Happy Memorial Day, sweet friends. And thank you for joining me here for coffee. I’ll have my coffee with just a little creamer, but you grab your favorite beverage and we’ll sit and catch up a bit. Sooo much has happened since I last showed up here.
Before I chatter on about the stuff of life, I’d like to pause and offer my gratitude to any of you who may have lost a loved one in service to our country. Your sacrifice is not lost on me. I know that freedom is not free, but paid for with the service, hard work and ultimate sacrifices of men and women who have valiantly stood in harm’s way for our country throughout the years. So thank you. And may God bless you with sweet memories of your loved one and reflections on their courage and dedication this Memorial Day.
For those of you who show up here daily Monday through Friday looking for a little style inspiration or beauty tips, I apologize for not posting last Friday. But James and I finally moved into our new home this past week. It’s been a humdinger of a week! I’m aching all over and my Fitbit exploded with buzzes throughout the days, rewarding me for reaching milestones like the Skyscraper Award for climbing 100 floors in one day. Yeah, I did that.
We moved to Cincinnati from Arizona just short of two years ago for James to pastor Mt. Carmel Baptist Church. But we’ve been renting a small efficiency home all that time while we sold our Arizona home, recuperated a bit from our losses (it’s our custom to buy high and sell low ?), figured out where we wanted to live and looked for a permanent home. We purchased our home in February, but just closed on it about 6 weeks ago. Then we took some time to get the inside painted and new carpet installed in the offices and guest bedroom.
Anyhoo! We moved in all this past week. We did the move ourselves this time, so it was quite grueling. Of course, we hired three men and a truck to move the heavy furniture on Saturday, but, with the help of a couple of friends, we moved the rest. The good thing about that is that today I don’t have boxes all around me like we did at this point in previous moves. Our basement storage area is neatly packed in navigable rows so we can easily get to everything we have and actually use it. Here’s just a portion of that storage area. I’m beyond thrilled that we accomplished this kind of organization because we are not naturally organized people.
I don’t want to spend too much time talking about the house here. I have a few other things to share, too. And obviously we just moved in so we are very much in transition. But I snapped a few other photos with my phone to show you.
First up, here’s a photo of the dining room. Our dining room table, gifted to us by a congregation that James pastored about 20 years ago in Mabank, Texas, has been in storage for the past two years. I’m pleased as punch to have it out and ready for use again. I love the tray ceiling in this spacious room. I’ll probably replace the chandelier eventually, but it’s far down on the list.
Here’s another angle of the dining room – as I have it set up for now. It’s subject to change, of course.
Oops! I see one of the mover tags on the table. Hahaha! I’ll take care of that shortly.
We have two living areas in our new home and we’re treating both pretty much the same. They’ll both be casual places for conversation and lounging. Both will have televisions, but only the back room has a fireplace. This is the room for which I’ve ordered new furniture, and most of it won’t be in until July or even August. Production and delivery times are just backed up with the past year’s pandemic.
Anyhow, just as we were moving in Ethan Allen called to say my rug was in. Yippee! I mean how great is it that the first piece to come in is the bottom layer? So I guess this snapshot can be my before photo as I build this room.
I’m going to have a green sofa in this room. As much as I love wearing neutrals, you might be surprised to know that I’ve always had a penchant for colorful furniture. My other sofa is red. This one will be a cheerful spring green. I had a decorator at Ethan Allen help me put this room together, so I’m confident it’s going to be lovely.
I have a spacious upstairs office and I’m anxious to get it decorated as well. Right now I’m typing this post on my new desk. And check out this amazing mirror I found at Home Goods.
I think with the natural light from that window and this oversized mirror, I’m finally going to be able to produce good mirror selfies for my Friday How I Really Dressed for My Day posts. What do you think? ? Here’s my first one. This is what I wore Friday as the movers brought our furniture in. I was through with lugging in box after box myself and had pretty much moved on to putting things away.
Excuse the water splatters all over my jumpsuit (same in fewer color choices). Ha! Y’all. It’s been a week! Anyhow I saw this jumper on Jennifer at the Daily Connoisseur and fell in love. Jennifer said in her video that she knew many of her viewers felt like this jumpsuit made her look like a garage mechanic, but she loved it anyhow. I love it, too. And I figured if oh so chic Jennifer could feel good about wearing it, by golly, I can, too. Hahaha! It is amazingly comfortable and really fun to wear.
In other news I wanted to tell you that I finally hired that part time virtual assistant. My daughter Abigail has resigned from her job at Madewell to work as an administrative assistant to me, the Atlanta Rotary Club and another small business. I’d really always wanted Abigail for this position anyhow. I know she has the skills I need for it, and it will be easy to communicate with her. But I didn’t want to push her into it and knew she had her hands full with her job at Madewell. But when she got the offer from the Rotary Club to work a 25 hour week for them, she asked if she could also be my assistant. Uh, ye-es!!!
Today I’m playing catchup. We still have to get over to the rental house to pick up one final load of stragglers. Bleh. And I’ll be putting things away a little bit at a time for the rest of the week. But I’m trying to return my focus and time to the blog and YouTube channel. I’m going to visit my family in Georgia next week, so I’ll need to have blog posts banked up and ready to go. I don’t want to go missing again!
Sales Worth Shopping
Before I go, I thought I’d share with you a few great sales that are going on and worth checking into. Obviously sales abound this weekend. But these are the ones I’m specifically checking out.
- The Soma Semi-Annual Sale is always a winner with savings up to 70%. Soma is my go-to for bras, panties, and even loungewear. I love my Sunday shorts. Of course, I also love Soma’s Cool Nights sleepwear.
- Kendra Scott has quickly become my favorite source for trending but classic jewelry. And they’re having a rare sale of 20% off 1 style or 25% off 2+ styles.
- Of course I always dig a sale at Talbots. They’re offering 30% off regular price styles right now (use code SUMMER to get one item for 40% off), including their newest American collection. Did you know they even have styles for girls in this collection? So here’s your chance to play twinsies with your daughter and granddaughter for a fun vacation or family reunion photo.
- I don’t consider myself a workout clothes snob, but then again I don’t wear anything but Athleta to work out in. So there’s that. Not only do I love their designs, but their workout clothing stays put, endures the hard wear and frequent washing and breathes. This is workout clothing made for real women’s bodies. And you’ll find savings up to 50%.
- Banana Republic has 40% off your purchase plus an additional 20% off if you use your Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy or Athleta credit card. I recently picked up the almond and the butter cookie colors in the Slub Cotton-Modal Henley T-Shirt, shown below. I just love this tee. It’s soft, has an interesting neckline and works great for summer. The white is a little sheer, but the butter cookie and almond don’t worry me at all. I wear a medium.
- Speaking of the photo above, those high-rise straight leg crops are 45% off right now. In fact, Chico’s is offering up to 70% off a large selection of their summer collection in their Memorial Day Sale.
- You’ll find savings for the whole family at Nordstrom’s Half Yearly Sale.
- At J.Crew get 25% off full price styles and an extra 50% sale styles with code WEEKEND.
- And Gap is offering 50% off summer faves and 40% off everything else.
Well, I think I’ll wrap it up there. Like I said, everyone is having a sale today. But those are some good ones to check out.
I appreciate you stopping in and allowing me just to ramble a bit today. I’ve felt like a Mack truck ran over me for the past week. Seriously. But James and I are starting to feel a little rested now. Amazingly he managed to preach a great sermon twice Sunday and delivered them beautifully. I don’t know how he did it other than the grace of God. Truly, we are so blessed. And we are beyond grateful to be in our new home. Thanks so much for letting me share a little of that with you today.
I hope you have a lovely day. Bless you!
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Blessed for My Day
I had to chuckle as I read this morning’s Bible reading in my Life Principle’s Daily Bible. We read about King Solomon building his magnificent house under the blessing of the Lord. Solomon’s house dwarfed my new home and its grandeur definitely puts mine in the shadows. But just as Solomon knew that God had richly blessed him to be able to construct such a grand house, I know that I am blessed, too. I am so very grateful to be in this home.
But even in the two years we spent in our very small rental home, James and I often thanked God for how He had blessed us. We loved the location, we felt part of Cincinnati there and we had a lovely yard and back deck. We were also grateful for the huge basement where we could store so many of our belongings. And our landlord was gracious and attentive. What about you? Maybe today is a good day to thank God for the blessing of home. Whatever and wherever and however, God has surely blessed you with good and unique attributes in your home.
Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished his entire house. He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Its length was a hundred cubits and its breadth fifty cubits and its height thirty cubits, and it was built on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars. ~ 1 Kings 7:1-2
Hi Kay, thank you for your newsy email. I so appreciate that you take time out to write in what has been an extremely busy week. Your new house will shape up in no time, and I love the shine on that dining table. I’m reflecting on how, though I’ve only been following your posts for a few months, and was drawn by your accessible style tips , I feel through your generous sharing, I’m a long distant (UK) friend. Happy unpacking. ☺️
Kay I’m so happy for you to be in your new house. You are doing a great job multitasking with so much happening at once. I hope you have many years of enjoyment there with your husband. What a bonus to have Abigail working with you also! God bless
Congratulations to you on your new house, it looks great. Moving is such a lot of work. You all did it well, so organized . Local moves are easier in that way. Amazing you did all that and still got this post out! Thank you for all you do, so enjoy your daily blog. Happy your daughter wil be working with you.
Congrats the move is over ?? that rug you just ordered is beautiful !! Please be sure to post a picture of the new green couch .. have a great day
Wishing you all the best in your new home, Kay. I’m sure it’s been a stressful week, but oh how nice it is when everything’s finally in its new place! And how exciting that you’ll be working with your daughter. Lots of happy things in your life right now, I’m sure. Thanks for keeping us posted.
Congratulations on your move into your new home. It’s beautiful. God bless you and your family.
So Happy for you and James Kay..,,,,have fun and entertaining in your new home!
Also great news about Abigail being able to help you?! The younger group knows so much about the internet.
Love your new home!
Blessings,
Moving is a big job! We’re retired from pastoring churches but recently acquired a vacation home that we are enjoying making comfortable for our family. It’s in a beautiful setting, in the marshes of the Gulf Coast with abundant wildlife, spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Since we’re at the sit out on the porch and watch the world go by, it’s perfect. Good place to count our blessings!
Kay, You make all of your followers feel like we’re your best friend. Thank you for sharing your life with all of us. God bless you and God bless our amazing God given country. Remembering today those who helped us remain free.
Hi Kay,
Happy Memorial Day! Wishing you much happiness in your new home. So happy to hear Abigail will be working with you. You must be over the moon Glad your finally in your new home I am sure it will be beautiful when you are done.
Stay well,
Oh Kay, I so enjoyed this newsy post! I want to say congratulations on several things you mentioned: Abigail becoming your assistant, your organized basement (right up my alley), getting 95% of the moving done in one week, how nice you look in the jumpsuit, the awesome mirror you found for your office, and the rug for your back family room coming in early! God definitely put his grace on James for him to be able to preach two sermons yesterday. My mom used Ethan Allen back in the 70’s to help her decorate the living room in the home they had built. Of course, their furniture lasts forever and is built so well. Safe travels when you head down to our home state to visit with your family! As of today, rain is moving in on Wednesday and will be here through the early part of next week. Enjoy getting settled in!
Good morning ! Just my opinion, but I happen to like the chandelier. To me, it blends well with the dining suit. Enjoy your new home.
Jackie
A red couch sounds so cheerful and fun. I really consider red a neutral almost for my wardrobe. It just weaves right in with my other pieces. I’m so happy for you and your new beginnings in a new home. Our homes are our sanctuary. Now, slow down, take a deep breath and tell me why people love jumpsuits. I hate the bathroom takedown. Cute? Yes but good grief!
Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your new home! Best wishes as you settle in; can’t wait to see your back living room when everything is delivered and you’ve set it up. Best wishes as you put things away this week and prepare for your visit to Georgia next week. That may include a work meeting with your new virtual assistant!
Thank you for the up date and the special words about Memorial Day. Congratulations on your new home. I wish you many blessings and happy healthy years in your new home. It is beautiful as are you. Have a great day.
Congratulations on the move! Your olive jumper is cute, but I always wonder how women wear those things, practically speaking. Every time you need to “use the facilities” you have to basically completely undress, don’t you? At home I guess it isn’t such a big deal, (except taking longer) but I just don’t see how it’s possible in a public restroom. I’d love a post explaining the logistics of these things!
I’m glad that your move went well, Kay.
Congrats on finishing the big move! May you have many happy years there! Would love to know the paint color gray of the walls.
Have a wonderful day!
Hi Bebe. It’s Sherwin Williams Agreeable Grey, which is evidently one of the most popular colors in America (and among my readers) right now because it’s a true neutral, working well with both cool and warm furnishings.
LOVED the coffee chat! So fun to get to know you. I love following you and learning about style. We recently sold our business and are redecorating with Ethan Allen too! My decorator is sooo nice and a Christian too! Thanks for showing us the pictures of your house. I love the table! Looks like a lovely home!
Congratulations on hiring an assistant. It is a mystery to me how bloggers make money, but I’m so happy for you! Have fun settling into your new home!
SO excited for you guys settling in your new home! Look forward to seeing your rooms being “put together” as I enjoy seeing you “put together” in your lovely outfits! May God fill your home with sweet blessings!
Hi , I love your home and love your posts, thank you so much, Linda Pietrucha
So happy for you and James to finally be in your new home. I Love every bit of it that you’ve shared with us so far and can’t wait to see all of it in due time! I’m an organized person but my goodness, you really ARE organized! Wish some of my moves could have gone that way but usually they were long distances so wouldn’t allow us to do that! I know you’re tired but it’s really grueling to do it all at once. Well, you know that from your move from Arizona, etc. Selfie looked great in your new office and new mirror! Please, go at your own pace so you won’t get too over-whelmed. We all understand!
Kay, having just moved twice in 6 months (rental until we found the right house), I can empathize with how busy you’ve been. So happy you can now get settled. How fun for you that you and your daughter will be working together! Enjoy a well-deserved restful Memorial Day!
Lori
Wanted to add my congratulations, Kay, about both your new home and Abigail’s new jobs. Love the dining room (especially your china cabinet), and I’m sure your living room with the fireplace will be lovely. I look forward to your posts every day. Thank you for your work and positive attitude.
Congratulations on the new house. Wishing you and James many blessings and happy times in your new home.
Congratulations on finishing your move! Your new home is beautiful! Thank you for taking the time today to share how it all went, fun pictures, and the wonderful news about your new assistant. I’m sure you are exhausted, be sure to take some time to recover and rest. I look forward to your posts, I always feel like I am hearing from a good friend. Have a blessed day!
My Fitbit rewarded me with the Rollercoaster badge for climbing 125 floors last Friday. That’s funny, because I was riding in my son’s vehicle for almost three hours on a very bumpy dirt road in the mountains of Northern California! Thank you for the Memorial Day words — as Senior Vice-President of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, it will be my honor to place a wreath at the dedication this morning of our new Veterans Memorial monument.
What a meaningful way to celebrate the day Linda. Thank you for sharing that. And how wonderful to have a new Veterans Memorial in your area.
Congratulations on your new home! I’m very happy for you! We have SO many things to be thankful for every single day! Thank you for sharing a little bit about your life and how God is working! How very exciting to have Abagail join you! ??❤️??
Kay, so happy for you to be moving into your new home. I so enjoy your blogs, posts and videos. I feel like I am learning how to dress myself more “authentically “. I appreciate all the hard work you put into what you are doing and am glad you will now have and assistant to ease some of the load! I and my husband are in the process of leaving our home of 26 years to find a rental and I relate to how overwhelming it is! Thanks again for all you do. We are blessed for what God has and is doing in our lives.
Thank you for “coffee with Kay”. I love your white cabinets and pops of red on your counters. By the way the coffee was good too.?
Thanks for sending this post. I missed the casual outfit on Thursday.
I love my hats from Sun n Sand. They have a large collection with many different styles and materials. So I’m sharing a link for those who would like to check it out.
https://www.sunnsand.net/headwear/womens-hats/
PS. I have no affiliation with them, just like their hats.
Thank you for the update, Kay! So happy that you and James are home! It looks lovely so far. I look forward to seeing more as you add to the decor.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day!
Suzanne
P.S. It’s wonderful that Abigail will be working with you.
Hi Kay, no need to apologize. We missed you but how many of us were thinking, “OMG she’s moving today and what an ordeal THAT is!” Looks as if you have a beautiful new place with plenty of natural light coming in. I love seeing what other people do with decorating their homes so I hope you keep us posted on your new place. Love the jumpsuit. How sweet that you get to work with your daughter and see her talents before you on a regular basis. Wishing you many happy times filled with love and companionship in your new home!
I am so glad you and James are finally moved and you have just a few more things to move over to your new house. Your house looks beautiful and I know you will enjoy living there. God definitely has blessed you. I asked blessings on my family and friends every day. We should also thank him every day for what he has provided for us and what he will provide. God bless you and James
Thank you for sharing about your move and life! It’s always fun to read how others are getting along and doing things. I love the look of your new house and am amazed at your basement organization! You manage to have a positive attitude and still look great! How lucky that you get to work with your daughter! Blessings all around!
What a beautiful home. Looking forward to your daughter working with you, what a blessing. I also have poppies in blue dishes. LOL
When you have a chance are there rules on sandals in regard to when to wheat metallic, nude, colors etc
Hi Cyndi. I choose nude sandals when I want to elongate the leg, metallic when I want to add a little light or bling and animal print or a color when I need to add more interest. I just try not to overdo the metallic or animal print by not doubling up. Maybe I’ll do a post on this.
I love Ethan Allen as well and of course Talbots and Nordstrom’s.
Haven’t been able to post any photos yet because I am snowed under with a class I’m taking for paralegal certification. Decided I wanted to do something a little different now that I’m retired.
Good luck getting the rest of your house together although it looks like you’ve made a huge dent in it.
Darlene from Chicago
Congratulations on your new home and so glad the worst is behind and the fun “nesting” is ahead! May the Lord use this new home to bless you and all those who enter! I know He will!!
So happy about your new assistant. How special to work with your daughter.
Love that Rosie the Riveter jumpsuit!! ?
Have a blessed day!
Hi Kay, I’m so impressed that you were able to post anything last week given your move! I hope you and your husband will have years of happiness and peace in your beautiful new home. Congratulations on your successful and organized move and for hiring Abigail. From someone who works with her family on a part-time basis, I hope your teamwork will be as fun and productive as mine has been. Enjoy your stay with your family next week and get some rest as I know how much work you put into your blogs and videos!
I think you have done an amazing job of moving and trying to stay in touch with your subscribers. I have moved many times in my lifetime and the last move I handled it the way you did, move in the small stuff as you can in the weeks ahead of the large furniture move. I had friends in for lunch just after our move and they said it looked like we had always lived there, it is the only way to do a move. I took all the help I could get.
Hello Kay, I’m a bit tardy on my comment here ? I love the jumpsuit as well, you look smashing in it. I must say Congratulations on your home! You looked tired in the photo but I could also see the joy dancing in your eyes of “Hallelujah! we are finally home ❤” the house has that old world charm of a grand dame of her time! The tray ceiling, tall windows, and the moldings on the fireplace! She’s a real beauty ? I look forward to seeing more. It’s been sunny for the past few days so I’m enjoying it on my patio with my constant companion my wee dog Jaxy at my side.