Sometimes a piece of furniture has served its original purpose and it begs for a makeover. Such was the case with a round table that Eric and I purchased many years ago at a second-hand store when we lived in Tennessee. Many family dinners have been enjoyed and birthdays celebrated around this simple round table.…
The weatherman had predicted the possibility of a light snowfall, but by sunrise, we realized we’d passed the “light snowfall” mark. As road closings became more widespread and the snow continued to fall, we knew our big plans for the weekend might not pan out. I assessed the fridge and pantry and was relieved to…
“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” ― Norman Vincent Peale A softer and more beautiful world. I vote for that, how about you? But a few of my Christmases have felt hard and ugly mostly because I tried to do too much, spend too much,…
I’ve been painting furniture for years using latex paint and sometimes spray paint for certain projects. My furniture painting friends kept telling me I needed to try chalk paint and I finally took the plunge. Want to see some pics of a few of my recent projects? If so, keep reading. I’m also sharing two…
You’ve got to know what you want. This is central to acting on your intentions. When you know what you want, you realize that all there is left then is time management. You’ll manage your time to achieve your goals because you clearly know what you’re trying to achieve in your life. Patch Adams Time…
Do you ever have one of those weeks that feels two days too long? A week when there are too many questions and not enough answers? Where it seems everyone’s getting it right and you’re still trying to figure out how to begin? Or is it just me? I’ve had one of those weeks. Two…
Do you ever get the budget blues? The budget blues is the occasional feeling of discouragement and overwhelm caused by the gap between what you think you need/want and what your budget says you can afford. The feeling can be made worse by scrolling through Pinterest or watching HGTV. Battling the Budget Blues I have…
After 14 years of marriage and three young children, I left the work I loved to be a stay-at-home-mom and full-time homemaker. I’d earned 3 degrees and had years of experience in my field but I was unprepared for a life at home. A Woman Plans Her Way I was a committed Christ follower focused…
I love long weekends and the extra time with family. And if your family is anything like mine, they’re always looking for something good to eat. If you want to feed your people well without spending all your time in the kitchen or breaking the bank on groceries and take-out, then this post is for…
Have you ever wished you could paint your front door? Well, you can! And it’s easier than you think. The hardest part might be choosing the color but I’d love to share how I did it and how you can, too! I love the results and I’m pretty sure my house has the happiest front…
Our homes should be a happy haven and I believe that’s easily achieved without a lot of money or design expertise. But it took me years to settle into my decorating style. Notice I didn’t say “settle on” but “settle into” because for years I tried to be “in style”. I was never quite happy…
We like to party and by party I mean hang out at home with friends and family and eat. Home is our favorite place to party and since indoor space is limited we decided to take advantage of the mild weather and gather outside. Our yard normally looks like this. Pretty but not very party-like.…
It’s not the house I love but the life that’s lived in it. I love this quote and the house that we call home. But sometimes I just want to gut the old bathroom and start over. In my dreams Chip and Joanna rip it out to the studs while I’m sipping a cafe au…
We love breakfast foods and these Easy {Cinnamon Sugar} Waffles are at the top of our list. Since we rarely have time in the mornings for a big breakfast (who does?) we try to do Sunday night breakfast each week. I rotate several recipes on our breakfast menu each month but pancakes and waffles are…
Time can be rude and pushy, demanding “Do this” or “Go there”. If your inbox and social media feeds are anything like mine they’re filled with “Fixes” and “Challenges” and “Ultimate Planners” for weight loss and house cleaning and life. But I’m being stubborn this December. I’ve squared my shoulders and planted my feet firmly…
I love dogs. I’ve always had a dog. (Except when we lived in a tiny apartment in New Orleans. ) My dogs live outside where dogs are free to run and play and sleep and poop. Dogs are happy outside. I said I’d never have a dog in the house. Never. Never ever. Then this…
If simple, real-life, budget-friendly makeovers inspire you, this post is for you. If you’re looking for Pinterest-perfect design images, you must look elsewhere. The beautiful projects on the internet have inspired me to make my home a beautiful, cozy haven for my family, and that’s precisely what I’ve done. I don’t do a project with…
Breakfast for supper is one of my favorite comfort meals especially when it includes pancakes. My family never frowns when pancakes are on the menu! With a few ingredients from your pantry, you can have a tall stack ready in no time. Best Buttermilk Pancakes* 2 Tablespoons, melted and cooled 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons…
Thanks to gardens, green thumbs, and generous friends we’ve had plenty of tomatoes this summer. Last week a friend from church called and said, “Call your husband and tell him to meet me in the church parking lot on his way home from the office and I’ll give him a bag of tomatoes.” I expected…
Sometimes I get to the end of my grocery budget before I get to the end of the month. While it wouldn’t hurt any of us to miss a few meals I’m not sure that would be popular around my house. So as the grocery line item begins to dwindle I pull out my recipes…