Grace at Home No. 469

Hello, friends. My heart is heavy as I sit down to write this post. I imagine yours is, too; the tragic events of the past few days are so troubling. And I believe the enemy of our souls would like for us to hang our heads in despair, as if nothing can be done.

And yet I believe more strongly than ever that we must be people full of grace. We must each impart grace to all those within our spheres of influence, and we must learn to work together to impart grace to a sad and weary world.

And so, instead of canceling the Grace at Home party, this week, I'll host it—not just to provide an escape from the news of the world, but to encourage us all to fill our homes with grace and beauty. Here are some highlights from last week's party.

Want to make your outdoor space welcoming for the summer? You'll be inspired by a visit to Penny's Vintage Home.

Have some home decor projects lined up for the summer? Carol from Comfort Spring Station will help you to avoid decorating mistakes.

Preparing to host a party? Try making these charcuterie cups from Patti at Pandora's Box.

For a casual gathering, how much fun would it be to have tabletop s'mores stations? Lindsay from Artsy-Fartsy Mama will show you how to make them.

Looking ahead to Father's Day? Heidi at Everyday Savvy provides some darling printables to help you celebrate.

Here's a post I wish all parents would read. Donna Reidland from Soul Survival asks "Do Your Kids Know You LIKE Them?"

Need some encouragement for your soul? Amy from Wasteland to Graceland will provoke your thoughts with this question: "If I woke up tomorrow with no fear, what would I do first?"

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 space 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 or sphere of influence 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!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 468

Hi friends! Hope you're enjoying this beautiful and busy month of May!

If you follow me on Instagram (and I would so love to connect with you there!), you might have seen that this week was the birthday of my oldest son, Will. Will is a U.S. Navy pilot, and he's currently deployed. I've thought a lot this week about all the sacrifices made by the men and women who serve in our armed forces—such as being separated from their families for long periods of time. I am grateful to them all.

This was taken of me and Will when he was in training. Amazing to me that my son can fly a plane!

I'm happy to welcome you to the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes and spheres of influence places of grace and beauty. Here are some highlights from last week's party.

Considering an update to your kitchen? Kathryn from The Dedicated House is sharing her kitchen remodel—and it's beautiful!

Ever wrestle with the problem of window coverings? Jane from Far Ago Farm shares a great trick for customizing inexpensive drapery panels.

If you have windows for which you need privacy but you want to maintain the light, Jennifer from Studio 27 shares a brilliant solution.

With Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Independence Day approaching, are you looking for some beautiful ways to show your love of country? Debra from Common Ground can help.

Do you have a graduate for whom you want to throw a party? Denise from My Home of All Seasons has lots of suggestions (and some free printables) to help.

Would you like to spend more time outdoors but avoid insects? Vicki from Five Spot Green Living shares some essential oil advice for pest control (and you can use any brand of essential oil you like).

Want to add some beautiful plants to your space but have a brown thumb? Shelley from Calypso in the Country can show you how to use artificial greenery.

If you're like me, you've been doing some spring cleaning (and I need to finish up before summer arrives!). Tracy Lynn from Declutter in Minutes has some advice for getting your bathroom clean and organized.

Need some budget-friendly meal ideas? Melynda from Scratch Made Food for Hungry People shares seven recipes for chicken thighs.

Do you ever struggle with trying to fit in? Jerralea has some wise words to share with you.

And if you really struggle with feeling like you don't measure up, I have some words to share—a whole book of them! Check out my book Mythical Me (and read the first chapter) 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 space 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 or sphere of influence 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!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 467

Hello, friends! 

I'm so glad to welcome you to today's Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes and spheres of influence places of grace and beauty. Here are some highlights from last week's party.

Spring is here! It's finally warm and beautiful in most of the U.S., and we're itching to be outside again, aren't we? If you're looking for some ways to improve your home's curb appeal this season, Carol from Comfort Spring can help.

Need some pretty planters for spring flowers? You can re-make old planters! Check out this clever idea from Lynne at My Family Thyme.

Want to grow some of your own food but don't have space or time for a garden? Ann from Ann's Entitled Life will show you how you can grow a garden in bags of soil!

Have you been waiting for warm weather to refinish some furniture? Renae from Peacock Ridge Farm shares a technique to refinish furniture in four easy steps.

Do you need a teacher gift (or gifts) for the end of the school year? Emily from Hunny I'm Home has a great idea for you.

Need some encouragement these busy days? Read this post from Dr. Michelle Bengtson.

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 space 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 or sphere of influence 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!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 466

Ever have one of those stretches of time when you just CAN'T get everything done?

The last few weeks have been like that for me. My daughter-in-law and grandson have been here visiting while my son, a Navy pilot, is deployed. And last week, I drove those two precious people to visit our extended family. My daughter-in-law felt strongly that she wanted Jackson to meet his daddy's family. . . and with two aging great-grandparents, time was of the essence! So off we went on a 1700-mile road trip. But just look!

Seeing our sweet little fellow interact with his great grandparents was worth every mile of the trip!

Anyway. . . with all that going on, I just wasn't able to host the Grace at Home party last week. But I'm so glad you're here today, and I want to share with you some features from our last gathering.

Do you have an area of your home that really bugs you? Maybe it serves a purpose, but you really don't like the way it looks? Julie from Filling the Jars will inspire you--she transformed her entryway from an unsightly hodgepodge to a pretty farmhouse space for less than $300.

Want to spiff up your porch for spring? Carol from BlueSky at Home has lots of ideas to share!

This time of year brings lots of opportunities to bless someone with a small gift--but what to give? Learn from Beth at Creatively Beth how to make this macrame bookmark.

Mother's Day is this Sunday (can you believe it?!), and Denise from My Home of All Seasons has some wonderful printables to share.

Need a sweet treat to share? Try these no-bake peanut butter bars from Raquel at Organized Island.

Need some encouragement to understand how much Jesus cares for you? You'll love this post from Nylse at LifeNotes Encouragement.

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 space 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 or sphere of influence 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!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter