I wasn't planning on linking up to the Roomspiration blog hop & link party except for a couple of the days, but I found myself looking at today's links of people's entryways and getting jealous. So I thought I'd make a quick post about my entryway. It needs help.
We live in a split-level house, which means when you walk in the front door you either take the stairs up to the main, currently-finished level, or take the stairs down to the basement, not-finished-yet level. It's a really neat idea (looking out the windows we're above ground-level), but not really any space for a true "entryway."
I've debated for awhile what (if anything) to do on that wall with the banister. We have a coat closet at the top of the stairs, so there really isn't a need for a place to hang coats. I've thought about putting a mini-bench in the space on the tile/rug against that wall (where a few pairs of sandals tend to hang out), but it's so narrow, and we keep all our shoes in the coat closet too and just sit on the stairs to put them on.
The only thing I've done so far is to hang a little plaque we got as a house-warming gift, and a couple pictures of our family (really really outdated pictures...)
From the outside, I've done quite a bit with landscaping and flowers around the front of the house (please ignore the almost-dead hanging plant). We've put a few pumpkins on the steps in the fall. And recently I've debated painting the front door...
So there you have it. Our boring entryway. Any ideas? What would you do if this was YOUR entryway??
I'm loving this blog hop and linky party! Do you need some inspiration for inside your home? Twelve bloggers are sharing 12 rooms of their houses over the next 4 weeks, and inviting others to link up with their rooms too! Think of all the inspiration and ideas you'll find!!
I found out about this link-up party from Kelly at View Along the Way, who is hosting the living room link-up on Wednesday. If I can get on top of things, I'll at least post and link-up these rooms in my house as they currently are! (we'll see if I have the time over the next few weeks to get "roomspired" and make some changes!)
Check out the entryways linked up today at Adobe Love!
It's been awhile since we've sang this song in church, and I forget how much I like it. I love the words, and the tune is so catchy and powerful (and of course I love 6/8 time :) .
Maybe you missed the sunrise this morning? Maybe you're not looking forward to a new work week? Maybe you've got stresses in your life? Be blessed by this song today...
Like it? Click this link for another video of it, just a live recording of Fernando on piano.
---------------------------------------------- Musical Mondays -- Pick a song, post the song, tell why you love the song -- idea from cheap wine and cookies
We went to an outdoor wedding Friday evening the 2nd (ok, I know that should have been part of last week's Saturday 7 post, but I didn't get around to writing one last week...). It was soooo hot and humid, but sooooo beautiful! Very laid back, rustic, simple -- we sat on hay bales covered with a sheet for the ceremony. :) Congrats Ashley & Ross!!
I knew if I could make it through that Thurs-Fri-Sat stretch, the weather would finally turn for the better. And boy it sure did! While highs were in the low 90s on Friday, Labor Day Monday never touched 70! Hooray for fall!!!
Abby has had such an up-and-down week. Some days she's been super cranky and whiny and needy, and some days she's so content. It drives me nuts. Such a girl. :) I keep hoping the cranky days are because she's working on more teeth, but no.... nothing yet...
I had my 3rd GEMS Workshop on Thursday night, and it was our biggest one yet! There were about 90 women total and I had close to 40 in my session. We had some technical difficulties that started stressing me out, but we pushed through and it went great! Boy was I tired when I got home...
I'm very thankful that Rocky's school hired an assistant varsity boys tennis coach, leaving him to just focus on the JV team. Like today -- he used to have to go to all the Saturday varsity tournaments. Not this year. Saturdays are the only consistent day on the calendar that are BLANK! Woo-hoo!!
I stripped Abby's cloth diapers yesterday. I realized we've switched laundry detergent (it was buy-one-get-one-free), and there must have been a ton of build-up in them. I kept rinsing and rinsing and rinsing in hot/warm water, and kept coming out with sooooo many soap bubbles! Yuck! I'm wondering if this detergent is messing with our other laundry too!
Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It was strange for me to realize at school this week that almost none of the kids in our school were even alive when it happened. Read the post I wrote earlier this week for where I was that day...
Have a great week! Remember to check out and follow my new blog too!
-------------------------------------------------------- The Saturday 7: Post seven things that happened to you this week. Just a quick summary. Things you might not necessarily write a whole blog post about. Idea taken from Sadie's Lovin' Life with Lucy.
I'm trying to remember if I bought ANY of the plants and flowers in the front of my house... Oh just the Bloomerang lilac bush. That's thriving, but still super tiny.
When we bought our house two years ago, one of the things I was really excited about was the "blank canvas." The previous owners had done NOTHING for landscaping. No flowers, no shrubs, nothing. (well, there is one big barberry bush against the backside of the garage, where nobody can really see it...) My aunt was our realtor, and as a housewarming gift she got us a couple of hibiscus plants and split a bunch of her irises.
I can't believe how much they've taken off in the past two years! The hibiscus is HUGE -- I've been watching it flower every day for the last month and a half, and didn't take a single picture of the whole plant. :( But trust me when I say it's HUGE! And the irises... I was pleasantly surprised to discover both purple and yellow blooms. One of my favorite gardening memories? Bringing my two-day-old daughter home from the hospital and finding all our irises in bloom -- which they hadn't been when we left. :)
But today's topic -- never buy perennials! At least never buy any of the popular ones. (irises, lilies, daffodils, sedum, black-eyed susans, coneflowers, etc. etc. etc.) This time of year, all you need to do is put out a plea on Facebook (I might even say to advertise on Craigslist, but who knows how many plants you'd end up with!) that you're looking for perennials, is anyone willing to split theirs with you?
I didn't even need to ask this year. I had a cousin message me that she was splitting her plants and wondered if I wanted any?
She even dropped them off at my door. I came home from work on Thursday to boxes and bags and buckets in my driveway...
It's that time of year! Do you have any plans for new perennials in your garden or landscape? (don't buy them!!!)
...when the world stopped turning that September day?
I think any of us who were at least 10 years old on Tuesday September 11, 2001, can remember where we were that morning. I was a freshman in college at Michigan State University. It was the third week of class and I had IAH 201 from 8:00-9:50am. Class got out early, around 9:30, and we headed down the hall to the front door of the building. I could see a group of people standing in a half-circle near the entrance, and my first thought was "is there a fight and everyone is watching?!" But as I got closer I could see everyone was crowded around a 20-inch tv that had been wheeled into the hall. People were whispering and mumbling and I heard words like New York, hijackers, Pentagon.
I had been planning on walking back to my dorm room since it was a beautiful fall morning, but decided I needed to get back faster and took the bus instead. Sometime during that trip the first tower fell, and the fourth plane went down in Pennsylvania. I sat, alone in my dorm room, for the rest of the morning watching news coverage. I watched live as the second tower fell.
I can't even begin to describe my emotions that day. I was already stressed, being a mere 3 weeks into my college career (and going from a high school where my graduating class was 140 to a school of 45,000 didn't help). I was homesick, and had made only a couple of friends at that point. My professor cancelled our afternoon class so I had nothing to do the rest of the day.
An email went out to everyone involved in Campus Crusade that a prayer meeting was scheduled at the Rock for later that afternoon. I took my time walking across campus, looking at the trees and falling leaves and Red Cedar River. Such peaceful things, in a world of chaos.
I don't remember anything else from that day, or the days that followed. Everyone eventually moved on with their lives. My friends and I were not directly impacted by what had happened (we didn't know anyone in NYC). Every year on 9/11 I would remember where I was that day, but not until today did I really look back. I found a timeline on Wikipedia that detailed the events to the minute.
Ten years already?
They say the attacks of 9/11 were reminiscent of the surprise attacks on Pearl Harbor. Our grandparents and great-grandparents remember where they were on December 7, 1941. Now we have something similar to tell our children and grandchildren.
Where were you? Leave me a comment, or write your own blog post about that day and give me the link.
----------------------------------------------------- Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day Out in the yard with your wife and children Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of That black smoke rising against that blue sky Did you shout out in anger In fear for your neighbor Or did you just sit down and cry
Did you weep for the children Who lost their dear loved ones And pray for the ones who don't know Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble And sob for the ones left below
Did you burst out in pride For the red white and blue The heroes who died just doing what they do Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer And look at yourself to what really matters
I'm just a singer of simple songs I'm not a real political man I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you The difference in Iraq and Iran But I know Jesus and I talk to God And I remember this from when I was young Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us And the greatest is love
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day Teaching a class full of innocent children Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor In a crowded room did you feel alone Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her Did you dust off that Bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened Close your eyes and not go to sleep Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow Go out and buy you a gun Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger Stand in line and give your own blood Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family Thank God you had somebody to love
I'm just a singer of simple songs I'm not a real political man I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you The difference in Iraq and Iran But I know Jesus and I talk to God And I remember this from when I was young Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us And the greatest is love
The greatest is love The greatest is love
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?
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Jackson was scheduled to perform at the Country Music Association's annual awards ceremony on November 7, 2001, to be aired on CBS. Originally, he planned to perform "Where I Come From", which at the time was the #1 hit on the Billboard country charts. But mere days before the awards show, Jackson's manager, Nancy Russell, played a recording of "Where Were You" for four of the CMA's top executives. All four were crying by the time the song ended.
The day before the show, CMT had a brief note on its web site that Jackson would be introducing the new song during the awards telecast. The next night, after an introduction from the show's host, Vince Gill, Jackson performed "Where Were You" seated on a stool, with an orchestra and backing singers behind him. At the conclusion of the five-minute-long song, the audience gave him an immediate standing ovation. This performance, along with the Vince Gill introduction, is used as the song's music video.
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I'm obsessed with allrecipes.com. Seriously, this site is AMAZING if you're looking for new recipes. Example: last summer I had a few peaches that I needed to use up but not enough to can or make a whole pie or anything. So I searched for "peaches" and found a recipe for peach muffins. That recipe has quickly become a favorite, and is a post in and of itself for another day...
And you can sign up for a free membership and "collect" recipes in your own "recipe box," so you don't have to re-search for recipes you want to make again!
So about a month ago (during a super-hot week where I didn't want to heat up the house for any reason) I was planning on grilling steaks and corn on the cob, and had a bunch of red potatoes. I searched the site for "grilled potatoes" and stumbled upon this recipe. I had all the ingredients on hand, so I gave it a try. Wow! The flavor was sooooo good! I bought a larger container of mayo the next time I was at the store 'cause I knew I'd be making these again...
I've made a few tweaks to the original recipe, and here it is in all it's perfect-ness:
Savory Grilled Potatoes (serves 2, very easy to double, triple, etc.!)
1/4 cup mayo 1 heaping Tbl grated Parmesan cheese 1 garlic clove, minced 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/4 tsp onion powder 2 medium baking potatoes (or 3 red potatoes), cut into 1/4 inch slices 2+ Tbl butter
In a large bowl, combine first seven ingredients. Add potatoes, toss gently to coat. Spoon onto a double-thickness of greased aluminum foil. Dot with butter. Fold foil over potato mixture and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 30-35 minutes, turning once.
I really like how the more-done, crunchy ones taste. :) Hooray for easy, grilled recipes!! (one word of caution: don't forget to grease the foil and dot with butter... unless you want to be mumbling and grumbling as you attempt to scrape and salvage the potatoes...)
At the end of the day, do you feel good about how your house looks? I'm a mostly-stay-at-home-work-two-days-a-week mom. I have time for housework. I even worked out a system at the beginning of the year for what chores to do on what days. Monday is laundry, bathroom, sweep. Tuesday is mop and any leftover laundry. Thursday is vacuum and sweep. Etc. But there are certain things that really do need to be done EVERY day. And I've been a slacker.
When you walk into my house, it's a split-level, so you take the stairs down to the basement (please don't! still a work in progress!) or take the stairs up to the kitchen-dining room-living room. So the first thing you see is the island and the kitchen counters. Since the island is the first surface you come to, it becomes a dumping ground for mail, random things from coat pockets, and items we want out of Abby's reach... There are also a few candles and a potted plant for when I try to make it look nice...
Then you look past that to the kitchen sink and surrounding counters. For some reason, dishes is one chore I really don't like to do. I've never figured out why. Yes we have a dishwasher, but often that will even get run and then just sit there until we need a dish or run out of spoons in the drawer.
When Rocky comes home after a long day at school, these are the first things he sees. And if nothing has changed since he left in the morning, he wonders what I've done all day... Now I've probably done a lot of other stuff around the house and spent time with Abby, but doesn't what you see when you first go somewhere set the tone for the rest of your time there? Whether it's a home, a store, a restaurant, etc.?
So my goal is going to be to clear the island every day before Rocky gets home, and do the dishes AT LEAST every other day, if not every day... Or at least unload-reload the dishwasher and put other dirties in the sink so they're not cluttering up the counter.
I think that will set the tone for anyone coming in to my home.
One other quick thing. I read/heard somewhere: A bed will often take up 80% of your bedroom space. So when your bed is left unmade... you get the picture. It only takes 2 minutes in the morning. Just do it.
Do you have any little tips for feeling good about your house?
The first summer Rocky and I were married we didn’t have a vegetable garden, but the following spring I knew I wanted to make one in the raised bed on the south side of our rental house. So we planted peas, broccoli, carrots, green beans, sweet peppers, watermelon, and zucchini. Lesson #1 for first-time gardeners: Don’t spread yourself too thin.
Lesson #2: Don’t beat yourself up when your broccoli, peppers, and watermelon don’t make it.
Lesson #3: If you plant zucchini, you will need to find friends to share it with, or many many MANY recipes.
The go-to recipe for most people with an overwhelming amount of zucchini is bread. It’s easy, tastes good with or without butter, and is a good way to get your kids to eat some veggies.
The very first time I made zucchini bread, I followed my mom’s recipe, which called for “2 cups grated zucchini.” After making a huge mess with the cheese grater and finally making two cups worth, I was vowing to never make zucchini bread ever again. It turned out great though, just like I remembered when I was a kid.
Then my husband approached me with two comments. First: “Do I taste cinnamon?” Yes, of course, it’s in the recipe. “Zucchini bread doesn’t call for cinnamon.” To which I showed him my mom’s recipe, which indeed called for 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. To which he showed me his mom’s recipe, which was the EXACT same recipe – minus the cinnamon…
It was our first second married argument discussion.
His second comment: “You should just chop the zucchini in the blender.”
Really?!
I read his mom’s recipe: Put 1 cup oil in blender and fill with chunks of zucchini until 3 cups. Blend until free of chunks, but not too long.
BRILLIANT!
I never was a big fan of the stringiness of grated zucchini in my bread and muffins anyway.
So that’s the big zucchini bread secret I wanted to share with you today. Maybe it’s not such a big secret. But it sure was news to me. And I love it. You don’t even need to peel the zucchini, leaving the skin on the chunks gives nice little green specks in the bread (which might not be so great if you have picky eaters).
So tell me… is this idea news to you? Or has the rest of the world been making zucchini bread this way forever??
I am a very task-oriented person, so things like "she provides food for her family... her arms are strong for her tasks... she makes coverings for her bed... she makes linen garments and sells them..." speak right to me...
But sometimes I see that list and think how in the world does she accomplish all of that (and not fall into bed exhausted at the end of the day)?!?!
Am I supposed to just pick and choose the things I know I can do? Am I supposed to strive to do it all? Who exactly is this proverb meant for? Is it just a warning to not be lazy?
I do enjoy things like cooking and cleaning and sewing. Most of the time. But in our world today there are so many "conveniences" that make these tasks easier. And I think it sometimes causes us to become lazy. We check a few items off our list and we're done; time to play on the internet now. At least I'm guilty of that mindset.
But how do we balance tasks with relationships (family, friends) with me-time? I'm an introvert. I NEED time alone. I don't get a whole lot with a 15-month-old daughter. Even right now, I'm listening carefully because I know she'll be waking up any minute now. I'm not normally a people-person. Relationships are hard work for me. Whether that's with my husband, or my daughter, or my other friends. It takes time and energy. Honestly, time and energy I would often rather spend on "tasks"...
"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.'" Isn't that the praise we as women long to hear?
Life is all about balance, isn't it? Balancing our time, our possessions, our tasks and relationships.
What are some ways you've found to balance your life?
