Hello, friends!
This is my daughter Jacqueline.
As part of BIO... BY INVITATION ONLY...
a group of international bloggers are given a prompt each month to blog about.
This month we were to ask someone else to write our monthly post!
I chose my sweet daughter! I started blogging because of her (you can read about it HERE) so I thought it only natural to let HER say a few words to my readers...
My husband and I moved to Washington, DC six years ago. In 2009, we
bought our very first home in a quaint, community-esque neighborhood of the
city. When friends would visit our house for the first time, I used to describe
it by saying, “It’s the first house with the front porch.”
More recently, I
have directed newcomers by stating, “It’s the technicolor row home.”
Our home
is multicolored as a result of my indecisiveness.
We are giving the exterior of
our almost 100 year old home a face lift, and I am on the hunt for the perfect exterior gray…
not a blue gray, not a green gray, definitely not any gray with purple
undertones, not too beige of a gray… a perfect, inviting, and purely gray... gray.
Admittedly, I have a problem choosing colors.
My husband wishes there
was a support group for color indecisiveness as selecting an exterior color is
not my first offense. My dear hubby has painted the downstairs of our home 1,
2, 3… no, 4 times.
Upon moving into our 1920s house, the walls were white, adorned with hand smudges, dirt smears, and nearly 100 years of grim. I wanted a warm
color for the entertaining space so I picked Benjamin Moore's Philadelphia Cream, mimicking the
color in my mom’s study.
Jonathan painted the living room, dining room, and kitchen
this color. Then, with love and a meticulous hand, he painted stripes of
Philadelphia Cream and a complimentary color in our foyer and up the stairs.
I lived blissfully in my cream home until, inspired by my mom’s move
towards a fresh, white look, I wanted to repaint the space.
I sampled colors on
the wall, looking for a warm white for the first floor. I chose Ballet White.
My husband painted the whole downstairs Ballet White while I was out of the house.
During our years of home ownership, he has learned that it is easier to paint
in my absence as I am not a detail oriented painter, dripping and splashing as
I go... and I can be a bit of a micro manager as he strokes the color on the wall.
When I returned home and saw Ballet White on every wall, water works ensued.
Ballet White, as the name probably indicated, looked pink!
Although pink is my
favorite color, it was not the warm white I wanted for our downstairs. My
compassionate and patient husband, repainted the walls two more times- China White,
which turned out to be too stark of a white, and finally Fossil, still not the
perfect white but asking him to repaint a fifth time is currently not an option.
With awareness of my color picking disorder (I have heard acknowledging
the problem is the first step), I began reflecting on the root cause of my
color condition. And I have made a self-diagnosis… MY MOTHER!
I loved growing up at StoneGable and reaped all the benefits of my
mom’s cooking, hospitality, encouragement, wisdom, and love.
I hoped by
imitating my mom’s decorating choices, I could infuse my home with the warmth
that StoneGable possesses.
Growing up our home was the place where family
congregated on holidays, the house where friends would have sleepovers, and a
place where those in need of a temporary home could stay.
The house had a
comfortable business... and a delicious meal and deep conversations were always
served at the table.
With Philadelphia Cream on my walls, I hoped to recreate
my mom’s warm and generous spirit.
Also, strongly imprinted on my memory is the freshness of StoneGable.
Curling up in line-dried sheets, spring buds blooming in the garden, and
changing seasonal decorations are still a few of my favorite things.
I
especially love my mom’s self-taught, adventurous attitude when it comes to home
life. Nothing seems impossible for the Wonder Woman of the house.
She is
constantly acquiring new skills to refresh her home and cooking. Whether it’s making croquembouche for the first time and building a 10 foot tower of sugar glued
cream puffs, trying her hand at reupholstering chairs (so hysterical… read this BLOG POST), or learning to paint furniture, my mom is invincible!
She learns,
tries, and masters new homemaking talents that keep StoneGable fresh. With newly
painted white walls, I hoped to invigorate my home with the same freshness of
StoneGable.
I know that no paint color alone can communicate the essences of StoneGable.
It’s not about my mom's cooking, decorating, or homemaking, rather our home is
inviting because of my mom’s s selfless love for others and her faith.
I am constantly
learning from her example (and her blog) the attributes that makes StoneGable
a home to all.
Thank you, Jacqueline.
I have been crying buckets since reading your post! I'm so blessed that your memories of home are so special and happy!
Just remember, this is still your home and Jonathan's too... It always will be!
About the author and her husband...
Jacquie and Jonathan met at Penn State
Married the year after graduation
Despite their very busy lives they come home to StoneGable often!
A big thanks to Marsha at SPLENDEROSA for hosting
BY INVITATION ONLY.
Head over to SPLENDEROSA to visit all the other participating blogs.
Today kicks off a very special Thanksgiving event that will run until Friday...
The
THANKFUL FOR HOME TOUR
Join these great blogs and see the inspiring ways they are thankful!
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
What a lovely post from such a beautiful and gracious daughter! Jacquie clearly takes after her Momma!
ReplyDeleteSo much beauty, love, creativity and faith in one family! May God continue to bless you all with good friends, family get-togethers and Sherwin Williams manicures!
ReplyDeleteTears in my eyes! Yvonne what a lucky women to have such a sweet daughter! Love your blog and loved it even more this morning!
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteOh and they are such a beautiful couple, you must be so proud and full of love!
I, too, started blogging because of my daughter. And right after that she stopped blogging, haha. Life got pretty in the way for her to take on extra commitments, ah well.
Sure enjoyed this. Have a blessed and wonderful week, Yvonne!
PS to Jacquie: we love your mom very much too - and I think the true and real secret of her success as wife, mother, friend, daughter, etc. is her deep commitment to live a righteous Christian life - all else comes after that, so it paves the way for her to spread such joy to so many. I admire that in her the very most, sincerely. ♥
ReplyDeleteShe is so beautiful:) they are a darling couple..and what nice words and how welll written!
ReplyDeleteOh such a precious post from your daughter, she is every bit as lovely and gracious as you are. Hugs, Marty
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post and what a wonderful daughter! You must have been an amazing mother to inspire such words and thoughts from your daughter.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun post! I can totally relate to what your daughter wrote about being indecisive and being inspired by you, her mother. Thank you for inspiring us all to try new things in decorating and cooking. Most of all, thank you for sharing your heart for Jesus. May you continue to be blessed as you encourage and teach others about the Savior and the gift of hospitality He has given you.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Nici
Aww, what a wonderful post by your daughter Yvonne. You must be so proud of her!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful daughter inside and out!
ReplyDelete~Yvonne~
ReplyDeleteI love your site!! and have never left a comment, but today I must having a daughter of my own about the age of your daughter, what she said was lovely and about brought tears to my eyes. Just her words I can tell she loves you very much and you two have a wonderful bond, that is truly a blessing!
I quote " Here's to a good woman, may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them."
Joys of Jesus,
Paula
Indiana.
p.s love love your home and wish I could cook half what you do :)
Dear Paula! Thanks so much for your kind words! And thanks for the wonderful saying!!!! Very true!
DeletePlease visit and leave comments more often! What a joy to hear from you!
A beautiful daughter inside and out Ivonne. So your DD can have such wonderful feelings of love and memories is because of you dear lady, made it all posible for been such a wonderful person, mother, wife, and home keeper. She will emulate you I can see she will follow in your footsteps. My DD also got me into blogging about home, decorating and cooking; so I too owe it to my Alexandra. Many blessings for everything and your daughter's love for you. Thank you for sharing this very sentimental post.
ReplyDeleteFABBY
Yvonne, your daughter is beautiful and what a beautifully written post in tribute to you. I sure hope she can find the color she loves. Her poor hubby sure does love her bunches.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely daughter you have and what a great post! I totally sympathize with her on the color choosing issues... Have you ever seen the movie "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House"? The scene where his wife tells the painter the exact color blue paint she wants is classic... Apparently, this is not a new problem! We are lucky to have husbands with so much patience!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, so very special!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Cindy
Tears in the Pacific Northwest too!
ReplyDeleteJacqueline is beautiful, and holds a brilliant spirit just like her Mama!
w/L
So sweet! It was fun to read about you and your wonderful home from your daughter's point of view. It sounds like your home was a wonderful place to grow up, but I'm pretty sure we knew that already! :) *hug* Thanks for sharing
ReplyDelete~April
What a lovely daughter and son-in-law you have. She is so like me in my first years of home ownership with the paint indecisiveness. One forgets how truly difficult those decisions that seem so easy now can be when one is young. Congrats to you on a mothering job well done!
ReplyDeleteIt's not easy to have a high-standard like you, Yvonne, as a Mother.
ReplyDeleteYour Love and Care for them made the difference creating well adjusted and absolutely adorable human beings.
You're blessed. They are also for having you in their Lifes. All those they're adding just increase the Love and the Blessings on Stone Gable and around.
Your daighter's testimony says "It's not about the paint... the cookies... the linens... the Holidays. It's about Mum and the loving Home she created!" and that she tries to find on every brush of paint. She'll get there as she's chosen well the hardest part - a wonderful partner for the trip.
Thank you for sharing,
Teresa
What a truly beautiful young lady in every way! You must be very proud, and it's clear she loves you very much, but how could she not?!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful husband she has to paint so many times! He is a keeper!
(I think she meant invincible, not invisible).
Jackie is a beautiful young woman, inside and out as you know! One tiny note; it says you are invisible, instead of invincible!!!:):):) Might want to fix that, you are not invisible but a beautiful, loving, gENEROUS person that I love. XOXO
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post from your beautiful daughter! I would just love to know how you do everything that you do?! How do you manage your time - you cook, decorate, garden, host/entertain, and blog?! When I am doing home projects, my husband is barely getting a sandwich for supper. When I am cooking, my rest of my house looks like a disaster! It seems like I can only focus on one thing at a time. I would love a post from you describing what a week for you is like (specifically how you manage your time).
ReplyDeleteThis is a truly beautiful post. I hope my daughters have similar memories of our home one day. On a side note, we recently painted our office Woodlawn Colonial Gray from the Historic paint colors line at Lowes (although we had it color matched at Sherwin Williams) and it might be the kind of gray Jacqueline is looking for.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post....equally beautiful daughter!
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous post. She's lovely...just like her mom! xo
ReplyDeleteI just think that this is some great post! There is nothing like a child praising a mother for a job well done, and it is obvious you have made your house a home.
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful.
Teresa
xoxo
What a gorgeous post. Your daughter is very special. Home is where all the memories are made so we need to be mindful of that.
ReplyDeletehugs
Yvonne,
ReplyDeleteJacqueline melted my heart with her wonderful words. . .
the words every Mother hopes she will one day heard from the mouths of her children. . .
"I loved growing up at StoneGable and reaped all the benefits of my mom’s cooking, hospitality, encouragement, wisdom, and love.I hoped by imitating my mom’s decorating choices, I could infuse my home with the warmth that StoneGable possesses. It’s not about my mom's cooking, decorating, or homemaking, rather our home is inviting because of my mom’s s selfless love for others and her faith."
I couldn't agree more.
Thank you Yvonne, for not only sharing your lovely home with us,
but your faith and love of God, dear friend! You continually bless my life!!!
Fondly,
Pat
Yvonne, what a touching post and one to treasure for sure! Your daughter is beautiful, what a wonderful tribute to your efforts to make your home so warm and inviting!
ReplyDeleteSo sweet - I hope to inspire such memories for my daughters. And Go Penn State - love the Nittany Lion - my husband did his graduate work there when we were first married.
ReplyDeleteWasn't this a wonderful idea? Painted the downstairs 4 times. That is a loving husband. They are both beautiful people and I can tell they have a beautiful attitude toward life. We know where your daughter got that don't we?
ReplyDeleteAnd, she sure does love you. And, so do I ! Happy Holidays, Yvonne (& as always thank you for participating with us BIO girls).
Hi Yvonne! Loved the post! I too have a daughter name Jacqueline!!! I was giggling like mad...first prize for Jonathan the Paint Maestro......Sending love. Veronica
ReplyDeleteThis was a really nice post. Beautiful daughter and wonderful sentiments, and she has a smart husband...better to fix the paint color than live with a wife who doesn't like it!
ReplyDeleteHi Jacqueline, Jacqueline here !! .... another member of the BIO family.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to read about your home and not only do we have our name in common but our indesisiveness on paint colours and a husband who is patient enough to repaint when we get it wrong !!!!
It is so lovely that you have such wonderful memories of your family home but, you are now creating your own home to supply the memories. XXXX
Yvonne,
ReplyDeleteI love reading and "sensing" your blog every week. I once read a book about the five senses decorating...meaning the ability to engage all 5 senses when decorating your home. I love that concept and I believe that's why I love seeing photos of your home. I can almost smell the wonderful dishes in the photos.
I wanted to pass along some information for Jacqueline and her color indecisiveness. A friend and (fellow blogger) has an incredible talent with color. Actually she is a color specialist through Benjamin Moore. She writes so much on color selection and also offers e-consultations for those who do not live in the Nashville, Tennessee area. Kristie Barnett, aka The Decorologist, can be found at www.thedecorologist.com. Check her out! She is phenomenal and has done wonders for my own home. Blessings to you and yours!
"Her children arise and call her blessed..." The truth of scripture alive, in & through two beautiful women. What a lovely, heartfelt, and well-deserved blessing from daughter to mom. Jacqueline is a reflection of the godly woman who is her mother!
ReplyDeleteIn this season of life, having two adult sons, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth"....God is so good. Thank you so much for sharing yourself, your talents, and your Savior on your blog, Yvonne.
You cried buckets??!!...so did I ... I say the apple does not fall far from the tree...her sensitivity and love for her home and family is evident....a trait that she inherited from her parents...Yvonne, I know you are so very proud of her and she of you!...Beautiful story!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post! And how wonderful to see the way our children can turn out.
ReplyDeleteThe kind of words every mom's heart longs hear and be blessed by knowing how their children felt about growing up in their home. You're a blessed woman!
ReplyDeleteSuch sweet words from your daughter. I always remind young tired moms, that some day their kids will grow up and bring them presents and kinds words. Bravo.
ReplyDeleteFondly,
Glenda
What a lovely tribute! She and her husband are adorable.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful, Yvonne! You're very blessed with your daughter and her husband! A real lovely guest post!
ReplyDeleteWarmest greetings from the Périgord, from another 'By Invitation Only'-blog friend,
Karin
Sorry for late comment but had serious internet-access problems during the last few weeks. Was just about able to publish my post. Now everything is on the "green" side again.