Grace at Home No. 502

Hello, friends. I imagine that many of you are like me: heavy-hearted this week after the shooting at Covenant School in Nashville. Every shooting like this is heart-breaking, but this one was especially so for me. 

We used to live less than five minutes from the location of Covenant School in Nashville. All of my husband's family still lives in the Nashville area, and our nephew was one of the first five officers on the scene the day of the shooting. He was backing up the officer who took out the shooter. He later told his mom that he wasn't afraid as he ran up those stairs, because he knew God was with him. What heroes those officers are! But how tragic that officers keep getting called to situations like this.

But the emotions of this week, on top of PTSD I'm suffering from all the events of my fall and winter,  have just about leveled me this week. So I haven't had a chance to visit many of the links from last week's Grace at Home party, but with Easter right around the corner, there are a few I want to share with you.

Beth from Creatively Beth shows us you how to make these cute bunny and chick decorations in just 15 minutes.

Emily from Hunny I'm Home DIY shared a great idea (with a brilliant tip!) for making this darling Easter centerpiece.

Another idea for your Easter tabletop: these easy-to-make DIY candles.

Lois from Walking on Sunshine Recipes shares a great idea for making Easter treats for kids, and she provides a free printable for the jar lids.

Ann from Ann's Entitled Life shares another mason jar idea: check out this cute bunny!

If you're planning an Easter dinner, you might want to check out this recipe for caramelized carrots from Kay from Cooking with K.

If you're like me, you might need some extra time and space to meditate and pray this coming Holy Week. I've created a printable resource I'd be delighted to give you: a collection of Easter hymns and scriptures called "Lead Me to Calvary." You can download a copy here.

Thank you to everyone who joined last week's party!

Here are the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your life with truth, goodness, and beauty. For instance, 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 or sphere of influence 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 to your site's home page. Please let people know that you've linked up. No more than three posts per person, please. If you link a post here, you re giving me permission to share your post, including a photo. And please visit one or more of the other participants—that's what really makes it a party!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 501

Hello friends! Thank you so much for your kind comments on my 500th Grace at Home party. So many of you mentioned that you still enjoy link parties, so I'm happy to host this one—I love shining a spotlight on your work.

These days most of us are enjoying the beginning of Spring. Hallelujah! It's fun to freshen up our homes for springtime, isn't it?

Coco from The Crowned Goat gives us a springtime tour of her front porch. Be sure to read the sweet story that accompanies her beautiful photos.

Nicolle at Our Tiny Nest shows us how she made this cute door hanging with a bunny and carrots.

This burlap bunny and his carrot are a DIY project from Ann at Apple Street Cottage. So cute!

And this yummy-looking chocolate bunny is actually not chocolate at all—Cara from Vintage Style Gal shows you how to create this cutie for your Easter decor.

Carol at Blue Sky at Home created several projects from one stencil. I haven't done any stenciling in awhile—this makes me want to get out my paints.

Planning an Easter gathering? Diane from South House Designs shows you step by step how she created this stunning floral arrangement.

Looking for an Easter treat that's sure to please all ages? Lenny from Fat Dad Foodie shows you how to make this darling Easter bunny cake.

Maybe you're like me and need to do some decluttering before you get to your spring cleaning. Julie from Filling the Jars shows you how.

Spring is a joyful time. . . but if you've experienced loss recently, Linda Stoll shares some wisdom for grieving well.

Thank you to everyone who joined last week's party!

Here are the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your life with truth, goodness, and beauty. For instance, 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 or sphere of influence 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 to your site's home page. Please let people know that you've linked up. No more than three posts per person, please. If you link a post here, you re giving me permission to share your post, including a photo. And please visit one or more of the other participants—that's what really makes it a party!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 500

Friends! I am so glad to welcome you today. . . and I am astounded that I'm welcoming you to the 500th Grace at Home party!

I published the very first Grace at Home party back in March 2012. Wow, have things changed since then—the world has changed, the internet has changed, the blogosphere has changed, I have changed—and you have, too! 

Many people talk about blogging only the past tense, and those same folks certainly see link parties are "has beens." But I for one am so grateful for this chance every week to pause and celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace and beauty. 

I'm especially thankful that I've had the chance to get to know you. It gives me pleasure to shine a light onto your work. So if you're still interested in linking up to this party, I'll still be hosting it. 

And here are some highlights from last week's party I think you'll enjoy.

Looking for some Spring decor inspiration? Shelley from Calypso in the Country will inspire you with her spring home tour.

Need ideas for making a smaller home fresh and pretty for Spring? Check out this post from Julie at My Wee Abode.

Or try concentrating your springy decor in one room. Debra from Common Ground shows you how she brightens up her dining room for springtime.

Want to make your own springy decor? Steph Creates gives you step-by-step instructions for making this darling bunny from materials from the dollar store.

Need an easy new idea for dinnertime? Jenny from Cook Eat Go shares a recipe for Shepherd's Pie that looks mouth-wateringly yummy.

Are you a bookworm like me? Then you'll appreciate these thoughts on how to read—and live a life—by Lisa from Lisa Notes on Seeing God.

Ever find yourself in a devotional rut? If so, you'll really appreciate these ideas from Barbara at Stray Thoughts of an Ordinary Christian Woman.

Thank you to everyone who joined last week's party!

Here are the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your life with truth, goodness, and beauty. For instance, 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 or sphere of influence 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 to your site's home page. Please let people know that you've linked up. No more than three posts per person, please. If you link a post here, you re giving me permission to share your post, including a photo. And please visit one or more of the other participants—that's what really makes it a party!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 499

Hello, friends! I blinked, and it's the second week of March. . . and it's been so warm that my husband and I have been eating some of our meals on our screened porch. Just look at this photo I snapped during our lunch on Sunday:

I was stunned by the loveliness of the sunlight streaming in. And starting next week, we'll have an extra hour of sunlight in the evenings! Are you a fan of Daylight Saving Time?

I'm tickled to welcome to the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace and beauty. Here are some highlights from last week's party.

Have an old piece of furniture that needs new life? You'll be inspired by the way Niky from The House on Silverado rescued an aging pine dresser—and she shares step-by-step instructions.

Looking for inspiration for decorating your kitchen for spring? You'll enjoy a visit to Penny's Vintage Home. 

Are you planning a garden for springtime? Wendy from WM Design House has some great suggestions for perennial plants for a cutting garden. I love perennials!

On a practical note: do you have rooms in your home that lack a ceiling light? I think you'll appreciate seeing how Lisa from Condo Blues devised a cute and clever way to light her home office.

St. Patrick's Day is almost here! Looking for a fun treat to serve? Check out these gluten-free peanut butter and chocolate cookies from Laura Kelly.

Or perhaps you'll want to make these yummy-looking shamrock sugar cookies from Angela at The Short Order Cook.

Easter is coming up in just a month! If you'd like to decorate your home for Easter, learn how to make these lovely decoupaged Easter eggs made by MaryJo at MasterPIECES of My Life.

Or perhaps you'd like to try your hand at making velvet Easter eggs. Julie from My Wee Abode shares complete DIY instructions.

If you're like me, you've been feeling stretched too thin. Donna Reidland from Soul Survival has some good advice for us.

Thank you to everyone who joined last week's party!

Here are the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your life with truth, goodness, and beauty. For instance, 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 or sphere of influence 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 to your site's home page. Please let people know that you've linked up. No more than three posts per person, please. If you link a post here, you re giving me permission to share your post, including a photo. And please visit one or more of the other participants—that's what really makes it a party!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Grace at Home No. 498

Happy March! The calendar doesn't say "Spring" yet, but it's bustin' out all over around here. Just look at the blooms on one of my deciduous magnolia trees:

My good friends in Colorado tell me that they're still covered in snow. . . what's it like in your neck of the woods?

I'm so glad to welcome you to the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace. Here are some highlights from last week's party.

Ready to make your home look springy no matter what the calendar says? Shelley from Calypso in the Country has some ideas for you.

Maybe you're like me and need to do some spring cleaning before you do your spring decorating! Meagan from Decorative Inspirations can help you with good ideas outdoor cleanup.

As for the inside of my home, most of what I need to do falls into the category of decluttering. Julie from Filling the Jars can help with that—plus she has some ideas of actually breaking the cycle of clutter for good.

Some possessions are NOT clutter, so they don't need to be purged—but they still need to be organized. Diane from South House Designs offers step-by-step instructions for building an organizing system for your jewelry.

St. Patrick's Day is coming soon. If you'd like to plan a fun Irish dinner, Jenny from Cook Eat Go has a great recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage you'll want to try.

Or if you just want a simple little St. Patrick's Day treat, check out this idea from the Drugstore Divas.

Need some encouragement in your journey with God? Read this post from Pam at A New Lens.

Thank you to everyone who joined last week's party!

Here are the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your life with truth, goodness, and beauty. For instance, 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 or sphere of influence 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 to your site's home page. Please let people know that you've linked up. No more than three posts per person, please. If you link a post here, you re giving me permission to share your post, including a photo. And please visit one or more of the other participants—that's what really makes it a party!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter