A Fall "Parade of Homes"

I think by now you pretty much get that I like houses and homes. It is really something I've been interested in since I was very young.

I remember times when when my parents would be doing home improvements in the house where I grew up. I loved going with them to pick out paint or wallpaper. Oh, those massive wallpaper books! While Mom and Dad were picking out what they wanted, I would pour over those books until I found what I thought they should pick. And I was the kid who wanted to be Dad's "assistant" while he painted or hung the wallpaper.

When I was in Junior High I remember finding out about a contest being held by some teen magazine to design your dream room. The winner, of course, would win that room they came up with. I worked hard on a floor plan and tore pictures out of magazines of things I would like to have in my room. I remember it having a lot of rainbows in it. That was my thing back then. In the end, I was too afraid to send in my entry though.

When I was in high school, my parents bought me a new bedroom set and I got to pick it out. What fun it was to wander through the huge furniture store until I decided on just the right one.

I love touring homes and getting inspiration from others. Years ago, a quaint little town in our area used to have a tour of homes each summer hosted by the Garden Club. It was just fun to go through these homes that you wouldn't normally get to peek into. Some had been decorated by professional designers and some were just lovingly cared for by their owners. It was always something I looked forward to.

In our area, we have an annual Parade of Homes. Usually a new development is chosen to be highlighted and you can purchase a ticket to go through several model homes that have been professionally decorated. I would love to go some time, but it never fails that I find out the date after the fact.

Well now I have something even better to tell you about.

This week, Laura at Finding Home is hosting a Fall Tour of Homes along with 15 of her blogging friends. 

Each day, three of the bloggers will be featuring a Fall tour of their home on their blog. Let me tell you, after seeing yesterday's tours, I can tell you that you will be blown away. If you need some inspiration or just want to get into the Autumn spirit, you need to check it out. And the best thing is that you can do it from the comfort of your own home. Even in your jammie's if you like. I won't tell.

Before I go, I also want to tell you about a great giveaway going on over at Drinking From My Saucer.  My dear sister, Sally, is giving away a sweet print by Sasha at Lemonade Makin' Mama. She also has a discount for Sasha's Etsy store. You will love her prints and other goodies she has. They would make great gifts. Christmas is just around the corner, folks. Just sayin'.

Make it a great day!

Staying Connected

Happy Friday, Everyone!

I just wanted to take a couple minutes to let you know of a couple different ways you can keep it touch with Still Keeping On The Narrow Way. If you like what you're reading and seeing, (Please God, let somebody like what they're reading and seeing.) it's easy to follow along.

I know most folks today are pretty savvy when it comes to social media. I'm savvy at some and still learning about others. But for the sake of those who are still trying to figure it all out, I'm going to go through it all. So those of you who have friended, linked in, and pinned already....just talk amongst yourselves for a minute.

First up is Facebook. If you LIKE the Still Keeping On The Narrow Way page, you will automatically get updates about new posts plus other interesting stuff  from me in your news feed.

Google+....This is new to me, but I am posting all new content here too. So if you are a Google+ person, you can click on the G+ button in my sidebar to find me there.

Next is Pinterest. We've already talked about how much I enjoy Pinterest. I would love for you to follow me there too.

Twitter....I do have a Twitter account. I confess it did give it up for a while. But I plan to revive that and hopefully connect with you there.

Instagram....I am not into Instagram yet, but hopefully will be soon.

My social media buttons are right up at the top of the blog (with the exception of Google+ in the sidebar) and will take you right where you want to go.

You can now also subscribe and receive updates in your inbox!

If you would like to contact me by email, you can do so by clicking on the "Contact Me" page. I would love to hear from you!

Lastly, I would love for you to leave a comment if you'd like. It's very easy to do. I would enjoy hearing your thoughts on anything I share, as well ideas you have about decorating and making your home special for your family.

The technology of today makes it possible to stay connected in so many ways. The reasons I decided to blog were to share what I love, hopefully inspire someone in some small way, and to meet new people and be inspired by their ideas. I hope you will join me!

Have a great weekend!

A Lesson In Scale

In our living room we have a "fauxrplace."  Really, I just made that up. But it is! Nothing is as it seems. Some day I will have to write a whole post about the fauxrplace, but today I want to talk about a specific part and that's the mantel.

I love having a mantel, but this one is extremely difficult to decorate. So on one hand I love it, but on the other hand it is the thorn in my decorating side. The way the mantel was installed, it is very shallow along most of it. It's barely deep enough to hold the shutters and word art that I have on it now. Trust me, they're holding on for dear life! Only on the ends is it deep enough to really hold anything, but still not much. For years I've had candle sticks on each end. The ones on the right were a gift from the Hubster for our first Christmas in this house.....which was almost ten years ago. That tells you how long they've been there!

                

But I've always felt that they were not the right size for this massive stone wall we have. The scale was totally off. They got swallowed up by all that stone. Scale is something I often have trouble with. I think too small. This room has high vaulted ceilings, a large staircase, and the stone wall. I need to remember to think bigger so items make a bigger impact in the room.

See what I mean? Those poor candlesticks just look so puny.

For a while now I've though that a pair of large lanterns might look nice. So I've been keeping my eyes open for them. Because the space on the mantel is so tight, they would have to be just the right ones. They needed to be large enough to have an impact, but with a small enough base.

Yesterday I found them at my nearby TJMaxx!

I think they make a big difference, don't you?

Presto, Change-o.....A Fall Wreath






Simple burlap wreath I made for the door this Summer.





Fall picks found at Hobby Lobby. I love the vibrant colors and texture.










A "new" Fall wreath that cost me about $6.

Ta-Daaaa!!





What Does Your Home Say About You?

Have you ever really thought about it?  What does your home say about you and your family?  Maybe your home says you are a creative person and love beautiful things because your walls are full of art. Maybe your home says you value relationships because it is filled with photos of family and friends.

But what if we take it a step further?  I've heard it said, and I believe, that the organization of your home tells a lot about your personality and your life.

For example, I'm a "stuffer."  I tend to keep a lot of how I feel to myself until it builds up and I explode. I've had people who enter our home comment on how neat it is....especially with three children.  But heaven forbid someone opens a closet.  Who knows what they might see or what might fall out on top of them.   Or even worse, someone sees my basement! Yep, I'm a "stuffer" in my home too.

 

If you're a mom of small children, it's likely that at some times at least your home is a chaotic mess. And you probably often feel that way too. That your life will never have order again. I remember those days when I had three kids under the age of four. Chaos!  All. The. Time.  And quite honestly, at the beginning of each school year, I usually feel that way again. At least until we get settled into our routine. But all those papers and backpacks and papers....You know what I mean!  Chaos! <Sigh>  Having a clean kitchen counter all summer was glorious!

So what do you WANT your home to say about you?  And what will it take to get it to that point? 

Maybe, like me, one of the things you need to do is clean out some closets.  Or maybe it takes painting your main spaces a different color that makes them feel warmer and cozier. Maybe it takes addressing some things that have been broken for a while and need repair. Possibly adding some more personal accents like photographs or you kid's artwork.  Or it could take something simple like buying some fresh flowers or having music playing sometimes instead of the TV. 

But the first step is to really think about what's important to you and your family.  Then you can begin to make the changes, big or small, that may be needed to help your home have the feel that you want it to.

WHOooo Doesn't Like A Good Deal?

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope you all had an enjoyable weekend!

The other day I needed to stop at Super WalMart for a few groceries. The good thing about Super WalMart is that if you dislike grocery shopping (like me), you still have the opportunity to browse through their Home section. So I was just about to make it through with my wallet unscathed when this guy caught my eye. A handsome owl lamp.

He was all alone....except for the rustic, brown owl lamp that looked like he belonged in a man cave. In my mind I had a conversation with myself (I'm not the only one who does that, right?) about how much I was willing to pay for him. I checked the price and he JUST made it. He was coming home with me!

But as I tried to find the perfect shade for him, I realized that something was not quite right. There was a piece missing that would hold the shade in place. DRAT!! And did I mention he was the only one left on the shelf? DOUBLE DRAT!!

I'm not one to shy away from broken things though. I will try to make ANYTHING work....much to the chagrin of the Hubster sometimes. And one of my favorite mottos is, "it doesn't hurt to ask." So I marched up to Customer Service with the lamp in my cart. I kindly explained the situation to the lady behind the counter. She said she could give me 10% off. Meh....not great, but better than nothing. But then when she marked it for me, she said, "I'll give it to you for $5 off." Yahoo! That was way better than 10%. We're talking WalMart here folks. It was not a hugely expensive lamp to begin with.

So the lamp went home with me....after I finished the grocery shopping. And I was a happy camper.

Once at home, I used some cardboard, tape, and super glue to fix things up.

And here's how he looks now with his new shade.



Doesn't he look stately guarding over our living room?

What bargain treasures have you found for your home?

Come Pin With Me

I set out this year to redefine my decorating style. My home was starting to look a little...well, tired. I wanted a more color, but I just wasn't sure how to add it. Most of all, I wanted it to be warm, welcoming, and a reflection of our family.

The advent of Pinterest has made finding your style so much easier. Certainly, it can be overwhelming, can rob you of contentment, and dare I say be a real time-sucker if you let it? But, I would say that if you USE it instead of being consumed by it, it can be really helpful. ( My Mom has always taught me, "moderation in all things.")

And if you see something that inspires you, you don't have to copy it exactly to get the look you want. There are usually one or two smaller elements in an inspirational photo that you can do in your own room to bring that style to it. Plus, you don't want to have a cookie cutter room. You want it to reflect the people who live there.

For example, I started to see a trend that I was pinning a lot of photos that had either a light yellow or aqua walls. But as much as I love both, I couldn't see my living room painted either of those colors. I have high ceilings and it would have been way too much for the room.



Instead, I chose to keep the room neutral and add those colors in with accessories. This will also give me the ability to change out some of my accessories with the seasons. For the summer, I've had all those yellow, aqua, and turquoise accents out. But soon I will be changing out the aqua for more orange with the yellow for Fall. And then from December through February, that will get all switched out for reds.

 

So do you pin? How do use Pinterest? Do you let it inspire you to make your life better in some way....like making healthier meals for your family, making your home a haven, or helping you create memories for you kids? I would love to hear about it!

Things Are Tough All Over!

Before I go any further on this one, two things:

      1.) I'm preachin' to the choir here. 

              And, 

      B.) We've already established that I am NOT an expert.

Yesterday, as I put my last child on the school bus....the child that had had an hour-long meltdown before 7am.....and that had made me feel like the worst parent in the world....again....I had to remind myself AGAIN that "things are tough all over." 

"Things are tough all over" was something my parents would say when we were being whiney and complaining about something we didn't have, something we didn't want to do, etc. Basically, "quit your whining and get over it!"

Especially when it comes to parenting, I have a tendency to think that I'm the only one who is having a hard time. That this season of parenting is SO hard. (But if I look back, I know I said that during every parenting season.)  And I'll be honest. I've played the "but I have kids with special needs" card a time or two. Because parenting is hard, folks....plain and simple.

But parenting is just as hard for the first-time parent who is sleep deprived as it is for those who are sending their child off to college for the first time. It's just as hard for those who homeschool as it is for those who put their kids on the bus every day. It's just as hard for the parents of a child with physical needs as it is for those who have a child who makes poor choices. (I could go on and on, but you get my drift.)  And that's because it really isn't about our circumstances. It's that we love our kids and we agonize over them and want what's best for them. I sometimes think that "the grass is always greener," but that's not the case. And you know what they say about comparison. It's the death of contentment....and joy.

(Just recalling another season the Lord helped us weather.)

Something else I've been chewing on lately is this whole idea that God won't give me more than I can handle. (I think I really started processing this over the summer while I was reading Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis. If you haven't read this, it's a must-read. I dare you to not be challenged in some way.) I think He absolutely allows us to have more than we can handle in our lives, but not more than we can handle with His help. So that when we look back, we will be able to say that we only made it through because of Him. And only He will deserve the credit.   

And even though I sometimes need the little kick I the pants, I'm not really saying, "stop whining and get over it."  I guess the encouragement is this: You are not alone. We are all in this together. Do your best and, even if it doesn't feel like it.....you will survive.

I'm Still Learning

So, when I decided to blog, I knew that the photography was going to be my weakness. I mean, I love pretty things, but I just was never too concerned about great photos because I was only taking snapshots of the family with my pretty basic Kodak point-and-shoot.

 

The last couple of days I've been dreaming of a fancy-dancy camera. But, alas, that is DEFINITELY not in the budget. So I'm trying really hard to be content with what I have been blessed with and have adopted the mantra that it's all about the camera OPERATOR and not the camera. Which means I've been practicing.

 

I've been experimenting with some of the few settings I actually do have on my camera. And I THINK there has been some small improvements. For example, in this photo, I increased the sharpness so much that you can see the dust on my shelf. (Note to self: Always dust first! Picture me embarrassed.)

 

 

I've also been playing around with Photoshop a little more. I've had it for years but mainly used it for digital scrapbooking. I've only dabbled in editing photos. There's still a ways to go with that too. I have been using the "Guided" editing mode which has been helpful to get me thinking about what things I should consider when trying to improve a photo.

Photography in my kitchen has always been a challenge, even when just taking pictures at one of the kid's birthday parties or something. The light is kind of funky and photos always have a golden cast to them. I'm working on trying to improve that as well.

And trying to take clear tight shots.

And just experimenting and having fun. 'Cause that's what it's all about, right?

So I'm learning as I go and I hope you will bear with me. And maybe forgive a grainy photo here or there.

In the mean time, check out some GOR-GEOUS photos that Sasha a.k.a. Lemonade Makin' Mama took....with her PHONE. Amazing!
(I AM in the market for a new phone....hmmmm.....)

So Tempted

On Sunday we went to my sister-in-law and brother-in-law's to celebrate my niece's birthday. The kids came home with these cute teeny-weeny pumpkins, fresh from their garden. They have a bumper crop this year.

These sweet little pumpkins have given me the itch. No, not an allergic-to-pumpkins, break-out-in-hives kind of itch. You know the itch I mean. Because you may have it too!

It's the itch to break out all those Autumn-y (Yes, that's a word. I checked. Not really.) decorations! Pumpkins, leaves, acorns, candy corn....all that golden goodness, I love the way the orange pumpkins look alongside the pieces of black and white Asiatic Pheasant dishes I've been picking up here and there from HomeGoods. It's SO tempting!

Even though Fall decor is popping up on blogs all over the Internet, I think I will try to wait just a little bit longer. I mean, we've barely turned the calendar over to September and it's still pretty hot and muggy outside....at least in our neck of the woods. And there is a small part of me that's still holding on to Summer.

So I will wait. But it's very tempting.

Has your mind started turning toward Fall yet?

Flea Market Finds

I hope everyone is enjoying this Labor Day weekend!

Friday evening the Hubster asked me if we had any plans for the holiday weekend. Nope, not really. He asked me what I would like to do. All summer, I had been itching to go to a flea market that is not too far away from us, but when Saturday rolled around each week, it just never worked out for us/me to go.

"Weellll, I really would like to go to the flea market," I said. I had visions of great discoveries of blue Ball jars, pretty plates (my weakness), or what I was REALLY looking for....an old, painted, six-pane window for my mantel.

"Would you like to go alone or would you like this to be a family 'outing'?"

Such a loaded question. But we made plans for us all to go. It is the unofficial last weekend of Summer after all. In looking up the hours online, I discovered that this was this flea market's busiest weekend of the year. Yeah.

Saturday morning we announced our plan to the troops. And The Hubster also told everyone that they would each have five dollars to spend at the flea market however they wished.

"What a brilliant plan," I thought. This will keep the kids engaged in the experience trying to find the perfect thing to buy.

So off we went. And they weren't kidding. It WAS the busiest weekend of the year. Which, under normal circumstances, would be great. More to choose from, right? But you will learn very quickly that we are anything BUT normal circumstances. We are a girl who likes to walk quickly with her Daddy, flitting from one thing to another....a  60+ pound, 13 year-old boy who likes to walk slowly and insists on holding his mother's hand thus dragging her down, and a boy in a power wheelchair who is really doing the best he can, but needs guidance from either Mom or Dad to make his way through the crowds of people. No, we are NOT normal circumstances.

And The Hubster's brilliant $5 plan would have been great too, except that....one child found what he wanted almost immediately and was then DONE....one child found what she wanted almost immediately, but Dad told her she should look around more before she decided and thus she complained for the next 45 minutes....and one child had a hard time finding anything he wanted.

So do you want to see our "treasures?"

We came away with two "titanium" necklaces, a bag of butterscotch candy, a jar of Uncle Gizzy's XXX Hot Horseradish, a toy Volkswagen Beetle....oh, and the slice of pumpkin roll and peanut butter whoopee pie that are not pictured because they were consumed on the drive home.

Sorry if you were expecting to see Ball jars and pretty plates....or an original copy of the Declaration Of Independence that we found on the back of an oil painting.

And windows? Yep, there was a booth with loads of them, exactly what I wanted. Good prices too. But it just wasn't the right day to buy them, you know? A bit of a bummer. BUT the kids will talk about going to the flea market for a long time, and the treasures they found, and the time spent together. There will be other days to find the perfect window.

So what did you do to make memories with YOUR family this weekend?

Once Upon A Time....

Once upon a time....before there was this blog, I wrote a guest post over at Drinking From My Saucer {'cause my cup has overflowed} about a little update I made to my kitchen cupboards. It really was a needed freshening up for the kitchen and also wound up inspiring some other updates (which I will share about in the near future.) 

You can read all about it  HERE.

 

**Full Disclosure** - Sally at Drinking From My Saucer is my sister. My favorite sister. (Okay....she's my only sister.)

Back To School, A Transformation, And Making Memories

Have your kids gone back to school yet?  Yesterday was the big day for my kids. It's always a little bittersweet for me.  In all honesty, I'm usually ready for them to go back (and they are too.)  But it means that the last bit of Summer is slipping through my hands.

Back in the Spring, I painted a large chalkboard wall in our kitchen. (Stick with me, this will all come together and make sense in a minute, I promise!)  It was a huge leap for me, but now that I've done it, I love it! It's added a lot of character to our kitchen and, well, it's just kind of fun.

 

Here is that part of the kitchen "before."  Pretty boring, huh?

I was a little concerned after the first coat. It wasn't looking good. But after another couple coats, I was really pleased.

After the paint had dried for 24 hours, I seasoned the chalkboard by rubbing chalk all over it. This helps the chalk to "stick" better when you write on it and also prevents a ghost image which is when you can still see your writing after you erase.

Then came the fun part. I doodled around for a while and then decided I would do a large calendar for the month.



So back to Summer coming to an end.....

A couple years ago, I got really discouraged because it seemed like Summer was passing us by. I must admit that because my kids have special needs, it's often difficult and frustrating to try and go places with all three. I decided that if we were going to have any fun and make any memories, we were going to be very intentional about it. The Hubster and I sat down with the kids and made a "Summer List."  We allowed them all to choose things they would like to do or accomplish. We told them to dream big. We couldn't guarantee them we would complete everything on our list, but at least we would have some goals. Our first year's list was written on a piece of notebook paper and put on the front of the fridge and we checked things off as we completed them. Our lists have included everything from a vacation at the beach to visiting friends, a long car ride, eating at our favorite restaurants, and getting ice cream.

Now back to the chalk board.....

This year, as the kids spouted off things they would like to do this Summer, I wrote them on our new chalkboard. It was fun to have it right there in big letters in front of us all Summer. Many dinners around the table were spent talking about our list. And this year we did a pretty good job and accomplishing things on it. It's been fun to have this little family project and spend time together as a family, making memories.

So I thought it would be great to take a back to school photo in front of our chalkboard showing both our Summer List and the August calendar.  I think it was the perfect way to look back at a great Summer while also looking forward to an exciting new school year.

What's In A Name?

A blog name to be exact.
I thought you might be interested to know how I chose the title.

Keeper

I wanted it to be about what I do and what is really important to me. A few months after The Hubster and I were married, we determined that it would be possible for me to not have to work outside the home. I was delighted! My Mom had always stayed home with my sister and me and it was what I always wanted to do. Although I went to college for four years and got my nursing degree, I had no career aspirations but to be a wife and mother and take care of our home....just as my mom had done.

But at that time, we were still without children. So, in our culture in this day, I was a rarity. Few women made the decision to not work outside the home unless they had small children. I got a lot of, "What do you DO all day?" I started to think about what my "title" really was. I really disliked the term "homemaker." It just seemed to have such negative connotations in our society.

At one point, during a women's Bible study, I was reminded of Paul's teaching in Titus 2:3-5.

³ Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Do you see that phrase "busy at home?" In other versions of the Bible it says....

 "working at home" 

"managing their home"

"fulfilling their duties at home"

But my favorite was from the good ol' King James Version....and maybe only because it was the way I first heard it as a child....

"keeper at home"

On The Narrow Way

This part was easy....well, easy to chose as part of a blog title, but hard to do. It comes from Matthew 7:13-14.

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

As a follower Of Christ, I am urged to take the narrow road in life....the harder, less-traveled road....because it is the one that leads to life. And in my role as this "keeper" of my home, I need to follow the narrow way as well. Even if it's not what everyone else is doing.

Still

Once upon a time, there was a blog called Keeping On The Narrow Way. It was mostly something I did for fun. It started out as a way to share about what was going on in our family. At one point it became a blog about my love of digital scrapbooking. It has sat deserted for a couple years now. When I decided I wanted to do this blog thing for real, I knew I was going to have to start from scratch. But I was married to the name, thus the "still" was added. Because even after all these years this is what I want my life to be about.

There.....now you know what's in THIS name.

What's This All About?

Welcome!

If you've stumbled upon this blog, you're just in time! 

"For what?" you may ask. 

For my very FIRST post!

So now maybe you're asking, "What's this all about, this 'Still Keeping On The Narrow Way' blog thingy?" (Yes, "thingy" is a word. At least in my world it is!)

Welllllll.....Let me start by telling you a little bit about myself. I am a wife and mother of three kids. All three of our children came to us through foreign adoption and have special needs. Plus, we have a dog who is the biggest "Mama's boy" ever! So things around our place can get pretty crazy.

Also, since I was young, I've loved houses and home decor. But now that I've grown up and have my own family and home, it's become more about making a comfortable, secure home for my family as well as a welcoming place for friends and family. Sure, I still want to have a home that looks nice, but it is more about the feeling you get when you're there.

I love simple projects and touches that make my home feel special. I love decorating to celebrate the seasons. I love creating memories for my children.

So, I guess this is what you can expect here. Posts about family and making home special.

I read recently that if you write a blog, you have to be an expert at something. Well, I am NOT an expert at marriage, or parenting, or organization, or decorating, or DIY, or crafts. (You get the picture) But, I AM good at trying.

Since, I'm no expert, my real hope that this blog will be a conversation....where I share a little and you share a little too.

The subtitle of Still Keeping On The Narrow Way is

 Living - Loving - Laughing - Learning - Dreaming - Daring - Doing. 


I hope to do all of that along the way.

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