A Few Fall Favorites

I've spent most of my Sunday on the sofa trying to recover from a wretched cough/cold thing that's been hanging on for several days. 
I don't know about you, but I always feel guilty when I'm not doing something. After all, there's so much to be done! 
Even as I lay here feeling week and sick, I'm mentally beating myself up because the house is messy, or I didn't get to the grocery store, etc.

Why can't I ever give myself the peace of having permission to just...rest?
Maybe a holdover from being married to someone who always told me I wasn't doing or being "enough".... ever?

I don't know, but whatever the source, I truly need to work on this! Back me up friends-it really is okay to rest when you know you need to, right?

Thank you.

That said.....I've shared some of the beautiful images of Colorado Fall outdoors {and there's more to come} but today I'm going to share a few of the images I've snapped recently of some of my favorite indoor Autumn lovelies. 

* * * * *

{A piece of my daughter's sweater from when she was a toddler (she's now 16), velvet and silk flowers and leaves, and vintage pearl beads have become a one-of-a-kind necklace for her. From mom, with love}





{Red pears-juicy, sweet and beautiful. A favorite Fall treat}

 

{An acorn-type seed, brought home from our trip to California. A tiny work of art}

{Another Fall treat-especially when you're not feeling well!}

{Currier & Ives Autumn tray}

{My dream house-smile}

{A favorite Fall plate-a gift from a friend}

This year, maybe more than other years, I feel compelled to capture and hold onto, the beauty of my favorite season before it is trampled by the world's stampede toward Christmas! 

I am thankful for this season and this day (sick or not) and thankful for you being here, friends.

Sharing this week over at:

The Scoop 
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House 
Share Your Cup Thursday at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Tutorials Tips and Tidbits at StoneGable 
Be Inspired at Common Ground 
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage 

Evidence of Life

 

*Last summer, while I was learning how to make a blog post, this was the very first "practice post" I put together (hence the bad blurry photos). I never shared it with anyone.  Today my house looks like a train wreck, so I thought I'd post this "publicly" as a reminder to myself about dealing with the messes of life and motherhood. Just maybe someone else with a mess today could use this gentle reminder, too : )


There was a time when the messes of family life used to really get on my nerves. On a regular basis. Let me stop and apologize (sorry Tess) to my oldest daughter who undoubtedly took the brunt of my crankiness in this area. I am a mother of four children ranging in age from 21 to 5, and I would just like to say, regardless of the “that’s not fair!” factor, in my experience we will NOT be the same mother with our later children that we were with our first. Life experience changes us, education informs our views and, hopefully, yielding to the Holy Spirit softens and molds us and sometimes gives us new eyes. Things that used to irritate suddenly give us a quiet pleasure. 

 I had one of those moments today, when I walked into my bedroom to find my bed all rumpled and full of stuffed animals. My 8 year old wasn’t feeling well and she had climbed into my bed with her “friends” to get comfy and rest while listening to an audio book.
There was a time when things like this might have bugged me. After all, I did just make my bed a short time before! But today I can smile at this little scene knowing that the simple comfort of my bed and her friends and a good story helped her feel better. My “older mom” perspective (most of the time-sometimes I can still get cranky!) tells me that these displays of seeming disarray are the evidence of life in a home.

 

 My daughter's perpetual “spread” of artwork, the half-finished game awaiting the next round at the table, the seemingly endless dirty dishes and the sticky mess after making and eating lots of those homemade donuts. These are the things that represent life in a home! I am not at all suggesting that clean-up isn’t important at some point. I am suggesting, though, that the next time we walk in to a mess that our little darlings have created that we could perhaps pause the tendency to immediately feel grouchy. To try and see it through different eyes-for what it really is. Evidence of learning, evidence of creating and imagination, evidence of the blessing of good food and comfort and fun. The evidence of LIFE! I wouldn’t want it any other way.  

Don't Let It Slip On By.....

This week we lost two young people in our community, in the blink of an eye. 
I didn't want to do another blog post without acknowledging Kellie (18) and Malachi (20).

This song is a bittersweet reminder to pay attention to the time we're given. No one is guaranteed tomorrow. 
If you are a praying person, could I ask you to take a moment to lift up their family and friends? Please pray for comfort and healing as life just inches forward. 

Love to you, my friends!
    Jeanette

Pretty Tools

 Homemaking is a job. Sometimes it's a tiresome job, full of repetitive and mundane tasks.

Like all jobs, homemaking requires the use of certain "tools". As I folded the never-ending laundry pile one day, I glanced over at my nice little stack of kitchen towels.

These are some of the hardest working tools of this homemaker. Yes, they are worn and faded and stained, but I still think they are pretty!

Their patterns and colors make me feel happy and more content to be doing my "job". 

It's very grey and gloomy (and a little snowy) here today and I'm just so grateful for pretty tools that add a touch of cheer to the mundane : )

"The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely." -

 Louisa May Alcott 

Valentine Love Note Station

Every year for Valentine's Day, my kids and I make cards for each other. Nothing wrong with that. Some years it has been all I could do just to direct them in that small effort. 

This year, I thought it would be nice if I had a little more of a firm plan for helping my kids let each other know just what it is that they love and appreciate about each other {and their mom, too!}

I decided to set up a Love Note Station. I wanted to make an easy "destination" we will take turns at once a day until Valentine's Day. 

 

 
We can sit down and pick up a paper heart from the bird dish, or the message board, and just write one thing (or more!) about each family member that we love and/or appreciate that day.

 I showed you recently how I used a pretty kleenex tissue to print paper to use for some heart shaped notes.
 We also used some leftover red and white polka dot Christmas wrap to make heart shaped note paper.

After we write our notes {my five year old will need help from mom and sisters, of course} we will put them in our love note box.

We've already had a bumpy moment when my 9 year old just couldn't bring herself to come up with something nice to say about her 15 year old sister who had hurt her feelings. Sigh. We'll be working on that... {they really are great friends!}

 It was fun working on this together with Amelia! We started with an empty cereal box. We cut it in the shape we wanted and she glued some vintage sheet music love songs all over it. We cut a separate heart out of another cereal box and glued sheet music to that and stuck it (glue stick) to the front of the box.

 
Finally, I stuck on a couple of hearts cut out of red craft felt.

 

On Valentine's Day, while we are enjoying something sweet together, we're going to take out all of our hearts and read them out loud to each other.  

  

We have lots of "togetherness" in this family, and sometimes (many times) that means conflict. I'm really hoping that if they put some effort into seeing the good in each of their family members each day, those conflicts we be easier and quicker to resolve. A mom can hope, right? 

What are you appreciating about your loved ones today? I hope you will take a moment to let them know. 

Friday blessings to you, my friends! 



Sharing over at:
Common Ground- Be Inspired! 
Diana Rambles-Pin Me! link party 
Funky Junk Interiors-SNS Valentines! 
Fox Hollow Cottage- Power of Pinterest
Craftberry Bush-Inspiration Gallery  
Alderberry Hill-Make the Scene Monday 
Homemaker on a Dime-Creative Bloggers Party Hop
Cozy Little House-Tweak It Tuesday  
The Dedicated House-Make It Pretty Monday
Decor to Adore-Valentine Link Party  

Our Neck of the Woods

I was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, but I've been in Colorado for almost 19 years now. It is no exaggeration to say that every single day I continue to be grateful and amazed that we get to live in a place with such natural beauty and historic charm. The vintage homes, horses, sheep, chickens, old barns, rustic fences and outbuildings, even rusty old trucks and farm equipment in the snow are all part of it's endearing personality for me. (although there is much more to this place than just those types of things!)
I still visit my home town in California, but every time I do, Colorado looks more beautiful when I return!

  
Our neighborhood is a pretty typical looking suburban neighborhood, except that it is surrounded by views like this. Moments from my front door you are in farm and ranch country with a wide variety ranging from very humble and rustic to more upscale ranches and horse properties. This afternoon we took a little drive and snapped a few photos (mostly of the more rustic side of the spectrum) and I'd love it if you'd take a little tour of our neck of the woods with me!

Just at the edge of our neighborhood there is a horse property. There's always someone cute to try and get a peek at through the fence : )

I don't know what it is about a rusted old truck in the bright snow, but it makes me feel happy.

This is a little glimpse of Main Street

 This is definitely not Los Angeles : )

We thought this big guy was pretty comical looking. He seemed a little grouchy though.
 

It's sad to see some of these old places left like this. 

Old school house.

I always thought I'd live in a place something like the one in this picture. I guess it's not meant to be in this chapter of my life, but who knows, maybe someday it will still happen? 

I hope you enjoyed the little tour of a winter day in western Colorado. This is really just one aspect of this beautiful place we live, and I hope to show you some different perspectives in the coming months. How about you? What is most endearing and beautiful to you about the place you live?


Keep your eyes open to your mercies. The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life. 

- Robert Louis Stevenson

Come over and share along with me at:
Knick of Time Tuesday  
StoneGable-Cowgirl Up! 
Homemaker On a Dime-Creative Bloggers Party 
Vintage On a Dime-Welcome Home Wednesday 
Savvy Southern Style-Wow Us Wednesdays