March Blog Feature....a little late

Hey guys, this month Recycled Interiors will be featuring Sara at August Fields!

Isn't she beautiful!

She has five beautiful children that she teaches at home, that alone gives me great admiration for her :) You can follow Sara as they build their home, decorate, and homeschool.
Without further adieu, Sara of August Fields.

1. What inspired you to start a blog?

about 4 years ago i started a blog on a whim.  it was free and i thought it would be a fun way to capture memories of my children.  since that blog, i have changed the name twice and refocused.  when we began the process of building a home i thought it would be fun to document the process.  it has snowballed from there!

2. Your house is beautiful I loved watching y'all build and design it. Where did you get your inspiration for your home? 

thank you!  i have been pulling pages from magazines for years.  i save them in a binder, divided by rooms.  that was very helpful.  i also love to pursue homes on-line.  i saved interior pictures of homes that i really liked onto my computer hard drive.  then you can add in favorite movies, parade of homes, flea markets, and random brain storms.  

3. What is your favorite part of your home?

trick question. :)  i think because it is still so new to us..ALL of it is my favorite :)  but to give an answer, i would say the open layout of the kitchen, the drinking fountain, and the back yard.  this may change tomorrow though.

4. What made you decide to homeschool? 

when our oldest daughter was 3 years old i was already receiving questions like: "where will you be sending her to preschool?" and "have you started looking at preschools?"  it scared me!  what???  i'm not ready to send her to school!  

this led my husband and i to begin dialoging about school in general.  we had decided we would send our children to the local christian schools before we were even married, but we hadn't decided which one.  my mother in law (who was a veteran homeschooler) gently mentioned that we should think about homeschooling, even if just for the first few years.  

i honestly never thought i would homeschool.  i had naively categorized all homeschoolers into a big 'ol "jean jumper, bun wearing, stay in your house all day" group.  i, on the other hand, loved fashion, kept my hair up to the latest styles and am very social!  such a mature thought pattern, i know.

i met with a couple of homeschool moms and to make a long story short, never turned back.  i saw a passion for God and family that was refreshing to me.  i was intrigued with all the amazing curriculum choices available to the everyday person wanting to homeschool.

we decided to homeschool the preschool years, then kindergarten, that turned into first grade and by the time our oldest was in second grade we made the commitment to go all in and make this our choice.  i can't imagine it any other way.  we all love homeschooling.  it's how we "do" life. 

5. What advice would you give to beginner homeschoolers?

pray.  talk to your husband.  

search out a local homeschool support group and go to at least a couple of meetings.  this will help you see beyond your own ideas.  everyone does homeschool sooooo differently!  

start simple.  reading, writing, arithmetic.  seriously.  it's easy to feel like everyone else does it better.  but my answer to that is this:  do you need to answer to everyone else or to God?  are you teaching your children to love the Lord? to honor their mother and father?  are you modeling love towards your husband?  there will ALWAYS be someone more creative than you, more organized, more patient.  allow God to work in your family with the gifts He has given YOU. :)  it's just easier to not try and be someone else. :) :)

6. How did you and your husband meet?

this is fun.  i met him when i was 14 years old on a family vacation.  we went to the same high school, he was a senior and i was a freshman.  we played tennis together on the weekends and fell in love.  i can honestly say that i am more in love with him then ever!  (i do NOT recommend dating at such a young age though) :) :)

7. I come from a large family of 6 kids, and i LOVE it!  What made you want such a large family? They are all adorable!

This is her son's room how adorable!

i think they're pretty darn cute too.  thanks!  again, we never really 'set out to have a large family'.  after each child, we just felt soooo blessed!  God has blessed us for sure.  we enjoy parenting, the kiddos are so fun, and we devote a lot of time and energy into each other.  we often receive comments like "how do you do it?" or "FIVE kids?"  but to us its what we love and wouldn't have it any other way!

8. What is your favorite house project that you have done so far?

this is a tough one too!  well, to see the kitchen come together was awesome.  i really liked organizing my craft area and am still adding fun accessories to that space.  the nursery was enjoyable too.  we painted the floors white and the pieces i am finding to go into that space are a little more eclectic childish.  

Sara, thank you so much for sharing a piece of your life with us!

Now that you know all about Mrs. Sara go over and check out her blog!

All pictures courtesy of August Fields.