About Me

Thank you for stopping by!

Hearthside Gatherings: Why the name?
I wanted something that was inviting and had a homey feel to it.  I explained my reasoning in a blog post back in 2011 called "This Ain't Your Grandma's Kitchen":   

The main reason that I named my blog "Hearthside Gatherings" is because of the image that comes to mind when I think of what the hearth was in a home: a place where the family gathered together, maybe for conversation, games, cooking, or perhaps reading the family Bible.  Architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed his homes around a central hearth, because that was typically the main gathering place for families back in his day, and he felt that it was an important design element in a home.  Before central heating, a fireplace or wood stove was likely to be the main heat source in a home, and was a family's only way of surviving a long, cold winter.

Another example of this same philosophy of the hearth can be found in a snippet I read in The Old Farmer's Almanac: 

"Before woodstoves became mass-produced in the mid-1700s, the fireplace was the center of the home.  It provided warmth, a place to cook, and an area for family and friends to socialize.  In early America, your house was often referred to as the "hearthside".

-Old Farmer's Almanac 2013 by Robert B. Thomas, No. CCXXI, p. 115

So, there you have it.  Welcome to my virtual hearthside!

A little about me:

I was born and raised in Michigan, and when I was 19 I moved to Indiana to attend college. I gave my life to the Lord while in college, and I’ve never looked back! I eventually earned my degree in Interior Design and met my husband, who is my perfect complement. Thanks to my husband’s job, we have moved a few times since our marriage–a few years in Kentucky, and now we live here in Ohio. I hope that I can use this blog to not only entertain people, but also to share God’s Word with those I would never meet in person.

One thing you'll notice when reading posts in this blog: I have a lot of interests.  A LOT.  I have undiagnosed ADD, and the attention span of a goldfish.  I enjoy cooking and baking, design and architecture, art, music, movies with a historical basis, gardening, sewing, housewifing, husband encouraging, organizing, shopping, antiquing, and so much more.  You'll find posts on all of these topics, in no particular order.

I am thankful to have a wonderfully supportive husband who encourages me in everything I attempt.  I love being married to my best friend and faithful protector.  And I love that we have a mutual faith in our God.  He is truly a blessing in every way in my life.

As I get older, I am finding myself drawn to the simplicity and peace of times gone by. More and more, I like to find comfort in Scriptures by applying them to everyday life, and I hope to inspire others to find the Scriptures in their life, too!