Everyday Living

Bookends: Bringing Lucy Home

~ Bookends, Faith

untitledAdoption and orphan care is very near to the heart of God, as he speaks directly to it many times in his Word…

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this:
to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world”
James 1:27

“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation”
Psalm 68:5

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you”
John 14:18

It would be a futile attempt to try to ignore the commands in scripture to care for orphans.  It is everywhere!  Butch, Seth, and I became involved with an orphanage in Togo, West Africa.  As we traveled there in 2011 to help build facilities to accommodate the children who were left with no one to care for them, two little brothers stole our heart!  We wanted to bring them home.  That was impossible, so we support them monthly to meet their basic needs! You can read more about the orphanage in Togo here: God Is Great.  Within my own family, we have two great nephews who have been adopted from Africa and what joy they have brought to our family!  You can read more of their adoption story here: An Unexpected Journey.

I first “met” Jennifer and the Phillips family when Katy told me of an adoption journey that had literally taken a family half way around the world.  I knew that Jennifer had written a book about their story of heartache and hope, and immediately my interest was peaked-I had to get my hands on it!

Jennifer, thank you for your willingness to share your love for the world, for orphans, and mostly for our God in your book “Bringing Lucy Home”.

I am sure that adoptive moms are warned that many roadblocks can stall the process of adoption.  But I am almost confident that no one could have known to warn Jennifer and her husband Brian, sons Joshua and Andrew, and daughter Sarah Kate what their journey would entail.  Jennifer’s book is a living testimony that giving God your “yes” does not always mean smooth sailing.  It means heartache.  It means sacrifice.  It can even mean separation from family.

Jennifer’s story begins in the heart of a young college student when she was given the opportunity to see much more than just her hometown, and travel to China.  That trip took deep root in her heart that would eventually bring her full circle to her love for her daughter, Lucy.  Several years later after she married Brian and had three children, they answered the call to go to Australia to work with a ministry.  And while they were there, God called them to something even more than they ever expected: to adopt from China.  Ok, let me sort this out: an American family, in Australia, adopting from China.  Should be easy, right?  Not hardly.

Jennifer does an excellent job through her humor and storytelling of welcoming us into her family, the adoption process, and China with them. They landed in Guangzhou, China around Christmas time and everything seemed to go as planned…until.  Brian would take Joshua, Andrew, and Sarah Kate back to Australia to settle back home and into the school year, and Jennifer would take Lucy to the United States for her passport.  What happens next is unthinkable, even for the adoption agency that walked with Jennifer through this process.  The plea for Lucy’s passport was a continual “no”, even going down different avenues to get that passport in hand!  Can you imagine?  Being half way across the world, separated from your husband and children, with your newly adopted (and most precious, I might add) daughter from China, with circumstances looking bleak as to when you would be reunited?

In the book, Jennifer opens wide her heart and lets us in on what God is showing and teaching her through all of this.  She includes excerpts from her blog that make you feel like you are living out the story with her!  As much as your heart aches for her, when she and Lucy finally get the long awaited passport and are able to reunite with the rest of her family after 53 days, you rejoice all the more!

There is much to be learned from the process of adoption.  Seeing the commitment and heartache that accompanied the Phillips family reminds us all that following Christ may be costly, but it is always, always worth it.

I highly recommend that you order this book from Amazon here: Bringing Lucy Home.  And follow along with Jennifer’s life now via her blog here:  Bringing Lucy Home.

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Linking with Pieced Pastimes, It’s Overflowing, Be Different Act Normal, Silver Pennies, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Thoughts From Alice, Pink When, Mod Vintage Life, Coastal Charm, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, The Dedicated House, Dwellings-Heart of Your Home, Savvy Southern Style, Ivy and Elephants, French Country Cottage, From My Front Porch To Yours, Stone Gable, Confessions of a Plate Addict, Worthing Court, Between Naps on the Porch, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, The Style Sisters, The Charm of Home, The Winthrop Chronicles, Cornerstone Confessions, A Delightsome Life, Imparting Grace, Craftberry Bush, Posed Perfection, Katherines Corner, My Romantic Home, Chic On A Shoestring Decorating, Rooted In Thyme, Share Your Cup, The Enchanting Rose, Alabama Women Bloggers, 21 Rosemary Lane, Northern Nesting, Oh My Heartsie Girl,  Cozy Little House

Bookends: Shelf Life

~ Bookends, Decorating

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Proverbs‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬untitled

As an interior decorator, I have organized, accessorized, and styled scores of book cases!  I guess you could say it is one of my fields of expertise.  The problem that most people encounter is the lack of books to fill large built-in bookcases. That would never be a problem in my home! We have hundreds of books and need a library in order to enjoy them and to locate them when we need a particular volume! (See here: My Dream Library). The reason bookcases are problematic is they can look bare from a lack of books or swing the pendulum and be overdone with too many trinkets.  There needs to be balance!  Bookshelves should be inviting with interesting objects and great books that are actually read!  I love old leather books and use them often, but my favorite are books with their worn dust jackets that add color and warmth to a room!  Today I am showing you a small five-shelf bookcase and how I styled it both with books and accessories!  My hope is that you find inspiration and encouragement to experiment with displaying your books and keepsakes.  The walls are hand rubbed in shades of turquoise  and appear brighter in the photos!  But we all know by now that I am a girl who loves color!! All shelves display books, as you will see throughout.  This photo
shows the top four shelves with books and accessories!  The bottom two shelves are shown here You might find it hard to believe, but there are 37 books
on the five shelves!  The top shelf holds an original watercolor painting I bought in
Buenos Aires, an antler box, and a stack of books with a
jeweled carriage on top.
 I have a collection of jewel boxes and this one adds a little
glam to a small stack of devotional books, which by the way, I would recommend all three!6 The second shelf has books on either side of a majolica pitcher!  The third shelf centers books in the middle with accessories
on either side.  On the right side you will see a jeweled giraffe!  The left side of the shelf holds a mini floral oil painting on an easel!  Accessories aren’t always necessary!  It is perfectly ok to have an
entire shelf of books standing.  But to peak interest, I have stacked
books in the middle and topped them off with a family photo.
I always want the spines of the books in view!  Bookcases provide an excellent place for family photos, adding a
personal touch!  A small jeweled frame holds a picture of
Seth and me at his graduation!  The bottom shelf has a stack of decorating books with
accessories on top that include a family photo, a fabulous
scented candle, and a special guitar!  On the left is an old majolica pitcher bought at a benefit auction!  Butch is an excellent guitarist and a friend gave him this
beautifully crafted wood miniature!  Notice every shelf is different in the way the books are organized.
This makes the bookcase more exciting!  The accessories add
color and balance…and most importantly they are treasured
items and we enjoy them on display!  The chinoiserie bookcase by Maitland Smith has a different scene
painted on each shelf.  This piece, I am sure, is meant for displaying
a few objects and not for books hiding its beauty!  Any shelf
is an invitation for me to stack books!

“We read to know that we are not alone”
       -C.S. Lewis

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Linking with Pieced Pastimes, It’s Overflowing, Silver Pennies, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Thoughts From Alice, Pink When, Mod Vintage Life, Coastal Charm, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, The Dedicated House, Dwellings-Heart of Your Home, Savvy Southern Style, Ivy and Elephants, French Country Cottage, From My Front Porch To Yours, Stone Gable, Confessions of a Plate Addict,Worthing Court, Between Naps on the Porch, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, The Style Sisters, The Charm of Home, The Winthrop Chronicles, Cornerstone Confessions, A Delightsome Life, Imparting Grace, Posed Perfection, Katherines Corner, My Romantic Home, Chic On A Shoestring Decorating, Rooted In Thyme, Share Your Cup, The Enchanting Rose, Alabama Womens Bloggers

Bookends: What’s Cookin’?

~ Bookends, Decorating

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction”
Proverbs‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬


Over the past few years, I have taken note of the multi-purpose dining room in many of my books and magazines. Most often I have seen it used as a library with bookcases along the walls, which I think is genius!  Take a look at one on my Pinterest board:


(via)

 Our rather small dining room has two walls of windows and is open to the living room.  That only leaves one wall with just enough room for the dining chairs to pull out…unfortunately, no room for bookcases!! After removing the tablescape from Monday’s party, I decided to repurpose the dining room for the next few days as a place to sit and read through some of my favorite cookbooks! I love cookbooks that not only share recipes, but tell a story.  If my dining room could talk…oh the stories it could tell!  Stories of the many friends and family members that have laughed and cried together, the love shared, and countless meals enjoyed within its space! So for the next few days, I will enjoy sitting at the table and thumbing through stories of food and fellowship!  Just to walk through and to see well-loved books gracing the table is bliss!  I could get lost in here…and maybe I will do just that!

The dining table is stacked with some of my favorite cookbooks!

I placed a heavy throw in a large paisley pattern over the table! With books and a cup of coffee, I was entertained all afternoon!

Very little decoration on the table except a candle (red currant scent), a plate of Granny Smith apples (from Tablescape Tuesday: Let’s Party!) and a terrarium with moss and a couple of male red birds.  Butch plants rye grass every winter and it is so neat to watch the cardinals as they land on the bright green grass with their brilliant red plumage!

Chef Frank Stitt is our favorite!  He is the owner and executive chef of Highlands Bar and Grill, Bottega Restaurant, and Chez Fon Fon in Birmingham.  He is a multi James Beard nominee and was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage” in 2011!
Click here to purchase this book: Frank Stitt’s Southern Table 

I use Ina Garten’s recipes often-they always turn out!
Click here to purchase this book: Barefoot in Paris

This is an old book (published in 1986) and it is special because my friend, Kathy found it and gave it to me.  She always finds unique gifts!
Click here to purchase this book: Entertaining in the French Style

No Southern woman would be without several, if not dozens, of Southern Living cookbooks!

The Foothills Cuisine of Blackberry Farm is my newest cookbook. Butch bought it for me last week while we were visiting the farm! You can read more about our trip here:  Back At The Farm.  I love everything about this book!  It is not just full of recipes and menus, but it highlights some of the “old ways” such as preserving or pickling the garden’s bounty, making cheese from fresh sheep’s milk, or curing meats!  It is a feast visually and I will be trying out recipes very soon!
Click here to purchase this book: The Foothill Cuisine of Blackberry Farm

Marbled Potato Salad with Arugula Pesto!

Vegetables grown on the farm!

Peanut Butter Pie

So gracious of Sam Beall, the proprietor of Blackberry Farm and author of the cookbook, to autograph my copy!

A fun way to use your dining table when you aren’t going to be using it for meals for a few days!

The Collected Tabletop is a lovely entertaining guide and was given to me by my precious friend, Patti!
Click here to purchase this book:  The Collected Tabletop

Every page has stunning photography!

Included inside the book were these creative book marks!!

Patti met the author and had her autograph my copy.  Look at her beautiful handwriting…so rare today!

I recently bought this lovely book “Come to the Table” where celebration is presented as a living thankfulness of God’s goodness!
Click here to purchase this book: Come To The Table 

Gigi’s Baked Carrots are presented in the perfect setting.  It has been said, “that we eat with our eyes first”!


“We read to know that we are not alone”
-C.S. Lewis

Thank you for reading!
And we would love to know…what is your favorite cookbook?
Leave them in the comments below!

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Linking with Pieced Pastimes, It’s Overflowing, Be Different Act Normal, Silver Pennies ,Life on Lakeshore Drive, Thoughts From Alice, Rustic-Refined, Pink When, Mod Vintage Life, Coastal Charm, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, The Dedicated House, Dwellings-Heart of Your Home, Savvy Southern Style, Ivy and Elephants, French Country Cottage, From My Front Porch To Yours, Stone Gable, Confessions of a Plate Addict,Worthing Court, Between Naps on the Porch, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, The Style Sisters, The Charm of Home, The Winthrop Chronicles, Cornerstone Confessions, A Delightsome Life, Imparting Grace, Craftberry Bush, Posed Perfection, Katherines Corner, My Romantic Home, Chic On A Shoestring Decorating, Rooted In Thyme, Share Your Cup, The Enchanting Rose, Alabama Womens Bloggers