Ordinary January Days - and How I Decorate Now

Simple vignettes

.

.

.

dried lavender

vintage basket

milk glass pitcher

peg rack

ship lap counter

I love the simplicity of natural and vintage together.

And the simplicity of January decorating. 

I've long given up shopping at places like

Homegoods

Target

Hobby Lobby

Michaels 

I've long given up 

Seasonal decor that will end up in a landfill 

Signs with any words printed on them 

Instead I love

vintage pieces

thrifted pieces

antique finds

and less is certainly more in my decorating these days 

Preparing their Hearts for God - the beginning of Faith

"Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children." 

William Thackeray

In the way we care for,

love,

be with,

teach,

cultivate, 

provide, 

instruct,

protect,

and delight in our children...

we are building the pattern - they are learning the pattern 

that they will believe is God's heart for them in their lives later. 

Mothers, 

day by day - hour by hour - interaction by interaction 

whether it is in diapering and cutting up another toddler meal

or

staying up late to hear the heart of your teen. 

If it is turning and watching your five year old as they say one more time, "watch me mama..." 

or

sitting 'hip to hip' with your fourteen year old as they study for mid-terms... 

we are preparing their hearts for believing in the love God has for them. 

And this will carry them with faith forevermore. 

Messy Messy Mid-terms

Her first high school mid-terms - are going quite well I'd say. Today she scored a 100% on her science mid-term. 

Now as soon as Friday afternoon is here I am clearing everything out of this study nook and making it all organized and shiny again! 

How a House is Built - Passing on Wisdom

Today when I got home from school I wanted to have some Bible time. My routine is usually that my workout is at 5:00 AM before school and my Bible time is after school (4:00, if I can squeek out of my classroom and get home by then). 

Today I felt desperate for some time, and I knew if I went through my usual routine of changing out of my teacher clothes, I'd start my evening chores of first sorting laundry so that first load could get going... then I'd have my Bible time. 

Today for some reason (the prompting of the Holy Spirit) I knew I need to walk right to the living room and my "Bible desk" where I've had devotional time, prayer time, reading my Bible time, journaling on all that God has revealed to me. I walked right there (after saying hi to Scott who was in the kitchen). I left my heavy coat on, my skirt on, my tights on. I had only kicked off my loafters in the mudroom. 

I read the Psalm I had left off on and the Proverb "of the day" (I usually read the Proverb that matches the day of the month - today I read Proverbs 24 because it is January 24th) 

Sometimes my Bible time is short. Sometimes I dive into a topic or study I feel lead to. (Lately I've been studying fear/fear not in scripture)

Today I really felt like God met me right where I needed. 

I read, wrote and wrote in my journal, and decided then and there I wanted to share what I was learning at dinner with Scott and the girls. 

Proverbs 27:1

The Lord is my light and salvation -

Whom shall I fear or dread?

The Lord is the refuge and stronghold of my life -

of whom shall I be afraid?

(3) though a host encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear,

though a war rise against me, (even now) I will be confident. 

(14) Wait and hope for and expect the Lord;

be brave and of good courage

and let your heart be stout and enduring. 

I already had dates scribbled next to those verses from years ago. I know that if I dragged out my journals and read those dates and what those verses meant to me on those years ago they would have been different. 

But today they really touched my heart (again) and I quickly scribbled down what they did to my heart today. 

Sometimes when I am reading a verse and it really touches my heart for a particular reason I use a dictionary (yes the paper kind - since my phone doesn't belong on my Bible desk - and I really love a good dictionary) and look up words to get a deeper meaning. For example: 

Stout means - courageous / strong, steady, firm

So God is telling us there that when we wait and hope for and expect the Lord (in times of fear) that we need to be aware of our heart and keep it - tell it to be steady and firm. 

Enduring means - to hold up under/ tolerate

Right away (even though I knew what the word enduring meant), looking up that word and reading the definition allowed my eyes to be opened to see that one of my girls has in the past really had to "endure" a lot in a particular situation. I knew right away that I wanted to share with her that her heart was stout and enduring. And in that she was not afraid when she guarded her heart. (God tells us in His word to "guard our heart, for out of it flow the springs of life".) 

After my Bible time and just before dinner I typed up the verse and definitions to the words that meant so much to me so that I could share them with my girls. 

We talked about them at dinner (my favorite kind of dinner conversation) and later my daughter came up to me and said, "I've really been thinking about that Bible verse and I know that (in a particular situation) God was with my light and salvation. My heart was stout and enduring." 

I affirmed that for her and told her that God was going to use that situation for His glory. 

Later this evening I found their verses carefully put on their dressers in their bedrooms.

 

I hope I always am able to give my girls messages I've learned from God and His words. 

Proverbs 24:3

Through skillful and Godly wisdom a house (a life, a home, a family) is built, and by understanding it is established (on a sound and good foundation). 

Long Weekends are Yummy Weekends

We had a long weekend (Martin Luther King Jr Day) and we feasted all day long... all planned out of course. 

Oh these were such a treat: egg cups in stuffing shells. 

And then there was baking mini muffins for snacks for the week for my girls. 

We had the most delicious soup (not pictured) and I made homemade devils food sandwich cookies.

And this little baking center (center of the kitchen) was working all day long. 

And tea! We had lots of tea going all the time! 

I decided to take out all of our Valentine's Day mugs since Anna won't be home around Valentine's Day. I wanted her to use all of the pretty pink china cups and heart mugs!

I would say that was one successful day home! And yummy too! 

Sunday Scripture - Little Thoughts As I Enter the Week

 This week I've been pondering the scripture: 

Proverbs 12:35

Anxiety in a heart weighs it down; but an encouraging word make it glad. 

I want to be able to adapt and adjust and have a light heart. 

Not a light heart on Friday evening when it feels easier to have a light heart. 

Not a light heart on a snow day when all four of us are home and this little place we call home feel all right. 

I want a light heart that is not weighed down on a school day. On a day I have to be with people - lots of people - and lots of children -

Proverbs 13:12 

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled it is a tree of life. 

I have been pondering that when I let my heart be "sick" and "weighed down" I am not watching my heart. When I don't watch my heart and my thoughts the devil can speak to my thoughts and it can lead to discouragement. But everyday that I get my mind going in the right direction - every day what I take time to ponder and meditate (think about, roll over in my mind) God's Word, I can push back the enemy and they thoughts he plants. He knows my strongholds, my weaknesses. But when I recognize those thoughts that are not from God, and shut my mind to them, to get some encouraging word from the Bible, then I can have a 'tree of life.' 

Our Prayer Table: January

I've been really exploring my Catholicism and been wanting to make a simple prayer table for our home. 

We all have a place that we like to pray already (my place is at a really pretty desk in the living room) but I wanted to have a spot in our home that would visually remind all of us that we belong to the Church. A place I could keep simple, change as I wanted to, that was comfortable, and pretty. 

I especially wanted to keep January very simple. So I decided on a petite Mary statue, a Holy Spirit prayer card, and a beautiful Litany on joy. 

Our prayer table is upstairs at the end of the hallway where we had a large, comfy chair under the window. 

Of course the flowers will have to change throughout the month (and already have) but I have these from a simple bouquet that was in my kitchen. As they fade, I'll just replace them. I really like the way there are only neutral colors on here. 

The Litany of Joy is so beautiful. (and can be found here) 

This was up already from Christmas - I love the embroidery. 

I would like to change up our prayer table monthly. And already have some ideas for next month. 

Our Week Home and a Romantic New Years Eve

Delightful, Relaxing, Fun, Together

are the words I would describe our week home. 

Lots of time in our home. Lots of evenings watching our favorite Christmas movies. Lots of cookies, hot chocolate and tea. 

Played new games, started new puzzles, tried out new kitchen toys. (this one works so much better than you can even imagine!!) 

And we celebrated New Years Eve in our living room in front of the fire. 

With pretty drinks 

All day long I worked at making this beautify for our eyes, our mouths, our senses. I wanted it to be a simply beautiful celebration as we inched away from Christmas and closer to back to school. It was a magical night. 

Christmas Day

Today was the first day back to school (written, Monday, January 3rd) so it feels a little strange to start posting Christmas Day but I must have these wonderful memories here forever. 

Christmas Eve snow is back here

Christmas Eve is here

And here we go for Christmas morning... 

We knew Abigail would be the first one up of course and I didn't want her sneaking down to see the magic before us so I thought to quickly leave her a little note outside her door. 

Anna was still sleeping but not for long! 

I am so grateful for this excitement on Christmas Morning! Look at that joy!!!!!!! 

The girls always stay upstairs until Scott and I get all of the twinkle lights on, the music just so, and I take pictures of just the way Santa left the living room. Magic, pure magic, still and always! 

Santa wrapped elegantly in brown paper and white satin ribbons. Their names were stamped in white ink. 

I love the look of the stockings on Christmas morning - all full and brimming. I do love the way the white box was peeking out the top. 

... and handprints from years ago. 

There must always be childhood on Christmas. 

This beautiful piece of art was painted my my Dad for our third married Christmas so many years ago. It is an oil painting and it will hang above my fireplace on Christmas forever and always. 

The girls big surprise gift this year was a "Smol Night Kit" Smol night is a silly name for a sister night that is every Saturday night in our home. This kit had so many fun things for them to be cozy, eat, play, and create with! 

Fireplace going, lights on, music in place, ready to go... 

Abigail picked out a favorite bow. 

Their first glimpse while Daddy and I are behind the tree capturing every moment. 

Stockings were first and so much fun! 

And then it was time for breakfast. I love to set a really pretty Christmas morning breakfast table. 

Oh this scene, I wait for it all year long. And look out that window... snow! 

I chose everything carefully and wanted it just so. The vintage Christmas teapot, the brass candlestick, the Woodland Christmas plates, and vintage linens all mixed together makes my heart sing. (and so does my latest vintage find, that vase... snapped it up at a discount store before anyone could see it) 

1938 copy of Home for Christmas, perfect for a table centerpiece because we are all home home gloriously home. 

We severed Denver Christmas casserole and Susan Branch tea cake. I should have taken a picture of the recipe in her Christmas book - it's such a pretty page, even prettier than the Tea cake is! 

I love having the same foods for holidays. Sometimes we mix it up for sure but there is something about this Christmas Casserole and the Tea Cake that is just 'Christmas' to us. 

Amazing Christmas tea too of course. 

I even captured that steam coming of the pour... 

I love the trying to get these natural moments of joy. 

After breakfast the first gift they wanted to open was their basket! So much fun and little surprises in there! 

We always go into the family room when we each give each other gifts. The girls love this best of allllll. 

I loved this peeking out from behind the family room tree. 

Anna received some really special gifts to remember her favorite class her first semester of college... C.S. Lewis. 

New warm jackets for both girls! 

A C.S. Lewis quote from her favorite book this semester. 

All the joy for American Girl! 

And this amazing art work from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis) that was matted and framed. 

Books, always books! 

And then in the late afternoon we headed to my parents house. 

And then once again night came and Christmas ended. But not before our hearts were full and memories tucked away. Oh how I loved this Christmas!