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> Gracious Hospitality
updated 09/03/2010 05:11 GMT

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 30 matches.

A Marriage

09/03/2010 05:11 GMT

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Congratulations to Sally and Brandon upon their marriage!

A Marriage - http://www.gracioushospitality.com/feeds/2984718758234160941/comments/default

[+] Congratulations to Sally and Brandon upon their marriage!Thank you for visiting Gracious Hospitality. Please come back soon! A Marriage - http://www.gracioushospitality.com/feeds/2984718758234160941/comments/default ... more [556983]

Gracious Hospitality - http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Countdown

08/22/2010 05:58 GMT

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Wedding countdown continues. Our family is working together on projects that create our contribution for Brandon's and Sally's wedding. Brandon is designing and printing off menu cards and programs on beautiful, 100% cotton paper. Rylan's time is being spent filling guests favor jars with fragrant, loose-leaf teas and adding a label to each that he has designed to commemorate the special day ahead. Boxes of satin bows, tulle, and silky runners and table coverings grace the living room with added elegance (or clutter; it depends upon how you look at it). Fish bowls await a sparkling scrub. Sea shells are packaged and ready for table decor. As parents, Brent and I took time to sit down this morning and reminisce over Brandon's toddler years. We were working together to write a parental letter for a part of the wedding service. We had to stop when we became too teary. The nest empties and new adventures begin. Such joy a wedding brings, and a little bit of time and effort too. What a pleasure this has been. We couldn't be doing it for two nicer people than our handsome groom and his lovely bride.

Countdown - http://www.gracioushospitality.com/feeds/8421292346659246468/comments/default

[+] Wedding countdown continues. Our family is working together on projects that create our contribution for Brandon's and Sally's wedding. Brandon is designing and printing off menu cards and programs on beautiful, 100% cotton paper. Rylan's time is being spent filling guests favor jars with fragra ... more [556897]

Gracious Hospitality - http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Summer Sunshine!

08/19/2010 01:48 GMT

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It's been awhile since I have blogged. Summer is always busy. I've enjoying having the boys home from university. They are always fun to have around and I like having them a part of our daily lives, even if it's for a few short months. I've missed my blogging friends, but my creative energies have been going elsewhere for awhile. Our oldest son is getting married at the end of the month. Our household is a whirl of wedding details. We've been busy making preparations and memories as we ready for a very special day ahead! A new daughter by marriage will be added to our family very soon. We are delighted and look forward to Sally sharing family times with us. Although blogging has been sparse, I have not forgotten my blogging friends. I will be back with faithful posts soon! Until then, enjoy the last days of summer.

Summer Sunshine! - http://www.gracioushospitality.com/feeds/2701440672522409957/comments/default

[+] It's been awhile since I have blogged. Summer is always busy. I've enjoying having the boys home from university. They are always fun to have around and I like having them a part of our daily lives, even if it's for a few short months. I've missed my blogging friends, but my creative energies h ... more [556880]

Gracious Hospitality - http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Young Queen's Kindness

07/21/2010 19:00 GMT

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About one hundred and ten years ago, Holland had a king who ruled his people wisely. He was careful about the management of his country's business and his own household affairs. Indeed, so thrifty was he that many of his subjects thought of him as stingy.

His queen was somewhat younger than he and he was proud of her. He wasn't stingy about getting rich gifts for her, so she had all she wanted.

One day while the king was visiting some of the shops, he happened to notice an unusually beautiful tea set of very costly porcelain. "That's just the thing for a gift for my queen," he thought, so he bought it for her. She was delighted with it when it came as a gift from him.

The tea set was very fragile, though, and the king, knowing this, called all the servants of his palace together one day and told them sternly that if any of them ever broke even one piece of the set, that person would be dismissed from serving at the palace.

The king's servants loved him, and they all knew that he meant what he said, so the tea set was handled with utmost care. But accidents will happen, as everyone knows, and to the most careful of people, too.

One day a teacup slipped from the hands of the king's chief butler, who was also his oldest and most trusted servant. It would be be hard for us to imagine the grief of that faithful man.

He was so honest that he wouldn't have tried to hide what he had done even if he could have one so. Soon, with tears in his eyes, he carried the broken cup's pieces to the queen.

"Oh, your Majesty, see what I have done! Now I shall have to leave the palace, and in disgrace, too!" he said.

The young queen was more sorry by far for this good old man than she was for the loss of the beautiful cup. "Now, don't worry," she told him, smiling. "Just bring me a little glue."

She carefully mended the cup, and when it was ready to give to him, she said, "Now, when we have our next state dinner I want you to put this mended cup beside my plate, and I want you yourself to pour the drink into it."

It wasn't long after this until there was another royal dinner. Many knights and ladies were at the long state table, with the king at its head and the queen opposite him at the foot of the table.

The faithful old butler poured the hot drink into the mended cup as the queen had told him to do. The glue was of a type that quickly melted, and the cup fell apart. Instantly there was a little swish of the queen's big silken sleeve, and down went the cup's pieces to the floor.

"Oh, your Majesty!" exclaimed the queen. "See what I have done!"

But he only smiled at her and said, "What does a little accident matter?"

The butler's heart overflowed with joy for this wonderful kindness of the queen who saved him from being dismissed by the king.

~ Norman C. Schlichter

Young Queen's Kindness - http://www.gracioushospitality.com/feeds/191700397449424159/comments/default

[+] About one hundred and ten years ago, Holland had a king who ruled his people wisely. He was careful about the management of his country's business and his own household affairs. Indeed, so thrifty was he that many of his subjects thought of him as stingy.His queen was somewhat youn ... more [556666]

Gracious Hospitality - http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Thoughts on Writing

07/21/2010 05:38 GMT

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Thoughts on Writing

It is worth mentioning, for future reference,
that the creative power
which bubbles so pleasantly in beginning a new book
quiets down after a time,
and one goes on more steadily.
Doubts creep in.

Then one becomes resigned.
Determination not to give in,
and the sense of an impending shape
keep one at it more than anything.

Virginia Woolf

You will write
if you will write without thinking of the result
in terms of a result,
but think of the writing in terms of discovery,
which is to say that creation must take place
between the pen and the paper,
not before in a thought or afterwards in a recasting...

It will come if it is there and if you will let it come."

Gertrude Stein

Thoughts on Writing - http://www.gracioushospitality.com/feeds/293554910723525014/comments/default

[+] Thoughts on Writing It is worth mentioning, for future reference, that the creative power which bubbles so pleasantly in beginning a new book quiets down after a time, and one goes on more steadily. Doubts creep in. Then one becomes resigned. Determination ... more [556667]

Gracious Hospitality - http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Summer Tranquility

07/20/2010 04:47 GMT

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I am not a fan of the Twilight series. In fact, I have never read the books, nor have I seen the movie. But I do love the countryside surrounding the quaint, small towns of Forks and LaPush, the places where the story is told. The forests and winding roads that open up to the beauty of the beach are tranquil and remote. Being there simply melds my heart into serenity. Visits to the beach at LaPush are best planned so the sun can be viewed as it sets. Brown pelicans, great blue herons, and hundreds of gulls are only a few of the birds that can be observed from the shore. Tiny islands dot the shoreline. Low tide reveals a rocky shore, and high tide brings waves close by, making observation of sea otters and other creatures easy and close. This point, one of the most western on the Pacific coast, speaks of serenity to all who take the time to stop and observe. Many tasty picnic lunches have been shared from a landing near this beautiful coastal spot. And summer, sweet summer, is the best time of all for such a delightful repast.

Summer Tranquility - http://www.gracioushospitality.com/feeds/6299774474282849605/comments/default

[+] I am not a fan of the Twilight series. In fact, I have never read the books, nor have I seen the movie. But I do love the countryside surrounding the quaint, small towns of Forks and LaPush, the places where the story is told. The forests and winding roads that open up to the beauty of the beach ... more [556668]

Gracious Hospitality - http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Little Bits of Cheer and Joy

07/19/2010 06:29 GMT

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Do you keep little things in your home that bring you cheer and joy? Simple, natural, and beautiful things do this for me. Flowers of all types bring me much happiness. Sometimes all it takes is a walk around the yard. Other times, bringing nature indoors adds that joy. My mother gave me a small vial with a suction cup attached. It sticks to glass very well. I enjoy placing it on the front door or the kitchen window and putting a few simple flowers or leaves in it. I enjoy looking at it when I open the door or wash dishes. Roses, begonia, ivy, daisies, violets, pansies, or whatever is in my garden at the moment all look beautiful in this simple little container. In the winter, a sprig of evergreen or holly adds a gentle touch. Bringing nature indoors doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. Simple cuttings of anything found outdoors can make your home a serene and pleasant place. Bring cheer and joy indoors by the use of the simple things of nature.

Diana, Princess of Wales rose - Jackson and Perkins

Little Bits of Cheer and Joy - http://www.gracioushospitality.com/feeds/7644313933222613375/comments/default

[+] Do you keep little things in your home that bring you cheer and joy? Simple, natural, and beautiful things do this for me. Flowers of all types bring me much happiness. Sometimes all it takes is a walk around the yard. Other times, bringing nature indoors adds that joy. My mother gave me ... more [556651]

Gracious Hospitality - http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

The Serenity of French Country

06/21/2010 21:54 GMT

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A local shop is filled with many pieces of refurbished furniture. Bonnie, the shopkeeper, is extremely talented and she paints, upholsters, and rebuilds everything from sofas, chairs, and lamps, to screens and mirrors. Her "look" is French country and beautiful prints and white paint dominate. She accents her shop decor with touches of nature: butterflies, sea shells, twigs, and sweeping floral arrangements. Overhead, a chandelier of painted white twigs adds a touch of sparkle to the room. Of course she made it herself. Visiting her shop is like taking a mini-vacation. The touches of shabby elegance she so carefully creates give all who enter her door a sense of quiet and calm. Shown in the photos above are two "old" sewing machine cabinets that she has refurbished. Once plain brown and perfect utility cabinets for sewing machines, they have been transformed into cabinetry for elegant living spaces. One is antiqued sage paint, gold trim, and some of the original wood promote. It promotes serenity and serve sas a base for a lamp and floral arrangement. The other has been painted a silver-gray and has been covered with mirrors cut and glued in a bias pattern. Its mirrored top serves as a base for a simple topiary and a painting and easel. All it takes is a little imagination, a little elbow grease, and a great deal of appreciation for the out-dated objects in home decor. Inspiration!

The Serenity of French Country - http://www.gracioushospitality.com/feeds/3984804002216678990/comments/default

[+] A local shop is filled with many pieces of refurbished furniture. Bonnie, the shopkeeper, is extremely talented and she paints, upholsters, and rebuilds everything from sofas, chairs, and lamps, to screens and mirrors. Her "look" is French country and beautiful prints and white pai ... more [555578]

Gracious Hospitality - http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Kitchen Container Gardens

06/18/2010 18:21 GMT

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Once the planting bug bites, it's hard to let it go. After all my terrarium containers were filled with soil and plants, I had some left and didn't want to waste them. So I started looking around the kitchen for other things to plant. I'm not sure what I'll make trifle cakes in any more, because I used my favorite pedestal bowl as a planter that sits on a sideboard in the dining room now. And an ice cream dish filled with tiny daisies sits on the kitchen counter, adding fresh and green to the decor. The same formula that was used for the terrariums was used for these containers, since they don't have any source of drainage at the bottom of them. They contain a layer of charcoal, then course gravel, and finally potting soil. It's important not to over-water them, but to check frequently for dryness and to water just enough when required. The plants in my stock are gone, but with a trip to the mountains planned soon, I may just bring more home and continue with this fun nature project.

Kitchen Container Gardens - http://www.gracioushospitality.com/feeds/8045018045498659753/comments/default

[+] Once the planting bug bites, it's hard to let it go. After all my terrarium containers were filled with soil and plants, I had some left and didn't want to waste them. So I started looking around the kitchen for other things to plant. I'm not sure what I'll make trifle cakes in any ... more [555579]

Gracious Hospitality - http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Bringing Nature Indoors

06/17/2010 01:37 GMT

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One of my favorite authors writes that "nature study should be an important part of your child's daily program. This may include working with plants, pots, or window boxes indoors, or a bigger garden outdoors; collecting, identifying, and classifying leaves, rocks, shells, etc.; starting a nature experiment; or taking a walk to see what can be found to study." [Home Grown Kids, p. 154]

Sometimes weather conditions, living conditions, and circumstances make daily nature study difficult. Videos, pictures, books, etc. can fill the gap, but when a child or adult finds something live to touch, see, and experience, natures lessons are clearly illustrated at the highest levels of learning and comprehension. Let's explore one way that nature can be studied in a controlled environment in the home.

Bringing nature into the house is fun and a fresh way to see how things grow in their own, self-contained ecosystem. A terrarium can be made out of a variety of glass containers and are a beautiful addition to any living space. To make a terrarium you will need:

1) Natural materials from nature: if possible, take a walk in the woods or along a creek bank to gather small plants and objects (violets, wild ginger, moss, rocks, twigs). Visit a plant nursery and/or the plant and flower department at the supermarket. Select and buy several small houseplants (2" containers or 6-pack containers).

2) Purchase or gather materials for the foundation. You will need to layer, in this order, charcoal, gravel, and potting soil.

3) Find a container that is large and clear with an open top. WalMart has brandy snifters and clear glass vases that will work for a terrarium. A fish bowl or fish tank also works nicely. After experienced has been gained in building terrariums, you might want to use a large, commercial-style glass water bottle. The opening is small, but with a straightened, wire coat hanger, you can place plants and objects in the container to create a beautiful terrarium.

4) Make sure your glass container is sparkling clean. It is more difficult to polish the glass after it is filled with soil and plants.

5) Then, place a layer of charcoal in the base of the container. If using purchased charcoal, be sure it is a type that does not have chemicals or petroleum added. If the charcoal is in lumps, place it in a plastic bag and then pound it with a heavy glass or hammer to break into small pieces or powder. The charcoal acts as a purifier to absorb toxins and mold.

6) Next, add a layer of gravel, covering the charcoal completely. The gravel creates a bed for drainage.

7) Now it is time to add a layer of potting soil. This will be a thicker layer than the charcoal or gravel. Smooth it throughout the container. It does not need to be level. Instead, a mound or a slope can be created for the scene.

8) Plan the scene, deciding upon the placement of plants. At this point, a decision to make a pond or stream in the scene should be made. They can be added by placing a small, low dish on the soil in the terrarium, or by placing a small mirror or aluminum foil for the illusion of water. Working with odd numbers of plants is recommended for artistic effect and should be used to create the anchor for the scene. Smaller plants can then be added to complete the design. Using odd numbers is still recommended. Sometimes it is difficult to reach into the bottom of the container to dig holes for the plants. A table knife or a long handled iced tea spoon work as helpful tools for planting. Moss can be added in open spaces between plants to create
ground cover.

9) Add objects from nature to create a natural scene. Stones, twigs, and sea shells add contrast to the plants and create interest and 'spark'.

10) Add small figurines or toys to add interest. Ceramic or plastic animals, Lego creations, tiny toy boats, a toy helicopter, or figurines of people make a terrarium interesting to children. A little twig cabin or house inside also sparks imagination.

11) A terrarium is a great habitat for little critters found in nature. Frogs, toads, salamanders, and chameleons will enjoy the moist and lush place to live. Insects like ladybugs or worms also give life to the habitat.

12) A terrarium is a closed habitat when a cover is added to the top. If an aquarium is used, a mesh cover that fits tightly can be purchased. For a glass vase or brandy snifter, a plate set on top works to keep moisture inside. Watering will not be necessary very often because the moisture will recycle in the container, forming condensation on the sides. Observing this is a great opportunity to teach the cycle of water to the ocean, clouds, and rain. Sometimes a terrarium can become too moist, so keep watch and slide the plate aside to make a small crack for moisture to escape. If it becomes too moist, the plants will rot and spoil.

A terrarium can be used to teach lessons from nature and to spark the interest and imagination of the children who craft and observe what's inside. Seeing how plants grow or how they need trimmed so they don't overgrow the container involves the child actively on a daily basis. Gathering new objects can be done on daily walks and the child can add or remove things from the scene to improve it or to keep up with the seasons. Its interactive nature is especially observed when little critters are added. The terrarium as a self-contained habitat can provide hours of involvement in learning for the child and can give them the opportunity to observe nature up close and naturally in their home environment. It's a great way to involve the family in a fun and beautiful nature activity.

Bringing Nature Indoors - http://www.gracioushospitality.com/feeds/3759294515741645768/comments/default

[+] One of my favorite authors writes that "nature study should be an important part of your child's daily program. This may include working with plants, pots, or window boxes indoors, or a bigger garden outdoors; collecting, identifying, and classifying leaves, rocks, shells, etc.; starting a nature ex ... more [555580]

Gracious Hospitality - http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

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