• 03.05.2013 True Hospitality
    True Hospitality
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    Many of you know that hospitality is a topic dear to my heart. Hospitality is more than having someone over or feeding him a meal. It is a tangible reflection of God’s gracious generosity of welcome towards us. Unfortunately, we often get hung up on impressing others or keeping up with Pinterest. What is true hospitality, and how can you practice biblical hospitality in a real and authentic way? I’m so honored to be guest posting at The Nourishing Home today, sharing on the heart of true hospitality. Please join me there!

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  • 02.22.2013 Teaching Little Ones To Help Around The House At Any Age
    Teaching Little Ones To Help Around The House At Any Age
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    If you come over to my house, you will notice something about the way we are around here: Our kids do a lot of helping. You’ll find my boys making meals, using cutting boards and knives, loading dishwashers, doing their own laundry, and getting their baby brother up in his high chair for lunch. Don’t get me wrong–it is not automatic, always voluntary, or even all done correctly at times. In fact, there are lots of spills, scorches, mistakes, and do-overs. I would describe it less like a well-oiled machine, and more like constant tuning and training. We’ve not hired “a mother’s helper” and we don’t have the budget to eat out regularly or hire a housecleaner. So…we have an all-hands-on-deck approach because, truthfully, we simply wouldn’t survive otherwise. But, the point is– I’ve learned to let my kids participate in tasks around the house at every age. Even the 22 […]

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  • 02.21.2013 Around Our House Lately
    Around Our House Lately
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    If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen that I finally figured out that I am only 8 short weeks away from baby boy #6. That was an amusing moment…of panic. {As a sidenote, you might remember that our Number 5 was lovingly referred to as “Cinco“, but seeing as “Seis” just doesn’t have the same ring to it, and the Latin for “six” is just not a good nickname…here we are with good ol’ #6. } We are excited. Excited and a little nervous, and prayerfully considering how to manage and handle all the commotion and mayhem that comes with bringing a sixth baby boy home. Thinking through those logistics while life continues to press on. And, so this verse seems fitting for the room we spend 90% of our time. “Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They […]

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  • 01.09.2013 The Kitchen: Progressive Reveal Pt. 1
    The Kitchen: Progressive Reveal Pt. 1
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    This entire project has been an effort to make for a more open floorplan for our growing family, but also for our family to continue to effectively share our table and home with others. All of it is FOR Him, and TO Him, and FOR His glory. The satisfaction of remodeling doesn’t last but for a little while…unless the lasting joy of it’s beauty and functionality is shared and used for something greater than personal enjoyment. Praise God for the opportunity and ability to do this reno. We are so grateful. What a difference a week makes! You saw how the house looked prior to the 40th birthday celebration last week…and thankfully, though we were unable to complete the kitchen in time for the party, we did get the house in presentable condition (with several late nights and the help of a handful of amazing friends and family.) The front room (which […]

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  • 01.02.2013 Renovations: The Last Seven Weeks
    Renovations: The Last Seven Weeks
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    Everyone warned me about remodels and renos. I knew it would be especially difficult when you are doing all the work yourselves, on a tight budget, in a house full of children, and within a short time frame. Throw in Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a 40th birthday, and we’ve got a well-rounded season of stretching and opportunity for patience-training. And so, here we are…week seven, and days before my sweet husband’s 40th birthday. Floors are done, counters are going in tomorrow, baseboards are in and caulked, ceilings and walls are tape, textured, and painted. There’s still much to go, but I thought I’d show you the progress… Our front room/kitchen used to look like this: Not anymore! We took out the wall dividing the front room and the kitchen, the archway, and the pantry that ran along another wall. The planking on the floor is covering the section of the foundation […]

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  • 11.25.2012 Tearing Down to Build Up and the GraceLaced Mondays Link Up
    Tearing Down to Build Up and the GraceLaced Mondays Link Up
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    I’m currently typing from within a dusty, rubble-filled home. There is exposed concrete, drywall, and power tools throughout my kitchen. This is the point in a remodel when you ask: Is this worth it? Will I make it to see the reward at the end of all the challenges? I’m currently experiencing this truth: There’s no building up of new until the old is torn down. Like so many things in life, change requires a painful upset of what once was for what could be: Earning a degree begins with making time in your schedule for school. Forming a friendship starts with setting aside tasks for an invitation to coffee. Expanding an existing kitchen inevitably requires demolition… More of Christ means less of me…There is no building up of the new man until the old man is torn down. So amidst the heaps of debris, there is great joy and […]

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  • 11.23.2012 Giving Thanks 2012
    Giving Thanks 2012
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    …for family, for home, for the abundance of goodness… …for salvation, and the comfort of the cross in all heartaches… …for the sunrise each day that reminds us that every day is a gift. My hard-working husband began work on the house on Monday, ripping down walls, moving pipes, chipping tile, and expanding the space within our home for our growing family. I’m more than thankful for the generosity of friends, the love of family, and the diligence of each member of my family as we we blessed and sought to bless this week. What wonderful reminder this week that everything is a gift from Him…and everything is given to give back. I’m thankful for the friendship found within this community here at GraceLaced…thank you for letting me share my life with you!

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  • 09.27.2012 A Clean Home Is Not Your Shelter
    A Clean Home Is Not Your Shelter
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    There is not one corner of my home that feels picked up or organized lately. My house definitely has not looked the way it does for a photo shoot in a long time–and surely not since I became pregnant. We are presently more abundantly blessed with mess-makers than house-keepers. Do you have that problem? Even with all the offensive tactics and deliberate pursuit of staying on top of our family’s daily upkeep, we simply have fallen two steps (or more) behind ever meal, every load of laundry, every spill…every mess. For those of you who spend every day caring and managing your home, you know what I mean when I say I feel overwhelmed and discouraged by the perpetual-ness of it all. I’m doing the next right thing, learning to be more efficient, sometimes making time for inefficiency, and setting my mind on the fact that I get to serve […]

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  • 08.10.2012 Vintage Soda Bottles Become Vases
    Vintage Soda Bottles Become Vases
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    Sometimes it’s all in the details. Details don’t have to be expensive, fancy, or extravagant. It’s most satisfying when you use what you have to create something special. I recently dressed up the entry to my potager for a party I hosted in the garden. Don’t they seem to just say, “Welcome!” I’m at Beautifully Rooted today, sharing a tutorial on how to make this cluster of hanging vintage soda bottle vases. Come check out the step by step instructions!

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  • 08.07.2012 Mason Jar Chandelier For The Arbor
    Mason Jar Chandelier For The Arbor
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    You know I’ve been obsessed with all things mason jar for a long time. I’ve used them to light the backyard and for drinking iced coffee, and now, I’ve finally turned them into a light fixture for the arbor! I recently held a birthday party in the garden, which provided the perfect excuse to complete a DIY lighting project I had seen here and here. It’s a fairly simple project, unlike the electrically wired mason jar chandelier I had hoped to make for the dining room (and decided against in favor of a happy marriage. ). You can do it in a day, so give it a try! You will need: One 1″ x 6′ piece of pine a drill a jigsaw a compass 4 pint sized mason jars with lids jute rope acrylic caulk 4 votive candles (I used large tealights from IKEA) 2 hooks for hanging Start by cutting […]

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  • 07.31.2012 A Birthday Party In The Potager
    A Birthday Party In The Potager
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    My potager’s all grown up. Its not simply feeding our family with veggies, it is serving our family in hospitality. Our potager made a lovely debut last weekend, playing host to a birthday gathering for my dear friend, Tara — a friend of 17 years! As an aside, a friendship is much like a garden, isn’t it? The soil of like-mindedness must be tilled, the seeds of trust are planted, then watered with God’s Grace. With diligent weeding with honesty and courage, the enjoyment of the glorious bouquets from the garden is bountiful. A garden, a celebration, a few good friends, and a mini dessert buffet in honor of a sweet birthday girl: …some of the birthday girl’s favorite things… …remember how I strung some lights and decided to make the most of what space we have? I’m so thankful to have this tiny piece of suburbia! …I finally made […]

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  • 07.10.2012 Right Where You’re Planted
    Right Where You’re Planted
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    When I look out from my ubiquitous sliding-glass (track home) door, I can practically see into my neighbors’ yards. I can hear the music being played in their homes; I can usually smell what’s cooking for dinner. I live in suburbia, but my heart thinks it’s farmlands out back, bordered by some green hills and bubbling brooks. But, you must grow where you’re planted… My tiny suburban backyard may not be the sprawling acreage I dream about, but it is where the Lord has our family…and I intend to make the most of the soil He’s given me to till. Come join me at Beautifully Rooted today, as I share the 3 reasons why I garden… …and how I’m seeking to be fruitful right where I am.  

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