2009 October | chatting at the sky

slowing

October 12, 2009

4002717531_da6ceca3e1

There are currently 10,339 photos on my computer. Needless to say, it’s running slooow. Slow is being forced on me against my will.

The blog is slow today, too. Thank you for your emails letting me know of the errors going on over here. I had no idea. I said out loud to myself that I feel more like I’m howling at the moon than chatting at the sky. And I thought I was so funny. Another forced slowing.

I don’t like traffic slow or phone slow or computer slow. But all slow isn’t bad. I crave soul slow. Perhaps if I find a way to fit some soul space into waiting for the page to load, I would be in a better place. Until then, I’ll be moving photos onto my hard drive, like the one of this cutie-patootie senior above.

Here’s to slowing down. I look forward to doing so with you tomorrow for Tuesdays Unwrapped.

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in which I ask for your advice

October 9, 2009

In accordance with Day 7 of The Nester’s 31 Days to a Better Dressed Nest series, I am coming to my peeps for house advice. See that wall with the picture?

front living room

We want to knock it down. Because on the other side of that wall is this.

back living room

Two living rooms back to back.

When we have people over (have I mention my husband is a youth pastor? With a youth group of nearly 300?) this is kind of what it looks like.

crammed in

Crowded. And the front living room is empty with crickets chirping. This living room is where we live. The front living room is where the Barbies live in the forts that are made by our kids. It is a big, non-used formal play room.

We’ve already had several men look at it to determine the load-bearingness of the wall (it bears a lot of load, evidently), but are told it can be done. I’m not concerned about that part.

But I need girl eyes to tell me how to divide this wall. See where the fireplace mantle and hearth ends?

fireplace 2

How should we transition the ending of that for maximum best-ness?

in the doorway

Once the wall is gone, the fireplace will be way over there. Should we put some type of column next to the fireplace so it doesn’t just end? Would it look weird to have the wall jut out a foot until the hearth ends? I think there will still have to be a header across the room, so it will sort of look like a big 20 foot long framed out doorway. That makes no sense, does it? If you have any words, please advise. I’ll be hanging out in the comments.

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you are my peeps

October 7, 2009

I know that the motivation to read a blog is often for the fast and easy: simple tips for sprucing up; money saving tricks; easy recipes. I read them for those things, too. I want fast, easy, useful. To read in this place sometimes requires a slowing down that isn’t always easy or possible.

That is why I am so thankful for you who hang out here. To do so means that on some level, you love words, you notice things and you appreciate the concept of soul rest. And I LOVE IT. Because you are my people.

hurried

This is my pedometer at the end of a busy day last week. I took 9494 steps that day. I had things to clean, items to buy, people to pick up and feed and wash.

Yesterday, my pedometer reading was not quite so high. I spent an hour reading the unwrapped posts, clicking as they rolled in, entering in as a co-celebrator. And I was thankful. For you. For a God who gives good gifts and for the reminder to lift up my head to receive them.

There was a tangible filling up as I read your words and browsed your photos. I spent some focused time on my laptop, a place where my hand typically hovers on the ready, waiting to click to the next thing. A place where I chat but don’t engage, where I check but don’t linger. Yesterday, I lingered. My kids were all in school and I gave myself permission to sit and linger over your moments.

Graceful found gifts in a handful of colored rocks.

Megan found the kid in herself.

Danielle found beauty and inspiration in a most simple place.

Jo looked up from her list just long enough to find life.

There were so many more. So thanks. For reading, for slowing, and for loving words as much as I do. This place wouldn’t be the same without you.

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Tuesday eyes

October 6, 2009

castle

Today, I’m choosing to see the playroom like this: the corner of a pink turret, the colorful kitchen blurry in the background. I’m choosing to look at it with thankful eyes that see only what this room represents and not what is strewn all. over. the. floor. Because even though they are big school girls now, they still love pretending on a long afternoon. I’ll enjoy this on a Tuesday, because Wednesday eyes tend not to be so sentimental.

Picture16-1

Have you been seeing your life with thankful eyes? That’s what we do around here on Tuesdays: we unwrap the gift of the everyday, be it messy, lovely or unexpected. I look forward to hearing your Tuesday perspective.

If you choose to link back, please link directly to either this post or to the Chatting At The Sky home page, not to the What is Tuesdays Unwrapped? explanation post. Thanks!

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for the girls

October 5, 2009

October has brought out some serious nesting instincts. I’ve been cleaning out, getting rid, and froofing up like a mad woman. One place I’ve spent some extra time in lately is the twins’ room.

To fully appreciate the after, you must first see what their room looked like before we moved in.

girls room before

Nothing says ‘princess’ like a wall of dark paneling and a pile of junk in the corner. So when we first moved in, we painted the walls Sherwin Williams Celery and put up their bunk beds: instant girl room.

girls room after

Still, I felt like it was missing some magic. Then, I saw this post a few months ago from my friend in real life, Amy at Playing Sublimey. She took tulle, white lights and some leftover wood scraps and made her girls room look fit for a castle. We don’t have wood scraps, but we did have some nets in the closet just waiting for inspiration. I thank Amy for giving it to me.

girls room after 1

We hung the nets from the ceiling and tacked white lights to the wall behind it. Mirrors were already hung over their beds. I was too lazy to take them down and then I realized it made the twinkle lights that much more twinkly. What a happy accident.

girls room after 2

There is little I love more than some tulle and some white lights. The girls think it is the most fantastic thing ever. I have wondered more than once if The Man would let me do this in our room. I’m thinking not.

the princess in action

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things to chat about

October 2, 2009

So many, many things to chat about this Friday morning. First of all, Lysa’s gonna be on Oprah today. She’s already been on once a while back and Oprah liked her so much, she’s coming back. That’s right. OPRAH. You know, Oprah? So watch her today with her sweet family and her cute hair and do a little jig in your living room.

Second fun thing is that Mary DeMuth’s new book, A Slow Burn was released this week, the second book in the Defiance Texas Trilogy. I met Mary at She Speaks and thanked her for writing so many things I love. She laughed and clapped and made me like her even more than I already did. I read Daisy Chain a few months ago, which is the first book. Start with that one, but know these aren’t for the faint of heart. Mary’s characters go through some mess. But they are real and raw which makes the underlying redemptive themes that much more moving.

the nester

And finally, my lovely and nesty sister the Nester started her 31 days to a better dressed nest series this week. Be sure to visit her every day for the next thirty one and you will be rewarded with Nesterized housey tips. I’m certain she is going to love me extra for posting a life-size photo of her here. What are kid sisters for? Now go watch Oprah.

Filed Underinspired 16 Comments