Home Sanctuary

Matchless Wonders!

Since I've been thinking about misfit ornaments lately, my mind also returned to the mateless socks laying around.  You might have missed this post back in January, so I'm re-posting it in the hopes that it will help take your minds off the rejected ornaments at your house, too.

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I'm talking about socks. Mateless, matchless socks that lurk in every drawer, hamper and laundry basket in my house. Loathe to toss the singles out, I see them lie in limbo, watching and waiting for their long-lost twin to reappear.

Some are pristine in appearance...their mate went missing almost as soon as their tags got torn off, and they have lived in a state of newness despite their actual age. Not having been worn much, they still retain their stretchiness and vivid color. Such a waste! Often, their mate is found galavanting with some other patterned sock, now faded and loose with wear. Sadly, the two have grown apart, having lived such separate lives that they can never really reconcile.

Some of the lonely souls have been banished to the Matchless Bin: a basket specifically set aside for singles. There you will find the "Suddenly Singles" meeting up with the "Singles Again" and the "Swinging Singles." The Swinging Singles tend to be athletic socks who like to get around. A sock gets sent to this bin in the hopes of meeting Mr. or Ms. Right over time. I can proudly say that the Matchless Bin has been responsible for many happy pairings! How long they will STAY together is anyone's guess, but uniting two kindred socks is a moment to cherish. How sweet it is!

Fortunately for many of the mateless toe warmers at our house, it seems no one really minds wearing two socks of differing ethnicities. We are a non-discrimminating household, and don't make fashion decisions based on color or age. My children have turned my lack of sock organization into haute couture, proudly displaying pink and purple stripes on one foot, and green frogs on lilypads on the other. A tall sock (usually one of the Swingers) can be folded down to meet the height of an up-stretched footie. A dark blue dress sock can easily be mistaken for black if it is an evening affair, so no problem there. Wearing two different socks simultaneously has been known to increase the likelihood that something will match the rest of the ensemble.

Still, it bothers me that so many pairs have succumbed to splitting up in search of more excitement. Time in the Bin gives them a chance to see the error of their ways, and makes them realize their need for commitment. Staying together over the long haul is so much better than the single life.

The Matchless Wonders of the Bin must live in perpetual preparedness, always ready for the moment I might happen upon their mate as I pull laundry from the dryer. "Hey!" I might say. "You look familiar!" And I will pull out the Bin and paw through its contents like the widow woman looking for her lost coin.

In triumph, I will lift the Prodigal in one hand and the Deserted One in the other. A single shaft of light will shine down on me as I join the two together with a roll of the toes and a fold of a cuff. I think I hear angel choirs.

Yes. YES! YESSSSS!!

Another happy couple, reunited. I'll sleep GOOD tonight.

Show and Tell: Sepia Tuscan Mural

Here are some photos of the finished mural in the gorgeous house I told you about. It got a little chilly that last day, but I wore work boots and skivvies under the jeans, so I survived. I used four paint colors, plus the wall color to create the tone-on-tone look. I purposefully did not add much detail to the mural so that it would look like a soft backdrop to the furnishings and lighting that will no doubt be spectacular. I'll list the colors I used below.

The wall color is Benjamin Moore 314-4 Spiced Vinegar. It is a neutral that looks really nice in different lighting. I used it as my base, and mixed it in with my other colors as needed. I basically made a palette of graduating colors:

Sherwin Williams 6119 Antique White
(BM 314-4 Spiced Vinegar)
Sherwin Williams 6123 Baguette (love this color)
Sherwin Williams 6124 Cardboard
Sherwin Williams 6146 Umber

By mixing each color with it's lighter and darker neighbor, you can come up with about 9 values of color. I mostly mixed as I went, except for when I needed to cover a large area with a mixed shade (like the cloud base). Then I mixed the two colors in a mixing tub to get enough to cover.

I used Purdy brushes (2 1/2 and 3 inch) for most of it, with an angled 2 1/2 inch brush for the clouds and trees. An angled 1/2 inch Purdy brush is good for dabbing in trees and shrubs. So are "chip" brushes.

For the smaller details, I used artist brushes. The other useful artist tool is your finger (I personally use my ring finger) to smudge and soften. It's readily available at the end of your arm, for free.

For resource material, I used photos from magazines and books of Tuscan scenery. I kept the pages open in front of me as I worked, often taping them to the wall so I could easily see what I wanted.

I would love to see this house when it is completely finished and furnished! I am very honored to have my artwork featured so prominently in this fabulous home. Feel free to email me if you have any questions or comments! I'm happy to share.

Hanging with the Ornaments

We started decorated our Christmas tree over the weekend and I was reminded of this post from last year.  Yes, I felt that familiar stab of guilt but I've managed to keep it at bay because I'm not actually done decorating.  Enjoy!

I put the boxes of leftover ornaments away and I'm feeling a little guilty.  You know, they're the ones that didn't make the cut to hang on this year's trees.  Outshined by newer, flashier baubles, these guys have been boxed and re-boxed for up to 10 years, hoping for their chance to hang out once again with the more popular crowd of angels, bells and gingerbread men. 

It must be disappointing to get passed over because you're the wrong color (race discrimmination) or too old (age discrimmination) or the wrong size (weight discrimmination).  Even now I can hear them plotting to get together and file a class-action suit citing wrongful treatment of Christmas decor.  I didn't even give them a chance.

But really, the mauve and blue quilted kitty that looked so cute in 1985 doesn't belong here anymore.  The Victorian lace heirloom ball just looks a little frumpy these days.  Worse, the wooden cutout of Santa just smacks of "Craft Fair."  The felt reindeer with no eyes and one antler is just too shabby, even for my standards.

Somehow my tastes have changed over the years, but like the outdated clothes in my closet, I just keep hanging on to those silly things.  Maybe someday they will fit again!  Maybe someday I will look at that mauve and blue kitty and fall in love all over, just like I certainly will with my stirrup pants and shoulder padded shirts.  Someday they will be back in style and won't I be glad I saved them from the give-away box! 

Riiiight.

Truthfully, though I might sound like Martha Stewart, my little trees are not much more than a hodgepodge of hopelessly unfashionable ornaments.  Which makes it all the more painful, I guess, to be excluded from a group of misfits.  I've had that happen my own self, so I know how it feels to get left out.  But that's small consolation to a group of rejected holiday decorations, all dressed up with no place to go.

Guys.  I'm SORRY!  I'm leaving you in the box and you can try again next year.  Until then, you can relax and enjoy laying down in comfort instead of hanging by a hook for weeks on end, possibly at the very back of the tree where no one can see you anyway.  I'm doing you a favor, trust me.

And yes, I'm turning off the closet light.  I'll see you on January 2, when I return this year's chosen "A-List" Tree Groupies to the boxes and you can find out for yourselves just how hard it was to hang out with the presents.  Talk about a group of show-stealers!

Just be glad you aren't the poor lone ornament that never makes it off the tree at the end of the season, who accompanies the tree to the curb and never gets seen again.  See, THERE's a fate none of you would want, and I'm saving you from that possibility.  You'll be just fine in there, I promise.

And stop talking to me.

Happy Thanksgiving

It has been a fun day of relaxation and preparation for tomorrow's feast. I've taken the whole weekend off and it feels awfully good. As I loaded the groceries into the old Explorer yesterday, I suddenly felt so grateful for all the bags of food, for the kids coming home from college, and for the time to enjoy it all. I cried the whole way home.

Last year was so different. We had plenty to be thankful for, but we were working hard just to make ends meet, and I didn't get to take that Wednesday off to get ready for company. It seemed like we were counting every stick of butter and praying we'd have enough money to host the family dinner. Tom spent the rest of the weekend working on a project so that we could invoice enough to think about getting a Christmas tree. Starting out the holiday season with so little just weighed heavily on me, and it took a lot of the joy out of the preparations.

This year, we have experienced abundant opportunities and a fruitful harvest. To be able to make a second trip to the grocery store for all the things I forgot the first time around was a pleasure. Two kinds of cheese balls? A whole bag of walnuts? Better get an extra pound of butter. And another dozen eggs, just in case. These things might sound silly to you, but to me...oh, it is exquisite to be able to put them into the cart. When you have done without, even the smallest "extras" are simply luxurious.

I look forward to a day of thankfulness for the many blessings we have received. But I also think about my brother and his family, who will have an empty chair at their table this year. They will miss my nephew, Joby, who was killed in a tragic accident in September. Their first Thanksgiving without their son. How silly worrying about sticks of butter last year seem in light of such a deep, deep loss this year. Our holidays will be tinged with sadness, as thoughts of him are never very far away, especially now.

The refrigerator is plumb full of pies, stuffing and sweet potato casserole. The turkey takes up a whole shelf. I am thankful for the plentiful bounty and for the happy voices of the kids playing Clue in the living room. In a life where there are no guarantees that any of us should be here, or that our pantries will be overflowing, I am filled with humble gratitude for what we have been given.

And so I wish you, my dear Company Girls, a Thanksgiving that is filled with joy no matter what your circumstances may be this year. With much or with little, with gain or with loss, please know that you are loved by a Heavenly Father, and treasured by a blog friend who lives in a yellow house in Texas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Head 2 Christ

A few weeks ago, I accompanied my friend Priscilla Shirer to a taping of Life Today with James Robison. It was SO COOL to see what happens backstage and meet James and Betty Robison in person. They have an incredible ministry providing food and water to children in remote parts of the world, and a television ministry that reaches millions.

That evening, they were interviewing Priscilla for two programs that will air in January. Of course, Priscilla was her awesome self, and spoke about how God really does speak to us. She makes it look easy, sitting in front of an audience and 3 cameras, just chatting away. I love how she just connects with people, and we all felt like we were sitting right in the living room with her, learning about how we can hear God's voice.

There was another program being taped that night, just before Priscilla's segments. The guest was Brian "Head" Welch, former guitarist for the band, KORN. Brian has an AMAZING testimony of redemption from an addiction to drugs and an out-of-control rock-star lifestyle. I got to meet him before the taping got started, and was impressed with his heart for Jesus and for reaching out to the people in his world. I saw a gentleman behind the tattoos, a man who is sold out and growing in his own faith.

Meeting Brian made me think about how many times I have judged people by their appearance or by the music they listen to. It's good to remember that we all, from soccer moms to drug addicts, need an encounter with a Savior. One of Brian's business associates took a chance and shared a verse with him that started him on a journey to faith in Christ. I wonder if I would have shared a verse with someone I thought might be "too hardened" to the gospel?

Brian has written a book called, Save Me From Myself, in which he tells his story. I haven't read it yet, but it's on my "To Read" list. You might know someone who would benefit from reading Brian's book, maybe someone who can relate to Brian's music and past. I think the book would make a great gift.

Maybe God is nudging you to take a chance like Brian's friend did, and share the Good News of Jesus with someone you know. I'm going to look for opportunities to share my faith beyond the soccer moms and Mary Kay parties. I'll start by getting a copy of his book and having it ready to give away.

Finding the Perfect Shade: Pick a House Color You'll Love Coming Home To

We are giving our Barn House a fresh color of paint this weekend, and the old girl is looking Migh-tay Fine in her new shade! It's hard to believe it's been 5 years since the last paint job...but as we cleaned and prepped the faded yellow we could see just how much the house needed it. Ugh, was it really this bad??

After dreaming of endless possibilities for new color schemes, it seemed we could only decide on a color that was almost exactly like what we already had. Sherwin Williams makes budget paint samples and we had tried several. The one we'd hoped would be perfect looked positively awful on the wall. The next one was far too wimpy. Another, too bright. We wanted oomph, but finally settled for "safe," so off to the paint store we went, resignedly.

Part way through the 5 gallon bucket we bought, Tom laid down the roller and said, "I'm not going to all this trouble to get exactly what we already have. Look at this! You can't even tell where I've painted! We've gotta find something more inspiring!"

He was right. It was just too blah. We looked again at the paint strips that had been our finalists, and decided that what we needed was a deeper shade of our 5-gallon loser. Although we hated to spend another $120.00, the thought of spending 5 more years with a color we were already tired of gave us the courage to splurge.

And what joy, what ecstacy! What a thrill to see liquid beauty being rolled out over the miles of siding that covers this barn! Buttery, warm, not-too-tan, not-too-lemony, "Golden Fleece" (SW 6388) is just what we were hoping for.

So here are my tips for finding your own perfect shade:

1. Be nosy. Look at houses you drive by and don't be afraid to ring the doorbell if you see something you like. We stopped on a busy street and held our paint chips up to a charming house we liked and it really helped us narrow the field.

2. Check out the color combo cards at the paint store. The paint companies have spent millions of dollars coming up with great combinations, so don't look down your nose at an "off the card" design! Sherwin has a Paint Visualizer online to help you find a good exterior combo.

3. Look in the "Historic Color" collections. These colors are tried and true gems. Generally not too bright or garish...two looks you want to avoid.

4. Try the samples. Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore have small (less expensive) samples, but don't be afraid to buy a quart of the real deal and brush some of it on so you can see it.

5. Look at your paint samples in different lights. Paint several spots so you can see how it looks at different times of the day. Squint and look through a round "O" you make with your fingers. It might not help, but you will look like you know what you are doing. I'm a professional and that's what I do.

6. Look at the other colors of things you cannot change. Green roof? Red bricks? Paint your sample up next to those things and see if you like it.

7. Pick the right sheen. We chose exterior FLAT, but if you like eggshell or semigloss, make sure you like the sheen before you fork over enough for the entire house.

8. Use a good quality paint. I happen to love Sherwin Williams over the "Big Box" store brands, and use their "SuperPaint" line. It is thick and covers well. Painting is a big job, and you hate to have to do more coats than you need to. You get what you pay for.

9. Don't be afraid to start over if you don't like the way the color is looking when you are part way through. Most people only paint their home every 5-7 years (or more!). You want to love driving up to your home and seeing it in splendid color, rather than feeling underwhelmed because you didn't want to "waste" what you started with. Live, woman, LIVE!

My arm is aching from cutting in corners and trim all day long. But, oh, it is so worth it. This frumpy old place is getting a new lease on life and I'm really, really excited. A new color is good for the soul, AND good for the eyes.

I'm already imagining what SW 6328 "Fireweed" will look like on the doors.....simply smashing!

Too Bad All Houses Can't Be This Quaint

We started a new mural in this house today.

It is a quaint 10,000 square foot chateau on Tour 18, a very prestigious gated golf course community. The home boasts garages for 5 cars, at least 5 fireplaces, a kitchen the size of a bowling alley, and guest quarters that could house a couple of 3rd world families.

It's very impressive.

We marveled at the neighborhood as we drove through. Home after home of incredible taste and distinction. Wow, they are beautiful. Many already had crews of men putting up elaborate Christmas displays. I'll bet it's a sight to see during the holidays, all lit up.

I enjoy seeing the beauty and artistry that money can buy.  All the world's finest art, sculpture and architecture that we appreciate today has been funded by wealthy patrons of the arts through the centuries. And I love to see the textures, the finishes, the rarest materials, and the imagination that goes into creating these dream homes.

But I felt a little lost, going through the maze of rooms inside this home today. The children's rooms seemed awfully far away from the master suite. And the cavernous media room was in a wing that was a flight of stairs and several hallways from the kitchen. A person's food would be cold by the time you took your plate up to eat in front of a movie. You'd never be able to hear each other yelling from one room to another. And you'd have a hard time even finding each other if everyone was in their own room.

I guess that's why I like our humble house. You're not going to get lost going from the kitchen to the "Back Room," as we call it. The hallway to the back has a ceiling so low you can almost palm it. I think whoever built this house forgot to leave room for the pipes and just had to make the ceiling lower in that spot in order to run them. Oops.

Tom is going to paint our Barn House this week. After searching high and low for a color with more "WOW" factor, we settled on one that is almost exactly like what we already have. I guess we like the humble yellow, too.

There aren't any manicured walkways leading to our little spot back here. We're barely able to manage those doggone weeds that grow so fast. But when I turn our yard light on at night, there is magic in the air. The fall leaves that skipped across those fancy streets today are the same kind that fall in our gravel driveway. And the air smells just as good, if not better. The evening breeze tells me that cooler nights are coming, and that our little place will be just the kind of shelter we need most in this world.

Our home is our refuge. It's not a statement on who we are or what we've accomplished. It is more than that. It's the place where we circle the wagons and relish the safety and love that's found in the people who live here. It's not fancy. But it's real, and it keeps the treasure of our family within its walls and under its sloping roof.

It will be a pleasure to work in such a magnificent house this week.  I will enjoy experiencing the fine workmanship that has gone into every detail.  But I will love coming home to this place, with its worn linoleum floors and doors that stick shut.  It's where abundance is measured in laughter, and riches in the depth of shared memories and tenderness. 

There is no better place to live than where you are loved best.

Flash gets his own Magazine Cover

This cracked me up! Elle's latest advertising project in college was to create a "magazine cover" for a special interest publication. Naturally, she thought of Flash, with his devil-may-care attitude and those dreamy eyes, and decided to put him on the cover. Now, there's a face that would make magazines simply fly off the shelves. Note the article topics....

I'm on Facebook

This is a perfectly meaningless post, but I am trying something new.

My daughter, Elle, is helping me set up a new facebook account so that we can stay in touch even more easily! Typepad has a new feature that lets you post to Facebook from your blog, so I am going to test this out.

I'll let you know if it works!

Putting the Jelly Away

He said it in the nicest possible way, but it made my blood boil instantly.

"Hey, Hon. Do you think when you are cleaning up the kitchen you could remember to put the jelly in the fridge?"

My man knows me so well. "Now don't start getting all defensive," (who ME??) "and don't start listing my wrongs," he said. "It's just something that bugs me and you do it all the time."

OH REEEALLY.

I do it "ALL THE TIME." Yeah. Uh huh. Yeah right.

Oh, I was hacked off. Just who is the one who comes in here and loads the dishwasher, cleans EVERYTHING up and then turns around to see a dirty plate left "anonymously" in the sink?? Who, I ask you, is the one who never. says. a. word. when I clean up toast crumbs, straightens the towels that never get hung right and finds crusty cups left out?

There were hundreds, yea even thousands, of things that came instantly to mind as I turned to face him. I gave him the raised-eyebrow-closed-lid sigh and bit my lips into a thin line to let him know that I could take the criticism but I wasn't buying it.

"I'll be sure and remember that," I said, oh so sweetly. As I walked from the kitchen I rolled my eyes and clenched my teeth. I was hoppin mad.

And it took me an hour to cool off.

Over a jelly jar.

OK, I've gotta be honest. I saw the jelly jar sitting out. I knew that it is a pet peeve of my man's. He's mentioned it before, several times. And I cleaned everything around it.

But I left it out. On purpose.

Maybe it's my way of saying, "I can if I want to."

After all, I do clean up the kitchen 90% of the time. If I choose to leave the jelly jar out, well then, so be it. If you want to come in here and help, feel free. But don't complain about the jelly jar when you're not the one in here slaving away day after day.

But right in the middle of my mental defensive discourse, I felt a pang of remorse. I thought about all the petty things I overlook every day without anger, UNTIL a small thing like a jelly jar gets brought to my attention. Suddenly, all the joy in overlooking gets sucked right out and I feel my finger start wanting to wag...."OH YEAH??? Well, how about THIS??"

That sticky jelly jar was more than just a "forgotten" item on the counter.

It was my way to give a little dig into my man, to make him pay just a bit for some little offense I've so gracefully "overlooked."

Now, I'm not an easy person to criticize. My tears start falling at the mere thought of conflict, and I get defensive so easily. I know my man avoids telling me things because I can't just blow it off and move on. So for him to mention, once again, the "Jelly Jar," it must be a real issue with him. Oooh, Hot Item, here!

It's a small thing, maybe even petty, but perhaps I CAN listen a little better. Defend a little less. Love him by paying attention to the little things he needs or wants.

Eph. 4:2,3 ...be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

It's easy to love each other when there are no Jelly Jars or crumbs to bicker over. It's another to gracefully admit a wrong and keep loving, rather than becoming wounded over something so small. I'm still working on that.

I want to love without keeping score, without counting crumbs or jelly jars or messy towels. I want to be able to accept "requests" without feeling criticized, and be able to joyfully serve in ways that matter to my man.

If that means putting the Jelly away, I think I can do it.