Happy New Year's Eve!

I am so excited for 2012! Since my daughter is a senior (have I mentioned that?) I have a bunch of sentimental gatherins, fun and things being planned to make the most of her last official year at home.

Instead of doing a typical blog, I decided to post a sampling of what we have highlighted this year on Inspired Design's Blog. Because it is a combination of design, hospitality and family the post can be varied, so I hope you enjoy looking into some of the fun I am posting.

I have a favor to ask of you! (Huh!) Although I know some of you are new to the blog, I'd love to know what you'd like more of...

Just hit "REPLY" or go to the "real" blog, by hitting Inspired Design Blog, at the top of this email and click on it, and it will take you to the real blog. You can add your comments there!

(The pictures are the proper size there!)

I want to know what you want more pictures of...more tips on...etc.

I have been asked to do several speaking engagements this spring, and would like to know what YOU all would like to know/do/read about/see more of in 2012!

Thank you!

If you let me know, I will enter you in a drawing for a copy of Inspired Design AND a surprise tea basket that I will put together and send to you!

I'm off to serve Boeff Bourgeneon to friends and I wish you a lovely evening!

Here is a design magazine that I love that did a little two-page spread on Inspired Design....

Above is a wonderful Thank You celebration for Inspired31.org teens to thank them for our first year and a half of our group! Below is a photograph from our Hospitality Book! It was taken in Karen Armstrong's Kitchen with her gorgeous plate collection.

Above the 700 Show Page from our appearance

Below is my Grandparents home from which so many wonderful childhood memories are from, and where my love of design was birthed. In fact, their ceiling shown, of white washed barn wood: a real hip and new thing to do in the 50's was a favorite of mine. When we redid our kitchen and pushed up our ceiling I did the same treatment, although since their house had sold...I had forgotten they had that in theirs. Only after I was finished with the project and I began our book project did I realize that I had copied their ceiling from memory...deeply etched in my subconscious! How is that for sweet & sentimental!

The Bausman Los Angles Showroom's Book Launch & Silver Show for Allan Adler Design, which is my grandfathers business that my cousin has purchased and taken over. Danny now creates all the beautiful silver that began in our family 8 generations ago.

Below my sweet friends and founding producers of Inspired31.org. In our intial launch we sent out 1800 hand addressed letters and fact sheets, each one hand addressed and prayed over. I just love M & T.

Above is me in Nashville with my dear friend, Lorianne, of 18 years. An inspiring friend who loves the Lord with all her heart...she was a speaker at Inspired31.org and will come back out in February to speak again from another church who asked us to speak together on Hospitality and The Home.

Below is our Boutique to raise money to begin Inspired31.org at my home. It was very successful and fun, thanks to hundreds of you!

Here was some mag.s that so generously featured Inspired Design Stories this year. What a blessing! We have been able to give almost $20,000 to Heart of Hope. One check is written and will be sent out tomorrow! Yea for the New Year and YOU!

Below is a fabulous table my mom set for a baby shower for her dear friends daughter. Lovely Table!

Wonderful Chalkboard....New Chapter friends from Santa Barbara Chapter of Inspired31.org

 Table my sweet daughter set all by herself, for an event...

Pics from our travels this summer!  

 My grandpa Allan Adler above....my great grandpa Porter Blanchard below...designing....sooo love....



The best gift of Christmas

The Best gift of all...

I love wrapping! I love plain kraft paper with beautiful bows, in clusters! I decided this year I'm sticking with what I love!

 I chose all kinds of sparkling ribbons...

 to nestle in between the sparkling ornaments...

 I love Christmas, because I love what Christmas celebrates: The birth of our savior.

 Christmas often isn't the perfect day, for many people. There has been loss, deep loss. There has been relationship that have ended, some that will never be mended. There has been disappointment and discouragement, some without resolve. But there is a truth that conquers all, a gift that comforts and a gift that saves. The birth of Jesus Christ. 

 When I see wrapped packages this is what I think of. Although not deserving, I have a saviour born for me (and you) on Christmas day. Because of that gift I am able to experience true joy, love and thanksgiving, even in the midst of life on earth. Joshua, Chapter 1, is very encouraging, especially verse 9: Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. True encouragement!

 I pray for you all of these things today, on Christmas Eve.

 I am thankful for many thing, including you. It is a blessing to be able to use the gifts I have to hopefully encourage and funny enough I am encouraged right back, by so many of you! Some of you email me, some are beginnning to leave comments on the blog (click on the above grey Inspired Design to see actual blog, where pictures are the "perfect" size)

 So, for me aside from the biggest gift of all are my friends and family! To be loved is what I am most thankful for. Below is a beautiful mantle from my friend Kathleen's home. She hosted our Inspired31.org Christmas Party, all of which I was so blessed by.

 These women and girls are treasures to me and I love them dearly. They are the founders of Inspired31.org, the mother-teenage daughter group that has blessed us all more than we could have imagined was possible. I am thankful for Inspired, where inspiring women (shown here, but also including Chelsea Cameron, Dannah Gresh, Susie Shellenberger, Debbie Marshall, the missionary who runs Heart of Hope etc..) have shown our daughters that being  a Christian woman today is not only possible, but a beautiful and unique thing. 

My family, whom I love dearly!

Thanks be to God for his unspeakable Gift— indescribable, inestimable, incomparable inexpressible - precious beyond words. Lois Lebar

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

With love, Roxanne

Little Christmas Touches, Snuggly Spots

Merry Christmas! 

Yesterday I had lunch with a lovely new friend who is also a psychologist here in California. We were talking about the complexities of being transparent and authentic while walking the "Philippians 4:8" kind of way: focusing on what is true, excellent, lovely and praiseworthy. So let me share something that is very important to me, while focusing on Phil 4:8...

The blog, book, et all, is about hospitality NOT entertaining. I was interviewed by a radio station this morning in Ohio about that subject, so I decided to write about that today.  Basically, my opinion is "entertaining" is the world's version of "hospitality". Entertaining can become it's own "thing", while hospitality tries to keep it's focus on honoring and blessing others.

 Romans 12:13 tells us to Share with God's people who are in need, Practice Hospitality.

Here are some ways to touch your home, so you and your home can touch others....

You can never truly enjoy Christmas until you can look up into the Father's face and tell him you have received his Christmas gift.   --John R. Rice 

My family room is always warm and cozy because it has so much red it in it, but adding a red throw blanket or pillow can do so much to transform a room to a Christmas delight.

 Sparkly lights and some greenery with my regular bathroom items make is a truly special spot. Those twinkly lights can make every nook look more special.

 Our powder room. Little bows are so easy to tie on trees, and very inexpensive. It really adds a great dimension. I especially love white bows or plaid bows to make a great Christmas statement.

 Over the last 18 years I have slowly collected some lovely red pillows, not all Christmasy. When put all together however, they look like a Christmas collection! A cozy nook to read and have some tea or chat with a kid. (or stack presents to wrap or laundry!!!)

 Amazing how a few white flowers and pinecones can make something look like a winter wonderland. Candles are always a must!

 I am starting a teacup Christmas ornament collection, so here are the beginnings of my tree! I got these trees at big lots (cheap!!!) with these little plastic bases, two for $24. Prelit, too! Again, at Christmas it is about sparkling so lights and candles are so inexpensive.

My favorite wrapping is kraft paper (or newspaper) with either white or black ribbon. It is spectacular in it's simplicity and crispness! I save all the "scraps" from tying bows, and use them on a package, see the left package, no bow! No waste. 

A beautiful Christmas.

(You can click on Inspired Design blog, above, to go directly to the blog page, to comment)

We have recently been talking about what really beautiful is...on a few different venues, and truly that is what my life's passion has become. Beautiful is dear family and friends. Beautiful is living in a country where are free to worship as we choose, founded on the principles of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, men raised by devoted praying moms whose principles were immovable. Beautiful is kindness. Beautiful is seeing life through Philippians 4:8.

Beautiful is being with people who celebrate you and  who you are, flaws and all! Beautiful is blessing others with encouragement: Practicing Hospitality, Romans 12:13!

This brings us to the most recent "Blessing" we had in our home, the 15th Birthday Blessing for my son born on December 16th. My Christmastime baby, above. Essentially we shower words of blessing (in everyone's own way) over the honoree.  It never ceases to amaze me how powerful the simple act of encouraging others with the truth of who God created them to be is!

 Hannah reading her sweet words to her brother. It was so encouraging that we couldn't all keep from smiling. Because they are normal siblings, I think Justin treasured the uplifting words his big sister read. 

 My wonderful mother in law, darling sister in law, both of whom I treasure, me, my sweet niece, Hannah and my mom...beautiful and real. As families go we are not a perfect one, but  acknowledging that frees us up to be authentic and  beautiful in our walk with our creator. 

Beautiful touches....simple, but warm and enveloping are usually my goal. I have to admit though, since Christmas is my favorite time of year, I might tend to go overboard. (If my husband was reading this now, he'd be rolling his eyes saying," You think?") I think a tiny Christmas tree (saved from year to year, so very economical) in every room is just so pretty! All those sparkly lights (love!!!) are so festive. 

I have these gorgeous magnolia wreaths and garlands that go up every year at Christmas time, here above my range. When we lived in Spain, where my daughter was born we got the cute vinagre poster. Being quite sentimental I love when little touches from important places or events are ever-present. 

This picture describes Christmas in our home perfectly! Celebrating the birth of Christ...Light!!!

The men of the family who richly blessed Justin by their words of encouragement. I will share some of my heartfelt words for my son, and actually for young boys across our nation as well. As my husband begins Iron27, the "MALE" counterpart to Inspired31.org, I am thrilled for my son to get to experience some of the similar mentoring my daughter has through Inspired! Surrounding our kids with great examples, is such an "inspired" part of God's plan.

From Justin's Blessing..."My greatest hope for you is that you pray daily to discover what it is that HE wants you to do with the gifts HE gave you. Did you know that I pray for you every morning and when I go to bed at night that you would reach your fullest potential: not according to the World’s very average standards, but according to scripture. I believe deep in my heart that the Lord has strengthened your spiritual muscles because HE is preparing you for great things. You are seeking to please an audience of one, God! May you never let what another person thinks of you change the magnitude of the plan has for you!"

May you have a beautiful day...contemplating the truly beautiful.

With much love, Roxanne

A Merry Christmas Table

A Merry Christmas Table!

To those who are new to the blog, Welcome! I am so glad you are here, hopefully to be inspired! Today I am sharing my moms inspiring table, as I prepare for my sons birthday. I am determined to learn how to work my new blog layout! I hope you are liking the bigger photo's! Yesterday's were a bit too big, so I am tweaking it today! Clearly you can see the gift my mom has, my  inspiration! 

Colossians 3:12-14 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 

I hope you are blessed today by love!

 Speaking of being blessed...We are doing the "Blessing" for my son tonight as he turns 15.  We (My husband and I, and whole family actually) are very deliberate about speaking blessing over our children. I think because my love language is words of encouragement, I decided as a very young mom that I always wanted to be very vocal in my encouragement for my children. (I think every mom does, right!?) So we have about 3 specific "Blessings" we do for our children.

 For my daughter we called the first one "Teenage Blessing Tea" and did a lovely tea for her with all of the women in her life who I (and Hannah) thought were a gift and could teach her something. Then, I also did one for her recently on her 18th birthday with just family called "Family Blessing" as she was applying, waiting etc.. for college and experiencing all the corresponding "stuff". I will share with you lots more of that because a "Blessing Tea", or for boys different title, can be a treasured act of hospitality for anyone at any age....

I had the great privilege to be on the Janet Parshall show on Tuesday, and a few other amazing ones as well, live! She was amazing. She really "gets" the whole idea of Inspired Design: The book, Inspired31.org: The ministry, funds going to an orphanage the whole kit and kaboodle! What an honor it was for me, and what a pleasure it is to have you joining me now, perhaps from one of those radio shows! You can listen to the recording here, click! (hit listen to hour 2)

Merry Christmas! I have a new blog format, that I am trying out right now! :) This is going to be a very short post, to see if it worked correctly! Mostly I changed the format to have the pictures that go to you be much bigger, as that is what we all just love. Of course, being the least technological person that may walk the planet, I didn't realize it would be so hard to learn how to do a post! So, this one is going to be short!

I have some wonderful Christmas images I will share with you tomorrow, while the kids are at school, taking their last final! I have been working hard getting the house ready, as well, for Justin's 15th family birthday, and blessing! (I'll explain more about the teenage blessing, as well!)

There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. --Albert Einstein I am not alone at all, I thought.  I was never alone at all.  And that, of course, is the message of Christmas.  We are never alone.  Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent.  For this is still the time God chooses. --Taylor Caldwell

Little Christmas things...big impact

The most simple trick (and I'm sure you use it to) is the little votive candle in a simple glass holder. I think there is nothing as pretty as glass votives-everywhere!

If there were designing rules, it would include: Everything looks gorgeous in glass or silver! These little gold balls are fabulous, and I used them on the top of the table below as well. I say the more sparkle the better. (Although that isn't always true :)

Cookies on a silver plate. One of the girls in our Mother-daughter group (Now National :), Inspired31.org made these darling cookies. On a silver plate, made by my Grandpa Allan, they look gorgeous. I was at a cookie exchange, given a 99c plastic tray that the cookies looked amazing on. It doesn't have to be real.

My favorite cross tied with a french ribbon to the top of one of my new candlesticks! (Pottery Barn) The great thing about this candlestick is upside down it is a candy dish!

Here is the table at my house before I shipped it off. I had played around with the combinations for days before I sent it off. (Remember to click on photo so you can see details)

Below is on the 700 Club Show table set right after our segment aired!

Very simple: glass hurricane ($6) filled with tiny marshmallows! I looove the white color on the natural tabletop or clustered with 2 other (always odd numbers) glass containers filled with something white.

I had to work to find these (as I am in southern California) but I know in some parts of the country these are abundant. I love them in either a glass bowl or silver dish!

Everyone's favorite Christmas candy....the candy cane! I love them and they abound at Christmas-time at our home. On the tree, in dishes, tied with a french ribbon and stuck in the kids backpacks for school, tied to the garlands-everywhere is perfect for the candy cane! The all white ones are gorgeous in a tall hurricane. Even at age 15 & 18 they love the treats.

I just went to a Christmas Cookie Exchange at my friend Mary's and I loved this, so I'm sharing.

Remember if it's simple, you will do it......

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other, Let us show the truth by our actions. 1 John 3:18