Thankful Thursday

Next up for the Thankful Thursday series is Jenny from Evolution of Style.   Jenny's blog first caught my eye with the paneled headboard  she made for her daughter's room.  From there, I was hooked.  We have a lot in common and I am so thankful to have met her.  Oh wait, it's Jenny's turn to tell us what she's thankful for.  Take it away, Jenny!


I am a big blog fan of Oak Ridge Revival (her kitchen had me at "hello") and in keeping with the Thankful Thursday theme - a big thanks to Andrea for asking me to participate!  But I'm not counting that as one of my five things, okay?

I'm going to do this Wheel of Fortune style, where you automatically get five consonants and a vowel (R-S-T-L-N-E).  I am uber-thankful for my family, friends and faith.  For me, that goes without saying, and I think it's something that everyone ranks at the top of their Thankfulness List.  All three have gotten me through tough times in my life, so, I'll compromise and count this as my "R-S-T-L-N-E " and lump them together as the first item on my Thankful List.

Since family photo shoots cause me to break out in hives, this is truly the last professional photo we've had taken, and it was, um, three years ago.  Due for another.  Dreading it already.

Caffeine

I don't have many vices in my life, so I allow myself this one.  It is a must have as part of my daily life, and for that, I am truly thankful.  I actually just started drinking coffee in the past month or so, and am amazed at how quickly I have started craving the stuff.  I'm also a Diet Coke-a-holic.  I'm hoping the coffee will help wean me off some of the Diet Coke.

Exercise

This may sound like a weird one, but it is the sanity time that I have in my life that brings me back to center, relieves my stress and clears my head.  And really, it's about the only Me Time I get on a daily basis.  Trust me when I tell you that if I don't get my daily dose of exercise endorphins, you'll know it (and you won't like me very much). 

Right now, I'm trying something new.  I'm on Week #2, and the workouts are great! 

I just realized that I said exercise was my "sanity time", yet I'm doing the "Insanity" workout.  So I guess Insanity keeps me sane. :-)

Home

When I say home, I mean more than just the structure.  Yes, I love my house, and am so very thankful that we have this wonderful roof over our heads.  But it is also a sanctuary, a haven and a safe and happy place to raise our family, and I'm very thankful to have that.

Peace and Quiet

I mean this in the most fundamental of ways.  With a husband, three kids and a dog, our house is LOUD.  And I know someday I will miss that daily noise.  But right now, I really relish the quiet when I'm fortunate enough to get it.  A time where my kids aren't fighting, and I can go to the bathroom without someone yelling "MOM!!!" is a little slice of heaven.  (Bonus if someone took the time to put the toilet paper on the roll).

Thanks again Andrea for including me on this fun series!  Come and visit me on Evolution of Style.

Good Riddance Red

A good friend of mine asked for some help in redecorating her living room.  

Here is the inspiration board I came up with. 

This is what her living room currently looks like.  

Two matching lamps would look great on the console behind the sofa.  I am definitely a thrift store shopper when it comes to lamps and since she lives just outside Manhattan, 

I'm sure she can score some fantastic lamps at a great price.

I would also suggest a piece of original art for over the mantel.  

I suggested she paint the deep red walls with Benjamin Moore Spring Blue. 

The drapes are high quality and neutral in color so they will be staying.  

The leather sofa will also be staying. 

New pillows from this fabric will look great on the sofa and help tie together all the colors in the room.  

At just $6.98/yard, it's a steal.  

For some added texture, a couple of these grecian pillows will also look great on the leather sofa.

  

She is going to paint the dark stained bookcases white. 

I suggested she paint the back of the bookshelves in Sherwin Williams Tempe Star.  

Something very similar to what John and Sherry from Young House Love  did.   

The cream club chairs will also be staying.  

These new pillows will really stand out in the cream chairs.   

She is planning to move the mirror to another room in the house and add a gallery wall with Ikea ribba frames on this wall.  There are a ton of doors leading into this room so furniture placement is tricky.  

The arrangement she currently has works best for traffic flow and conversation.  

I suggested she replace the black rug with this rug from West Elm.  

She also plans to replace the wood and iron coffee table, hopefully with an upholstered ottoman.

I sent my friend this inspiration board on Sunday night and by Monday at 5:00 p.m, she had the entire room painted in Benjamin Moore Spring Blue.  She is a WOMAN ON A MISSION!

Here's how it is looking so far.

I am loving the light and airy look.  I can't wait to see the rest of the changes.
I'll keep you posted on the progress.

I really enjoyed putting together this inspiration board for her.
If you are stuck in a decorating rut and would like some fresh ideas for how to transform a room in your home, e-mail me here and I would happy to give you the details.  

Something To Smile About

Yesterday morning when I woke up, I looked like this......
Okay, I lied, after a little makeup, I looked like this.....

Disclaimer:  I don't really smile like that.  I was trying to look in the mirror and smile so you would be able to see my braces.  That is one scary picture (even with makeup on)!

Wow, I know this is a really close up shot of my mouth but if you look closely, you'll see the braces on my bottom teeth, that I have been sporting since last August.

By 10:00 a.m. yesterday, I looked like this.....

WOW, again!  I never like photos of myself and especially ones this close up.  But focusing on the positive, my teeth are really straight and I'm so thankful those darn metal things are gone.  Somehow, I was lucky enough to live 35 1/2 years without ever having braces.  Guess I can check that one off my bucket list.  After I got them, my dad thanked me for waiting to get them until he didn't have to pay for them.

I'll leave you with a picture of something other than my teeth.  We packed up the kids this past weekend and headed south to visit my little sister and her family.  We had so much fun, my kids didn't want to leave.  If I hadn't had an appointment to get my braces off bright and early Monday morning, we probably would have stayed another day.

That's me on the right, in case you were confused.  Seriously, I need an eyebrow intervention!!!  I can't believe I am walking around like that.

Anybody else out there that's wearing braces (over the age of 12)?  Please say yes.

Also, I keep forgetting to mention that Oak Ridge Revival has a Facebook page now.
Feel free to go here and "like" Oak Ridge Revival.  

The Mother's Dilemma

What will they say when I've passed away?

That, "she kept a clean house, but where's she today?"

What gems will I leave for my children I've born?

A clean toilet bowl and a rag mop that's worn?

My windows are shined and my floor's nice and clean.

My laundry's all done.  I should feel like a queen.

I should be so happy with my house looking dazzled, 

But my mind's in a tizzy and my nerves are all frazzled. 

My kids are so gripey, their needs put aside,

But there are dishes to wash and clothes to be dried. 

But a dirty dish doesn't look at sad

As a lonely child who's hurt and mad.

And a sparkling dish won't shine as bright

As the face of a man who's been treated right.

Could I have been wrong?  Could joy be somewhere

Besides in a toilet bowl that shines with a glare?

Have I been misled by commercials and such

That picture a home that is clean and without fuss?

When my time rolls around, let me take note

To slow down and live, or I might miss the boat.

Lora Lee Duncan 

August, 1978

That poem, so well written by my talented mother, pretty much sums up my feelings lately. Even as a child, I was a neat freak (just ask my little sister who shared a room with me for 14 years).  I, strangely enough, enjoyed cleaning our house and picking up everyone's things.  I'm sure my mom loved me for that.  Naturally, as a mother, I take on this role in our family. However, along with housekeeper, I also wear the hat of CEO, CFO, disciplinarian, grocery shopper, referee, chauffeur, teacher, chef, schedule maker, and, okay, you get the drift, right.

My point is, something's got to give, especially during the summertime, and for me, that would be cleaning the house.  No need to report me to social services, we won't be living in filth, but my floors might be a bit sticky and there may be dust bunnies living with us for a while.  But we will be all caught up in the excitement of the summer and busy making memories, so we probably won't even notice.


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Thankful Thursday

The second installment of Thankful Thursday is brought to you by the lovely and talented Carmel, from Our Fifth House. Yep, the name says it all, Carmel and her family are living in their fifth house in just 10 years.  As soon as I stumbled onto her blog, I was hooked.  She's adorable, super creative and her posts always bring a smile to my face. You'll see what I mean when you read her list of five things she's thankful for.  After that, be sure to head on over to her blog and check it out. You can thank me later.  

Hello!  I'm Carmel from Our Fifth House, and I'm beyond excited to be here today!  Thanks for inviting me over Andrea!  I love the idea behind this series.  It's so easy to get caught up in wanting more and forget to be thankful for all that we have.  I have a lot to be thankful for so this was actually really hard for me to narrow it down to just five things.  Here's my top five......

1.  My Relationship With My Heavenly Father.

I've been through some difficult times in my life from my parents divorcing while I was a teenager to my daughter needing to have heart surgery, and my Heavenly Father has never let me down.  I'm truly thankful to have Him in my life!

Source: tumblr.com via Alyssa on Pinterest

I wish the word strength wasn't spelled wrong here.  Oh well. 

Source: None via Sarah on Pinterest

2.  For These Three.

I married my prince and he made all my dreams come true  - so, so sappy but it really is true.  These three take up my whole heart!  They make my life so wonderful.  

Ok, so the next three aren't going to be as deep because that's as deep as I go.  ;)

3.  Coke Zero.

Source: google.com via Monica on Pinterest

Call me crazy but it still blows my mind that a zero calorie drink could literally taste just like the real thing!  I mean how on Earth do they make it taste so real?!  Ok, maybe I don't really wanna know.  I try not to drink too much soda, but I'm slightly addicted.  I try to stick to a "1 coke zero a day" rule and most days I'm successful.  :)

4.  Date Night.

Source: 4.bp.blogspot.com via Erin on Pinterest

Ever since we became parentals we've always made a point to have date nights.  Sometimes it has meant rearranging our budget to allow for the money to pay a babysitter.  I'd much rather spend the money to have a night out with my hub than I would bring home another "something" for the house.  If it means house projects take longer to complete for me it's worthwhile.  We always make a point of getting a little dressed up for our date nights too.  It's nice to get out of the yoga pants and put on something cute for a change.  :)  I also think it's a good example for our kids to see us taking the time to spend a special evening with just each other.  My daughter loves helping me "get ready" too, and it's the cutest thing ever!  I'm thankful that we've both decided to make date night important as raising two small children can be hectic, and we both need some time to actually speak to one another with zero interruptions.  :)  After all that's how this whole thing started right?!

5.  Sushi

Source: images.search.yahoo.com via Melanie on Pinterest

Enough said right?!  I mean I could literally eat sushi for every meal of the day!  I. love. sushi!

How awesome is this cake?!

Source: None via Karyn on Pinterest

I'll take that for my next birthday!  Some people are just so stinkin' talented!!!

Want to introduce sushi to your kids?  How about trying this?!

Source: blog.yoc2008.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I know right?!  SO cute!

Ok, the last bit of sushi cuteness.....

Source: bbandcb.wordpress.com via Sara on Pinterest

and that cutie stole the show!  Makes me want to have another just so I can make a costume like this for Halloween.  I could literally gobble that baby up in one bite!!!!  Can't. stand. this. cuteness!

Thanks again Andrea for inviting me over to share my thankful heart.  I'm also very thankful for the new friendships I've made in blogland.  It's so much fun connecting with people that share the same interests!

Sprucing Things Up

I have always liked this antique secretary.  I bought it about five years ago at an outdoor antique show.  It was in our family room at our previous house and when we moved into our new house, it took up residence in the kitchen.  It sits right next to the mudroom so it's a great spot to dump mail, school papers and any other paperwork that needs attention.  

It normally looks something like this. I may have picked up a tiny bit before I took this photo, but generally I'm not one for clutter.  I go through the mail immediately, throw away the junk, set aside the bills and sort the magazines.  

The magazine organizers behind the doors hold things like school directories, baseball, gymnastics and swim team schedules and information, mailing labels, etc.  There is a ton of other junk hiding behind those doors too.  I have been wanting to organize this area for months.  Turns out today was the day!

Not only did I organize it, but I painted the back of the hutch with some 

leftover paint I had from another project.   

I moved the magazine organizers to the office and brought it a few family photos

 and some of my favorite decorating books.  

The tin pails hold business cards that I reference often and a few small office supplies.  

The clutter is gone and I can now easily access what I need. 

The basket holds notecards, extra envelopes and the receipts for the month.  

When the month is over, I transfer the receipts to an expandable file divided by months.  

The tin container with flowers holds all of our gift tags.  I'm a sucker for these things.  Most of them I ordered from Vista Print and a few of them I made myself.  My kids also have personalized gift tags. 

 I normally use them in lieu of cards when giving gifts.  

Wow, I think that's the first thing I have accomplished this summer!  Oh well, again, I'm thankful to be able to spend the summer with the kids so if that's the only project I tackle all summer, that's okay with me. Might make for a boring blog, but hopefully you'll stick with me.  I really do appreciate you all and I'll do my best to keep it interesting.

How about you guys, you working on any projects this summer?

I am sharing with:
Miss Mustard Seed
Savvy Southern Style
Primitive and Proper

Daddy Day

Every Saturday in our house is known as "Daddy Day".  Daddy goes and gets the kiddos doughnuts for breakfast and lets mommy sleep in.  Mommy loves "Daddy Day" and so do the kids.  Daddy got two special days this weekend.  On Sunday morning, I woke up early and made breakfast.  I woke the kids up and we took Daddy breakfast in bed.  We went to church, hung out for a few hours and then Daddy took all three kids golfing all by himself.  What a great dad!

Here is he throughout the years.

Child #1 (a girl)  I love this picture, it's one of my all time favorites.

Child #2 (a boy)

Child #3 (another boy) 

Daddy and all his fans. 

Here's wishing all dads Happy Father's Day!  We couldn't do it without you.

Patience Pays Off

I know I have claimed before to not have any patience, but in this one instance, I practiced patience and it paid off.  I have been on the hunt for a piano for several years.  I would find one and it would be the wrong color, or in bad shape, or too expensive.  Well, you know, from my Thrifty Thursday post last week, that I finally found "The One".  And just to remind you, "The One" ended up being $75!!!

Yesterday, we had it delivered.  Here it is in it's new home. 

Pretty sweet, right? 

My favorite piece of furniture had to be moved to the living room when we got the sectional. I wasn't crazy about the blue color against the stonington gray walls, but it is growing on me.  I had originally wanted to put the piano on the wall left of the bay window, but the french door would not open and close with the piano there.

I am not loving the only two dark wooden pieces of furniture on opposite walls from one another, but I can live with it for now.  Someday, I would love to have floor to ceiling built-in bookshelves, painted the color of the trim, where the buffet sits.  A girl can dream.  

This is what it looked like in the thrift store. 

Looks much better in its new home, doesn't it?  

Piano: $75

Piano moving: $150

Tuning:  $75

Total:  $300 

(not too shabby, if I do say so myself!)

Linking to:
Miss Mustard Seed

Thankful Thursday

With summer in full swing, I have had to temporarily curb my thrifting habit.  Dragging three rowdy kids  in and out of numerous thrift shops on a weekly basis, isn't exactly my idea of a good time. Also, I've been trying really hard to focus on being thankful for the blessings in my life lately and not constantly want for more.  I love reading blogs, but sometimes I find that it only makes me long for more "stuff".   Now, don't worry, I not going to give away all my wordly possessions and live in a tent or anything, just making a concerted effort to curtail my shopping habit.

Therefore, I'm going to change Thrifty Thursday to Thankful Thursday.  I hope you're on board!

Today I will share five things that I am truly thankful for and each Thursday for the next 8 weeks, a fabulous guest blogger will share five things she/he is thankful for.

Here goes........

1.  GOD:  

First and foremost, I am thankful for God.  He is the reason I'm alive and kicking and I thank him everyday for being with me on this journey through life.  I couldn't do it without him by my side. 

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2.   FAMILY AND FRIENDS:  

My husband wanted a number all to himself, so I'll give him a quick shout-out.  He's at the very top of my #2 and I love him with all heart.  My family means the world to me, both my immediate family and my extended family.  My girlfriends are also a huge part of my life.  They support me, laugh with (and at me), lift me up when I need it, bring me down a notch when I need it, and give me more love than I could ever need. 

 3.  A ROOF OVER OUR HEADS: 

I am so grateful we have a warm safe place to lay our heads at night.  I couldn't ask for more.

4.  WINE:  Okay, yes, I just put God and wine in the same category, but please note, God was #1 and wine is all the way down here at #4.  Sorry, I like my wine!

                                          

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5.  MUSIC:

I have always been a fan of music, but not until I met my husband in 1996, did I truly develop an appreciation for music.  He knows more about music than anyone I have ever met and he has taught me to love all types of music.  Hardly a minute goes by in our home when there is not music playing.  Our kids have grown up listening to and loving all types of music also.  Someday, they too will be thankful for this.

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I hope you enjoyed the first installment of this new series.