Leah Richardson

For weeks I have been working with my webmaster, Joy Todd, to update, change up and create my new website.  Her tireless efforts and talents always bless me as she perseveres to create something that reflects who I am and what I do.  So…. PLEASE CHECK OUT my website HERE.

What do you think?  Also check out the new SHOP page.  Some of you asked about the availability of the pillowcases monogrammed with Scripture. Good news!! Now you can order them from that SHOP page.

Do you have a prayer request?  Then go back HERE and watch for the the email Leah page.  I would love to pray for you. Please don’t hesitate, your privacy is very important to me.

Have you read Interior Wisdom yet?  HERE you can read what women are saying about Interior Wisdom, and order a signed copy with the option of adding a personal message.

The deepest desire of my heart is to be a blessing…   As you browse through LeahRichardson.com, I pray something in it will bless you.

Remember,

whatever it is you do-

DO IT ALL TO THE PRAISE AND GLORY OF THE LORD

with THANKSGIVING!

Have a wonderful long weekend!  Thanks again for your love and support.

xoxo   leah

CONGRATS

DEBRA KIRBY

CAROLYN REKERDRES

JODY COLLINS

YOU ARE THE WINNERS OF THE GIVEAWAY!!

Thank you all for entering!

I want to tell  you that I took each person who entered and

wrote your name on a piece of paper,

praying for each one of you.

I put all the pieces in a lovely pottery bowl

and Jim pulled out the 3 winners!

Thank you again and if the winners will email me

an address

and preference for F/Q or K size

at

Leah@LeahRichardson.com

I will send your

pillowcases monogramed with Scripture.

I am considering selling these on my website-

I will keep you posted.

——————-

Thank you again for your love and  support.

I enjoy sharing and serving you in any way I can.

Blessings Galore!!

xoxo

leah

Jim and I are settling in our new apartment in Florida quite well, but we have been experiencing record temperatures! Often in the 100-degree range at lunch and still hanging around the 90s at dinner.  It is really hot!  Too hot to heat up a large oven, especially in a small home.

As more of us Baby Boomers become empty nesters, I believe good Kitchen Design in the 21st century will include a small oven.  In the past, it seems like clients have always been concerned about having an oven large enough for that Thanksgiving Turkey, but, I think I will suggest including a small oven too.  It seems to make more sense for the daily life of a couple or small family.

We have one large oven and a very small kitchen…so, Jim decided to research some “no cooking” recipes to survive these dog days of Summer heat.  They are absolutely delicious and so simple…so, I wanted to share his recipes with you.  Gazpacho has been a mainstay in our summer repertoire, but I just love the new additions.  The recipes are 4 servings and fresh lemonade goes great with them.

GAZPACHO SOUP

1 Cucumber peeled and diced, 2 large ripe tomatoes diced, 1-2 cloves garlic diced, 1 green bellpepper diced, 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 inches of french bread soaked in water for 20 minutes.  Cube all ingredients and put in blender with bread and olive oil and puree.  Pour into a large bowl and salt to taste.  Add 2 teaspoons of Sherry Vinegar.  Chill.  Before you serve the individual bowls, make croutons (you will have to turn on the oven to toast them), and dice some red pepper, cucumber, and green onion to garnish.

CUCUMBER SOUP

2 large cucumbers peeled and diced, 3/4 cup green onion diced, 1 tbs lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, 1/2 cup sour cream.  Place first seven ingredients in the blender and puree.  Pour into a large bowl and stir in sour cream.  Chill for at least 1 hour.  Serve and garnish with chopped cucumber, green onion and lemon zest.

CANTALOUPE SOUP

Dice the inside of 1 cantaloupe, 2 cups OJ, 1 tbs fresh lime juice, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon.  Place cantaloupe and 1/2 cup of OJ into blender and puree.  Pour into a bowl and add remaining ingredients.  Cover and chill for 1 hour.  Garnish with mint.

AVOCADO SOUP

1 medium Cucumber peeled and diced, 1 peeled and diced avocado, 1 chopped shallot, 2 tbl plain yogurt, 2 tbl fresh mint, 1 sprig fresh mint, juice of 1 lime, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp ground cumin, 1 radish chopped.  Place all ingredients, excluding radish and mint sprig, into blender with 3/4 cup of cold water.  Puree and chill at least 1 hour.  Serve and garnish with mint and radish.

Thanks Jim for your cool design- Soup!

Taste and See that the Lord is good.

Psalm 34:8

If you have any good ideas for COOL DESIGN, please share them.

xoxo   leah

Last week, in the middle of downsizing and moving back to Florida, I received my ATLANTA HOMES and lifestyles magazine.  If you miss Southern Accents, Atlanta Homes is a wonderfully inspiring Southern Shelter magazine.  So at the end of a very long day of yet more eliminating, organizing and editing, I flipped through and found myself smiling and nodding exuberantly!   The designers of the 2010 Cashiers Designer Showhouse were featured and asked…

THE BEST WAY TO UPDATE A ROOM IS TO…

Here are some of the answers that I have tried and found to be oh so true.

Dianne Estes says…Clean out the unnecessary, outdated items, (I won’t elaborate on this but you know that it is an absolute must to get a new fresh look)  and SHOP YOUR HOME AND MOVE ITEMS FROM OTHER ROOMS TO CREATE A FRESH LOOK. I have never quite put it that way, but I love the idea of shopping in your own home.  So often when I am redesigning a room for a client, I open hall closets and linen drawers looking for treasures that the client has not considered using.  Truly, I have never been disappointed!  I always find Something to bring out into view that enhances and adds beauty to the room.  When it comes to moving things around, I like to gather everything and put it in the middle of the room on the floor and start placing things in new and unexpected ways.  Here are some pictures of our new little apartment.  I had to be very selective in accessorizing.  Since I have very little table top space, I used the Dining Table to display some things I enjoy.

I enjoy living with books and browsing through my design books in the evening.  With no shelving in this home, I stacked them and made a book table.

THE BEST WAY TO UPDATE A ROOM IS TO…

Francie Hargrove says…By changing out lampshades- it does wonders.  Note the oversize lamp shades I have chosen.

When you have artwork you love, but little wall space, remember you can stack art too.  Here is an example that works well.  Why?  I stacked a smaller, unframed canvas over a larger framed one.

My creative solution to the “downsizing” challenge of where to place my big, white Jardinere, that I dearly love-  We have 2 entrances, so I blocked the rarely used front door!  Beauty and Security!

What TV?  I admit I am in complete denial about the TV.  I just pretend it is NOT THERE!!

If you move into an older residence, it might not have overhead lighting.  My solution is to use lamp light evenly placed around the room.  I have to admit that it gives a beautiful glow and creates an intimate atmosphere in the evening for dinner.  Make sure you use a 3-way bulb.

Melissa Key gave me this stunning little canvas framed in metal by her husband, Rob.  Every time I sit down here, it reminds me that the most beautiful thing I can possess is a “grateful heart”.

The Master Bedroom is only 11 x 14.  Large mirrors duplicate the space.  Go big when it comes to mirrors in a small space. They create a wow factor and the reflective quality opens up and layers the room.

THE BEST WAY TO UPDATE A ROOM IS…

Suzanne Kassler says…EDIT.  (She is my kind of girl!) CLEAR OUT A ROOM AND START AGAIN WITH YOUR FAVORITE PIECE; THEN, BUILD THE ROOM FROM THERE.  This way you will be living with things you truly enjoy.

Corbin Bronze named this small sculpture Lyric, but she received a new name in my home.  I call her my “Hallelujah girl”!!  Today I am reminded that she was the first image on my first blog one year ago this week. I want to say thank you for your support and encouragement.  We are not connected by chance.  There is one true living God in Heaven who carefully and thoughtfully orchestrates our world…downsizing and updating each and every day!

If you are reading this, know that I thank my God each day for YOU!  And I pray for YOU too!

Now, what do the words DOWNSIZE & UPDATE mean to you?

And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every disciple who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.

Matthew 13:52

Keep those old, time honored and trustworthy truths while opening your life and heart to the new and vibrant because both have life-giving potential. Downsize yet update…nourish your life in the variety of God’s infinite wisdom.

xoxo    leah

So… I am surrounded by a literal sea of boxes as I pack to move back to Florida.  And you can well imagine, I am experiencing the gamut of emotions with my thoughts pinging to and fro. So…I do what every organized, meticulous, responsible woman with an imminent deadline looming overhead does.  I grab my handbag and keys, walk out the front door and catch the Street Car to the Creole Creamery and order an ice cream cone for lunch!!

Summer ale with citrus and coriander- Yum!

And then back to packing!  During these seemingly ceaseless hours of wrapping, packing, taping and labeling, God and I have been doing some major conversing!  Please Lord, I pray…

SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME…

Tuesday I drive away.  And as I look back over my time here in New Orleans, I muse on what I leave behind.  A hurricane, tornado or oil spill leave behind a wake of destruction and chaos, I pray I look back to see only an unending trail of GOODNESS AND MERCY.  Not mine, but the GOODNESS AND MERCY OF GOD that so punctuated and penetrated my life while living here in the Big Easy that it spilled over, filled up and flooded every square inch where my little sandal-feet stood.

SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME…

Have you ever thought about what you leave behind? You may not be moving to another city this summer, but what about when you walk out of a meeting?  your child’s bedroom?  or away from a co-worker’s desk?

What tone of voice was left hanging in the airwaves?

SURELY GOODNESS & MERCY…

How about the actual words…were they words of love and encouragement,

fear and discouragement or critical gossipy superiority?

SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY…

Did you stop and really listen silently praying for God to use you right then and there, or were you counting the minutes wondering when chatty-Kathy would take a breath?

SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY…

Jesus taught to the crowds who gathered to hear his sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.”  We reap what we sow.  Our words and actions are like throwing out a boomerang…they eventually come back to bite or bless!  Oh how I pray that I have goodness and mercy trailing and circling my life!

At times living in New Orleans has been difficult for me. But the GOODNESS AND MERCY OF GOD undergirded and kept me upright and walking even when I grew weary and thought I might faint under unexpected pressures.  With His track record in my life, I go forward believing the GOODNESS AND MERCY OF GOD go before me to Florida preparing the way, making the crooked straight, sure and clear.

I also pray that as I step out in faith, once again swinging my legs over the side of the boat desirous to walk on water, that the carbon footprint I leave behind here in New Orleans is surely this…

THE GOODNESS AND MERCY OF GOD!

I doubt my life will ever say “goodbye” to this city, at least not as long as there is Magazine Street and clients who need the “good stuff” I find there!  So I shall say, “see you later.”  But I will miss you!

SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE,

AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER.

PSALM 23:6

overwhelmed with the GOODNESS AND MERCY OF GOD today!  I Love Ya’ll…  leah

PS…If you have any prayers, prophetic words or words of encouragement for me, please leave a comment.

Hope you had a wonderful 4th of July! It was a day I will always remember…washing the feet of New Orlean’s poor and homeless. I can’t imagine why I have ever whined or complained. My heart has repented innumerable times since that afternoon, and I pray that I don’t stumble into the “ungrateful heart”  trap anytime soon.

Switching gears…sometimes I find it hard to switch gears, but then I hear that still small voice reminding me to be truly thankful for all the beauty and creativity that God has provided for our benefit and enjoyment.

Look at the creative portrait of my precious niece, Lana.

and here is her brother, Joseph.

To see more of Sara Lindkrantz’s work, click  here.

Whether you are still in “vacation” mode or “getting back to work” mode, consider how you see things this week.  Pretend you are a creative, self-taught photographer as you look around. Where we find beauty and creativity truly depends on our perspective. Choose to find beauty and creativity in everything…because it is literally everywhere…everywhere you look, if you will look with spiritual eyes.

beautiful are the feet that bring the good news…

xo   leah

This Sunday we CELEBRATE freedom…independence...the 4th of July!

I love gathering ideas from Martha Stewart and the Food Network!

Please enjoy these beautiful and creative images I found on both websites.

How fun to take the extra step to make the table decorations and food celebrate

our RED, WHITE & BLUE!!

So I guess we should have a little meal with our dessert!

Oh my!  I might have to go get a burger for lunch TODAY!!

Or a dog…

By the end of the day…I will probably be waving a white flag of surrender!

Because as most of you know…I LOVE TO EAT!

Where ever you find yourself celebrating the 4th of July,

I pray you remember

true freedom always comes with sacrifice.

Then give thanks.

If you are in the New Orleans area this Sunday, please join Jim and me at

Victory Fellowship Church on Airline Drive.

Each year this awesome church throws a wonderful outreach celebration…

A FREE FOOD-FEST!

FEED THE MULTITUDES

There will be lots of good food and music, but that’s a given…we are in New Orleans!

The church is giving aways bags of groceries, and there is a medical and spa tent.

This year there is a foot-washing tent and new shoes will be given away too!

Is is truly for

FREEDOM THAT JESUS SET US FREE!

Celebrate all the sacrifices made on your behalf

and then

GO BLESS SOMEONE ELSE ON THIS  4TH OF JULY!

Remember this tip:  advance preparation keeps the stress out of any celebration!

xo- much!

leah

The beauty and majesty and wonder of the colors and flavors of Summertime!  Jim and I walked around the corner Saturday morning and were completely captivated by the sights and sounds of the Winter Park Farmer’s Market.  Based on the fullness of our bags…we will be eating fruits and veggies all week!  Take a stroll with me…

See the WOW factor of coming together as a group,

yet it takes each individual…

This precious coffee vendor had a New Orleans roast, but we smelled the Nicaragua

that had just been roasted that morning, and decided to try it….Yum!

I was not familiar with this Sweet Almond plant, but its fragrance

made me think of a Greek pastry…Yum!

Fresh pasta…Boil a blend of Summer Herb and Sundried Tomato, toss it with some extra virgin

olive oil, course sea salt and pepper, finish with fresh basil and a bit of lemon zest…Yum!!

Maybe some mouth watering sweet South Carolina peaches for desert…Yum!!

(Of course, my favorite peach is the Georgia Peach!)

Now this is the way to buy a fresh pineapple!

and yes, it is YUMMY!!

I pray that this week you will stop and look around at the beauty and majesty and wonder of God’s creation!

Eat healthy, drink plenty of water and give thanks!

PEACE!

xo

leah

Happy Monday sweet friends! Well, once again, I am back at my desk in New Orleans.  My Monday Design blog will be posted tomorrow because I have received numerous emails wondering…

Why all the back and forth to Florida lately? (No, it is not a new design job- not yet!)

Where have you been on Sunday mornings? (When not in Florida visiting new churches, we are  worshipping at the Broad Street Mission location.)

So I want to share some big news with all of you.

After much, much, much, in other words, A LOT, of prayer and discussion…Jim and I, Rudy too, are moving back to Florida.  We have truly enjoyed our time here in New Orleans, but we both are clearly hearing that our season here is over.  3 years ago we stepped out in faith and left friends we adored, a church we loved, a home we enjoyed and one of the most beautiful seascapes in the world. We came here to be a part of this city and help in the recovery…to be a blessing. But as always, we were the ones so richly blessed!   New Orleans opened its arms to this Georgia girl and Alabama boy, and we will never forget this time of healing, discovery, growth and rest.  We didn’t have any idea what we would do here in New Orleans, but God did.  He inspired my first book, Interior Wisdom, and Jim found a very special place in his heart for feeding the hungry and befriending the outcast.

Jim and I both agree that one of our biggest blessings here was finding Pastors Frank and Parris Bailey of Victory Fellowship Church. Week after week we count it an honor and privilege to sit under the anointed teachings of these precious servants of God, and become a part of their church.  I know the fabric of our lives have been knit together for eternity.

Now, once again, we are being called to step out in faith and obey the voice of God.  We don’t know exactly what the Lord will have us do in the Orlando area, but we know that the safest and most joyful place we can be is under the umbrella of His will.  So, once again, we choose to obey God.

Our grown daughter, Lauren, lives there and we are certain she is one of the reasons.  Not only do we miss her terribly, but we want to be a part of her life in a greater and more meaningful way.

We have rented a tiny little apartment in the wonderful Spanish-style Barbour House.  As many of you know, I am all about EDITING our homes and lives.  But this move will be an even greater challenge on that front!  We sold our 3400 square foot home here in Uptown and moved into 1600 square feet.  So I edited. Now, we are moving into 885 square feet!!!  Yes I did type that correctly! So, once again I am selling furniture and stuff.  On one hand, it is always a challenge to learn to live with less, but on the other…it is so freeing! Stuff, even good stuff, oftentimes encumbers our life instead of enhancing it.

Now, once again, we are on a journey with Jesus!

For I know the plans I have for you, ”declares the LORD,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you a hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

God is good.  His plans are good.  And, one day, I look forward to sharing all those plans with you as He faithfully reveals and unfolds them in our lives.  There is one thing that I know for certain though. Whatever those plans may be…

interior design

designing a bedding/table top line of linens with Scriptures

writing a devotional book

starting a network for Creative Christian Bloggers

Jim opening a cafe that trains and hires “at risk” youth

Jim using his business skills to build the church

or a totally “new and unexpected thing”…

the purpose will be to love and bless Jesus and those He places in our path.

So please keep us in your prayers. And remember, we walk by faith not by sight so we can be assured that His Holy Spirit will guide us every step along the way, in all truth.

do stay tuned…for with Jesus, the best is always yet to come!

blessings…    xo   leah