More on Making Pictures

This past summer I wrote a post on making pictures for the home.

(It's under the Decorating label on the web version's home page if you'd like to look at it.)

I've made a few more since that post, so I thought I'd take a moment to share them with you.

I very much dislike plain, bare walls.

I feel a strong sense of warmth and well-being when I'm in a home with lovingly selected artwork on the walls.

But even though I feel that way, I've never been one to spend a lot of money on high-end art for my home.

I get a kick out of seeing what I can pull together by just being creative, thinking outside the box, and spending as little money as I can.

Maybe it's a silly hobby?

Maybe I'm too cheap?

Maybe I should get a life?

........

Well, whatever it is, it makes me happy!

And we should all do things in our home that make us happy, right?!

Here's my first example...

I found this still life print in a junky shop downtown just the other day.

It was $2.00

I enjoy looking through junky shops because you get to see antiques out of their element.

It helps me train my eye and test my creativity.

If you are at a nice antique shop, antique fair, or boutique, you can expect everything to look appealing.

Those are fun, too. And I've made purchases at those types of places many times.

But the thrill of the hunt in a thrift store turns satisfying when a treasure is unearthed.

The back of the picture has some information on the artist...

"... delightful to contemplate."

Isn't that lovely?

I cut it to fit this frame, then hung it in my kitchen next to our breakfast table.

Another thrift store print that I found a couple of months ago, is this pretty floral...

It was $4.00.

I took it out of the frame it came in and bought a new one for it.

These frames are from Hobby Lobby.

They always seem to be 50% off, and I think they have a nice antique look to them.

I gave this picture a home on my plate rail in the dining room...

If you like free you can always flip through a magazine or book to look for illustrations that can be torn out and framed.

That is how I made these pictures...

(I have found it helpful to keep extra frames on hand incase a moment of magazine-flipping produces a burst of inspiration, and I simply can't wait to see the page framed and up for my enjoyment!)

This one hangs next to my bed...

The page was too small for the frame, so I just taped it onto a sheet of computer paper.

Now it looks matted.

The quote on it says, "There are no sounds that can stir the sublime emotions like the sighs and whispers of nature." - James Lendall Basford

Of course, if you have children, then you will have an endless supply of their artwork that I'm sure just thrills them to see displayed.

Roman painted this mountain landscape a month or so ago.

I loved it so much that I placed it on our fireplace mantle.

It's wonderful when a friend is over and says, "What a lovely mountain picture. Where did you get it?"

Reminds me of this line I recently read...

"Facts are aligned on shelves as well, necessarily chosen and arranged, assigned value by explanations neatly stuck where prices might have been."

- Leslie Jamison, The Empathy Exams

Yes, the family items that are free hold the deepest meanings, and make the most beautiful decor.

Anybody can drop a ton of money on commercial, cookie-cutter decor. And most people do.

But where is the heart in that?

I hope I have given you a few ideas in this post of how to create unique pictures for your walls and shelves without spending a lot.

Let me know in the comments if you try any of these!

Thanks for reading, friends!

xo,

~ Courtney ~

The Value of a Woman at Home

There was a statement made by an Arizona democratic candidate some years back, where she expressed her contempt for stay-at-home moms by calling them "leeches".

(I would love to include the exact quote, but it consists of some profanity.)

This sentiment was reiterated to me again recently when a woman told me how important it is that she works outside the home because she can contribute to the family income.

Once again, I began thinking...

I compared this idea (of a woman at home being a leech) to my own life experience...

You don't mind a quick jog down memory lane with me, do you?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Before Micah and I were married, he owned a house, had a son, and was starting out in his career.

For his house, he had a maid...

For his son, he had a babysitter...

And for his business clothes, he had a dry-cleaning service.

He and his son never cooked homemade meals, so they ate out regularly.

All of these services, as I'm sure you well know, cost a lot of money!

After Micah and I got married and I moved into his home with him, he cancelled ALL of those services.

I became the maid, the cook, the laundry service, and the nanny.

I didn't see it at the time, but now looking back I realize I was very valuable to him.

(A side note- I developed a bad attitude towards this work in my early twenties that I regret today. I began to harbor feelings of resentment toward Micah because I felt taken advantage of at the time. That may be a personal thing to share, but I'm sharing it to encourage young women who are newly married to work hard in their homes with a happy heart attitude! I wish I had! Now, serving Micah and my children in our home is a joy to me, but it took too many years for me to get here.)

(Summer 2017)

So?...

The question is, could I have been leeching off of Micah by being at home?

Are you leeching off of your husband if you've chosen to stay at home?

???

Laboring at home is contributing to the family income, because you are helping to keep money in, instead of it flowing out. 

Be encouraged!

Every meal you make at home, every business shirt you press, every wall you paint yourself, helps keep the money in! And what value that is to a hard-working husband!

Whether he acknowledges that or not should not effect your attitude, since we work "heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men". (Col.3:23)

(I wish somebody would've told me that twelve years ago! *eye roll...)

Although admittedly, it is wonderful to be acknowledged...

Just last night Micah said to me, "You have taught three of our four kids to read, and you've taught them to be each other's best friends... What an accomplishment!"

How that did my heart such good!!!

But even when he says nothing, I am content in my work, because I have learned the value of it.

"I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task, I will never pity her for the smallness of it."

- Chesterton

"The greatest happiness that you can hope to attain in this world is a happy home. No career that you can plan and carve out for yourself, no fame, no fortune, can take its place. You may have the career and the fame and the fortune, but if you have not had a happy home, you will find before you reach the end that something has been lacking."

- William Drysdale, Helps for Ambitious Girls

"Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life."

-Proverbs 31:11-12

If you are a hard-working woman at home, I hope you know how valuable you are!

xo,

~ Courtney ~

Equality in Housework

A couple of years ago I was watching a Facebook live video.

It was of a lady who has made herself quite famous for her mothering and homemaking rants.

This particular time she was sitting on her couch with a mountain of laundry around her, complaining about how exhausted and stressed she was as she folded.

Her husband happened to pass by and she called out to him to come help her.

He quietly, bless his heart, sat down next to her and began folding the laundry, too.

After a few seconds, someone piped up in her comments and said, "You're so lucky! Your husband's helping you with laundry!"

She proceeded to scold the commenter...

"Lucky?! Excuse me? Does he not also wear clothes and use towels around here?!"

 Her attitude was so sour, and her husband so passive, that I couldn't bear to watch anymore.

I clicked out of the video and I don't know how it ended.

But something made me think about it the other day.

I began to think thoughts like,

Why is it I only ever see women talk and act this way, but never men?

Why is it I only hear women scream about equality and rights, but never men?

Where did this attitude of 'he should help with dishes because he eats here, too!' come from?

Hmmm...

I pondered some more...

What if Micah demanded that I help him with his work? How would that make me feel?

???

I am so thankful that when Micah goes out to plow the driveway, he doesn't demand that I come with him because 'She uses the driveway, too'...

I am so thankful that when Micah rounds up all the trash every Saturday morning to take to the dump, he doesn't demand that I help because 'She uses the trash bins, too'...

Yes, I've come to the conclusion that everything equals out just fine!

I would love to encourage the lady from the video to focus on all the important household tasks her husband tends to, and not on the ones he doesn't.

(I hope you are able to see while reading this, that this isn't a post about who should do what- since every couple must divvy up the jobs in a way that suits them. It's rather the attitude behind it all!)

There is a scene that plays out in our home almost every night after dinner, and it goes something like this...

Micah hauls a stack of plates and a handful of silverware over to the sink, and begins to rinse the dishes.

I call over to him from the table, "I'll clean the kitchen, Micah. Don't worry about it!" 

Then he says something like, "I'll get a start on it for you." And he does.

Wouldn't I rather get help from someone who wants to help me, and who has the right attitude about it, than get begrudging help from someone who is only appeasing my demands?!

Plus, think of it from the husband's point of view...

I can imagine it would be much easier for a man to want to help his wife if she is sweet-spirited and appreciative toward him.

"My heart took delight in all my work." - Ecclesiastes 2:10

I believe having a safe and warm place to call home is a blessing and a privilege.

Housework can be a joy if we remember that!

xo,

~ Courtney ~

Valentine Decor

It has rained ice here lately, and every tree branch is covered in crystal...

"Arctic winds blow, and the pace of life seems to slow..."

~ Melissa Lester

When the sun shines down the trees look like they are lit up with millions of little lights!

Oh, we just have to get out there, kids! Rug up! Let's go...

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

~ John Muir

Everything just shimmers and shines!

Even dressed like eskimos, the wind had a nasty bite to it, so we didn't last long.

But it was fun while it lasted.

(This is the type of gear one acquires when living in the north...)

"Winter... a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour."

~ John Boswell

Being homebound with the wind chill and the ice, has found us enjoying books and movies by the fire... baking pies and cookies... and losing entire afternoons to art projects like this...

I never do much with holiday decorating.

Just a few touches here and there is good enough for me.

The kids helped me make these Valentine banners.

I think they're cute...

We also hung one up in the front room window...

I prefer to only share the tidy photos, but this is a real-life blog.

Nola spent all morning up here playing with her stuffed animals.

When the air outside is this frigid, home becomes the place to dream... to create... to play... to just be.

It should feel this way all year round actually, but for some reason winter seems to be the time for home.

I've also put out my teeny tiny collection of antique Valentines...

(Not sure if a grand total of two constitutes a collection...)

Add to the banners and the antique cards a red-flowering plant, and this, friends, is the extent of my Valentine decorating...

I hope you're not disappointed, but you should know by now not to expect anything Pinterest-Worthy from me!

I just don't need what the trends like to tell me I need! 

I am most at home in an environment where I can surround myself in stacks and rows of books... wax candles lit in brass or crystal holders... the smell of a roast in the crockpot, or cake baking in the oven... children's laughter... antique paintings on the walls... a kitty sleeping in the corner... the table set with my grandmother's chipped and slightly faded dishes...

This is home to me.

"Keep good company, read good books, love good things and cultivate soul and body as faithfully as you can."

~ Louisa May Alcott

I hope you're enjoying your home this winter.

xo,

~ Courtney ~