I am thrilled to see that Money Saving Mom and her dh were able to buy their first home WITH CASH. I think that's one of the most inspirational financial success stories I've heard in quite some time! Many congratulations to MMM and her family!!!
Over at Grocery Shrinks, there is a great link to a tutorial (from Little Green Notebook) on how to convert those cheap ugly blinds into Roman shades. This is exactly what I needed! I've got fabric on roller shades right now, but I'm tired of having to replace the rollers every two years or so, and I think turning that fabric into Roman shades would work wonderfully well!
My only "inspirational" bit to contribute is that I was able to make 2 batches of blueberry jam this weekend. My family is LOVING IT. The taste is so much better than store bought I have to say that I think I've permanently spoiled my family. I can only hope that somehow we can save some of this jam I've been making for the winter! (I've got 29 jars of strawberry and blueberry jam tucked away in the pantry. The only other fruit I want to try to make into jam is peach -- living in South Carolina, it would be almost a sin not to, doncha think?)
I wish my garden would produce enough food for me to learn how to can vegetables but alas, it's just not going to happen. We have way too much shade in our yard -- a good thing for South Carolina summers and keeping our house cool, but totally wrong for trying to grow a fabulous garden. I seem to be able to grow peppers (jalapenos, that is) and some herbs small containers, but that's about it.
Showing posts with label home decorating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home decorating. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
I Can Dream...
I am thankful for our baby #8 who will be making his grand entrance sometime soon -- I really and truly am.
But may I just say that I'm more than a bit unsettled that this little man has NO WHERE to go? I'm not kidding. He's going to be in our bedroom until...
I can't see how we'll add on again, or how we'd pay for it if we could.
My husband and I have spent more years than I care to admit having to sleep on blow up mattresses in our own home while our small ones got our bedroom. For over a year our "bedroom" was our living room. Doable, but really not fun. We had to pack everything up every morning and stow it away, and then take it back out and sleep on couches and such every night.
If God ever sees fit to bless us with some way to add on, I would love, love, love something like this:
Wow... isn't that just beautiful? Her kitchen is amazing, too. Take a few moments to poke around her blogsite and enjoy the amazing home she has created for her family.
Now before I lapse into self-pity, which is NOT what I'm trying to do here, I have to say that God has already shown Himself to have our best interests at heart. A few months ago a friend of mine replaced her water heater, and offered us her basically brand new "old" one. My husband wasn't too excited about the prospect of replacing ours at the time, so I didn't take her up on her offer. A few days ago, however, my husband asked me to PLEASE get a plumber to look at a leak he had noticed around our water heater. Turns out it was almost rusted through and was ready to burst. Said friend still had her "old" water heater to give us, and voila! We now have a 50-gallon heater rather than our old 30-gallon one, all for the price of installation.
He filled the need we had before we ever even knew we HAD a need, in other words.
If He can do that, He can certainly take care of all these other things.
I tried to remind myself of that when I went to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament this morning... to THANK HIM for all He's given us, and not to freak out and worry about what He hasn't. He knows all my hopes and dreams, all my fears, and my frustrations. I must trust that He will take care of all these other things as well.
Still... I can dream, can't I? *wink*
But may I just say that I'm more than a bit unsettled that this little man has NO WHERE to go? I'm not kidding. He's going to be in our bedroom until...
I can't see how we'll add on again, or how we'd pay for it if we could.
My husband and I have spent more years than I care to admit having to sleep on blow up mattresses in our own home while our small ones got our bedroom. For over a year our "bedroom" was our living room. Doable, but really not fun. We had to pack everything up every morning and stow it away, and then take it back out and sleep on couches and such every night.
If God ever sees fit to bless us with some way to add on, I would love, love, love something like this:
Wow... isn't that just beautiful? Her kitchen is amazing, too. Take a few moments to poke around her blogsite and enjoy the amazing home she has created for her family.
Now before I lapse into self-pity, which is NOT what I'm trying to do here, I have to say that God has already shown Himself to have our best interests at heart. A few months ago a friend of mine replaced her water heater, and offered us her basically brand new "old" one. My husband wasn't too excited about the prospect of replacing ours at the time, so I didn't take her up on her offer. A few days ago, however, my husband asked me to PLEASE get a plumber to look at a leak he had noticed around our water heater. Turns out it was almost rusted through and was ready to burst. Said friend still had her "old" water heater to give us, and voila! We now have a 50-gallon heater rather than our old 30-gallon one, all for the price of installation.
He filled the need we had before we ever even knew we HAD a need, in other words.
If He can do that, He can certainly take care of all these other things.
I tried to remind myself of that when I went to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament this morning... to THANK HIM for all He's given us, and not to freak out and worry about what He hasn't. He knows all my hopes and dreams, all my fears, and my frustrations. I must trust that He will take care of all these other things as well.
Still... I can dream, can't I? *wink*
Friday, May 29, 2009
What I Accomplished This Week
Subtitled: Too Much Of a Good Thing
First, the good news.
I have been needing to make new seat covers for oh, I hate to admit it... about a year now. We have a cheap little kitchen table set with some pretty sad chairs to go around it. I mean, it's fine for what it is, but it's looking pretty worn.
Seven kids can do that to a kitchen set fairly quickly.
This is what my kitchen table looks like now (I had to spruce it up a couple of years ago after a primer mishap), and just so you get an idea of what the rest of the room looks like, here it is.
All of that is so you don't cringe in horror when I tell you that I made new seatcovers that are pink.
Bright pink.
You've seen the pictures, so hopefully you understand that in my kitchen it just... works. (or maybe it's just my imagination, but humor me!)
It made me happy. It made me smile. Look at Grace here... she's a happy kid sitting on the new seat covers!
But I couldn't leave well enough alone. I stood back, loving every second of my seat covers, and then the thought came to me...
"Maybe you should paint the chairs as well. After all, look how much fun you had painting the table!"
That did it.
I HAD to paint the chairs.
The room was just too yellow, and the yellow hue of the wood in the chairs and the counter was just too much. I went to the hardware store, picked up some paint, and had the kids help me take the chairs apart and sand them. They did a GREAT job, and as a reward, they each got to paint a chair (or part of it, at least). I even had some fabric stashed away that would be GREAT for the actual seat itself (you see, the original seat fabric was beyond nasty, and had to be replaced. However, being a mom of many, I knew that the REAL seat would need seat COVERS that could be WASHED. Does this make sense?)
It took two days of work (the original seats were covered in fabric that must have had a hundred staples holding it on! Good grief!), but we finally got it done.
Here's the chair as it really looks in my kitchen...
...and here it is all nice and bright so you can actually see it.
(No, I don't normally let Grace run around like this. She had just spilled her drink on her shirt, and insisted on being in the chair even though I was trying to take a picture! Just keepin' it real, here...)
But alas... the new chair, while looking OK on its own...
...just looks wrong with my hot pink seat covers on it.
The ONLY thing that I was really thrilled about in the first place!
So now I'm kicking myself for painting the chairs. I should have just replaced the nasty fabric on the seats themselves, put my new hot pink covers on, and gone my merry little way.
I'm so sad.
First, the good news.
I have been needing to make new seat covers for oh, I hate to admit it... about a year now. We have a cheap little kitchen table set with some pretty sad chairs to go around it. I mean, it's fine for what it is, but it's looking pretty worn.
Seven kids can do that to a kitchen set fairly quickly.
This is what my kitchen table looks like now (I had to spruce it up a couple of years ago after a primer mishap), and just so you get an idea of what the rest of the room looks like, here it is.
All of that is so you don't cringe in horror when I tell you that I made new seatcovers that are pink.
Bright pink.
You've seen the pictures, so hopefully you understand that in my kitchen it just... works. (or maybe it's just my imagination, but humor me!)
It made me happy. It made me smile. Look at Grace here... she's a happy kid sitting on the new seat covers!
But I couldn't leave well enough alone. I stood back, loving every second of my seat covers, and then the thought came to me...
"Maybe you should paint the chairs as well. After all, look how much fun you had painting the table!"
That did it.
I HAD to paint the chairs.
The room was just too yellow, and the yellow hue of the wood in the chairs and the counter was just too much. I went to the hardware store, picked up some paint, and had the kids help me take the chairs apart and sand them. They did a GREAT job, and as a reward, they each got to paint a chair (or part of it, at least). I even had some fabric stashed away that would be GREAT for the actual seat itself (you see, the original seat fabric was beyond nasty, and had to be replaced. However, being a mom of many, I knew that the REAL seat would need seat COVERS that could be WASHED. Does this make sense?)
It took two days of work (the original seats were covered in fabric that must have had a hundred staples holding it on! Good grief!), but we finally got it done.
Here's the chair as it really looks in my kitchen...
...and here it is all nice and bright so you can actually see it.
(No, I don't normally let Grace run around like this. She had just spilled her drink on her shirt, and insisted on being in the chair even though I was trying to take a picture! Just keepin' it real, here...)
But alas... the new chair, while looking OK on its own...
...just looks wrong with my hot pink seat covers on it.
The ONLY thing that I was really thrilled about in the first place!
So now I'm kicking myself for painting the chairs. I should have just replaced the nasty fabric on the seats themselves, put my new hot pink covers on, and gone my merry little way.
I'm so sad.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Oh dear...
My friend Julie from Call Me Wannabe has just introduced me to a new blog: The Nesting Place.
Oh.My.Goodness.
If blogging here at Chez Ouiz is light over the next few days, chances are I'm on this site, soaking up every great decorating idea she has.
If I lived all alone (and I THANK GOD that I don't!!!), I would spend every free moment crafting -- I'd paint furniture, crochet, cross-stitch, sew, make dolls, learn how to weave, make jewelry, etc etc etc. I have been "making things" ever since I can remember, and the tug on my heart is still as strong as ever.
Sigh.
As Grace gets older, it will be easier (again) to work on projects. Until then, I will do what I can... and file away some great ideas for later!
Oh.My.Goodness.
If blogging here at Chez Ouiz is light over the next few days, chances are I'm on this site, soaking up every great decorating idea she has.
If I lived all alone (and I THANK GOD that I don't!!!), I would spend every free moment crafting -- I'd paint furniture, crochet, cross-stitch, sew, make dolls, learn how to weave, make jewelry, etc etc etc. I have been "making things" ever since I can remember, and the tug on my heart is still as strong as ever.
Sigh.
As Grace gets older, it will be easier (again) to work on projects. Until then, I will do what I can... and file away some great ideas for later!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
More creative inspiration
One thing I absolutely love about blogging is seeing how other people decorate their homes. My mother-in-law first introduced me to the concept of setting up little niches throughout the house and creating what I call "pockets of glow" (you may remember my post here from some time back)
With that in mind, I was drawn to the wonderful environment that Deb from Homespun Living creates in her home with these cabinets. Beautiful! (Although I'm finding it hard not to covet her office space in her kitchen! *sigh*)
With that in mind, I was drawn to the wonderful environment that Deb from Homespun Living creates in her home with these cabinets. Beautiful! (Although I'm finding it hard not to covet her office space in her kitchen! *sigh*)
Sunday, June 15, 2008
More creative inspirations!
I just recently "made the acquaintance" of a highly inspirational blog called "Down To Earth." I love seeing how women around the world are taking the little corner that God has given them and truly made it theirs!
Read her latest post here on "Finding Time for Needlework." I found this to be most helpful!
I think some ladies feel guilt when they take time to sew or knit. They get a lot of pleasure from the doing of it so they think it's just a pure pleasure for them. That's not quite right, ladies. Yes, it is a pleasure, but it also contributes to your home - it is either part of your home making or your home maintenance. No matter how much pleasure you gain from the needles, it is one of your chores as well...
If you do get pleasure from craft work, or if it is something else that does that, structure it into your day. We talked about balance recently - this is a balance item. It is one of those things that you can look forward to during the day, it is still fulfilling your requirement to contribute in a meaningful way to your family and home, but because of its gentle nature, it will provide you with some respite from the heavier jobs.
Remember, this simple life is about finding pleasure in the ordinary and everyday tasks we all face. Don't be afraid to sit down with your craftwork. It is a great skill you bring to your family and if you find pleasure in doing it, well, that's just the icing on the cake.
Wonderful!
And a special "shout out" to my sister-in-law, who has actually done what all of us *say* we'd like to do... and that is, to work on our Christmas projects all year round. She has already finished -- or is currently working on -- quite a few projects for her family. She has incorporated crafting into her daily routines, and as a result, she is waaaaaaaaaaaaay ahead of the game. I hope to get started soon!
Read her latest post here on "Finding Time for Needlework." I found this to be most helpful!
I think some ladies feel guilt when they take time to sew or knit. They get a lot of pleasure from the doing of it so they think it's just a pure pleasure for them. That's not quite right, ladies. Yes, it is a pleasure, but it also contributes to your home - it is either part of your home making or your home maintenance. No matter how much pleasure you gain from the needles, it is one of your chores as well...
If you do get pleasure from craft work, or if it is something else that does that, structure it into your day. We talked about balance recently - this is a balance item. It is one of those things that you can look forward to during the day, it is still fulfilling your requirement to contribute in a meaningful way to your family and home, but because of its gentle nature, it will provide you with some respite from the heavier jobs.
Remember, this simple life is about finding pleasure in the ordinary and everyday tasks we all face. Don't be afraid to sit down with your craftwork. It is a great skill you bring to your family and if you find pleasure in doing it, well, that's just the icing on the cake.
Wonderful!
And a special "shout out" to my sister-in-law, who has actually done what all of us *say* we'd like to do... and that is, to work on our Christmas projects all year round. She has already finished -- or is currently working on -- quite a few projects for her family. She has incorporated crafting into her daily routines, and as a result, she is waaaaaaaaaaaaay ahead of the game. I hope to get started soon!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Ouiz learns a lesson
I'm afraid that this will be a rather common theme seen here on my blog:
Ouiz learns, yet again, that it is simpler to FIX a problem rather than complain about it.
You may remember my kitchen cabinet. For 14 years I complained about how ugly it was, and how cute it could be if it were just painted. FOURTEEN YEARS I wasted complaining about the darn thing, and how long did it take me to actually paint it?
TWO HOURS.
Yes indeed.
Unfortunately, I have a bit of a negative side (as all those who know me IRL gasp in shock), and I tend to see 100 reasons why something CAN'T be done, rather than expend that energy to make it happen.
It's not a part of my personality that I'm proud of, mind you... but you can see that the Lord has quite a bit of work left to do in me.
So, with that in mind, let me direct you to the latest project Chez Ouiz:
The front of my house.
My house is, oh... how shall we put it?
Small.
Brick.
Non descript.
Needing work.
Lacking in curb appeal.
We bought it because it had "potential"... but, being the people that we are, my husband and I haven't had that "gung-ho spirit" that enables people to turn trash into treasure, or work those miracle before/after transformations that are seen so often on home channels.
For 11 years now, I've hated the front of the house -- specifically, the windows. They are of the late 50s vintage, with ugly institutional gray trim all around. I got rid of that institutional gray in my kitchen (ooh. That was bad...), but driving up to my house always gave me a rather "blah" feeling.
Still reveling in the high I've been on with the other projects I've tackled, I decided to face my walk of shame head on and work on THE WINDOWS.
I felt the old "this is going to take tooooooooo looooooooooooooooooooong" whines creeping up, but I told myself to just enjoy the process, and focus on ONE window. Monday afternoon was dedicated to the first window, and I was pleased with the results.
Today the Lord gave me the most PERFECT day to continue the work. The air was cool, there was a gentle breeze blowing all day long, my kids were exceptionally well-behaved, and (get this!) Grace decided to TAKE A NAP.
Everything was aligned... all I needed to do was get up and start moving.
I picked up my scraper and started working. One window... two windows... three windows... and then four and five.
I was stunned. The work was going much faster than I thought.
I started washing and getting all the surfaces cleaned. Again, the kids were good as gold and needed nothing from me. Grace was still asleep. Could I actually start painting?
Sean took over cooking lunch, so there was no stopping me.
I got up on the ladder and started going... praising the Lord all the way through for His gift to me... talking to Him and slapping paint on.
Three and a half hours later, I was DONE.
Final tally: less than six hours to fix a problem that had plagued me for over eleven years.
Isn't that sad? I could have worked for 30 minutes A YEAR and gotten the same results.
Still, I am proud of myself for actually getting up on the ladder and getting this project done. Next on my list will be to paint the soffits/facia/trim so that they will look nice as well.
Moral of this story: it won't take NEARLY as long as you think it will, so get up and start working!
Ouiz learns, yet again, that it is simpler to FIX a problem rather than complain about it.
You may remember my kitchen cabinet. For 14 years I complained about how ugly it was, and how cute it could be if it were just painted. FOURTEEN YEARS I wasted complaining about the darn thing, and how long did it take me to actually paint it?
TWO HOURS.
Yes indeed.
Unfortunately, I have a bit of a negative side (as all those who know me IRL gasp in shock), and I tend to see 100 reasons why something CAN'T be done, rather than expend that energy to make it happen.
It's not a part of my personality that I'm proud of, mind you... but you can see that the Lord has quite a bit of work left to do in me.
So, with that in mind, let me direct you to the latest project Chez Ouiz:
The front of my house.
My house is, oh... how shall we put it?
Small.
Brick.
Non descript.
Needing work.
Lacking in curb appeal.
We bought it because it had "potential"... but, being the people that we are, my husband and I haven't had that "gung-ho spirit" that enables people to turn trash into treasure, or work those miracle before/after transformations that are seen so often on home channels.
For 11 years now, I've hated the front of the house -- specifically, the windows. They are of the late 50s vintage, with ugly institutional gray trim all around. I got rid of that institutional gray in my kitchen (ooh. That was bad...), but driving up to my house always gave me a rather "blah" feeling.
Still reveling in the high I've been on with the other projects I've tackled, I decided to face my walk of shame head on and work on THE WINDOWS.
I felt the old "this is going to take tooooooooo looooooooooooooooooooong" whines creeping up, but I told myself to just enjoy the process, and focus on ONE window. Monday afternoon was dedicated to the first window, and I was pleased with the results.
Today the Lord gave me the most PERFECT day to continue the work. The air was cool, there was a gentle breeze blowing all day long, my kids were exceptionally well-behaved, and (get this!) Grace decided to TAKE A NAP.
Everything was aligned... all I needed to do was get up and start moving.
I picked up my scraper and started working. One window... two windows... three windows... and then four and five.
I was stunned. The work was going much faster than I thought.
I started washing and getting all the surfaces cleaned. Again, the kids were good as gold and needed nothing from me. Grace was still asleep. Could I actually start painting?
Sean took over cooking lunch, so there was no stopping me.
I got up on the ladder and started going... praising the Lord all the way through for His gift to me... talking to Him and slapping paint on.
Three and a half hours later, I was DONE.
Final tally: less than six hours to fix a problem that had plagued me for over eleven years.
Isn't that sad? I could have worked for 30 minutes A YEAR and gotten the same results.
Still, I am proud of myself for actually getting up on the ladder and getting this project done. Next on my list will be to paint the soffits/facia/trim so that they will look nice as well.
Moral of this story: it won't take NEARLY as long as you think it will, so get up and start working!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Pockets of glow, part 2
Many thanks to Meredith over at Sweetness and Light, who kindly shared the beautiful "pocket of glow" that she has at her home!
As a stay-at-home Mommy, I have come to appreciate more and more the need for these quiet places in our homes where WE can stop for a moment, recouperate from the stresses of the day, spend a quiet moment with the Lord, and not be quite so... assaulted... by the visual clutter that is strewn about by our kids.
What I have also noticed is that my children -- even though they are the ones who make the messes! -- gravitate towards those places in our home that are peaceful and less visually assaulting as well. I will often find one of my girls sitting in the chair next to the radio, for example, with a clipboard in hand, quietly drawing.
My goal is to have places like this all over our house where the kids can retreat, be quiet, read, think, and not have to deal with the constant chaos around here (and with our humble little abode, that will be somewhat of a challenge...)
As a stay-at-home Mommy, I have come to appreciate more and more the need for these quiet places in our homes where WE can stop for a moment, recouperate from the stresses of the day, spend a quiet moment with the Lord, and not be quite so... assaulted... by the visual clutter that is strewn about by our kids.
What I have also noticed is that my children -- even though they are the ones who make the messes! -- gravitate towards those places in our home that are peaceful and less visually assaulting as well. I will often find one of my girls sitting in the chair next to the radio, for example, with a clipboard in hand, quietly drawing.
My goal is to have places like this all over our house where the kids can retreat, be quiet, read, think, and not have to deal with the constant chaos around here (and with our humble little abode, that will be somewhat of a challenge...)
Monday, August 20, 2007
Inspiration
I told you I love to see how other bloggers have decorated their homes! I stumbled across the Homespun Living blogsite, and I just LOVE her laundry room! (and make sure you check out her laundry table too!) I have to store all of the kids' sheets in ours, and right now they are just stacked on the shelves above my dryer.
Not very pretty.
As you recall, I can always turn around and take a look at my little pocket of glow behind me on the folding table... but it would be nice to have something pretty to look at in front as well.
I need these little oases of calm, folks!
When I am forced to wade through a sea of Little People, Legos, and Bionicles just to get to my laundry room, I need something calm and neat to look at to keep me sane!
Not very pretty.
As you recall, I can always turn around and take a look at my little pocket of glow behind me on the folding table... but it would be nice to have something pretty to look at in front as well.
I need these little oases of calm, folks!
When I am forced to wade through a sea of Little People, Legos, and Bionicles just to get to my laundry room, I need something calm and neat to look at to keep me sane!
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Pockets of glow
I had the chance to go to the craft store today (AKA Hobby Lobby) and lo and behold, a wonderous sight greeted me -- FALL DECORATIONS! Yes, yes, I know we're in a horrible heat wave in the middle of August, but seeing all those Fall decorations made me so blissfully happy! All who know me know how much I love the Fall, with the smells of baking, the decorations, the crunchy leaves underfoot, the warm sweaters and cool, overcast days....
ah... the very best time of the year...
But I digress.
I don't know what Fall does for you, but it makes me want to set up a cozy little home and spruce it up with all sorts of wonderful decorations.
Which brings me to the whole point of this post: home decor.
My husband's mom (she HATES to be called a "mother-in-law") has decorated their home so nicely. She's rather eclectic and loves to display all sorts of knick-knacks, but it WORKS, thanks to what I described to her as "pockets of glow." All around their tiny little house she has set up little corners here and there, each with its own light source and place to sit, that are so inviting and wonderful!
I have tried to recreate that as best as possible, and I thought I'd share it with you... because, if you're anything like me, you like to see how other people have decorated their homes! (I love it when bloggers post their house pictures! I get so many great ideas and so much inspiration from seeing what others have done!)
[you'll have to use your imagination a bit, however, because I had some difficulty taking the pictures. If I used the flash, it was too bright, and if I didn't, it was too dark... oh well]
Here, for example, is the pocket of glow I have right here next to me on my desk:
It's nothing fancy, but the lamp and the soft glow is so inviting!
Next is a corner in my living room. I have to admit, this is one of my favorite corners of the house. The lamp, the chair, the old-timey radio and the pictures set up such a nice display that visitors are usually drawn to it. It's the perfect place to sit with a hot cup of tea and read a book while listening to Echoes on NPR...
This next little pocket is in our hallway, just inside the front door. We don't have any sort of foyer, so this was our attempt to make a plain hallway a bit more inviting! Again, it's much prettier in person, but the soft glow in the hallway, the statue of Mary, the fun old-timey phone (sensing a theme here?) and the table my husband built makes another spot that just feels so... peaceful.
I even tried to spruce up the laundry room. It's mighty small (think closet-sized) and I needed SOMETHING to make me happy in there... so once again Hobby Lobby came to the rescue with a lamp and a fun French poster -- and the result is that I look forward to doing laundry at nighttime, because this little pocket of glow makes me happy.
The last picture doesn't seem to fit, but you'll just have to trust me on this one. We even have a "pocket of glow" in our bathroom (but unfortunately, the bathroom is kinda small, and it was impossible to get a decent picture... believe me, I tried). However, I can show you the wonderful shelves my husband built. This door used to be a window (before we added on to the house). When the builder put in the door, we were left with a horrible hole in the wall where the rest of the window used to be. My husband, well known for taking "a bug and calling it a feature," was able to fill up the hole with these fun little shelves, which I fill up with all sorts of seasonal displays. Obviously, "beach" is the summer theme around here! I took some poster putty and stuck my little sea-shell friends up on the wall, and the result has been a fun display that my kids have really enjoyed!
I hope you've enjoyed this little "Chez Ouiz" tour! Anyone else want to play along? Do you have a quiet spot... a pocket of glow... or a little corner of your house that makes you blissfully happy... that you'd be willing to share?
ah... the very best time of the year...
But I digress.
I don't know what Fall does for you, but it makes me want to set up a cozy little home and spruce it up with all sorts of wonderful decorations.
Which brings me to the whole point of this post: home decor.
My husband's mom (she HATES to be called a "mother-in-law") has decorated their home so nicely. She's rather eclectic and loves to display all sorts of knick-knacks, but it WORKS, thanks to what I described to her as "pockets of glow." All around their tiny little house she has set up little corners here and there, each with its own light source and place to sit, that are so inviting and wonderful!
I have tried to recreate that as best as possible, and I thought I'd share it with you... because, if you're anything like me, you like to see how other people have decorated their homes! (I love it when bloggers post their house pictures! I get so many great ideas and so much inspiration from seeing what others have done!)
[you'll have to use your imagination a bit, however, because I had some difficulty taking the pictures. If I used the flash, it was too bright, and if I didn't, it was too dark... oh well]
Here, for example, is the pocket of glow I have right here next to me on my desk:
It's nothing fancy, but the lamp and the soft glow is so inviting!
Next is a corner in my living room. I have to admit, this is one of my favorite corners of the house. The lamp, the chair, the old-timey radio and the pictures set up such a nice display that visitors are usually drawn to it. It's the perfect place to sit with a hot cup of tea and read a book while listening to Echoes on NPR...
This next little pocket is in our hallway, just inside the front door. We don't have any sort of foyer, so this was our attempt to make a plain hallway a bit more inviting! Again, it's much prettier in person, but the soft glow in the hallway, the statue of Mary, the fun old-timey phone (sensing a theme here?) and the table my husband built makes another spot that just feels so... peaceful.
I even tried to spruce up the laundry room. It's mighty small (think closet-sized) and I needed SOMETHING to make me happy in there... so once again Hobby Lobby came to the rescue with a lamp and a fun French poster -- and the result is that I look forward to doing laundry at nighttime, because this little pocket of glow makes me happy.
The last picture doesn't seem to fit, but you'll just have to trust me on this one. We even have a "pocket of glow" in our bathroom (but unfortunately, the bathroom is kinda small, and it was impossible to get a decent picture... believe me, I tried). However, I can show you the wonderful shelves my husband built. This door used to be a window (before we added on to the house). When the builder put in the door, we were left with a horrible hole in the wall where the rest of the window used to be. My husband, well known for taking "a bug and calling it a feature," was able to fill up the hole with these fun little shelves, which I fill up with all sorts of seasonal displays. Obviously, "beach" is the summer theme around here! I took some poster putty and stuck my little sea-shell friends up on the wall, and the result has been a fun display that my kids have really enjoyed!
I hope you've enjoyed this little "Chez Ouiz" tour! Anyone else want to play along? Do you have a quiet spot... a pocket of glow... or a little corner of your house that makes you blissfully happy... that you'd be willing to share?
Friday, August 17, 2007
Playroom fun
Our "playroom" is actually an open area at the end of the hall, just before you get to the kids' rooms. It's rather hard to keep clean (duh...), and occasionally I just have to have a clean and purge session.
Today was that kind of day.
So, to remind myself that it can ACTUALLY look nice and organized... from time to time... I took these pictures.
And if you think it will look this way tomorrow, you're crazy! (but, a mom can always hope, right?)
Secondly, I'm sure that this is nothing new to many out there, but I had to share one of my kids' (and the neighbors') favorite toys... the treasure chest! My mom went to Hobby Lobby during one of their sales and bought a wonderful "pirate's chest," and then bought several bags of silver and gold buttons. I've added many things along the way as well (beads, old junk jewelry, etc). The result is simply irresistible for kids who love to be pirates... or dragons guarding secret treasure (like Smaug)... or whatever.
The beauty of it all is that a simple $3 bag of buttons can restock it nicely, and thrills the heck out of the kids!
**In case anyone is curious, Marie is not a "put stuff in her mouth" kind of toddler (and praise God for that, since we've got Bionicles and Legos all over the place around here!), so I don't have to be hyper-vigilant. Cautious, yes. Freaked out (like I would have been for Reilly or Kathryn), no.**
Today was that kind of day.
So, to remind myself that it can ACTUALLY look nice and organized... from time to time... I took these pictures.
And if you think it will look this way tomorrow, you're crazy! (but, a mom can always hope, right?)
Secondly, I'm sure that this is nothing new to many out there, but I had to share one of my kids' (and the neighbors') favorite toys... the treasure chest! My mom went to Hobby Lobby during one of their sales and bought a wonderful "pirate's chest," and then bought several bags of silver and gold buttons. I've added many things along the way as well (beads, old junk jewelry, etc). The result is simply irresistible for kids who love to be pirates... or dragons guarding secret treasure (like Smaug)... or whatever.
The beauty of it all is that a simple $3 bag of buttons can restock it nicely, and thrills the heck out of the kids!
**In case anyone is curious, Marie is not a "put stuff in her mouth" kind of toddler (and praise God for that, since we've got Bionicles and Legos all over the place around here!), so I don't have to be hyper-vigilant. Cautious, yes. Freaked out (like I would have been for Reilly or Kathryn), no.**
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