For me that feeling hits somewhere around August when the back to school supplies hit the stores and
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Thursday
HOW TO ESTABLISH A CLEANING ROUTINE - nesting
I know every spring everyone talks about the urge to clean and purge but I think I'm so busy in the garden that the thought of giving up that precious outdoor time to come inside and get organized just passes right by me.
For me that feeling hits somewhere around August when the back to school supplies hit the stores and
For me that feeling hits somewhere around August when the back to school supplies hit the stores and
Tuesday
back home...
I just got back from a quick trip to visit my sister in Cypress, Texas. I've barely had a chance for a quick nap and to throw in a load of laundry but it already feels so good to be home.
I traveled this time with my mom and seven year old grandson and had a wonderful time. It's still hot in southeast Texas but we managed alright. It seems I left quite a heat wave behind so I guess it was an equal trade.
I love visiting but I do love coming home. I'll be back soon with a proper post. It seems I've come back with renewed excitement for life and a full, creative heart.
xo, Patty
I traveled this time with my mom and seven year old grandson and had a wonderful time. It's still hot in southeast Texas but we managed alright. It seems I left quite a heat wave behind so I guess it was an equal trade.
I love visiting but I do love coming home. I'll be back soon with a proper post. It seems I've come back with renewed excitement for life and a full, creative heart.
xo, Patty
Monday
crushing on color
I have been looking forward to today. I designated it as a "not leaving the house till the whole thing is in tip top shape" day.
Do you need those days, too? It seems like if I don't declare a day just for cleaning, organizing and purging (excess paper and stacks of stuff) the house just doesn't feel clean.
Plus, once that's done I can play house without feeling like I should be doing something else.
My grown up version of playing house usually has to do with rearranging furniture and adding new splashes of color. What can I say...I am easily entertained!
These are the color splashes I am crushing on right now.
I am resting on my decision that our pale butter yellow walls are neutral enough and will contrast nicely with these scrumptious colors. I will also be adding generous helpings of white in the furniture and background fabric.
Besides these pretty new bowls from Anthropologie, new mugs - one from Anthro and one from HomeGoods, and my new pot from Armstrong's, I found a quilt I cut out a couple of years ago that will be on my sewing list this week in exactly these colors. I also had my mom pick up a print we saw on clearance at Pier 1 last week that will bring a pop of needed color to the walls.
I have a few more surprises (including a couple of chippy things I picked up at the Rose Bowl flea market last weekend) that should complete the room exactly how I envision it in my mind...
I get so excited when a color scheme comes together. Now I'm off to clean my nest so that the guilt free fluffing can begin.
xo, Patty
Do you need those days, too? It seems like if I don't declare a day just for cleaning, organizing and purging (excess paper and stacks of stuff) the house just doesn't feel clean.
Plus, once that's done I can play house without feeling like I should be doing something else.
These are the color splashes I am crushing on right now.
I am resting on my decision that our pale butter yellow walls are neutral enough and will contrast nicely with these scrumptious colors. I will also be adding generous helpings of white in the furniture and background fabric.
Besides these pretty new bowls from Anthropologie, new mugs - one from Anthro and one from HomeGoods, and my new pot from Armstrong's, I found a quilt I cut out a couple of years ago that will be on my sewing list this week in exactly these colors. I also had my mom pick up a print we saw on clearance at Pier 1 last week that will bring a pop of needed color to the walls.
I have a few more surprises (including a couple of chippy things I picked up at the Rose Bowl flea market last weekend) that should complete the room exactly how I envision it in my mind...
I get so excited when a color scheme comes together. Now I'm off to clean my nest so that the guilt free fluffing can begin.
xo, Patty
Friday
No, not yet...
Ask me if my painting got done this week? No, not yet. I have the paint in the shed but I just don't have the umph it takes to get started.
Honestly, I am afraid of the snowball affect it will have on the rest of the house. You know how that goes, right? Once that roller hits the wall there is no going back. And then once you finish one room the others start to look pretty drab in comparison. Then once all the walls are painted everything else starts to look a little dated and dingy.
I think I'll make the rest of the changes and hold off on the paint. The yellow walls aren't looking so bad to me right now.
I have a lot of fun things coming up that I need to prepare for so maybe I'll paint next month or the month after that or the month after that...
Tell me I'm not alone in my procrastinating. Have a wonderful weekend!
xo, Patty
Honestly, I am afraid of the snowball affect it will have on the rest of the house. You know how that goes, right? Once that roller hits the wall there is no going back. And then once you finish one room the others start to look pretty drab in comparison. Then once all the walls are painted everything else starts to look a little dated and dingy.
I think I'll make the rest of the changes and hold off on the paint. The yellow walls aren't looking so bad to me right now.
I have a lot of fun things coming up that I need to prepare for so maybe I'll paint next month or the month after that or the month after that...
Tell me I'm not alone in my procrastinating. Have a wonderful weekend!
xo, Patty
Thursday
the laundry room - week five - keeping the home fires burning
Thanks for joining me for another installment in our housekeeping series this time on Laundry. It feels good to be tackling areas of my home that I have been ignoring or putting off for awhile. These projects happen in real time so it seems like this may become a every other week series instead of weekly.
"When I was a girl, every week my mother and I folded sheets together in a brisk dance, moving quickly and always turning the folds in the same direction. Periodically she would give the sheet a good sharp snap, which would jerk my end out of my hand if I didn't hang on tight." Cheryl Mendelson
My mother in law was the queen of doing laundry. She was meticulous in how she sorted, spot treated, prewashed and washed her clothes. She had a laundry line in her garage that she used for most of her clothes and quite a few of my father in laws shirts. She said tumble drying clothes was hard on them plus she bought her clothes to fit and didn't want them to shrink. I remember stopping by on ironing day and witnessing the art she made of the chore. She loved her clothes.
My mom is the same way. She cared for my dad's shirts with such love. Due to his failing health towards the end, his skin was very sensitive to anything scratchy so he tended to wear the same soft worn out button down shirts again and again. Even as they became thin from washing over and over, my mom would iron straight seams in the sleeves (sometimes daily) so that they were ready for him in the morning. To this day if she wants to relieve stress or worry, she irons.
I wish I was brave (or secure) enough to show you my laundry room in the true before stage but I fear that if you saw the mountain of dust bunnies and slimy soap scum I encountered I would be run straight out of blogland. This was definitely a bigger job than I originally imagined.
Our home was built in 1954 and I believe the original laundry was set up in the garage. Somewhere along the way it was brought into a downstairs bedroom closet, a fact that I am very grateful for. It is just wide enough for the washer and dryer so any storage is going to be on the two shelves above the machines. I added a small shelf just above the dryer to place the laundry soap on for convenience. We used to keep it in a basket on top of the dryer but it became a place for lost laundry to accumulate. Hopefully, the open shelf will force us to find homes for everything right away.
I also added a hook for the ironing board (yes, I know I need a new ironing board cover) and nails to hang my dusters on. I splurged and bought three matching cloth baskets to house toilet paper, dry cleaning supplies and disposable plates, cups and silverware respectively. I already had the striped basket and placed all my market bags and canvas totes into it. The top shelf is still empty and I will decide what to store up there as I organize other areas of my house.
This little laundry area makes me smile. Now as I tend to my husbands clothes everything is right within my reach. It is a pleasure instead of a chore.
It is not much by pinterest laundry room standards but it works for me. The trick will be in keeping it this way. I have added it to my regular rotation of quarterly cleaning so hopefully when I clear the shelves in another three months it won't be as big an undertaking to put it all back together.
It's amazing how each of these housekeeping posts is peppered with love of family. This making a home business is all about caring for others as well as ourselves, isn't it?
Now it's your turn. I would love to see your real life laundry rooms and hear your laundry tips. If you have a laundry room post, either old or new, why don't you add the link to your comment? That way we will all be inspired to keep the home fires burning together.
xo, Patty
"When I was a girl, every week my mother and I folded sheets together in a brisk dance, moving quickly and always turning the folds in the same direction. Periodically she would give the sheet a good sharp snap, which would jerk my end out of my hand if I didn't hang on tight." Cheryl Mendelson
My mother in law was the queen of doing laundry. She was meticulous in how she sorted, spot treated, prewashed and washed her clothes. She had a laundry line in her garage that she used for most of her clothes and quite a few of my father in laws shirts. She said tumble drying clothes was hard on them plus she bought her clothes to fit and didn't want them to shrink. I remember stopping by on ironing day and witnessing the art she made of the chore. She loved her clothes.
My mom is the same way. She cared for my dad's shirts with such love. Due to his failing health towards the end, his skin was very sensitive to anything scratchy so he tended to wear the same soft worn out button down shirts again and again. Even as they became thin from washing over and over, my mom would iron straight seams in the sleeves (sometimes daily) so that they were ready for him in the morning. To this day if she wants to relieve stress or worry, she irons.
I wish I was brave (or secure) enough to show you my laundry room in the true before stage but I fear that if you saw the mountain of dust bunnies and slimy soap scum I encountered I would be run straight out of blogland. This was definitely a bigger job than I originally imagined.
Our home was built in 1954 and I believe the original laundry was set up in the garage. Somewhere along the way it was brought into a downstairs bedroom closet, a fact that I am very grateful for. It is just wide enough for the washer and dryer so any storage is going to be on the two shelves above the machines. I added a small shelf just above the dryer to place the laundry soap on for convenience. We used to keep it in a basket on top of the dryer but it became a place for lost laundry to accumulate. Hopefully, the open shelf will force us to find homes for everything right away.
I also added a hook for the ironing board (yes, I know I need a new ironing board cover) and nails to hang my dusters on. I splurged and bought three matching cloth baskets to house toilet paper, dry cleaning supplies and disposable plates, cups and silverware respectively. I already had the striped basket and placed all my market bags and canvas totes into it. The top shelf is still empty and I will decide what to store up there as I organize other areas of my house.
This little laundry area makes me smile. Now as I tend to my husbands clothes everything is right within my reach. It is a pleasure instead of a chore.
It's amazing how each of these housekeeping posts is peppered with love of family. This making a home business is all about caring for others as well as ourselves, isn't it?
Now it's your turn. I would love to see your real life laundry rooms and hear your laundry tips. If you have a laundry room post, either old or new, why don't you add the link to your comment? That way we will all be inspired to keep the home fires burning together.
xo, Patty
Monday
finding peace
I have the word peace scattered about my home as a reminder that no matter what is going on in my world, peace is possible.
Tucked behind the troubles that are crowding the front of my mind, wanting to move forward and provide the comfort that my heart is so longing for. That gentle assurance that no matter the outcome, all is well with my soul.
As I sit and watch the fireplace glowing, I am so thankful for my safe haven, my cozy little home, surrounded by the things that bring me joy and peace. I pray you feel it where ever you are, too.
Finding peace this last week has been a little more difficult for me. I have needed to be deliberate and really seek it. But it is there...
Tucked behind the troubles that are crowding the front of my mind, wanting to move forward and provide the comfort that my heart is so longing for. That gentle assurance that no matter the outcome, all is well with my soul.
As I sit and watch the fireplace glowing, I am so thankful for my safe haven, my cozy little home, surrounded by the things that bring me joy and peace. I pray you feel it where ever you are, too.
Friday
faith walk friday #6
I guess it's no secret that I love my little cottage so sharing my faith walk today will be a joy.
On living where I do - I always wanted to live on a little farm somewhere with chickens and horses maybe a cow and a pig thrown in for good measure. I would grow my own vegetables and the hugest sunflowers you ever did see. That hasn't happened yet, and I'm okay with that. I firmly believe that God has us exactly where he wants us.
After trying on a few different houses (three moves in an eight year span) we finally found one that fits. This little house on Lemon Lane suits our family to a tee and we knew it the first time we walked through it. It has odd shaped ceilings, lots of nooks and crannies, a nice size kitchen that was newly remodeled when we moved in with beautiful barn red cabinetry, a dining room big enough to seat 10 comfortably, crown molding, a fireplace, diamond paned windows, a little front porch, a detached garage, a sun room, my very own craft room and a beautiful backyard with large park like trees and enough sun for a vegetable garden. It sits on a tree lined street close to shopping and the downtown village that lights up at Christmas and even has a hometown Christmas parade.
That being said, I know with certainty that if for whatever reason this house was taken away, we would be okay because the truth is this old house is just wooden studs and pretty decorations.
A home is created with the heart and spirit of the people and relationships that inhabit it. The "stuff" that I love about this house could be recreated in a two bedroom apartment or a small travel trailer.
I love seeing beautiful homes on blogs and in magazines and it can be so easy to get caught up in making my home pretty at the expense of those living in it.
My prayer is that the people who feel safe, secure and loved within these walls would feel the same under any roof and if that's not the case...I need to examine what this house really represents, where my priorities are and who I am serving.
God's ultimate desire is to have a relationship with us, it's why he gave us free will. If relationship is so important to Him, shouldn't it be just as important to us? I want my friends and family to want to come by, not just to see my latest project but to feel comfortable and wanted. I want warm conversation and the smell of a fresh cup of coffee to leave more of an impression than the expensive cup I pour it into.
Faithfully His,
Patty
On living where I do - I always wanted to live on a little farm somewhere with chickens and horses maybe a cow and a pig thrown in for good measure. I would grow my own vegetables and the hugest sunflowers you ever did see. That hasn't happened yet, and I'm okay with that. I firmly believe that God has us exactly where he wants us.
After trying on a few different houses (three moves in an eight year span) we finally found one that fits. This little house on Lemon Lane suits our family to a tee and we knew it the first time we walked through it. It has odd shaped ceilings, lots of nooks and crannies, a nice size kitchen that was newly remodeled when we moved in with beautiful barn red cabinetry, a dining room big enough to seat 10 comfortably, crown molding, a fireplace, diamond paned windows, a little front porch, a detached garage, a sun room, my very own craft room and a beautiful backyard with large park like trees and enough sun for a vegetable garden. It sits on a tree lined street close to shopping and the downtown village that lights up at Christmas and even has a hometown Christmas parade.
That being said, I know with certainty that if for whatever reason this house was taken away, we would be okay because the truth is this old house is just wooden studs and pretty decorations.
A home is created with the heart and spirit of the people and relationships that inhabit it. The "stuff" that I love about this house could be recreated in a two bedroom apartment or a small travel trailer.
I love seeing beautiful homes on blogs and in magazines and it can be so easy to get caught up in making my home pretty at the expense of those living in it.
My prayer is that the people who feel safe, secure and loved within these walls would feel the same under any roof and if that's not the case...I need to examine what this house really represents, where my priorities are and who I am serving.
God's ultimate desire is to have a relationship with us, it's why he gave us free will. If relationship is so important to Him, shouldn't it be just as important to us? I want my friends and family to want to come by, not just to see my latest project but to feel comfortable and wanted. I want warm conversation and the smell of a fresh cup of coffee to leave more of an impression than the expensive cup I pour it into.
Faithfully His,
Patty
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