Introductions: Wendi

Hello to all of you amazing ladies! To be honest I feel a little out of my league with the immense talent you all posses. I am honored to be a part of this though! I have gotten so much inspiration from all of you (now I am getting a little ahead of myself! I'll just repeat that comment again when I get to the "where do I get my inspiration from" part) *smile*. One of my main reasons for joining this blog is to learn from all of you. :) Then, some glorious day, perhaps I will be a part of it because I will actually be able to join in all of the skilled domestication. :)

About me: I am the youngest of 5 in a very close knit family. 7 1/2 yrs. ago I moved over 500 miles away from my parents and siblings and have started a beautiful life with my amazing husband David. His love astounds me.

I am a 27 year old Jesus loving, husband adoring, diaper changing, fashion appreciating, life loving mama of 3 boys. My oldest, K, has cerebral palsy and has been a constant catalyst for amazing lessons learned in my life! K is 5 1/2, Jay is 3 1/2, and Noe is 1 1/2. These boys keep me super busy! That is a huge understatement...

I have to laugh at God's sense of humor in giving 3 BOYS to a girly girl such as myself. :) These guys and my Dave mean the world to me. Some days I am just in awe at the blessings in my life. I often feel so undeserving, but thankful nonetheless!

I am a very emotional, all or nothing, romantic, free spirit. I am constantly second guessing myself and struggle all too often with feelings of inferiority and insecurity. I am daily working on seeing myself through the eyes of the one who created me and is faithfully completing a work in me.

Definition of home: Home to me is any where you feel the warmth and love of family. A place you can 'let your hair down' so to speak, and be yourself with no worries of being judged. Home made chocolate chip cookies definitely enhance the feeling of home. :)

Favorite color: I LOVE color! Vibrant colors just make me happy. I greatly admire homes that are so pristine in clean whites and beige's, but I know I would never be completely comfortable living in one. :) Red is definitely a favorite! Exhibit A, my upstairs hallway: (Oh, and my ever present insecurities just urged me to apologize over my photography in light of all of you really incredible photographers. I love photography, but know very little of it's technical aspects).

Exhibit B, my upstairs bathroom:

I wear alot of browns, but I think red is an all time favorite. :)

Decorating elements: Hmmm... Can I say eclectic? :) Yes, it is my post, so I will. :) A friend once called my home decorating style "french, Victorian, country". As already stated, I love color. I love candles, baskets, comfy, and warmth. :) I love to use photos and words in my decorating.

Our home is over 80 years old. When Dave and I got married and I moved in here it needed so much work! It was in really bad shape you guys! It took me a while to love it. Now it is truly 'home'. Even though it continues to be a big project for us, we love what we have done, and even more, the memories we have made here!

More from my kitchen:

One of the things I love most about my kitchen is it is quite spacious.

My dining room:
My downstairs bathroom:
My living room:
There used to be '70s wood grain paneling in here and I was OVERJOYED to paint it this beautiful green!

And our nursery:

Creative outlets: Writing is at the top of this list. Dave and I joke that when I am writing I am in 'my happy place'. :) I love to blog, take pictures, decorate my home, sew (the few things I know how to do on the sewing machine bring me great satisfaction!), knit, make cards, and scrapbook. I also love putting outfits together and picking out accessories. So many things in life seem to be a blank slate begging to be beautified!

Favorite recipe: Soft pretzels is by far a family favorite! Dave and I love to make these on a Saturday night and curl up on the couch together - eating way too many of them...

Household tip: Umm...Use pretty baskets to hide the clutter?:) I am at such a busy phase of life right now and to be honest I struggle with being organized and keeping up with house work. I look forward to all of your great tips! Right now I just keep reminding myself that this stage will not last forever. Someday perhaps 'deep cleaning' will be in my vocabulary once again. For now I am trying not to be too hard on myself and just enjoy my boys while they are still small. Soon I hope to implement a more organized cleaning schedule where I have a list of daily, monthly, and quarterly jobs.

Where do I find inspiration: Definitely blogs! :) Nature, stores, people, photos, catalogs, and music. :)

Favorite spot in my home: It would probably be in this chair. It is so homey feeling in our living room.

I love to see family photos around me and my favorite Willow Tree angles on a shelf near by. I have my Bible and scrapbooks on the table next to this chair. The chair itself will nearly swallow you in comfort and it is a hard one to get up from. :)

Okay ladies, that was a hodge podge list of who I am. :) This was fun! Looking forward to all of your introductions!!

{ Per Request }

As of this morning...Mini Scrap Packs are up in my shop!

And thanks so much sweet ladies, for your interest. I am downright flattered.

Introductions: Shanna

An introduction to me…I hate to be the first one (after the original three)…I started (and finished) this last night then forced myself to wait until this morning to post, not wanting to be first.  But I better just get it up or it’s going to drive me crazy all day! ;)

About myself – I’m 32, turning 33 in December.  I’m an only child so I guess in some ways that defines who I am.  I’m a non-conforming perfectionist.  Yes, I made that term up.  Basically I like things the way I like them.  I like things perfect when I want them perfect and I want them (neatly) messed up when I deem it appropriate to be so!

Define Home – Over the course of nearly 13 years of marriage we have moved eleven times.  Home, for me, must always be where my family is.  A house is a building with four walls and though I try to make it comfortable and homey, without the five of us together, all the stuff between the walls wouldn’t be worth anything.

Favorite Color – You know, I used to be a pink girl through and through.  But right now?  I like to say I’m ‘between colors’.  I don’t have a definite color of choice.  I lean towards a sage-ish green, but I can’t say it’s my favorite. 

Decorating Elements – Simplicity.  I don’t like clutter.  I don’t like to feel pushed in, surrounded or held back by things.  I love the look of French country though and one day when we finally settle in for the long haul, I would love to have whites, soft greens, understated blues and yellows surrounding me.

Creative Outlets – Photography is number one.  I also like to sew.  I have no idea what I’m doing but it sure is fun to sit at the kitchen table and whir away at any given project that has caught my eye!  I also like to write.  A lot actually.  But the perfectionist in me sometimes makes writing difficult.  I find it hard to get my thoughts out ‘just so’ and that frustrates me into quitting before I’m finished.  I am obsessed with the number three.  Within my decorating I rarely work without working in threes.  I have three kids.  I have three cousins.  My wedding ring’s diamonds are clustered in groups of three.  I need things to be in threes.  I feel off balance otherwise.  Wonder what that means?

A recipe we indulge in – Oh there are so many!  I drive my mom crazy with all the food my family consumes.  She’s not a big eater but I grew to love food.  I love to cook it and smell it and eat it!  A favorite that I like to share is Frog Eye Salad.  It’s just. so. good.

A household tip – Pick up after yourself!  I refuse refuse refuse to pick up after my kids.  If you want me sane, pick up after yourself.

Where do I find inspiration – Everywhere.  Anywhere.  Sometimes in the most unlikely of places.  Cryptic?  Yes.  I can’t really define a place that has given me specific inspiration but when it hits I rarely have the patience to wait and do it later.  It must be done now.  Idea struck at one ‘o clock in the morning?  Doesn’t matter.  Must be done.

Favorite spots around my home -  Right now?  In our current home?  It makes me a little sad to say I don’t really have a favorite spot.  When we moved here, I wasn’t the one who chose the home.  (Luckily we won’t be here long)  I don’t feel like this is the one I would have chosen if I’d been able to.  However, in other homes I’d have to say that the front window has always been my favorite place to spend time with a good book. 

I love to crack it and feel the breeze, hearing people as they come and go on the sidewalks.  Watching people as they go about their day from the comfort of my home makes me feel a part of something bigger than me. 

These pictures are from two of our previous homes:

 

I like order.  Simple.  Clean lines.  But softness too.  Some may call me a minimalist but to me minimalism implies cold hard surfaces of granite and steel.  I like it to feel like home – but without all the foo foo that comes with the term homey.

Clean, crisp easy to maintain & splashes of color.  Suits me perfectly.

 

 

I love stripes.  They conform to my desire for neatness.  Though I am a neat freak, I am not a clean freak.  There is dust.  There are some things that remain disorderly.  But those things remain hidden from the untrained eye *wink*

 

Even our yard (which is still ours but are renting out) conveyed my desire for clean lines and orderly neatness.

So, I suppose that is Me in a nutshell.  Have any questions?  Feel free to ask, you know where to find me!

Welcome and Introductions

Hi Ladies,
We are so excited to be welcoming a whole new group of authors to our Domestic Bliss blog!
We would like to welcome:

Amanda from Blessings All Mine
Aminta from Beauty in Simplicity
AndiMae from Tales of a Crafty Momma
Andrea from The Sunny Little Things in Life
Ashley from Have a Lovely
Dawna from Simple Treasures
Jacy from A Journey With Purpose
KT Mac from A little bird told me. so
MamaChanga from Da'Gorgeouses
Shanna from Smiles, Miles, and Trials
Wendi from Every Day Miracles
Courtney from A Cottage Family

Most of us have become dear friends through the planning and preparation of a top secret baby shower for our friend Leslie. You can see all the loveliness at our blog, Showers of Blessings.
But we think it's time for a proper introduction to all of our sweet friends, so ladies, we would love for each and every one of you to do an introduction post. Here are Chelle's, Fairlight's, and Leslie's.

Please have fun, take some pictures, answer a few questions, share your favorite recipe, and let us get to know you a little bit better!

scrappy bits and pieces

Here is a little bit of inspiration to help you all get the wheels turning and get you excited about your upcoming scrap projects. We will have another one in few days, if there is nothing in this one to spark your interest, stay tuned!

Check out the scrappy scarf in this post.
These lavender sachets are a great idea.
Search your local library for books on "zakka" crafts. There are many lovely scrappy ideas in them. Searching Flickr for "zakka" turns up some really good results too.Heather Bailey's pincushions and pears are good examples of using scraps.
Making applied t-shirts is quick, fun, and doesn't require very many scraps either.

I found this website today "50 scrap and remnant ideas with free patterns" make sure to browse around their site. They've got a wealth of info on there.
If you don't sew but still want to join in, these covered push pins are mighty cute, no sewing required!
Please tell me that I'm not the only one who has just found the blog "How About Orange?"
If you click on the link it will take you to her tutorials page. There are many cool ones so keep scrolling down.
Let's keep an eye on this Flickr group. They are having a challenge somewhat like ours. It will be interesting to see what they come up with too!
I really like this notebook cover. So pretty with the rainbow effect.

Happy planning to you all!

{tidbits}

{tidbits}
a scrappy fabric swap

What: a swap of fabric scraps, three partners, 10-15 scraps to each person, get your scraps, then scramble them up, and make a small scrappy gift to send back to each of your three partners. (Scraps must not be smaller than 5 inches in length.) After it's all over you should still have some scraps leftover for yourself.

When: sign up from now until Oct. 15, have your 1st packages (full of scraps) sent out by Oct. 24th, and then have your 2nd packages (with a small handmade gift) sent out by Nov. 21st.

Where: Send us an email at domestic.b@hotmail.com with your full name, address, e-mail, and blog address

We will send out your swap partners on the evening of the 15th. Please be prompt and stay up with the deadlines. We want everyone to have their finished gifts by Thanksgiving!

We will be having several post of scrappy gift ideas for you to take inspiration from.
Be on the look out! If you have any links you would like to share, please email them to us at the above email address.

Join us...

So we all seem a little lost on what to do next after all the excitement of preparing for Leslie's surprise shower. We have been tossing around a few ideas, making some tentative plans, and hoping that a few more dear friends would like to take the plunge and help us get some big things happening around here. Here are some of our ideas:

~a scrappy sort of swap
~wordplay
~creative juice
~a month of scrapbooking
~a month of photography
~a month of sewing projects
~a month of paper arts
~a month of yarn
~sew simple Holiday gifts
~the art is found
~it's a "good thing" every day for a month
~weekly new found love links (a whole post of nothing but links)
~OPAM (one project a month)

Some of these ideas would be combined in to a larger grouping, at the moment they are inspirations. Some would be month long events with one, two, three, or more contributors writing posts and sharing expertise. Other's are for everyone to share their own ideas .
Our hope is to create a blog that's not just about the home, but about our lives. Our creative, inspired, busy, loving, every day lives where we long to creative something beautiful because it satisfies something deep inside of us. We want to share our ups and downs, or need for prayer, and our hope for a better tomorrow. A place where we can still connect and be involved in each others lives and share the makings of special things.

How cool would it be to have a monthly meetup online where we all jump in the chat box and share and giggle and enjoy delicious brownines together?
To share what fun gifts we're making for our children, our husbands, boyfriends, and family?
Set out a word challange and have everyone show off the intreptation?
To join in on a swap together and get goodies from our dearest friends in the mail?

If you guys are interested, please let us know. We basically have a blank canvas we are trying to organize and we would love your input. If you are a contributor, it's no different than the shower blog and you are free to post anything under the topic of domesticity freely and anytime you choose.
Hugs to you all!

Great give away!

Hey there ladies!
I was wanting to put in here that Amanda is having a giveaway over at her blog....... so excited! She has just started her ETSY shop and I thought I might mention it here.
Anyways, I love the coasters she is making!
Go check it out!
Aminta

Please share your spoils...

Any of you ladies had some good things come in your mail in the last few days? Maybe your { Embellish } packages starting to trickle in? I am still excitedly waiting for my first one but in the meantime, I wanted to remind you to either share directly on Domestic Bliss or on your own personal blog, and leave a link in the comment section here, or you can upload your pictures to our flickr group, Domestic Bliss Swaps. Whatever is easier. I am just so curious to see what the rest of you ladies came up with??? Nothing short of amazing, is my guess, so please do share!

Here I am, Finally

A large creek on the way down from Florence, it was BEAUTIFUL! Rain and all!

Morning Ladies!

So, it seems like it has taken me forever to get back to contributing to you precious ladies here in blog land. But if you are interested, I sort of flooded my blog spot with several posts, and one being an announcement!

I also wanted to add a few pictures too.

Nelson and Faith being silly,

But they really do love each other!

Here is Beau, doing what little ones do best in the car!

(On our way back home from Florence)

I hope everyone has the most wonderful of days and remember, it may seem like not everyday something memorable happens, but I believe that is truly in the eye of the beholder. Small things are at time even more beautiful then the large things.
XO's,


Aminta

Our kitten took care of our puppy after she got hurt!

{ Time is almost Up }

Just a reminder that you have until tommorow, August the 21st to sign up for our current swap { Embellish } . Expect to be hearing from Fairlight and I with your partner info in the next few days. All the details on how to join can be found here.

1. for, the travelling, 2. Button Drawer, 3. Terri's Birthday Card, 4. Color baby., 5. IMG_3017, 6. cork board + back door, 7. Inspiration to Go!, 8. Jessica's gifts, 9. Falling for you., 10. Ocean Girl, 11. Memo, 12. Untitled, 13. Emily07--IMG_0875-329x325

swap notebooks

Hey sweet girls!

I just wanted to let you know that my husband picked up a pack of the swap notebooks for me today at Barnes and Noble for $10.95 + tax, which is about $5.oo cheaper than the cost plus shipping on Amazon. Just thought you would like to know if you haven't bought yours already!

xo Andi

{ Be Inspired }

Maybe you are like me, so excited about this new little swap , but your creative juices could use a little jump start. Here are some lovelies for your inspiration, courtesy of some amazing artists on flikr... Also for those of us that might be hesitant to join because we fear our "crafting skills" are not up to par, I want to pass along this encouraging and insightful post I read a few days back, written by the very gifted Kelly McCaleb.

And as a reminder you have until the August 21st to join. Details can be found here.

1. {♥ The Notebook <3, 2. mein decor8 moodboard contest!, 3. central hk ．pen ft, 4. swap package, 5. keepers of private notebooks are a different breed altogether, 6. favorite senses, 7. swap package, 8. old notebooks & green tea, 9. free, 10. Birds of a Feather - Pocket Moleskine - Cahier, 11. Ocean Girl, 12. Gathering of Goodness, 13. Jane Notebook 1, 14. paper adventure08/no.6 front, 15. operation 10, 16. Spring Flowers Card - Pink Paislee, 17. side*view, 18. details, 19. Book 3: Pages 17-18 (pinxit) written companion, 20. mein moodboard details, 21. pa- week 22- favs, 22. january mini, 23. Roneo, 24. 080719, 25. write me a lovemail ♥Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

{Embellish}

{Embellish}
A little paperie swap of school-girl goodies

Take a moleskine notebook,
embellish it for your three partners,
add a few favorite school supplies,
and send those pretty little packages on their way.

The smell of newly sharpened pencils is in the air, mingled with eraser, chalk, new paper, and glue. It's time for school to start! And after rummaging through all the fun new school supplies and falling in love all over again with paper clips, magnets, pencils, crayons, post-it notes, rainbow sharpies, and colored staples we've decided to share the love!
We are planning a fun new swap to get the creative juices flowing after a summer full of fun activities, but very little time for crafting.


What: A paperie swap of school-girl goodies
When: now! sign-ups are open until August 21 (spread the word!)
How: send us an e-mail at Domestic.B@hotmail.com with your first and last name, complete address, e-mail, and blog address (if you have one)
Who: everyone! Blogger or not! International and state-side! (Invite your crafting friends and family.)

What to do: Send us an e-mail to let us know that your participating. Then order your set of three moleskine notebooks right away (they come in packs of three for $12 .) Here is the direct link to the exact size and style Large Ruled Moleskine Cahier in "craft" that we are requiring everyone to use. When you receive your notebooks, embellish them in any way you want. Stitched fabrics, papers, chipboard, rub-ons, stickers, ribbons, lace. Do each one different or the same. Then go and buy a few fun and favorite school supplies. Add them to the package- tied up with a pretty ribbon of course- and send to it off.
We will send you you're partner's information sometime during the week of August 24th
Deadline for sending out packages is : September 6th

We'll be posting some inspirational ideas for {embellish} ing your notebooks in the next couple of days. Please feel free to share any ideas of your own!

"If I knew your name and address,
I would send you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils."

- Tom Hanks in You've Got Mail

Let Yourself...

1. Untitled, 2. Untitled, 3. yeah, I went back ... again, 4. 37 weeks, 5. Untitled, 6. hillyjump333, 7. raspberries, 8. erinandjoel2.jpg, 9. Untitled, 10. Untitled, 11. Untitled, 12. stacia + patrick.jpg, 13. Up Close14. Not available15. Not available 16. Not availableCreated with fd's Flickr Toys.

Let yourself do something for others today.

Let yourself laugh.

Let yourself make funny faces.

Let yourself eat too much chocolate.

Let yourself meet someone smarter than you.

Let yourself be.

Let yourself entertain new possibilities.

Let yourself listen more.

Let yourself discover a new friend.

Let yourself whet new appetites.

Let yourself open up.

Let yourself think young.

Let yourself pass it along.

Let yourself be dramatic.

Let yourself experiment.

Let yourself twirl.

Let yourself cook up something new.

Let yourself spill the sprinkles.

Let yourself help others.

Let yourself be stirred.

Let yourself shine.

This list was copied from dress barn advertisements that I clipped out and saved and found inspiring. Please add one or two or twenty, of your own " Let yourself... " to this list.

~EN-TRANCED~

The Greeting-way. The Passport (to your world). The Entrance. The Beginning of "Yours".

Such a beautiful opportunity to have! To have an entrance whether it be Grand in style or simple and cozy.

I really love entrances, it is the door to someones life, their feelings, desires, passions, family, firsts, HOME!

You can really get to know someones character with their doorway.

To get a feel for me, here are some of my favorite "entrances" I have found through my wanderings of the English countryside, paths in Paris ETC.... (of course ONLINE!)

Pathway to the "Garden"

Paris

English Countryside

New Orleans, LA

Virginia

California

Washington

Carolina

North Dakota

English Revival

And lastly, my favorite door. Can't you just imagine it with a LARGE stone wall surrounding it with a "Secret Garden" just on the other side?



Thank you for letting me share with you.

I hope this has inspired you to move forward with your very own dreamy plans for your very own "EN- TRANCE".

~Aminta~