I can't believe the first week of December is already behind us. Please tell me it's not just because I'm getting older but isn't time just flying by? I finally finished decorating our cottage and am so excited to start sharing it with you.
I really went with a happy cottage vibe this year and color is definitely front and center. I have tried
I know December is supposed to be the busier month and November the more laid back, pre-holiday, dream and plan month but that hasn't been true around here. It seems October ended with a relaxed little gathering of girlfriends and November rushed in with wave after wave of busy days.
Not that I'm complaining...at all. It has all been good stuff including time with friends and family,
Not that I'm complaining...at all. It has all been good stuff including time with friends and family,
I invited a few girlfriends over for little Halloween gathering last night and I wanted to share all the festive decor I came up using mostly Dollar Tree or hand crafted goodies. This shin dig has been in my head and the preparation stages for over a month so I've had plenty of time to gather a little of this and a little of that plus come up with a crafty gift or two for my guests.
The list maker in me loves a little party planning and this get together was no exception. After
The list maker in me loves a little party planning and this get together was no exception. After
I haven't always embraced Halloween. There was a time when I was careful to go the "cute" route with happy pumpkins and bales of hay (not that there is anything wrong with that) sticking to what would naturally occur in my decor.
Maybe it's having grand boys around or maybe it's just not really caring as much what my house
Maybe it's having grand boys around or maybe it's just not really caring as much what my house
I finally finished the last of the Fall decorating around the cottage over the weekend and now I can't wait to share it with you. I love the colors of fall because they blend so beautifully with the existing color scheme of our home.
One of my favorite things about fall is getting back to bible study at church. We have just started Beth Moore's Entrusted study and I can already tell it's going to be a good one...convicting in all the right ways.
I wanted to give the ladies at my table a little something to encourage them to hunker down with the
I wanted to give the ladies at my table a little something to encourage them to hunker down with the
It's finally beginning to feel a little bit like fall and I've started to put out a few things to celebrate the change of seasons. I saw so many things I loved at Hobby Lobby, Target and the Dollar Tree that I had a hard time waiting for the weather to cool down before decorating for Autumn.
I bought a bag of pumpkin flavored coffee at Cost Plus World Market and lit my pumpkin spice
I bought a bag of pumpkin flavored coffee at Cost Plus World Market and lit my pumpkin spice
I know what you're thinking, love to clean? Maybe I should re-title that to - Learning to appreciate the feeling that having a clean and organized home provides and how that lets me do the fun stuff like bake and decorate and take off on a fun shopping day with friends and even leisurely enjoy tea and a magazine without guilt. But that's a little long for title, don't you think?
I hear from women all the time that they don't like cleaning and they don't want to squander whatlittle free time they have doing something they don't enjoy. I hear you, I have felt the exact same way. I have always wanted to have a clean and organized home but my best intentions were met with distraction and lack of motivation. And so I would put it off until I had a free day or next weekend or before the next gathering in my home and by that time it was so overwhelming that I hated and resented every minute of it. Sound familiar?
I'm hoping to convince you that routinely spending a few extra minutes everyday tackling some of the big stuff in small increments will leave you plenty of free time to do the stuff you love and also provide your family with the feeling of a well loved home. A home that's ready to welcome a friend at a moments notice without panic or embarrassment setting in.
But before we can get to the few extra minutes part we need to establish order and that means assessing what we have, need and use in our lives right now. Not someday in the future or what was in the past, but right now. How do I live my life? How and who do I feed, entertain and want to make comfortable? And then we systematically go room by room and assess our stuff, purge, clean and organize what stays and dispose of by donation, sale or trash what goes.
With the holidays coming I can think of no better time to start. What do you say? Are you with me? Let's make September the month to reclaim our homes and even if we don't learn to love to clean, at least make it the month that we learn to love the feeling having a clean home provides.
Gather your favorite cleaning supplies, a few empty boxes and let's get started. I will be going step by step both here on my blog and by video on YouTube.
Leave me a comment and subscribe here, or go over and subscribe to my YouTube channel and leave a comment there, (or both) if you plan on joining me and that way you'll be notified when I post next.
Trust me the work will be worth it come the holiday season and you're house is ready to decorate and enjoy without the frenzy of having to clean it first.
Let's do this together!
xo, Patty
You might enjoy my posts on cleaning routines and loving our homes that speak along these same lines.
Here's my latest video. I'd love for you to subscribe and join in on the conversation because life isn't about perfection, it's about connection.
I hear from women all the time that they don't like cleaning and they don't want to squander whatlittle free time they have doing something they don't enjoy. I hear you, I have felt the exact same way. I have always wanted to have a clean and organized home but my best intentions were met with distraction and lack of motivation. And so I would put it off until I had a free day or next weekend or before the next gathering in my home and by that time it was so overwhelming that I hated and resented every minute of it. Sound familiar?
I'm hoping to convince you that routinely spending a few extra minutes everyday tackling some of the big stuff in small increments will leave you plenty of free time to do the stuff you love and also provide your family with the feeling of a well loved home. A home that's ready to welcome a friend at a moments notice without panic or embarrassment setting in.
But before we can get to the few extra minutes part we need to establish order and that means assessing what we have, need and use in our lives right now. Not someday in the future or what was in the past, but right now. How do I live my life? How and who do I feed, entertain and want to make comfortable? And then we systematically go room by room and assess our stuff, purge, clean and organize what stays and dispose of by donation, sale or trash what goes.
With the holidays coming I can think of no better time to start. What do you say? Are you with me? Let's make September the month to reclaim our homes and even if we don't learn to love to clean, at least make it the month that we learn to love the feeling having a clean home provides.
Gather your favorite cleaning supplies, a few empty boxes and let's get started. I will be going step by step both here on my blog and by video on YouTube.
Leave me a comment and subscribe here, or go over and subscribe to my YouTube channel and leave a comment there, (or both) if you plan on joining me and that way you'll be notified when I post next.
Trust me the work will be worth it come the holiday season and you're house is ready to decorate and enjoy without the frenzy of having to clean it first.
Let's do this together!
xo, Patty
You might enjoy my posts on cleaning routines and loving our homes that speak along these same lines.
Here's my latest video. I'd love for you to subscribe and join in on the conversation because life isn't about perfection, it's about connection.
I'd love to have you join me over on YouTube where I share more of my cottage style in the home and garden. Here's the link, Lemon Lane Cottage.
Reclaiming, striving, working, living, learning, loving, becoming...these are the words that resonate through my head in the middle of the night as I pray and wonder what my message is. What call to action do I feel led to proclaim?
You see, it is my belief that we all have a purpose. We all have a message to share. We are all here as ambassadors of God. But knowing that in my head and walking it out in my heart are two totally different things.
Given the state of our world I believe the call we have as women to love, nurture, teach and lead by
You see, it is my belief that we all have a purpose. We all have a message to share. We are all here as ambassadors of God. But knowing that in my head and walking it out in my heart are two totally different things.
Given the state of our world I believe the call we have as women to love, nurture, teach and lead by
I know every spring everyone talks about the urge to clean and purge but I think I'm so busy in the garden that the thought of giving up that precious outdoor time to come inside and get organized just passes right by me.
For me that feeling hits somewhere around August when the back to school supplies hit the stores and
For me that feeling hits somewhere around August when the back to school supplies hit the stores and
Hello Monday! It was a busy weekend around here. I had both grand boys on Saturday and at three and nine they sure do give me a run for my money. I adore having them around, the constant buzz and easy laughter, but when bedtime rolls around I'm not sure just who's going to crawl in first, me or them.
I uploaded a video to my YouTube channel on Saturday chatting about sustaining friendships with
I uploaded a video to my YouTube channel on Saturday chatting about sustaining friendships with
I love putting together gift baskets for friends birthdays or other special occasions. They are so easy to tailor make just for the individual and it's easy to tuck in a couple of handmade items which is something I love to include.
I will usually start with a theme for the basket and then start shopping from there. Once I have the
I will usually start with a theme for the basket and then start shopping from there. Once I have the
Every year when August rolls around I know that my garden is going to need a major clean up. I had every intention of getting my entire backyard perennial bed trimmed and weeded last weekend but was clearly (and not so subtlety) reminded that I am not as young as I used to be. Most of the time I'm not a big age kind of person. Don't get me wrong I am not at all thrilled when I look in the mirror or in the replay of a video and see the tell tale signs of my mid century modern self but I'm not that thrown off by it.
What does drive me crazy is how long it takes me to do what I used to in no time at all.
It seems like just yesterday when I was able to work a full time job away from home, clean the entire
What does drive me crazy is how long it takes me to do what I used to in no time at all.
It seems like just yesterday when I was able to work a full time job away from home, clean the entire
I've been on a renewed mission to learn to love my home again. I seem to go through spurts where I dream of selling our house and everything in it and searching for our perfect "dream home". But then reality (with all it's budgets, work locations and the physical labor of packing up our current place) sets in and I start to think of ways I can make changes to have this home a place I truly love being.
I will usually start out making a list of what I'd like to have and then I'll walk through each room in
I will usually start out making a list of what I'd like to have and then I'll walk through each room in
Returning to blogging has been like reuniting with an old friend, after that awkward hello it kind of seems like you never left. Even though so many of those first blogs I fell in love with have ceased to exist there are still quite a few that have hung in there and resisted the lure (or at least returned after a brief tryst) of instagram and remember the way that blogging encourages relationships. And isn't that something that is sorely missing in our hustle and bustle world.
I am talking about just that on my midweek podcast and I'd love to hear what you think. Is it okay to
I am talking about just that on my midweek podcast and I'd love to hear what you think. Is it okay to
When the weather is nice outside I tend to spend most of my free time outdoors but as the temps rise I find myself drawn to the air conditioned comfort of my craft studio. I ducked in there earlier in the week intent on making a few drawstring bags to carry journaling supplies for the ladies who sit around my Tuesday morning bible study table.
I emerged a couple of hours later with six bags and a head full of ideas with what to put in them.
Since I was looking for a creative way to show them my love of bible journaling I put together a kit
I emerged a couple of hours later with six bags and a head full of ideas with what to put in them.
Since I was looking for a creative way to show them my love of bible journaling I put together a kit
Whenever I talk about gardening in January and February I always get comments either about how lucky we are or how we miss out on the normal rest from gardening that winter provides. And then we hit July and August and my desire to be out in the garden hits a wall. That is my "winter break" from gardening, when I rest from the outdoor planting and move into the indoor dreaming of my fall and winter garden.
This year has been a little different in that the weather has stayed relatively pleasant and the garden is still lush enough to draw me out through this last week of July...but I'm waning fast.
Before I go into minimal survival mode (where I do just enough to keep my perennials and heat
I just returned from a little vacation with my mom, sister, brother and two nephews to the resort island of Catalina off the coast of California. My mom has wanted to visit the island for the longest time and as a native Californian it had kind of become a bucket list item.
The city of Avalon is around an hour and a half boat ride from Newport Beach (which is where we
The city of Avalon is around an hour and a half boat ride from Newport Beach (which is where we
On Thursday my mom and sister came out for an early dinner and I had a chance to treat them to a fiesta afternoon complete with Mexican food and festive decor. Despite the fact that we all ate way too much, we had such a nice time.
I can't stress enough how much the little touches you add to a gathering lets people know you care.
I can't stress enough how much the little touches you add to a gathering lets people know you care.
My sister is visiting from Texas for a couple of weeks and I wanted to have her, my mom and sister in law come for dinner while she was out. She hasn't been to our little cottage in a couple of years so I wanted to make it a fun and festive occasion Since the focus with any gathering is connecting, I knew I wanted to keep it simple and for me that usually means Mexican food so I thought immediately of throwing a fiesta inspired gathering.
Once I had the theme set I started shopping my home for anything that might provide a fiesta
Once I had the theme set I started shopping my home for anything that might provide a fiesta
I think I've found my blogging groove again and it feels pretty good. With all the shiny new ways to share on social media (and I do love sharing on instagram, facebook and now YouTube) the art of blogging will always be home for me. I have been typing my heart out in blog posts for nearly nine years and have recorded some major highs and lows in my life along the way.
And our Saturday Morning chats about everything and nothing at all are my absolute favorite.
And our Saturday Morning chats about everything and nothing at all are my absolute favorite.
I'm not even going to pretend to be surprised by the fact that it's already July and the year is halfway over. The swift passing of time just seems to be ever more evident as we age. Don't you agree? Spending time in the garden, even in our mild Southern California climate, only seems to accentuate the passing of seasons for me.
I wish that I had been a more faithful blogger through May and June as that is when my garden is at
I wish that I had been a more faithful blogger through May and June as that is when my garden is at
I'd love to have you join me over on YouTube where I share more of my cottage style in the home and garden. Here's the link, Lemon Lane Cottage.
A few years ago I decided to start a YouTube channel to share basic home keeping skills, gardening and seasonal decor it was called Life on Lemon Lane. In January 2020, due to some negligence on my part and cunning computer skills of a stranger, my channel and the rights to that content were stolen.
Immediately after, I was sure my YouTube "career" was over. I was ready to close that chapter of my life and move on. But as the days wore on I realized I missed creating video content and so I started over with a new channel called Lemon Lane Cottage.
While the content has changed some, I still focus on home and garden, I've added a dash of backyard homesteading, as well as my adventures learning old fashioned skills.
NEW VIDEOS 2 TIMES PER WEEK. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER FOR NOTIFICATION OF NEWLY UPLOADED VIDEOS.
I think April is my absolutely favorite time in the garden. It is really our peak flowering time here in Southern California. And after all the rain we've been blessed with this year is proving to be one of the prettiest ever. So, I apologize in advance for the overload of pictures.
This gorgeous purple iris was a gift a few years ago from the garden of my good friend Elaine from
This gorgeous purple iris was a gift a few years ago from the garden of my good friend Elaine from
Hello there. It seems this year is flying by at break neck speed and despite my best intentions I have just not been able to establish a regular blogging flow. It's not like there hasn't been plenty to share, it's just one of those out of the habit things I guess, and now that it's been so long I'm struggling with where to start.
My hope is that like with any long time friend, once the awkward hello's are over, you just start talking and the ease and flow returns. So here goes...
My hope is that like with any long time friend, once the awkward hello's are over, you just start talking and the ease and flow returns. So here goes...
The sun is shining on what promises to be a spectacular day and weekend for that matter. I woke up fully intent on going out to do a little garden clean up this morning but unfortunately I walked passed my craft studio and the pretty projects I have been working on were hanging on my design wall and just drew me in...so here I sit. That darn squirrel, always taking our focus off what we should be doing.
Is it my imagine or has distraction been a bit of a theme for me lately?
Is it my imagine or has distraction been a bit of a theme for me lately?
It's early Saturday morning and the sound of a good, soaking rain can be heard out my studio window. I'm already on to my second cup of coffee and my head is swimming with the things I want to do versus the things I should do...already the struggle with which tug will be stronger has begun.
There was a time not so long ago when there was no struggle. There was only taking care of what
There was a time not so long ago when there was no struggle. There was only taking care of what
Well hello there. To say I had no intention of going so long without posting would be an understatement. If you are still checking in on blogs in general and my blog in particular than a very Happy New Year to you!
You'd think I'd be full of tales of my exploits while I was MIA but no such luck. Let's just say that
You'd think I'd be full of tales of my exploits while I was MIA but no such luck. Let's just say that
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