I've decided to start a new monthly series called "A Beautiful Friend". Because well.... I have extraordinarily talented and beautiful friends and I want to brag on them! Each of these friends have inspired me with their unique gifts and talents so I am looking forward to sharing more about each of them with you throughout the year.
First up is Molly. I just asked Molly out of the blue one day if I could come over and take pictures of her house and feature her on my blog. She was gracious enough to agree (with her usual humble and humorous wit).
Not only is Molly a beautiful person inside and out, but she is also a wife & mother of two, a bible study leader, community volunteer, writer, and budding interior designer. Okay.....she would probably disagree with that last one. But one of the things I really love about Molly is her style. Her home is so lovely and stylish and really reflects her fun personality. But more than that, it's inviting, hospitable and comfortable. It's the kind of place where she'll offer my kids lunch and if my son smears his sticky peanut butter hands all over her kitchen table, she won't blink an eye. I love spending time there. So I asked Molly if I could showcase a few photos of my favorite spots in her home.
First up is the Living Room.
I love how she used various Maps to create an asymmetrical Art Wall.
In her family room is this creative piece of art that she made herself using a branch from a friend's yard, and handmade fabric birds. Quick, someone pin this!
Her recently renovated kitchen is so light and inviting.
This little sitting area in her breakfast nook is so fun and colorful.
She also has one of the most beautiful plate collections I've ever seen. These colorful plates are displayed along her formal dining room wall.
Daughter Sylvie's bedroom is so much fun. I love the soft aqua walls and bright pink accents.
And don't you think piano's add so much character to a room? This one is just gorgeous in Molly's Living Room.
In addition to taking a house tour, I asked Molly to answer a few questions so you can get to know her better. I love that you can get a flavor of her fun personality in her answers.
1. How would you describe your decorating style?
If there is a term that encompasses using what you have, looking for clearance I items at TJ Maxx and trying to copy or improve what other people do, then that sums up my style. I just decorate with things I like to look at and that make me happy. I am drawn to color and pattern and a mix of timeless meets funky and artsy. But frugality is always a theme—let’s face it: anyone can have great style and great stuff if they spend a lot of money. I like to see what I can do with items from Big Lots.
2. Where do you shop for home decor?
Anywhere that has something I’m drawn to and that’s relatively inexpensive.
I think my house is equal parts HomeGoods, Target, Ikea, and my neighbors’ trash.
3. What are you reading right now?
I just finished Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder and generally have several things in the rotation: The Bible, The New Yorker, Saveur magazine and the occasional US Weekly. I can’t lie.
4. What talent or strength are you most thankful for?
I think I’m a compassionate person. I can’t stand to see people or animals suffering or sad. This can be particularly crippling when I encounter a moving patch of fur along the side of a busy highway.
5. What is your favorite website or blog?
I love Etsy, although it is a tremendous time-waster; I don’t even allow myself on a site like Pinterest or my children would never be fed. I also love frugal living websites like Hip2Save.com (despite the cheesy name) where I’m alerted to free Martha Stewart magazine subscriptions or coupons for $1 off ricotta cheese. I don’t like to shop, so I abuse my Amazon Prime subscription and order everything from walnut oil to Pull-ups with the quick click of my mouse. I often read Sand in the Gears, which satisfies some of my more weighty interests. And I hesitate to include my sister’s blog, only because she updates it with maddening infrequency. But she’s a really good writer and my nieces are awfully cute.
6. What is one goal or dream that you have not yet accomplished but hope to in the future?
I’m not much of a dreamer, unfortunately. My biggest goal is to honor God with my life and to raise children who love Him. On a more specific scale, I guess I’d like to write something of substance some day. I don’t know quite what that means--A blog? A short story? A book? I’m not sure it would ever happen, but I have the desire. I’d also like to be able to run a mile without going into cardiac arrest.
7. What is your family's most favorite recipe?
I’ve ceased trying to please both the children and the adults in the household, as our tastes are so wildly different. My kids are big on super boring meals like black beans, cheese, veggies, and fruit. I like 57 different ingredients at a time, one of which has to be sriracha sauce. The meal that is most representative of what I love to eat is one my friend Erin turned me on to several years ago.
Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad with Harissa-style Dressing
Photo found here.
It doesn’t look that interesting, and it has a terribly cumbersome name, but it’s incredibly delicious. Here’s a recipe(ish)
--Roasted or Grilled Vegetables (summer squash, zucchini, onions, red peppers)
--Couscous, cooked
--4 oz. goat cheese or feta
--Salad greens, preferably with lots of herbs in them
--Harissa Dressing (I increase this by half or so because it’s what makes the whole dish):
~1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
~1 tsp. cayenne pepper
~2 T cumin (don’t skimp!)
~3-4 T fresh tomato puree
~4 T lime juice
~salt & pepper
Get a big serving and assemble in this order: couscous, veggies, greens, goat cheese, dressing.
9. Tell us about the community organization you volunteer at, The Garage, and why you think it's an imperative part of the community.
The Garage is an after-school program for middle and high schoolers in the Kennett Square, PA area—our mission is to empower students to reach their potential. The Garage serves some of the most at-risk teenagers in the community and gives them constructive opportunities during critical after-school hours. It offers the substantial population of Mexican immigrants in Kennett resources that they might otherwise not have access to. Students are tutored, mentored, and encouraged in every area.
10. You also volunteer with a local program called YoungMoms. Tell us more about what this program is and how can we as members of the community help out?
YoungMoms is another local initiative that provides academic, parenting, and spiritual support to teen moms. We have more than 40 moms who face some of the toughest challenges I’ve ever seen: single parenthood, domestic violence, poverty, incomplete education, etc. These are girls who don’t naturally have very many options or opportunities, but through their involvement with YoungMoms are completing their education, getting jobs, learning how to parent effectively, meeting their goals, etc. The program is doing tremendous things. One of our goals is for every single teen mom to have a one-on-one mentor who invests in them—we could use more volunteers and more donations to make that happen!
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Thank you Molly, for allowing me to feature you today! She needs a blog doesn't she?? It's crazy that she doesn't have one. Molly are you reading this??
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