A Peek from my Porch

June 3, 2015June 3, 2015 RefreshHer5 Comments

Here are some recent goings on at my house this past week:

Recently while scouring through some boxes in the garage, I came across my father-in-law’s old lunch pail. He used to take his lunch in it when he worked on a construction site. My husband has fond memories of his boyhood years when his dad would save a little treat from his lunch and bring it home in his lunchbox for his son to enjoy at the end of his workday.

When I put my hands on this old treasure I longed to find a way to integrate it into the decor in my husband’s office. I knew it would be a clever place to hold all kinds of things, but I wanted it to be something my husband uses often, so he could have the joy of using it daily.

So, I placed it on the table beside the recliner in his office and put his prayer journal, his daily journal and his pens he uses to study in the mornings inside. In the lid I just added a little greenery. I like how it looks and it really meant a lot to my husband. Take a peek…

A couple weeks ago I posted a recipe for Chicken with Blackberry Salsa from Taste of Home. I hadn’t made it yet, but was excited to make this recipe for two. I fixed it for us last week; here are the results:

It was very good!

Then last weekend for our church’s Sunday night fellowship, I made my mom’s recipe for Homemade Ice cream and followed my dad’s technique for layering in the ice and rock salt. Here’s the end product, and trust me, it was as good as it looks! You can’t beat homemade ice cream!

How about you – do you have an antique that is sentimental? How have you integrated it into your decor?

Any new or yummy recipes going on in your kitchen this week?

With love from my country porch,

Home decor

Freshen Up Friday

February 6, 2015February 13, 2015 RefreshHer6 Comments

What’s the biggest difference between the way your house looks and one of those lovely rooms in your favorite decor magazine? It’s really not the size of the house, its value or the finishes of the walls and floor; it’s really about the details you use to decorate.

What is currently sitting on your kitchen counter? How about the coffee table? The side table in your bedroom? Those are the details that can take a room from ordinary to lovely!

In the kitchen: I had recently been given a few (delicious) cupcakes from a friend and they were so pretty! Rather than leave them in the covered container in which they were delivered, I set them on a cake plate, then covered them with a glass dome and displayed them on the counter. They became a lovely focal point of the kitchen (until dessert time, of course)!

The February Susan Branch calendar picture that I’d saved from last year is the new backdrop for my magnetic board. It also adds some height to that long island.

The runner underneath adds another layer and brings warmth to the kitchen area – a place full of hard surfaces. I also love adding bowls of fresh fruit or vegetables out in the kitchen, too. Using pretty food as decor in the kitchen just makes sense, doesn’t it? It makes your kitchen inviting to those that would enter.

My kitchen table …

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Here are some other kitchens that I love…

Notice the lazy Susan in the middle of the table below. Love that!

Love the red check seat cushions, the greenery, and the lantern. — http://www.anitahollandinteriors.com/portfolio

kitchens should be lived in. Love the open plan with kitchen island! So inviting! — Woohome.com

From Country Living…

Notice the use of cookbooks as decor and the lovely lamps alongside the windows…

A French Provence Kitchen with a Franke farmhouse sink and two Fisher and Paykel dishwashers drawers. Limestone Versai patterned tile finished with vintage wall mounted sconces create an inviting kitchen.

The slipcovers on the chairs in this kitchen at a softness; also the napkins over the top of the chair.

I hope you’ve been inspired to refresh your kitchen with some little touches over the weekend!
Which of these kitchens do you love?

Be sure to refresh your heart by being in a Bible preaching church Sunday!

Lovingly,

P.S. Don’t forget to enter for the drawing for the $50 Target gift card by Saturday night! The winner will be announced here on Monday!

Home decor

Freshen Up Friday

October 18, 2013July 14, 2015 RefreshHer1 Comment

Nothing refreshes me like a beautiful view! When we moved into our house I already had a vision for where I wanted my desk. Since the views are so beautiful from the windows, I knew I needed to be where I could see outside. My sweet little white desk is in the corner of the living room beside the window. I am beside the fireplace and next to the view outside. It can’t get any prettier!

Here’s my daytime view:

If you don’t have a window but need a one, why not hang a piece of stained glass and place a light behind it?

Or hang a neat old window there and then decorate it attractively. Maybe a picture or two or three in the panes:

Another pretty use of a window:

Old window photo display. It's about more than golfing, boating, and beaches; it's about a lifestyle KW http://pamelakemper.com/area-fun-blog.html?m

Old windows can be found easily. Scoot yourself closer to one of your home’s windows, or create one just where you need it!

Be refreshed,

Home decor

Freshen Up Friday

October 4, 2013July 14, 2015 RefreshHer3 Comments

Want to make doing laundry a little more interesting? How about sprucing up your laundry room? Pinterest has some really fabulous ideas. Are they for real? Can the laundry room be pretty? I think so based on some pictures I’ve found!

Could your laundry space use some freshening up?

Here are a few beautiful rooms from my Pinterest boards to spark

your creativity…

Better Homes and Gardens

Use up-high shelving to maximize laundry room storage space.

Better Homes and Gardens

A laundry room can still be warm and cozy - here, the cement walls are hidden behind subtle polka-dot curtains, while other home accessories, such as decorative boxes and glass bottles and the pair of ceiling fixtures, offer homey warmth.

Tip Junkie

And now for my new laundry room

(still a work in progress)

Based on the pictures I’ve loved, I realized that a laundry room needs to have some unexpected elements, some functional pieces for storage, and something really pretty.

Here’s what I’ve done so far.

I’m going with gray and yellow and red as an accent.

I’m still on the lookout for a yellow and gray rug.

This is also Liza’s room,
so don’t mind that she wanted to be in my pictures!

So the baskets are the functional pieces that hold my laundry detergents, starch and such.

How about a little lamp and some flowers?

I love my Susan Branch calendar and thought this was a perfect place to hang it so I’ll see it often!

Artwork on the walls adds a finishing touch to make it look like it is indeed a room – not just a catch-all space.

I also hung a picture/bulletin board of family and friends.

Something a little unexpected helps perk things up, too.

Because laundry is a necessary part of housework means the room we do it in should be inviting and as pretty as possible. Make it enjoyable to be in there! What could you do to add a little element of creativity – even beauty to your laundry room? Freshen it up…you might even want to do a load of laundry just so you can look at your lovely space!

I’m going to skip the encouragement challenge today because this post has been so long. See you on Monday!

Be refreshed,

Home decor

Freshen Up Friday

September 20, 2013July 19, 2015 RefreshHer2 Comments

I showed you my entryway on Wednesday’s Peek from my Porch, but at night, it takes on a whole new look.

Here’s what it looks like in the daytime…

But look at it at night…

I added a battery operated twig of bendable lights inside my lantern so I can have a soft light on when my guests come in. It adds so much to the porch when it’s dark outside!

Inside the house you’ll see just inside the door is a nightlight. It’s an adorable little tea cup light,

but it’s not just pretty; it provides light in the that long hallway when it’s dark AND

it adds a touch of warmth when you enter.

What kind of lights do you have outside? Freshen up your entryway by adding some battery operated ones. Gracious Designs has a battery operated candle that looks like a real flame. You can even put it on a timer! There are tons of these battery operated branches at places like Big lots, Michael’s and TJ Maxx. Why not add some sparkle and ambiance to your front door this fall? It will welcome your family and friends with a touch that says, “We were expecting you! Reminds me of that motel ad – “We’ll leave the light on for you!” It’s welcoming and inviting to see a light at the door. Pull yours out, or be on the lookout for one this weekend and come up with a clever way to add it to your decor.

Pastor’s Encouragement: Pray that your pastor will focus on the Word of God and walk in the fear of the Lord, rather than the fear of man as he prepares his messages. Pray that he will seek to please God rather than men, and pursue holiness rather than the praise of men.

Husband Encouragement: Is your spouse a man of integrity? Is he fair in his dealings with people? Does he understand the meaning of justice? Is he honest in business? Genuine in his faith? Consider all the ways a man can live in integrity, and praise your husband for one of them.

See you in church!

Be refreshed,