Tidy Brown Wren, bringing order to your nest

If you love linens and dishes as much as I do, then you know the challange of storing all of your treasures without being overwhelmed by them.   I found some creative ideas for dining room storage that should help you get started.  Here's an idea from Martha herself.  Perfect for a narrow hallway.  If you don't have room for folding and storing linens, then hanging them is the next best thing.  I hang my ironed linens on hangers and store them in an extra closet.  That way they are ready to use at a moments notice.    Source: themarthablog.com via Jen on Pinterest I've always dreamed of having a cabinet with dowels to hold my tablecloths and runners.  Hmmm. . . maybe one day. Source: southernhospitality-rhoda.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest Here's another option. Source: bhg.com via Kathryn on Pinterest I like the idea of a small buffet near the dining table to work as a storage solutio...

The other night, as I was walking across the back deck, I glanced into the back of the house and thought "how cozy". I simplified the Christmas decor this year, so I was a little worried that I wasn't "Christmasy" enough.  Instead of using a lot of little items, I simply used larger decorations and fewer of them.  I think lights make the biggest impact.  They contrast with the darkness of the winter evening.  The front of the house got a photo at night, too.   The Christmas tree on the front porch is covered with rustic ornaments that will hold up well outside. Thanks for peeking through the window with me.   

I've never really met a dish I didn't like.  Bowls, plates, pitchers, platters.  I love them all. The problem with loving dishes is that you have to have a place to store them.   This week the Monday Motivation will be to clean out your dining room in preparation for the holiday festivities.  Where to start? 1.   First, go through any piles or "stashes" you have in the room.  Dining rooms tend to be a dumping ground for items you don't know what to do with simply because it is a room that is not used frequently.  If you've decluttered with me before, you know the routine. . .            a.   set out a black garbage bag for trash            b.   set out a box or bin for sorting your items (keep, donate or sell, return to another place in the house, return to another person, needs repair etc.)  Your categories can be whatever works for y...

This was the first year, in many years, that Hubs and I decorated our tree by ourselves.  Our daughters are married and have homes and families of their own.  Our son is away at Marine training (but will hopefully be home for a few days near Christmas). Without the kids around to fight over ornaments or step on each other's toes, the house was strangely quiet, except for the Christmas music playing in the background. What I noticed when opening our box of ornaments was that several of them needed a bit of TLC.  Over the years, I haven't really done much with the ornaments except unwrap, hang, unhang, re- wrap, and re-pack.  I decided that this year would be the time to repair and refurbish some of those little cuties.  I put together a little kit to help with the process. I used my Sparkle Cleaner , a jewelry polishing cloth, super glue, small sharp scissors, and a small paint brush.  I also ended up using some clear finger-nail polish which I di...

  How did your dining room function for you for the Thanksgiving holiday? Does it need to be organized before Christmas? For the month of December we'll check out how to organize and spruce up the dining room. This week we'll do some brain storming about the purpose of the room Next week we'll get our hands dirty with purging and rearranging. The following week we'll look at storage solutions. Our last week will cover decorating and inspirational ideas. Source: architecturaldigest.com via Jennifer on Pinterest So, let's do some brainstorming by asking some questions. . . 1.   Is this room used daily or occasionally? 2 .  How many people use the room? 3.   What activities take place in this room?  (eating, homework, crafts, home office?) 4.   What items need to be stored in this room? (dishes, linens, school/office supplies?) 5.   How well does the lighting function?  Does e...

Wishing you and your family a very blessed and thankful Thanksgiving. Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow.    Praise Him All Creatures Here Below. Praise Him Above Ye Heavenly Host.    Praise Father, Son, And Holy Ghost.   Amen.

When does aesthetics give up it's rights and give in to practicality?  That is a question I have had to mull over in my little brain lately. You see, I just couldn't leave my canning jars be canning jars.  I had to "cutify" my home canned relish, salsa, and tomatoes by adding tags and burlap toppers.  It was fun while it lasted, but something had to go.  I had neglected to remember that burlap sheds.  Badly. After several weeks of opening my pantry to find burlap dust on the shelves, I knew it was time to take action.  I removed the burlap covers and left the hairbands and labels attached.  Function over form.  I knew better - I really did - I just wanted to try something different. The new hair bands and labels by themselves are working great.  Now my shelves are clean and tidy again.  All better, now.