Category: Life Foundations

This week again, I have been thinking about my word for the year and how it has been worked out in me in 2015.  It has taken me through some hard times, but it also helped me keep my eyes on the goal.  So I thought I would share some thoughts that have come to my mind as I have directed my focus to learning about FOCUS in 2015.

As many of you know, I love photography and I think this makes a great illustration of what I have experienced.  Let’s say you are going out for a drive and you see something you want to photograph.   So you stop and get out, put your camera up and focus on your subject, take the picture, and then take off.   You are sure you have clear photo.  Only thing?  You come home and you look at the photo, and realize the camera focused on what was closest, as is normal for a camera, and the object you really wanted is out of focus.  But the foreground is sharp as a tack!  🙂  However, the whole subject of your photograph is not what you saw or wanted to photograph.  It can be so disappointing.

Our life focus can be like that.  We think we have our focus on the areas that are best for us, but something happens and we come to realize, our focus has been WAY off!  Kind of messes with us, doesn’t it?  I know it has brought great disappointment to me to count on a great shot and miss it!  I have learned a long time ago to slow down to take a picture.  Take my time.  My focus is much better and I set up the photo shot much more in line with what I saw with my eyes.  God has given us a wonderful gift in our sight.  It is hard to put to print what God allows us to see with our eyes.  Don’t miss it!  Look around you everyday to see the beauty that is there.

In my case this year, I found that focusing is like getting on the same page with God regarding life.  God is always with us, but we aren’t always in tune with God in our lives.  Instead of resting in His presence, we are busy doing damage control in our lives because we have tried to do it ourselves.  We can sometimes think that what is going on in our lives is too important to wait on God to deal with it.  The reality is, we aren’t meant to deal with it.  Sometimes we may not feel God’s presence, in that, we feel God hasn’t taken care of our situation.  So we feel a bit estranged from Him.  However, if we can focus on the discipline it takes to recognize God’s presence in our lives, then we can get our alignment back.  It’s like the camera again.  If we are taking the time to realize where our focus needs to be in order to live a life of contentment, we will hit the mark with our focus on the right subject; our focus back on God.

How can we do that?  One of the ways we can do that is to step off the treadmill.  We have gotten to be so “on demand” that its hard for us to turn it off.  We want everything to go quickly like a microwave lifestyle…everything needs to hurry up and happen.  We want answers, we get mad when it take a few extra seconds to get to a website, or someone at a stop light doesn’t hit the gas quick enough.  We can even allow it into our relationship with God; where we expect Him to answer our prayers in OUR time line.  If we know the Word, we know that all things happen in HIS time.  But it doesn’t stop us from expecting it to happen on our timeline.  We don’t even rest on Sunday anymore.  We may go to church, and then we are back home with things we have to do. When the pace in our lives goes crazy for too long, we need to step off the merry-go-round and re-adjust.  Otherwise we will implode.  If we want that relationship with the Lord to be deeper, then we have to walk away from all of that is keeping us apart from it, and get quiet and allow our souls to breathe freely for a length of time.  We are becoming more and more a world of people with shorter and short attention spans.  That creeps into our lives very quickly and makes itself at home, so we don’t even notice it happened.  I heard a pastor say once there is no short cuts to spiritual to intimacy to the Holy One.  Are you surrendering your schedule and family to God daily?  If we practice the spiritual disciplines, it can be a way to re-focus ourselves on God’s agenda.

Another way is to turn on your prayer life.  Get fired up!  Talk to God about it ALL.  Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you and to help change things in you.  I don’t just give this advice, this is the way I ask God to help me live everyday.  I don’t want to get back on the treadmill of life doing all the things that I think I should do, when they aren’t what God wants me to spend my time doing.  So I take my own advice and I am finding my time spent is a lot of fun and with great enjoyment.  Do I have hard things happen in my life?  You bet.  But I work through them and come back to focus on the things that are important…my legacy.

What are the benefits of re-focusing our efforts?  Contentment comes instead of the hurry of life.  Did you know that your heart has a lot to do with this?  It has to start there not your datebook!  So if our hearts is not at a point of contentment, our inability to “plan” isn’t the excuse.  It isn’t about your daily to do list.  It is a heart matter.  We aren’t the ones in control.  God is.  So let our hearts begin focusing on Him, and our contentment will follow.  If you are living in a way contrary to contentment in God, you will find it very hard to live freely and enjoy the sweet spirit of contentment in your life.  The hurried lifestyle isn’t the way God designed us to live.

So let’s apply this.  Even with the longest lens I have for my camera, if it’s too far away, I still can’t get a good shot of a subject. You would wonder in looking at the photo what I was taking a picture of.   Sometimes I just have to move my feet to get closer to the spot that gives me a better shot.  I have to move forward to be able to see what’s next.  I HAVE to make the move.  I can’t just stand in one place to get that shot.  I have to move forward, adjust myself, my camera, my focus, to see that subject of my photo.  I may encounter some rough ground to get where I need to be, I may have to huff a little, I may have to lay on my tummy to see it, or even climb a tree, but if I do, I am rewarded with a great shot.

The same applies to our lives with the Lord.  We can’t give up because we don’t see God’s answer right now.  Wait and listen to what he wants you to do.  It means quieting yourself to hear it.  Making that a lifestyle not just a passing thought.  It may be a transition for you, in fact, I’m sure of it!  But lean into that transition and keep doing it until it becomes a part of you.  It means you are committing to the long-term with Him.  You are fueling a fire in your heart.  If you aren’t engaged, it would be like me always going out, seeing all these great shots I could have taken, and never having my camera.  That would be very unfulfilling.  Now, I have done that a few times but I don’t make a habit of it.  I can’t imagine living day-to-day saying, “Oh I wish I had my camera!” and then not changing that decision the next time I go out!  It’s like going on a trip without any map or agenda.  You might see some great things, but you don’t know where you are, and if you don’t have a camera, you won’t remember all of the places where you were!  We want to be equipped.  God gives us the ways and means to change.  We just have expend the effort.  It may mean walking into the unknown for a while until it becomes a part of you.  But once it does, you will never want to go back!

Here’s a closing thought:  God is our tripod.  A tripod has three legs, that in this case, can represent Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  If you put a camera on a tripod, you are likely to get a much better photo because you are not subject to camera shake.  You will get a good sharp focus.  So, let’s let the Triune God be our tripod to balance our lives, to lean on, to help hold our focus, and He will help us adjust our horizon lines, and vertical lines, to get the best look at what our life can be.  He will line us up and focus us for life!  He is our light when things are dark.  He is our strong arm who lifts us up.  He has the biggest ZOOM lens out there!  He can see the end from the beginning.  We, on the other hand, only have a kit lens, (shorter vision).   We aren’t seeing well enough to catch a macro shot (extremely close up shot) because we don’t want to look that close at ourselves.  Instead,we tend to look at our lives through a pin-hole camera lens that is pretty narrow.  God sees the big picture with the Mighty Zoom!  As close up as He can zoom in on us to see our imperfections, God still loves us!  He knows every hair on your head!  That is macro vision right there at its BEST!

Friends… use the right focus beginning today.  Ask Him to direct you towards this kind of life.  It has brought great joy to me!  I hope it will for you.  I hope you never see another camera again without thinking about this illustration to remind you of the life God wants for you and how much He loves you!

Walking the journey with you…

 

 

 

 

On a personal note:  I hope you all enjoyed a weekend celebrating with your dads, grandpa’s, and families!  We were taken out to lunch by our youngest son and that was sure a sweet way to start our afternoon!  It’s always such a fun time to put special emphasis on our dads and their place in our lives.  I am very thankful for mine and wish all the time that he were here to try a new recipe I cooked, or to see his great-grandson and enjoy the relationship I know they would have, and… just to chat.  There are so many questions I wish I could ask.  Genealogy type questions.  So, to those of you who still have your dad or grandpa, mom, grandma, don’t forget to ask the questions.   Then write them down somewhere in a book you can keep!  You will want them later.

Now for today:  Over the last 4 posts of “Make Yourself At Home” I have shared some fun thoughts with you and I hope you enjoyed it.  If you missed it, you can see the other posts by looking on the right side of this page.  But today, I thought I would write an Epilogue to the posts.  Just some general thoughts that can also assist in you getting the home looking like you want it.

This week I have been working on my office…again.  As we get through some of the boxes, I am constantly having to re-think the location of items.  I had a stack of books on my floor that was pretty large and I got them put away.  However, then we came across a box of commentaries and Bibles, and I wasn’t sure where I could put it all.  But so far, I did it!  I even managed to re-arrange the bookshelves to get some extras in!  Phew!  What a job.  Of course I COULD share some, but if someone, not mentioning any names, should find out, my books I would give away would be back in the house…somewhere.  So forget the bookstore people, you could  probably find what you need by messaging me.  I just might have it!  🙂

Speaking of books, do you ever get several books and have a pile of them to read and you find it hard to find the time to read them?  I am kind of at that place and decided I have to put myself back in school, and make a time in my day like I would for a class, and then read away!  SO many great titles!  So much to learn and enjoy!  Some in photography, Bible Study, and Christian Living, all adorn my tables and shelves at this time.  So this week, I will complete the book I am reading and start on the next one and quit being ADD about getting a book read.  I have been reading around 3 or 4 of them at a time lately!  That doesn’t help to really take in the message of the book.  No wonder my mind is clicking sixty per!  Of course, I know none of you readers out there would EVER let yourself get into that situation, right??!!???

Here is the key…What about streamlining and get things cleared out of your home?  Today, we had a stationary bike that is too big for our home, and a couple other exercise equipment that we are sharing with a friend.  Win, win!!  We clear some more and she gains the use of them.  Happy me!  I hope we can continue this process to actually gain more room.  It sure feels good to clear it out and get things in order.  The best feeling ever!  Sometimes we don’t realize the weight we carry with all the things we keep.  It can be fun to unload the burden.  I have a friend who has sold some items that she isn’t using any more and made herself some good income for other projects she wants to do.  How cool is that?  It was just siting in that place, not being used, and she made money selling it!  Completion=Accomplishment!  Trade, or barter…it helps you and the other person!

In closing, I hope that you will find some new and fun projects to do in your home to make it more and more like you want it.  There is great pleasure in walking into your home and feeling like there is no other place you would rather be! Don’t wait!  You have been working so hard with me these last weeks to make your house the way you want it to be!  Go for your dream little by little, and don’t give up.  Now is a great time.  As I close this series, I will leave you with some simple summer joys:

• Have fun making your home simple and comfortable
• Breathe in the freshness of change
• Walk in the sunshine every day
• Take in the fresh morning air before it gets too hot
• Enjoy a good magazine
• Look for the light in your surroundings and enjoy it
• Drink some ice tea in the good glasses
• Eat a popsicle or an ice cream bar with the joy of your childhood
• Add a little candlelight to your home both inside and out…it’s so relaxing
• Sit on the porch in the evening, add a little candle light
• Go in search of some sunrises and sunsets
• Take some photos of your life
• Be in touch with yourself; your soul
• Find a good re-purposing project
• Enjoy your yard
• Read some good books
• Go to the beach
• Make a picnic basket and take a surprise trip to somewhere special

It feels good to make your summer happen FOR you and not just happen TO you!  Happy Summer to each of you!  Don’t forget to share your thoughts and ideas with pictures where you have changed it up!  I would love to see them!

Walking the journey with you…

As we come to the end of this series on “Making Yourself At Home”, I want to say how fun it has been to share this series with you!    I hope you have enjoyed it as well!  You know, we all want a place to bring our weary body home to; to rejuvenate, read a good book, catch a restful sleep and to share special times with those who are closest to you.  But it is also important that along the way it is a place to take care of and pamper YOU!  Your home is a place where you take care of yourself, refresh and renew.  So I decided I would share a few of those spaces with you this week.  I will include all areas of the home.  You have seen a bit of the kitchen, and I will show you other parts of it in this post.  Just a suggestion for you:  I have kept a notebook or two for several years of things that I see that I like from a magazine, a picture I take, or where ever I find it.  I pull it out and put it in cover sheets in the notebook.  Then when I want to change things out a bit, I look through there for other ideas I have liked.  It’s fun way to keep things fresh!  But, let’s explore how we can include some special places in our homes.

We kind of left off in the bedroom, so I will share a few thoughts about that before we walk into the other areas of the house.  Your master bedroom is a room of retreat.  You go there to rest, that’s true.  But you also have your most intimate times in that space.  You also spend most of your time there!  You may even retreat there to get away, shed a few tears, or just to have privacy.  So, doesn’t it make sense for it to be one of the most welcoming places to be?  Wouldn’t you rather it say, “Ahhhhh…” than, look like the room where everything else goes to hide it?  You don’t want laundry baskets, magazines, toys or whatever you are trying to hide so the rest of the house looks good, do you?  At our house, we have always wanted our master bedroom to have a romantic feel to it.  Something that invites us in to relax a while, whether it is to connect and just talk over something, or just to lay and enjoy the atmosphere for a few minutes.  Even if you are single, make it a room you enjoy walking into.  Colors that invite you, a candle you like, a throw rug you might enjoy, and let your senses lead you to making that a place of retreat.  In my case, we both enjoy the ocean so our bedroom reflects that; in colors and in decor items.  I love the light of the room when I walk in…it speaks of a cottage or cabin by the sea that is open airy!  Fluffy pillows and light-colored curtains to help reflect the light, with a light blue sheer underneath.  You would see books there because I love to read.  You would see a portable type of stereo there because we enjoy listening to music as we relax in our bedroom.  Of course you would see various types of lighting; soft light and reading light.  I have a tray set on my bed which easily accommodates a breakfast, or snack for a time of relaxing enjoyment.  You would probably find a small craft of massage oil on that tray too, just incase someone might need a massage!  So change it up and make it a room that you enjoy seeing when you walk by it, and enjoy sinking into when you go to stay there a while. My motto has always been to surround yourself with things you love; that goes for any room in your house!  Remember too, a made up bed is always more inviting than a messy one, and… clutter can make your spirit weary.

The bathroom is another area that is important.  It’s usually the bathroom and master bedroom that often times get the last emphasis, when they should get the most.   Your bathroom may be a part of your master bedroom or it could be a single bathroom.  In my case, it is the ONLY bathroom.  But we spend a lot of time there get ourselves ready for my day, and also before our rest at night, and all times in between.  I want it to say something when someone walks into my bathroom.  I have photos that I have taken on the wall.  It reflects my bedroom a bit in that it has an ocean theme too.  I have a few antique items on a shelf that were my father’s shaving cup and brush, and I have a vintage jar that I have several soaps in so I have a new bar to share with a guest that comes.  I have a tall hurricane jar that has shells and various items I have found at the beach, each having a splash of color that I have in the room.  My bathroom is a good size, but not large, and can be a bit dark at times, so I have a white, ruffled flowered shower curtain hanging there that adds softness as you walk in.  I have a wonderful light fixture that I found at a thrift store for $1.50!  Fits perfectly in the plan.  Have fun with your bathroom because it is also a place of retreat for a long soak, or even a short one sometimes if you have kids.  Have candles, bubble bath or flower petals soaps on hand that you can treat yourself with.  I always have items on hand to give myself a facial a couple times a week.  It’s amazing how much that can do to make me feel pampered.  Have a little basket in your drawer or cupboard just for that purpose.  Above all, enjoy your bathroom retreat and watch for ways and ideas to make it your own.

If you have a guest room, remember to consider whether you have a mattress that is comfortable for sleeping.  I have a guest room and a bed, however, the mattress is not all that comfortable, as some good friends have told me.  So I bought an egg crate type mattress to put over the top for right now.   But at some point, getting a mattress for that bed is on my list!  But the decor in that room makes up for it.  It is a step into yester year and I think those that stay there enjoy it.  I have items in this room that say, “Do you remember this?”  So when a guest steps into this room, it is like taking a journey back in time.  But, *giggle inserted*, my whole house is a lot like that!  A few ideas to consider for this room are: add a lamp by the bed so its easy for them to read a bit before bed, a clock for time and alarm, and maybe even a small personal gift to leave on the bed.  As I shared in an early post, I leave the bath towel, hand towel, wash cloth, and new bar of soap all wrapped in a ribbon and set on the bed for a guest.  I will soon be adding a bathrobe and slippers to the room soon.

Where ever you spend the most time when guests come, whether it is the living room, deck, or kitchen, make that your area of focus for having things look exactly like you would want them.  In my case, it is my kitchen, and the entry to my home.  So I want that area to be neat and inviting and give the eyes something to look at.  I like my home to have a fresh fragrance at all times.  I also have cups out on my wall which says I enjoy drinking tea, coffee or mocha, and in my case its a mocha.  I have a few coffee items out that will back up that theory, such as my barista, my Vitamix, and my tea kettle and tea-pot.  You would see that I have an apple theme around my kitchen also.  And…the whole thing centers around my heritage, which is Norwegian.  I love having things have a place and even in a very small kitchen, as mine is, you can have items that help you store.  I have to carts built by my son that house some important items, such as my pots and pans so my cupboard space is more available, and a touch of vintage with a norwegian bowl of veggies and potatoes on top of the cart, with a bowl filled with vintage rolling pins on the bottom shelf.  But my little table in the kitchen is always welcome to any guest for a little something to drink and great conversations!   Now, think through the area that your family and guests will land in and start there.   Make it an inviting space to come home to.

Because my home is smaller, it is also our goal to make the outside space welcoming also.  This way, we can enjoy the out-of-doors at any time of year.  Bringing the outside in is a great way to refresh yourself and your home.  Opening windows to let the fresh air in, even in the rain if your house sits right, is a great way to Ozone your home.  Let the sun shine in your windows to brighten a room.  In our case, a covered deck for year around BBQing is in the plan, as well as, a nice table and chairs to sit at.  I enjoy covered areas to do my study and devotions at while the rain falls softly around me.  We have close neighbors so we are considering what we can do to add privacy around our home.  We also have heavy traffic by our home, and we are looking at ways to give more privacy and muffle sound also.  Adding plants to your deck or covered area is another way to add a touch of comfort to your out-door area.  Just this last year, we put in french doors in our home and what a wonderful addition that was!  I love looking out those windows to the porch and seeing the green of the yard and the little table and chairs we have set out there.  Look for an old quilt and use that as a table covering…it is a very sweet look and very inviting!   As you can see, it is always ongoing, but as activities outside the home get more and more expensive to do with family, having your own a place where everyone enjoys gathering, is more and more essential.

What about the children?  The same would go for those of you who have children.  Have an area where they can play, and know that its ok to play there.  Create space for storage of their toys and items they play with.  A chair or two that they can sit in when they read a book, or a small table for putting a puzzle together.  An old chest that would store many toys but also enhance a room, is a great idea.  A foot locker works great too!  We have a tote that we have for Ethan’s toys and items, and he knows where it is and get it himself when he comes to visit.  Give them permission to create and play in that space, whether inside or outside.  Our space for our grandson is the coffee table because he can sit on the floor and it’s just the right height for him.  We have a couple of trays for legos so he can be creative and not lose parts.  Of course, we still find them here and there.  But it just reminds us of how thankful we are that we have that little guy in our lives.  I never mind the cleaning up!  🙂

You may be working from home full-time or part-time, so having a space to operate from is also important.  It’s hard to run a business from your kitchen counter.  If this is you, give some thought to how you can develop a space for yourself where you can conveniently get things done.  Maybe for you, it may not be a business, but maybe you write, journal, or enjoy writing letters or doing genealogy where having a spot in your home to operate in is very important to the success of your endeavors.  It would help to have access to a phone and space set up for sitting and writing.  I personally have a bedroom in our home that is my office.  I live a big share of my time there.  I create, study, write, and communicate there.  I do my devotional studies in this spot where I am sitting right now as I write.  I have all things reflecting “ME” in this spot, and it is my first place to set up any time we move.  I love this room in my home.  The first thing I did in here was change out my light to something vintage.  If you don’t have storage space to store work items, then use them to decorate with.  I have the headboard from my doll baby crib which I got when I was 1-year-old and it hangs on my wall.  I have photos I have taken, books and more books, a rocking chair that I sit in sometimes to read, a bookshelf with vintage cameras that I collect, a vintage typewriter that sits on my desk, along with a vintage rotary dial phone I paid pennies for.  I have a vintage glass that holds my pens and pencils and my daily devotionals are stacked with my small travel bible right on the top of my desk.  I have a few vintage cameras out in different places in my office because I love photography and it reflects my interests.  You would find items in my window sill that reflect the lights that comes in to my office.  Yes, everything in here says JoAnn lives here!  I recently added a new to me desk and comfortable chair to the office which I am very thankful to have.  Each time I walk into this room, I love being here.  THAT is what you want to achieve with every part of your home.  You want it to reflect you and those who live there with you.  Not all of you have space to have an office, but you can set up a table/small desk in an area and work within that space.  OR, what about that closet space that you might be able to rearrange?  You can easily make an office space very nicely out of a closet.  They are awesome and not a lot of work.  The best thing about that is the space is already there!

The light below is my famous find when I first set up my office.  I just found another light too that will go up as soon as I figure out how to hang it in a home with out ceiling lights in the living room, and hubby doesn’t want to replace fans in the bedrooms.  But I will find a place for it.  It might be just perfect for my future “She Shed”.  A picture of that light is posted on my Facebook page.  Get a load of that carpet!  Another project!  But in the meantime, I have a lot of it covered by a beautiful oriental rug.  Good change up!  Below is the light and ceiling medallion I put in my office.

I want to remind you all of this decorating and the changes didn’t happen over night.  I have worked years adding and subtracting until I have gotten more of what I like in my home.  I am very blessed and fortunate to have the man in my life that is supportive of some of my whimsical ideas, such as, bending a bit as he comes in to my office because I have lace with crystal tear droops hanging from it in my door way.  Or, the one I put up going into the laundry room that keeps others from seeing items I have to store on top of a closet there.  But I love the look of it and he is very patient in allowing me to exercise that creative side.  He is also working on a light for my kitchen that I shared with you before in a previous part of this series.  It will soon be up!  It really is a joy to see things come together!  When I find that treasure that just fits a spot, or some special linen that I can’t wait to put on your table, it is happy dancing time for me.  Whatever it is you decide on for your home, it should be fun and not feel like a burden.  Take your time and enjoy the hunt!

I even have cute things in my laundry room.  Who decorates that????  Me.  If I have to stand there and do laundry, I like to enjoy what I see.  Since you can see the laundry room some as you walk in the door, I wanted to have cute things to see as your gaze went that way.  I have an old coffee grinder on the wall.  There is a shelf that my son built for us and it is on the wall with spices in it.  Since it is so close to my kitchen, and no room in the kitchen, it is nice to be able to enjoy in that spot as I look in.  I also have a cute cushioned pad for the floor that adds comfort and color to the area.  It’s not complete yet by any means, but its’ getting there!  In the meantime, what you see now are special items as you walk in and look that direction.  My kind of camouflage!

My creation of a wall hanger that my son helped me to make!  I found the rolling pins, and he cut them for me and made them ready to mount.  I have a couple of these up throughout my home.  Love them!

You can see another project that is in the future…new cabinets and range hood.  So you can see that it is a step by step, inch by inch kind of plan, but always forward moving.  Don’t get discouraged!

And in closing… as always, add a flower to the mix.  It is always a welcoming sight!  

I think our homes aren’t ever really finished…they just keep evolving with us.  I like that idea.  I like dreaming of how it can be and I think we should all feel free to keep dreaming.  If it hasn’t happened yet, I say START!  Look at a place that screams of change in your home and get going!  Not sure what to do first?  Need ideas for that special spot?  Ask your questions here.  Get online.  Buy a magazine for ideas.  But, get that creative part of your brain jazzed!  You will be so glad you did.  There is nothing like walking into your home and feeling like you have no other place you would rather be!  Nothing beats that.

Walking the journey with you…

 

 

 

 

 

 

This time, we are focusing on our homes like a painting canvas; we start with an outline and then we add the color!  It may seem plain in the beginning but as we add our personalities in to our home, it takes on our colors, reflections and memories.  I have enjoyed that process very much and it is a continuing project.  So last week, we left off in the entry area and what you see when you walk in.  Today, we were going to talk more about the rest of the house.  We will come back to talk about the kitchen more when we leave the home.  Let’s see what we have for today.

One of the features you will see when you enter our door, is the fireplace.  We love a fire and sitting around in the evening or even the day time in the colder months, and watching the fire.  It is a cozy feeling and one that makes you want to gather there and rest a while.  We all enjoy the living room to relax in.  So in this case, you have something inviting for your guests to see when they come in the room.  But even if you don’t have a fireplace or stove, your living room, or you may call it a family room, is usually one of the places people gather.  It is a place where you can sit a while, and enjoy a visit.  It’s a bit harder in my house because my living room is open to that whole end of the house. However, I do try to make it look “set apart”.  This becomes the place to gather on holidays, where laughs and fun take place.  In my case, there are many memories to notice in this room:

A couple of tables that belonged to my mom, a couple of vintage lamps that I just love that sit on a table in each corner, a decorative balls with inspirational words on them in a beautiful wooden dish, a vase made from all the different woods in Honduras from my trip there, table books of all kinds, Bibles, music boxes from my trips to Japan, and many other things that inspire great memories when I see them.  I also have a shelf that I have some of my grandma’s dishes that were given to me by my mom, along with other vintage items.  There is also a scale that came from our childhood barn.  A lantern from our barn that hangs on a wall hanger that I painted red adds a bit of nostalgia.  I remember having to light that lantern to see in the barn before we got electrical lights.  I love seeing these items each day and it never fails to bring good memories to my mind and heart.  This room in my home has seen many holidays celebrations, and I hope it sees many more!   It is a space I enjoy sitting in.  As the morning sun casts rays across the room, I enjoy my quiet time with my mocha in hand.  It makes me want to take a deep breath and tarry a while.

I enjoy a home that is well used and our home is just that.  I love light so my windows are always open to the light and we don’t worry about faded furniture.  We sit, lay, play, dream, deep chats, and at times, even eat there.  One of the reasons I try to keep it tidy so that when someone walks through the door, they will see an inviting space.  In my home, I don’t have a lot of room to consider how I place my furniture, so I have placed it how it fits best into the area, and where it is easy to communicate with others.  But if you have the room, look at what would be the best place to set a couch or chair, set up a sitting area with a chair, side table and lamp, so you have a nice place to read a book or have quiet time.  The way my living room is, I can be cooking and see what is going on in the living room and I like that.  My grandson can play there and I am still able to be working in the kitchen if I need to.  We are still trying to work out some streamlining of our furniture and items…that is an ongoing project right there. 🙂  We both love books, my sweetie is a crazy book lover, so we have many in different places in our home.  However, those kinds of items in a home shows what you enjoy and tells your story.  You want the home to reflect who you are as a family and what your interests are.

No matter how your home is set up, each area or room should be welcoming.  You may even have his or her places, such as a den for him and a hobby room for her.  In our case, I have an office and it is the first place I set up when we have made our many moves.  But it is important that those two areas reflect who you are and who he is.  Add personal touches like a candle, a dish with rose petals, shells gathered from the beach, or whatever speaks to you.  I think it is important for our homes to be a place to gather and enjoy.  While our lives get hectic and schedules can over take us, it’s nice to have a comfortable home to come back to.  I prefer that the living room is a place you can sit, lay, grab a pillow or two, and an afghan to cover up for a rest, and still be able to be where you can see kids play or other activity you might need to keep an eye on.

 I have always had many special items that are out on display in my home.  As Ethan, our grandson, has grown up around our home, he has just learned about what is out.  When you explain the things, they lose the curiosity about handling them, and leave them.  You have stories to tell.  I have a treasure box in my office for Ethan to go to whenever he wants.  There are items about my life, my husband’s life, my parent’s life, about him, his daddy, his uncle, pictures, and all kinds of treasures.  He will ask to go get that box, and then we have story time again.  He asks many times if I have put something new in the box.  I love that!  One day, some of what is in it, will be his.  We also have places where we keep things that Ethan knows about such as, the small jar for sunflower seeds which he loves, and his special treat of peanut butter cups.  Just recently, we got an old gum ball machine and it will work with gum, jelly beans, m&ms and lots of other items.  He loves that, and we keep a small dish next to it with money in it that he can use to put into the machine to get his treasure.

We try to combine the things which my sweetie enjoys with the things that I enjoy.  We are working now on an office area for him as well, and that will make it a place that reflects all that is him.  At this point, his most treasured possession is his books.  So we are working on a plan to have some nice bookshelves as a part of our rooms so that we have a place for them. But in doing that, it is important to blend each of your interests together, where possible, so your rooms flow well.  Think of the activities you do in the rooms and adjust accordingly.  If you eat in front of the TV sometimes, then make sure it is an area that cleans up easily.  For example, have trays available to put the food on.  I like a set table, but there are times that it’s just fun to be informal and we will eat and watch a movie.  Maybe for you, it might be playing games together, so you will need a table or coffee table that can easily become your game board.I have a tray that is handy, but not seen, that I can pull out for my grandson to use for his Legos or any number of things that he plays with.  When he is done, it is put away.  Works great!

I don’t think it matters the size of the rooms if you think it through and plan for that space.  It is really more important that it is a place of memories where stories are told, love and warmth is felt, and everyone is comfortable.  If your living room has a warm feeling, it sets the stage for the house.  If you have a stove or fireplace like we do, look for things that go with a fire-place to display with it.  Ideas would be: a basket or box with some wood in it, a vintage iron, or a teapot on top.  I have an old iron that sits there with a vintage teapot that sits on the floor.  In the summer, I use it to decorate because it doesn’t need to be on.  So I put flowers there, even an old-fashioned fan would look good.  Candles or a vintage doll would look good also.  You can put up pictures of you and parents, grandparents, and family in the area also.  Another one of my favorite things is…lamps!  I would have them everywhere, but I can’t.  So I save them to use on side tables next to the couch for lighting, and I have a floor lamp by my hubby’s chair.  The side tables provide storage for books, the tops for decorating, and this space makes for a nice place to read.  Pillows are a great way to decorate and I love to see pillows throughout a home because it speaks “welcome” to me.  If you have the room, or a corner, you can take several pillows and stack them up with a ribbon or a length of fabric and tie them.  Then, set them as an accent to the space or corner to add a comfy touch.  Another idea for that area is to use small trunks stacked on top of each other to put a lamp on, or as a side table/coffee table.  Even a large trunk can make a great coffee table!  And…floating flowers always add a beautiful touch to any area of the home!

Now let’s move on to the other rooms, such as bedrooms.  I have a guest bedroom, a master bedroom and a bedroom I use for an office.  I want my guest room it to say, “Ahhh…come rest a while”.  Make sure your curtains give privacy for guests.  I have that situation now where I have only a heavy sheer curtain, but it isn’t as private as I want for my guests.  However, our house sits up high from the street so that helps for the present.  But, I do need to get it changed.  It’s on my goal list.  But those are things to think about.  Consider whether you have a comfortable bed so that it will fit a taller person if necessary.  Setting up a sitting area where they can relax or read before retiring is always nice.  I have both lamp light and ceiling light with a fan for the warmer evenings.  I have my grandpa’s suitcase standing at the end of the bed which I enjoy looking at when I walk in the room.   The little dog and the baby doll in the photo above are from my early childhood.  The shoes on the side table are my favorite shoes as a little girl.  The Minnie Mouse is a part of a set that was made for me by a sweet friend in Japan.  The doll standing is from my childhood also; she was a bride doll in her prime.  The bed belonged to my grandpa and my brother gave it to me, and so even though I can’t use it because of its unusual size mattress, I have leaned against the wall and use both pieces as my head-board.  You can’t see it very well, but on the floor under the little suitcase is a footstool that belonged to my folks that I have always loved, and was the one thing I asked for.  My name was written on the bottom of that for years!  So it is a very comfy room to come to.  The quilt was the first and only quilt I have made so far!  I now have a deep red afghan that I found, plus a beautiful hand crocheted doily that sits on top of the afghan at the end of the bed now.  I also added a doll with a crocheted dress to the middle of the bed.  There are other larger pieces of furniture that adorn the room.  Also, I like to put my feet on something soft in the morning, so there is a soft rug that is right by the bed.

The next room is the master bedroom.  I wanted a beach/cottage look in this room.   I painted the ugly purple and lavender (it wasn’t an ordinary type of lavender you would like) and took off the ceiling border and painted it all blue.  Painting smaller rooms all the same color will make your room appear larger.  I purchased the bed cover and shams, and then made a throw for the end of the bed.  I put a tray on top of the bed, there are lots of pillows, and it looks very calm and inviting as you walk in the door.  I like a romantic look in my master bedroom, so I have several of Jack Vettriano’s art.  You can see one of them in the photo below.

This little gem of a chair fits was just perfect in this corner!  I have a sweet angel that is on the wall above the chair that was given to me by another sweet friend from Japan.  I also have a beach picture and a marriage prayer there also.  I have chosen to have a little bit of red in each room because it shows some continuity of color throughout the home.  Of course, it IS one of my favorite colors!  You can see that touch of red in the ribbon on the wall hanging.  We also added a massage table to the room.  Did you notice?  It comes in very handy on those days when you get a little stiff and sore.

I enjoy the beach, walking the beach, searching for treasures and so it fits my sweetie and I very well.  We have rocks and shells and sea glass we have collected that lays in a dish.  We have a dresser that was my sweetie’s grandma’s dresser.  It is quite a treasure and fits perfectly in there.  I paid a friend to shorten some curtains for me and it was complete.  Well…so far!  Pictures and wall art add to it also, along with a lovely color of blue touches throughout.  At some point, I want to change the fan-light out for one that has leaf blades so it fits better in the decor.  But… that is for the future!Ok…are you excited to start your own dream project?  Start with an idea, and then just build on what you have, or consider how you might repurpose a piece.  It really becomes a fun project to see how you can do it without spending a lot of money.  

So, are you getting some creative ideas?  I hope so!  Curious about any of the items mentioned that you couldn’t see?  Just let me know and I will post them! I would love to hear from you about your thoughts and ideas!  Leave any comments or questions on the blog!  It’s always a joy to hear from you.  In the next post, I will be sharing about offices/crafting space, touch on bathrooms, and then, we will come back out to the kitchen as we go back out the door!  Thanks for reading and sharing!

Walking the journey with you…

 

 

 

 

This is the kitchen when we moved in.

Changing out the orange and ugly mustard color for white on the cabinets and painted the walls and ceiling with primer and then sea-foam type green.

We changed out the slider for french doors.  My son also put up the door trim and medallions.  And prior to this the walls were very bad.  So we textured the top part and put the bead board on the bottom and then trimmed it out.  But this is with the slider in.  Watch the change with the other door.  This wall was in bad shape and we couldn’t remove all the paper so I decided to texture it.

Changing out the door pulls is a great way to spruce up the old kitchen cabinets.

Putting up the border and we added the crown molding also.

A quick view of the living room that you will see when you walk in.  Since this time, we have changed out our coffee table and chair tables.

Are you ready to explore your home today?  I thought we could talk about some specific areas of a home such as the entry space.  One of the areas that helps make a home welcoming is to have order.  That doesn’t mean it has to be perfect, but picked up.  Just that step makes such a difference in how you feel about your own home.  Sometimes we have projects going on where that isn’t possible or we have kids that change it up for us.  But try to avoid clutter when possible.  🙂 You want it to be a place where you and others love to come.  It’s so much easier to keep it that way than to have to rush around to make it presentable at the last minute.  When your house has order, you will feel better and more confident in how it looks.

This is still a work in progress as you can see with the planting we have going on.  But it is welcoming compared to what we had.  My favorite part of the outside is my rain chains!

With that said, it takes a life time to have a home.  You are building it or decorating it from the ground up.  Your home will change as the years go by; objects will be added and objects will be taken away.  That is the joy of a home; it reflects you.  As you change, you will find you change your home up also.  Add the touches that make YOU and your family feel at home.  Surround yourself with what you enjoy.  In my case, I enjoy:

• Light and being able to see and enjoy the outdoors.
• Light reflecting through objects in my windows.
• Furniture that reflects my upbringing and life and the people who were part of my life.  Those are memories to shared.
• Fresh flowers to bring from outside.
•  Using old linens on my table, as well as, on other pieces of furniture in my home.
• Old light fixtures, and have several.  I am currently making a light for my kitchen out of a colander!
• Old Bibles.  I have several of them throughout my home, and I read from them where ever they are.
• Collections that I enjoy and I showcase them in parts of my home.
• Special dishes and glasses that I can use every day, and some for just special occasions.

Newly installed french doors with enclosed window treatments for privacy and no dusting!

Above you see open spaces and light which I so enjoy!  Ah…my happy place…

So the idea here is, what rings your bell and tickles your fancy?  Put those items around your home.  I haven’t spent a lot of money doing this, so don’t read this and think you can’t afford it.  Get out there to thrift stores, garage sales, friends who may want to trade something, and see what you can find.  Involve the family where appropriate, to share in the planning for the changes.  They may have some fun ideas!  Kids or grandkids make different items through their life, so, include them in your plans.  They love to see the items they have given you proudly displayed in your home.

What places can you start with?

~>Where do your guests come in to the home at?  Make some changes on the steps of that door; something inviting and cozy.  You can even start at the driveway with a cute sign or mail box, or now with solar lights, you can light up your driveway.  Little things can make a difference as people drive up to your home.  Check out that porch and see where you can make changes to make it say, welcome.  Plants are always a great addition to a front porch.  Change it up for the seasons of the year too.  As they come in, greet them and have the coffee on or hot water for tea…it’s all about the feeling of home and hospitality.  Now with different types of signage so readily available, you can put up a sign on the outside of the home, a small chair with flowers on it, or whatever you like best.  All of this is about a look that says your home is cared for and you enjoy it.  One of the biggest changes we made that we both love is, changing out our sliding glass door to french doors.  I love it!  I can open both sides and there is a screen for each side, and it’s like letting the outside come into my home.  The light is fantastic.  We had to save for a while but it was so worth it!  We enjoy that now everyday.  Maybe you have a large enough porch to add a couple of chairs or a small table and chairs so that it is inviting to sit there or to invite a guest to sit there to enjoy an iced tea, mocha, coffee or tea!  You can add things like an antique door knocker or chime, a special porch light, or a wreath on the door also.  Getting the idea?  Fun, huh?

~> What is the first thing you see when you come in the door?  You want whatever they see to be welcoming and comfortable looking.  In my case, I have a home that when you enter the door you see the kitchen, kitchen table, and the living room all in one glance.  So I need to have it picked up and ready to invite them in.  I am also kind of picky about the home always smelling good.  I don’t like odors in my home and in this house, there were smokers living here before us.  Every once in a while that smell will show up in the home. So I always want to have something fresh in the air!  There is also little things like a place to maybe hang a coat, wipe feet, or whatever is good if you have the room in that spot.  Since the whole area of the right end of our home is what I see when I walk in, I have worked to make there be interesting things to look at as soon as guests come through the door.  One of my latest purchases was a vintage red rotary dial wall phone!  I love it and fits into my home so well.  I have wanted one for years and just this last 6 months, we were on a trip and walked in to a thrift store/antique mall and there it was!  $9…patience pays off!  Do you have a guest book for visitors to sign?  That can be fun too.

Some of you may be asking, “What if it is just me?”  All the more important for it to feel like your haven.  You especially want it to feel like your safe place with the familiar things you like around you.  Another suggestion would be to leave a light set up to come on at a certain time, or music in the background or something that says to YOU, “Welcome home.”  

Here is another idea:  Did you know that painting your door a red, green or black is a welcoming color for the door that you enter in?  Yep!  Kind of old-fashioned looking, but even on the newer homes that I have seen, it really is very inviting.  I have wanted a red door since I moved into our house three years ago.  This summer, I will be painting my wood door red!

Here is another idea for overnight guests…I put a special folded bath towel, hand towel and wash cloth, and I put a bar of soap on top with a note tucked inside and a ribbon around the whole thing.  The wash cloth is folded like an envelope and the soap is tucked inside.  It sits on the end of the bed when they enter the guest room.  Sometimes, I even have special shampoo and conditioner also.  It’s fun to make them feel special!  It might be the only time in a long time where they have gotten away, and they can enjoy the special environment that you have created for them.  I do that with special dinners for my hubby too.  Set a nice table with special dishes and make some of his favorite food.  You can do that for girlfriends also, which I have done.  It makes a house a home where your special people want to come to.

I hope you are enjoying the ideas!  I hope this gets your creative juices going!!  In the next post, I will share a bit more about the rest of the home, as well as, setting an atmosphere.

Walking the journey with you…

What would you followers and readers of my blog think about me sharing a few posts about making a house a home.   It isn’t just about a home to live in, but making a restful place that feels more like a relaxing retreat that you love to be in.  It makes you feel like you belong, can refresh yourself, and dream a little.  If you think this could be fun to share, would you leave me a comment and let me know if you would enjoy that?  It sounds like a fun adventure to me, but I want it to be something you think you might enjoy also!  Thanks!

Walking the journey with you…

I hope all of you are well and happy!  In the Pacific Northwest, we have been enjoying many days of sunshine!  Oh how I enjoy Spring Sunshine!  My flowers are blooming and I love that part.  I will soon have some flowers for me to bring into my house in vases.  Happy me!  So if you don’t have Spring weather where you are and want something fun to make you smile and to enjoy, hop over to my photography website and look around.  It will lift you up, I think; JoAnnShiley.com.

But to share what is on my heart today…

I would like to ask you if you have ever been rubbed the wrong way by a person or circumstance.  Have you?  I know that I sure have!  It may be something someone said, it may be a hurt from a friend, or loss of a friendship, or any number of circumstances we have to deal with.  Sometimes I deal with it well, and other times I am talking to myself; quite loudly.  But… going deeper with God means that I have come to understand that God has big shoulders and comforting arms.  It may not be the way I would like it to be, but I know even the hard rubs are good for me.  Let me share an example that I believe God gave me last week.

My sweetheart just got back from a trip to Israel.  He enjoyed learning about living where Jesus lived, walking where Jesus walked and preached, where He was betrayed and crucified, and the history surrounding those areas.  What a fascinating time he had!  One of the activities the small group got to take part in was communion together in Bethlehem.  When they were done with communion, they got to keep the small communion cup that is made of olive wood.   Such a sweet cup.  I had told Terry before he left to look for olive wood communion cups, and if he found them, to get one for each of us.  So he did that, plus a couple more, and brought them back home with him.  They are gorgeous olive wood cups, each of them from one piece of wood.  However, when I saw them, they were really light, almost bleached looking.  You didn’t really notice the beauty of the wood grain because of how light they were.  But, I have some wood treatment that is food friendly, and you can use it on wooden spoons and cutting boards to keep them from getting dry.  I got that and rubbed the communion cups with it, and wow!!!! What a gorgeous difference it made in the wood!!  I couldn’t believe it!  The rich color and interesting veins that I could now see, are a characteristic of the olive wood.  As I was expressing how beautiful they were, God spoke to my spirit about how my life is like that.  He created something beautiful.  But in the beginning, I was quite pale and maybe even shallow in my walk with  God.  However, as our relationship deepens, and I learn to depend on Him more and more, it is like that treatment I put on the wood; the best in me comes out and hopefully, I am showing my best character.  If it hurts sometimes to be rubbed and polished, He told me to consider it all good because He is at work in me.  What a lesson as I looked at this beautiful set of cups before me and actually saw the difference of before and after!  My life resembles those cups in many ways.  God is so good to show us in ways we can understand.  I had to bleach out the photo a bit to show you how it looked before I rubbed them out.  Unfortunately, when I got that message from the Holy Spirit, I had already rubbed out both cups.  🙂  But, it gives you an idea of what they looked like before.  So if you are feeling rubbed the wrong way, it might just be that you are being rubbed in the RIGHT way, and it’s from God.  He is bringing out the beauty of the grain He created in us.  He is nourishing us through His Word so that our best self shows up and reveals His glory.  I will always remember this lesson, every time I use this cup.

Don’t let the friction of a little bit of rubbing dull your belief that God loves you, and has what is best for you in mind!  What we use the communion cups for in our communion time, is the same message only reversed.  We come to God with sins in our lives that make us feel dirty, and He gives us the cleansing of His forgiveness so that we can shine before men and women.  I am going to let my little cup shine!

How about you?  Feeling the rub?  Thank God that He is working in you!  Look for the grain and beauty and ask Him to show it to you.  He wants to bring it to the surface and do a great work in your life.  Thanks for coming back to read the blog and please leave a comment if there is a rub you need prayer for.  If you don’t have that circumstance now, share what good things He is going.  Blessings!

Walking the journey with you…

A few days ago, I saw the most amazing thing I have ever seen! As my sweetie and were driving, I saw this beautiful eagle way up high and it was absolutely still in the air!  The wings were spread out but it was not moving; just resting on the current!  Everyone once in a while it would flap the wings maybe three times and then rest.  This eagle must have done this without moving for at least three or four minutes.  I was amazed!  I have never seen an eagle do that before ever.  I have seen them glide on the wind currents, but never be still.  It was fabulous!  Of course at the time, I didn’t have my camera, but then I have come to know that there are some things God gives me that are for my eyes only.  Whenever I see something when I don’t have the camera, I just thank God and say, “Ok, God thank you for giving that to my eyes only.”  I just knew there was a lesson there.  It was hard to even explain the feelings I had when I saw that, but I knew God was speaking.

Then…yesterday I just got back from a road trip with a friend.  We were gone for two days with our cameras and boy did we have a blast!  When we got up to Mount St Helens and drove around one of the first corners where we got a glimpse of the mountain up close and personal, we both just gasped at its beauty!  It was just gorgeous!  I just remember thinking, “Now THIS is the life!  Being able to ride along in this beautiful country and experience all that God has for us and take a view photos of what God shows us!”  Nothing better!!!  I experienced that same feeling I had watching that eagle.

So here is the lesson…we can go through seasons that are so difficult that we lose sight of everything beautiful around us.  Instead of gasping at the beauty, we are crying in our own pity party room in the dark.  We aren’t looking up, and we certainly aren’t resting in God’s hands.  We may not like our season, but God’s hands are there holding us up with His Mighty Wind, or, giving us the beauty to lift our heads.  It was amazing to see the area some thirty years after the mountain blew, and be able to see the beauty of it now, rather than the devastation.  God has restored the area.  Listen to this…that eagle didn’t just rest there expecting not to have to do something to maintain on the wind.  He took part in flapping the wings and working with the Wind so that he could rest in it.  When we were driving, we didn’t just pass that beauty by.  Are you KIDDING me???!!!  She pulled that SUV over and we ran (well, not quite..but our hearts were willing) to catch that beauty!  The eagle cooperated with the Wind.  My friend and I didn’t just sit in the car and say, “I sure would like a picture of that.”  We climbed down hills and back up, through sticker bushes, in and out of the car, in order  to enjoy what God gave us to see.  And…it will be different for each of us!  I bet not too many others saw that eagle that particular day.  But I did.  God allowed me to see it.  I let it speak to me.  “Rest in me.  Relax…don’t fight the Wind..cooperate with the Wind…enjoy the journey.”  Let that speak to your soul.

My friend and I sure did!  We laughed, we shared great conversation, lifted burdens, ate snacks we enjoyed to the last bite, and even giggled like we were back in high school about doing it.  We looked at each other and knowing we probably shouldn’t be eating it or drinking the pop (she was much better than me with a Sobe), but then we both laughed and took a swig!  We were lifting our snacks to the good times!  That is how God wants us to live…enjoying what is around us at each moment.  I can’t eat that way every day, but I can sure enjoy it once in a while.  The snacks might not be so healthy, but living the moment is always healthy when God is leading us.  And I certainly don’t want to miss those God moments when He whispers in my ear, “Watch this.”, OR “Look at THIS!”  I want to be season and camera ready to catch it each time!

You see, we can stay in that dark season if we want to, and we can dwell on what isn’t right or working.  OR, we can choose to stop and watch the eagle rest in the Wind or the mountains that speak of His majesty and the colors that show off His artistry.  I choose the latter.  I hope you do too!

Walking the journey with you, resting on the Wind…

 

 

Happy Tuesday everyone! This week after Easter reminds us, and should lead us, into the newness of life. I hope that you, either through Easter Service attendance or time with family, have received that newness of life as you look towards these next several months.  Just as we couldn’t have imagined if we had been there in Jesus time, that in three days so much could happen, I believe that we don’t realize what we are missing out on because we don’t trust Him with everything TODAY.  I pray that you will let that newness of life penetrate your hearts, so that, you live on in victory over your yesterday, and begin anew today!  He delights in our progress to become more and more like the person He designed us to be.

The enemy is sneaking around… hunting for prey.  Can you picture it?  Just like a cat when he/she is ready to pounce.  Searching for a weak spot, a move, a habit, a thought, a chain to yank…whatever it might be for you.  Refuse the enemy an inch of ground!  Remember what has been shared with you this last week and take that victory into the months ahead.  Tell the enemy to take a hike!  You have been shown what Christ did for you on the cross.  Allow Jesus to set you free to enjoy what God has planned for you!  Even one step forward is a positive change!  If things are not what you believe they should be right now, don’t lay blame, but look to understand what is happening and learn from it.  Ask God about it. Listen. God wants us to live in victory, but we can only do that if we are willing to turn from our old ways of doing things, and let God direct us in new ways!

I hope you will do that today.  Remember…don’t give the enemy an inch of ground; He will take a mile if he can! Stand!  Draw your Sword of the Spirit! (The Word)  Then…speak it out!  Boom!  Take that devil!

Walking the journey with you…