Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Easy Baby Name Wall Art

Hey Peeps!

Do any of y'all out there remember this?



I showed it to you in this post almost two years ago a while back and promised a tutorial.  Whoops.  Well, better late than never...?

Here we go...you will need:
  • those white wood letters from the craft store
  • 12 x 12 scrapbook paper in the pattern(s) of your choice (mix 'em up or make 'em all the same)
  • scissors
  • white glue or spray adhesive
This time I was upgrading LB's letters from babyish blue gingham to a big-boy stripe, but the process is exactly the same if your letters are new.
Before:


The paper I chose for my After:


Place your letter face-down on the back of your scrapbook paper.  If your letter has a long, straight edge, by all means lay it along the edge of the paper.

Commence tracing.  Don't fret about perfection.


Cut using That Mommy's patented two-step process (which saves time and hand-cramps):
1) Cut along long lines and curves with bulky, fast scissors.


2) Go back through with craft scissors for your tight spots.


Glue the paper to your letter.  You can use white glue and a foam sponge-brush, or spray adhesive.  I have had success with both techniques.  Just make sure your letter is completely covered; don't worry if there is a little paper overhang.


Trim excess paper with your craft scissors.  A little bit of excess paper will not be noticeable when these are hanging on the wall, so again, don't fret over perfection.  Nice, smooth lines are more important than getting the paper perfectly flush with the edge of the letter.

Hang and Enjoy!

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Monday, February 25, 2013

Six Principles of Simple, Beautiful Decorating

The other day I was at a friend's house and was reminded of a few never-fail decorating principles, so I thought I would take you on a little tour of her house and share why I love her style.

1) Use Your Vertical Space



So many of us have these tall, tall ceilings and they are hard to decorate around!  The lady of this house has maximized the vertical space by hanging her curtains high, using large-scale accessories in her niches, and using large-scale furniture which won't drown in such a big space.  It is simple, but its genius.

2) Go Big for Impact


The accessories in this room are kept to a minimum, but the scale of that mirror is so dramatic that we don't need anything else to entertain us visually.  A single large wall-hanging can anchor a room and give it a presence that multiple smalls just can't.  And I am saying this as a BIG fan of gallery walls.

3) Keep Your Surfaces Clear 



These pictures say it all.  I keep a tray on my kitchen island with a bunch of crap a plant, a candle, and a fruit bowl on it.  I am reconsidering.

4) Buy the Best You Can Afford


We've heard this rule before, but my friend reminded me that you can do it without breaking the bank.  She got these sofas (and other furniture throughout) at Transit Damaged Freight.  She had to wait on delivery, but she saved a bundle for high-quality, high-style furniture that will last.

5) Color Your Kid Spaces



I can't stand the cuteness!  And by the way, what a genius solution for the roof of the playhouse!  The handy husband in the family build that cute playhouse as well as a stage in another area of the playroom.  I am swooning over all this cuteness!  Check out these hooks which another friend painted:


I love that in this family with three girls, the walls are blue!  The room is still girly and sweet, with lots of pink and lime green brought in with fabrics.  My friend tells me it took several tries to get the right blue for this much wall-space, but the effort paid off!

6) Shop Consignment!




But, once again, cuteness doesn't have to break the bank!  Check out these adorable bunny accessories, especially that chandelier, which is so unique and just precious.  There were also two framed prints and beautiful heavy drapes (no pictures of those...why, Michelle, why???)...all of which my friend snagged at a consignment sale for--prepare yourself--$200.  Are you kidding me???  She says it is her favorite consignment purchase of all time.  I think it's mine, also;)

In case you picked up on it, there are also a few French themes in this house...notice the Eiffel Towers?  The husband is French and no, that has absolutely nothing to do with my love for this home.  I will deny it all day long.  (However, I am going to go dig up my Eiffel Tower pictures right now and put one on my wall,  Just sayin').

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Thursday, February 14, 2013

Happy Valentine's Day!



May your day be filled with everything sweet!

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Saturday, February 9, 2013

Rest.


My sister and I, circa 1982.


Twenty years. 

That’s how long it has been since my life changed forever.  The morning my little sister died was unspeakably horrifying…traumatic...indescribable, really.  Losing her felt like something exploded inside me, and left a gaping hole, and I was so hurt, and I was so unbelievably angry.  I was just sixteen years old then.  Now, looking back, I barely recognize that girl.  Twenty years.  So much in life changes in two decades, yet it feels like just yesterday I was with my sweet sister; playing, fighting, sharing secrets and dreams and loving each other like the best friends we were.

I’ve spent much of these twenty years going through all those stages of grief: the anger, the denial, the acceptance, the bargaining, the depression…I list them in no particular order because grief has no order.  It travels its own circuitous route, coming back around to places you’d thought you’d already been and taking forms you’d thought you’d never see again.  Grief has a beginning, but it does not have an end.

But God has shown me something lately, and it has made all the difference.  It has nothing to do with healing.  It is all about rest.

See, usually as the anniversary of Mindy’s death approaches I feel my heart sinking and depression begins to seep in…I will get flashbacks of the morning she died, remember the fear and the swallowing grief of those first days. 

This year has been different.  It began when a few months ago God laid it on my heart to commit Matthew 11:28 to memory.  Then, a few weeks ago, I had to learn about resting in a different way.  What happened was I was indulging my obsession with moving to a different house.  I had found a great fixer-upper and had contacted my realtor to go see it.  (Never mind that I don’t have time for my normal life, much less moving into and renovating an old house.  Never mind that my husband and I have decided to focus on paying off our obscene student loans, not buying houses).  I called my realtor…then I prayed.  And when I asked God directly what we should do, He didn’t say, “Don’t move,” or “Pay off your loans, stupid.”  No.  The single word I heard deep in my heart was: “Rest.”  

And it was a command.  A command to bring every burden, every worry to him.  To settle down, already.  And I’ve been trying to obey that command when I have too much to do, and when my children are sick and need me, and when life feels overwhelming.  So this year, as my biggest sorrow comes back around, I’m resting.  After twenty years I am allowing Him to keep His promise.  I feel His arms around me.  I feel His tears where mine usually are.  My grief hasn’t gone away, but He is holding it for me.  So I can finally rest.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
                                                                                                                                 --Matthew 11:28-30

Do y'all know this song?  It reminds me that God is good, all the time.


Is there something that He can hold for you?  Somewhere in your life where you just need rest?  His promise is to give you that.  Even when the healing isn't there yet...even if the healing never comes..."you will find rest for your souls."  

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Monday, February 4, 2013

That Unglued Mommy

My boys have been giving me fits.  Today's case in point was at the tail-end of a birthday party.  Half of you were there, so you got to witness me hauling one screaming child out of the party, the other one trailing behind whining about how it's not fair that he had to leave without cake.  (Yeah, it's not at all humiliating to be the one parent in 20 whose children act like disobedient little wretches at a birthday party.  You'd think we were at the dentist.)

If that were all, maybe I would've been okay, but earlier today Littlest acted a fool when we had his friends over: refusing to share, throwing stuff, you name it.  And he is waaaaay too old for this kind of mess.

And don't get me started on Biggest.  This is like the fifth time in a row he's acted with blatant defiance when its been time to leave someplace.  It has been repeatedly humiliating to me, and is also just patently unacceptable.

So, what do I do?  We've always followed the 1-2-3 Magic for Christian Parents Method.  And the consequence of losing a marble out of their marble jars has usually worked.  In recent times, not so much.  What to do?  We're working on it with Littlest.  Biggest now can't go anywhere until he proves to me he can obey with a happy heart as soon as I tell him "we're going."  And the Hubs is upstairs telling him how failing to honor your mother will result in a spanking.  For a child who has never received a spanking, this marks a brand new era in parenting for us.  We gotta put the smack down on this craziness.

But really, its how all this makes my emotions spin that really drives me nuts.

Unglued Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions
Love this book!

My small group and I are currently reading Lysa TerKeurst's book Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions.  Thank God, because when I finally got those boys out to the car today I was, if not composed, at least able to sit with them for a few minutes and calm down.  I'll admit I didn't totally put the brakes on my mouth, but I certainly didn't let it fly like I might have in the past.  And what I kept thinking about was how these kids aren't my enemy in this situation.  I still regret how upset I got, and I still feel totally humiliated at the way they acted leaving the party.  But I think that today I did a little better than I might have done yesterday.  Maybe. Lysa calls it imperfect progress.  I always knew it by the phrase "Progress, Not Perfection."

Either way, here's to progress.

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Saturday, February 2, 2013

Featured Again!

Hey Friends!

Remember these from oh so long ago?

Just popping in to share how excited I am that I have been featured again today over at Knock Off Decor for my Pottery Barn inspired burlap mats.   You can see the original how-to here.  In the meantime, I'll be running on over to Knock Off Decor for more DIY inspiration!

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