Imparting Grace

Thursday, June 15

Grace at Home No. 509

Hello, friends!

My goal in life is not to be "busy"—I'd rather cultivate a life of purposeful work and rest than try to be busy. But this past week I've been both! I just arrived home late last night after being away for eight jam-packed days. I'm grateful to say that I was with friends and colleagues in Colorado for a Renovaré conference and then for the annual retreat of the Renovaré Ministry Team, so it was a good trip!

And let me show you something. . . during this week, the U.S. Navy has been running a Father's Day message which features my son and grandson! Here's a screenshot of the ad:

That photo was taken on the day my oldest son, a pilot, returned from his last deployment. The smiles on my son's and grandson's faces were shared by all of us who were so grateful for the squadron to have returned home safely to their families.

I'm so glad you're here for the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace and beauty. Next week I'll be sure to share some features from two parties. For now, 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!

Thursday, June 1

Grace at Home No. 508

Just like that, it's June!

Oh, friends, I know that sometimes the days seem to drag on and on. . . but truly, the months fly by so quickly. That's why I am honored to host this little gathering each week—a brief pause to celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace.

Here are some highlights from last week's party.

Want to spruce up your home for summertime without breaking the bank? CoCo from the Crowned Goat has some budget-friendly ideas for you.

Niky from The House on Silverado shows you how to create this beautiful display that creates a summery vibe.

Need a jump-start to your budget-friendly summer decorating? You'll like this free printable from Carol at Comfort Spring.

If you need some ideas for kid-friendly summer activities, Natasha from Serenity You can help: check out her summertime bucket list.

Looking for some fresh recipes for summertime? MaryJo from MasterPIECES of My Life shares a bunch of salad recipes and ideas—your mouth will be watering from looking at the photos!

Summertime means travel for a lot of us. If you like to have books to read when you're traveling, you'll want to read Barbara Harper's post detailing the advantages of the Kindle app.

But if you're like me, you may need to think about just how much you're using your phone. For inspiration plus some practical ideas, read this post from Stacy at A Homemaker's Heart.

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

Thursday, May 25

Grace at Home No. 507

"Whew!"

That's the remark I hear most often this time of year. May is a whirlwind month, isn't it? Somehow I thought that after my kids were out of school this time of year would no longer be so busy. Wrong!

But lots of May activities are fun ones, like graduations. . . or weddings. And I had the privilege of attending the most beautiful one this past weekend.

My darling niece graduated from college a couple of weeks ago, and this past Saturday she got married. Isn't she lovely? And just look at that ring bearer!

It took a lot of doing to get our whole family to the wedding, but what a joy it was to be together.

And now I need a very long nap.

Meanwhile, y'all have been busy making your homes places of grace and beauty, and I'm so glad to provide a place for you to share the ways you're doing that. Here are some highlights from last week's Grace at Home party.

Need some easy-access storage for your family room but don't have much money to spend? Maybe you'd like to make a cushioned ottoman. Beth from Creatively Beth shows you how.

Would you like to create real beauty in your outdoor spaces? CoCo from The Crowned Goat has lots of ideas that can be completed in one weekend.

Want to create some decor for the patriotic holidays this summer? Carol from Bluesky at Home gives you step-by-step instructions for making these throw pillows.

Or maybe you'd like a super-simple project for updating your summer decor. Debra from Common Ground will show you how to make this garland from seed packets.

Have you seen beautiful pots containing a variety of plants and wondered how to achieve that look? Ann from Ann's Entitled Life will take you step-by-step through the process of creating your own.

If you have little kids visiting you this summer and want to plan some fun activities without breaking the bank, L & L from Our Grand Lives will show you all kinds of things to do with popsicle sticks. (You'll especially love their blog if you have grandkids!)