Last week, while enjoying my birthday on our newly-renovated front porch, I was surprised to receive a beautiful Autumn flower arrangement. If you've spent time here at My Place for awhile, you know I love adding pops of non-traditional color to the "usual" Fall colors, so this gift from a dear friend was a visual treat! There was no way I could pass up doing a quick tablescape, no matter how crazy-busy life is around here right now. Enjoy! I have lots of Autumn-themed dishes, but sometimes it's fun to combine non-traditional dishes with touches of traditional (like these napkins, napkin rings and leaf-embellished charger). If you like the ... Keep Reading...
By
Whatever it takes…. Keep your heart close to the hurting
Part of the world’s healing is doing whatever it takes to get your heart to stay close to the hurting. ~ Ann Voskamp But aren't we all hurting right now—just a little bit . . . or a lot? Is it really possible in the midst of our own "stuff" to dig deeper into ourselves and intentionally move closer to someone else who's hurting? Maybe. Maybe not. Sometimes it's true: we simply have not one iota more of ourselves to give, and that's okay. But sometimes, in choosing to shift our focus from our own pain, disappointments, and discouragements to the people around us—and the hurts they're facing—we find that we experience healing, too. When I change the perspective from MY reality to YOUR ... Keep Reading...
By
Making the RIGHT choices in an old house renovation {or in Life}
When my Renaissance Man and I began our latest old house renovation, we made a promise to each other: No matter what, we will do things right. RIGHT. It's an interesting word. In the example of our century-old home, it doesn't translate to "purist" restoration choices. It doesn't presume a specific timeline or project order. It doesn't even imply high end/top dollar spending. For us, it means we won't take shortcuts. On those days when we're tired and "over" a project and ready to find the end, we won't risk doing sloppy work by hurrying. We'll step back, if necessary, and start another day. Trust me, it'll still be there waiting . . . ... Keep Reading...
