guide to decorating and thrifting and painting.  It is not Design 101.  Rather, she gently and graciously reminds us to focus on gratitude and joy and love.  She gives permission to live in and love the place we're in right now.  She hit the nail on the head...

I had a couple hours to myself on Friday and on Saturday so I set to work "setting" the table for Easter lunch.  I shamelessly stole decorating tips and printables from Emily over at Jones Design Company and created two adorable tables. On Friday I set out with a list in hand and purchased a few new items, like extra napkins and a dozen long stemmed water glasses and two new salad plates, but most of the stuff I had on hand.  I ironed the napkins and assembled the printables into tents. On Saturday evening I pulled out the table cloths, plates, glasses, and silverware.  Not to mention a few candy decorations, some ribbon and fresh flowers.  I only had to re-examine Emily's blog two or three times! Here is the more elegant looking table in blue and white. Here is the fresh and fun table in teal, light blue and light green with mismatched salad plates and a twin sheet acting as a tablecloth. The tables were right next to each other, but they are...

As amazing as it may sound, I have never owned an apron.  In fact, I can't even recall ever wearing an apron...except perhaps in chemistry lab.  Admitting this, I realize, is somewhat embarrassing and geeky, but totally true.  Recently I was at a friend's house and she donned an apron to make lunch.  Just whisked it out and tied it on as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and all for making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  I was intrigued!  I had to ask about her apron, apron wearing and etiquette, necessity and purpose. We had a nice (and surprisingly long) conversation.  Is it to keep food off your clothing or to keep your "day" off the food.  Do people make aprons or buy them?  Do you need more than one?  How often do you wash them?  What do you put in the pockets?  How come some aprons go around your neck and others just go around your waist?  You mean people wear aprons for "housekeeping" too? ...

I have been surprisingly unsuccessful at growing a garden. Perhaps it's the soil or my plant selections. Maybe it's the 100+ degree days that start around May and don't end until September. Perhaps it is my frustration over the fact that the ants and birds eat more tomatoes than we do most years. Or, more likely, maybe it's just that I get bored. Never-the-less, around this time of year I have a desire to plant something. In an effort to increase my success I chose two magazine articles describing everything from soil amendment to plant selection. (As you might know, I get blinded and incapacitated when I have too many options, so a single plan with detailed instructions works for me.) I used Better Homes and Gardens April 2009 article "Grow what you really eat." This article highlighted a garden in a 4'x8' raised bed and included three options, an Italian Garden, a Salsa Garden or a Salad Garden. I also used Sunset, March 2008 article "You...

Well, we're almost back to normal. The boys are still under the weather and I still have a lingering cough, but mostly we are on the mend. With today being a Monday, Tyler back at work and me finally feeling mostly good I was on a mission to have a Normal Day. Andrew awoke before 6:00 and even after he fell back to sleep, to my chagrin, I was awake. But I started my day on the right foot and did a chapter of Bible reading plus the first day of my new Bible study workbook. I hung some art work. It doesn't look that impressive, but as I've mentioned before I am overwhelmed with creative decisions, so to actually have those few things hung up and moderately centered is a small miracle. I rearranged the living room. The new couch had been sitting where it landed when the neighbor girls helped me bring it in over a month ago. We have such a nice large space now that I don't want to block it all off, but I don't want it to feel like we can't live in that area. ...

Oh the joy of being HOME! Last night was our first night back in our house. It's been a busy week trying to get our things from storage and trying to carry all the stuff we had been living with back to our house. Maybe I will start to feel settled this coming week. But with two boys nothing happens fast around here...except bike riding and skateboarding (the 4 year old) and trash emptying and dog food eating (the 1 year old). My kitchen is still a mess! But we took care of the important things....Like decorating our new Christmas tree in time for St. Nicholas Day (today, December 6th)! It really is beautiful. I will get some better pictures soon.

Our house is coming along nicely. It looks like a real house again. As if we could almost live there! But there are a million details to finish up in the next few weeks. Thankfully I am not responsible for most of them. Here are a few pictures to give you an update. I told the neighbor that the port-o-potty would be removed from the front of our house VERY SOON!! From the living room into the newly opened kitchen. Living room looking into new bedroom toward the front of the house. The new bedroom. That's a closet on the right and there is also a bathroom on the right. I can't wait for it to be finished...and then we'll have an open house! We are so excited.

We went away on vacation and when we came back we had new walls....sorta. Demolition is very strange. Yes, that part of the roof is hanging there cantilevered. You can see the saltio tile from the original footprint. Oh, It's looking like a house again.

I was a little misleading in my last post. I did ponder what to put in our foundations and I did miss the first visit of our cement truck. The following day, however, the cement truck returned to pour the porch. I didn't want to let the opportunity totally slip by so I finally gave up my vision of a "perfect" idea, with the perfect wording, printed on elegant paper and gracefully written in calligraphy. I chose two verses. I hand wrote them on lined notebook paper with a ball point pen. I rolled them into a "scroll" and secured them with Scotch tape. I placed one under each threshhold of two of our three doors. And I'm happy with that. Ephesians 5: 1-2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and wi...

Not truly a "before" picture, but this was very early in the demolition phase. Ready for concrete. The very cool cement pump truck! Little boy hand prints! I love them! For many days I had pondered placing something in the cement footings. But the concrete truck arrived before I arrived at the perfect idea. What about you? What would you place in the literal foundation of your house if you had the chance?

I continue to make progress on my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. I'll try to provide some more updates in the future. But for now, here is my list of 30 meals we eat regularly (and like). I had the extra inspiration of a Menu Planning challenge from The Happy Housewife . 1. Spaghetti, salad, bread 2. Taco meat (hard tacos, soft tacos, taco salad or burritos), beans or rice or calabacitas 3. Polska Kibalsa, eggnoodles 4. Sloppy Joes, oven potatoes, corn 5. Grilled burgers, beans, veggie 6. Chili Mac, salad, bread 7. Beef stroganoff, noodles, salad 8. Chili, salad, cornbread 9. Skillet Lasagna, salad, bread 10. Onion Soup Roundsteak, rice, broccoli 11. Chicken Enchiladas , refried beans, tortilla chips 12. Virginia Corned Beef with potatoes, cabbage and carrots, bread 13. Stuffed bell peppers, salad 14. Sausage/ Bratwurst, potatoes 15. Pot Roast with Veggies 16. Pork and Green Chili Casserole 17. Tomato Pork Chops with Rice, salad, 18. Bacon Bow-Tie Fiesta , salad, bread 19. ...