Jerusalem Jackson Greer's Blog, page 17
April 9, 2015
Thrifty Thursday – Big Thing O’String
Happy #ThriftyThursday friends!
(Is #ThriftyThursday even a thing, or did I make it up?)
This week is my nine year blogiversary! I know – almost a decade. What in the world? And while I have been working on a bigger post about what I have learned in nine years of blogging, I have been reminiscing about all the things I used to post about, but somewhere along the line, stopped. Like posting about my thrifty finds.
I don’t know why I stopped posting about my thrift store and flea market adventures (Maybe because there is something a little odd about sharing what you buy with the world? Or maybe it was during one of my blog-identity-crisis’?) But the truth is that I love it when other people post their thrifty treasures on their blogs or on Instagram. It is always so fun to see what others are drawn to.
So I decided to bring this posting tradition back here on my blog, for old times sake.
Here are this weeks scores:
They are in no particular order –
A box of real wooden blocks. These I am going to clean up, and give to my nephew later on when he is a little bigger. Old school wooden blocks are the BEST and my boys loved theirs.
The biggest spool of string ever. We will now never run out of string again. When I bought it, the checkout gal asked me ” What are you going to do with this?” You should have seen her face when I said “Look at it.” Of course I have a feeling it will get used for all sorts of things. Wonder how long it will last…
A stripey dish towel. This will probably become a pillow or part of a pillow. The colors are too perfect.
A yellow and white hankie. No plans yet, but it will come to me.
A No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Book. I loved this (brief) tv series and I have wanted to read all the books since I first saw this show. Lately I have been looking for a series to obsess over, and when I saw this book I knew the time was right to pick these up again.
Mini-Fruit Baskets. These will go in the new kitchen. Either as light fixtures or as baskets. Not sure yet.
Happy Thursday friends!
J
Filed under: Blog, Fluff Tagged: featured, Thrifty Thursday
April 7, 2015
Homespun Easter – Dying Eggs
Y’all. We did it. We made it through a 13 service Holy Week intact and happy! Alleluia!
And even though I am low on words, because I am low on energy, I had to post these pics of us dying our Easter Eggs because if I don’t my grandmother Maw will worry. This is the first year we haven’t been able to go to her house on Holy Saturday to dye our eggs in years, and she was worried that we would miss this tradition all together because of our crazy week. I promised her that we would dye eggs, and by golly, by the skin of our teeth, we did!
Saturday between stuffing eggs for the hunt and going back to the church for the late night vigil, we ran home for a dinner of leftovers, and egg dying, on the deck. Because the dining room table is still covered with tools for the kitchen remodel we decided to dye the eggs on the deck, on the card table. So much less stress about mess this way. Plus we got to enjoy the absolutely amazing weather. And I pinched myself one more time that we live here. It really is a dream come true.
Wylie got ahold of the infamous wax crayon first and made this beautiful egg.
Isn’t he a handsome young man? Cannot believe he is almost as tall as me. The first time we dyed eggs he had to sit on my lap. Next year he will probably tower over me. Please, will someone make it stop?
All the colors = all the happy.
Egg dying has never been just for kids in our house. Even Sweet Man gets in on the action.
Pink Death Star Egg. Disney needs to call me. I think I could trademark this.
This face. Those freckles. The spaghetti sauce on the chin. Be still my heart.
This year we only dyed two dozen and it was only our time constraints that kept me from feeling cheated. When the whole gang is together – aunts and uncles and grandparents – we have been known to dye four -five dozen. I think I could dye eggs for days.
The cracked eggs are always my favorites to dye. I love their broken beauty. I love how the color seeps in and leaves traces of its presence on the cooked egg itself. I love to make egg salad, all marbled with the pinks and blues and purples of Easter morning.
Which is just the beauty of Eastertide isn’t it?
Much love friends!
J
April 6, 2015
Book Club Guide
Y’all I am so excited about this! My new Reflection and Discussion Guide is now avilible for free download!
This guide includes the following prompts for each chapter:
Scripture Readings
Discussion Questions
Action Task
The guide can be use for Small Groups, Family Groups, Book Clubs, MOPS Groups, and by families @ home all year long!
Filed under: Faith Tagged: A Homemade Year, featured
April 2, 2015
On Maundy Thursday
Now the Son of Man will be glorified as God is glorified in Him. If God’s glory is in Him, His glory is also in God. The moment of this astounding glory is imminent. My children, My time here is brief. You will be searching for Me; and as I told the Jews, “You cannot go where I am going.” So I give you a new command: Love each other deeply and fully. Remember the ways that I have loved you, and demonstrate your love for others in those same ways. Everyone will know you as My followers if you demonstrate your love to others. – John 13:31-35
Filed under: Faith Tagged: Lent
April 1, 2015
Easter Decorations Retrospective
A little look back at my Easter decor over the years…. I haven’t done much – if anything – for the past few years. Will be interesting to see what form seasonal decorating takes in our new house once all the remodling is finished as I have given away so much of what is in these pics.
Originally posted on Jerusalem Greer:
The Easter decorating is very minimal this year. Miles was in charge and lots of cute touches like the little chick on top of the hot air balloon lamp.
For whatever reason I haven’t snapped many photo’s of this years decorations, so I thought it might be fun to go back and look at all the various Easter decorating I have done since I started the blog oh so many years ago (and one before the blog!)
Hanging Easter Wreath – I still love this project. This was in our old house and at the very beginning of my crafty/decorating phase.
2003
Early days of the China Hutch and my nest collection.
2008
Egg cup collection takes off – I wish I could find more of those candles!
This tree is no longer pink. It is a weird peachy color and I didn’t even get it down this year…
View original 50 more words
Filed under: Blog Tagged: Holiday
March 30, 2015
A Family Lent: Holy Week
Today is the last post of this series and I have so enjoyed sharing this Lenten journey with you all. As you know this is a crazy wonderful busy week for me, so I am punting a bit on today’s post by sending you to another post I wrote specficially on this week. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Happy Holy Week to you all!
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Many of us long to make Holy Week (the days between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday) more meaningful for our families. We want more than waiting to put on our fancy new clothes, gorging on candy, and stressing about creating the perfect Pinterest-worthy tablescape. But where do we start? And how do we make time in what is already a busy week?
For a few of my ideas for families of all sizes and ages to connect to the Triduum with a just a few minutes each evening continue on to Building Faith where I share inspiration for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.
Click Here to Continue to the Prepare: Holy Week @ Home Article
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To read the entire series follow these links:
A Family Lent Week 1 – Surrender
Enjoying this series? Looking for more ways to practice faith at home beyond EASTER?
Try my book A Homemade Year: The Blessings of Cooking, Crafting, and Coming Together
Filed under: Blog, Faith, Family Tagged: craft, featured, Lent
March 27, 2015
Friday Favorites – Makin Me Smile
Hi y’all! As you probably know Holy Week begins on Sunday which means my plate is OVERFLOWING with good stuff and church stuff and work stuff. Every church and every stream of faith celebrates Palm Sunday, Easter and the days in between a little differently. For our church, an Episcopal church, it means 13 different services over the course of 8 days. Which I (confessed church nerd that I am) find thrilling, but which also is a bit of a marathon. So next week I will be running some oldies but goodies from Easters of the past 9 years (9!) of this blog, and linking to some guest post.
Until there, here is a little bit of what is making me smile on the interwebs this week:
On Farmstead
I have to keep telling myself that THIS year is about the house and NEXT year I can have chickens and a garden. But boy it is hard to wait. But this post from Ashleyann made me feel better about how slow progress is STILL progress. I am holding to that today.
Spring planting with the family reject gardener
On Family
This is me and my parents, Johnny and Tanya Jackson with me around 1976… About the time Sweet Man was born. (Yes, I am the older woman…)
Today I read this wonderful post by Rachel about her parents and I just had to share. Because this could also be a post about my parents. And I am so grateful for them and their support and love. Even when we do not exactly agree. It also gives me hope as a mother – that even if my boys faith looks different from mine I know I have a great example of how to navigate those waters.
My Parents by Rachel Held Evans
On Fluff
We have two sets of stairs in this house. One big set that lead down to what will be my craft studio. and another small set that leads from our entryway into our main living space. I want to do this Painted stairs treatment on at least one set… Maybe even both…
On Fete
encouraging sisterhood + spring craft party recap from Natalie Creates
“it’s an opportunity for women to come together & just be who they are – messy & creative.”
Yep! That’s me!
I was so fortunate to get to attend this great event hosted by Natalie. Check out her adorable pics of the whole afternoon on her post.
Thanks Natalie!
Just Because
Art of Simple Podcast from Tsh Oxenrider
For a couple of years Sweet Man has been trying to get me to listen to podcast but I never knew where to look for my sort of podcast. That was until I realized that if anyone had a podcast it would be Tsh. So I got on my Stitcher app and voila! There she was and with so many of my favorite people as guest! Wylie recently listened to an episode with me and afterwards he said “Momma! These are your people!” Ha! Listening to Tsh and her guest is like having my best girlfriends over to talk to me while I clean the bathroom or run errands or drive to my parents house. Just perfect.
Making Me Smile Over and Over
This Video. And I am now addicted to this song.
So that is what is making me smile this week!
What about you?
Filed under: Blog, Uncategorized Tagged: Friday Favorites
March 25, 2015
Slow Home Design: 2 Slipcovers 1 Couch
I am sure that by now you have heard of the Slow Movement. Slow Food, Slow Living, Slow Church… Well, I am on that bandwagon in a big way. In fact it is something Sweet Man and I have been working towards for a few years. We have been in the VERY slow process of shedding an ethos that tells us to Do More Faster Now, and replacing it bit by bit by a philosophy I call Slow Home. For us, our Slow Home mantra is Slow Down, Dig In and Spread Out. This mantra has applied to everything from our work lives, how we feed our family, how we raise our boys, to how we are remodeling and decorating this house. Which is how I created a little litmus test for how I am approaching the renovation and furnishing of our Preservation Acres based on what I call our Slow Home philosophy, which at its core is about creating a life where you are able to be present and content while continuing to grow.
5 Rules of Slow Home Design
1. Is it practical? I now live on 8 acres with a host of critters and teenagers. White slipcovers are no longer going to cut it. Neither are dainty wooden chairs. I need items that are sturdy, washable, and not terribly precious. I do not need the increased anxiety that comes from worrying about things being ruined.
2.Does it have a place? This could also be “is it useful,” but frankly somethings are just lovely and not that useful. Like a collection of vintage globes. So instead I ask – do I have a place for it? Do I know where I will place it/hang it/use it? If not, I leave it behind. No sense in having a closet full of unused albeit lovely – items.
3. Does it brig joy? Do I really love it or is it just trendy? Does it make me do a happy dance or just feel “eh”? Am I just trying to “get it done,” or am I choosing things that bring me joy? This rule says “Only things that pass the happy dance test come through the doors.” Which sometimes means you wait six months to find the perfect pillow or three years to find the right rug.
4. Is it inviting? Does it make friends and family feel at home? Are their places for them to put their feet up, comfy chairs to sink into, a place to sit or stand in the kitchen while I cook, easy-to-find stemware for getting water? What is the point of having a home to share if no one feels welcome there?
5. Can I afford it without regret (i.e. debt, robbing Peter to pay Paul etc.) This is a big one for me, and has been a hard lesson to learn, and this is the one that will slow me down every time. Waiting to buy items that are pleasing, practical, inviting, have a place, and that I can afford with cash sometimes takes a while, but in the end, I never ever regret what I have purchased, and each item brings that much more joy for the time and thought I put into choosing it.
This process of Slow Home Design is how I came to possess two slipcovers for one couch.
I bought our super-comfy-not-too-huge-sectional a few years ago at a Goodwill for $60. (I know. BEST. FIND. EVER. Try not to hate.) While the maize yellow worked well at our last house I wasn’t loving it here at the farm. Also between the boys and the dogs and the occasional barn cat who sneaked inside there was A LOT of dirt being tracked in everywhere. Including on the furniture.
So something had to be done. My intention has always been to have custom white denim slipcovers made for this couch, but remembering rules 1,4,and 5, I realized that this was not the right season for this plan. especially after reading Serena’s post about white furniture.
Which led to Plan B.
Store-bought Slipcovers.
Before I chose these slipcovers I did a lot of research and thinking.
I tried to find ready-made slipcovers that would fit my style of sectional but never found them, which led to the idea of using two regular sofa slipcovers for my one sectional. (Rule 2)
Next, I looked at pictures of sofas online and thought about what I liked and didn’t like colorwise. (Rule 3)
I determined how much I wanted to spend in total based on how much money I knew I could spend without breaking Rule 5.
Based on both my style and the wear and tear that they would get I eliminated all options that were made of a a precious fabric – so no velvet, stretch, damask, or silky textures. (Rules 1 & 4)
And finally I decided that I wanted to order them online via a store with a local location so that if I didn’t like them I could return them to store without having to pay return shipping (again helping me to live by Rule 5.)
All of these criteria led me to the Sure Fit Grainsack Sofa Slipcover from Target.
So how are they working?
Great! But again, I believe in a beautimess style of design, so I am not looking for perfect.
Here are the things you should know if you are thinking of trying this:
Loose Slipcovers Bunch Up. Often their “slip” shows.
I am actually thinking of cutting of the skirt on my sofas because eventually I will have them completely recovered, but I am not quite brave enough yet. For now, I just hike down the slipcover a little more when company is coming over.
Loose Slipcovers are…. Often Loose.
They never fit perfectly. They are baggy in some places and tight in others. But I am okay with that. It fits our comfy look.
Loose Slipcovers Move.
For our sofas, it is good that the back of the sofas don’t show. There is a lot of hiking up in the back as well due to our rough and rowdy crew.
And because I am using regular sofa covers on a sectional there are a few wonky spots where the slipcover doesn’t cover the back corner all the way to the floor.
This picture shows this corner all the way down, but after Sweet Man has watched a few basketball games on it, I have to pull it back down again, but it is worth it not to have worry about spilled salsa or muddy dog prints. These covers wash up great!
So there you have it. How I used two slipcovers (beautimess that they are) for one sofa, and a few little guidelines for Slow Home Design.
Our house is still in major upheaval (don’t let these pictures fool you – If you look closely you will see that there are no baseboard or trim molding anywhere and that is only a snippet of what needs to be done…) as the kitchen remodel continues and our to-do list only seems to grow longer, but by tackling this one issue – our sofa – I feel encouraged that in the end our Slow Home approach to working on this house will be well worth it.
Much like the Velveteen Rabbit, our home will be well-loved, and very real. A haven.
XO Friends-
J
Filed under: Blog, Fluff Tagged: featured, My Home, Slow Home
March 23, 2015
A Family Lent – Week 5: Serve
Hi friends!
Well its Spring Break which means that things are topsy-turvy (but in a good way) around here!
This weeks theme is Serve and I will just be honest – between continuing to work on our kitchen project, writing deadlines, and getting the kids ready for their Spring Break trip to the grandparents I did not come up with anything new for this week. Instead I thought I would share with you a list of things that our family has done in the past to help serve our neighbors – local and worldwide – and give you a few links to really great post loaded with ideas for all ages on how to serve as a family – with kids of all ages. Serving with kids can be amazing as their hearts and eyes are twice as open as ours. The key to serving as a family is to find things that you all are passionate about – that fits your families values, interest, and skills. Our family loves to cook, loves to eat, loves to be at home together, loves to grow things – so all of the ways we serve tend to be focused around those sorts of projects – sharing meals and creating comfy, warm, environments. This week as you brainstorm with your family about how you can serve, begin by asking the questions: What do we love to do? And then ask, Who needs some of that? I think you will find serving so much more rewarding for everyone if you take this approach!
(feel free to copy and paste and print this Least of These image)
Here are a few ways that our family has served our neighbors in the past:
Decorating/Furnishing an Emergency Refuge House for Homeless Women and Children (the kids helped unpack all the donations, washed all the donated dishes, hauled trash, made beds, and helped put together furniture.)
Cooking Wednesday night meals for our church family for all of Lent (the kids set the tables, served the bread, washed dishes, helped prep salad fixins, and helped clean at the end.)
Collecting funds to build a house for a grandmother in Swaziland (we used social media to do this and it worked great!)
Collecting coins to buy blankets, thermos, and sweaters for homeless men (My youngest Miles created a collection jar to sit on my desk at work when he was 2nd grade. Once it was full we went to a local thrift store where he could get more bang for his buck, and he picked out an assortment of goods. On Christmas Eve we drove past a local shelter that was full and handed out everything he bought to the guys sleeping behind the dumpster. My boys even pulled out the $5 that their great-grandad had given them and gave that away as well.)
Collecting cans to trade in for gas cards for non-profits to use (Beer card, soda cans, tea cans – you name it – we collect cans, especially after a big cook-out or party. We donate these cans to a local non-profit who uses them to put gas in their vans that go into the community to work with those hurting.)
Handing out free stamps outside the post-office on Tax Day (of course this was before everyone filed electronically)
Cooking & serving meals in a Homeless Warming Shelter (the lines can get really long, so we handed the kids baskets of cookies and muffins and had them go hand out snacks to everyone who was waiting. They also took bowls of soup to those who had trouble walking and refilled cups with tea and water and coffee.)
Here are some links to some other great ideas for ways to serve:
Acts of kindness and Service for Spring Break
10 Acts of Love for Your Neighborhood
Dinner’s On Us (we have to do this soon!)
Movies:
The Blind Side
UP
Books
Same Kind of Different as Me – Ron Hall
A Castle on Viola Street – Dyanne DiSalvo
Are you creating A Family Lent box to keep tactile reminders of your Lenten practice in? If so, for this week ‘s theme Serve have every family member write or draw an example of a service project that they would like your family to do in the next year. Doing a service project this week? Snap a couple of pictures and have them printed (old school!) and add those to the box as a reminder that what you does matter! Thanks again for sharing this Lenten journey with me! It has been a great adventure – and only one week left after this one!
Much love,
J
PS -Want to see ideas from the previous two weeks? Here they are:
A Family Lent Week 1 – Surrender
Enjoying this series? Looking for more ways to practice faith at home?
Try my book A Homemade Year: The Blessings of Cooking, Crafting, and Coming Together
Filed under: Blog, Faith, Family, Uncategorized Tagged: craft, Lent
March 19, 2015
You Are Not Alone
Spring is doing it’s one-step-foward-one-step-back dance and it’s got me all jittery.
For two days I basked in sun and good cheer and the hope that our land would dry out and things like spray painting could once again commence. (I know, spray painting. But look, I have a new house. There is A LOT of spray painting in my future. And I would like my bed off the floor.)
And then today the rain and the chill came back. Just when I had finally painted my toes red and unearthed a pair of flip-flops.
Curses.
It put me in a mood.
And so I thought I would tell you that if you are also in a mood – perhaps one brought on by indecisive weather patterns and spoiled plans – that you are not alone. Not by a long shot.
You are also not alone if
You have to have tunnel vision in order to not to be consumed by the Grand To-Do List.
Your tunnel vision means that in addition to being able to ignore all the things you cannot change yet, you also miss some of the good things staring you in the face. Like a husband that reaches for you across the great divide of blankets once the house is finally still.
You are not alone if
Your words come out all helter skelter because of how many thoughts are trying to escape the overcrowded express train that is your brain.
Your checking account is looking rather grim more often than you would like.
You are having to make hard decisions about your children’s schooling.
You are not alone if
You are watching Fixer Upper episodes so often you can quote Chip’s jokes along with the show.
You have a child he thinks he is a stand-up comic and turns every serious conversation into joke-fodder. Including discussions on faith.
You wonder if it is possible to truly be happy with the body you have.
You are not alone if
You find yourself unfollowing more and more people on social media because you do not have enough margin in your life for that sort of hate.
You wonder if Jesus would unfollow people on social media or if His love is actually bigger than that. (You suspect maybe it is. )
You realize that someone has probably unfollowed you for your beliefs as well.
You give thanks that Jesus’ love is also big enough for your brand of special.
You are not alone friends. I am right there with you.
So maybe today we put on something colorful, a crazy hat, our wildest glasses, our brightest lipstick – so that we can pick each other out of a crowd. Maybe today we look for the others who look like they need a knowing smile. We look for the mother with the screaming toddler in the check-out line. The doctor who is always running behind. The teacher worn out from standardized testing. The single mom with the sour-faced teen at the next table. We look for them and we smile. We get in their line and play peek-a-boo. We forgive their lateness. We send adult snacks and kind notes. We buy them desert. We look for anyway possible to pass the secret handshake that screams I AM WITH YOU SISTER!
Today let’s not compare our insides to someone elses outsides.
Today let us just be together. As we are. Coloful, messy, broken, beautiful.
Shall we?
xo
J
Filed under: Blog Tagged: featured, Friends
