Penelope Mae
Penelope seriously kills me. She is sweet, smiley and so fun. She turned one today. So we had an impromptu (Oh crap we don’t have many pictures of Penny) photoshoot. Time stop. Please.
read moreArchive for the ‘Blog’ Category
Pride
Pride is one of those character traits I find completely unappealing…especially when I see it in myself. Like most women, I am busy: work, three babies, a house to take care of, a husband to be present for. From a logistical standpoint, I need to use each moment purposefully. But, if I am being totally honest, I take a little pride in that. I am proud that I have to work non-stop. WHY? Cause that makes me super woman? Because then people will say, “I don’t know how you do all that?” Embarassing. Nic has Fridays off and this past Friday I was exhausted. When nap time hit I SO badly wanted to lay on the couch and watch re-runs of reality TV. I wanted to just rest..but I didn’t. WHY? Because my pride wouldn’t let me. because I needed
read moreWork Bench in the Kitchen
So, this is a work bench I bought a thrift store for $14. I loved how messed up it was, but when I got it, it was not a great color match to my kitchen. To fix this I used some of our cabinet paint, gave it a couple of coats and then I roughed it back up to its originally lovely condition. You can see from this shot, it now ties in quite well with the rest of the space. I wanted to use it for storage of our pots and pans. If you know us, you know we normally store those in the oven, which is almost always annoying. I had a few crates on hand (and will be looking for one more for the far right..since it’s not near as cool as the other two) Here is
read moreFall Accessories
Last week I blogged here about using what you have to decorate for fall. Here are a few items in the Porch Shop that would be fun to decorate with for fall, but are also neutral enough that they could be used all year long. Suitcase $8 Bench $40 Bowling pin $15 small green chalkboard $8 Fan $20 Coke Crate $15 Small step ladders $12 Old frame $7 Apple crates $8 Step stool $12 Of course the girls crashed my “photo shoot” Porch Shop Hours this week: Monday: 5:00-8:00 Wednesday: 12:20-6 Friday 8:00-11:00 Message me if you would like to come shop or if you need directions. Happy fall!
read moreFavorite Friend
A little girl at preschool told Caroline she wasn’t playing with her very much because she had another favorite friend. When Caroline casually mentioned this to me, my heart just about broke. My mind started racing… Can a 4-year-old not have multiple favorite friends? How do female friendship issues start so early? Why is Caroline not automatically her favorite one? (embarrassing, I know.) But mostly I was thinking about how I always want my girls to have favorite friends. I want them to have girls/women in their lives that make them feel special and wanted and safe. I want them to feel like they are someone’s favorite friend. I am asking the Lord to provide favorite friends for my girls..for now and for when they are 30 and 50 and 70..cause they’re gonna need them then too.
read morePorch Shop open this evening!
Message me if you would like to swing by to shop this evening. The shop will be open from 6-9 You probably need a new fun accent? right?
read moreWorking With What You Have
Have you decorated for fall yet? Yesterday was my first attempt to bring a little fall up in here. I wonder about how other people decorate. Here is how I worked on my mantel… Walked around my home finding fall/brown/texturey items. Most of these items are not unique to my house, cutting board, basket, wreath, extra fabric etc. With the extra fabric I made a little burlap-esque chain Then I used my collected items… This is an old place mat, an old iron cold holder (25 cent garage sale find), as well as my first knitting project that has stayed in this exact state since I started it last winter. Then I added some books and arranged….and arranged…and moved things until I liked it, enough. I also used a Scotch sticky thing to hang this shallow basket to the fireplace.
read morePorch Shop Updates
Set of fun yellow lamps My growing scale collection. Cool old mirror, can be painted or left as is. Cool new mirror. Little girls room? yes! Old bucket Come shop!
read moreWell hello there…
Well hello there cute little beat up table. You look like you have lived outside all your life. Probably near the ocean. And you are all the better for it. Well welcome inside…to the Porch Shop. I hope someone takes you home and loves you as much as I do. You deserve a good home.
read moreNostalgia
I am such a sucker for a nostalgic moment, like, I seek them out. Especially in Lynchburg around the end of August. Each year at this time I find myself slowing strolling through Walmart intentionally listening to parents and new college students select egg crate mattress-topers and the perfect shower caddy for their new dorm. I hear things like, “No, mom, I’m not going to need that,” followed by, ”You never know honey, let’s get it just in case.” Inevitably I tear up. I remember trying to focus on those Walmart errands to keep from having a near-constant ugly cry situation on our hands. I tear up now, some 14 years later, because those moments are seared into my memory. The slow, but quick moments right before I was mostly alone in a town I had only seen once and where I only had
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