Grace at Home No. 424

Hello, friends!

I am so grateful to be here again after a few weeks away. If you follow me on Instagram (I'd love to connect with you there!), you might already know what I've been up to. But in case you haven't seen, here's a peek:

You may have seen photos of my living room before, but look who's been sitting in my chair! 

Even better, baby Jackson wasn't here with just his mommy. Thanks be to God, my oldest son Will is back from deployment, and boy were we glad to see him!

I always wondered what it would be like to see one of my children with a child of their own. Now I know--it's absolutely amazing! Takes your breath away.

Not only were we glad to see Will because had we not seen him for many months, but it was also his birthday—a big birthday, at that. He turned 30 on May 17. 

So somehow I now have a child in his 30's and I'm a grandmother. (This is why my advice to young parents is to remember that time flies!) 

Anyway, that's what I've been up to. Let's see what some of y'all have been doing!

If you're hoping to make the entry to your home more inviting for the season, you'll enjoy seeing how Niky from The House on Silverado decorates her front porch to transition from spring to summer.

If you're ready for some really summery decor, check out this post on how to use seashells in your decorating from Denise at My Home of All Seasons.

Looking for some inspiration for your home's powder room? Don't miss this powder room makeover from Renae at Peacock Ridge Farm.

If you're up for a big DIY challenge, check out this brick wall from Megan at Makeable Crafts. Believe it or not, that's a faux brick wall! 

This time of year always finds me wanting to get things cleaned up, cleaned out, and organized. You, too? Read this post from Coco at The Crowned Goat for 13 ways to feel organized every day.

And if you need to start really small, Julie at Filling the Jars can help with 10 tiny tasks to help you clear the clutter.

Finally, if you're looking for a book to help strengthen your marriage, Linda Stoll will bless you with 16 recommendations.

Thank you to everyone who linked up!

Now for today's party.  Here at the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your own home with truth, goodness, and beauty. I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it.  Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page.  Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party, and during these difficult times, it can really make someone's day! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 423

Friends! It's MAY! Can you believe it?

Sometimes in middle of winter I feel as though spring will never arrive. . . and then bam! April is history! Here in North Carolina, April is a beautiful month but we don't get to spend much time outside because the pollen is so heavy. By May, though, most of the pollen onslaught is past and we relish our time outdoors before the summertime heat sets in. What's it like in your neck of the woods?

One of my favorite things about springtime is that I always seem to find renewed energy to get some things done around the house. If you follow me on Instagram (where I would love to connect with you), you might have seen my latest project.

Y'all, I stenciled my powdered room! And for awhile I thought I would never finish. Here's how I looked every day for six days: 

I'll write a post about this, I think. I learned a few things along the way that might be helpful to others who want to take on a project like this.

Meanwhile, y'all have been busy! Here are some highlights from our last Grace at Home party.

Thinking about hosting a Mother's Day gathering? You'll want to see this lovely outdoor setting created by Shelley at Calypso in the Country.

And to make that table setting extra nice, you'll love these tutorials. First, gorgeous moss chargers created by MaryJo from MasterPIECES of My Life.

And lovely cloth napkins from Joy at Artful Homemaking, who shares a thorough DIY tutorial for making your own.

If you need a little treat for a mother in your life (or for yourself!), you might want to make some lavender hand scrub. Coco from The Crowned Goat shows you how.

This time of year I especially love a good salad, so I was glad to get this recipe for honey mustard vinaigrette from Melynda at Scratchmade Food for Hungry People.

Finally, some soul nourishment from Michele Morin at Living Our Days, who takes on the question "How do I search for God with all my heart?"

Thank you to everyone who linked up!

Now for today's party.  Here at the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your own home with truth, goodness, and beauty. I invite you to link posts about

• DIY projects
• decorating
• recipes
• hospitality
• homemaking tips
• parenting
• marriage
• faith
• self-care
• soul care

Whatever you do to make your home a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it.  Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page.  Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party, and during these difficult times, it can really make someone's day! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter