The makeover begins.....

new paint.... Sherwin Williams Agreeable gray at 75%

morning light 

inspired by this and the wreaths & other pompom creations my mom made when I was a child

artwork to be framed and changed out throughout the year....

pieces collected when i was a college student... smitten with a love of europe

which i love to this very day... but have never displayed

All parts of a surprise project which I had hoped to have completed today... a surprise to welcome home my husband after being gone for the past week.  

but alas time constraints, mental blocks, time shared with children prevailed... time well spent!

So now we will finish this project together... rearranging, adding, removing, reconfiguring!  

More often than not the journey shared is just as beautiful (or more so) as the end result!!  

I love you, babe!  

Christmas 2012 preview

Christmas traditions

The lights have been hung on the eaves with cheer,
                                   take out "Chinese" food has been ordered,
                                                                   Christmas music fills the halls,
                                                                                         the tree is up and decorated,

                                 craft supplies under the tree for upcoming projects,

                                                





birds in nests hidden in the boughs,

            hamming up it up for the camera....

                        a boy and his dog, lily! (who forever seems to be in the pictures these days. haha!)

      hand carved stamps inspired by lessons from 2012 Artsy Ornaments Workshop.

Looking forward to the next week of decorating, baking, crafting, and more surprises in store!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Comment verification

I just wanted to give you all a head's up... comment verification has been implemented for the time being as the spam has increased exponentially.   Once it slows back down (or stops completely) I'll drop off the verification.  Thank you so very  much for understanding!  I hope that each and every one of you are enjoying the preparations of this holiday season as it quickly approaches!

Have a wonderful day!

A little dining room bling.... my parent's old chandelier!

Happy Wednesday!

First of all, is it really December?  Because I am sure it has been in the 60's for the past few days.... :)

Okay to be honest I've enjoyed being able to open the windows but a certain fellow in our household is really missing winter.  Okay, make that 3 certain fellows! :)

Not a lot noteworthy going on around here, just pitter pattering about finishing up lots of little projects, going to sporting events, sorting, and such.  One of those projects was getting the old chandelier fixed and put up.  You see when my folks were back here in May for Ian's graduation Mom brought it up rather off-handedly.  In fact her exact words were...

"You don't want that old chandelier, do you?"

I jumped at it immediately... "YES!!, I love it... in fact Chris and I were just talking about it not too long ago."

"Why didn't you say something before we drove up? Oh I knew I should have asked you..."

So after more discussion it was decided that it would be shipped.... a few weeks later it arrives.  Over the years the rivets have loosened and I'm sure its jostling in through the post didn't help any.  Its old shiny brass finish was a worn in places but I didn't care I LOVED it!

So fast forward several months, different colors of spray paint, a hot glue episode, a bit of rewiring, bits of reinforcement and reattaching of all the crystals. 

And now she hangs proudly in our dining room.  You see this old gal has a bit of a history... my parents bought her in 1976 while living in Germany.  She is a bit of a world traveler as she graced our homes in... West Germany, Florida, North Carolina, a long stop in Colorado, a time tucked away in Louisiana.    Fast forward to November of 2010 and she now is proudly graces our home.... in Indiana. And who knows where our travels will take us but she will be sure to come along.

(can you tell we're a bit slow in starting the Christmas decoration process? ha ha! but we are getting there... slowly but surely!)

Have a wonderful week!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Today as I sit here watching the sunrise through the fog shrouded fields I can't help but think of all the many blessings bestowed upon us.  Some little, some large but all precious just the same!

• a husband who has served his country well and is once again able to be at home to spend this holiday with our family.
• a son who is employed in this precarious economy, able to work today
• friends who opened their home to us so that we might share this day with them
• family far and wide, even though we don't get to see them often we love them dearly and cherish the times when we are together
• a roof over our heads, small by the standard of some but DEFINITELY more than large enough for our needs... a veritable mansion by the standards of so much of the world... a place we love to call HOME!!
• a LORD who willingly gave HIS own life as a sacrifice and rose again defeating death, ultimately paying the price for my sin and yours.... a gift, as long as we are willing to accept it.  to ask forgiveness, and have HIM as LORD and SAVIOR of our lives!
• a country where we are currently able to worship freely and speak freely about our relationship with the LORD, without fear of reprisal and persecution.
• for another with my family!
• for friends, near and far... in real life and blog wide.  so many near and dear to my heart!

So THANK YOU!  

and have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Family room and general updates

Good morning!  Can you believe today is the day?  Election day!  Which means its November!  And the year is almost over... How can that be?!  I know I've been pretty quiet here... okay, really quiet but we also know that isn't all that uncommon for me.  In fact I've discovered something recently.  I'm like this in real life too... sometimes the chatterbox but often times quiet and contemplative.  That's okay because life if moving so quickly right now that its needed!

So what all has been going on... marching band season is over, swim practice (or rather diving practice) has begun, election day, more clutter clearing, family room decorating, Christmas present making, precious times with family, cooking from scratch (FINALLY again!!),  online courses, prepping for traveling abroad (paris in the spring with the middlest),  painting furniture, weekend day trips, youth activities, making apple sauce, and just enjoying life with my family!

The family room has really come along... most of us like the new layout.  There are a few finishing details to attend to such as the sanding of a set of metal drawers and an old chair, playing a game of darts, getting the chandelier fixed, and hanging said chandelier. Oh I forgot to mention dying the remaining set of curtains.  All in time... :)

So in the past few weeks we have gone from this.....

and this....

(functional but something was missing)

to this

Are we 100% done?  No not yet.  Do you see the light fixture on the orange pillow?  

That would be this piece of loveliness!  It was hanging in most of my childhood homes... well my mom sent it to me recently and yes it does need a little work on it, a bit of re-soldiering in a few places, old broken bulbs removed and then this beauty will be hanging in our family room.  Or maybe the dining room.  We are still trying to decide if we should move the ceiling fan into the family room and hang the chandelier in the dining room or just leave things be.  We shall see... all in due time.

Have a wonderful day!  See you at the polls!!

Returning from Influence... changed

As I sit here this morning watching the sun rise and the mist evaporate off the fields I can't help but be filled with lingering thoughts.  This weekend was powerful, to say the least!  I've had to take a few days to gather my thoughts and my wits about me.... you see this past weekend I went to the Influence Conference.  It was a weekend of discovery for me.  An emotional weekend.   A time where I met incredible women.  women who influenced me more than they can every know. women who i would dearly like to get to know better.  speakers who provoked deep, soul searching moments (which still continue.) A time where I walked away wrecked yet renewed.  It was a time filled with regret. loss. vulnerability. anticipation. longing. passion. discovery.   Regret.... that i allowed overwhelming fear and anxiety to reduce me to someone i'm not.  Loss... of opportunity to be real, to connect, to reach out to others.  Vulnerable... in discovering that "old demons" had crept back in.  Anticipation... of the days ahead growing closer to the Lord and "returning daily to the cross!" longing... for something that i can't quite put my finger on yet but knowing that God is doing a mighty, mighty work right now!!! Passion... deep and abiding for the man I love and for family (sometimes it takes being away to realize how much you miss them and love them..) Discovering... and knowing... that God has a plan! that it would scare the bejeebas out of me to know it all, but finally, FINALLY being content with that. not a complacent contentment but an all abiding, secure in HIS arms contentment! 

So in the days ahead you will be seeing some changes... what?  I'm not sure.... i just know that the Lord is working on me right now and HE has mighty plans for us.  Yes, I do say us... because I know He is working in our family... on our family.  I can tell you this... its not an easy process. and Satan is working hard as well... he doesn't want to see us submit to the Lord's will.  Will I share all that is going on?  No.... some things are too close to my heart.  Will you still find crafts? and projects? painted furniture? food? the occasional recipe? Most definitely YES!  But that is not all... because there are other things in the works.  ideas ruminating. projects & plans forming. lessons being taught. Exciting days!!  yes the days ahead can be (and will be) frightening but that fear will NO longer control me!!! 

So my hope is that you will embrace the changes with me... because changes there will be most definitely be.   and that you will pray for me... to be true to the changes ahead...  to be open to whatever and where ever the LORD leads... to be fearless in the approaching days.

Thank you...