Welcome to My Homey Haven!

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Posted on January 1, 2012 by Tonya

Welcome to My Homey Haven, my second home on the web. My first home, The Traveling Praters is all about my family’s fun, family friendly, educational travel adventures.

This site, My Homey Haven is about everything else that interests me,
specifically focused around homemaking and household management with an
emphasis on hospitality. I don’t pretend to be an expert. This is all about learning as I go.

This is my space to relax, gather with friends and share some of the areas that the Lord is working in my life and what I’m learning as a result.

This blog has grown out of a desire to share my heart as I begin to set up a homey haven for my family in a new place, in a new state. Please join me as I share my heart, my hopes, and my home.

Hidden Art of Homemaking- Food

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Tonya

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I could have spent a LONG time reading this LONG chapter which is full of nuggets of wisdom. I’m already planning to re-read this chapter and have a feeling that this post will get a revision in the near future.

What struck me in this chapter is once again the mention of “hidden art”. When it comes to food, I think of hidden art as in presentation of the food that you serve (not necessarily what she mentions here in the chapter- this is my take). My family went on a cruise last year and I marvelled at the food presentation when we ate our evening meal in the dining room. It wasn’t just the way that the food was so carefully arranged, but the table presentation and carfully dressing for the meal that really made our meal something to look forward to each evening. My kids loved it.

Which got me to start thinking. I don’t dislike cooking, but I don’t necessarily love it either. I wonder if my lack of enthusiasm is short changing my family. Clearly, family meal time could truly be something to look forward to with a bit more planning and effort on my part. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that each meal needs to be a spectacular over-the-top event but it wouldn’t kill me to dig out the china I inherited from my grandmother with a pair of candles and fabric napkins and dress up on a few ocassions. I don’t think my kids would even care as much about the food- it would be more about the experience and family time.

My goal this week is to do just that. To plan a meal that makes my entire family feel special and celebrate the blessings the Lord has given me while breaking bread.

How has this chapter impacted you?

Hidden Art of Homemaking- Flower Arrangements

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Tonya

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I love flowers. I decorate with vases of silk flowers, have dried flower displays, paintings of flowers, floating candles shaped like flowers, fabrics covered with flowers, and as often as I can, I love to brighten my home with fresh flowers. I just love flowers.

I can’t wait to plant a cut flower garden this spring, just so I can have beautiful floral arrangements all the time. When we were staying in a hotel room while traveling with my husband’s job, the kids and I would visit the local farmers market each week to grab a small bouquet of flowers to make our room feel homier. On the weeks that I really couldn’t afford the flowers, I’d buy some fresh fruit and arrange them in a large plastic bowl (after all, we did need to eat, didn’t we?). These simple steps easily created a more home-like atmosphere.

For years, my kids and I took Fridays off of school and visited my grandparents. I’ll never forget the day we stopped and bought flowers for my shut-in grandmother. She wasn’t entirely a shut-in. She was able to leave the house physically, but since my grandfather died, she rarely left the house. Many times she didn’t even welcome visitors- though she always warmed up to us after we’d been there for awhile. This particular day I’d picked up a small bouquet of flowers for her. It wasn’t for her birthday or special occasion. It was just because I thought she might like them. I was so happy that I made the gesture. She smiled and loved those flowers, exclaiming how beautiful they were throughout our entire visit. A simple act of kindness brought her much happiness. I’d forgotten that memory until I read this chapter.

I love this quote from the book:

“If you have been afraid that your love of beautiful flowers and the flickering flame of the candle is somehow less spiritual than living in starkness and ugliness, remember that He who created you to be creative gave you the things with which to make beauty and gave you the sensitivity to appreciate and respond to His creation. Creativity is His gift to you and the ‘raw materials’ to be put together in various ways are His gift to you as well.”

How will you beautify your home today?

I’ll have the next chapter up tomorrow- and I’m working really hard to get back on track.

A Simple Drop Cloth Pillow

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Tonya

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I guess I’ve just been in a crafty mood lately. I had some leftover drop cloth material from an ottoman that I recovered so I decided to make a simple drop cloth pillow. I’d tell you all about it in step- by- step directions, but I kind of wing-it most of the time.

Using stencils, I painted three diamonds on a scrap of drop cloth. I began to sew the pillow while waiting for the paint to dry.

After the green pain dried, I painted a letter “P” right on top, in black.

When the paint dried, I added some decorative trim around the edges with hot glue. Next, I glued the decorative drop cloth on a slightly larger scrap of burlap and tacked it onto the front of the pillow.

This simple project took about an hour and a half to two hours to complete. I could have finished it quicker, but I have yet to learn to use a sewing machine and hand stitching takes a bit of time.

I like the way it turned out and I’ll make a few more but I’ve decided to wait until after I’ve learned how to operate a sewing machine.

Platters + Custard Cups= an Adorable Candleholder

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Tonya

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I love simple, pretty decorations. While I love to shop, I find much satisfaction in finding new uses for items that I already have around the house.

Lately I found these beautiful flower shaped floating candles at the thrift store. I’m a sucker for candles and they were a great price so I just couldn’t pass them up. Originally, I thought I’d place them in a crystal compote that I have stored in my cupboard, or in one of my many decorative bowls, but I just didn’t like the result.

Since I am going through “an everything- white- and- milk- glass- phase ”, I decided to try something a bit different. I found three custard cups that were the perfect size for the candles. After digging around a bit more, I found this white platter to sit the cups on. I arranged everything the way I wanted and added some silk pink rosebuds for a touch of color.

I love the result- simple, yet elegant.

Who would have thought a platter and a few custard cups could make such an adorable candleholder?

DIY Twine & Burlap Candleholders- an Easy 15 Minute Craft

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Tonya

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I’ve been saving glass jars, thinking I could surely find a use for them and today it hit me!

I’d add a bit of burlap and twine from my craft closet and make simple candleholders. Originally, I thought I’d use these to decorate in the house, but the more I think about it, the more I think these will be a perfect addition to our deck.

They really couldn’t have been any easier to make. While the rest of my family was watching a movie that bored me to tears, I slipped away for a few minutes and they never even missed me.

I gathered my trusty hot glue gun, some scraps of burlap, twine and a few clean glass jars.

I simply wrapped a scrap of burlap around the middle of the jar and secured it with hot glue. Next, I added a few blobs of hot glue around the top of the glass and wrapped enough twine around it to hide the ridges.

Wa-la! A simple project that I’ll enjoy on my deck all summer long after I add a bit of sand and citronella tea lights!