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In the Garden : Seasons of life depicted by the Rose
The garden. Where life began and where Jesus prayed before He went to the cross for us. If only more people spent time in the garden. If only they spent time in the dirt, in the hardship of growing food and in the beauty of the flowers blooms. There are thorns but there are roses too. The droplets of water on their petals captivate my soul in worship of God of heaven and earth, who designed such glory in such small things. A droplet of water on a petal. A mere drop of water so magnificent. The water’s dome a structure of excellence, the view through it a magnification of…
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Cheerful French Blue Kitchen Makeover on Budget : Before & After
Welcome to my kitchen! My rental house kitchen was trying to be a cheerful, what I call “French blue” kitchen but the dusty grey blue paint color was holding it hostage from its goal! Even the South facing kitchen with airy daylight pouring into it did not change the sleepy grey toned blue. It wanted to be awake and happy in that beautiful light. I was working with a tight budget so I bought Glidden interior paint + primer in the color “Sonata”. One gallon was $23 plus change and since the walls were already blue, it only took one generous coat of paint to look opaque. The room took…
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Homemaker Interior Design : How I Decorate “Old World” in a Fresh Way
I love old world style, which is a broad term that encompasses so many older styles of interior design. But I love bygone furniture styles of particular eras that were a bit more detailed, curved, and solid wood. I love elegance. I love old fashioned textile styles that were popular maybe 50 years ago or 100 years ago. But we also refer to a look being a bit “old world” when it is simply allowing age and patina to be there, not just the specific style of items. There is a comfort to the look of time worn pieces and there is a satisfaction in proven quality of items, something…
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My Classy & Feminine Style Makeover : Before & After
I looooove a good before and after. I write a lot of articles encouraging ladies to upscale their daily style because our current culture is so lax, to the point of championing slobbish habits. It feels refreshing to be put together, it is even polite to be put together, it even changes the tone of a home to be put together. So let me show you my own style makeover from being on the athletic loungey side of dressing to dressing in put together outfits. I had to learn all this too! There were years of my life that I dressed almost exclusively in leggings with spandex tops, or skinny…
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Stop Kicking Yourself for “Wasting food” Instead Praise God for His Abundance!
We are pretty good at beating ourselves up as women. I once heard a pastor joke that his wife’s spiritual gift was guilt. Haha! Well that is certainly true for me every time I scrape food into the trash. That is the worst feeling. But thanks to God I had a change of perspective on this. Romans 12:2 says “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” I pray this verse continually for myself. There is nothing like being transformed…
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How to have Resolve in Homemaking : Have a Mind for the Work!
There are so many things to say about how to be a better homemaker. There are practical steps to improving your approach but first, our resolve to do the work comes from unwavering truth from God’s Word. I had been slogging away at painting over the bright pink room in our new rental house recently. There was nothing enjoyable about this work. It just had to be done even though I truly dislike painting. But I was encouraged by this passage in Nehemiah and I am passing it on to you for your fortification in homemaking work. It was a time when they had experienced a lot of discouragement in…
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Dressy Casual Feminine Winter Fashion : Wine Reds, Midi Skirts & Belted Waists
Ladies, do you want to feel more awake, productive and happy in the dreary cold winter weather? Get dressed in the morning in something pretty and polished. You may be surprised just how different you feel. You will make your family feel more important and you will grace your home with a sense of every task being a moment of refinement. Winter white is not the friendliest color for some kinds of gritty work of home keeping so I reserve this skirt for days of light housework, outings to the shops, dinners out, having dinner guests over, or church gatherings. Which is perfect for the Christmas season! This is a…
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This Question Will Change the Way You Dress
“Would you buy this right now?” This is the one question that will change whether you think what you wear is good quality, stylish, or even flattering on you. When you go to reach for that top and those pants again, as your day after day uniform, hold up those items and look at the state of them. Ask yourself if you were at a shop and saw those items right now, would you reach out and pull them from the rack to admire them? Would they catch your eye? Would you pay money to purchase them right now? Would you even think they looked good? Are there loose seams…
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Cold Weather Wardrobe : SWEATERS Identify Quality Fabric & Proper Laundering
This is an acrylic sweater that I purchased on Amazon around $40! This is one of my favorite cozy and put together looks for cold weather. A beautiful cable knit sweater, long enough to wear with fleece lined leggings, fitted enough to move with me as I work and not bag off getting caught on things or dipping into dish water or poo! We wear our clothes for real life ladies so they need to work with us and for us! It is helpful to know about fabrics to choose the ones that work the best and also to know how to care for them. Everything needs the proper care…
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Homemaking English Country Inspired Outfit Fall Fashion 2022
Fall is here and the same old styles are still thrilling me. Oversized sweaters, leggings and riding style boots! Welcome to my little stylish corner of the countryside. I love walking this road because it is lined with oak trees and this lovely fence. It is such beautiful countryside for a walk. The first thing I do when I wake up is throw on my clothes and go outside to walk. One of my favorite things to wear for my outdoor excursions as well as for house work, is perhaps the most poorly understood fashion item of the decade: leggings. Leggings are classic pants when made with the right fabric…
