It’s no secret that I like stuff. Mostly pretty stuff for my house, but I’m an equal opportunity stuff-lover. And I’m gifted at finding good stuff. Cheap. I find stuff in the clearance aisle, at the Goodwill and the antique store. And occasionally, by the side of the road.

I love the things that I use to decorate my home. Most of them have a story and I get real pleasure out of making my home pretty.

But sometimes it becomes too much. All my pretty things start to look like this. I start to feel suffocated by the stuff. I look around my house (and my basement!) and all I see is too much stuff. It all looks like clutter and junk.

My soul (and my inner housekeeper) becomes restless to be free of excess stuff. It’s a cyclical thing with me. I gather, collect and save. Then I purge, eliminate and simplify. My hubby is a big fan of the second part of this cycle.

I am so blessed that I have the luxury of too much stuff. But too much stuff can be a curse. Too much stuff can weigh you down and sap your energy.

So, all of this naval gazing leads to one question…Is it too late in the season to hold a garage sale? (We’re in Pennsylvania.) If not, do you think I can get ready by this weekend?

photo credit: Steven Snodgrass

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

I have a confession to make. There was a time in my life when entertaining friends and family stressed me out. A lot. And it was my own fault.

I made entertaining too complicated.

Join me at Reluctant Entertainer today to read about my simple summer entertaining philosophy.

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

Someday, when I’m independently wealthy (a girl can dream), I’m going to have fresh flowers in my home every day. Until then, I’ll have to settle for the occasional Sam’s Club bouquet. But there’s something so welcoming about flowers, don’t you think? Flowers are good for the heart and soul.

One of my goals for this spring is to plant a small cutting garden in the backyard. A cutting garden is a small (or large!) garden grown specifically so that you can have cut flowers for fresh bouquets.

Here are a few great articles on the topic:

Canadian Living: How to Plant a Cutting Garden
BHG: Best Perennials for Cutting
BHG: Best Annuals for Cutting

Don’t have room for a garden? How about a container garden on your porch or balcony? Life on the Balcony wrote a great series on Cutting Flowers in a Container Garden.

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Catch up with our Make Your Home More Welcoming Series. Like so many other things, I got off to a roaring start with this series. Then I got distracted by something shiny.

Challenge #1: Greet them the right way
Challenge #2: Clean up YOUR entryway
Challenge #3: Turn on some music
Challenge #4: Get them a drink
Challenge #5: Make it Smell Good
Challenge #6: Make Them Something Yummy
Challenge #7: Use the Good Stuff
Challenge #8: Foof Up YOUR Entry Door
Challenge #9: Turn on Some Lamps

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

Remember all those candles from yesterday. I pulled some out and, for about 10 minutes, they looked like this in my dining room. Pretty, right?

I think my boys like when I start moving things around. In their eyes, any new display is just a new playground for Star Wars guys. I’m ok with that.

Sometimes they put things back the way they found them. Sometimes they sprout wings and fly. (I was still fooling around with the display when Luke and Vader arrived.)

I’m not, by nature, one of those super layed-back moms. My instinct is to say things like “stop! put that back! clean it up! don’t mess with that!” I have to work on being relaxed (that sounds funny doesn’t it?) But it’s worth it because I like to think that they’ll remember Epic Battles in The Forest of Tall Candles.

They definitely won’t remember that mommy had the prettiest candle display on the block.

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

Random pretty picture because I can’t stand
starting a post without a picture.

This is a re-post from 368 days ago. There isn’t any Christmas yakk on my chandelier and I made the paper chains using staples this year, but the sentiment remains the same. It seemed appropriate to share this again today.

Today’s post is all about being real. With all of you and with myself. I love blogging. I love sharing my life and my home with you, my dear friends…And getting to know you through a glimpse into your lives. But it’s just that. A glimpse.

As much as I love blogging, I think it has one major danger (aside from being the cause of hungry children with no clean clothes). The danger is that we begin to think that everyone else is doing “it” better than we are. “It” is whatever we’re struggling with. Everyone else has better behaved children, is a sweeter, gentler mother and wife, is a better housekeeper, decorator, whatever.

It’s the power of the edit and the zoom lens.

So in the interest of encouraging you before we all spin off into the business of celebrating Christmas, I’m going to get real.

Do you remember these adorable children who were sweetly waiting for their blueberry muffins? As I am writing this post, the older one is enjoying some time alone in his room because he SCREAMED at his younger brother and shoved him off the couch. But don’t you go feeling sorry for that baby boy. He spent some time in the naughty chair earlier today for clonking his big brother on the head with Thomas the Train.

And these beautiful scrapbook paper chains that you all raved about? The scrapbook tape that we used isn’t holding. Every few minutes, I hear a flick and a shuffle as a loop pops open and part of the chain falls to the ground. Repairs will be made with staples.

Allow me to share my dining room. It has looked like this for a month. Actually, this is pretty good. I cleaned up for an hour last night. The dining room becomes my dumping ground for all my projects. At Christmas, that gets a little out of control.

And that Christmas yakk on the chandelier? My failed attempt at creating something beautiful. It’s OK. I know it’s a hideous mess. And I have no intention on trying to fix it. I am done. No more decorating. I’ve got plastic bins that haven’t been opened and another tree that will have to stay in it’s box until next year. I’ll enjoy what is done and that’s that.

And in case you think I’m all sweetness and light…let me assure you that Monster Mommy has been hanging out at our house a little too much lately. And what’s worse is that Witchy Wifey usually travels with Monster Mommy. Let this be a pledge to my dear family that I will banish that evil duo.

So, on the off chance you thought that I had it all together, I hope this is an encouragement to you. We’re all just doing the best we can. Some days are better than others and I pray that my Lord will cover my failings.

~~~~~~~~~~

In case you were wondering, DIY Day will start tonight as usual (10 pm eastern time). I may not get around to a recap but please share any projects you’ve done recently!

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

We’re trying to remember to be purposefully thankful this month so we made a Thankful Tree.

We started with a branch from the backyard.

Note: No living trees were harmed in the creation of this project.

Of course, I had to hit it with my favorite red spray paint…Krylon Banner Red. (It would have been fine au-naturale too. If you’re ok with naked sticks in your house.)

Then we put it into my Jute Twine Vase. There’s a piece of floral foam hot glued to the bottom. And some rocks for stability.

We’ll use the little paper tags to write down things that we’re thankful for throughout the month. This would be adorable if you have paper leaves to write on. But I was using what I had…paper tags. I’m hoping this will keep us in the habit of being grateful.

For the expected things…

For the sweet things…

For the things that bring tears to this mama’s eyes…

For another great idea for encouraging intentional gratitude, check out this post that Robin at Pensieve wrote for (in)courage.

And if you missed our Make Your Home More Welcoming Challenge from this morning, scroll down or check it out here.

~~~~~~~~~~

And now a word from our sponsor…Do you remember my adorable advertiser, Pink Pig? You all went wild for their charming mix of city and country style the last time they were here.

With each order placed before Christmas, they will include a free Vintage Christmas scented votive candle. Just enter the code VINTAGE when you check out. Make sure to visit Pink Pig for all the City AND Country Pigs in your life.

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

Yes! We’re still doing this series. I just got a little sidetracked by my move to WordPress.

Today’s challenge is a simple one…Turn on some lamps. Even during the day. And turn OFF those overhead lights, whenever you can.

Your home will feel warmer and more welcoming. And you’ll look even prettier by lamplight. Thinner too!

Click here for the whole Make Your Home More Welcoming Series.

You can browse all of our challenges and join in any time. Just click here to see the whole series.

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

Foof up your entry way door.

Today’s “welcoming” idea came right from one of my readers, Lynda from Ramblings of a Sports Mad Southern Girl.

I spend a lot of time making wreaths and pretty things for my front door. I love doing it and it makes the front of the house look great. I can’t believe it never occurred to me to give the same treatment to the door that our family uses.

Today, we’re going to hang something pretty on the door that our family usually uses. For me, that’s the door from the garage into our kitchen. Maybe you use your front door and you already have something pretty hanging there. In that case, yay you! Now go hug someone.

I have no shortage of wreaths, so that’s what I’ll do. You can browse all of our challenges and join in any time. Just click here to see the whole series.

photo credit: Puzzler4879

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

Use the good stuff.

Do you have a china cabinet full of wedding china (or Grandma’s china or thrift store china?) that only gets pulled out for a holiday or special occasion? How about some pretty glasses that don’t get used because they’re fragile? Is it REALLY the end of the world if one gets broken?

What’s the point? Let’s get out the good stuff and use it for our own family. Now, I’m not telling you to use Grandma’s china if that’s going to mean hours of hand washing afterward, but if it can go in the dishwasher…why not?

Me? I’m going to pull out some fun appetizer plates that I only use for parties and use them to serve lunch to the kids. Fun, right? And easy.

And I’m going to pull out my fancy goblets and use them for dinner.

Do you have something special that you don’t use. Get it out and give it a spin! Maybe there’s a bottle of champagne in the back of your fridge that’s just waiting for a special occasion.

I say Monday is a special occasion. How about you?

You can browse all of our challenges and join in any time. Just click here to see the whole series.

photo credit DeusXFlorida

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

Make them something yummy.

Even if you regularly have a homemade dinner on the table at 6pm sharp (I don’t!), there’s something extra special about having a little something sweet made for the one’s you love.

It doesn’t have to be some takes-all-day project. I’m a huge fan of popping some break-and-bake or slice-and-bake cookies in the oven. It makes the house smell divine and when you serve them with a glass of cold milk, you’ll get no complaints.

If you’re looking for something a little more special (but still easy), try my Apple and Pear Crisp Fake Out. No one will EVER guess how easy it is.

You can browse all of our challenges and join in any time. Just click here to see the whole series.

photo credit: ilmungo

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

Make it smell good.

I don’t know about you, but in our house we have 2 young boys. That means our house can smell like all sort of funkiness if I don’t keep a breeze blowing.

Today’s challenge is so simple…just make it smell good. That could mean lighting those fancy candles (what are you waiting for, anyway?) or maybe you could bake something yummy.

It doesn’t get any easier, right?

You can browse all of our challenges and join in any time. Just click here to see the whole series.

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

Get them something to drink.

Such a simple thing to do. It’s one of the first things that I do whenever a friend comes over. It’s usually the 3rd question I ask a guest…right after “How are you?” and “Did you bring me a present?”. I ask “Can I get you something to drink?”

There’s something welcoming and sociable about getting someone a beverage.

So today, I challenge you to pour a drink for the people you love without them even asking. The Hubster has a long drive home and usually grabs a can of Diet Coke with Splenda when he gets home. Today, I’ll pour it over ice for him before he walks in the door.

I’m thinking that I should change the title of this series to “Make Yourself More Welcoming.” But, we’re kind of committed now, so we’ll stick with what we’ve got.

You can browse all of our challenges and join in any time. Just click here to see the whole series.

photo credit: DRP via flickr

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

Turn on some music! Really. It’s that simple. Just turn it on!

What does your home sound like? I’m a big believer that music soothes the savage beast. Whether that’s my kids or me, I’ll leave to you to decide.

I just know that when we reach the witching hour (that hour before dinner), turning on some music makes things a little better.

There are times when I’m cooking dinner and I can feel the tension rising. If I stop to listen, I’ll usually realize that I have the news on the TV (loud enough to hear it in the kitchen) and the kids are ramping up their noise to compete with it. Everyone is hungry and we’re ready for daddy to get home.

My irritation is rising by the minute and The Hubster usually walks in the door just as I’m about to explode.

I have found that the simple act of turning off the TV and turning on some music changes the mood. My mom bought us one of those under cabinet cd players like this onefor our kitchen a few years back. Thanks Mom! And I like to think that walking into a house with some tunes playing feels really welcoming.

I’ll leave the tunes selection to you but two of our faves are:

Jack Johnson – Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies for the Film Curious George (The kids remember the music from the movie and Jack Johnson chills me right out. A total crowd-pleaser.)

and

Louis Armstrong – All-Time Greatest Hits (Fun enough for the kids. Cool enough for mom.)

Photo credit: Ian Hayhurst

You can browse all of our challenges and join in any time. Just click here to see the whole series.

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

Clean up your entryway.

I’m not talking about making a beautiful wreath to hang on your front door. That’s for your guests…and for yourself, if you’re a wreath-loving fool like me.

I’m talking about getting rid of the clutter and mess that’s going on in the entrance that your family uses. For me, that’s the door from our garage.

We’re lucky that we have a little mudroom area between the garage and the kitchen. The problem is that it becomes a dumping ground for shoes, book bags, grocery bags, library books, stray dogs and pizza boxes. It makes me cringe every time I walk into it.

We have big plans for a wall unit with a bench and hooks and shelves. Plans, but no funds. In the meantime, I’ve done nothing with it.

Today, I’m going to clean it up. I’m going to find places for all of the clutter that has made it’s permanent home in our entry way. I’m not usually one to show you the “before” without the “after” pictures, but we’re in this together. This is what I’m doing today too.

What if you don’t have a mudroom? I know most people don’t. So how does your family get into your house? What can you do to make it more welcoming? Does it need picked up? Can you add a little table with a bowl where you can drop your keys on the way into the house?

Do you have room for a little chair where you can stop to take off your shoes?

How about a hook on the wall for a coat?

Need a little inspiration?
Key Catcher @ The DIY Show Off
Informal entry way checklist @ Pure Style Home
Solution for lack of an entryway @ Apartment Therapy
DIY coat rack @ My Backyard Eden

You can browse all of our challenges and join in any time. Just click here to see the whole series.

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

The topic of having a more welcoming home has been on my mind lately. When I think about having a warm and welcoming home, I usually think about how guests feel when they enter my home.

But lately, I’ve been wondering how my own family feels when they get home. There’s nothing wrong with wanting guests to feel welcome and at home. In fact, I love doing that! But sometimes I wonder what would happen if I consciously spent that same time and energy making my own family feel at home.

For the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be issuing you some challenges. Simple things that you can do to make your home more welcoming to your own family. Don’t worry. You won’t be alone because I’ll be doing these things in my home too.

This means I’ll probably be posting multiple times a day on some days. I hope you can stand it.

So let’s get to it!

Make Your Home More Welcoming – Challenge #1

What if we greeted our own family with the same attitude and and enthusiasm as we greet our guests? With a big smile, a welcoming hug and a warm “Welcome Home”!

I’ll admit I’m often busy or preoccupied when The Hubster gets home from work. On a good day, he may get a quick “Hi Hon” and not much more. What’s worse is on a bad day, he might get that “Hi” accompanied by snarling or sighing and a barked order to take care of this kid or pick up that mess. I’m a real charmer on those days.

So today, I’m going to make a purposeful effort to greet my own family with the same love and enthusiasm as I would greet a guest. For me, that will probably mean a big smile, a hug and an undistracted conversation. And this doesn’t just apply to The Hubster. I’m going to give the kids this same treatment.

And if you’re the one arriving home to your family, what if you made a purposeful effort to come home with a loving attitude, a cheerful smile and a warm greeting?

Let’s get to it. Go hug somebody.

You can browse all of our challenges and join in any time. Just click here to see the whole series.

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

This inspiring, motivating and comforting guest post comes from Sandy at 4 Reluctant Entertainers.

Sandy began encouraging me to practice hospitality before she ever knew who I was. You’re going to love her too.

Kimba’s like my sister, so when she said, hey can you guest for me? I was on it! That’s just what sisters do for each other. I’d love it if Kimba could bring her family out to Oregon for dinner at my house, but living across the United States from each other, it’s hard to make that happen.

In the meantime, as summer winds down, we’re still enjoying outdoor dinners and entertaining in our backyard.

One of my favorite tablecloths, made from oilcloth, is perfect for outside entertaining. You can make a mess and it wipes right up. It also doesn’t fade in the sun, which I love, and it’s bright and cheery!

Last week my daughter had her soccer team over and we made the Ice Cream Trough. It was messy – the girls diving in and whipped cream going everywhere – but it wiped right up! You don’t even have to throw the tablecloth in the washing machine. It’s that easy!

Since we’re in the middle of a kitchen remodel, I’ve taken a very simple approach to entertaining (yep, paper cups!)

And our summer garden goodness is always the best hot off the grill!

Veggies

Potatoes

Parsnips

Simple tomatoes and basil

Thank you for sharing your encouraging post with us, Sandy. If you can still entertain and practice hospitality while your kitchen is in your garage, I can do it too. I am so blessed to know you and I can’t wait till you fly your pretty self across the country to visit.

Sandy’s mission is to help reluctant hostesses become confident and gracious and to inspire the experienced hostess who is stuck in an entertainment rut. She does both of those things beautifully.

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

Please welcome Rachel Ann from Home Sanctuary. In Rachel’s own words, “”Home Sanctuary” sums up a lot of what my life is about. As a wife and mom, I’m always looking for ways to make our home life a refuge and place of grace for the ones I love most.”

‘And remember one thing, my darlings, and never forget it: that no matter where we are, know that as long as you have each other, you have your family. And you are home.’
~a letter, A Series of Unfortunate Events

I borrowed my daughter’s car, which has no air conditioning, to run some errands the other day. The blistering trip to town immediately transported me back in time, to a series of unfortunate events that happened almost sixteen years ago.

We’d found ourselves in desperate straits: Health issues and emotional stress forced my husband to abruptly leave the company he’d built for 10 years. With no college degrees, a mortgage to pay, two small children and a baby on the way, we had no idea what to do next.

And did I mention that we had only one car….with no air conditioning?

When our money ran out, we did what we never thought we would do: we rented out our house and moved in with my husband’s parents for a year until we could get back on our feet.

Stuffed into the two spare rooms my in-laws graciously offered, we were humbled, yet grateful for the chance to start over. They gave us sanctuary.

My husband drove me to and from my temp job in our un-airconditioned car (because I’d managed to wreck our other one), the catalyst for my sweaty reverie that day. He’d load the kids into the blazing hot vehicle and get into traffic for the hour and a half round trip so I could bring in some money. On the sweltering ride, I’d rest my head and wonder how we would ever get out of this predicament.

It was a year of uncertainties, with fears of the future whispering to us each night as we lay in the dark, in our borrowed beds, in those spare rooms.

Everything we’d worked so hard for was gone. All our sacrifices to build a company meant nothing. We struggled to stay hopeful. It all just seemed…lost.

Except that we still had each other. And we discovered something about the word “sanctuary” that year.

My in-laws had offered us sanctuary, but the the refuge we needed so desperately was much more than a simply a roof over our heads. We learned that sanctuary wasn’t so much a place as it was a choice.

We had to choose to turn to each other, even if the other person had disappointed us. We found refuge in our imperfect marriage. We had to circle the wagons, so to speak, wrap our arms around our little family and trust God in the midst of it. We closed our bedroom doors and read stories, had tickle fights and braided hair. We talked. We prayed. We took walks and made plans. We found pockets of joy to cherish and remember in family stories that are already legendary.

We learned that sanctuary is where you are. It’s what you make of the moments, even when all around you seems bleak. Somehow, there is grace and beauty in the hardships and uncertainties you face, because you choose to find it. And there is hope, even in the dark.

“Sanctuary… is a word which here means a small, safe place in a troubling world. Like an oasis in a vast desert or an island in a stormy sea.” ~narrator, A Series of Unfortunate Events

Note from Kimba: Whenever I have to write a few sentances about ASPTL, I always say that it is a place for practical and inspiring ideas for creating a sanctuary at home. But the reality is that I’m often distracted by spray paint and shiny things and I forget to write about the things that really matter. If you are looking for true inspiration for creating a sanctuary for your family, please visitm Home Sanctuary.

While you’re there, you can start participaing in Today’s Small Thing. Each weekday, Rachel posts one “Small Thing” that you can try to do to create a little more sanctuary in your home.

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful story, Rachel Anne! I want to be you when I grow up!

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

There was a moment this weekend when poster board, marker and “Mom, I’m bored!” collided. I decided it was high time for a summer list.

This wasn’t my idea. Meg from Whatever has shared her family’s summer list for the last two years. If I wasn’t super lazy, I would go get you the links to her two posts. Sorry Meg. Instead, you can go browse around over there until you find them. Trust me. Her site is worth the browse. I want to be Meg when I grow up.

So there’s my summer list. If nothing else, the kid’s will use it to nag me until I try harder to make summer fun. They’re little accountability machines, they are. I had to add a couple for myself. “Sandbox” is easy and requires no planning, thought or effort on my part. We’ll do that one many times.

I’m thinking it will help me do a lot less of this….

And a lot more of this…

In the spirit of “It’s my blog and I’ll brag if I want to”…Yum! This picture of my man with our youngest makes me want to have 10 more babies.

What are you doing this summer?

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• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

A Guest Post: Welcome Tanna Clark from Complete Organizing Solutions. Tanna is a professional organizer with a hubby and 3 kiddos.

She offers practical ideas and inspiration for getting organized as well as professional organizing services at Complete Organizing Solutions. Oh, how I need her help!!!!

First, I just want to say thank you to Kimba for the opportunity to share a few thoughts on her blog. I love the idea of “Building A Soft Place to Land”.

For me a soft place to land is home, when all is calm, the sun is pouring in, there is a gentle pitter patter here, a giggle there, everyone is happy and the house is orderly.

I’m a mom of three and a small business owner. I know it is NOT calm and pleasant ALL the time. We all have our moments. If you ever need a good verse to read when things are feeling a little out of control, read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Halfway through verse 3 it says, “a time to tear down and a time to build.”

Chaos happens, we get grumpy, we get behind, we get frazzled, it feels like our houses are being “torn down.” For some of us these days last much longer and everything starts to compound and get worse. Have you ever caught yourself saying…

I hear this quite often in my line of work and the number one question I always hear is where do I start?

When tackling a project like this, always start with a plan. How do you want to “build up” your home? Let your mind wander, what does your ideal space look like to you? Begin at the front door and start taking notes. Examine what is going on around you and what is going wrong. Have a trusted friend (or an organizer) help during this process. You would be surprised at some of the ideas an outside party can bring to you. They are not wrapped up in the emotion of the problem so they can give an honest opinion about what they see happening. A warning of advice, be prepared for that honesty.

Clutter and chaos do not happen over night. It builds up over time. Don’t expect to be able to fix it over night. By starting with a plan you are giving yourself time to really think it through and find solutions that will work for you and your family. If you jump into a project without having a plan to guide you first, you will be setting yourself up for overwhelm and frustration.

Now what does your soft place to land look like?

Thank you, Tanna! You hit the nail on the head when you said “where do I start?” The job of organizing feels overwhelming so thank you for the encouragement.

You can get more organizational inspiration, ideas and services at Complete Organizational Solutions.

By the way, today is Tanna’s BIRTHDAY! Happy Birthday, girl!

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

I’m thrilled to welcome Amy Clark from MomAdvice.com. MomAdvice is packed with money-saving advice, recipes, home management inspiration, and creative parenting ideas. In other words, it’s awesome!

In light of the current economic situation, I asked Amy to share her experience during her month-long No Spend Challenge.

This February our family decided to embark on a No Spend Challenge for an entire month. When I say that we did not spend money, I only mean that we bought the necessary items needed to keep us fed for the month and our budgeted amount for gas in our cars. Anything above that was considered spending and was not allowed for our family’s No Spend Challenge.

I realize that a No Spend Challenge is not a unique idea. Many personal finance advisors encourage families to take a break from spending to shed light on your spending patterns. I have seen other bloggers take on the challenge for longer lengths of time or even part of their yearly routine. Still others are forced into No Spend month because of the loss of a job, a low paying job, or have no spouse to rely on to get you through those lean times. When my husband was unemployed our No Spend Challenge went on for years it seemed and that was not by choice, but because it was simply necessary.

How lucky am I that I can choose to not spend money for a month? How rich is my life that extra spending has even been a part of my life? I feel quite blessed to know that I can make this choice and I approached our challenge with enthusiasm and excitement.

Was the No Spend Challenge difficult for us? I will admit, it was more difficult than I expected… but also very rewarding. I discovered so much about myself, my spending habits, and the strength of my family to see a challenge through.
Let me share with you a little bit about what our family learned through our No Spend Challenge.

• I am more resourceful than I gave myself credit for. Committing to stay within our grocery budget was more difficult than I had expected. I did not realize how often I ask my husband to stop off at the store for one or two items for dinner. I found that many times I could whip up some really great cooking substitutes for the ingredients I needed or I was able to make those items I would have bought.

• Cooking every night is harder than I thought. I love working from home, but it can be challenging to get all my work done and get dinner on the table. Often I am in conference calls or working on a project until my husband gets home. I do love to cook, but I also love the occasional break so I can just relax. I realized during this month how often we actually do eat out. Trying to be inventive in the kitchen every single day was a challenge. I discovered that a box of macaroni or sandwich night was a wonderful way to still give myself a night off without spending money. I also learned the art of stretching a meal as far as it could go, reinventing it, or even double-batching meals helped give me the nights off I needed when I was working.

• I can still give to others. Do you ever feel like you can make very little impact on someone because you don’t have the money to do it? I can admit that I feel that way often. There are so many around me that are affected by job loss, medical problems, and depression. Many times I feel so helpless to these situations because I don’t have the financial means or connections to help someone out of these situations. It has been weighing very heavy on my heart these days. That is why I am so proud to tell you that I was able to provide five meals for others during this month and hosted countless engagements at my house caring and serving my friends and family. You don’t have to have a lot to make a positive impact on someone else. What seemed like small gestures to me means a lot more to someone than you might think. We are so hurried, so busy, so tired. I know I often feel like I have nothing to give anyone. I realize now that a woman of small means can still give with her whole heart and make a big difference to someone else.

• My social calendar needs some revising. I never realized how many of my social engagements centered around spending money. Meeting up with friends for dinner, grabbing lunch for a play date, sharing coffee with a girlfriend are just some examples of things that are typically on my calendar. I will admit that I was a little bummed to miss some of these activities, but I was determined to approach this challenge creatively. We hit the library, we went to our friend’s houses for play dates, we packed our lunches, and I hosted my friends at my home instead. What I found was that I had a deeper connection with the people in my life when I could sit at my kitchen table and our children played at my house than I would have at a play area where I am running around after my kids and dealing with crowds.

• I feel more grounded when I am home and not spending. Since we weren’t out spending money, we ended up spending a lot more time at home. I suddenly had the time to tackle all of those projects I didn’t think I had time to do. In fact, I had time for things that I loved to do. I haven’t read a whole book in probably a year and during this month I read four entire books in one month. I baked bread. I weeded through things that needed organizing in my house. I actually got caught up with laundry a few of those days. I hung out with my children. I finally felt centered. I felt like a calendar addict who was just given permission to take four weeks off. That first week I felt the withdrawals, but by the second week it began to feel wonderful. I used my “No Spend Challenge” as my excuse to detach myself from anything and everything so I could just relax and do the things I truly enjoy.

• The best things in life really are free. Comfort food. Homemade bread. Fresh clean towels. A delicious little library book. Giggling with my friends over coffee. Playing those dusty board games. Helping others around me. Snuggles from my sweet children. Good music. Dancing with my kids. Knitting. Soaking in the tub. Warm gooey brownies. A good movie. Snuggling up with my hubby on the couch. All free and all wonderfully perfect moments.

Although my No Spend Challenge is over, I look forward to repeating this challenge each February and making it a priority to get our finances in check. I did have readers who worried that I would overspend to make up for my month of not spending. I was happy to assure them that the first thing I indulged in was a $1 Diet Coke from McDonald’s and a $20 trip to Hobby Lobby to replenish my yarn supply so I could knit some gifts.

I encourage you to start your own No Spend Challenge today. Visit our No Spend Challenge for a little inspiration today!

Thanks Amy! Your article is inspiring. Is anyone else feeling pulled to take the No Spend Challenge? The idea has been nagging at me for a while. I’ll let you know what I decide. I’m pretty sure that The Hubster will do cartwheels around the yard if I decide to go for it.

Here is just a small sampling of my favorite articles from MomAdvice:
Finding Beauty in the Ordinary
The Only Corn on the Cob I Will Ever Make Again
World’s Greatest Homemade Slushies
Sponge Ball Fun

I’m linking this post to The Inspired Room for A Beautiful Life because I think not spending could help make my left more beautiful.

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

They’re clean and pretty on the outside.

But inside, they’re a horrifying jumbled mess.

How very like me.

If you don’t look past the surface, you may think that I have it all together. If we meet somewhere, chances are good that I will have a smile on my face and matching shoes on my feet…unless we’re meeting in the preschool drop off line. Then avert your eyes, please.

My life appears neat and tidy. My house sometimes appears neat and tidy. Especially if I know you’re coming over…because then I’ll have time to hide the mess in the closets, under the couch and in the dryer. But please, don’t open the closets. I live in perpetual fear that a friend would have a reason to open my pantry door.

I do a descent job of maintaining appearances. Even when I was suffering with post-partum depression after the birth of my second son, most people had no idea. I would put on a good face on Sunday morning and disguise the fact that I couldn’t make the even simplest of decisions. At home, I was angry, confused and practically non-functioning, but no one knew. I was afraid to share my “messy closet” for fear that I would be judged. Afraid to get treatment for fear it meant that I wasn’t trusting God.

But I finally did start sharing (and I guess if there’s anyone I forgot to tell, they know it now!). Maybe a few people thought less of me. But they were far outweighed by the number of women who said with relief, “Thank God! I’m not the only one!”

And “Thank God, I do.” I thank God that he loves me even when my life (and my closets) are a mess. I’m so thankful that he will reach his mighty hand right down into the middle of my mess and give me something to hold onto. No matter how deep I sink or how often I fall.

That’s my gift to you today…a glimpse into my messy closets just to let you know that you are not alone. Consider it my own public service. But please, don’t open the dryer.

I’m sharing this post over at Chatting at the Sky for Tuesday’s Unwrapped. Because this is a part of my everyday.

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

photo: Pensiero

The past few days, I’ve been thinking a lot about connections and friendships with other women. As the economic situation in our country (and the world) deteriorates, relationships, connections and support are becoming more important in ways that I had never considered before.

Do you feel like you have enough real-life support and friendship? Does your online life take the place of real-world connections or is it a supplement?

While I may never meet most of you in person, I feel a connection with each of you in some way. I read your comments and emails every day and do my best to visit your blogs (if you have one), even though I don’t always do a good job commenting.

But I want to know you better. If you feel comfortable, leave me a comment telling me (and all my readers) something that we wouldn’t know about you unless we were in-person friends.

I’ll go first:

1. I worry about my friends and family (and you gals) a lot these days. So many people are losing their jobs and their homes. My family is OK so far, but I still worry.
2. I pray about #1. My readers are a part of my prayers. I love that I don’t even need to know your name to pray for you.
3. I love Judge Judy. Seriously. She’s so sassy.

If you want to read the entire Building a Soft Place to Land Series, click here.

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The winner of the Personalized Eco Chic bags from Whitney Caroline Designs is Mom in High Heels! Congratulations! Send me an email and we’ll get things set up.

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

I don’t want to write this post. Like really, really don’t want to write it.

Not because I don’t think it’s important or because it hasn’t been on my mind. But because I don’t like what it makes me acknowledge about myself. I like to pretend, even to myself, that I have my priorities perfectly in line at all times.

A couple of days ago, I was blessed to be a part of an email exchange with some blogging friends about how much time we spend on this hobby/job/obsession of ours and what that says about what we value.

I have a few confessions to make:

• I think about my blog A LOT.
• I check my stats often. Very often.
• I covet your comments.
• I would love to be a blogging starlet.

So what’s wrong with all of that? I guess the answer is everything and nothing.

There are so many good things about blogging. For me, the creative outlet has been so valuable. So has the opportunity to add a small amount of income to our family. More than anything, the connections and real friendships that I’ve developed are priceless. I know that God has used my blog for my own good and I believe for the good of some other people.

But, to paraphrase something written by a friend, there is a great danger in blogging especially for anyone who thrives on success and creativity. The danger is that we cannot differentiate between the good that comes from creating, connecting and providing and the evil that comes from being pulled away from the family and into a cycle of NEEDING to succeed for our own egos.

There is a powerful push and pull between the good and bad. I believe that applies to anything that has the power to pull us away from what should be our primary priorities, whatever those happen to be.

Does this mean anything for A Soft Place to Land? Yes and no. I love connecting with all of you here, so I don’t have any plans to change that. You probably won’t even notice a difference, but my heart is changing a bit. My role as wife and mother needs to become my central focus again.

So let’s talk. How do you keep your priorities in line when there are good things that threaten to pull you away? I’ll be checking in on the comments section today and I’d love for us to all have a big ole conversation there.

Do you want to read some more?
Carlos from Ragamuffin Soul is a blogging rockstar who is taking a step back. His video rocked my socks.

Emily from Chatting at the Sky puts things in perspective as only she can.

Lisa from Take 90 West writes about this too.

So does Megan from Fried Okra

P.S You can read more of my Building a Soft Place to Land series by clicking here.

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork

We had a power outage last Friday evening that lasted for just a few hours. I immediately went into Laura Ingalls mode (minus the braids, of course.) Lighting candles all over (mostly because the batteries in the flashlights were all dead) and firing up the fireplace so my munchkins would stay warm. In proper Laura mode, I let Pa do the fire-lighting.

I wish I could tell you that we roasted marshmallows and read the bible by candlelight but fruit snacks and Scooby Doo books were the order of the day (or evening, as it were). I like to think that even Laura Ingalls would appreciate Scooby Doo and the Bowling Boogyman.

So why am I telling you this? Because when all of the man made distractions were removed from our home, the tv, telephone, internet, washing machine, etc., I realized how little time I’ve spent directly interacting with my family lately. Those distractions can easily overshadow human connection…kind of like an addiction.

Do I take care of my family and serve them? Sure. All the time. But it’s almost always with some other distraction that inhibits true connections and even eye contact. Do you spend a lot of time focused on the people that you love with no distractions?

Try it. Turn off all the distractions and spend an evening (or afternoon, or week, whatever) just interacting with your family. Does it feel normal and natural? Is it new and a little uncomfortable? Maybe you need more practice.

I know I do.

If you would like to read the previous posts in this series, click here.

Thanks to my sponsors!

• Burlap+Blue ~ vintage inspired goods for your home
• Leen the Graphics Queen ~ decorative vinyl wall decals
• Pink Pig ~ cottage furnishings, antiques and vintage finds
• Purple Lemon Designs ~ custom stamps and stationery
• The Vintage Pearl ~ boutique quality hand-stamped jewelry
• Ruby Plaza ~ making you and your home beautiful
• My Design Guide ~ room designs in one week
• Wish You Wells ~ storybook look artwork