Our dream house: just pinch me!

It's not exactly indicative of living over the rainbow when you are so busy that you can't even find time to blog. Between running a ministry, trying to be an attentive wife, homeschooling three kids, volunteering as scorekeeper and game blogger for my son's high school baseball team, running all three kids to multiple practices, leading a 4-H club, working as a free-lance writer for the local newspaper I used to edit--well, you get the idea. Blogging can only be done late at night, and by that time, this little gal is often zombiefied.

Since this blog focuses on living the dream, I guess you could say I am dreaming of a time of refreshing right about now! My house is a mess; who has time to clean it when there are not even enough minutes in the day to eat a decent meal sometimes?

Perhaps that's why tonight I am longing to live in a place like the one I visit occasionally--the Ruby Rose Tea Room in Stoneville, NC. I went a few weeks ago on a beautiful Saturday morning with some precious women in my family. I have made plans to go again this coming Saturday with church friends and family. I thought you might want to have a look at this gorgeously decorated place!

I spent a precious time of fellowship with my mother (middle), her sister Audrey (left) and her sister Darlene (right). Talk about living the dream--would you believe these ladies are all ages 69-74?! Aren't they lovely?

See the pinkish tea in the lovely glass? That's a raspberry tea that'll make ya wanna slap yer granny! Most of us ended up ordering the daily special of soup and sandwich, accompanied by a delicious dessert (Aunt Audrey and I split chocolate chip cheesecake and fresh cobbler!)

Also on our little field trip were my daughter Chelsea (left), my mother's other sister Carol (center) and my first cousin Susie. It was a girls' day out!

Notice the elegant table settings. The color pink predominates in this lovely restaurant which emanates peace and tranquility.

This was another table in what I call the green and pink room. I go to this tea room and then go home dreaming of living in a house this beautifully decorated.

(Granted, the hubster might feel it's too girly, but I like it.) If I were handier with stenciling, I figure I could do something like this. Look at the pretty flowers stenciled on the chairs.

Stenciling on the ceilings at occasional outjets of the wall, vine-like flower garlands around pictures--I like it.


Our church group is a small one called Times of Refreshing in Walnut Cove, NC. I am an ordained minister and founded the ministry.

We are being given a big, two-story white house that is one of the oldest in our town--to use for our nonprofit organization. I go to the Ruby Rose Tea Room to get ideas for how to decorate our place once the legalities are handled and it's ours.

This fireplace has the potential to look cluttered but somehow pulls off the look. I love a mirror on a mantel.


















I dream of pretty stenciling across thresholds. And white lacy sheers draped in a doorway, held back with greenery.

Stenciling on stairways, hanging lamps, flower arrangements scattered strategically, lace doilies on the banister post. . .elegant. The house we are being given for the glory of God has a grand staircase that could be restored to its previous elegance. Leaving a house vacant for over a decade is not a good way to preserve it, but it could not be helped in the case of our ministry house. It needs tender loving care now.

Look at the stenciling on the individual stairs. What a quaint idea! (And the plant, by the way, is not real, but painted!)

The tricks you can play with mirrors! Great way to enlarge a room. This is another room in the expansive restaurant. Almost all of the rooms have tables for parties to eat.

I like the idea of lighted trees in each room--and not just at Christmas time either! I adore low-hanging light fixtures as well. My son is a terrific artist--wonder how he'd do at painting murals such as the one on this wall?

A house with a motif like this--one of flowers, vines, pastorally painted scenery--seems the natural way to go for a ministry called Times of Refreshing, doesn't it? We want to use it as a place to heal broken people and to refresh those who have perhaps been burned out by life in this fallen world.

This is the floor in the foyer outside the bathroom. I can't imagine how this paint job doesn't wear down after so long.

Even the bathroom is a place of refreshing in this tea room atmosphere. I like the use of hats that you see just randomly hanging here and there.

Lighting is important in a place designed to refresh people. Who wants darkness? Depressed people traditionally close the shades and hide in darkness. We want to bring in the healing light of day that God gave us!







This little nook is hidden away in the foyer outside of the bathroom. I could sit here and meditate, but that might not be appropriate! The house we will soon have has a front porch. Properly redone, it could be a great place for meditation as it looks out on the little town.

I am in love with cabinets, especially those with stenciling. An ugly piece of furniture can be beautified with such art.

This fountain made soothing bubbling sounds as we examined the decor of this room. I want indoor fountains gurgling in our house one day. Running water is reminiscent of peaceful mountain settings which tend to be calming influences for troubled people.














White columns are so regal to me. I think of the beauty of ancient Greece.










A fake window painted onto a wall? I like it. How could anyone remain unhappy and troubled in such an environment? I can imagine Christian music playing in the background of our house or just CDs of nature sounds.





















The top of the stairs is just as pretty as the bottom!

Downstairs in the house that our ministry hopes to soon occupy, there is a master bedroom suite that we intend to make a gorgeous place of retreat. We will then offer it to missionaries, preachers, Christian workers who may need a place to steal away to seek God in times of prayer, praise, worship and Bible study.

We want to offer this master suite to all local churches to house their revival speakers, visiting missionaries or maybe even just for the pastor to take some time away. There is an outdoor entrance to this suite, so that they would never have to enter the main part of the house where we might be working. Everything of course would be free of charge.

This is the upstairs bedroom of the Ruby Rose Tea Room. What a reflective getaway!

There is even a clawfoot bathtub in the bedroom with a curtain for privacy.

Purple is my favorite color and does much to rest my soul!

This dining room is upstairs at the Tea Room. We will have three LARGE upstairs rooms in the house we are being given. I dream of making one of them a Walnut Cove Historical Room, named after the elderly lady whose idea it was to give her house to us. Before she died, I told her that I wanted to name such a room after her. She beamed.

It took some doing to convince my little girl when she saw this picture that the plants were painted on! She was just sure they were real.

Chelsea and I were in Heaven in the little gift shop upstairs. Lovely gift ideas of all sorts there!

Yes, the Tea Room provides a door for me to enter the house of my dreams--the house we hope to one day have in our little town--where the broken can be mended, the bitter can be soothed, the weary can be refreshed and the sick can be healed.

It is my dream.