Sunday Morning

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion,
therefore I will wait for him."

Lamentations 3: 22-24

photo credit: Life is Good Pete

A Grateful Nation

Every Memorial Day since 1948, soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), as well as ceremonial units from each branch of the military, gather at Arlington National Cemetery to place a flag in front of each one of the cemetery's more than 300,000 graves.

It's known as "Flags In," and this tradition kicks off the Memorial Day weekend for service members and visitors to ANC. "Flags In" is the beginning of several days of reflecting on the sacrifices of the men and women who have laid down their lives for our country.

To all of the men and women of our armed forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country; a grateful nation gives our thanks.

To read more about the tradition of "Flags In", visit the Arlington National Cemetery website.

All pictures: US Army via Flickr

Q&A Day on ASPTL

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As promised, it's Q&A day on A Soft Place to Land! That means you can ask any question you want in my comments section (G-rated, of course) and I will answer it in my comments section.

If you want to read why I'm doing this, click here. But basically, I know that I don't always do a good job of answering your questions that are left in my comments or emailed directly. I have the best of intentions but sometimes life gets in the way.

So I declared today Q&A day. I won't be sitting at the computer all day so go ahead and leave your question and then check back later for my answer.

Don't leave me hanging! I'm going to feel really silly if I'm hanging out here by myself.

photos: Leo Reynolds

Q&A on Thursday

Do you ever have an idea that pops into your head in the middle of the night and you drowsily think "brilliant!" and then you get up in the morning and realize that you were delusional the night before?

This might be one of those ideas and I just haven't had my moment of clarity yet. But that's OK. If it's a big flop, I can deal with that.

Let me give you a little background...I LOVE communicating directly with my readers. I love reading your comments and emails and answering your questions. I clap and cheer when you send me pictures of projects that you're working on and I love to try and help you when you have a question. That's all a part of the fuel that keeps me going. That and lots and lots of coffee.

But there's a problem...I'm not always so good at getting back to you when you ask me a specific question. Nor am I consistent in the way I answer you. Sometimes I email you directly, sometimes I answer questions in my own comments section and sometimes I come to your blog and answer you there.

Here's how I want it to happen...I get a question from a reader in my email (sidenote: I always read my comments in my email). If your email address is public in your profile (meaning I can reply directly from my email) AND I know the answer off the top of my head AND I'm not late for something else, I'll hit reply and dash off an answer to you. That's the ideal scenario.

Here's the way it usually works...I get the question and I can't reply directly OR I need to go check something to get you an answer OR I'm distracted by something shiny. I mark your email with a little star in my inbox so I remember to answer you later. Your email promptly becomes buried under 100 other emails and I forget what I was supposed to do.

Fast forward 2 months...I'm completely overwhelmed by my inbox and I declare Email Bankruptcy. I delete everything in my inbox and start over. The end result is that you never get an answer to your question and you think I'm a big schmutz for not getting back to you.

So in an effort to erase my schmutz-y image, I am declaring tomorrow (Thursday) as Q&A day on ASPTL. You ask any questions that you want in my comments section (keep it family-friendly, ladies) and I'll answer those questions in my comments section.

It can be anything that's on your mind...Here are a few examples of questions that I remember getting but know that I never answered.

Q: Are you a Southern Living at Home consultant? I see lots of their stuff in your pictures.
A. No. I've been to quite a few parties and I hosted one in my home a couple of years ago and got tons of great loot.

Q: What brand is your spray gun?
A: (After running to the garage to look) It's a Kobalt small gravity feed spray gun. I use it with The Hubster's Porter & Cable air compressor.

Q: How long have you been a Christian?
A: 9 years. I came to Christ when I was 29.

Q: How old are you?
A: See above. Do the math. :)

I will put up the Q&A post at midnight, although I probably won't be awake at that point. You can ask your questions and I'll come on throughout the day to answer them right here. I won't be sitting at my computer all day, so ask your question and then come back later for the answer.

Please don't leave me hanging. I'm going to feel like SUCH a dork if I'm sitting here all alone.

All Shiny and New!

Oh my GLORY!!!!

Things are a-changin' around A Soft Place to Land! I'm all a-flutter with excitement over my new and improved bloggy home!

I'm so tired from telling Darcy what to do for the last few days. While she worked her fingers to the bone, I would say, "Now make it bigger...now make it green...can it blink?...what if we turn it upside down?" And by "we", I mean Darcy. It was exhausting. Utterly exhausting.

Darcy from Graphically Designing is the most fabulous, patient designer on the planet. Never once did she ridicule me for asking silly questions like, "What do you mean, I have subscribers? Where are they?"

All I can say is thank you, Darcy! You are the best!

If you are in the market for some design work or a complete makeover, she's your woman. She even does blog consulting, which I think is fantastic! I told her numerous times during this process that her title needs to be Chief Designer/Business and Life Coach. She knows what she's talking about. And she just redesigned her own business blog. You have to check it out! It's beautiful!

Completely random picture because I'm not on my regular computer and I wanted to see what it would look like.

So what do you think?

Click around. Try it out! But be warned...all of the links are functioning beautifully because that was Darcy's part. The content is lacking because that was my part. I'll have all those pages on my navigation bar filled in shortly. There are obviously some changes going on (like now I'm accepting advertisers) but I'll tell you all about that later.

Tell me what you think! Tell me how much you love it! And if you don't, be gentle. I'm very tired from working so hard.

Mamas United!

Lots of you have asked about Moms Unite advertising lately. So it's back!

Do things look a little different over there?

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That's because there are some big changes coming to A Soft Place to Land. I'm so excited because it means, among other things, that there is going to be more space available to support you and your businesses.

If you want to know more about Moms Unite advertising opportunities, click here to read about the whole gang or click here for information on my blog specifically.



The Betty pin is ALMOST SOLD OUT! Thank you so much! If you want to get one of the last ones at the readers only price, click here.


Now for some Linky Love!



You have GOT to see this tiny kitchen remodel from Making This Home. It makes me want to downsize. Seriously.



A wild dining room table and chairs makeover from The Handmade Housewife. And while you're there, check out this post about a no-sew shower curtain treatment. Brilliant!



The sweetest little makeover on a play kitchen from Small Notebook. Love her!



A soothing office makeover from Wind Lost.

Moms Unite Again!

Lots of you have asked about Moms Unite advertising lately. So it's back!

Do things look a little different over there?

<----------------------------------

That's because there are some big changes coming to A Soft Place to Land. I'm so excited because it means, among other things, that there is going to be more space available to support you and your businesses.

If you want to know more about Moms Unite advertising opportunities, click here to read about the whole gang or click here for information on this blog.

A Bit of Housekeeping

Whew! I'm going to be busy packaging and mailing 569 of these little beauties today. OK. Not really that many, but a lot! You guys are awesome! Thank you.

You can still get yourself a pretty pin for spring by clicking here.

Do you know Amy Clark from MomAdvice.com? Amy is the founder of MomAdvice.com where she shares ideas for "frugal living, saving money, work at home opportunities, inexpensive recipes and tips for organizing your life."

Yesterday, Amy was on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet talking about Work at Home Scams. You can see the segment here (she's on about half-way through the segment) and Amy's reaction to the segment here. Why am I telling you this?

First, because Amy is one of my favorite people and I know that you will love her site. Second, because she was wearing one of MY PINS during her interview! Clearly, I am becoming terribly famous. ;) This is the pin she was wearing.

We have a winner (actually 2 winners)!

We had 448 entries in the giveaway for a copy of Jeanne Winters' book, Inspirational Home: simple ideas for uplifting decor and craft

The winners are Meredith and Michelle from Life with Three. Congratulations, girls! Shoot me an email with your mailing address and I'll get all of the information to Jeanne.

That's all of the blog housekeeping for today. Now to do a little real-life housekeeping.

P.S. - The problem with the tablescapes in this post is that one of the candles had never been lit! Hello? Nester? How could you have missed that? It's Rule #10! Maybe it would have helped if you could have enlarged the photos.

Linky Love

I'm a little early this week because these ladies are way more inspirational than I am right now.


Operation: Make a Chalkboard from Full House. oo la la!



Viv from Ish & Chi showed how a little wallpaper can make a dramatic statement inside a cabinet. Stunning!



If you love silhouettes, Karen from Alkemie has put together a collection of silhouette photographs that will surely make you squeal with delight.

It's an honor to be nominated

Awwwwwww, who am I kidding? I want to WIN! And frankly, right now I'm getting my tail-kicked!

I've been nominated in the 2008 Tip Junkie Awards for Best Home Decor Tip for my spray-painting plates tip.

So get on over there and VOTE! The voting box is in the left side bar.

There's lots of other categories where you can vote. The voting box for these is at the bottom of each post.

Best Tutorial
Best Craft
Best Gift Idea
Best Organizational Tip
Best Birthday Idea
Best Submitted Tip

Thanks Tip Junkie! You're the best!

Linky Love!

Love this guest bath remodel from More Than the Mulberries.




This tricked out studio space from Brassy Apple is to die for!



Meg from Whatever does not disappoint with her mudroom.

3 Things I Learned on My BlissDom Vacation

1. I am completely capable of making a fool of myself when I get to meet someone that I've admired from afar.

Shannon from Rocks in My Dryer inspires me frequently. And she couldn't have been more sweet as I fluttered about her and declared my undying love.

And Meredith from Like Merchant Ships is every bit as gracious and kind as she seems on her blog.

2. I have 2 sisters that I didn't know about.

Jennifer from Playgroups are No Place for Children and Amy from Mom Advice. See the family resemblance? They're both fabulous, by the way.

3. Bloggy frienships are real.

My roomies...Rhoda from Southern Hospitality. She's the real-deal...beautiful, stylish, talented and oh-so-Southern. And Jen from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. She's a friend for life.

More of my favorite people...Emily, The Nester, Sandy (I want to be her when I grow up) and Melissa. I was thrilled to spend time with each of them.

Julia from Hooked on Houses and Susie from Bienvenue. They're both darling and I wish we had more time to visit.

HeathahLee from Butterfly Genes. I was so happy that we clicked in real life as well as we do online. I only wish we had more time together.

Linky Love - The BlissDom Edition

As you are reading this, I am in Nashville getting my Bliss on! I'm sure that I'm having a wonderful time and I'll be sure to share it all with you when I return. In the meantime, here are a few posts from bloggers that I'll be meeting there.



Hillary from The Dunham Diaries did some fantastic wall art using an overhead projector. Brilliant!



Lots of DIY ideas for Valentine's Day from We Are THAT Family.



A stunning staircase makeover from Living Life Creatively.

Now How Did That Happen?

Two things to tell you today. I'm just all full of myself. Can you stand it?

First, I'm being featured over at Give Away Today! And yes, that means there is a giveaway going on. Two of them actually!

I'm so thrilled to be featured on such a vibrant, active giveaway blog. So get your sweet self over there and try to get some free stuff from me!

Then little birdie popped by and told me that I have been included among Internet Cafe Devotions Top 100 Christian Women's Blogs for 2008. Actually, it wasn't a little birdie who told me, it was a little entertainer.

But regardless...WHAT? How on earth did that happen? Apparently, enough of you nominated me in the Beautiful Cup Blog category that I was included on their list. Thank you so much! I'm truly touched that anyone would take the time to submit my name.

There are some seriously talented and faith-filled women on that list. I am honored to be included among them. Honestly, this blog would be nothing but my own mindless mutterings if it weren't for all of you. You, my dear readers, encourage and inspire me every day. For that, I thank you.

If you have some free time, their list is definitely worth a look.

Now I'm Feeling Some Love

{Big sigh of relief}

I have a working computer, for now. Apparently, there was some sort of problem between the external hard drive, the cd drive and my camera.

I believe the technical description was that the whoosefrazit wasn't talking to the flingleflopper. Frankly, I don't see what they could possibly have to talk about anyway. But they've kissed and made up for the time being. Which means that I can show you some Valentine's pretties!

I don't usually do a bunch of Valentines decorating. It always feels like I just get the Christmas stuff put away when old St. Valentine sneaks up behind me and reminds me that I'm the only female in the house. I usually just blow a raspberry in his general direction and carry on. All the while secretly hoping that this is going to be the year when The Hubster decides I need something fabulously sparkly.

But this year, I'm feeling a little extra lovey-dovey so I thought I'd look around the house for all things red and heart-shaped and make a Valentines display for the kids (it's always for the kids).

Scissors, scrapbook paper and some ribbon and we've made a Valentines garland.

While they were at it, I let them cover the mirror with their handcut hearts.

Some red felt as a runner and a framed treasure from my older son.

A stack of books covered in fabric (old school style like when you were jr. high) and a few heart shaped Christmas ornaments.

Apothecary jars filled with more scrapbook paper hears and candy. I predict the candy will be gone by tomorrow.

Not a dime was spent (except on the candy) and that's lovely.

Don't forget to swing by and see Darcy at Life with My 3 Boybarians. She's giving away one of my brooches!