Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions shared are mine.

I’ve always wanted to have the kind of house where friends could just stop by without calling first, but that’s not how it turned out. We live in a small house with a lot of stuff. It takes a concerted effort by all family members to get this house cleaned up for guests. I feel super embarrassed about it, but am just so overwhelmed by the clutter and lack of space! When I received Heart & Home by Victoria Duerstock, I spent several minutes gazing at the beautiful photos (and, I’ll admit, harboring some jealousy) of those gorgeous spaces.

Each glossy page has several full-color photos of a beautiful home space. You can read this like a devotional; however, I found myself going cover to cover, page by page, looking at the images like a magazine spread. The decorating styles are various and plenty. You’ll find everything from classic traditional to farmhouse to beachy casual. I really liked the little decor suggestions on each page, and how the topics tied to Bible verses. Then I put on my big girl pants and decided to do something about it at my own house!

We’ve rented a storage unit so we can stow away some of our ambiguous clutter — things we’re just not sure if we need to keep or not. Part of the reason we’re undecided is that we’d probably keep more of our stuff if we had more space for it. The storage unit gives us some time to decide. Meanwhile, my house is in utter chaos as we fling this-and-that into boxes. There is not one peaceful, clean area that I can gaze upon with satisfaction. I decided to start with the pet food shelf.

We have this white shelf in the corner of the kitchen directly under my pot rack. Every time I pass it, it bugs me that random junk collects on it. Today there was an empty plastic Easter egg and a sports bra pad. Seriously? Why would anyone put those two things on the shelf and not in the trash? UGH. It took approximately three minutes to scavenge an unused corner shelf from the bathroom and put some of the pet gear on it. I also wanted a pop of color, so added a blue covered flowerpot that was sitting in the dining room.

The white basket was holding all kinds of wet food that I keep for the dog. It had also become the catch-all for stray shoelaces, a keychain, and other miscellaneous items that had no business being on the pet shelf. It took just a moment to clean it up, neatly stack the food, and now it’s an attractive corner shelf again.

This little exercise made me wonder why I don’t spend more time organizing the house. The answer is somewhere between “lazy” and “no time.” Instead of devoting weeks to redoing a room, I’m more likely to give some attention to one area or corner at a time. This is doable for me! I promised myself to spend a little time each day making our living space a more positive place to be.

I’ll be ready for the Christmas Heart & Home book when it releases in the fall!

Do you need some harmony in your home? I love how this book ties in spiritual elements and scripture with decorating tips. I’d never really considered the way that these two go together, but it makes sense now.

One lucky reader will win the Heart & Home giveaway sponsored by Abingdon Press! The giveaway is open to US readers ages 18+. Void where prohibited by law. Good luck!

About the book:

Our home and its design can encourage spiritual growth in our hearts.

Heart and Home is a short devotional book with daily devotions for 90 days. The devotionals seek to draw clear connection between the basics of interior design and scripture that encourages spiritual growth within our hearts. The devotionals inspire women to have a captivating heart and home. Included in each devotional is an applicable design tip and photographs. Example devotional topics include unity and harmony, negative space, flow, focal point, and balance. 

This devotional includes four-color photographs of home interiors throughout the book.

Click here to view a sample of the book.

For more information about the series and for links to purchase, visit https://www.abingdonpress.com/victoriaduerstock.  

About the author:

Victoria Duerstock is a writer, blogger, teacher, and speaker. Her mission is to inspire hope and ignite bigger dreams for God’s purpose in each of our stories. She has a master’s degree in music, but ended up working in the furniture industry for more than twenty years and loves to make connections between our home environments and our spiritual lives. Victoria writes at Encouraging Women Today, Everything’s Gravy, Creative Corner, and Serious Writer Academy and also has contributed to devotionals for Worthy. She lives in Nesbit, Mississippi, with her husband, and they have three children.

Learn more about Victoria at:
www.victoriaduerstock.com

Follow her on Facebook,
www.facebook.com/VDuerstock

Twitter https://twitter.com/vduerstock, and Instagram
www.instagram.com/vduerstock
www.instagram.com/heartandhomebooks.

About the Christmas release:

As a writer, teacher, and speaker with a busy work and family life, Victoria Duerstock understands that all the tasks of the holiday season can make it easy to forget the true joy that Christmas can bring. In Heart & Home for Christmas, Duerstock brings her mission to inspire hope for God’s purpose, and her 20 years of experience in the furniture and design industry together, connecting Scripture with design elements and easy decorating tips in a way that reflects the true spirit of Christmas. The devotions and holiday decorating tips will encourage spiritual growth and inspiration to have both a captivating heart and home at Christmas.

Click here to view a sample of the book.

Releases September 17, 2019

Thanks to Abingdon Press and Audra Jennings PR for sending me a copy of the book!