Category Archives: 31 Days

All I really need to know about blogging I learned in Write 31 days

 

Choosing to Redeem
Choosing to Redeem

All I really needed to know about how to blog and what to write and how to be a blogger I learned in the Write 31 Days challenge. Wisdom was not at the top of the SEO stats, but there in the daily writing on my blog.

Don't all shopping lists include 2 fancy cowboys?
Don’t all shopping lists include 2 fancy cowboys?

These are the things I learned:

  1. I can write every day.
  2. I actually enjoy writing
  3. I can’t seem to write every day and keep up with my house the way I would prefer.
  4. I can, however, write 3 to 4 times a week.
  5. I enjoy having a plan, structure and focus for blog posts.
lots of storage room
Behind the door storage.

6. Posts don’t have to be perfect.
7. They can be corrected and updated later.
8. Multiple times if necessary.
9. Or I can learn to live with imperfection.
10. There is almost always something to write about

authentic is it's own sort of exquisite
authentic is it’s own sort of exquisite

11. I may spend all day November 1st leisurely reading, sipping coffee and even napping if the urge hits.
12. Or I may not be able to stand that for an entire day, we shall see.
13. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the community of #write31days
14. I’m excited about the momentum this challenge has created for me.
15. I have so very much to learn about blogging.

My presence will go with you and I will give you rest. Exodus 33:14
My presence will go with you and I will give you rest. Exodus 33:14

16. I really have already learned more than I realized.
17. There are tons of apps to improve photography while you’re saving for a big girl camera
18. You can actually go from 0 views on your blog to over 1200 in one month.
19. Especially when your sister-in-law guest posts.
20. And a sweet blogger friend links to another post.

Felted Wool Hot Pad Tutorial
Felted Wool Hot Pad Tutorial

21. Redemption is evident all around us.
22. I get to extend redemption and help others find it.
23. This has all been so much fun, I look forward to the day when it is my job.
24. That will be the coolest job ever – outside of wife and mom which is hands-down my favorite!
25. It is possible to redeem a fledgling blog in 31 short days.

A bistro set in the making

A bistro set in the making

No matter how experienced you are as a blogger, when you write for the real world, its best to hold hands and stick together.

Down river at Cumberland Falls
Down river at Cumberland Falls

*thanks to Robert Fulghum for his infamous poem, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” and inspiration for this post

** Click on each picture for links to a few of my favorite posts for Write 31 Days 2015

Mama's handkerchiefs
Mama’s handkerchiefs

Welcome to my world | write 31 days aftermath

When one accepts a challenge to write a blog post everyday for 31 days, there is no true concept on the front end of the adventure that lies ahead..

There will be a little of this…

Those projects that didn't quite make it in a post ...you can look for them in the weeks to come.
Those projects that didn’t quite make it in a post …you can look for them in the weeks to come.
A bit of chaos remains to be organized in the sewing room ... also appearing in a post soon!
A bit of chaos remains to be organized in the sewing room … also appearing in a post soon!

And, in a stroke of luck, along with a few extra minutes…

Well hello there closet floor, where have you been hiding?
Well hello there closet floor, where have you been hiding?

I actually found the closet floor, and literally it only took a few minutes of tidying. Good thing I had put that off until I had 6 minutes all together. Seriously no explanation for such logic!

My favorite drive in Lexington.
My favorite drive in Lexington.

And in those 31 days, if you’re really fortunate, fall might decide to show up …

And I get to make this drive several times a week.
And I get to make this drive several times a week.

And you’ll feel the need to pull off the road every 3 minutes or so to snap a picture that won’t even begin to do the beauty of the season justice. But, you’ll snap away nonetheless.

Okay, sometimes a picture can do a sunset justice!
Okay, sometimes a picture can do a sunset justice!

Honestly, this picture snapping thing by the side of the road is not a new thing with the 31 day challenge. It has been going on for years, just ask my hubby.

Tis just the beginning .. there's a clothing purge ahead!
Tis just the beginning .. there’s a clothing purge ahead!

With this new season comes an entirely different wardrobe sans shorts and tanks.

It'll take a movie marathon to get all these ironed.
It’ll take a movie marathon to get all these ironed.

I wish I could say this span is just from laundering the fall wardrobe, but it’s really just a neglected collection of ironing. Again with the “no different than before the write 31 day challenge”. Any good movie recommendations? Let’s just say it’s a good thing that my family has been very patient and supportive in this very brief season.

By the way, the regular blogging will continue, but more at a pace of 3 or 4 posts per week as opposed to daily. More tomorrow about “All I really need to know about blogging I learned in Write 31 days.”

Comfort for tough days and redemption at it’s best

This is a post I never thought I would actually write. Somehow, I guess it just feels intensely personal, even private, and potentially awkward for others. And yet, I find it very comforting.

Just over six years ago we lost my mom. It was an unexpected infection that her body simply could not battle. One of the blessings was being able to spend those last 10 days with her, my dad and sister at her bedside in the hospital. And my brother was even able to fly home from Siberia in a matter of days, something that has never happened in the almost 20 years he has lived there. They were rough days for Mom and each of us together as we faced the possibility of losing her. They were also filled with sweet moments when we were able to focus on Mom and our family without the daily distractions of life-as-usual, and even laugh about some of the memories we had created together.

It has been tough, this grief journey, and has given me an empathy for others who have walked through their own losses. It has grown each of us, clarified our perspectives and directed the moments of our days. It has also deepened the bond within our family, for which we are all grateful.

Mom was an avid seamstress, scrap booker, reader and lover of Scripture and discipling other women in their walk with Christ. Many of my own interests reflect her love for similar things.

There are many reminders about our house of Mama. Sewing supplies and machines, pictures, pillows from old sweaters. But the thing I’ve never really shared about are her old flannel jammies. It just seems too personal. Don’t even ask me to explain that, as I don’t quite understand it myself. But I do know they have brought a good deal of comfort to me.

Mom and I were not the same size, nor did we really share the same sense of style. So, the few clothing items I have of hers have been re-purposed into other items, like our winter pillows. The jammies have also undergone a transformation.

Mama's handkerchiefs
Mama’s handkerchiefs

It’s simple really, I just cut squares as big as I could squeeze out of the flannel and finished the edges with a rolled hem. They have been the best handkerchiefs I have ever had.

Mainly because I had never really used handkerchiefs, and now I’m completely ruined for Kleenex. The flannel handkerchiefs are so much sturdier and softer than Kleenex, and I almost always have one in my purse. But more than that, like most of us, when I’m sick I really just want my Mama. Along with a big pot of her potato soup topped with shredded cheese and crumbled bacon.

And if it’s tears I need to dry, then these handkerchiefs are the closest thing to a Mama hug that I have, and somehow it simply makes things better. It’s easier to remember what her advice would be on tough days, to see her smile directed at me and to feel her Mama hugs.

So, as odd as this whole idea may seem to some, it has been of great comfort to me, and easily one of the sweetest redemption projects I have ever done.

A bistro set in the making

I’ve always been drawn to the coziness of bistro sets, not their price tag so much, but I’m all for a style that calls you to sit close, lean in and enjoy those gathered with you.

Last year, our sweet neighbor was helping her mom clean out some furniture for an upcoming move, and thought I might come up with something to do with her bistro set. I didn’t have to think twice about that. I did have to come up with a plan and explanation for the family as to why I said yes and what I had in mind, but even they have grown rather patient with some of my ideas for redeeming beyond hope projects.

So here is what I was given to begin with…

the original table base and chair
the original table base and chair
original plywood and contact paper seat
original plywood and contact paper seat

I’m not sure what the original table top was as it was missing. The chair seats had been replaced with plywood covered in contact paper. It took a bit of imagination, but it had good bones to work with, and therefore potential.

A few months earlier I had picked up this solid wood table top at ReStore. I had several ideas of what I could do with it, though nothing specific. I just knew that it was worth the $5 price tag. It was painted black on top, such a sad day that must have been!

Oh the beauty of what lies beneath ...
Oh the beauty of what lies beneath …
Citristrip and a scraper work wonders
Citristrip and a scraper work wonders

I used some Citri-strip Gel to remove the black paint and it made pretty quick work of the stripping process. I did go back with some steel wool soaked in denatured alcohol to remove some of the gunk and more stubborn spots of paint stuck in a few grooves.

before and after of a little denatured alcohol on steel wool
before and after of a little denatured alcohol on steel wool

The wood underneath had a unique variation in color and grain and I decided against staining it all one color. I did use about three coats of Minwax Spar Urethane, you can read more about using this product here.

The base of the chairs and table got a thorough cleaning, sanding, another cleaning and three coats of Krylon Covermaxx spray paint in jade.

a fresh new color can change everything
a fresh new color can change everything

At this point, the table top has been screwed onto the base and it’s ready to be enjoyed. The chair seats are still in process and we’re looking forward to adding them soon. Until then, maybe I can find time to pressure wash the patio …

Freshly painted base and varnished table top
Freshly painted base and varnished table top

And the entire set, though I wouldn’t recommend sitting on the chairs quite yet.

almost done
almost done

My neighbor saw it the other day and loved the jade color and the plan for redeeming this little set. She will definitely be receiving the first invitation to enjoy our new gathering spot on the patio when the bistro set is complete.

Until then, I am learning again the profound truth of my Uncle Danny’s quote, “things take longer than they do.”

 

The authentic brings the exquisite

“You were born to be real, not to be perfect.”

I’m not sure where this quote originally came from, but I’ve seen it lots of places. Perhaps it’s because it resonates so loudly with many. There is something deep within that wants to hide our imperfections, and yet deeper still is a longing to simply be real.

Authentic is it’s own sort of exquisite, isn’t it?

red glass mosaic candle holder

I have a beautiful glass mosaic candle holder on the shelf over our kitchen window. When I found it I just knew it would be gorgeous with a candle reflecting light from all it’s glass tiles.

In the process of moving a few years ago it took a little tumble off our bed and one side was shattered. My friend and I looked at each other and decided that packing tape would be the perfect solution. And it was.

the broken, imperfect, no longer whole
the broken, imperfect, no longer whole

I’m so glad we didn’t pitch it because it was no longer perfect. Because it was no longer whole. Because, some would say, it was no longer exquisite.

But that would be wrong.

It’s no longer perfect, but it is beautiful. It’s no longer whole, but it is exquisite. It’s only a decorative piece, and yet … for me, it’s a daily reminder.

It makes me smile. To know “the whole story” of this little candle holder and to so clearly see it’s beauty, usefulness, exquisiteness … this is a good reminder for one like me. It’s a good reminder that this life isn’t about perfection, wholeness or outward beauty. It’s more about brokenness, becoming whole and an inner beauty that makes others smile.

authentic is it's own sort of exquisite
authentic is it’s own sort of exquisite

The sort of beauty that comes from the authentic.

The sort of beauty that puts others first, even in it’s imperfection.

The sort of beauty that puts them at ease, because of it’s brokenness.

The sort of beauty that allows the light to shine through to illuminate everything that is fortunate enough to be nearby.

Because in the real world, it’s the imperfections and brokenness that actually create the exquisite.

Kitchen chaos tamers

It’s Monday … after a really great weekend! When our days are filled with lots of awesome, our house tends to show it, and Monday’s call for a bit of reclaiming. Today, it was the kitchen. Not a deep cleaning by any means, just setting things to rights so we can continue to function in the week ahead.

So, I figure it’s a good day to share a few of my favorite kitchen chaos tamers. With three teens at home, all of whom do some of their own cooking and food prep throughout the week, not to mention my husband and I,it seems kitchen chaos can break out an any moment.

In no particular order, my favorites include …

deep drawers and sticker labels
deep drawers and sticker labels

Deep drawers and sticker labels. When we remodeled the kitchen in our last home, most of our base cabinets had deep drawers. They were great for our everyday dishes because it allowed the kids to be part of the setting and cleaning up process without having to drag a chair over to reach an upper cabinet. Now I keep all of our spices in a deep base cabinet drawer because it’s so much easier to organize and see everything than any shelf storage system I’ve found.

Next up …

turntables and recycled jars
turntables and recycled jars

Turntables and recycled jars. Having lived in Florida for years, I’m programmed to store dry goods in completely sealed containers instead of boxes or bags. These recycled salsa jars are perfect for so many things in our kitchen.

I remember my mom using turntables in the kitchen cabinets, and now I understand why. I’ve picked up quite a few at thrift stores and have only had to purchase a couple of them brand new.

And my favorite chaos tamer …

Chalkboard contact paper and chalkboard markers
Chalkboard contact paper and chalkboard markers

Chalkboard contact paper and chalkboard markers. I absolutely love this stuff! I’ve purchased several rolls at Hobby Lobby and used some favorite die cut shapes to trace these labels. You can buy them pre-cut, but I wanted too many of them to justify that expense.

The chalkboard markers are great because they are much more clear and durable than standard chalk, yet they can be washed off with a damp cloth, And yes, I put some chalkboard paper on the shelf edge. Not because I’m that militant, but because it reminds everyone where things go without me having to recite a lecture and everyone else having to listen to it. And that’s a win-win for everyone!

And there you have it. My favorite ways to tame kitchen chaos. Granted, things still get stuck in the wrong place, but nowhere near as often as in the past. Do you have any favorite kitchen chaos tamers? We would love to hear your tips in the comments section!

Their faith

Mark 2:5
Mark 2:5

2 So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and He was speaking the message to them.3 Then they came to Him bringing a paralytic, carried by four men. 4 Since they were not able to bring him to[a] Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above where He was. And when they had broken through, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.5 Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

I’ve heard this account of Jesus healing the paralytic since I was a small child. I’ve understood that though this man struggled with paralysis, a condition that had to be more difficult than I can even imagine in his day, he was also blessed with some extraordinary friends. Friends who were willing to go to great lengths to love him. To carry him. To be a nuisance to others as they pushed through the crowd that day. To be so fully committed to their friend that they would conquer any obstacle to help him.

Yet, somehow I missed the heart of Christ when he healed this man. He healed the man because He saw the faith of his friends. It was their faith in action that captured Christ’s attention. Faith that was big enough to go out on a limb, push through a crowd, bust open someone else’s roof – all because they KNEW beyond the shadow of a doubt that Christ could heal their friend.

What if the paralytic had decided he didn’t want to bother his friends? What if he decided that his condition left him to “different” to even invest in friendships? What if he had instead pulled away from them altogether? Much less admitted that he needed their help?

It’s hard isn’t it? This admitting that we might possibly, perhaps, just maybe need help from others. But it’s also critically important. Without such vulnerability, this man’s friends would not have  expereinced Jesus in such an up close and personal way. The crowds would not have witnessed the miracle. We could not read about it. The paralytic would not have been healed. all of us would have missed out on so much.

What has my own independence cost me? What have I missed out on because I don’t want to bother anyone else? Because I don’t want to admit I need help? Because even if I can admit my need to myself, I surely don’t want to tell anyone else?

Doing life together requires letting others into my sotry. the good, the bad and the ugly. It’s part of the design for our growth.

Whatever is keeping me, it isn’t worth exchanging for the benefits of walking with others. Who knows that the faith of my friend couldn’t be the door to my own healing, and theirs, and untold others. Who knows that my fait couldn’t do the same for them.

So next time I’m in need of a friend I’ll choose to reach out. To receive. To fully experience His reward in the comfort and healing. Won’t you join me?

 

Welcome to my world | Cumberland Falls

We’ve planned for this weekend for months. Every fall the women of our church head to a state park and enjoy a weekend retreat.

Cumberland River from the Dupont Lodge
Cumberland River from the Dupont Lodge
stone, bark and leaves
stone, bark and leaves
the falls from afar
the falls from afar

We spend hours laughing, learning, connecting…

a patchwork of trees
a patchwork of trees
leaves on steps
leaves on steps
the falls
the falls

and enjoying the beauty around us…

down river
down river
stone steps
stone steps
the falls
the falls

and the beauty amongst us.

all the colors
all the colors
moon over mountains
moon over mountains
down river
down river

There’s just nothing else quite like this time together.

 

Falling for felted wool

The leaves are really starting to change in our part of the world. There’s a sort of buzz of excitement in the air as fall seems to have finally arrived. And with it comes all sorts of wonder – from the vibrant colors and crisp air to hay rides, hot chocolate and pumpkin patches. And how could we leave out that favorite pair of boots and chunky sweaters.

Ahh, the colors of fall!
Ahh, the colors of fall!

Yet, as we dig out our clothes for this new season, we find those items that for whatever reason, we simply won’t wear. At that point, we can choose to pass them on or get creative. Felted wool sweaters are one of my favorite redeemed fabrics to work with. Whether by accident or on purpose, felted wool has a unique look and texture that is thick and yet somehow supple.

A few years ago I picked up a striped cardigan in the deep rich hues of autumn and decided to felt it and make hot pads and coasters. The best tutorial I’ve found for felting is here on makezine.com. It’s a simple and the best source for felted wool around.

As easy as the felting is, stitching up a hot pad and simply cutting out coasters is even easier. I see you doubting me! Just watch and you’ll see.

Steps 1 and 2
Steps 1 and 2

Step 1: Rescue your clean but sad, pathetic looking hot pad from the kitchen.

Step 2: Lay it in the center of the right side of your felted wool – I made one hot pad out of each sleeve and two more out of the back of my cardigan, for a total of four.

Steps 3 and 4
Steps 3 and 4

Step 3: Fold up the bottom edge of the sweater about 3/4 of the way up the hot pad.

Step 4: Fold the other edge of the wool over the hot pad to completely enclose the old hot pad

Bam! Done!
Bam! Done!

Step 5: Pin both sides of the folded felt, remove the old hot pad and stitch along the pinned lines.

Step 6: Turn the hot pad right side out and insert your sad old hot pad. Now go test it by whipping up a pot of potato soup or some other yummy fall treat.

Felted Wool Hot Pad Tutorial
Felted Wool Hot Pad Tutorial

One of the nice features of this style of hot pad is that you can slip you hand into the pocket that is formed in the back and it almost works like an oven mitt, but it takes up much less room. That and the fact that it can be tossed in the washer as needed. Well plus the fact that they are the prettiest hot pads I’ve ever had and never get confused with others when I take them to a potluck. Yeah, I kind of like them.

So as your digging through your sweaters this weekend, don’t throw out that wool one that’s a little too small. Whip up a couple of hot pads to use at home. Or make some as a hostess gift for all the holiday festivities that are just around the corner.

Whatever you do, enjoy the weekend ahead!

 

 

Upholstered walls and minor indiscretions

Upholstered walls ... all the cool kids have them
Upholstered walls … all the cool kids have them

What’s a girl to do when the budget and the grand ideas and the calendar all refuse to line up?

When the college boy needs to spread his wings a little further than the four walls of his bedroom without breaking the bank to pay for his education and living and such?

When he is enough like his daddy that he’s pretty laid-back and low maintenance. Well, then the limited possibilities are multiplied.

And you just might end up with something like this…

All guys should have a venomous snake skin next to their mirror
All guys should have a venomous snake skin next to their mirror

Compliments of the sister-in-law y’all met yesterday and the Grandma who was a collector of unwanted fabrics..

It even has "closet doors"
It even has “closet doors”

It’s the in-between of reality and a finished basement.

A basic closet rod and voila - it's a curtain door
a basic closet rod and voila – it’s a curtain door

And one of these days, real soon we’re hoping, there will be dry wall and paint and cabinets and flooring and all sorts of classy things that add up to a finished basement.

Until then, this Mama is so very grateful for a young college man who sees the bigger picture of things and doesn’t complain. Though he has been known to swipe some of his Mama’s favorite fur blankets. But she has chosen to classify that as a small indiscretion, it’s the least she could do, right?