Musings: Lovely Autumn
Our chiropractor always says when we leave his office, “Have an awesome day!” Well, today, we have indeed had an awesome day. Nothing climactic. Just a simply lovely day.
All posts filed under: Homestead
Darling: Drink & Think
I mix my daily cup of tea with a little thought or a little word. In that thought or word, I try to discover my purpose for that day, my purpose for that week, my purpose for that time in life.
Breakfasts: Peaches & Almonds
It seems appropriate to say that, pregnant or not, first and second breakfasts should just be a staple of life. I agree with Pippin. Food is a necessary means of enjoying everything else. It’s always good to start the day and live the day and finish the day with good food.
Sneak Peek: Nursery Picks
My main project of late has been designing the baby’s nursery. It’s the designer in me that will always search out the next cranny for some innovative project. I never run out of ideas or plans. [This is why being a wife & mother at home is so appealing to me.] …
Favorites: Summer Lovin
It’s almost the end of July, but I feel like the summer just started! I remember feeling like this every summer as a kid; I so looked forward to having no school work and to playing till the sun set late in the evenings. Summertime has always been one of my favorite times of year. Some of the best memories are made in the summertime … And some of the sweetest sounds are heard …
Clay: Sculpted for Purpose
“I am the clay and He is the Potter” … While in high school, I took local college courses; I was mostly focused on completing the fundamental first year academics before transferring to a small Christian liberal arts college, but I took a couple art classes, because I have always loved art and my brain spins creativity constantly. For some strange reason that I don’t remember, I hesitated to sign up for a sculpture class, but my designer/builder brother practically begged me to take the class, knowing that it would broaden my horizons and teach me skills that I didn’t have; I finally agreed within a couple weeks of the fall semester – a decision which merited me a huge brother hug, some of my most treasured “in-my-head” creative moments, and many life-lessons about the world and myself …
Brevity: Sun & Stars
Twas a refreshingly bright Saturday we celebrated my 27th birthday. We walked around the mountain hardware store so I could drool over kayaks and beg to get my own; instead of hoisting a river ride, we grabbed a bag of saltwater taffies which I shamelessly finished off that day; we visited the local Potter’s Guild display at the city museum and found a little pair of stamped clay earrings; we toured the lush gardens and historical house of the museum property where Ian searched out suitable kissing spots; lastly but not least, we sat through the Fault in Our Stars, which Ian did not want to see but after the main character started talking about zombies and heroes and bloody escapades he perked up, and by the end of that sweetly surreal story we were both a puddle and clinging to each other; as Ian said, “That’s the first love story I’ve liked because it went so deep.” The brevity of life is a fact that we face every day though we rarely acknowledge it; …
Brownie Points: Trials
So we’ve been having….. Another rough weekend…. or week….. or let’s just say, month. But, despite the unkempt abode and the unkempt hair and the unkempt dogs and the unkempt laundry, the Lord is good to us. I have been sick as a dog off and on for the past few weeks, unfortunately, despite all my best sicky-remedies; Ian has been exhausted as a dog for the past month due to 15 hr work days. Come the weekend, we crash in bed – swearing we’ll not get up till somebody forces us to either keep our jobs or lose ’em – and look around the house at the mopless dirtiest floors and those shedding giddy labradors…. and say to each other, “He will uphold us with His righteous right hand. He is always faithful, and we are so grateful for Christ’s love.” Sometimes I get a wave of inspiration to be creative again, and then I try to some avail only to crash and burn in the end. Yesterday I was in bed until 5pm …
Abode: Simple Pleasures
DIY: Plywood Painting
Two years ago when we were planning our wedding, I really wanted to have a personal painting displayed for our guests to sign. My original intent was to paint this design. Alas, I ran out of time due to my bridal haze and due to investing more energy in preparing our new abode. But, several months later, the plywood board that I swiped at Lowes for $6 became the inspiration for another abode project. While staring at the wood square and trying to imagine other possible potentials, I noticed that the grains and shades formed a picture. My imagination is quite vivid, and it seems in my dreams that I am drawn to places. I am always drawn to calm, serene places. What I envisioned in the wood was the sunset over the ocean… I started messing around with acrylics and water to create a stain wash. I didn’t sand or prime this plywood piece; I just wiped and pressed the stain onto the raw wood grain, which required several coats. Great ideas come to …