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The following articles were written by Cathy for the Christian Beacon newspaper in San Antonio. We thought you might enjoy reading them.
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"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15
What a sweet blessing our homes are. It's where we welcome the Lord into our day each morning, where we re-connect with our husbands after a busy day, where we kiss our babies good morning and good night, where we welcome and minister to our friends and neighbors, where we sometimes get to sit down and breathe...where we serve the Lord.
My home, my nest, is such a picture of me. Walking through my hallways tell a small story of who I am. The old wooden cross on our mantle, the collection of old picture frames that display the sweet reflection of our beautiful children, the deer heads that are only allowed in my husband's office, the funny little collection of vintage hats collected over the years, all whisper of the things I love.
We decorate because we treasure the small spot on earth that we call our own. As the daughters of the King, our tastes and styles are as diverse as our personalities, both designed by Him. There is no right or wrong in our style, maybe just some tweaks here and there. Should we splash color on our walls or leave them white? Should we retire our tattered sofa and get a new one or what if I slipcover what we have? Should we make our bed with a lone quilt or create a comfy, warm haven with goose down duvets and a nest of pillows to get lost in? So many ways to design a safe and welcome place for our family.
Stay tuned for more thoughts about your home.
Keep serving...and blessings from my nest to yours.
Cathy
"Follow me and I will make your fishers of men,"..."Go into all the world and make disciples,"..."Be of good cheer."
Decorating Children's Bedrooms
Where do we begin when we start to design our children's rooms? Just like my home reflects me, so their rooms are little reflections of them. As young children, their bedroom is the place where they spend hours playing dress up or wrestling with daddy. As teenagers it's their private domain where they spend hours on the phone talking with friends, giggling with each other over silly things, or again, wrestling with dad. And then one day, they become the treasured places where heart to hearts with mom and dad take place late at night. Do we want these rooms built around popular cartoon characters or do we want to try for more? I just can't tuck my sweet ones in bed at night while staring at something in square pants. Let's give them another chance to hide God's word in their hearts in the midst of their playtime and sleep time, in their own little places called their bedrooms.
So many times when we begin this process with our children of decorating their rooms, we need a jumping off place. I've never been big on "themes" but they do keep us focused on one idea. Remember that your four year old will be twelve very soon and that your twelve year old will be sixteen the next day. (It does fast; take it from the mom of a precious graduating senior). Create a look that will be able to grow with your child.
What are the essentials of the bedroom? The bed of course, a night stand or two, probably a dresser, eventually a desk with a chair and maybe a wardrobe for things like toys that will one day be traded for things like TVs, computers and stereo systems. Investing in better quality pieces of furniture for those main ingredients will pay off in the end. They will grow with your child and withstand a few color and paint changes over the years. Think future when purchasing. Will that rocker, where we rock our sweet ones to sleep, some day get a fresh and fun new coat of paint and become the rocker where our daughters practice being mommies by rocking their dolls to sleep? Will that bed where we pray with them each night and usually fall asleep before they do, be a bed that they can still enjoy when they are having their giggling girlfriends over for spend the night parties? Or will that wardrobe that holds all the GI Joes and army men be a piece that will house their footballs, baseballs and trophies and those many papers that are missing from their backpacks?
After deciding on what basic pieces are needed, come up with what you want the room to be about. What do they love, what are their hobbies? Do you have a small fisherman living in your house? Is there a cheerleader in the crowd? Do you have a world traveler in your midst? Begin with their interests and go from there. Remember we're using every opportunity to hide God's word in their hearts.
For the fisherman of the household, let the scripture Matthew 4:19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make your fishers of men." Stencil or paint that on the wall. Perhaps this room is built around a black painted bed, night stand with red and black plaid painted on the drawer fronts, a computer wardrobe that will hide all of those electronics that moms don't like to see and boys like to do, and a desk chair for all those late night study sessions. Then add to that some old rusty minnow buckets, a couple of old boat oars in painted colors, some hand carved fishing lure, along with your scripture on the wall. The accessories can be changed out as new ones are discovered on antique trips or fishing adventure...What a way to add memories to each exciting new treasure that will be placed in their own little sanctuary.
And for the cheerleader in the family, how about "Be of good cheer." What a blessing to others. So many possibilities for the perfect bed for this room. Maybe a while iron bed, new or antique or slip covered headboard in her favorite fabric or even her initials monogrammed on it. Even an old iron gate hung on the wall as her headboard would be a neat look. Add to that the sweet rocking chair that is passed from mommy to daughter to granddaughter. Decide on a dresser that will hold all of those things that we girls need it to hold. Again, decide on the essentials of the room. Final touches will be the things that our cheerleaders love, the pom poms, the megaphone and the wonderful collection of pictures with friends. How about an old picture of great grandmother in her cheerleading outfit? I always love adding vintage accessories in with any room. They just add a little something special.
"Go into all the world and make disciples"...this is for your adventurer or young explorer. Surround them with maps on the walls and globes hanging from the ceiling. Maybe an old stack of antique suitcases are used for a nightstand. Can't you see leather in this room missed with plaids and denims? Maybe even a bear skin rug on the floor as a reminder of that missions trip that he will someday go on to the far reaches of God's earth to make disciples.
After I kiss my children goodbye each morning and send them off to school, I venture down my hallway to turn off lights and radios, pick up various articles dropped on the floor and close closet doors. I just have to stop and thank God for my different and who they house...my ever smiling cheerleader, my precious high school graduate, my two handsome cowboys and my rugged outdoorsman. Every room was designed to go with their special personalities that only God could build in them. Take advantage of the time with your child, no matter what their age, and design their little area within your area so that memories can be made.
From my nest to yours,
Cathy
"If was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; You made both summer and winter." Psalm 74:17
God is an awesome designer and decorator. As he designed our year with the different seasons, he decorated each season beautifully. When he designed, winter he decorated it with shimmering white snowflakes and glistening icicles. When he decided on spring, he decorated it with fresh new colors and budding plants. Summer was designed, and God chose bright sunshine and children's laughter for decoration. Autumn came and was decorated with the various shades of oranges and yellows as the leaves turned and the days grew longer.
We often decorate our homes around the seasons. Winter comes and we look forward to reading our hearts and homes for the remembrance of the birth of Christ. The lights go up, the tree comes in and the yummy smell of Christmas baking begins. Spring arrives and we anticipate the celebration of our risen Lord and Savior with our beautiful collection of crosses and family Bibles, along with the sweet reminder of new life in Christ with chocolate bunnies, chicks and colorful eggs. Then comes summer and the pool is readied, the beach calls are flying and the schools books are put away. It's time for fun, family and friends. Autumn arrives once again, bringing with it pumpkins and pilgrims. As the seasons change, so do our accessories.
But how can we change our furniture as easily as we change our accessories? The answer is simple, try slipcovers. They can transform your rich tartan plaid sofa, perfect for family snuggles in front of the fire in the winder, to the simple, crisp white cover that softens our house during the lazy days of summer.
With the popularity of this old, but revamped concept, slipcovers can be found as readymade items or custom made to individual pieces. They have come a long way since our grandmothers had them draped over their old sofas. One of the added bonuses to the great look of slipcovers is that they can be taken off, and cleaned. Depending on the fabric, many can even be put in the washer at home. How nice for sweet, little dirty hands and feet. Custom slipcovers for your upholstery can be fitted for a more tailored look or for a loose fit for more of a relaxed feel. They can have the same detailing as your favorite upholstered piece...ruffles, trims, buttons and a mix of different fabrics.
Don't stop with just your sofas and chairs in your family or living room. Follow this into your dining room by covering those dining chairs with a washable denim that will soften the look along with perhaps a matelasse' table cloth that will continue to look better with every washing.
The possibilities go on and on. From the old swing on the front porch to the old, not so pretty piano passed down from Nanny, everything can be transformed by slipcovers. As we watch God decorate our world outside with his specially designed seasons, we can do the same inside, borrowing a little from his creativity.
As always, blessings from my house to yours.
Cathy
"Enter His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name." Psalms 100:4
Thanksgiving, just what does that word conjure up in your memory? For me, waking up to the yummy smells of the food that my mother was preparing that would be shared with family and friends. Or opening the china cabinet and carefully removing the glass figurines of the little old man and woman that had their hands carefully folded in prayer. Then setting the table with my sisters, using the Friendly Village china, each with a different scene painted on the front of it. Who would get the old covered bridge plate and who would get the apple orchard plate? And then the meal would be served and we would eat for hours without stopping or so it seemed. What sweet memories.
I wonder what that first Thanksgiving feast looked like? Can you imagine? I wonder if while the Pilgrim moms were busy cooking, the children were perhaps sent off to find some pretty things to decorate the tables with. Just think of the beauty that they found in God's nature and retrieved for that first feast. Pumpkins, berries, gourds, branches and vines, all lovingly placed on the table adorned by beautiful handmade quilts, rich with harvest colors. Perhaps...........
To set your beautiful Thanksgiving table, you need not look further than your favorite farmers market, your backyard or a family drive through the country. Gather pumpkins, large and small, gourds, all sizes and shapes, berries, leaves and vines. Now, start to imagine.
When it's Thanksgiving time at our house, it's come one, come all. We usually have a pretty good crowd, so we have a separate serving area for the food. Who wants to be disturbed from eating that cornbread dressing by having to pass the potatoes too often? This leaves room on the table to do something pretty down the middle. Maybe start with the ivy vine that is swaging your trees. What a perfect job for the son who can't quit sampling the food before it is ready. Send him out to "unswag" the ivy from the tree. Place several long tendrils of that down the middle of your table, like a runner, tucking in berry branches every so often. Big, plump pumpkins of all sizes can be added next, either grouped together or just sitting in a row. Or recycle those clay pots from summer flowers and fill those with ivy or moss and place a miniature pumpkin or gourd in each one. Looks like a harvest garden down the center of your table.
As your guests "enter your gates with Thanksgiving," welcome them with big, beautiful potted mums at the front door, all in harvest colors. Wheel that old rusty wheelbarrow out of the shed and pile it high with pumpkins. How fun to put an old chalkboard in the midst of them with either a welcome message on it or maybe even the delicious menu that will be served.
Let your young pilgrims decide on the seating arrangements and place cards. They may choose to print names on leaves or names written on tiny pumpkins or even old childhood pictures that mark that person's spot, adding one more delightful detail to your table.
What a privilege we have to be able to have a day set aside for Thanksgiving. Make it a special, loving day, giving thanks to our God, from whom all blessings flow.
As always, blessings from my house to yours
Cathy
"Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
Rest. Doesn't that just sound wonderful as we as wives, mothers, and working women (or all of the above) make our way through our busy days? Many times, I stop and rest in knowing that Jesus is holding his arms out to us, ready to catch us and hold us, letting us rest in him. This after a day of meeting schedules, getting kiddoes to five different places at one time, getting dinner on the table and kissing our husbands when they walk in the door. Whether you're weary and needing rest or burdened and needing rest-rest is what Jesus promises.
At home, we often relate rest to our beds-and falling in them at the end of our day. Let's transform our beds into havens of relaxation and coziness. It's time for a bed redo.
I have so often found that even if you have a plain or simple bed, great bed linens can change the whole picture. Think layers, think textures and think snuggling up into coziness.
Let's decide on the ingredients for our new and improved bed linens. We may be able to use what we have, only adding to them or maybe we can just start from scratch. We need pillows and lots of them, a quilt, a comforter or duvet and probably a dust ruffle or two.
After you've made your bed with your prettiest and sweetest smelling sheets, decide what will come next. Remember, think cozy. We might start with a quilt for our bottom layer-could be from our childhood or something we spotted at our favorite antique show-could be a new quilt that we bought at our favorite boutique. Decide on your favorite colors and go from there.
Step out of your color box. My favorites right now are browns and pinks. Think different. Okay, so our quilt will cover our sheets. But don't stop there.
On top of this layer, add your goose down duvet and cover. A duvet is better known from our past, as grandmother's feather bed, but today most of them don't have as many prickly things poking us while we try to sleep. The duvet is inserted into a cover made from our favorite fabric, maybe a rich chocolate chenille or a black and white toile. Remember, we're mixing textures and colors. For added interest and flavor, use two different fabrics on the cover, one on the front, the other on the back. This will be the next layer on your bed. Turn it back, about half way, leaving your quilt peeking out from under the duvet cover. Perfect! Now on to the next layer.
Pillows...and lots of them. I know that there is a slight dilemma about where all of these pillows go at night while you sleep on only two of them... (when I discover the answer to the big pile of pillows on the floor, I'll get back to you.)
The size of your bed will determine how many and what size pillows you will want. If you have a really tall headboard, you will want a taller pillow, shorter headboard, short pillow. I usually design 7-9 pillows for a king bed, 5 to 8 pillows for a queen bed and 3 to 4 pillows for a twin bed. The pillows are different sizes and shapes depending on the bed size. They will be bigger in the back and gradually get smaller-each designed with different fabrics, some with ruffles, some with fringes and some with cords. These are the finishing touches on our bed and a great mix all of the colors and textures. But one more detail needs to be considered.
During different seasons of my life, there has been found an assortment of various things under my bed. Dropped baby bottles with unidentified liquid inside--to the twin mattress that gets pulled out for the sick little one that wanders in the middle of the night...all of these things have been forgotten or neatly tucked away out of sight. And the secret of tucking these things away is called a dust ruffle. This piece can be a pleated, tailored, or ruffled skirt. It might have only one layer or perhaps a couple-like a petticoat. It could have a heavy trim or maybe even pompoms for our teenager. So many options.
Pillow fights, late night heart to hearts, giggling frenzies, bedtime stories, teenage tears, talks with the One whose arms we rest in...these times so often revolve around the place where we rest, our beds. Spend some time and make them cozy and inviting.
As always, blessings from my house to yours,
Cathy
"Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing praises to the Lord, Praise Him with the sounding of trumpet, praise Him with the strings and flute. Sing praises to the Lord."
To some people they're called dust collectors, to others just clutter, and maybe even to others, just junk, but to me they are treasures in my home. These treasures are the finishing touches of any room. They are the accessories that tell the stories of my family. They complete our walls, they make our coffee tables interesting and they dress up our mantles. As I walk from room to room, I am blessed by the sweet memories that each piece brings to mind. the funny little vintage typewriter that was found on an antiquing trip with my friend DeeDee, the 40 old violins that I used for a ladies retreat and then had to do something with afterwards, and the old tattered hymnals that I can never resist, all speak of cherished memories and things I love. They aren't found in a department store or at the mall and usually can't be brought in one day and finished by the next, but they are worth the wait. They are your fingerprints, your collections.
Okay, so where do I being in this search for the perfect collection and what am I even collecting? Think about the things you love and perhaps the message that you want other to see when they are in our home. Remember those small plastic boxes in the shape of a loaf of bread that help those tiny Bible verses that were at our grandmother's houses, the boxes were called, bread of life? Maybe start with that. It holds a special memory and a great heritage for your children.
Then consider adding vintage hymnals and Bibles mixed in with old Sunday school posters and your favorite cross as a reminder of the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ. You now have a collection that started with something from Nammaw's house and continued through the years, with stops along the road at that cute little hunk shop or the yearly shopping trip to your favorite antique show.
Or some collections may get started by accident but turn into something wonderful. A gift from a special friend, a treasure handed to us by one of our sweet children or perhaps a women's retreat that needed a little touch of decorating. I was asked to do the decorations for such an event. The speaker's testimony involved a violin so I made great plans to have an old violin on every table with a stack of vintage hymnals.
Violins began arriving at my home as my husband began his search for old violins. It was a beautiful retreat and afterwards these 40 or so old and broken violins and hymnals arrived back at my house. Our playroom looked like a very used violin store. But each violin was beautiful, even those with no strings or broken bridges or some just all the way broken. They were a picture of us without the saving plan of Jesus.
So over the next few weeks, they violins were tied with old vintage lace and were hung on a peg shelf. The hymnals were opened up and became the backdrop of my hutch mixed in with old dishes. Some of the pages of the really old hymnals were decoupaged into little pots and added to that mix. As I gathered m family together each night in that room, I see the old, crusty hymnal pages and remember to sing praises to the Lord.
As you begin to piece your finds together into a story, pull together like colors. One of the reasons I love to use vintage accessories is because of the colors. They tend to be nicely faded and blend together well. There are also some great antique reproductions out there that have captured the crust look.
Different textures are also important. That old, worn out leather on the aged Bible is beautiful and tells the story of a much used word of God. Add to that the rock from the mission trip that has the pastor's name on it as a reminder to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in faraway places.
After the furniture has been put in place, they rugs have been successfully centered in the room, the lamps are ready to be plugged in and the old worn our recliner has mysteriously found a new home, your nest is ready for its final feathering. Gather your precious memories and collections and get started. Don't forget this part it is what turns a house into your home.
As always, blessings from my house to yours.
Cathy