Help, friends!

Okay, I need to spice up my blog layout. Problemo...I don't know how. So, all of you blog savvy friends out there, help a girl out. I need any advice that you can give. For example, how in the world do I get pictures and such on the side of my blog. Please excuse my ignorance...
I'll be waiting to hear from you!

Wabi-Sabi and thoughts on Contentment

***Warning:the following post is full of grammatical errors. This is not for the grammatically sensitive...

I want to start by saying that I LOVE authenticity and anyone who knows me well, knows that. It is probably one of the things that I value most in life and in people whom I know. I strive to be as authentic as I can and I want my life to reflect that.

As you know, I have been on a journey to create a home that is a safe haven and place of peace for my family. I am trying to embrace the fact that their is beauty in imperfection (and let me tell you there is a lot of that around here).

Where does Wabi-Sabi fit into all of this??

"Pared down to its barest essence, wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature….It’s simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all."

In many ways, this is part of what I desire for our lives. I want to embrace all of the imperfections in my home and not make excuses for them. I want to value the wear and tear that life brings to this place. This IS where life happens isn't it? I want to have a home where people come and feel immediately comfortable. A cozy place where they are free to put their feet on the coffee table and sit by the fire in their socks if they want, an inviting place where people feel at home. I want people to come and relax in the midst of our authenticity and not feel the need to put on airs.

That's where contentment comes in. None of this will happen if I wallow in discontentment. There is a peace that comes from being with someone who is content where they are and with what they have. I want that to be my life. Plus, discontentment is expensive. It's expensive as far as trying to find joy and value in material possessions and it's emotionally expensive because it costs you your joy and peace. May we all find beauty in the imperfections and contentment where we are.

And, now the new mantra...wabi-sabi.

Coming soon...a post on frugality, my other passion. : )

Joy!

This week's theme is "JOY"...

I think this picture really capture's Kate's joyful spirit. This is just a classic look for her. I'm thankful I was able to catch it on camera.

Check out the other great entries at http://www.iheartfaces.blogspot.com/

Country Folk at Heart....

That's what we are (well, when I'm not longing to be a city girl again).

We long to have 500 acres of our own where our family can explore and our kids can be kids.

But since that's not possible, we have this.

No, not a post hole digger...

a garden.

Well, it's just the beginning of a garden now but in just a few months it will be a beautiful sight.


Last weekend my WONDERFUL, servanthearted father-in-law came out and helped Chris begin to build a fence. Even though it was cold, the kids LOVED being out there! They could run and explore with wide boundries. That's the life I enjoy!
I love to see my kids free to roam! They played for two hours with nothing but dirt, string, and a couple of tape measures. There's something about being outside that it just good for the Larsen soul.

I'm sure that we'll have plenty more to share over the next few months...

YIKES!

Baby face...

This is a site that I found while reading another favorite blog, Chatting at the Sky. You can link your favorite photo and see others for inspiration. This is the one that I'm sharing this week. It's one of my favorites...

Watch out HGTV!

7 years ago I bought these chairs (4 of them) for $25 each, to go with a used table that we had purchased. They weren't my favorite chairs but they worked. I recovered the seats and it made a big difference. Over the last few months, I have noticed that the white in the toile isn't looking quite so white anymore.

This is 3 kids worth of damage here...

I decided last week that I was going to shell out the cash for the fabric to finally recover them. One of my favorite fabric stores in town was having their bi-annual sale this week.

PERFECT TIMING!!!

I decided to get started during nap time today.

Apparently the last time I did this, I thought that I would want this toile FOREVER so I put 30 staples in each corner, not to mention the number that lined the sides. There were staples poppin' out everywhere! The perfect snack for a 2 year old! Watch your eyes kids!

Oh, and the underneath side reminded me of what the original background

color was suppose to look like...

(So that my in-laws won't panic...in reality, I carefully searched the floor for all of the staples and disposed of them properly so as not to cause a choking hazard. No grandchildren were harmed in this do-it-yourself project.) :)

This is the original seat cover. Now, I remember why I decided to cover that up!

This is the new seat cover. The perfect cover to hide all of the grime from a household full of sweet yet grubby little hands.!

Nothing like a couple of hours with a staple gun to make a girl feel better!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Well, not quite. But we did bust out our new Valentine's Day shirts today! Here's my attempt to catch a sweet pic of my little ones...

Really...would you please cooperate.

Enough with the granola bar and drumstick, already.

This one will have to do...


This is also my 3rd attempt at this pose. Oh, how I wish I could get it to work!

Happy "Pre-Valentine's Day" from Team Larsen!

Joy!

My new painting for the living room finally has a frame! I'm so excited!

Sweet loves...

Here are some random pictures of our sweet kids...

Caleb...total 2 year old! Be afraid!

John Patrick likes to stick his tongue out and lick things. STRANGE!! but sweet...

Luke doing "beadies" with his homegirls. Beware...they are saving them up for a "beadie" sale in the spring!

Kate LOVES her baby brother! This was her idea and she wanted me to take her pic with John Patrick is this pose. NICE!

Journey 2009

For the last few years, I have jokingly labeled the year. For example, 2006 was the year of taking risks, 2007 was the year of being a fun mom (hmm...not such a successful year), 2008...well, that was the year of surviving transition so it didn't officially have a label. lol! So, I've been contemplating what this year will hold. This is what I'm thinking...a peaceful home. Not in the sense of quiet, because that would be virtually impossible, but in the sense of being a place where my family can be. A place where we are free to be ourselves without judgement. A place that allows us to feel comfortable and at peace, both in attitude and in feel. This is something that has been on my heart for the last few years but I don't feel like I have made any real growth in this area. So this is going to be the year! Ironically, I have found a number of blogs over the last week that have addressed the same heart. I have enjoyed reading about creating A Soft Place to Land, or about beauty in imperfection from The Nester and Chatting at the Sky. I am on a mission to create a peaceful atmosphere. Part of that process is to remove the clutter

(the beginning of clearing the clutter)

and to SLOWLY create the home that I desire for my family. (I can't wait until garage sale season!)

I'm hoping that by this time next year I will have some things that I love to fill in some of the empty space in our new spacious home. : )

This is one of the first steps in creating a "home" in our new house. $25 worth of supplies. It warms my hyperfrugal heart!

Let the journey begin!