Meet Meg

This is my friend Meg.

Isn't she beautiful! I first met Meg when she was just a teenager. I was impressed with her infectious enthusiasm and positive nature. In her early twenties Meg suffered a tragic accident that left her quadriplegic. Her remarkable spirit and positive attitude helped get her through her ordeal and move on with her life. That's when her motto became:

"When life gets too hard to stand,
keep on rollin'."

I recently made her this necklace as a thank you gift.

(tutorials can be found here, here, and here).

I invited her to speak to a group of women. They loved her almost as much as I do. Even though Meg's life is harder than most, she knows that we all suffer with our own personal tragedies. She inspires you to reach for your goals, no matter how hard it may seem to attain them. Her story will make you cry, laugh, and give you the motivation to keep on rollin'. You can read more about Meg here and while you're there be sure to sign up for her monthly messages. You'll be glad you did!

Enjoying Moments

I walked into my living room this morning to view the new arrangement on my coffee table. It's the working of my three year old granddaughter who proudly announced yesterday, "I decorating!" She had taken items from around the room, combined them together, and then carefully topped the sugar mold with mini gourds.
Her decorating makes me smile and reminds me to relax and enjoy this moment in time.Author Anna Quindlen, in her book Loud and Clear, said, "The biggest mistake I made [as a mother] is the one that most of us make. ... I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of [my children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4, and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in a hurry to get on to the next things: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less."
I have that same regret with my own children. And so for today, and perhaps for a few days to come, I will bask in the beauty created by my three-year-old interior decorator.

A Unique Comeback Story

Almost two months ago the demands of life seemed to be. . .well, too demanding. Feeling overwhelmed I decided that I would take a little break from blogging. However, much like an exhausted mother who lies down for a twenty minute nap only to awake hours later, my little blog break became longer than I had originally anticipated.What did I do during my break? I wish I could report that I spent my time creating. I did not. But I did do some inventorying. I took many more items to the thrift store than I purchased (with a few more car loads to go). I discovered that I own more books, frames, chairs, and lanterns than I need. I even took an inventory of my life asking myself if I was happy with how I was spending my time, talents, and energy. I questioned my purpose for decorating and for blogging.

We live in a world where we are merely a click away from viewing the lives of countless strangers. This can be so very inspiring but more often than not it can make us question ourselves. Should I be putting up beadboard or board and batten? I just finished painting my cabinets black but now everyone is painting theirs gray, does that mean I'm out of style? The light, coastal look is in but I live far from any coast, what shall I do? Is my home beautiful? Am I pretty? Is my family as wonderful as those I read about? Am I creative? Do I have anything special to offer?Why do we do this to ourselves?!? There is a wonderful quote that states, "Comparison is the thief of joy." I believe this to be so very true! But more than robbing our joy, comparison can also rob us of our uniqueness. We are each placed here on earth for a purpose. Just as our outward appearance is individual and without equal, so is what we have to contribute to the world. Why do we spend so much of our energy and time trying to be like the crowd when what makes us amazing is our individuality. Think about it. Every year there is a new fashion or style unleashed to the masses simply because the masses have become just that, a mass.I have answered my question about my purpose for blogging. I do it because I enjoy it. Blogging inspires me to use and improve my talents to bless myself and my family. Hopefully somewhere along my path I inspire others as well. Please forgive me for getting on a soapbox about the hazards of comparison. You have likely already figured this out, but I needed the reminder. That is my purpose for posting this message today. I need to remind myself that I am unique. I need to make it my business to explore that uniqueness. I hope that you'll join me in my journey.
I implore you, dear readers, to take a little break of your own. Find out what makes your situation, your home, your family, and who you are as a person so remarkable.
Embrace your distinctiveness and even your peculiarities! Remember that you truly are extraordinary----even if you think you are not. You do have something to offer this world that no one else can. That is why you are here.

Now, Go and Be Exceptional!

Uncreative Break

I've been missing in action for a few days. Not because I have been up to anything wonderfully creative. Simply because I've needed to do the mundane things of life.

A little weeding

and turning my junk drawers into junque drawers.

Sowing Seeds

I've always thought it would be fun
to start flowers for my yard from seeds. This year with finances so tight, and still having a desire for
a bounty of beauty,
it has become a necessity. To help fill our gardens with flowers,
I decided to try my hand at sowing seeds indoors. I purchased little green houses and
gathered a few packets of seeds. Now, just a few days later, I'm excited to report
a little growth.

Does it concern me that I should have
started this process about six weeks ago
in order to enjoy blooms before the fourth of July?
No.

Not really.
Okay.
Maybe.
But isn't that what real growth is all about?Overcoming our mistakes and
blossoming despite them.

Flaws and Imperfections

I started writing this post with the idea of talking about collections. I was going to write about the two different kind of collectors. There are those who collect only the finest and then there are those, like me, who can appreciate a few flaws in their mass of similar items. I was going to say how the fun of collecting should be in the hunt---the patience of waiting until that certain item comes along that makes you giddy and so thrilled to place it in a prominent spot along with the other items of it's kind. I wanted to explain how sometimes it's the blemishes in your loved collection that make it even more dear to your heart, like the suitcase with it's original handle at one time replaced with rope as a makeshift luggage hold. Or the handle so lovingly repaired by my hubby on the small luggage piece found at a New York flea market that had been carefully transported home just to have our sweet granddaughter tear the vintage leather of the grip into small bits.I planned on showing how even though a pretty piece of pottery has received a chip or two along the way it can still

bring beauty into our life. And how if we concentrate on the small chip we can forget to
see the attractiveness of the whole.Then it dawned on me, that I was not just talking about collections. I was talking about life. It's okay to live a life that isn't perfect. Why is it that we can sometimes get so overwhelmed with looking for perfection that we forget that it's the flaws and bumps that give character to our life . A good life is made when we repair the damage that has been done and still go on to serve and bless the lives of others. Life isn't about having everything perfect and in order. Life is about the search, the hunt, the journey. Because it's in the journey where happiness can be found.

Yes, a happy life is what you make of it. Turning bad things into good. Having patience with ourselves as well as with others. Appreciating all that life offers, the wonderful as well as the not so wonderful. And remembering that it's during both of those extremes in our life's journey that beautiful memories can be made,
growth can occur and love can flourish.Life is much like a collection.

It's made up of many things that when pulled together form
an accumulation of
wonderment and awe.
We just need to take the time to stand back and
embrace it!

Comfort Zone

I am a creature of comfort.

I prefer to stay in my little cocoon
where I can be safe and warm and comfortable.
There is only one problem with that attitude.
I do not grow.And even though growing can be painful,
it is also a necessary part of life.

Today I find myself in an uncomfortable but necessary position.
I have determined that it is time for me to
stretch my wings and fly.
As scary as it is for me to do,
I fear that it will be more scary not to.
Recently I quietly celebrated my blog's second anniversary.
Like most events in my life the celebration included
a time of reflection.
It also caused me to visualize what I want in the future.

Blogging has taken me to places I never anticipated.
It is time for me to go further.
Time to leave my comfort zone.
To push myself.
To become more.
I know that if I can become more
I can have a greater impact on others.

That's the scary part!
I would much rather be a hermit
than put myself out in the world.
But the time has come.

Please be kind.

I have decided that it is time for me to
ask for sponsors.
Although I hesitate to charge people money
I know that it is a means to help others grow.

Okay, (deep breath!)
that is not where my stretching ends.

For several years now I have done design consultations
for friends and friends of friends.
It has become a small business.
A business that I really enjoy.
It is time for me and my business to grow.
If you live in my area
(Northern Utah, USA)
I am available for hire.

Please contact me at
joysofhome@gmail.com
if you are interested in advertising
or a design consultation.

Wow!
Getting out of your comfort zone
is both scary and exhilarating!
What will you do today to get out of your comfort zone?

Seeing The Full

Earlier in the week I met with a friend, a mother of three young boys. She asked me to help her with a few design dilemmas. We had just discussed what to hang on two of the three walls in an area in her home when she pointed to the third wall and asked what she should do. In an effort to teach her that often times in design it's nice to leave open spaces, a spot for the eye to rest, I blurted out the sentence, "You are so busy seeing the empty that you can't see the full." My friend looked at me quizzically, pausing as she gathered her thoughts, and then wittily replied, "Did you read that in a fortune cookie?!?" to which we both burst out laughing!
A few days later I met with another friend. I sat and listened as she related all of her problems, listing them one by one. Please do not misunderstand, I love my friend and have deep empathy for all that she is going through. She has her share of trials (as do we all) but she spends much of her day fretting about them. Again I wanted to blurt out the sentence, "You are so busy seeing the empty that you can't see the full!" I managed to hold my tongue, not wanting to offend, but our meeting has been on my mind in the days hence.
Posted on my bathroom mirror is scribbled a reminder:
Life Is Full! I have it there to remind me that although life is full of trials, it is also full of blessings. It is up to me each day, each minute, each second to choose to see the "full of blessings" part of life. Some days it is very difficult to see, but still it is there.

Yes, life is very much like a roller coaster.
It has it's share of ups and downs.
It is up to us to make the choice to throw up our arms and

ENJOY THE RIDE!

Delectable Dinner Dish

"Are you gonna take a picture of it and blog about it?!?"
quipped my thirteen year old.

I actually wasn't planning on it, but sometimes I chose to do things just to spite my sweet, but wise crackin' teenager (please tell me that I'm not the only mother in the world who stoops to this level).

So here is a photo of our dinner dish from the other night.
The dinner that I was so proud of that
I was dancing with delight. You see, it wasn't just an entree, it was a symbol.

It was symbolic of a conscious choice to be happy.

Just shortly after our family size decreased dramatically, I sat down to write out my grocery list. The thought crossed my mind, "Why should I bother to cook for just two others when they will be just as happy with hot dogs." Then I made a choice to be happy. This was a perfect time to cook! I could try new recipes and not have to double them so as to feed four hungry men. The new thought made me excited to write out my grocery list. Part of the list included the ingredients to this easy and delicious recipe that I found in the March issue of Better Homes Than Yours (as my boys call it).
I've included the recipe so you can dance with delight over your delicious dinner dish too.

Beef, Mushroom, and Onion Tart

12 oz. lean ground beef (I substituted with beef strips I had on hand)
1-8 oz. package sliced mushrooms
1/2 medium red (I used sweet) onion, cut n thin wedges
1/4 tsp. each salt and ground black pepper
1-13.8 oz. pkg. refrigerated pizza dough
3 oz. blue cheese crumbled
Fresh oregano (I used fresh basil), &/or pizza seasoning (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a skillet cook beef, mushrooms, and onion over medium heat until beef is browned and onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Drain off fat. Add s&p.
2-Meanwhile, grease a large baking sheet or line with parchment. Unroll pizza dough. Roll or pat dough on baking sheet into a 15x12" rectangle. Top dough with beef mixture, keeping filling 1&1/2" from all edges. Fold edges over the filling, pleating as needed.
3-Bake tart for 15 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove from oven, top with blue cheese, herbs and seasonings. Serves 4. Add a salad and you have a delectable meal!

Lessons Learned

As I answered the phone my concerned friend queried, "What now?!?!" She lovingly listened and laughed with me as I explained how I had just managed to smack my hand while walking into the bathroom and now there was swelling and a bruise the size of a golf ball. This was the same friend who only days before listened as I whined about the odors in my home. I had smelled a strong stench of mold and asked hubby to check to see if he could find the source. His solution was to use bleach where he thought the odor originated. He used it full strength which presents a problem---bleach that isn't diluted soon turns from a clean, swimming pool aroma into the absolute worst stinky feet odor one can imagine. Of course that problem became minuscule the next day when hubby emerged from the basement to declare that we had water seeping up from the floor drain forming a muddy, rusty pool in the furnace room.Yes we have had a series of unfortunate events this week. Well actually for the past year it seems we have had our fair share of life's adventures. Job changes, health issues, a lost business, root canals and wisdom teeth, ill and aging parents, financial challenges, panic attacks, and four broken bones, just to name a few.
I have sobbed, prayed, gotten angry, prayed, pouted, prayed, questioned, prayed, pleaded . . . and prayed. And through it all I was taught an important lesson titled, Perspective.
It is so easy to see the ugly in our lives and compare it to the beauty in others. But when times get bad we need to stop and take a look at how blessed we really are. I got a strong dose of the lesson on perspective after the frantic phone call from my son explaining that he had just broken his legs and would need to be life-flighted. I crumbled to my knees hysterically pleading for direction when an overwhelming sense of calm came upon me and the words, "he is alive" came into my head. In the midst of what appeared to be a tragedy I was told by the Lord to be grateful, grateful for the blessings I did have. My son was alive. He would be healed. And he was.
The proper perspective teaches us that no matter how bad things are, things can be worse. That amidst our trials are scattered blessings, sometimes they are buried, but they are still there.
Even though I have learned this lesson, I have to remind myself every day to choose to change my view of life. It's not always easy to put things into perspective. But it is always a choice that once made makes our lives easier. Perspective reminds us that bones will heal. That nasty odors coming from sons moldy towels can be washed away but that wonderful memories with those sons can't. That chlorine smells will fade. That drains can be cleared and puddles cleaned. That no matter how dark the night, the sun will rise in the morning. And perspective also teaches that some trials aren't so easily taken care of, but there is still life to be lived, joy to be found, blessings to be grateful for, and family and friends to hold close.

Perspective
is a most wonderful possession!

Occasional Glimpses

The other night I walked through our darkened home. I walked into the family room and turned on the lights. Their glow brought enough light that I needn't turn on any others. As I finished up in the kitchen I turned and looked into lit the family room.
At that moment I got a glimpse, a still shot, like a photo in a magazine. The room was far from magazine perfect. Pillows and toys were strewn across the floor, which needed a good vacuuming. All of the surfaces needed to be dusted, but still I got that glimpse that happens on occasion.
I stood to take it all in.

Along with the glimpse came a feeling of reverence.
This is our home. Ours.
We are the ones responsible for making it a place of comfort. It is a place where laughter abounds,
where friends are welcome.
A haven for memories.
A shelter from the storms of life.
A sanctuary for our family.I stood in awe as I thought of how
our hands have created many of it's contents. This is the same room I pass through dozens of times each day
but at that moment it felt different.It seems that I get so busy with the day to day that
I lose sight of the wonderful details that are my life. So when those occasional glimpses occur I try to take it all in,
cherish the moment,
appreciate what has been revealed to my soul
and express gratitude for the blessings I have been given.

For I am truly blessed.

Nothing Interesting

I have nothing interesting to post about today. I'm sorting through my closet, organizing and finding better places to store some of the things that got stashed there over the holidays.

Yes, I really did have a rubber chicken stashed in my closet.