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Dawn
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 8:24am | IP Logged
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I just posted about our learning room this week - *and* thanks to this thread, I included a picture of A. the bugs that have been infesting it  and B. my teachers' table which is the epitome of clutter!!  
Mary, I so agree that our homes reflect our preferred environment. I marvel at my neighbor's white floors, walls and furniture, but truthfully, I wouldn't want it. They have one child (daycare/school/summer camp) and a cleaning lady. I wouldn't trade one bit of my life - as messy and overhwelming and draining and chaotic as it can be - for a pristine house. Our yard is overgrown with shrubs and, ahem, weeds here and there, but we have beautiful birds and critters visiting ... if we vacuumed our yards like our neighbors we wouldn't have nearly as lively a habitat to enjoy! 
I'm actually kind of proud of all our clutter - it literally screams "KIDS LIVE AND LEARN HERE!" and thats just what I want it to say!
Oh, and Molly, I meant to say I LOVE the chicken! I would love to have chickens in our yard! 
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys 
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 8:58am | IP Logged
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I agree about the cabin fever. We've got it big time. If it is going to be this cold, at least it could snow and make it worth it!
I am even contemplating a trip to...Gulp...McDonalds playland just so the littles can run around a bit.
I absolutely cannot wait until spring!!!!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 9:06am | IP Logged
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About the Lovliness Fairs. I have to say they had 2 effcts on me.
The first was clearly unintentional and part of my own issues, no one's fault but my own-they did make me feel a bit inadequate at times, seeing all the lovliness that I know I can never achieve simply due to monetary reasons.
The second was the real intent- I was inspired by many of the posts just to make more of an effort to beautify what I do have. The little touches, the little efforts, the obvious time and attention spent on making our homes a haven for our families. I have decluttered significantly, put more thought into how I display things (pretty baskets instead of plastic crates, etc)and I make that little bit more of an effort to make our home more welcoming to dh when he walks in the door. My house is still, and will always be "lived in" but thanks to the loveliness fairs, it does look a little more like humans live here, rather than pack rats!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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KellyinPA
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 9:25am | IP Logged
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The Loveliness Fairs happened before I was a part of this forum but I have gone back and looked through several of them. For me, it was like being invited into a friends home. I think we all will clean up a little before our friends come to visit(and if we are REALLY on our game, before our husbands come home too ) but I would never expect my home or theirs to be "company ready" all the time.
For most of us this is the season of children. And children are, well, messy But that doesn't mean from time to time, we can't enjoy a clean, uncluttered area of our home, a perfectly organized pantry or a lovingly set dining table. It's these little bits of inspired beauty that can help us get through another one of "those" days.
I appreciate all the posts of loveliness as well as the candid shots of what current mess we are dealing with. It's so much fun being a part of this "REAL" forum where we can share bits and pieces of our lives with each other and just know somewhere out there, there is another mom who has, is or will at some time being going through the same thing.
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Blessings,
Kelly
mom to 6 blessings
the abundant life
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Lisbet
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 9:53am | IP Logged
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This thread is really great. Molly that picture is awesome!  Yesterday, I took pics of our laundry room and clothes room, contemplating blogging about our laundry system, but hesitant b/c is, well, functional but not pretty, not pretty at all. I will post them though, and I may take a walk through the house with my camera, and share a real live look at the mess...
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Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
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PDyer
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 9:54am | IP Logged
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If only I had a digital camera! I would love to share pictures of our rubble. My desk is such a disaster I can't use it for working. I need to re-evaluate our learning room so it has been great to see pictures of everyone's homes and take inspiration from here and there. Thanks so much!
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
Life at Home
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Lisbet
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 10:15am | IP Logged
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Okay, here it is, a stroll though my house.
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Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
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Lisbet
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 10:18am | IP Logged
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I also thought I would mention that the toddler is running around here in a dirty diaper, he has been for about 20 minutes now, I'm trying to get my stomach to a place where it can handle it...it is what it is.
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Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
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Willa
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 10:23am | IP Logged
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Molly -- the chicken is WONDERFUL!
Whenever I see your signature line with your kids' names -- I think of Flannery O'Connor, one of my favorite writers. And if you've read her letters you know how much she loved her peacocks and other fowl. I think she would have very much liked your kitchen view.
Anyway -- I think there is just something great about being able to see a chicken from your kitchen window.
I wish I had had my camera back when my kitchen sink view was a giant glacier with icicles like claws curving downwards. We have a metal roof, and all the snow we got -- tons, literally, would slide down onto our deck -- and we were all too busy and preoccupied to shovel it off and then it would freeze on there. So when I say glacier, I mean it quite literally. We were blessed the deck didn't break!
I think chickens are much more lively than glaciers.
Anyway, you made my day. I feel like printing out your chicken to remind me of the messy, glorious, comic, lively, unpredictable element in our homeschools.
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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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chicken lady
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 10:38am | IP Logged
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OH NOOOOOOO!!!! Please Elizabeth and anyone else this is suppose to be light hearted fun. I LOVE the Loveliness fairs they are VERY inspiring to me. I don't feel badly about my home, it is me, I am an Artist, I need you all to keep showing me normal life. Please please no one take this to seriously! Hey I am cleaning because of those fairs, that is nothing shy of a miracle
I realize and have come to appreciate how different we are all made. I have many friends here who's floors you can eat off, mine well,. you can eat off themad find breakfast, lunch or dinner
This started because of the kitchen sink blogs and my crazy chicken, and I feel like we need to laugh at ourseles sometimes. All of us here work so hard to be good moms, wifes and friends and I for one am deeply inspired!
So please lets have aplace where we can let our hair down and laugh, but lets keep encouraging too, I NEED it
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JenniferS
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 10:46am | IP Logged
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I am so thankful for this thread. I feel so much better about how we do things. I am person that for some reason attracts clutter. To know that I am not alone brings me great peace.
In order for my house to be uncluttered, I'd spend most of my day grumping and yelling at my six dc(mostly the five boys, as dd is really good about helping remove clutter). I'd rather just have a good sense of humor about my clutter for now.
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MicheleQ
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 10:58am | IP Logged
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This discussion reminds me of a talk I heard several years ago. The speaker (Kimberly Hahn) held up a camera and said that if you went through her house you would find dinners in the freezer, a clean kitchen, an organized school room, beds that were all made and laundry that was clean and put away. . .but not all on the same day or at the same time!
What we show one another (here and/or on our blogs) is just a "snapshot" of our lives and our homes. It's a small representation of the bigger picture and that's OK.
What I DO find helpful is that these things can challenge me to do better in areas that need it. My primary vocation is wife and mother and maintaining a lovely home for my family (in so far as God has called US to - meaning what we can afford and what we can manage) is part of that.
But I am a weak and sinful woman and I can run off in all kinds of directions with alarming regularity. I'd much rather do the things that interest me rather than what needs to be done...and sadly I sometimes do (all too often I'm sure).
Still, those blogs and loveliness fairs do help me because they remind where my focus should be. Now don't get me wrong, I can spend too much time there too and I can spin it to look useful all day long...but I know the truth and so does He.
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Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 11:16am | IP Logged
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I put up my "It is what it is" post just now.
The view from here
It isn't pictures of a cluttered home, but pictures of the main reason behind the clutter
And I agree. Lighthearted is the way to go.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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stefoodie
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 11:43am | IP Logged
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Finally made it to this thread and just wanted to say thanks to everyone -- this made me feel so much better! Not sure why, since I thought I was depressed about my hubby's travel sched, but this thread really gave me the strength to smile again. Thanks gals! I think instead of moping about hubby being gone again, I'll focus instead on getting the house in order and "prettify" a bit in time for his return home. This might not be the original intention for this thread, but it sure helped me, and I'm grateful.
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stef
mom to five
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Bridget
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The nice thing about being friends here is that we can encourage each other to do better at the same time we are laughing at our collective foibles. And it doesn't degenerate into complaining about our workload or the children. It's a great life whether it's messy or neat! 
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God Bless,
Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
Our Magnum Opus
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Lisbet
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 12:25pm | IP Logged
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Great point Bridget! (oh, and the toddler has finally been changed, I sucked it up and feel much better about it! LOL!)
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Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
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chicken lady
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 1:13pm | IP Logged
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Willa, I LOVE Flannery O'Conner and I appreciate your post.
Michele all I can say to your last one is
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: Feb 08 2007 at 1:44pm | IP Logged
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[Oops! I meant]...Lisa (got Molly on the brain ), I loved the "stroll" through your home. I was just thinking of a blog post like this but haven't had time to take pictures. It's so fun to see "Real Living".
molly wrote:
| OH NOOOOOOO!!!! Please Elizabeth and anyone else this is suppose to be light hearted fun. I LOVE the Loveliness fairs they are VERY inspiring to me. I don't feel badly about my home, it is me, I am an Artist, I need you all to keep showing me normal life. Please please no one take this to seriously! |
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Yes, one simply can't take any of this too seriously in this earthly life. If we do, we're all failing...miserably.
Anne McD wrote:
Two words just came to mind ...
Cabin Fever.
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AMEN!
We had a solid month and a half of constant rain fall. We're in a pleasant reprieve this week and the children have played outside everyday. They're outside right now and I don't have the heart to bring them back in. It's suppose to start raining again next week. 
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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msclavel
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Okay, here goes...my basement...I think I would take Molly's crazy chicken any day of the week .
The Basment Right Now
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Cay Gibson
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Here's the inevitable messy living.
See, I have no pride...or shame.
But at least you will all know the Real story.
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: It is what it is.....
