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The best times are the ones spent together.

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Spring Cleaning!

I wish this photo was taken here, but it was taken while we were on vacation in Palm Springs (hoping to have those pictures up soon!) While all I see is white when I look outside, I am starting to forcing myself to start thinking about spring cleaning. There is something that feels so good about starting fresh. Cleaning out the unwanted and unused that can clutter not only a house but a life as well!

I came across this amazingly detailed project "8 weeks to a less cluttered home." While this will probably follow me well into the summer months, I am determined to get through it all! My husband and I like to think of ourselves as passionate purgers. Even so, it baffles me how quickly stuff seems to accumulate. I am looking forward to simplifying. I love how each daily 'task' is not too big which makes it much less overwhelming. Perhaps not quite enough though since I've had this printed and sitting on my desk for the past month and still have yet to begin!

I have a few other areas of my life that I am itching to clean up as well. My email boxes are overflowing with old messages! This week I went through and unsubscribed from all of those random emails that have made there way to my inbox. I am looking forward to seeing 'Inbox empty' in my near future! The other area I need to clean up on my computer is the giant amount of picture files. This is probably my most overwhelming task at hand. I've nailed down a better system of how I save/sort my files over the past few months, but all of the choas that took place before that needs to be taken care of. There are far too many unused and unwanted pictures just taking up precious space. Ugh...

Any other brilliant lists out there I should see before I commend "Project Declutter"?

While on the topic of organizing.. The impending death of Google Reader come July is unfortunate. You can follow me over on Bloglovin' though!

or

easily import all blogs you follow
via google reader  to bloglovin' by going HERE

Home Tour: Family Room

Before..

When we bought this house earlier this year I knew I would want to overhaul the family room. We have a 4 level split and this room is on the 3rd level. There is a nice big window, but only 1, and since it is such a big space the dark floors just made it feel small and dark. I know some people will call me crazy for painting hardwood floors white, but I am so in love with them! They turned out better than expected. And what is with all this color? I'm not sure what has happened to my fear of color, but I think it is safe to say it is long gone!

We knew we wanted a pretty substantial coffee table, so we actually found a dining table and cut it down to coffee table height (I'm terrible at remembering to take before pictures). The best part about it is when we have large groups over there is a leaf we can put in to make it even bigger! It is perfect for game nights.. if only I could get my husband to play games!


My desk is probably my favorite part of the room. I wanted to use up every inch of this little nook so we went custom. And by custom I mean cheap! The plywood cost us about $10 and my husband just cut it to fit, and the legs were also $10 each from Ikea (here). For $30 I could not be happier with the results! I do plan on sealing the wood at some point since I have got a sliver or two! lol..

While I've still got a few shelves to fill and need to find a piece for the tv to sit on I am loving this space! My goal was to create a comfortable eclectic space that is meant to feel 'imperfect'. I think I've achieved exactly that and I look forward to the many nights spent with my family here!

Too soon for Christmas?

I have never been one to do a tremendous amount of decorating for the holidays (we didn't even put up our tree last year), but this year I would like to put in a little more effort than I have before. Our new house has so many beautiful places to display pretty things so I've been doing a little research (and by that I mean searching Pinterest) to figure out what type of 'look' I should go for.. I am leaning towards colorful & fun. It is a stretch for me considering my fear of color and my love for white, so we shall see...

Sources:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9

I couldn't find the source for #8 arg!

Retro Redo - DIY

My closest friend was getting rid of this piece that had been in her basement since sometime in the 70s. Since we moved into a house for which I do not have enough furniture,  I told her I would take it off her hands. I hoped I could make something good out of it. I had heard about this amazing product that covers almost anything with only a little time and effort. I had almost thought it sounded too good to be true, but I thought it was worth a try. Was it ever! It really is amazing! My husband and I completed this project in less than an hour and a half. It took 1 coat of paint and 1 coat of wax. Done. It may almost be too easy to use. I now want to paint a million different things in my house..

For those of you wondering what this wonder product is it's called Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. In my city I could only find it one place. A cute little store Apple Box Boutique which, by the way, was another great find. Its an adorable place I hope to spend much more time in..

I am so happy with my brand-new old piece!

*ps.. Annie Sloan paints & Apple Box Boutique did not ask/pay/bribe me to review this product :), although I would have gladly accepted if they had*

My dining room wall..

Remember this color palette?

Well, I feel like a miracle occurred in my household for 2 reasons..

1. I chose a color! I allowed my love for white and my fear of color be thrown out the window and I have painted my dining room wall a lovely Peachy-Pink! (Warming Toes by Para Paints)
2. The second miracle is that my husband actually agreed to this! I figured there was no way he would ever be okay with having such a feminine color on the wall. He agreed though, and he even painted the wall himself. What a great man I have!

I am really loving it!  I promise to get some pictures up in the future (hopefully the not-too-distant future). Now I feel like I may expand my love for color and pick some more vibrant colors for some of my other rooms! Any suggestions? What colors are you loving right now?

Dear Color..

I may be loving you a little..

vintage color by
brandyjanemabel

   

Love is the center..

I saw a picture of a beautiful center piece the other day. It had a crystal clear jar filled with perfectly placed flowers inside, surrounded by greenery and glowing candles. Stunning.. It got me thinking though. How much time, how much effort was invested in that center piece? How much thought went into picking the colors that complimented each other and placing everything just so? How much stress was felt over making sure it came out just right? My train of thought continued.. Who were the people sitting around that center piece? Did they feel as important as that arrangement they sat around? Were they being considered as thoughtfully and invested in on a personal level? Did they feel loved and cared for?

Don't get me wrong.. I love pretty things. I am aware that time invested in making something beautiful can be a part of showing how much you care about people..

There was a time in life that I was hesitant to put out an effort to have people over or to show hospitality because I was afraid that what I had to offer wasn't enough. I am not a good cook or a fancy party planner. I love people though. I love sharing life with others. The wife of the founding Pastor of our church once said to me that people don't care what your house looks like, they care that you invest in them, love them, and take interest in their lives. I have held onto those words. I live by those words. While I still desire to one day be a domestic diva of sorts, I desire more to spread love and encourage others. When you love and care for those surrounding you it doesn't really matter what the center piece looks like..

Source: oncewed.com via Amanda on Pinterest

White

I love white. I would paint every piece of furniture and every wall in my house white if my husband would let me. Perhaps it is the safe or boring choice. To me, it is like a breath of fresh air. So crisp and clean. It doesn't demand too much attention yet it makes its presence known. It is my favorite color, or my favorite non-color. Here is some of my white love from my Pinterest boards..

sources: #1 #2 #3 #4 

Ahhhhh...

Peaches & Pinks

We will be in our new place by the weekend, and I am getting so eager to make the place feel like home as quickly as possible! Because we are buying my Dad's house I have been able to go over there often and dream up all sorts of plans and ideas.

original image {via}

I found this beautiful arrangement and I have pulled some colors from it to use as inspiration for our new dining room. I love the softness of this combination of colors together. The peachy-pinks are so warm, and I think if we pair it with some rough & rustic wood pieces it will be perfect! My husband and is not really the biggest fan of all the pink.. yet.. I am sure there will have many more ideas to come. Stay tuned friends. I will post pictures as we make progress..

Where memories live..

It is so hard to believe that we moved into our beloved house a short  2 and half years ago. We were so blessed and in awe of the Lord making a way for us to be able to own our very own house! When we got it, it wasn't very pretty, but the bones were good. Since we had previously renovated our townhouse, we quickly saw the potential this outdated box held..

Here are some Before & Afters...
{please pardon some of the blurry before pictures.. they weren't taken by me}

We put much love, time, and energy into making this house our home and we have loved it. God, however, has opened another door for us so we are moving again! I am praying that this is our last move for a long.long.long time. We are moving to a house that is much bigger and in a much better location for us. It requires a bit of updating but no extensive renovations. We are so excited, yet there is a lingering sadness when I think of leaving this house where my kids spent their little years..

So, we are moving just as we have finished all our work here. Isn't that life? Pray for me friends as I attempt to keep a clean showing-ready house with my 3 little ones.. Impossible you say? Possibly, but I'm gonna give it a go.. although I'm only a few days in and already feel near death. Here's to a quick sale.

This is why I have been so absent around here lately.. I've been cleaning.cleaning.cleaning. I can't wait to get back into some routine!

xxoo

A wall of pictures..

HOW TO CREATE A PHOTO GALLERY...

1.(a) Spend a year collecting frames and procrastinate about putting them up for a really long time. Have your husband get so tired of all the empty frames laying around that he will force you to complete the task. 

1.(b)Lay the frames out on the floor/table and arrange and rearrange.rearrange.rearrange until it is to your liking.

2. Find an empty wall.

3. Have your handy husband hang the frames in the design laid out for him.

3. continued...

4. Now that your frames are all hung, you should probably order prints to fill them (unless you like the photos of random people you don't know).

5. Place your pictures into frames, sit back, and enjoy your masterpiece!

This has been a project I've wanted done for so long! It feels so wonderful to finally have it completed. The best part.. Seeing my own photos displayed. So neat. I am awful at actually having pictures printed, but now that I've started I will hopefully keep up and switch them out every few months!