Dreamin'...rolling ideas around...

I really miss my view...this sunset was gorgeous one January evening.

Anyway...onto the point of the post.

We have this room in our little house{cottage??} that I call "the back room". The first time we lived here{remember we rented it before, then bought a house, now we are here again...making it home and I LOVE it!!}
This room is going to be the game room, so to speak. As in, I want a tv back here for the wii and gamecube and Jackson got an air hockey table from his grandparents Christmas '09 and its still in its box, so we have to carve out a space for it in this room. Okay, so in the above picture, you can see a set of windows to the left. Those look out onto the back yard. The wall straight ahead, to the right of the windows, will hold a sofa.

The house is older and has fabulous mustard linoleum, which surprisingly I kind of like and its working for me, I think. Let it be said, that we cannot even see this mustard wonder floor right now. Never fear, though, my wonderful, beautiful Mom is coming to stay Wed. thru Sat. and we will unearth it. I'm sure there might be other names describing her after she leaves. ;) Just kidding, she is great!!

What you see now is the door which is on the same wall as the sofa will be. The small window was the original kitchen window that looked onto the backyard, which now looks onto this room. I didn't remember to take a picture from the other side, but it just has an opening connecting it to the rest of the house and its opposite the door leading outside.

I found this lovely room from Pure and Lovely. And it is lovely, indeed. It was sort of the jumping point for my room. I love all the fun, cheery fabrics, the curtains, the rug from Target. The rug from Target...Well, I was originally going to get this rug, but after reading a few reviews, I don't know. I know you can't see a big picture of it, but here is the link. It really is pretty, but just wait til you see the other choice.

I am not loving the current green walls. They are kind of bringing me down, so I am going to paint them Comfort Grey by Benjamin Moore. I painted my master bathroom this color at the other house and loved it!! I love this slipcovered couch from Ikea. I love that I can wash the slipcovers and change them out on a whim. Now, I am cheaper than cheap so I am trying to find this sofa on Craigslist.

I plan to make some fun throw pillows like this bird one from Anthropologie. Yeah, the one I mentioned way back in November.

This fabric is gorgeous and what was used in my inspiration room. It was on backorder from fabric.com, but was finally restocked and I should have it within the week!!! Just a little ditty for you, go to retailmenot.com and look for coupon codes. I not only got free shipping because I spent more than $35, I also got 15% off!!

The rug...be still my beating heart!!! I saw this rug from World Market and fell in love!! I think I may love it more than the other one. Yeah, I do!! Best of all, its half off right now AND I can get free shipping. I'm having trouble pulling the trigger here, but it is such a gorgeous rug and would really make the room.

Let's all picture together now...Walls in Comfort Grey, those gorgeous yellow curtains, white slipcovered sofa filled with bright, fun pillows, that rug{!}, wall art-I'm thinking embroidery hoops filled with fabric intermingled with these bird art cards{that I have somewhere...} and my collection of R's, and framed pics of my sweetie children. Yep, I can see it!!

Still on my list to find...a shorty armoire that I can paint green. Well, I did find one, at Goodwill, but they wanted $150 and it was DONATED to them!! But, that is a different post for a different day, right??

Happy Day, girls!! Hopefully, I'll have a good start on this room this week. Of course, I'll share pics along the way!!



Linking up to Life Made Lovely Monday at Blessed Little Nest...

Ready for LOVE!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

This table greeted the children as they woke up this morning. They were so excited and loved it!! I want them to remember holidays being special around here and so I stayed up last night preparing this for them. I mixed a little crystal with some casual melamine dishes from Target with thrifted dishes. I am quite pleased with how it turned out!!

Why not use pretty things for every day meals?? A plate would have worked just as well for the pancakes, but a cake plate makes it all the more special. I am working on collecting mini maple syrup dispensers like the one at bottom left. So much more charming than a plastic bottle, wouldn't you say?? Striped paper straws from Garnish add a special touch to the children's glasses.

Each place setting{minus my own} had a fun valentine napkin, box of chocolates, gum, and a book. This is Fisher's and he LOVES Toy Story and Thomas the Train, so I got him a Thomas book and TS chocolates. The sherbet glasses are thrifted and held strawberry yogurt.

Food ready to be enjoyed. The kids had to make goofy faces!!

Yum...coffee just tastes better in my Anthro mug!!! Pioneer Woman pancakes are the go-to recipe in this house!!

The living room got a little love, too...I made the wreath whilst watching a sweet Hallmark movie.

I'm sure most of y'all are familiar with the yarn wreaths that are so popular...I just hot glued one end of my yarn to a Dollar Tree wreath form and wrapped and wrapped and wrapped. A little hot glue at the end to hold it and you're done!! Embellish as desired...I hot glued felt hearts on and it turned out just as I had envisioned!!

A jar of hearts...LOVE these old glass lidded mason jars!!!

Lilly wanted to decorate her room for Valentine's Day so we made this garland. She came up with the design on her own and we stapled the doilies together and hung it over her bed. A little red bird brings her sweet dreams at night!!

Just another peek...

Lastly, a smile from Violet...

Wishing you all a day full of LOVE!!!

"We love because He first loved us."

1 John 4:19

Linking up to Blessed Little Nest, Life Made Lovely Monday...

A New{Old} Nest to Fluff

Hey y'all...we've been moving and haven't had internet for a couple weeks. We finally got it turned on today. My husband had to put in a grounding rod before Comcast would give us service. Anyway, I thought I would share our new crib. Actually, old...Old, because it was built a long-ish time ago and old because we've lived here before. This photo is actually from the first time we lived here. Some of you friends that go way back{to 2008-ha!} might remember it a little.

I'm excited to once again get to fluff and do here, as it is much more my style!! Here is a sneak peek at the living room...Join me as I make it my own, pink laundry room and all...Yes, I plan to paint the laundry room here pink, paint the kitchen cabinets, and other fun things, so stay tuned!!

Linking to Blessed Little Nest...

Word...to your Mutha

I've seen many bloggers choose a word of the year. A word to live by, I suppose...I've never really been one to do that, but this year it hit me. JOY...a small word, but one that has so much meaning this year. 2010 was not what I would consider a good year by any stretch, what with Lilly getting diabetes, so much sickness-Every. Single. Holiday. it seemed, financial ickies, etc.-I know many people have things they deal with, but these are my things, you know?? Violet's birth helped redeem it, but overall I could have done without 2010. I read a verse a while ago that spoke to me...
James 1:2-3
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

I have decided to embrace JOY instead of letting things get me down...to thank God that He spared Lilly's life, that Cory has been able to keep his job, that we have a super cute rental house to live in{oh yeah, we are moving}...so many things to be JOY-full about...

What about you...do you have a word to live by...a word for 2011??

{Oh yes...the JOY hanger was from Target, after-Christmas clearance from 2009. It was white originally and I just mod-podged fun papers on it...a reminder everyday to find the JOY in all circumstances...}



And finding the JOY in having to wake up early to take one to school...BEAUTIFUL sunrise...Thank you, Jesus, that you love us!!

Linking up to Blessed Little Nest, Life Made Lovely...

My Joy-FULL Journey to Fingerville...

This is the story of two girls, a vintage sofa, and a small town. I was looking on Craigslist in early December for a vintage couch and found one. I recruited my friend, Leah{pictured above with her husband-my husband's best friend from high school...they lost touch, and have recently rekindled their friendship, but that's another story for another day...}

My new-old couch...Ain't she a beaut?? I swiped this pic from the Craigslist ad...It was love at first sight!! She needs a lil lovin' and I'm open to any ideas y'all have...

I did have to trave out of state to get her...Thought I was goin' to Inman, SC.
Uh hmmm...


Whilst driving to get my newest love, we passed a sign that said Fingerville. I knew I *had* to get a pic!! Doin' my best Vanna White...

Driving thru, I may have belted out a line or two from "Coal Miner's Daughter"...Seriously, the town{?} reminded me of Butcher Holler. I met the sweetest girl there, Ashley, who is gonna start blogging. Right, Ashley?!?! Funny little side story...I emailed the standard C-list link thing{help...} and Ashley writes me back and gives me a little info about the sofa-yes, it was still available, was passed down from her Grandmother-lovin' that history!! Then she emailed me back saying she had read my blog. So funny!! I'm always shocked and amazed to hear people come here!!

I really don't know what struck me so, but we took a slew of pictures of me with this sign!!

I mean, really...It was so funny!! I promise I am not poking fun, just loved the name...Only in the South...

I'm pretty certain I was catching my breath here...

"Oh..." Might I add a little disclaimer here?? In addition to my camera hating me on a regular basis, it also adds about 80 pounds. I swear I'm a size 4. Okay, size 6. ;)

Now this is a little out of order, but you'll get to the other "Joy-FULL" part of our trip later. Anyways...after all of our fun, Leah and I decided to go eat at Cracker Barrel. If you've never been to one, you are missing out on a real treat!! They have awesome country cookin' and a super fun shop!! In fact, Leah and I got matching blue chicken mugs. So cute!!

Anyway, the decor there is very vintage country. This sign was above our table and I had to take a pic for y'all...

She's lookin' at the shoes and he's checkin' out something else, if you get my drift...

Then there was this sign. Seriously, strap, street, strip, stroke, strut are the only "str" words?? I need to go pray now...

Now for the best part of my journey...

Drumroll please...

I MET JOY OF JOYFULLNESS!!!!! I thought she lived on the way to where I was going and indeed she did. We decided to meet up at Chick-Fil-A. Let me tell you, Joy is the sweetest person and such a great Mom to her little guys. And those boys are even more delicious in person. Looks like I ate one, doesn't it?!?! ;) Seriously though, Joy has the sweetest temperment with her little men and makes me want to be a better, more intentional Mom. Joy, I cannot wait to get together with you again and CRAFT this time!!!

Oh, we met up with Joy after picking up the couch and just as Joy was answering her phone, Leah was telling her husband about Fingerville, and I lost it!! Completely lost it!! Poor Joy had to listen to me laugh for probably a minute until I could gain my composure!!

What happens in Fingerville, stays in Fingerville!!

We Made Merry...

I am finally getting around to posting about Christmas. How about that?? Now we can move on along...Above is our tree all lit up on Christmas Eve. I love how my camera hates me and I cannot get a decent pic to save my life. ;) Maybe that will be this year's goal, to learn my camera.

Here we are with a flash. Same time as above...The dress hanging on the window...I made that Christmas Eve Eve, intending on taking the kids to see Santa the next morning. Nothing like the last minute!! That plan went to pot, much like this whole 2010. I think I was running behind most of the year. No matter, though, this is a new year with new beginnings. And...we didn't actually get to see Santa. Why?? Let's start by saying the week of Christmas, or maybe the week before, heck the whole month of December had someone sick at some time. Well, Thursday before Christmas, my husband came home early. Sick...Then, Christmas Eve, I awoke to my oldest saying something about seeing Santa. I knew immediately that I wasn't feeling well, then proceeded to get sick myself. Nice...Luckily, I wasn't sick long, but felt poopy the rest of the day, tired, achy skin, fun stuff...I couldn't hardly pull it together to wrap gifts. Thankfully, Cory felt a little better and he did most of the work.

Here the kids are in their Christmas Eve jammies. My Mom and I made them. I had the idea to use flannel sheets from Target instead of buying fabric by the yard. One little ditty praising Target...Cory and I did the bulk of our Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving{a great feeling!!} with coupons and sales. Well, Black Friday rolled around and I happened to be in Target and noticed a few things were on an even better sale, but sold out. I took my receipt to customer service and they refunded the difference in what I paid and the current sale price!! Isn't that great!! They do price adjustments within a 14 day period.

Lilly was quite excited to get a Barbie movie!!

Jackson playing a game on his DS...

Violet loved to lay under the tree gazing up the lights!!

Fisher was quite content playing with his choo-choo...

These are the pillows I made for my Mom. Those are the only handmade gifts I gave this year, aside from a teacher gift and Christmas Eve jammies. How sad is that??

I have to give God some props here...I went to Ingles one morning to get a few necessities and decided to look at hams. Originally, we were supposed to go to my Mom's house on Christmas day but with all of us getting sick, and my stepdad having a double bypass, it wasn't prudent. Anyway, most of the hams were $1.69 a pound, but this ONE was marked down to $1 lb. How wonderful that God knew how our Christmas was going to be and gave me a ham on an even better sale!! We also had green bean casserole and corn casserole. Yum!!!

Lilly was so cute, she sat the table with napkins and forks. On the napkins she wrote everyone's initials. I tried to photograph them, but you know how this sentence ends...:) The day ended in snow falling, a Christmas miracle!!

Anyway, that was our Christmas wrap-up...Hope your's was wonderful!!

Cute gift idea...

Don't you just love getting inspiration from blogs?!?! I know I do!! If you've never been to Ashley Ann's blog, you are missing out. She has gorgeous photography, a cute home, super cute kids, and great craft ideas. One of the ideas that I love of her's is tweaking or embellishing plain candles.
I made this one for Jackson's teacher for Thanksgiving, but with Christmas fast approaching, I thought it would be perfect for a last minute gift.


What I used...a candle from Wal-Mart{this one is mulled cider-smells AMAZING-and is only about $3}, scrapbook paper, paper doily, mod podge, vintage seam binding, and twine...
I measured the flat part of my candle jar and cut my scrapbook paper to size. I then painted a little mod podge to the jar, just a light coat. Then I cut the doily in half and mod podged it on. Let it dry, then cut your seam binding and twine, tie around and voila, a cute, crafty, and inexpensive gift!!