Crafting our Home

Our window nook

Hello Dear Friends!

First off welcome again to all the new followers here from my current Nova Natural Giveaway  on facebook, pinterest, and google +. I find it immensely amusing just how connected I am now. I tend to be pretty regular on FB and pinterest (which is where I do the bulk of our home school planning). However Google + is growing on me. 

I do however take frequent black out computer breaks for media fasting and meditative purposes. Trust me, it's good for the soul :)

I thought I'd share a little bit more of our new home with you all. We moved to Willows Oaks back in mid-December from our house on Blount Point. We're renters and have been for the past 6 years. I have a hard time making a new place a home, especially since I feel like I just have to pack it up and leave every few years. But more and more as I have been in this new place, I have tried to make it ours. To breathe life into it. I find if I don't do this, then I begin to dislike my surroundings a bit. And that just won't do if your surroundings are where you work, teach, and spend most of your time. 

Rainbow heart mobile I made for our window nook

There has also been a neat series that my church has been doing on work, not just career work, but all work (including that of a homemaker). And more specifically that our work, regardless of what it is, should be an act of worship done in love for your creator (or if you don't believe in a higher power I think doing it out of love for your family and yourself is also very appropriate). 

So over the past few months and weeks I have been thinking more about this work of homemaking. Most of the little touches I add to our home are crafted (another act of worship and a reflection of creation that my Creator has endowed in me IMO). And so as I walked around today and snapped photos of our home, my work, my worship- well it was a very sweet reflective time. 

Rahima Baldwin Dancy talks about how the work of a homemaker and caretaker (female or male) is devalued in today's society. I feel that this sentiment is pretty prevalent as well. Real work = money, and well last time I checked I didn't receive a paycheck last month for staying at home. I also don't think many take into consideration mothers and fathers who do work and then come home to work a second shift taking care of the children, cooking, cleaning after a long day away. Not to mention those who do this alone without helpmates... you're angels in disguise.

I applaud all of you who do this work, at home or away. If you haven't heard in awhile that the work you do for your children and your home is vitally important, well it truly is. The work of keeping a home and raising little ones who will thrive in their environment and unfold there is immensely important and beautiful. 

I hope this post finds you all well! Do you have bits of your home to share? I'd love to see them. Do you feel your work around the home is an act or worship? 

Until next time,

Love and Light-

Nicole

I love this one too much to take it down- it's in our dining room! 

Our last remaining preserves from last year (apple butter, peach, and blueberry!! 

A favorite quote

Another little nook in our living room with a sweet photo and quilt for the kids

My all time favorite photos from my summer in Morocco and Europe! 

A watercolor that Jonas did that I love

Our weekly planner

In our kitchen

Linking up this week with Frontier Dreams, Magic Onions, Natural Suburbia, and Crafty Moms Share and a few others! Please check out my 'where I party' page! 

First Day of School

Ostheimer Squirrel 

Deirdre and Jonas on their new Daddy built natural playgroup. These are her hop logs! 

Today was our first day of homeschool! It went over without a hitch. I keep pinching myself in disbelief since it went so well and we ALL enjoyed it so much. Last night I was a bit nervous because I take teaching any children, my included, seriously (since it my profession). But that all melted away as we sat down for circle time with a song, a monthly poem, followed by a finger play, story, discussion, and verse. 


Our weekly theme is squirrels, nuts, and preparation. I cannot go into too much of the specifics since we are using a copyrighted curriculum, however I added in an extra bible story and weekly bible verse about John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus Christ to complement our preparation theme. 


Jonas enjoyed most of it. He came and went, which is fine and what is expected of a one year old. He loved the puppet story and songs. He even mimed the finger play! 


Deirdre was mesmerised and quite into her "school time". She called me Mommy-teacher the entire day! Ah it warmed my heart. I am so glad we prayed over this choice and that the Lord has blessed it. I cannot wait for that time tomorrow, and neither can the kids! 


Also on another good note, I finished knitting my apples! Whoopie! 

We also began our new Autumn menu tonight. Very healthy and crunchy but we like it so far (and we were pretty healthy to begin with). Its good motivation for me .

Nuts we've found and a home grown pumpkin! 

Quite time light. 

Lots of art displays! 

Tomten and the fox looking at each other, per Deirdre request. 

More Baba Yaga, but she calls it Hansel and Gretel. 

New playroom art. 

Corners of our home: The Great Room

I have to say when I first walked into our new house, the reason I immediately fell in love with it was due to the 'great room'. The 'great room' is to the left when you walk in the front door off the foyer. Instead of having a separate den and living room, our landlords combined the rooms together into one HUGE room. It is just such an open space, and I love it. 

In our last home, which I also loved, we had a separate living room and den. I converted the living room into our playroom however. Much to my dismay though the rooms were closed off by a wall so the whole space seemed much more boxed in.  

(Disclaimer: these photos as all photos, do not do this home justice. You have to just come see this yourself!) 

In this house we now have our playroom...

Family room...

Library/Music/Secretary Nook...

I have had this for 5 years now and its still one  of my favorite things. 

In one room!


I apologize for the photo quality but we had lovely busy day- and I did not have time to snap some photos when the sun was out but I will update these when I do. Not only did my car not start this morning on the way to church but we went out to lunch with church friends, had to fix the car afterwards, and then attended a divine birthday party this afternoon! Phew. However I must say that the party was one of the most laid back and fun parties I have been too. I loved being able to let go and be with people that my children and I can be ourselves around without judgement. 


At any rate, I am going to start working on a tutorial for some reclaimed wooden blocks. Once my gnome tutorial is published, I can also post my rainbow toadstools tutorial. Due to the similarities and publication rights, I think its best to wait. :) 


Our sermon today was very convicting and challenging, in a good way. I have to says its the first time I have heard a balanced and sound sermon on biblical familial roles where a wife's role was treated with dignity. Way to go TK. 

Daily Verse or Quote: 

Ephesians 5: 8-14

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:

   “Wake up, sleeper,
   rise from the dead,
   and Christ will shine on you.”




More of our eat in kitchen...

And our kitchen...

DD's table setting station. Tonight she set the table without asking and put her dirty dishes away!