Lovely Things: Porches

One of my favorite things is a big, pretty porch. I think they're so Southern and such a beautiful addition to a house. One of the things I picture my "dream house" having is a wrap around porch. I decided over the next few weeks to do a little series on different kinds of porches. Here are just a few images to start out with:

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Lovely Things: Samplers

One thing that I love to have around my house is samplers. I know some people probably think they're super old fashioned and even a little outdated. I'll admit they do have a bit of a "grandma" feel to them. There is NOTHING polished or sophisticated about a sampler. But something about a sampler just says "home" to me. Maybe it's because they were scattered throughout my parents' and my grandmother's house and those are places that felt like home to me growing up. To me, they just convey an air of quaint simplicity.

Here is a little background research I found about samplers, via Wikipedia:
A sampler is a piece of embroidery that demonstrates skill in needlework. The alphabet, figures, motifs, decorative borders are common parts of samplers. Sometimes, the person who makes the sampler will include their name and date as part of the sampler. The word sampler comes from the Latin ‘exemplum’ - an example.

The oldest samplers still in existence date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Because pre-printed patterns did not exist, a stitched model was needed. Whenever a needlewoman saw a stitching pattern that she was fond of, she would quickly sew a small sample of it onto a piece of cloth - this became her 'sampler'. The patterns were sewn randomly onto a peice of fabric to be used later as an example, and the woman would collect different patterns this way throughout her lifetime.

Around the 18th century, samplers had become quite different. Instead of the scattered, random examples that were to be collected and used as a guide throughout a lifetime, they becamed much more organized and symmetrical. They were made by young girls and women to demostrate their expertise in the skill of needlework.

I have several samplers around our house. Some my mom found for me at antique stores, some came from my parents' or grandparents' house, and some my mom cross stitched herself. Here's a peak:

This one is in our kitchen:
Dear House you are so very small. Just big enough for love that's all. It's very special because it hung in my grandmother's kitchen before she passed away. It is the a wonderful reminder that for right now our house is the perfect size.

Here is a collection that is on one of the walls in the guest bathroom. I'm not sure where all these came from, mostly antique stores I'm sure, but my mom did the top one, so it's really special.

A closer look at the ones on top:
A house is made with brick and stone. But a home is made with love alone. What an important thing to remember. Peyton and I are building a home with love for each other and for our children. This is one of my favorites andI think the little family is so precious. This is the one my mom made, so that makes it extra special to me!

The best gifts are tied with heartstrings. I always think the spirit behind the gift means more than the gift. I love receiving a gift and knowing that the person put thought into it and picked it out especially for me. I try to give gifts in such a way.

Happiness is homemade. Isn't that the truth?

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. There is a reason the Serenity Prayer is so popular and so well known- it is applicable to everyone's life and yet it feels so personal when you read/pray it.

And the ones on the bottom:
Home is where the {heart} is. Clearly I love special sayings about my house/home. Home truly is where the heart is, in my opinion. I still call my parents' house "home", and it took me a long time, but I finally call this house home, too.

Who waits outside the door one may never know, so tarry not my friend, he too may to go. I just think this one is really funny and again, I love the little pictures at the bottom.

This last one is right above my vanity in our bedroom:

A closer look:Love. Faith. Hope. Charity. {Happiness Tree} Work. Play. Laughter. Happiness is catching. We get it from one another. I like this one a lot because I think it's just a neat way to organize a lot of virtues and show what truly brings happiness- other people and a life of faith and integrity.

I think my sampler collection says a lot about what is important to me and the things that I want to be cognizant of as I go through my day. They are like lovely little post-it notes throughout my house!

Photos: C/O my little Canon point and shoot and my mediocre photography skills

Source: Wikipedia article on samplers

Lovely Things: Hand Written Correspondence

Something that I feel is a lost art in today's culture is hand written correspondence. Yes, I did grow up with a thank-you note Nazi for a mother, but that's not what I'm talking about today.
Today, I am talking about writing a note just to write one. Peyton and I have a dear friend, Virginia, who sent us this card in the mail last week:

Now, congratulations via text and Facebook are wonderful, but there is something so personal about a card that someone took the time to pick out, write a personal note, address, and pay postage for. That, to me, says that she cares a lot about us. Within this brief little note, Virginia congratulated us, complimented us, and encouraged us. She made us feel special.

Isn't that an important thing? A worthy goal? To make the people in our lives feel special? I think so.

I will be the first to say I don't do this often enough. As one of my 101 goals over 1001 days, I intended to write a "letter of encouragement" to someone at least once a week. Well, I was a bit ambitious. Having a child (albeit a very easy going, well behaved child) was a bit more of a time constraint than I anticipated. Ahem. That said, you make time for the things that are important to you and in this endeavor, I have failed mightily. Virginia's note showed me how important such a thing is, though, and that I must not let it go. Corresponding with ink and paper is something I will chose to be diligent about.

***Images in this post courtesy of Country Living and our sweet friend.