BeautyRevealed | The Blog of Melissa J. Dillon

I have six posts half written and waiting for pictures in my “drafts” section. There are dirty dishes in my sink. I have a basement full of dirty laundry. I have a “To Do” list a mile long of things that still need to get done before the baby arrives. I have messages on my phone that are 2 weeks old! I just don’t seem to have enough hours in my day. I’ve been busy from sun up till sun down most days and it’s a little over two weeks until my due date. So tonight I’m taking a break from thinking of all the things I need to do, and I thought I’d post some pictures of some dreamy kitchens. I’m really loving the look of white and wood together… especially aged wood and old cutting boards and wicker baskets. Someday I’m hoping to get rid of our old kitchen counter tops and replace them with wood… sigh… someday. Until then I’m just enjoying getting inspiration through these kitchens.

{P.S. I promise to be a better blogger! Check back soon!}

“It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.”

-W. T. Ellis

It’s my favorite time of the year. This week we’ve even had some snow to get us into the Christmas spirit. Mark put up the tree, and it smells wonderful. Bing Crosby is crooning in the background. The pine candles are glowing. The twinkle lights are mesmerizing. The house is a m.e.s.s… Christmas decorations and garland everywhere! More to come…

After having one of the busiest summers I ever remember having, I’ve been looking forward to Autumn tremendously this year. And Fall is definitely in the air. Although it has been warm and sunny, the leaves are beginning to change and there is a certain smell in the breeze that makes me yearn for cozy chilly days around the corner. Mom and I have been visiting the local shops to get some inspiration, and I’ve been taking down all my summer decorations and breezy curtains to make room for cozy Autumn decorations… candles, pumpkins, etc. (Pictures to come one of these days).  I love to light my apple cider and pumpkin pie candles in the evenings and enjoy a little “house warming”.

Tonight I’ve been flipping through cookbooks to find some “comfort food” recipes: soups, hot-dishes, crock-pot creations… and I’m hoping for more apples this year from my neighbor so I can make my favorite Apple Bread again.

The Lord is taking me through some hard things lately, but I’m just so aware of His presence that never leaves me nor forsakes me. He never promised us that life would be easy… in fact, just the opposite. We are told to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials”… not if… “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” (James 1:2-3) I think at times women can feel like they need to look like we have it all together. That our life is great and perfect in every way. But sometimes life is messy. Sometimes it’s hard. And sometimes the lessons we must go through can bring about pain and suffering. And that’s okay, because everyone experiences the tough stuff at some time or another, and we shouldn’t be in a competition to prove our perfection. Perfection can only be found in Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. So during this last week, I have been drawing on His strength to bring me through.

My devotional from Streams in the Desert today really spoke to me: “Recognize that Unseen Presence… which is so wonderful, quieting, soothing, calming and warming. He is here, close to you, and His Presence is real. Some One is present, and He is a warm-hearted Friend and the all-powerful Lord.”

So really the true “house warming” comes from inviting His Presence to permeate every nook and cranny of our homes. When we allow Him to quiet our hearts amid whatever storm we’re in, and to set us aglow with His love for us once again.

Autumn blessings to all as you enjoy this upcoming cozy season.

“The sun was warm but the wind was chill. You know how it is with an April day.” 

- Robert Frost

I’ve been in spring cleaning mode this last week. Lots of organizing, deep cleaning, redecorating, and baking while listening to “The Best of Billie Holiday” on my ipod. Though the days have been a bit chilly still, the sun is bright and cheery… I love spring. I’ve been scouring old issues of Country Living and Victoria magazines for some inspiration. I’m in a blue faze, I think. It’s so summery and fresh. Today I dyed Easter eggs… I actually boiled a dozen eggs without cracking any (that’s a first for me!) I had to call mom for some tips. 

Easter is at Mom and Dad’s this year. We’re still deciding on the menu as it kind of crept up on us all of the sudden. We do know that we want to watch “The Passion of the Christ” and have a time of worship, though.  I wanted to ask if any of you have any fun or special Easter traditions. It’s always fun to hear how other people celebrate holidays and make them their own. What kind of meal do you usually have? Egg hunts? Sunrise Service? Please share in the comment section. I’m always looking for new ways to make our holidays more special and meaningful. 

I thought I’d share some of my Easter/Spring decorations that I have up around the house. It definitely feels springy around here now. I changed the curtains from red to white which gives the house an airy feeling. Now it just needs to warm up so I can open up the windows and let the fresh air in. My next project is to put screen doors on the front and back doorways to allow light and air to flow through… mmm, I can almost smell the fresh cut grass already… and the lilacs… and the barbeque grills. Can you tell I love summer? This winter has been way too long! 

After this weekend I should have some pictures to share of all the projects we’ve been getting done around here. Lots of power tools, pounding and painting going on in this 90 year old house. It becomes more and more of our dream home everyday. My dad has been coming over every day after work to finish up the baby’s room, and this Easter weekend we start on putting a new oak stairway in. He’s also helping me put some finishing touches on my Creative Closet, so I’ll be able to post some pictures of that soon as well. Thank you so much, Daddy, for all your hard work. (I think I may owe him my soul when all this is said and done! ha!)

I hope you all are having a happy Spring and Easter Season. Spring is a time of new life, growth, and fruitfulness after a long winter. It is a refreshing time for me and I hope it is for you, as well. 

The angel answered, “… I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come see the place where the Lord lay. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead…” 

So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy…

~ Matthew 28

“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.”

Roy L. Smith

I have been very s.l.o.w.l.y decorating for Christmas this year. One night we got the tree… the next night we tackled the lights… a couple of days later we put the decorations on. Yesterday I finally put the wreath on the door. It has been a process this year. But it has been nice. Just laid back and care-free. Mark and I picked out the tree in about 2 minutes… we were really cold and we both just said, “good enough”. I don’t even think we got a proper look at it (It was tall and not too wide, so it fit our requirements). We got it home and we both love it. Mark trimmed a bit off the bottom before he brought it in, and when he stood it up he started to laugh. It was literally a ½ inch from the ceiling. It was perfect… no tree-topper this year, I guess. Simple. I like it. 

The kitties think that we brought in the tree just for them, I think. Pouncer tries to climb it (not very well since he has no claws!) and SweetPea takes her naps on the tree skirt. No ornaments have been broken yet and we’re crossing our fingers. 

Mark’s sister, Rachel, got us these Santa mugs for Christmas a couple of years ago. It is a Dillon household tradition to drink hot chocolate from Santa mugs when decorating the tree. I love this tradition and look forward to passing it on to our children as well. His mom has all kinds of antique Santa mugs and we usually fight over which one we get. 

Maybe next year we’ll have a fireplace on which to “hang our stockings with care”! This year we have a fireplace DVD that we play on the TV… it even crackles! It’s called the “poor man’s fireplace” (as we affectionately call it). But it does cozy up the room, and we just use our imaginations to feel the warmth of the fire. 

This is our little downtown Coleraine a few nights ago. We had just come out of a restaurant and the snow was falling… it was so peaceful. Our house is just a couple of blocks away. 

Here are a few of my favorite ornaments. As much as I try to not focus on Santa Claus, for some reason I tend to gravitate to the Old World Santas. They are just so sweet looking. I do like the story of St. Nicholas, though, and I will tell my children about his giving spirit… instead of focusing on “getting” presents. My parents were always really good about keeping Jesus at the center of the season when I was growing up, and I appreciate those memories so much. We even have cake and sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus. Even as a child (amidst the excitement of presents), I realized that the true gift to us was our Saviour born in a manger. I am so grateful to my parents for raising us this way.

Mark’s mom, Deborah, and I got this Santa a few years back at an auction in Missouri. I was too intimidated to raise my paddle so I kept hitting her to bid for me. I was so happy to get him… I think I only paid $5 if I remember right. Deborah came home with a whole car-load of stuff from that auction… we hit the jackpot!

Well, these are the beginnings of my Christmas decorations… there will be more later which I hope to post as well. I’ll get to it one of these days before Christmas (grin). 

Hope your season is special and filled with the warmth of His love.

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly

about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”

– George Eliot

1. The warmth of home after being in the cool, crisp outdoors.
2. The smells of Hot Caramel Apple Cider and Pumpkin Spice candles.
3. Making creamy soups and Honey Bread.
4. Cozy socks.
5. Pumpkins.
6. Fireplaces crackling.
7. Down Comforters and snugly kitties.
8. Pulling out the knitting needles again.
9. The gusty wind whistling through the trees. 
10. Jumping in a big pile of leaves.
11. The glow of lamplight in the windows.
12. Candles flickering.
13. Caramel Apples.
14. Listening to George Winston and the Little Women soundtrack.
15. Autumn Hikes.
16. Hot Cocoa, a warm blanket and a good book.
17. Playing cards with Hubby when the days get shorter.
18. Mom’s Wild Rice Soup.
19. Campfires and ’smores.
20. The beauty of changing leaves.
21. Candy Corn and peanuts.
22. Pulling out the sweaters, hats and mittens.
23. Slow-cooker Apple Pie.
24. Cinnamon Toast and Tea.
25. Family.