Learn how to make a small space amazing with a beautiful spring container garden. Spring is my absolute favorite time of the year! And my very favorite thing to do is to stroll through the garden or hike through the woods looking for new growth pushing out of the ground. The air is rife with anticipation and the earth is filled with so much newness that my heart bursts with joy! With that in mind, you're in for a treat! Today I'm going to share all my tips for getting a head start on the gardening season by creating a fabulous small space container … [Read more...]
WHY do I celebrate Earth Day? Immediately upon rolling out of bed I take a step the to the window and pull hard on the cord that raises the blinds shielding my eyes and bedroom from the morning light. Today as I peered through the panes of my second story window, the blue sky was pale behind the gray sticks reaching upwards to the heavens. Those dull branches and twigs looked lifeless, yet invisibly life might be found coursing through the pulp in that forest of trees. In a matter of a few weeks, buds will be bursting with glimmers of green and our sleeping world will look … [Read more...]
Wisdom is essential for a successful life. Discovering the source of wisdom will give us wisdom for every situation. I don't know about you...but I want to be wise. People who are wise seem to navigate life more gracefully. They are the ones we seek out for advice. Have you noticed how wise people are more thoughtful, less reactionary, and trustworthy? So how do we get wisdom? Here's what the writer of Psalm 111 had to say... The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Good sense is shown by everyone who follows God’s guiding principles. His praise … [Read more...]
Are you in a place of waiting? It's a challenging place to be, but, what if you could find joy in the waiting rather than despair? Waiting is so hard to do. Whether you're waiting in a long line at the grocery store or you're waiting for test results or a package to arrive or for your circumstances to change... it's all hard. And yes... some waits feel almost impossible. This week I talked with two friends in the waiting. One friend is overwhelmed with the wait. She feels like she's in murky water over her head and getting tangled as she tries to walk through the tall … [Read more...]
It's Sunday! Easter Sunday! The day we celebrate the most transformational event in history... Jesus Christ rising from the dead. If you think about it... there were no believers... no Christians on Good Friday. Sure, Jesus had plenty of followers up until that time... but then... most of them like Peter fled. In fact, after the crucifixion of Jesus... Peter and Jesus' other followers hid in secrecy. They thought they would be next. But Jesus. Jesus did something totally mindblowing... After he conquered death and rose from the grave, he went to where his followers were … [Read more...]
My sideboard is really just a console table but it's the perfect setting for a simple farmhouse style spring vignette. Are you hungry for color this spring? I can't remember a time when I wanted color more than I do now. Maybe it's because we pretty much live in the woods... all those bare gray sticks sticking up everywhere for half of the year. That's a LONG time!! It started with St. Patrick's Day when I couldn't get enough green. And now... less than a month later... I'm loving pastels (with a bit of bright pink thrown in the mix) like never … [Read more...]
Think outside the box to create your own home decor and learn how to make a pillow from a table runner. One of the simplest ways to "springify" your home, besides giving it a fresh cleaning, is to add some fun new spring decor. Even better... make that new decor yourself. If you can cut with scissors and thread a needle... you can handle this super easy DIY project! When I was out shopping for my Easter table, some table runners beckoned me. Goodness, they were cute. One, in particular, caught my eye. It was the sweetest bunny rabbit with a crown of flowers and a cute bow around her neck. … [Read more...]
The people waved palm branches and chanted "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" as Jesus rode into Jerusalem... were they so desperate for change they forgot a part of the scriptures they knew so well? Palm Sunday is a festive day in the Christian church. There's something wonderfully anticipatory about Palm Sunday because we know that in one week we'll celebrate Easter also called Resurrection Sunday. Children will often march through the church during services waving palm branches as the congregation sings, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of … [Read more...]
Ideas and takeaway tips to help you set a pretty gold pastel Easter table or any table that's colorful and celebrative. What is it about a few sunny days and their power to flood the soul with joy and inspire creativity? I didn't realize how much I NEEDED sunshine. There is no doubt that Jesus is our source of JOY... but SUNSHINE after winter's heavy gray shroud hanging low and heavy for MONTHS really pushes up my joy meter. Does it do that for you, too? I can't really say for sure... but as I was dreaming about my Easter table... and yes I DO do that... I just KNEW that … [Read more...]
Make Easter dinner a SNAP! Serve up this No Bake! Deliciously Easy Lemony Bird's Nest Dessert. Between church and dinner and the egg hunt, there's so much to prepare for on Easter Day. Make it easy on yourself and fun this year with this yummy Easter treat topped off with everybody's favorite... Peeps! Plus, everything can be gathered and prepared in advance for easy serving. I can guarantee that your guests will LOVE this light springtime dessert. But the best part is that it makes life EASY for you on a super busy day. It's a double … [Read more...]
Here's a prayer for those times when you have no idea how to pray. This past week held some events that troubled my heart greatly. This one brought me to tears. The neighbor children which God placed right smack in front of us to love and care for... moved. What a change! No longer are we interrupted by their taps on our door multiple times a day. Sure, I'll get more work done now, but the thing is, I don't want to get more work done, I want to make a difference in two kids' lives. To make things worse... we have no idea where they have moved. Their mentally ill parent … [Read more...]
It's amazing what one simple handmade touch can do to bring spring into your home. Learn how to make a moss shamrock to add to your home decor vignette for St. Patrick's Day. Do you love to decorate your home with small seasonal vignettes? I find that they not only provide color and textural interest, they give me a venue for displaying my home decor craft projects. If this isn't something that you're in a habit of doing, I hope this post will encourage you to have fun with your home decor in a small but rewarding way. A few months ago I transformed a rummage sale chest and … [Read more...]
The concept of REST and TRUST and WAITING are counter-cultural to our nonstop lives where HUSTLE is king. How would your life look different if you defied common convention? Nearly a month ago I had an appointment with my homeopath where my current state of health was the topic of conversation. I'm grateful that she is a spirit-filled believer and so when she speaks, I listen. She said something that set me back in my seat. "Diane, you need to rest or you will miss something big God has planned for you." Those words slapped me in the face. Hard. I don't want to miss out on God's … [Read more...]
Do you have 5 minutes? Put together this inexpensive and simple shamrock wreath for St. Patrick's Day in a flash. Extraordinary seasonal home decor shouldn't take a huge chunk of time to create. I don't mind putting a lot of time into projects that will stay up year round, but Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter... for those holidays I believe we should be able to create pretty or fun decor that's eye-catching in a flash for few dollars. That's why I was so excited to make this totally fun, colorful, and very simple shamrock wreath for St. Patrick's Day. It's super … [Read more...]
We wield incredible power with our words. Do we speak life or death into the lives we touch? Have you ever been in someone's home and watched as a parent or sibling spoke a few choice words and you observed a physical change in the individual to whom those words were spoken? I intentionally used the term, "a few choice words." When you read that statement you most likely thought I was referring to unkind, demeaning, or hurtful words. But, actually, "choice words" simply means words of one's own choosing. And really don't we all choose our words when we speak? Some of my … [Read more...]
Do you live in fear? You can stand and face your fear square on with these tips. When there's a catastrophic event or a tragedy like the horrific school shooting in Florida many of us find fear paralyzes us. Events like this cause parents to hold on tightly to their kids. Students and adults alike are worried about the future and about potential violence entering their smaller worlds, like schools. And this event is just one of many gone awry in our world. Jesus said in the midst of very tumultuous and troubling times... not entirely unlike … [Read more...]
“We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.” --C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory Recently I have been struggling with getting a decent night's sleep. Usually, I get up early, make breakfast, make the bed, and see Tim off to work. After getting just a few hours of sleep, he encouraged me to stay in bed and attempt to get a little more shut-eye. Fortunately, I don't usually have a firm early work schedule or appointments. Somedays I managed to sleep... other days I just lay there in the quiet. … [Read more...]
