Plates and platters on the wall; the blessings of brokenness...

Here's another corner in our home...(you can click on the pictures to enlarge).






We've been working on our home for, oh, about 18+ years now...perpetual home improvements! Our latest "big" project was putting in a new front door/entry into our home. We hadn't had a front door for a dozen years, or so. This first picture is the entry way into the kitchen. What I wanted to point out is the platter collection I hung on the wall. We glued saw-tooth picture hangers to the back of the platter with Gorilla Glue. Yes, it works! I have a large collection of platters, but because we use them all the time I had to pick out ones I wasn't going to use. My sister Genece has an eye for garage sale bargains platters, she gave the two on the left to me. The bench is one we made from an old bed frame. The pillows and bench pad I made from an old chenille bedspread. The sweet little oak wall drawer thingy is something Mark made for me about 20 years ago, using old oak wood from a discarded pallet.

This is under the entry way stars, our new pantry.

You can almost see the shelving under the stairs on the right. I hang my aprons in here, but I do keep one right in my kitchen! The plates hanging on the wall here were an experiment for me. I had read in some one's blog (sorry, can't remember who that was, but she had written a decorating book!) how she had glue used a hot glue gun to glue paper clips (bent up a little) on the back of her plates to hang. Well...I did that. A little while later: crash! A plate fell to the floor. Oh, the floor in here has not been laid yet, so it's cement now... Yes, the little saucer broke to pieces. I figured I just hadn't glued it well. Crash. Crash. Two more fell and broke! I quickly took them all off the wall and this time I used the STINKY glue! It's called E6000. I'll forever be thankful to Elizabeth who told us about this glue years ago. Just be sure to use it outside as it stinks until it's dry. I haven't lost a plate since then.

So if you want to try this, you can use either Gorilla Glue or E6000. And you can use saw-tooth picture hangers or paper clips, depending on the size and weight of your platter, plate or saucer. I thought of these two walls in our home after reading Tina's blog today, Cherry Hill Cottage. Then also reading a new blogger's blog and seeing her Great Wall of China, (welcome, Danielle!).

But, really, this broken plate episode reminded me of a "Streams from the Desert" devotion I had read last year. It was called, "Broken Things". In part it says, "God uses most for His glory those people and things which are most perfectly broken. The sacrifices He accepts are broken and contrite hearts......It was when Mary broke her beautiful alabaster box, rendering it henceforth useless, that the pent-up perfume filled the house. It was when Jesus allowed His precious body to be broken to pieces by thorns and nails and spear, that His inner life was poured out, like a crystal ocean, for thirsty sinner to drink and live."

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3
Blessings, Heidi