Grace at Home No. 414

Friends, we're almost to the end of February! 

I'm usually wishing that I could slow down and stretch out the days a little longer. But this winter has been a hard one, hasn't it? I think a lot of us will be glad to get to the end of February this year. 

In the meantime, though, many of us are trying to make our homes places of grace and beauty, and I am so glad to celebrate that fact here at the Grace at Home party. Here are some highlights from last week's party I think you'll enjoy.

Angela from Simply Beautiful by Angela demonstrated the huge difference a board and batten treatment can make in a room. You should click over to see the "before" pictures and to see every view of the completed space.

Of course, big changes like adding board and batten may be few and far between, but you can brighten up your home in small ways. Pam from Everyday Living shows how grocery store flowers can add some much-needed brightness this time of year—what she calls "winter flower therapy."

For a different kind of brightening touch, Julie from My Wee Abode shows you how to create a succulent wreath—a 10-minute DIY project! 

If you need a little motivation as we approach the season for Spring cleaning, you'll appreciate this post from Julie at Filling the Jars.

I often have to deal with temporary muscle aches, so I was glad to see this detailed tutorial for making a heating pad from Helen at Hello Sewing.

At this time of year—especially as the pandemic goes on and on—tempers can flare easily, and we may find that we need to live with someone who is especially difficult to love. Dr. Michelle Bengtson from Hope Prevails offers some excellent advice. 

Last but not least, I heartily recommend this post from Rebecca Hastings to learn some simple ways to love yourself as God loves you.

Thank you to everyone who linked up!

Now for today's party.  Here at the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your own home with truth, goodness, and beauty. I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it.  Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page.  Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party, and during these difficult times, it can really make someone's day! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 413

Hello, friends! I pray you are doing well. 

Here's a photo of me from yesterday which you might have seen if you follow me on Instagram (I would love to connect with you there!).

Our church is currently meeting each Sunday via Zoom, but yesterday (Ash Wednesday) we were invited to come by the church office to receive ashes. I didn't grow up observing the church calendar, and I am still learning how best to use it, but the idea of spending a season on a journey with Jesus to the cross before celebrating the resurrection of Easter resonates with me. So I went and received the ashes. 

It was sobering to be wearing a mask and to hear "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return." I realized that in this season I don't necessarily need to be reminded of my mortality—the threat of serious illness and death is ever before me. But I did need to be reminded that my life is important to God. My friend said, "This year Christians need not only to be reminded of their mortality; they also need to be reminded of their vitality." I think that's exactly right. Do you observe Ash Wednesday and Lent?

I am glad you are here today for the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace. Here are some highlights from last week's party.

Libbie from A Life Unfolding showed us how she created an accent wall using wood shims. I love the way the wood adds warmth to this space.

Julie from Filling the Jars gave us a step-by-step guide to winter decluttering, and boy do I need this! 

Chas from Chas' Crazy Creations offers so many creative solutions for the home—and this time she shared all the ways she uses rubber bands! You'll be amazed by some of these.

This time of winter always makes me wish for some new dinner recipes. The Lou Lou Girls provided this yummy-looking soup recipe that starts with a rotisserie chicken. I'm going to try this!

Lisa from Lisa Notes provided a really thoughtful post on hindsight bias. I think you'll appreciate reading this.

Thank you to everyone who linked up!

Now for today's party.  Here at the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your own home with truth, goodness, and beauty. I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it.  Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page.  Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party, and during these difficult times, it can really make someone's day! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 412

Welcome, friends!

Oh, how I long to stand at the door to my house and say those words. Won't it be glorious to welcome friends to our homes once again? I learned this week that several of my dearest friends have now had their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and my heart thrilled to the news. It'll be so good to get off Zoom and into face-to-face meetings again!

For now, though, I am grateful to welcome you to my little corner of the internet, and I am truly grateful you're here for the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace and beauty.

Here are some highlights from last week's party I think you'll enjoy.

If you're looking for some inspiration for small home improvement projects, you'll love seeing the way Marty at A Stroll Thru Life updated her powder room on a $50 budget.

If you're longing for spring (I know I am!), you'll be glad that Stacy from Bricks and Blooms explains how to start flowering plants indoors from seed—no greenhouse required.

Valentine's Day is upon us. If you want to be inspired by someone who goes all out decorating for Valentine's Day, then you must visit Debbie from Debbie-Dabble.

Looking for some fun and easy ways to celebrate Valentine's Day? Here you go!

Carol at Comfort Spring Station shares lots of ideas for Valentine's Day.

How about making some pretty swirl cookies? These are from Lois at Walking on Sunshine:

If you have kids or grandchildren, I'll bet they'd love this pink play dough made with simple ingredients you may have in your pantry. Thank you to Crystal from Crystal and Company for these instructions.

Or perhaps a seed heart for your feathered friends? I love this idea from Liz at Howling at the Moon.

And if the winter finds you in a season of constantly grumbling (I'm guilty of this!), you'll benefit from this post from Donna Reidland at Soul Survival.

Thank you to everyone who linked up!

Now for today's party.  Here at the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your own home with truth, goodness, and beauty. I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it.  Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page.  Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party, and during these difficult times, it can really make someone's day! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 411

Hello, friends!

Groundhog Day is now behind us, and if Punxsutawney Phil is right, winter will be hanging on for a long time. I heard from a young mom yesterday that she is weary—winter weary, Covid-weary, homeschool-weary—and I think most of us understand her feelings intimately.

So now, more than ever, I want to celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace.

Here are some highlights from last week's Grace at Home party I thought you'd enjoy.

Need to spruce up a small space in your home? Check out this powder room from Libbie at A Life Unfolding—it's decorated with peel-and-stick wallpaper. (I'd never even heard of this product, but now I'm intrigued!)

Looking for a big project to tackle this winter? Hannah from Handmade Weekly provides a full tutorial for making these nightstands. Can you believe she built these herself? Follow her instructions to build your own!

Doing some de-cluttering and housecleaning these days? I am! So I was glad to see this idea for creating a plastic bag container from Chas at Chas' Crazy Creations.

Want to do a little Valentine's Day decorating? You might like to see this DIY wreath from Niky at The House on Silverado. She explains how to make one for yourself.

Denise at My Home of All Seasons provides some cute Valentine's printables.

And CoCo from The Crowned Goat gives step-by-step instructions for making a Valentine's Day gift container, as well as some great ideas for what to put inside.

Maybe you'd like to bake a special treat for Valentine's Day. Lisa from Drugstore Divas shares a recipe for cinnamon rolls made from dough that requires just two ingredients. I want to try this!

One of my favorite inspirational writers is Michele Morin from Living Our Days. Read her encouragement derived from, of all things—laundry—here.

Thank you to everyone who linked up!

Now for today's party.  Here at the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your own home with truth, goodness, and beauty. I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it.  Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page.  Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party, and during these difficult times, it can really make someone's day!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter