spring break 2011: the cottage.

before this time, the last time i went to see my grandparents was spring break of my sophomore year at smu. they still lived in etowah, nc, in the only house i'd known as theirs. shortly after that visit, they moved to a little cottage in carolina village in hendersonville, nc where they live now. i have always loved my grandmother's things and her clean, classic, southern style of decorating. there are many things about her i'd like to emulate and one of them is her homemaking skills. she has pale green walls, plenty of natural light, and silver that she keep polished all.the.time.

lylah's middle name namesakes are both my maternal and paternal grandmothers, both named ruth. these are grandmother's baby utensils. i absolutely die for them. so beautiful.

these dishes were also grandmother's when she was a child. she has an article that shows they were made in the early 1900s. what a treasure.

entry.

living room.

this bench (and its partner in another place in the house) were built by grandmother's father, my great-grandfather. grandmother more recently upholstered them.

the dining room and office.

THE silver.

tea anyone?

a shelf hanging over their entry desk.

i love this mix of candles by the back door.

the kitchen.

the bedroom.

the vanity.

i can remember marveling over this silver monogramed mirror and brush set as a little girl. they were a gift to grandmother from granddaddy.

a pretty chair.

the bed they have slept in since they were married 60+ years ago. a full size. (!!!)

the quilt grandmother handmade for granddaddy for their 50th anniversary.

i love the all-white.

the most popular room in the house, the TV room. where lots and lots of ncaa tournament basketball was watched. college basketball is huge in north carolina, acc country, and my grandparents are not exempt. they are all over it.

a framed news clip announcing that virginia tech (granddaddy's alma mater) beat no. 1 duke earlier in the season sits prominently next to the tv. virginia tech missed the tournament, but granddaddy pointed out no fewer than 10 times that "tech beat duke!" :)

i heart sundays.

via

i heart sundays because i always find myself with a renewed energy. renewed energy to focus on the things that really touch my heart, find me passionate, and really will make a difference to my family and home. i am inspired anew on sundays. the Lord is so, so good. the constant remaking and regrowing in His strong, gentle hands sends my soul soaring. He is so faithful.

nursery nook inspiration.

all photos via

this is a little boy's nursery nook, but i absolutely adore it. it's a true nook, in the corner of another room in the house. i love the vintage feel, the pops of color on neutral background, the simplistic yet adorable accessories, the light -- oh, the light! it's fabulous. the whole thing = fabulous.

a christmas we've-done list. (as opposed to a to-do list.)

i just read this post from tsh on simple mom, and it brought tears to my eyes. such a GREAT reminder of where my focus should be and oft is not at this point in the holiday season.

so instead of focusing on my to-do list -- the things i haven't gotten done -- i've decided to make a list of all the things we HAVE done so far to celebrate the joy and togetherness of christmas. yeah, i've only made one (chai tea egg nog) of the three types of christmas cookies i wanted to make. no, i haven't started sewing the mittens i want to give the kids for christmas. no, i didn't make super cute, thrifty handmade gifts for my friends. and, yes, my house is rather messy. all the laundry and all the dishes are done, but it's messy. lived in. stuff is e.ver.y.where at the moment.

but here's what we HAVE done:

• decorated the tree with my family the day after thanksgiving. i love it so much.
  
• gone to see christmas lights with the seniors from church. landon drove and the kids and i rode. i'm pretty sure our little ones made the trip for the seniors.
• the nutcracker extravaganza with mamo, jo jo, ellie and me. delana planned a party before the show complete with cookie decorating, tutu making and dvd-watching of an animated version of the nutcracker. THEN we dressed up and went to the ballet. ellie understood the whole thing and narrated it aloud from beginning to end, asking questions, exclaiming and generally throwing herself into it completely. luckily, the sweet folks seated in front of us thought it was adorable.
• come up with and executed (thanks to crys' photography skills) a cute christmas card idea to announce the coming of our third child. and i even got them in the mail in time for people to receive them several days before christmas!
• gone to visit my family in dallas and stayed at scott and kelly's beautiful house. we cooked all our meals there, made snicker snacks and chai tea egg nog cookies, opened gifts, read, cat napped all day long, went to northpark mall, talked, laughed, cried, and on and on and on.
• gone to see my grandparents in granbury before heading home from the metroplex. sweet hand-knited gifts, gramma's mock toffee and buckeyes and watching the kids make up games with toys that've been around for decades...the stuff of the best memories.
  
• watched elf and toy story 3 (a few times).
• my homemade advent calendar: i wrapped and numbered a christmas children's book for each night of december (OK, i started on the 7th). each evening, the kids unwrap a book, and we read it together. we started out with winter-y/santa clause-y stories and have been reading stories focused on the REAL reason for christmas - Jesus - for the past week or so.
• landon and i made a pallet in the front yard and watched the lunar eclipse on our backs. well, we watched it start. then we fell asleep for an hour and saw it totally eclipsed at 2 a.m.
• spent lots of just-because quality/shopping time with kylah and delana and ellie, gray, md.
• gotten ALL my presents wrapped 3 days before christmas!
• had whipped-cream topped hot chocolate in front of the fire with my husband.
• spent lots of every-day time with my kids and my husband thanks to a 2-week vacation from school.
• attended several lovely christmas parties.
• the chance give a sonic carhop a 100 percent tip by the prompting of the Holy Spirit and the blessing that was to my heart.
• finding old, antique christmas ornaments at concho confetti.
• watched ellie in her first school christmas program, and subsequently discovering i am the parent who will walk in front of everyone else to get a good photo/video shot.
• had bagels at baker's street, just ellie and me.
• ...and at least a dozen more that will be added in the next few days.

i sure do like this we've-done list better than the to-do list. and ultimately, as tsh reminded, the what-HE'S-DONE list tops them both. i can't even begin to make that list here. it's much, much too long.

ellie, waiting for the nutcracker to begin.

weekend of bliss: hello, fall!

it's still early on saturday, and i'm already proclaiming this the best weekend of the year. it's the last official weekend of summer. last night, we had dinner with good friends before i came home and did some yoga, took a long, luxurious bath, and spent some sweet quality time with landon. high school football is in its second week. college football started today. (smu plays texas tech tomorrow on espn! go ponies!) nfl football starts thursday - so close i can taste it. it's beautiful outside - highs in the 80s, which feels downright cool right now in central texas. i'm watching my nephew while david and landon play golf. (he's napping or else he'd be in these photos.) i'm meal planning and cooking for the week, which has grown to be one of my favorite activities of the weekend. my first re-group of the year is tomorrow night. and monday is a holiday. what more could i ask for?

"gray gray is my customer, mommy."

how does she know what a customer is?

feeding tea to puppy.

puzzle time.

running laps.

if it looks like my living room is bare that's because it is. i had the carpet cleaned yesterday...WOOHOO...and i haven't put the furniture back yet. to be honest, i love how open it is without much in it. the kids are loving the room to play and run. i am getting the urge to sell large quantities of our stuff and just leave more space. i'm not just talking about ugly junk that's easy to get rid of in a garage sale. i'm talking about LOTS of stuff, like half of our furniture. is that crazy? i am staring at it for the day, and i'm going to be very selective about what i put back. we're thinking about painting in here on monday, too, which would further freshen the room.

also, i've already started thinking about christmas gifts, christmas cards, christmas photos and christmas decorations. i know it's far from time, but it's getting closer, and i love this season of anticipation.

oh, fall, how you inspire me.

a glimpse.

(photo credit)

while watching a film on the life of c.s. lewis and viewing footage of the english countryside:

a student: "this is what i imagine Heaven looks like."

another {in awe}: "yes! only even a million times better."

i cry. and long to visit england.

and, most of all, long to visit Heaven where i shall hug the brilliant, inspired neck of c.s. lewis.

thoughts. and an "already pretty" poll.

i wrote in my train of thought post from awhile back that i've been playing with clothes a lot lately. that trend continues. in playing with clothes, i am, obviously, looking at my body. as has been my custom since adolescence (along with every woman, everywhere, right?), i am less-than-thrilled with my body most every time i look at it. how different has my body been from age 12 to age 27? ridiculously. how different will my body be from 27 to 42? ridiculously. the one constant is my discontent.

today, it's a less-than-flat tummy (always, always, always), the cowlick on the back of my head that gives me an eternal flat spot in my hair and blindingly pale legs in my first tightless/leggingless skirt of the season. oh, and i see spider veins in my legs. you'd have to be on top of my leg to see them, but i can see them. all too clearly. my own personal neon sign of imperfection.

we have a family photo shoot coming up, and, as always, i am anxiety-ridden. i just know that i will look fat, dorky and ridiculous. honestly, i would rather just have pictures made of the kids because then i don't have to endure the stress.

i waste so much energy on this kind of thing. i really do. and i am doing such a disservice to hone in on a silly cowlick, of all things, instead of looking at myself as a whole, a work in progress inside and out. it's a disservice to myself, to my children, to my husband and to God. thinking this way brings about despair, which brings about poor choices and wasted time. a vicious cycle.

i am tired of wasting time.

through my most recent play with fashion, i've found several style bloggers that feature attainable ensembles in terms of budget and body shape. i love them! on one in particular, i saw a post with an "already pretty" poll. the blogger posted her five favorite things about her body and invited her readers to do the same in the comments.

i am going to copy her.

i want to stop focusing on the imperfect. because it's not going away. instead, i will focus on the things i like about my body, the things it can do. i have been and will continue to focus on working toward practices that aid in my appreciation for this temple i have been given by God, practical ways of taking care of it.

ultimately, it's not about body love, but body acceptance and respect so that i can be free to focus on what's important. because spending hours staring at my flaws is not important. it's causing me to miss what's important. and that's not cool.

so, without further ado, my "already pretty" list:

1.) my body can carry and nurture children. it is an undertaking that is not without scars, but what could be more beautiful than a body that can sustain another body?

2.) my eyelashes are long and dark.

3.) my ankles are slender, and i like the way most any shoe looks on my foot.

4.) i can rock short hair confidently.

5.) my hands work hard for me while still being lovely. i can use them to type super fast, hold my husband's hand, bake, change diapers, display pretty rings, touch soft baby skin, express emotion while talking, cover my face for laughing so hard, wipe away tears -- mine and anyone else's, and, this is my favorite, raise in praise to my Jesus.

won't you play along? tell me your "already pretty" list.

block printing: an experiment, a gift.

after school i bought supplies for a block printing project for my art class, and i decided to test the process. i made this print for christal for her 30th birthday (those jelly beans were for her too). the carving is printed on a very stiff acrylic paint paper allowing it to stand up nicely on its own. i thought it would be sweet propped on a bookshelf somewhere. i might be extremely addicted to block printing now. even the crudest carving looks cool. i'll keep you posted on the kids' project. if my vision comes to fruition, it should be pretty impressive.

a teaching moment.

i am home, having skipped church, with two sickie babies this morning. they've been alternating between moaning in discomfort (junky coughs, some low-grade fever, lots of snot), watching finding nemo and up and snacking on peanut butter-filled tortillas, homemade applesauce and kashi cereal.

as i was wiping everybody down in preparation for naptime, i noticed ellie was swinging her arms wide open and then clasping them around herself over and over while saying, "open. shut. open. shut. open. shut."

i smiled at her and asked her to show me which was open and which was shut. she demonstrated correctly, and then i told her that open and shut are opposites. just like happy and sad. (we practiced making happy and sad faces.) and black and white. (we pointed to places in a piece of art on the wall that are black and places that are white.) and boy and girl. (who is a boy? "gray gray!" who is a girl? "ellie!")

i know ellie probably doesn't understand the term "opposites," but i couldn't resist the chance to introduce her to something about language.

i've been reading some about homeschooling lately, and i am no where close to formulating a concrete opinion or plan. (ultimately, it's extremely personal, as evidenced by a question i posted in a recent facebook status that elicited 19 thoughtful responses.) it is just a topic that has peaked my interest so i'm indulging. some of what i've read is very much in favor of a traditional classroom setting in the home. but, fascinating to me, some of what i've read focuses on the family living life and teaching throughout the day, that opportunities to learn are everywhere if you're looking.

regardless of whether i ever homeschool my children, i will always be their first teacher, a fact that thrills me. what a responsibility!

as i progress through the season of preparation in which i have recently realized God has me, i am solidifying seemingly mundane processes in my life such as housekeeping, finances and menu planning. while having a handle on those areas is important in the most basic sense, God has been opening my eyes wide to a less-than-concrete reason to "get it together": having the proper processes in place for the "must-dos" in life allows me to free up mental and physical space in my day to focus on what's really important.

perfect, planned meals, a spotless home and seamlessly organized finances are wonderful in their own right, but what i can pray for, plan for and achieve in the time i am not wasting by being bogged down with disorganization in these areas is the real reward.

that moment with ellie this morning was a result of having a calm mind and peaceful spirit. there was enough space in my brain to see and seize the opportunity. i am so.incredibly.far from having my life as streamlined and up-to-date and organized as i want it. but i'm getting there. and the fruit is showing. for that i am full of joy.

"there has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears."

(philippians 1:6, the message)

on how january turned out.

only four days late, i am posting final thoughts on january's "new beginnings."

*****

first, the outcome of the "eat from the pantry" challenge. a guest post on money saving mom wraps it up pretty darn well.

simply put, it is amazing how much food i really have when i think i really don't. even when it whittles down and whittles down, there is still plenty left! no, we did not have enough to have steak and potatoes every night. but it's a comfort to know how creativity and self-restraint can last us a very long time in the eating department.

in the spirit of full disclosure, we did "break the rules" several times and eat out. and i did go to the grocery store more than once. never for the full on, $170 shopping trip, but i went. our resolve faltered especially toward the end of the month.

but habits have started to change. we didn't have anything in the house to make a super fancy, well-rounded meal on tuesday night, but i didn't want to go out. we settled for noodles and red sauce. i was more than satisfied.

going forward, i plan to try to institute meal planning on a regular basis using the approach that builds from what is already in the pantry and adding staples as needed.

because you know what? we have plenty.

*****

next, the shopping fast.

it is incredible what i found while entering reciepts into pear budget last month:

bank balance - excessive target trips = MORE MONEY.

yeah, dude. crazy math, right?

i had a couple insights while fasting in this way. both were definitely Holy Spirit-inspired.

the first one came as i was talking to a friend (the soul mate, kindred spirit kind) who found out around christmastime that her mom has cancer. again. every part of me ached to get on a plane and fly to her. just to sit. she, an only child, is dealing with the difficulty alone for the most part. i wanted so badly to sit with her. buy her coffee. take her shopping. play mad libs. anything. i just wanted to be there instead of on the other side of the computer screen. buying a last-minute plane ticket across the country is impossible at this time, but i heard a whisper from He who whispers revelation with every breath: "this is why I want you right in your finances. so I can use you and your abundant blessings to bless others, to touch others through your hands."

if that's not motivation, i don't know what is.

the second insight came through a post on simple kids about resisting consumerism. smack dab in the middle of my fast, it was a timely post. while chewing on the ideas megan and her readers posted, these thoughts were made clear:

"...i’ve been on a fast from shopping this month (minus necessities like milk and bread and eggs) because of the cycle of consumerism i felt myself caught up in after the christmas rush. i did a lot better at christmas than i have in the past — want, need, wear, read and lots of handmade and sustainable/long-lasting gifts — but it’s still so easy to get into the habit of shopping constantly. those clearance end caps are target are my trap.

i could ramble for days on this topic; i feel like God is really revealing what it means to be content with what He has blessed me with in my husband and children and family and friends. it’s a slow process. sometimes i wish i had it down pat already.

one of the most enlightening things i’ve come to realize recently, though, is that consumerism robs me of my creativity. i am too caught up in shopping and finding “stuff” that i need that i can’t be creative with the wardrobe i ALREADY own or the wardrobe my kids ALREADY own or all of the beautiful things in my home that i ALREADY own or the craft supplies i ALREADY own. i am too caught up in shopping and finding “stuff” that i need that i can’t be creative with ways to show my love to my husband and my kids.

in stepping away from the cash registers this month, i’ve had the chance to realize that i AM creative, that God will give me inspiration in my every day in the places where i have more than enough."

(found in the comments section of original post.)

God is doing a work in me in these mundane, everyday areas that are so essential to the fabric of life. stay tuned for more.

color scheme.

blue dress: actually a bathing suit cover up, a gift purchased in jamaica
red cinch belt: vintage 80's, etsy
gold owl ring: wet seal, a gift
scalloped blue paper circle: craft stash
personalized owl stamp (inked in red): from ellie's christmas stocking, etsy

in an otherwise chaotic day of snotting, snorting, whining, sneezing babies, i got my inspiration for ellie's birthday party color scheme: bright blue and red with touches of brown (think burlap & kraft) to tone down the vibrancy. the theme isn't going to be owls, but i'm trying to, big surprise!, do the party on a shoe string budget, hoping to use mostly stuff i already own. the owl is too cute not to use. i ordered printable invitations on etsy today, and the order came with printable favor tags, favor cones and a centerpiece box template. all for $5! the theme isn't going to be straight valentine's day as it has been in the past, but i'm going to have to infuse hearts somehow, however subtle. it's tradition. there is also a possibility that i will be throwing another party ON THE SAME DAY, and i am brainstorming ways to use the same general color scheme and decorations for two very different events. i'm hoping to come up with a couple things i can easily switch out to to make the decor suitable for both events.

new beginnings.

in honor of new beginnings, we over at our henry home have taken on a couple of challenges to start the new year.

first, the "eat from the pantry challenge." very simply, we are to create january's menu from food already in the pantry, freezer, fridge, etc. no buying food for a whole month. before we started, i bought a few staples, but i am not going to the grocery store for anything except milk and possible fresh fruits and vegetables before february 1. we were still holidaying with family on the 1st and 2nd so our challenge started on the 3rd.

in google calendar, i created a dinner menu for the whole month (a trick i learned from simple mom) with quick and easy-to-make meals that repeat every two weeks. breakfast for dinner on sunday nights repeats weekly (with some variation) because we love it so. snack dinner on wednesday repeats weekly because i have to be at church by 5:30 for worship practice.

this week is as follows:

sunday, jan. 3 -- breakfast for dinner
monday, jan. 4 -- bacon-wrapped chicken, broccoli & breadsticks
tuesday, jan. 5 -- pasta with meat sauce, salad & french bread
wednesday, jan. 6 -- snack dinner (sandwiches, hot dogs, quesadillas, soup, etc.)
thursday, jan. 7 -- tilapia with balsamic browned butter over brown rice with green beans
friday, jan. 8 -- tacos
saturday, jan. 9 -- beef tips over white rice and corn

breakfasts are cereal, waffles, yogurt with fruit, various sweet breads with cream cheese, peanut butter or cinnamon toast, etc. lunches are leftovers or something similar to snack dinner.

part of this challenge is that we are venturing to only eat at home. not out. at all. all.month.long.

i was pretty impressed with how easily i made a month-long menu using food i already have. it's amazing how much food sits in the pantry, listening to the "we have nothing to eat; let's go out" line over and over.

the other challenge we've taken on is a shopping fast. no, i'm not talking about speed shopping. i'm talking about abstaining. completely.

i had the idea as i was praying during the last days of 2009 and the first days of 2010. i have been in the rhythm of shopping because of the holidays, and, really, it's ridiculous how often i find myself going to target or hobby lobby or wal-mart or heb because i "need something."

people, I DON'T NEED ANYTHING.

i can eat from my pantry for a month, for heaven sake. the laundry pile in my garage would make you hide your face in shame (it does me). the kids' toys are plentiful. our decor is fine the way it is for the time being.

i will not step foot in any kind of store for the whole month with the exception of the grocery store for milk and other necessary parishables.

i bought diapers and wipes and toiletries and laundry detergent before my fast began so i would be out of reasons to "run in" somewhere "real quick."

i expect it to be a cleansing experience with positive impacts on my quiet time, productivity and checking account balance.

one challenge that i am actually looking forward to is decorating ellie's big-girl room. i am pretty pumped about what things will be repurposed or found or created for her room using what we already own as a result of this fast.

over the past year or so, i have been going through the slow process of developing new ideals and thoughts on what is important in life, what is beautiful to me. though i am far from perfectly consistent, i keep finding words like reused, repurposed, handmade, simple and minimal replayed in the things that most capture my attention and desire.

it is ongoing and sometimes the growth is slower than i'd like. i mean, i clearly do not have my housekeeping or laundry methods down to anything "simple" or "minimal." but i'm getting closer, closer to weeding out the unnecessary, streamlining the necessary and tearing away all that hinders those things i am truly called to in life.

because i would hate to miss my destiny because i wasted too much time in target aisles and drive-thru lines.

so hello, beautiful new beginning. come into my kitchen for a warm cup of coffee. it's been sitting on the shelf, waiting for you to stop by.

even more inspiration for ellie's big girl room.

love this dresser-scape. yes, i said dresser-scape.

am SO-100-percent-no-question going to do these jars. i've been wanting to start this with ellie, and these jars are perfection for the idea.

more inspiration for ellie's big girl room.

stolen from ohdeedoh, of course.

i like this method of storage with the jars. the rest of the room was too over-the-top, which is why i only pulled this photo. i have those polka-dot tins from ikea.

these next three are all the same room. i am leaning toward ivory/cream/eggshell or very pale, creamy yellow walls. that bed is so stinkin cool. the mom made it, of course.

art collage greatness.

love the curtain ties. ellie has white curtains so i'd probably do the opposite and tie them with a colored piece of fabric.

christmas vacation: thoughts and plans.

it is officially here, and i'm betting an onslaught of blogging is coming. along with the blogging, i plan to soak up the sweetness of my family. currently, i can't quit gazing at my kids who are busy organizing tiny rubber alphabet stamps in star-shaped ice cube trays. the occasional dance break to the christmas music i'll have a hard time ever turning off for the next seven days is also bringing peace to my heart.

over the next two weeks, i plan to do something outside - even if we have to bundle up - every day, indulge creative impulses whenever the mood strikes, admire the wrapped-in-butcher-paper gifts under the christmas tree, take pictures, sleep, eat the "local" tortilla soup and texas two-step chili (from austin and dallas, respectively) i found at heb and a dozen other things that don't make it into the days where i'm working, stuffed full of must-dos and have-tos.

and, of course, i will set about making christmas in my heart, remembering the blessings i enjoy are possible because of a God who so knows and cares for every fiber of my being that He sent His child to be a sacrifice to give me a hope and a future. i am feeling "a call" on my life so strongly lately, and i am so thankful to the One who so intimately speaks to my heart in complex and concrete ways.

*****

one of the first things i am ruminating over to start this brand-new vacation is ellie's "big girl room." you read that her "need" this christmas is big girl bedding, and with it will come a (theoretically) minor redecoration of her room. of course, i want a vintage look -- a bit toned down from the bright colors of her baby room. repurposing, reusing, thrift shops and garage sales are the name of the game, as always, and i'm really looking forward to the project.

i will post inspiration photos as i find them. here are the first:

i have been wanting to infuse red into the color scheme in her room for some time, and am thinking a super light, creamy yellow for the walls. i want a pretty neutral background off of which to pop accessories. we already have her headboard; i'll take a photo soon. it's a hand-me-down from my mom that was my sister's when she was at home. it's a distressed, off-white, shutter style. twin, of course. there is a matching dresser, tall. i got off-white, organic sheets. mamo, bless her, bought the quilt i wanted for her big gift to ellie. click here to see.

feel free to jump in with suggestions, if you have any.

i am looking forward to focusing on my family, my home and my heart for the next several days.