Share Our Lives

 

Happy Monday, friends! I'm linking up with Jen and friends for the July edition of Share Our Lives. This month the topic is our favorite room at home. I'll jump right in! 

The kitchen has always been more than just a place to cook; it's the heart of my home. It's where conversations linger over drinks after dinner, where meals bring people together, where laughter fills the room, and where memories are made one ordinary moment at a time. It witnesses celebrations, quiet mornings, laughter, tears, Bible reading, simple conversations, a full table, and an empty table. It reminds me that love is often found in the simplest acts of sharing meals, and gathering around the table. To me, the kitchen isn't just a room; it's where my home feels most alive. 

On a lighter note...

I shared this picture above last week, but it's worth repeating. I bought this piece of furniture last year to help keep the kitchen counters free of clutter, and I still love it today as much as I did the day I decided to make the purchase. This was something I found on Facebook Marketplace; I may not love Facebook, but I love Marketplace! I paid about $50 for this heavy piece of furniture.

I also love having a freshly painted kitchen, even though it's been a little over a year ago since I painted the room. For reference, please note what it used to look like before I decided to make the downstairs all neutral.

I love a good before and after pic; do you? I love seeing it in transition as well! I remember being giddy at this point in the process of painting; I took a three days the week I painted to do this. A half day was spent on trim alone, then I did the wall you see painted lighter above, then on a Friday (my off day that year as I was working in the church bookstore still) I finished it all. I even hung things up before the sun went down that night! I could barely move the next day, but I was proud of myself for getting so much done that day.

I remember after it was finished, wanting to make it less cluttered; even today, I don't want a lot out on the counters, and I don't want a lot of things hanging on the walls. I am keeping things simpler and more neutral, because I really do plan on selling my home in a few years to downsize. It turns out that I love it more minimally decorated than I ever thought I would. Some people are maximalists, some are minimalists. I'm not totally minimal, but I definitely lean more towards that that being a maximalist. You know John Mark here in town that I always share about? He is a maximalist! 

Here's the proof of that in his store; and here I am when I met him for the first time. He's a phenomenal and talented young man, and he has created an empire! He's famous all over the world as he travels fairly often to cities both near and far. 

The cabinets in the kitchen used to be the natural oak color that they are; I am glad they're white now. They need some touching up at the least, but I'd love to sand and repaint them since they weren't done right the first time. I won't complain about them, because I've seen far worse, but I'm just talking and dreaming here. I'd love to have them as a color instead of white, maybe a pretty blue gray color. 

I love a tea towel! I use them often when I make sourdough bread; a few years ago I bought these towel rods that are hung with peel and stick tape. I love changing out the towels for whatever season it is at the moment. These got changed Friday, because I needed to wash the other ones that had been hanging there. 

I have had a love/hate relationship with this table and chairs; I am currently in love with it, though. I'm so glad I didn't get rid of it when I wanted to years ago! Now it's the only table with chairs that are in my home. I have a leaf to add to it when I have more than a few people here, but I love that it was given to me by Mom. It used to have a hutch, but I sold it a couple of years ago, and I'm glad I didn't keep that one heavy piece of furniture.

I love cooking for people I love, it's one reason why I love this room. I made breakfast Saturday morning! I made scrambled eggs with cheese, and air fried pork chops. This was delicious!

The reason I love it the most is because of the people I often see in there. I love it when Chris cooks for me, or when I cook for him or my sons. It's not at all the room or how prettily decorated it is, it's about the people who fill the space. 

What's your favorite room in your home? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all!

Jen 

Friday Favorites, 7.10.2026.

 

Happy Friday, friends! I hope all of you had a great week; I want to hear about it at the end of this post, so stay tuned. Here are some favorite things and moments from this week...

Doing Bible study used to be a favorite thing to do for me, but it's been about three years since I've done one. I stopped participating in them at church when I started running the bookstore, and then in the last year, I've been busy adapting to working full time again. I came across this one that I purchased a while back on Sunday as I cleaned out a cabinet, and I started it this week! Ruth Chou Simons is one of my favorite authors/artists!

Tuesday was my favorite day, and so was doing this! I'm determined to finish this book today.

I found this blog notebook that I used to use; I haven't picked it up in a couple of years. I found it this week as well in that same cabinet, and I decided to start using it again to help inspire me with ideas for new posts. Do you use a system like this? I love doing this, and I turn the pages down after a month to help me find the current month more easily. Blogging and keeping up with the posts in this notebook has been a favorite for several years, and I'm excited to start using it once again!

Rocket's hair isn't my favorite, but he is! He's the sweetest, most gentle dog who has some major separation anxiety. He ate my Bible, some books, and a sign recently, but look how handsome he is. It's a good thing I love him! 

Once again, drawing at work was my favorite this week. My little M and I read a book on Monday titled Bonjour Butterfly (a Fancy Nancy book), and it inspired us to draw butterflies (I drew them and we colored). I also made this little girl holding balloons for her...she said it reminded her of herself. ❤️

It's my favorite thing to repurpose things in my home; I brought this hanging basket down from my room this week and added the bright flowers before hanging it on the door. I love it so much! I also love this little corner of my kitchen with this piece of furniture. 

I snuck this picture in church last week to capture that quote on the screen; going to church here on Sundays has been a favorite! It's so different from anything I've attended in the last thirty years, which is why I love it so much. I love the pastor; his name is Gib, and he's close to my age. I love how small it is, I love the music, the preaching, how they put everything on the screen, and I keep running into people I know who go there! Last week was one teacher, but since then I've come across two more friends from work who attend there as well. I love this! 

(Please note the inside cover of this book and what it says about someday being made up of right nows; it goes along with the Emily Dickinson quote that I loved...it might be a kiss from the King! That's always a favorite thing for me.)

These were my favorite graphics from Instagram this week. Do you follow me there? Here's a link if you don't and would like to; I love to share uplifting things there. 

He's my favorite. 

She's my favorite, too! I adore this child; we tell each other we love each other everyday when she leaves now, because it's true for us both. 

This pizza was delicious; it's called The Popeye, and it's from my favorite local spot, Lost Pizza. Like I said, this was good, but my favorite night of dinner was Monday night when Chris smoked chicken for me, Jonah, and Noah. It was delicious! We served it with corn and macaroni and cheese.

Do you like to take notes if you're listening to a sermon or podcast? I do; it's one of my favorite things to do, actually. I didn't have a notebook or pen on Sunday at church, so I used the notes app on my phone. When I had some free time at work on Monday, I wrote everything down on notebook paper. I actually wrote it out twice; a co-worker friend saw this and I ended up giving her the first copy. I love to write, both here on this blog, and the actual art of handwriting. I've been like this since I was a young girl. 

What about you...what was a favorite moment or thing from your week? I'd love to hear from you! I hope you enjoy your weekend, friends. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today; I'll see you back here on Monday. Love to all!

Jen 🩷

weekly happies

 

Happy Thursday, friends! I'm talking about my weekly happies again today, because I need more intentional gratitude in my life. I'll jump right in!

• I am so grateful for this life that I get to live; I love what this graphic said in a quote by Emily Dickinson. It's true! Forever is composed of right nows. 

I loved this one, as well and agree; life should be lived and enjoyed. I have to remind myself of this all the time: someday I will look back on today and miss the time I was living in. My floor won't always be covered in dog hair; I won't always have Jonah and Noah at home with me. But for now, instead of focusing on how dirty things are, I should be grateful for today and embrace this current moment/phase in life. 

• I know I always say this and will risk sounding like a broken record, but I am so grateful for how my life has turned out. I say it so often because everyday I wake up thanking God for today, a day in my life that I get to live and love.

• I am grateful that I get to go to a job that I love everyday.

• I am grateful for my people! Chris, my sons, my parents, my siblings, and all of their kiddos, and my friends...these are my people. 

• I am grateful to live in a home that I love. I won't be here forever, and I'm okay with that, but I'm grateful that I was able to stay here after my life changed. By staying here, I had time to get my bearings, so to speak and to allow time for my head to stop spinning. I still love my home today, but it's because I've made it mine. I have memories here, lots of old ones that are good. I will be ready to move on from this home to another smaller one in the next couple of years, though. I would love a smaller one story home for my next one.

• I am grateful for my friends at work; without them, work wouldn't be nearly as entertaining. You should see our text thread!

• I'm grateful for this being a short week for me; Tuesday was a day I spent at home, and it was glorious. I don't say that lightly because it seems like I don't get them all that often anymore.

• I'm grateful for the outlets I have to relieve stress or to stop my mind from working too much; I write here and I draw/doodle a lot at work when I don't have anything else going on. 

• I'm grateful for the years that I got to do exactly what this picture above says. I love having sons the age they all are and I'm excited to think about their futures and what that might look like as they marry and have kids, if that's what the Lord has planned for them. I talk about this a lot with Chris, believe it or not. 

Other happies from this week include: 

• sunshine
• having something to look forward to at night
• phone conversations catching up with friends that I love
• having a clean house
• being able to stay caught up on things at home
• grocery delivery from Walmart+
• happy music
• being off on a random Tuesday
• conversations with each of my sons

What about you? What are some happies that you've had throughout your week? I'd love to hear about them! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends; I'll see you back here tomorrow. Love to all!

Jen ❤️