Grace

Yesterday was "early release day" at Lilli's school.  Basically that means that Lilli returns home two hours early that day.  Abbi is afternoon kindergarten, so she is to go to school normal time and is released at 2:10 (confused yet!?).  Yesterday, I was distracted with my upcoming trip, packing, getting things in order for Josh, etc.  Yesterday, I was at Costco at 12:10 while my daughter Lilli was dropped off by her bus at our house.  Yesterday, I received a call from her school at 1:45 pm informing me that my 7 year old daughter had walked 2 miles back to school from our house.  Yesterday, I felt like I earned the "worst mom of the year award".  Yesterday, I felt ashamed by my self-focus.  Yesterday, I thanked God for keeping her safe on her walk.  Yesterday, I loved my daughter even more for her courage. Yesterday, I felt God's grace and mercy despite my inadequacies.  

Girls Room Makeover Part 2

   

The girls room was SO much fun to create!  The first thing I did to the room was paint it.  I used some leftover paint I had lying in the garage.  I can't tell you the name of the color because I mixed a few different colors to achieve this shade.  I usually start projects on a whim, so that day I painted this entire room with only a medium size paint brush--no roller on hand, and the thought of driving to Home Depot with three children always kills me.  But, by the end of painting my arm felt like it was going to fall off! 

 

The second project was creating the upholstered headboards.  I found the fabric on clearance at a local fabric store.  I had my husband cut the particle board to size and assembled the headboards in one evening.  The hardest part was getting the printed fabric to line up evenly. 
All in all the project cost under $70 dollars to do.

I found the duvet covers at Ikea.  I used bias tape on the duvet covers.  The fabric for the pillows was bought here.  

I have always admired the work of Hadley Hutton.  The frames are from Target. 

I bought the book shelf at Ikea.  The lamp was from Goodwill, which I spray painted.  The shade was purchased at Ikea as well.  

The original dresser was a gift from my husband's grandmother.  It was brown with brass knobs.  I used the same color spray paint on the knobs that I used on the lamp.  The dresser was painted a shade of white.

Above the bed, the mirrors are Target.  I screwed in these  knobs for the mirrors to hang on.  

I found this frame at Goodwill for around $10.  It was originally gold, with a picture of the Virgin Mary on the inside.  :)  I used some fabric and ric-rac to make a poster board.  

I am pleased with how well it turned out.

 

Hope you've enjoy.

Girls Room Makeover Part 1

This was a random picture I found of the girls' room before redecorating it.  As you can see, the walls were a collage of my little artist "prints".  The bed sat awkwardly against the wall, which interrupted the larger window.  I had wanted to come up with a more sophisticated girls room, and the girls wanted something with lots of pink.  Pictures to be revealed tomorrow...

Enjoy the remainder of your weekend!

Love

"One cannot always tell what it is that keeps us shut in, confines us, seems to bury us, but still one feels certain barriers, certain gates, certain walls.  Is all this imagination, fantasy?  I do not think so.  And then one asks:  My God!  Is it for long, is it for ever, is it for eternity?  Do you know what frees one from this captivity?  It is very deep serious affection.  Being friends, being brothers, love, that is what opens the prison by supreme power, by some magic force." 

Vincent Van Gogh, letter to his brother, July 1880

Muffin Recipe

Here is a great muffin recipe from a dear friend of mine, Ingrid.  While it has a lot of ingredients, which is annoying, they also pack lots of healthy stuff in them! 

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup ground flax seed

3/4 cup oat bran

3/4 cup brown sugar (you can use 2 mashed bananas and only half of the brown sugar)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger (ground)

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (ground)

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Mix dry ingredients.

3/4 cup skim milk or soy milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons applesauce

Mix wet ingredients.

Combine wet and dry ingredients.  Fold in 2 cups finely shredded carrots,

1 zucchini, peeled, shredded, and squeezed (to get some of the water out), and 1/2 cup of raisins, cranberries, or nuts.

Fill prepared muffin tins 2/3 full with batter.

Bake 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Enjoy!:)

Seeing Red

I've always loved a pop of red in any room.

 {Images via Decor pad}

 

I fell in love with this simple book shelf from Ikea.  While my husband is not a huge fan of their furniture, I promised him that it was real wood before purchasing it:).  I also added these glass doors.  Thanks to hubby and dad for putting it together for me!

Once put together, I decided on these knobs, which made the shelf more complete.  I always appreciate the fact that hardware from Anthropologie can make a piece of furniture pop...

Lastly, that area of the room needed some light.  I headed back to Ikea for a couple of these.  Once I got home I quickly realized that the lights did not come with plugs, and those you have to purchase separately.  Ugh!  Back to Ikea...  Bummer. 

I really am happy with the final outcome.  

Would I do it over again?  

I think so.  :)

A Surprise Visit...

 

Last weekend my dad surprised the girls with a visit from Indiana.  We always cherish the time we spend with family from out of town.  My dad is an amazing person.  We are fortunate enough to have his endless love and support...

Here's a bit of what we did:

Dined at this restaurant

Painted my kitchen/dining room this "silver drop" color

Ate this cake---and still eating...

Put together this book shelf with these doors

{Added these knobs to the book shelf}

Read the girls this book---they were so happy!

Hung this art 

Drank a lot of this out of one of these

Bought Evi these shoes 

Took the girls here

Went to church

Fun weekend.

*check out my dad's blog