Making a House a Home

I just discovered a fun new Friday post!! It's called Feminine Friday and it's hosted by The Barefood Mama.

Kelly asked participants to share what femininity means to them. What fun!!

Today I would like to share my new tea cup. Isn't she just lovely!!



This tea cup is feminine to me because of all the pretty flowers on the tea cup. It's a dainty little cup, too. One that I definitely cannot picture a man drinking out of. :)

I look forward to sharing other tea cups as I collect more. I also look forward to sharing these tea cups (and tea time) with Elizabeth as she gets older.

Please take time to visit Kelly and her blog, The Barefood Mama.

We had a busy week last week. Our church had vacation Bible school. I know that the children have a lot of fun, but the adults sure are worn out when it's over!!

Last year was Elizabeth's first year at VBS, but she was too young to really pay attention. This year, though, she had a blast!! She's still too young to be in a class, so she and I walked around and got to sit in the music class with all the different ages and also go to crafts where they let her make a lot of fun and adorable things!!! I think her favorite things during the week were coloring and learning motions to go with the songs!! :)

The week before that, our family went blueberry picking. OH BOY that was FUN!!!! It was an incredibly hot day, but it was wonderful to pick the blueberries off the bush and put them in our baskets. Okay, yes, I'll admit it. We DID eat quite a few, but we brought home a lot, too!!





One of Elizabeth's friends moved away two weeks ago. Their family is in the military and her husband was stationed in another state, so away they drove. I know Elizabeth didn't understand the whole idea of moving, but it still made me sad that one of her friends left.



So, that's what we've been doing lately. I'm sure the rest of the summer will fly by just like the first part of it. :)

With July 4th only 2 days away, I thought it would be interesting to share this portion from a US Citizenship test. Sadly, I will admit that I only got 70% correct!!! Boy, have I got some studying to do!!!!

If any of y'all take the test, let me know how you scored. I'll bet there are plenty of you that will get 100!!! :)

What is it, to you, that makes a home welcoming?

I received this email from a reader and she would love your help!!

I am trying to come up with a picture of what I want my home to be like. Would you mind helping me with some ideas? Think of one person/family who you love going over to their house. It's just a peaceful, welcoming home that you enjoy. Describe it: What words come to mind? What is it about the home that makes you want to spend time there?? What is it decorated like? What does it smell like? How do you feel when you are there? What kinds of things register with all 5 of your senses?

The most welcoming homes I've been to haven't been the kind that look like they came out of Southern Living magazine. They are homes that are clean and relatively tidy, but you can definitely tell that people live there. They aren't decorated with the most up-to-date styles or colors, but they are cozy feeling. They don't really smell like anything (unless they are cooking something)- no stinky odor, no trace of animals, no dirty trash can smells. It's not their homes that I notice, though. It is the people that live there and their warm, welcoming personalities that make me feel like they are glad I am there.

I liked Joyce's house because she was already ready for guests. She gets up pretty early for her quiet time and for cleaning so that when someone arrives, she's already cleaned for the day. And apparently she does a little cleaning every day so that every day something has been tidied. Plus, she always has a few cookies, a slice of cake, something yummy tasting to share with you as well as a cup of coffee or tea. She doesn't ask me "Would you like some coffee? Regular or decaf? Flavored or unflavored?".. she just makes what she has and says something like "May I pour you a cup of coffee?" (I always feel like I have to offer guests a billion choices).

I liked Diane's house because her door is always open for guests (literally- she does not ever lock her door and often leaves the front door open and only the glass storm door closed!!!). You walk in and feel like she's been waiting just for you to stop in. She's always full of conversation and questions and wants to know about YOU. She doesn't go on and on about herself (she does talk about her grandchildren, though. :) ) And she always makes lots of extra food at meals so that when people stop by at meal time (which is often!!), she can easily say "Come on it and eat!! I've got PLENTY for you!!"

So what about YOU? What, to you, makes a home welcoming? Please share!!!!!