Monday Notes at My House
Happy first Monday of 2026! And welcome to my weekly post now called Monday Note at My House.
Before you wonder, no this Monday Notes at My House is not featuring a picture from my actual house.
I will explain in a moment about the feature photo today,
But first , please make sure that you read my New Year’s Day Post, 2026 Word-of-the-Year, so that you understand when I discuss the word.
That is where I want to begin today with a few Monday Notes about the word I am giving my focus to for this year.
MONDAY NOTES AT MY HOUSE: TODAY
As promised in my new year’s day post, I did ask Beck, a 7-year-old grandson to draw my word for me and decorate it.
And I placed it on one of my bathroom mirrors to see first thing every day.
I am not sure who the long nosed man is on top of the “a” (at least I think it is a man) but I do like his interpretation of the trees, flowers, sun, and butterfly.
He is very creative, and this serves to remind me every day to awaken with intention to live that one day as full and grateful as possible.
To rejoice in the gift of the day and begin to ponder what the day might hold.
I have a bad habit of pushing some things on my to do list aside and think…I will do that another day.
To begin 2026, I am now determined to finally clear some of the things on my list.
For example, organizing my favorite (most often used) recipes into one place has been on the list for a long time. But, I got this done over the weekend!
I have made my own “tweaks” to many of my recipes, but they were in my head. I needed to make sure I recorded the full recipes for family in the future.
Right now, all I need to add is Thanksgiving…how I do the turkey and dressing.
I did not record black eyed peas…but I do love them and made sure Mr. B and I ate them on New Year’s Day.
So funny, I personally do not believe they bring good luck for the year, but I do have my mother in my head telling me to never test it. She did believe in the myth.
I wanted to add cornbread so bad, but resisted temptation.
After a little over four weeks, our beautiful live tree did motivate us to go ahead and get Christmas decor down. It was brittle, but still lovely.
Everyone agreed that provided our best live tree ever. I cannot wait to get back into their Garden area when it is time to plant for spring.
I am gradually working on the rest of the decorations and it is at the top of a priority list.
MONDAY NOTES AT MY HOUSE: I MUST RETURN
The feature photo today and the following photos are from a place that I must return to soon.
Carol Hicks Bolton Antiques in Fredericksburg, TX is a warehouse full of fun.
My son’s in-laws introduced me to this incredible antique store, but when I arrived Mr. B began to call me to come eat with him and a high school friend.
I was only able to do a quick walk around, and shot enough photos to know that I must go back.
Maybe with the time to spend an entire morning here.
Maybe when I know where my permanent home in Abilene is going to be, then I will better understand how I want it to look and what will be passed along.
I am excited to return, perhaps this spring, to this wonderful place…if you like rustic chic like I do, this should be at the top of the list.
MONDAY NOTES AT MY HOUSE: CHALLENGING WEATHER
The January skies are beautiful, but the warm winter is a bit challenging.
One day very warm…one day very cool. It is hard to know how to dress for the day, so I find myself dressing for cool in the mornings, and changing in the warmth of the afternoons.
I will show you some of the looks I have been wearing to meet the challenges this week, and, of course, they hopefully speak to my new style adjectives.
For me, coffee weather is every day…love my coffee, and I tried a new cream this weekend that I really like, it is the CHOBANI ZERO SUGAR SWEET CREAM CREAMER.
It does not have the bitter after taste that many of the sugar free creamers have.
This is one more little sign from Fredericksburg.
Thank you for joining me today for Monday Notes at my house.
Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions…I hope to be back tomorrow…and until then….
EMBRACE TODAY and KEEP SMILING!
By Pamela Lutrell
For all your shopping, please use the links on my SHOPPING PAGE…thank you, thank you to all who shop this way and show support for this blog. It means the world.
I love the “fairytale” sign, which reminds me of one I have on a metal plaque from Magnolia that says “Every piece of your story is golden.” I am going to be looking for a reason to visit Fredericksburg this year; perhaps I can hit it on a weekday when the shops aren’t so crowded. We passed through on a Sunday last January and even the ice cream shop had a 15 minute wait on a gorgeous, sunny day. I look forward to following your house shopping journey. I am praying God will send you a house that meets your needs and fills your heart, as He did for me last year. Throughout the past year I have received so many different types of confirmation that this is exactly where I’m supposed to be, and I hope you find that same feeling. Thanks for taking us along with you on your adventures in this new year – I can’t wait to see where we will get to go vicariously through your posts!
Interesting on your creamer. I will look for it. My go-to is Silk Oatmilk zero sugar in cinnamon vanilla, also sweetened with stevia and 10 calories a tablespoon. Stevia is a natural sweetener and I also agree it doesn’t have the chemical bitterness many other sweeteners have. I take a lot of criticism from friends for drinking diet soda and using sugar free products, but as my diet is restrictive, it gives me flexibility and some small pleasures. I’ve discussed it with professionals, who all tell me it’s ok. Isn’t it interesting that some of these same people are eating bacon or French fries when they give me this advice? Sometimes you just have to take things in stride :). I loved the look of the antique store. You will have a blast furnishing your new home. Funny how these things turn out … a move with so much trepidations turned out to be all you hoped and more.
Thank you so much for being here…I so hope this is a joyful year for us all. Since I am choosing to focus on one day at a time, I am also choosing to not worry about the house situation. Occasionally, I find myself feeling anxiety that the San Antonio house is not yet on the market, but now I tell myself to stop and trust God’s timing.I do not know where we are headed with our choice of homes, but it will be fun to go through the journey with all of you!
I have peace to know that we are where we are suppose to be…today. I am not going to decorate anything until I know where our home will be…but I love dreaming of it. I also drink an occasional diet soda…when I am desiring something sweet. I think the key is not overindulge in the creamer or the soda. You are right…there are worse decisions we can make. Happy Monday, Linda!
As an expert in interpreting grandchildren’s artwork I see that is you embracing the sun or a new day. Beck elevated the stick in the letter d to elevate you just so your arms can touch the sun. Happy Monday!
Loved your grandson’s picture! Must admit that I interpreted the figure on top of the “a” to be a bird. Congrats on tackling that recipe organizing project. Your recipes are the best and your family will appreciate having them. Wishing everyone a great week!
Love your interpretation…thank you Linda.
You know what, Cathy, prior to drawing this, he drew a bird picture…that I have on the refrigerator…I think you are right…I bet it is a bird. Thanks so much!
My word for this year is Capable. Despite consistent 2 hours of exercise every day and being in a healthy weight range my blood glucose has slipped into prediabetes. One common tip to manage this is to take a post prandial walk of 10-15 minutes. The evening walk in the dark and cold is uncomfortable, but I know I am capable of just walking back and forth for 15 minutes on the street in front of my house. I now have 4 consecutive days of accomplishing this goal. I’m highly motivated and I give the credit for that to Pamela Lutrell.
If I motivated you, then I am very happy, Linda. You keep it going…you can do this and when the time changes and I can see better, I may just join you in the evenings. I need to do this as well.
I too really need to organize my recipes. I set up notebooks with printed recipes in sheet protectors, much as I kept my student worksheets while still teaching. My problem is that I print so many recipes I see online and think I want to try, but then overload my notebooks. Like so much else in my house, I need to reduce the clutter. I too have found that creamer to be a good choice for my morning coffee which I love. I drink only water after my morning coffee which my Mr. B makes for me daily. Used to love a cup in the late afternoon, but can’t do that any longer as it keeps me awake.
How I wish I could drink coffee all day…I love it. But, after the morning, no caffeine…it does affect me and hurt my sleep. My recipe notebook is ONLY the recipes that are favorites and that I make often. I was like you and saved so many that I did not ever make…so no more. This book is only for the favorites. I am so glad I did this…finally.
Love these looks and that antique store. They would fit into my house. I just had a new green teal couch and a textured chair delivered, and I had purchased some velvet throw pillows to play with upon arrival. I am checking sources for more accessories on Amazon Handmade and Etsy. Lots of choices and affordable prices. I just might need a shabby velvet throw for spring/summer to replace the wool Pendleton western theme blanket from Yellowstone that my husband sneaks back in after I place it in a guest room. I guess I have to give him fall/winter and the colors really do work, just not the blanket theme. He is very good about letting me lead with the decorating. I have to give him something! My house is a real mix of vintage cottage shabby. So much of the ‘hard’ furniture was here in the 50’s and I assume was brought in when it was originally built in 1918. You will have so much fun! I can’t wait for your new journey with houses to evolve. I always knew that I would inherit this beach house and started collecting ideas back in the 70s. I would curate my binders every once in a while. When we were ready to make it our own in 2014, I had 3 binders chock full with magazine pictures and articles to work with. Those years that I collected were years of reasonably priced magazines. There was no such thing as Pinterest. Hopefully you will share this journey with us. Love the 7 year old’s rendition of Today. Have a good one!
I enjoy interior decorating as much as I do my love of fashion. I have a folder on my desktop where I collect looks that I really love, but I also have a husband who has specific likes and dislikes so I try to combine the two…we are so different in many ways. I think you have just inspired me to move faster on putting away Christmas and begin to think about how I want this house to look while we are here. Thanks Deborah!
Just a comment on the creamer. Allulose is a great sweetener acting like sugar just a tad less sweet. Good taste, browns like sugar, dissolves in liquids and does not crystallize. Grab some 1/2 & 1/2 and a bag of allulose to save $ on your creamer.
Thanks Suzi…I will look into it.
I’m enjoying my one cup of tea with Stevia sweetener and Almond milk right now. It is the only caffeine for me in the day. Your grandson did a joyful version of your word Today. I was encouraged to use my artistic skills at a young age as well and went on to be able to paint landscapes as an adult. I still work with ink brushes and artists pencils. It brings me a lot of joy. You never know where the beginning talent will lead to. It will be a lot of fun taking your next journey in home decorating with you vicariously. Every house has its own story. My Mr. B also has different taste than mine so it is a dance together to find the balance. Congratulations on getting your recipe book done.
I laughed..it is a dance! One of us is dancing country and one of us is waltzing..at the same time! I am so envious that you can paint landscapes, Sydney. I would love to give it a try, but I think for now, creating blog posts is my painting.
My Christmas decor is slowly coming down as I have been battling a cold since New Year’s Day. Took the decorations off the tree on New Year’s Eve & managed to get the tree stored away on New Year’s Day. I have been working towards serenity for a few years, & as part of that, I have been learning the art of being a cozy minimalist. I could never be a true minimalist because I do like pretty things & looking at my family pictures, but by having fewer things, I can create breathing space & appreciate the items I so have. That helps me feel calm & serene.
Thank you for joining in, Becky! I do hope you are feeling better!