Home Sanctuary

Turn in June Points!

Man, Oh Man!  Maybe it was the fact that I took last week off from posting, but this month really flew by! Can you believe that it is already time to tally up our points for June and turn them in?

But first, I must tell you that my Stay-cation last week was only partially successful....but I'm actually OK with that.  We completed one project and started another one, so working was kind of unavoidable most of the days.  It was worth it, though, because this next project will take us here:

The toniest residence in Dallas, the "W."

We will work in a residence like this, creating an art piece that will be 20 feet high and 10 feet wide. It is titled "A Life Well Lived" and will feature 45 individual panels of chocolate brown venetian plaster with embedded designs.  Each panel will contain a word that is a character trait of the well-lived life, subtly layered in the plaster...each in a different language!  Then, there will be quotes, written in Latin with the well-lived theme, that will run vertically up and down the panels...also done in plaster.  So very cool!!

We've been given an incredible client who is excited about the piece, and we are already underway with a short deadline.  It is a real honor to work for this very genuine man, who loves God and has a huge heart for making the world a better place.

And no matter how incredible the settings our work takes us to, it is always good to come home to our little place in the country.  Whether a person is blessed with much or with little, EVERYONE needs a place to call "home."  That's why I love this blog and my Company Girls so much!  We share a common passion for our homes and families, and we don't mind earning a few points along the way!

Today's Small Thing is the two-step process many of you are already familiar with:

1.  If you've been keeping track of points, simply tally them up and email the total to me.  The prize for Most Points is this very roomy, very fashionable Company Girl Tote Bag.  Perfect for touting your CG status, while toting your totables.  Totally.

If you participated as little as ONCE, and did not keep track of points, you can be entered in the Random Drawing for a super Summer read:

 Again, simply email me and let me know you want to be entered.

Everyone who participated, whether you kept track of points or not, is eligible for the Random Drawing.  Sweet!

2.  Leave a comment, letting us know what your favorite Small Thing was this month.  It is so fun to see how different Small Things affected different people, and it encourages the girls who are just thinking about participating to JUMP IN in July! 

POINTS: 30, good toward June's total

PS:  I realized that I did not post a monthly verse for June.  I will try and squeeze an extra one in next month!

Today's Fifty-Cent Word: Milieu

Recently, I listened to an expert discuss some obscure aspect of European history on my car radio.  I cannot, for the life of me, recall the subject of his opinion, but he used a word repeatedly that stood out like a neon sign in the middle of the murky past he expounded upon.

"the conflict set up a milieu of political unrest....."

"the social milieu was ripe for a new government..."

"in the milieu that followed....."

Mon Dieu! Another word I don't know! I decided it must mean some type of French soup, used metaphorically in this instance.  The drive home was a complete blur, I was so taken with curiosity.

But after some internet research, I discovered that "milieu" has nothing to do with soup, but everything to do with Sanctuary, especially when said with the proper French accent.

Check out this Merriam-Webster definition:

milieu \meel-YUR\ noun
: the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops : environment

Example sentence:
The quiet suburban neighborhood was within walking distance of the
elementary school and provided the perfect milieu for raising a family.

It got me to thinking about the milieu, or environment, I'm creating here at home.  You see, each day I have the opportunity to set an atmosphere in which something good can happen.  (OK, I've had my share of bad milieu's, too, don't remind me).  But the excitement over a simple discovery of an intriguing word has me enchante' with the possibilities.

Today's Small Thing is to create a milieu of your choice.  Let's brainstorm:

A romantic milieu.  Candles, dinner, soft music.

A fun milieu.  Get out the sprinkler, water guns and lemonade.

A relaxing milieu.  A book, a pillow, a cup of tea.

How about a milieu of cooperation?  Divvy up a list of tasks among family members and get some things accomplished together!

I'd like a milieu of inspiration: tidying my office so I can write and create.

Ooh! A milieu of sibling peace: Give each child a craft or book, and set a timer for quiet time.

Aah! A milieu of belonging:  Make a point of telling each family member what you love about them.  Do something together.

What sort of environment will you create that will allow something good to develop?  Skip the nagging and complaining today, and do something that sets up an atmosphere with purpose.  Share your fifty-franc word with your family and see if they can come up ways to incorporate it into your day!

POINTS: 40 for purposefully creating some kind of atmosphere
BONUS POINTS: 20 for sharing today's milieu in the comments!

"Most Votes" Photo!

Wow, girls!  You really got out the votes and made this here little contest a whole lot of fun!

The Most Votes Winner is Laura (Org Junkie) with this great photo:

I love the story that goes with it, which she shared here.

Laura's photo has garnered a guaranteed spot in the Company Girl gift book, and I daresay, a permanent place in her friend's heart.  She will also receive a copy of her photo professionally mounted on canvas.  Way to go, Laura! 

I'm going to give an honorable mention to Kym, who came in close second with this awesome photo:

Kym's site is just chock full of gorgeous photographs, and it's just plain eye-candy greatness.  Thank you, Kym!

And I forgot to announce the winner of the Curly Q Cutie, the random drawing for submissions during the contest.  The winner is Crystal W, a non-blogging Company Girl from Texas.  Congrats, Crystal!

How can I ever say thank you ENOUGH for all the wonderful photographs you all sent in!  I've looked at them again and again, and I can't help smiling all the way through!   The hardest part is just beginning...choosing the best from among them for the book.  I do not have a hard-fast date for completing the selection process, but I am anxious to finalize everything and get it published!  I'll keep you posted on progress.

Several of you have asked if you can still submit photos for consideration, and the answer is "yes!"  You may upload photos through July 15...however, with our summer schedules, please don't be offended if they are not posted to the site within 24 hours.  We'll do our best, but it may take us more time.

A special THANK YOU goes to Dawn, who has uploaded over 300 photos and kept me organized through this process!  She has been an awesome assistant and wonderful friend.  I could not do this project without her!

Bless you all!

Share Your Tips! And Coffee 6.26

Leslie Pepper, a freelance writer and editor, contacted me recently about an article she is writing for a national women's magazine.  She asked if any of my readers might have some super-fresh tips for keeping their homes neat and tidy (and organized!) for possible inclusion in the magazine.

I told her that my fabulous Company Girls might have just what she is looking for!!

This is a really great opportunity to put your best ideas out there...wouldn't it be fun to see your tip in a national magazine?

Here is the information:

Send your tips to: [email protected]. You should include your city and state, as well as your age (she is specifically looking for tips from women between 30-60). If she is interested in using your tip, she will contact you and give you all the information you need (magazine name, issue, etc). Leslie will only use the quote if you are okay with being included in the magazine.

Email your tips by Monday, July 6.

Remember, Leslie is looking for tips that no one has really heard before, so make a point to offer unique ideas that will catch her eye, and capture her readers' attention!

Now, I'm technically "on vacation" this week, but I realized late last night that most of you AREN'T, and might still want to gab over coffee without me!  Why, then, link on up!  Don't let my absence stop you from having a good old time!

And....PLEASE vote for your favorite Company Girl photo before Sunday night (midnight CST). There are lots of pages to scroll through, but each and every page has some heart-grabbing photos of friendship!  Be sure and check out those earlier submissions before making your selections.  You get to vote for your TOP THREE!  If you submitted photos, be sure and send all your friends to the posts containing your photos so they can vote for you. 

Grab the button below for some shameless (and blatant) self-promotion!

And now, how about you invite us over before we invite our own selves over!  We hate to be rude, but we really need to get out of the house.  So can we come to YOUR house??  Awesome.

Stay-Cation

Company Girls, I'll be taking a vacation from posting Small Things this week.  I'll be back with them next Monday, and I will probably post some other things during the week, but I'm needing a little break from the "norm" and decided that the world will probably still keep turning, even if I don't do the Small Things!

We finished installing the artwork and displays for the last project over the weekend.  As usual, it was a marathon at the end.  I'll post photos of what we did as soon as I get them off the camera.  I've got another project to jump into, but for the most part I plan to dig in my flower beds, clean the house, read some books and eat out as often as I can this week.  Since all the kids are at camp, it SHOULD be a good week to do it. We'll see!

In the meantime, voting for your favorite Company Girl photo will start today!  I will have the voting feature ready by 1 pm CST today and then you can cast up to THREE votes for the photo of your choice!  We'll be using the Honor System since we are a shoestring operation.....just tell your friends and family about it and let the voting begin!  Voting will run through Sunday, June 28.  Don't forget that the winner will receive a guaranteed spot in the book and a beautifully printed canvas version of their winning photo! 

I can't wait to see the results!  Thank you for all your participation and excitement for this project!

Company Girl Coffee 6.19

Wait a second, I thought once school got out things were supposed to slow down!  Unfortunately that hasn't been the case in our household, what with the design project wrapping up tomorrow and the kids getting ready for camp.  Next week is supposed to be "Rachie's Stay-cation," in which I read, write and play in my garden....and I'm hopeful that it will happen that way. Lord, PLEASE.

Now, I THRILLED to announce that VOTING for your favorite Company Girl photos will begin on Monday, June 22.  Dawn made a cute button that you can put on your blog or facebook to let your friends know that they should support you by voting for your photo! (Just copy and paste it from my blog here). The winner of the most votes will get a guaranteed spot in the Company Girl book and the winning photo will be professionally mounted on canvas for your personal treasure!  I'll remind you on Monday, but I wanted to give you a "heads up" that it was coming! 

Voting will go through Sunday, June 28.  You'll want to link your friends and readers directly to your photos on the site, so get ready to compete!!  Can you believe we had over 300 photos submitted??  I am so excited about the wonderful pictures that were sent in!

Here is YOUR chance to link up and share what is going on in your life!  Many people are out of town and busy with vacations and family plans, but nothing beats a good virtual refreshment with a friend!  I have missed getting around to visit everyone the last few weeks....maybe this time I'll get to sit down over coffee with you to catch up!!  I hope so!

Don't forget to scroll down for Today's Small Thing!

Hit the Road, Trash

You know, I counted up the number of trash cans we have at our house and realized that we have 10, not including the one under the sink.  Wow!  Apparently I like having handy waste baskets around.

What's also apparent is that I don't like to empty them regularly.

Eh, just paper in there.....fugettabout it!

But in the deep recesses of my mind it bothers me to see un-emptied receptacles.  It's like I care enough to set out a trash can, but don't care enough to empty it.  I'm a rare mix of motivation and apathy, and it's driving me crazy.

Well, today's Small Thing is to empty all the waste baskets in your house and take it all out to the big stinky can outside.  This is going to take me one step closer to achieving my fantasy of living in a Better Homes and Gardens feature home.  You notice THEY never have any visible trash cans, and certainly none that are overflowing with junk mail, old school menus and the occasional banana peel.

It's going to feel good to see the bottoms of those cans again.  Now, if I can just get the gum wads off, I'll REALLY be in fantasy land!

POINTS: 50 for making the trash hit the road

How many waste cans live at your house?

Shine

I cheated just a little bit yesterday and substituted two damp swiffers for the damp cloth, and cleaned my floor.  I just couldn't stand it any longer so I got down on my hands and knees with the mighty product and swiped away....mop holder be hanged.

Now my floor feels so good I'm tempted to roll around on it, but I've reigned it in and settled for going barefoot.  It feels delicious.

And you know, it only took me about 15 minutes from start to finish...a job that I've put off for um, days!  But the pleasure of that clean floor will last me awhile.  Ah, sanctuary.

On the heels of such a small job, how about another small one?

Wait, aren't they ALL small?

Why, yes.  Yes they are!  Small but powerful.

Today we are taking a cue from the FlyLady, and will simply shine up our sinks.  I really like this philosophy of keeping your sink shiny, except that in the summer time, it is really hard to stay on top of dishes and sink-shining.  I don't have the time or inclination to be the Sink Vigilante all day, so I'm pretty content with keeping the mess to a reasonable minimum and then doing everything up at the end of the day.  I mean, really.

My old Barn House has the kind of kitchen sinks that show every scratch and stain, a real treat to care for.  But some Comet, a sponge and about 2 minutes of elbow grease gets them looking presentable...and dare I say....FlyLady worthy.

POINTS: 40 for shining up your kitchen sink(s)

BONUS POINTS: 20 for each additional sink you shine up!  Yeah!

One Damp Cloth Can Only Take You So Far. Thankfully.

My crazy work project has taken a toll on my household "management."  I use the term loosely to reflect the state of things around here.

My wash machine is stuck on the Spin Cycle (literally), no doubt a Sign that things are out of control. And my kitchen floor feels crunchy, not in a good way.  I won't describe any more to you.

In times like these, a woman can get pretty discouraged.  That's when a SMALL challenge really fits the bill.  Not too much, so as to overwhelm her, but enough to get her out of the inertia that plagues the fatigued soul in the midst of things.  Oh, sister, I know just how you feel because I'm there.

My Small Thing challenge to you is so very simple, you might be tempted to dismiss it.  But I urge you to take it upon yourself to do this:  See how far one damp cloth can take you.

Look.  Take a small towel, cloth or rag and get it wet.  Then squeeze out most of the excess water so you are left with a moist, but not dripping, Tool of Simple Household Excellence.

Now, check out the surfaces in your immediate area.  Give them a quick swipe: Top of table, counters, microwave door, faucet.  Coffee table, sideboard, end tables and.....

Oh.  The moisture just ran out of your cloth.

I guess that means you are DONE for today!

Whew, that was EASY!  That damp cloth sure doesn't take you very far, but it takes you just far enough.

POINTS: 40 for seeing how far one damp cloth will take you.

How many items got a swipe today?  Let's see who managed the most!

Hat Birds Know the Secret

Courtesy of Wendell Long

The Hat Birds are back.

Tiny little House Wrens, they made a luxurious nest in an old straw hat that was left in the breezeway last year.  Back then, we hadn't noticed the nest until the babies had hatched, and the sounds of eager chirps filled the porch each time the mama or papa would arrive with food. 

We stood on a chair, held our breath and tilted our heads so we could peek into the soft cavern. Ridiculously large beaks opened wide in unison at any movement beyond the opening, especially fingers wriggled in a gentle tease. Amazingly, the gawky, awkward babies with their sparse feathers would jump the nest for independence in a matter of days.

And now the mama and papa are back with another batch of blue eggs to tend.  They've been remodeling, fixing up the place and making it perfect for their new brood.  I think they've added on.  I know they've certainly worked on the curb appeal. 

It is charming.

Oh, the delight of finding a glorious nest so close to our curious eyes!  We can peek in and see the feathers, bits of grass and leaves, some string and even some dried moss from a nearby window box.  Tufts of fluff, twigs and petals make this carefully crafted structure sturdy, yet simply welcoming to the small family of perky-tailed birds.

I have to hand it to this little wren couple.  They've managed to make their home a sanctuary with creativity, ingenuity and flair.  Of course, finding the right location, high atop a hat tree and nestled inside a straw chapeau, was a wise choice.  But the tending, the decor and the creature comforts are what make this place such a wonderful family home.

These wrens know the secret of sanctuary. 

They know that using what you have, no matter how modest, is the key to sleeping well at night.  They know that good food, and lots of it, is a perfect way to strengthen the little bodies who will soon take flight.  They know that families must be tended by both parents, and that protecting and caring for their brood is their most important job.  They do fuss and scold, but their cheery song tells me that they find joy in their existence.  The fluff and tufts show that even the tiniest of creatures need a soft place to land.

What is Home Sanctuary to you?  Is it a place that smells good and has good food on the table?  Is it a place that reflects your family's personality - all crazy aspects of it?  Do you enjoy walking in the door after you've been away?  Beyond the unmade beds and toothpaste on the mirrors, does your home give you a sense of belonging?

Today's Small Thing is to create a bit of Sanctuary for yourself.  Fluff a pillow in an easy chair, pull a lamp close and open a book.  Cuddle up with a sweet-smelling, freshly bathed child.  Pour a cup of tea.  Cut a flower from the garden.  Pick up the toys with gratitude for the children in your tending.  Fuss a little over the placement of a picture, or vase, or a memento.  Fill a tub with bubbles and lock the door to the outside world.

Take a few moments to do something that delights you.  Find sanctuary in the tufts and fluffs, the sticks and leaves that make your house.....your home.

POINTS: 50 for creating some Sanctuary for yourself.  Hey, Mama Birds need to nest, even if it's in an old straw hat.