Laundry

"There, everything

is order and

beauty, richness, quiet

and pleasure."

~Charles Baudelaire, L'Invitation au Voyage

What I wish my laundry room to be. The light! The order! The beauty! The fresh cut flowers!

What my laundry room really is:

Oh, the darkness, the clutter, the ugly brown paneling!

I know, the sad, plastic drawer thingy really doesn't measure up to that lovely green armoire, does it?

I found those wonderful laundry room photos in a Victoria magazine years ago. I've kept them in a binder, hoping for the day I could create the laundry room of my dreams.

So far, no dreamy laundry room. I will say that my current laundry room is better than any I've had previously. At least there is not a leaky sewage pipe in this one. AND it is right off the kitchen, on the main floor, not in a basement. AND it has a door that opens out to my courtyard where I will soon have a kitchen garden. So, it does have it's merits. What is doesn't have is richness, beauty, order or quiet. Hmmm...maybe someday!

Do you have a gruesome laundry room? Do you dream of a serene and lovely laundry room? Head over to Parisienne Farmgirl for an ugly laundry room contest!

Can I just say "laundry room" one more time. OK. Thanks.

Happy Spring!

Can't stay. Gotta get back outside!

Hope you are having a lovely first day of Spring!

Garden Dreams

This photo is from last May. I wish it was this year, but alas, I haven't even started any seeds. It is on my to-do list for this weekend. Well, "Plant Seeds" has been on my to-do list for a couple of weeks, so that doesn't really say anything.

I have big garden dreams for this year. I live in a new location with more land and planting possibilities, but I also have one more child this year. I picture myself with a baby in a backpack and a toddler at my knees, planting, weeding, and harvesting--just like Caroline Ingalls must have done. I can do it, right? I'm hoping to enlist the help of my big girls (ages 6 and 11), too.

I have a head start here. We have 5 apple and 2 plum trees, 1 cherry and 1 peach tree. I want to add raspberries and strawberries to the fruit list.

In our back field, my plan is to have a pumpkin patch and a sunflower house for the kids.

Someday, I would like to have big vegetable garden out there, but I am trying to be somewhat realistic!

For now, I am planning a small potager/kitchen garden in our back courtyard. There are already lots of brick planters and raised beds to work with--yippee!

Here I want to grow herbs, veggies and flowers. I want to start from seed as much as I can to save money.

I'll be sure to share my gardening adventures with you!

Now, children are calling...I'd better be off!

The Winner...

...is Sarah! Congratulations!

Thanks to Sally, Jessica, and Andrea for your comments and for reading. I really enjoy each of your blogs.

It's been a fun year of blogging. And I like being able to go back and see what the year was like for my family.

Here's to another year,

Jen

One Year

Yup, a year ago today I finally did what I had wanted to do for quite a while. Start a blog. I'm not going to spend time reflecting here right now, because, well, I just don't have the time right now. Anyway, what I'm most excited about is doing a little giveaway in celebration of my one year blogging anniversary! So, I've been contemplating what to give. I wanted it to be meaningful and personal. I gathered a few items from around my house that fit my criteria.





First, a book that I love and have read many times:

It's funny, but this book (as well as a guest speaker at church one day) influenced me to do foster care. It got me thinking about creating a loving, wholesome home for whoever needed it. Fast-forward 5 years and I now have two beautiful adopted daughters as a result of that first little thought in my brain. Interesting how God works sometimes.

Next, one of my favorite places in the world, and one of my favorite hobbies all rolled into one watercolor painting:


The Beach and Painting. I painted this from a photo I took at the Washington Coast. I don't get to the beach often, but I'm just filled with the majesty of God every time I do get there. I love the weathered driftwood and all the shadows on the sand.

Finally, for my whimsical side, this vase I painted at a pottery shop:

I used my favorite colors, and I love the shape of the vase and the happy swirls.

O.k, if you are interested in the giveaway, just leave a comment. I'll draw a name Sunday night and post the winner.

Even if you don't want this random set of objects, I hope you'll leave a comment to help me celebrate. I'm hoping to meet some readers that don't make it a habit to comment, but are still out there somewhere.

Thanks for stopping by, and here's to another year!

Jen

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday:

Today:

Late winter/early spring is always such a finicky time of year. Makes life interesting, I guess.

Oh, I have to express a little joy today. I feel very blessed lately. Last week I won Jessica's giveaway--a cheery bag that she sewed herself; and today I found out that I won Andrea's giveaway--a beautiful scarf that she knit!!! How cool is that! And so funny that I found Andrea's blog (and giveaway) because she found my blog after I won Jessica's giveaway! Uhh...does that make any sense? Well, very neat, no matter what.

Maybe I should get a babysitter and hit one of the casinos in town....

Ha! Just kidding...

Come back tomorrow for my 1 Year Blogaversary!! I'm cooking up some sort of giveaway...it's only fitting, I think.

Thoughts

I've had so many thoughts or ideas that I've wanted to post about lately, but life has kept me from actually getting to sit down and formulate my thoughts into posts. It's hard to concentrate with a three month-old, a twenty month-old, and a 10 year old at home everyday. (I started homeschooling my daughter a couple of weeks ago.) Then add the fact that my six year-old has been having a hard time lately with behavior and such, well, blogging has been on the back burner. And that's o.k. This blog will be here when I do have the time. Like today.

So, in between feeding everyone and doing a load of laundry here and there, I've been able to spruce up my blog's look for spring. Yeah!

I feel like my life needs a little sprucing up as well. A spring cleaning. Just like my house. (In fact, a little house cleaning, or gutting, would probably help my mood as well.)

Hmm....please excuse the scatter-brained feel of this post. My thoughts are all over the place; it's hard to organize them neatly for some reason. I guess I'll just go with it!

Anyway, I was feeling the other day the need for a disengaging, a disconnecting, an unplugging from this crazy, swiftly tilting world. So, I came up with a list. I love lists. I wrote it in my journal. My journal that has three sections that I designated as Children, Household, and Life. I like having a place to jot down ideas, plans, and wishes--usually in the form of lists.

So, here is my list to help me Revitalize, Rejuvenate, and Reinvent my life this spring.

Watch less T.V. (Duh)

Less computer time

Get outside more: walks, play, garden, swing, run, explore, breathe

Read real books!

Read the Bible more

Write real letters to people

Draw/color/paint--create

Make do with what I have as much as I can

Cook from scratch as much as possible without going totally Little House on the Prairie

Grow food:

I'm planning on growing a variety of veggies in this back courtyard:

Shop at thrift stores

Listen to music

Walk to church

Use less chemicals

Raise chickens

Get rid of clutter

Walk or ride bikes to the farmer's market

Create family traditions throughout the seasons of the year

Be charitable

Focus on the good

Live in the now

Cherish little moments

Enjoy my children

This is an abrupt ending, but it's been a few hours since I began this post. I had to leave it for awhile to feed the baby, make dinner, change diapers, put on jamies, sing night-night songs, kiss foreheads, feed the baby again...now I'm going to go eat angel food cake with strawberry sauce from my lovely neighbor.

Hopefully, I'll be back soon with better formulated thoughts. Or I can give you my list for Ways to Like My House More Without Spending Big Money.

Oh! My one year blogging anniversary is coming up. I need to think of a way to celebrate. Stay tuned...

Have a great week!