Creative Storage

I was looking at creative storage ideas and stumbled across this photo....I want one! :)

Here are snaps of what I finally chose for the wall that started the whole calendar art prints project.  The larger picture is from my calendar.  The frame originally held a print that was a painting of doors in a French village.  I liked the print, but it just seemed lifeless to me.  The two pictures on either side were purchased yesterday at Kirklands for $16 (for the pair).  I thought about using some of my other calendar prints, but as my daughter said, there were too many women on the wall. ;)  The bookcase by the window is all cookbooks.  I know that's an odd place for cookbooks, but we have a teeny house, and I LOVE my cookbooks :)

Decorating on the Cheap with Framed Calendar Prints

I love beautiful calendars.  Last year's calendar had such beautiful art work that I decided to take some frames that I had in the house and frame the prints to give some rooms a new look.  The prints that are hanging are not crooked; I just held the camera crooked.  :)

Romantic Bedrooms

I believe master bedrooms should be romantic but not necessarily frilly. This bedroom, which can be found at www.gharexpert.com, is warm, inviting, and sophisticated. It has all the elements I would want: a fireplace, books, windows, a place to sit & read, luxurious linens, and rich colors. I would definitely remove the TV and replace it with art; in my mind the bedroom is no place for a TV or a computer. There should not be anything which is not restful and inviting.

The Friendly Village

Yesterday morning had somewhat of a rough start for me. As I was making omelets, I dropped and broke one of my bowls from my favorite dish pattern and spilled raw eggs all over my freshly mopped floor and on the dog that hates baths the most. (That was just the beginning of a series of mishaps yesterday, but the day ended well.) I love those dishes because they remind me of my grandmothers blue Currier & Ives dishes. I loved eating off those plates as a child because my mind wandered to imaginings of the places pictured. It always seemed so warm & cozy. I use these dishes from Epiphany until the first day of Spring, as they always warm my heart when I see them. I suppose I'll be visiting www.replacements.com or www.ebay.com soon to replace my beloved bowl. Have a wonderful day!

The Task at Hand

This morning as I was reading through my blog newsfeed, I was completely blown away by the creativity of this blog: http://thepleasuresofhomemaking.blogspot.com/ I wanted to immediately jump right back into creative projects. Then I remembered that my house is currently bursting at the seams. In 2002, we voluntarily and happily downsized into a house 1/2 the size of what we were living in. It took a lot of purging to fit into our little bungalow, but it felt wonderful and cozy. Eight years later, we find ourselves overrun by a clutter of books (which we dearly love but for which we have no space), papers that need a home, and clothes worn or outgrown. My task at hand for the present remains to be that of eliminating whatever is not beautiful, useful, or practical. I am sure much would be gained if I applied the same principles of elimination to things which fill up my "spare" time. We are a home that thrives on organization, order, and cleanliness, and I'm afraid that when my health was suffering that those three things were greatly lacking. Once I regain those things, I am certain that creativity and inspiration will once again flow happily and freely. Please do visit the blog linked above; it's a wonderful site!

Antique Mill

The gourd in the background has a belt around the mouth of the opening. I love the artist's ability to think "outside the box."

This is actually a gourd that has been engraved and painted. They were lovely!

Closets

Our daughter is in the process of switching bedrooms, and the whole moving process is taking a lot longer than I would like. I've been working on her closet today, mainly putting together and filling a large (holds 50 pairs) shoe rack. I also have put in three small laundry baskets instead of the traditional clothes hamper so that dirty clothes will already be sorted. Hanging clothes are sorted according to season, sleve length and color. Next, I will add hats, purses, and belts. I was going to take before and after photos, but she has my camera. Instead, I have posted a fantasy closet picture. Break time is over, so it's back into the closet for me! :)

Old Stuff

Today, I am supposed to go pick up a cabinet that used to belong to my husband's grandmother and has been sitting in an old church for who knows how many years. I do not know anything about the cabinet other than the fact that it used to belong to Gram, and that is enough for me. I love old furniture that used to belong to someone else (which is good, as that describes most of our furniture).

I fell in love with the furniture that currently resides in our guest room when my husband and I were courting and would drive to his parents' for a weekend visit. It was the bedroom set that I used on these visits. Shortly after we were wed, they gave the furniture away to a single man - who wasn't using it. I was so disappointed! When they realized that I wanted "that old stuff" they brought it to us.

This isn't a clear photo, but the wood is beautiful. It was my inlaws' first refinishing project years ago. The set includes a high boy dresser and a mirrored dressing table. On the bed is the bedspread that my husband's grandmother on the other side of the family used. At the foot of the bed is a quilt my great grandmother made from scraps from dresses she had made for her seven daughters. On the walls, hang photos of my mother as a child and my grandparents. On the quilt rack is a quilt made by my husband's grandmother. Am I a romantic or what?

I love things that belong to family members as it gives me a sense of connectedness and roots. 

Am I Ready For Worship?

Hebrews 10:19-22

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Saturdays should be typically spent in preparation for the Sabbath, but I wonder if we really prepare rightly - or even at all. It has been said that we only prepare for what is truly important, so I often wonder how much we truly value our Sundays. Sure, most of us show up for church on Sunday with the assumption that we are ready for worship, but somehow I doubt that most of us are truly prepared.

I chose to post the above passage because it covers both the inward and outward aspects of readying ourselves to approach God aright. I have always been taught that it was important to put on our best clothes on Sunday, always having our shoes polished and our hair neatly arranged out of respect and reverence for a holy God, but what about our hearts?

Heart preparation is so much harder. Yes, most of us would agree that having a quiet time before church is a good idea, but there is so much more to it than that. Do I have one holy passion when I enter God's presence? Am I resting in His sovereignty, or is my mind wandering to the many duties of the week that lie before me, or am I noticing what someone else is wearing (or not wearing, as the case may be)? Am I harboring some small sin in my heart, unwilling to give it up just yet? Or have I strayed so far that attending church is just another thing to check off of my list of duties and I do not even think of preparation?

Perhaps our lives seem so frazzled that we believe we do not have time to prepare for worship and that God should just be happy that we made it to Sunday morning services. If we are honest with ourselves and with God, there is time, and God's plan of the Sabbath rhythm for our lives is restful and joyful. Yes, it does require sacrifice - the sacrifice of sin in our lives. Am I so far gone that I do not want to present myself holy and blameless before God? God forbid! I know in my heart that I have much to answer for before God where my heart is concerned; how about you?