Tag Archives: improvement

Home & Garden, Tips & How To

A Ballerina Bedroom and Tutu Bedskirt Tutorial

My daughter, Laura, and her husband bought their house about a year and half ago.  They have done so much to make it their own and it's really a beautiful home now.  My husband and I have had a lot of fun on several Saturdays helping them with projects.

Their daughter, Rhynn, is 3 1/2 and has started taking ballet lessons.  Laura teaches the class at their home school co-op.  She also started taking ballet when she was three.

Laura spotted a 'tutu bed skirt' recently and wanted my help making it.  She found this wonderful day bed last fall. It was a dark green and she transformed it with white spray paint.  It has the trundle bed underneath and will be perfect when Rhynn gets a little older and wants to have a friend spend the night.

So on our last trip to Grand Rapids, we stopped at HobbyLobby and found some fabric and tulle.

Laura cut an old bed sheet the size of the twin mattress. Rhynn and I measured from the bed frame to the floor and added an inch for the hem. (16")  I cut the pink heart fabric we purchased to make an unruffled skirt.

We used the 6" wide tulle that comes on a roll.  We bought two rolls but ended up not needing all of the second roll.  We're saving it to make a ballerina pillow with a tulle skirt.

We cut the tulle into 32" lengths, folded them in half to match the 16" bed skirt.  We then accordion folded the each piece to ruffle it up and attached it to the top of the skirt piece.
When I attached the first strip to the skirt it was a little shorter than I expected.  So I would add a little to each strip.  (16" wide skirt = 34" strips of tulle folded in half)  I just moved my strips down an inch to accommodate.

Rhynn helped fold the strips of tulle.
Because of the way the day bed is made and where it's positioned in the room, we only made a skirt for the front of the bed.
And here's a happy little dancer in a ballerina bedroom! (wearing her pink batman shirt) :)
She needed to be in every picture - lol

We found this ballerina quilt at HomeGoods.
Laura gets full credit for this bright and happy room.  I love all the jewel tones and the soft lavender walls. She offered Rhynn paint swatches when she was only two years old and Rhynn consistently picked pink and purple!  Those are Laura's old point shoes hanging on the wall.

A shelf with pink bins holds lots of stuff on the opposite wall. I found this cute wall art at HobbyLobby.
This cute giraffe chair and ottoman and the ballerina storage also came from HomeGoods.  That's a Dora the Explorer night light behind the chair but Dora was 'so last year!.' :)


Levi also got a room makeover recently.  He turned five in January and is in love with super heroes. I'll post some pictures of his room soon.

Have a great weekend!  We woke up this morning to fresh snow and it's the start of Spring break!

love and blessings~


"Behold, I will set your stones in turquoise, and your foundations I will lay in sapphires. I will make your summits of rubies and your gates of crystal, and your entire wall of precious stones."
Isaiah 54:11,12
Sources:
day bed - second hand
ballerina quilt - HomeGoods
Ballerina shoe pillow - Meijer
curtains - I made them years ago
child's chair - HomeGoods
Ballerina storage bin - HomeGoods
Pink storage bins - HomeGoods
Jesus Loves Me wall art - HobbyLobby
lamps - I bought years ago and they're spray painted
DANCE  - HobbyLobby years ago - spray painted
ballerina bear was Laura's when she was little
wicker furniture was Laura's when she was little

Joining these linky parties:
dwellings-theheartofyourhome
shabbyfufublog
stonegableblog.

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Home & Garden, Tips & How To

Fireplace Screen for the Livingroom

I've been looking for a fireplace screen for our living room for a long, long time.  I got one several years ago.  I ordered it online and when it arrived, I hated it immediately! ha! But it was too heavy to pay shipping and send it back.  

I spotted this one at HomeGoods in Grand Rapids around Christmas. It cost more than I wanted to spend - especially because of my previous fail.
When I went back a month later it was cheaper and when I went back last week, it was a bargain!
It's just what I wanted to soften this fireplace a little.  I like that it's a single panel.  We don't use this fireplace much. It's a gas log and really puts out the heat but we tend to sit in the family room more than in here. I turn it on when we have guests over for dinner- just for the ambiance.

HomeGoods had two of these screens and after I got home, I wondered if I should have gotten the second one for the family room.  I think I'll look for it the next trip to Grand Rapids. Maybe it'll be even cheaper!

love and blessings~
"Behold, I will set your stones in turquoise, and your foundations I will lay in sapphires. I will make your summits of rubies and your gates of crystal, and your entire wall of precious stones."
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Home & Garden, Tips & How To

Fireplace Screen for the Livingroom

I've been looking for a fireplace screen for our living room for a long, long time.  I got one several years ago.  I ordered it online and when it arrived, I hated it immediately! ha! But it was too heavy to pay shipping and send it back.  

I spotted this one at HomeGoods in Grand Rapids around Christmas. It cost more than I wanted to spend - especially because of my previous fail.
When I went back a month later it was cheaper and when I went back last week, it was a bargain!
It's just what I wanted to soften this fireplace a little.  I like that it's a single panel.  We don't use this fireplace much. It's a gas log and really puts out the heat but we tend to sit in the family room more than in here. I turn it on when we have guests over for dinner- just for the ambiance.

HomeGoods had two of these screens and after I got home, I wondered if I should have gotten the second one for the family room.  I think I'll look for it the next trip to Grand Rapids. Maybe it'll be even cheaper!

love and blessings~
"Behold, I will set your stones in turquoise, and your foundations I will lay in sapphires. I will make your summits of rubies and your gates of crystal, and your entire wall of precious stones."
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Home & Garden, Tips & How To

Blue and White in the Kitchen

Spring is still a long way off here in Michigan.  But I've been in a mood for all my blue and white lately.  It adds freshness everywhere I put it!

Our kitchen is open to our whole main living area so I like to keep it as coordinated and 'dressy' as possible.
Nothing big has changed in our kitchen lately.  We were planning on doing a travertine back splash but have run into problems. Underneath the temporary bead board we put up is a corian back splash and maybe I would just leave it but it stops where the microwave used to be. And it goes under the wall cabinets. So tearing it out is going to be difficult. So, for the time being, we're doing nothing.

I have a set of Spode spice jars that I love.  I haven't had a great place to put them so I got this little shelf at HomeGoods and we put it up.  I'm thinking about painting the back splash as long as I'm stuck. Blue?

This wall always bugs me.  It's kind of a focal point and I'm never happy with what I put here. But I'm thinking I like my "Ode to Charles Faudree!"
I found this little stand at HomeGoods and grabbed it.  I love it but now I'm not really sure what to do with it. I'm hoping to find a better spot where it can really shine.  I think it's so cute!

After I painted our window shutters brown in the living room, our white doors looked out of place. This door to our basement was my test door and I think it flows better with the style I'm heading towards. So, I see some door painting in my future!
I'll be back soon with some more updates all around the house!

love and blessings~
"Behold, I will set your stones in turquoise, and your foundations I will lay in sapphires. I will make your summits of rubies and your gates of crystal, and your entire wall of precious stones."
Standard
Home & Garden, Tips & How To

Blue and White in the Kitchen

Spring is still a long way off here in Michigan.  But I've been in a mood for all my blue and white lately.  It adds freshness everywhere I put it!

Our kitchen is open to our whole main living area so I like to keep it as coordinated and 'dressy' as possible.
Nothing big has changed in our kitchen lately.  We were planning on doing a travertine back splash but have run into problems. Underneath the temporary bead board we put up is a corian back splash and maybe I would just leave it but it stops where the microwave used to be. And it goes under the wall cabinets. So tearing it out is going to be difficult. So, for the time being, we're doing nothing.

I have a set of Spode spice jars that I love.  I haven't had a great place to put them so I got this little shelf at HomeGoods and we put it up.  I'm thinking about painting the back splash as long as I'm stuck. Blue?

This wall always bugs me.  It's kind of a focal point and I'm never happy with what I put here. But I'm thinking I like my "Ode to Charles Faudree!"
I found this little stand at HomeGoods and grabbed it.  I love it but now I'm not really sure what to do with it. I'm hoping to find a better spot where it can really shine.  I think it's so cute!

After I painted our window shutters brown in the living room, our white doors looked out of place. This door to our basement was my test door and I think it flows better with the style I'm heading towards. So, I see some door painting in my future!
I'll be back soon with some more updates all around the house!

love and blessings~
"Behold, I will set your stones in turquoise, and your foundations I will lay in sapphires. I will make your summits of rubies and your gates of crystal, and your entire wall of precious stones."
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Home & Garden, Tips & How To

Update on Our Master Bedroom

For the last month or so, I've been working on our master bedroom. It's not done yet...in fact, the features that I'm really looking forward to are not even started yet but I thought I'd show you all the changes so far, because the room looks really different.

I started by scraping the popcorn texture off of our ceiling and painting the ceiling and walls. 
I painted the walls with my sponge roller using Valspar 'Natural' and a little bit of  SW Deer Valley, giving them an uneven finish replicating Venetian plaster.  I painted the ceiling with just the Valspar 'Natural.'
This wool rug, from Royal Palace, used to be in our family room. I'm really glad I held on to it because it's exactly what I want in here now. I love the romantic feel it has and it has the perfect color of blue mixed in with the golds and roses.

The bedspread and pillow shams are from Overstock.com.  I love the weave of the bedspread and the romantic lines. I have our down comforter under it to give the rounded look.
It looks a little white in these pictures but it's a soft cream color.
These are the chairs from our living room.  They won't be staying in here but I brought them up to see what I wanted here. I like the neutral color and the style and will be keeping my eyes open for something similar to put in here.

I made the draperies out of a faux silk in Bluestone that I purchased at Warehousefabrics.com.  I lined them with a cream polyester and was surprised how light (as in not weighty) the finished draperies were. I made them long enough to puddle even when they're pulled back.  I wanted them to feel like a ball gown.

I still need to hang the mirror above our dresser.  I'm waiting until we get our 'beams' put up.  I've stained a dozen 8' long 2x4's and we're putting them up where you'd usually put crown moulding. They'll follow the slope of the ceiling and go all around the room at the top of the walls.
I found a fabric that I loved to make an abundance of throw pillows for the bed.  I ordered two yards and then received an email saying I had to order a minimum of five yards, so I'm deciding what to do.
I'm disappointed because I loved the color and pattern and thought it tied everything together nicely and brought the blue onto the bed. I've also ordered lots and lots of trim.
This is the same fringe that I trimmed out our pillows in the living room with.

Here's a picture of our bedroom before. I liked it but it wasn't as French as I would like. One of these chairs is now in our guest room and I'm planning on putting the other one in the basement. The color works perfectly in those rooms and I don't want to make new slipcovers for them.  I've given the rug and the draperies that were in here to our daughter.
This is also an old picture.  We're planning on putting double doors on this doorway to the bathroom, using a barn-door system.
I'm planning on painting the doors a distressed blue, similar to this picture.
This will add to the rustic romantic feel that I want in here.

So except for making a lot of throw pillows, my part is done. I've order the barn door system from Amazon and it's on its way. I'll buy the doors this week and get them painted. All the boards for the moulding are stained and ready for when my husband gets a chance to put them up.

We haven't done anything on our bathroom yet but now that winter is leaving, I'm going to try again to get some estimates.  

I've been working on some other small projects and will be back with those soon!

love and blessings~
"Behold, I will set your stones in turquoise, and your foundations I will lay in sapphires. I will make your summits of rubies and your gates of crystal, and your entire wall of precious stones."
Isaiah 54:11,12
Sources:
Bedspread and shams - Overstock.com
curtain fabric and trim - warehousefabrics.com
rug - QVC, Royal Palace about 12 years ago
chairs - second hand
blue damask fabric for pillows - decorativefabricsdirect.com

I'm joining these parties:

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Home & Garden, Tips & How To

Update on Our Master Bedroom

For the last month or so, I've been working on our master bedroom. It's not done yet...in fact, the features that I'm really looking forward to are not even started yet but I thought I'd show you all the changes so far, because the room looks really different.

I started by scraping the popcorn texture off of our ceiling and painting the ceiling and walls. 
I painted the walls with my sponge roller using Valspar 'Natural' and a little bit of  SW Deer Valley, giving them an uneven finish replicating Venetian plaster.  I painted the ceiling with just the Valspar 'Natural.'
This wool rug, from Royal Palace, used to be in our family room. I'm really glad I held on to it because it's exactly what I want in here now. I love the romantic feel it has and it has the perfect color of blue mixed in with the golds and roses.

The bedspread and pillow shams are from Overstock.com.  I love the weave of the bedspread and the romantic lines. I have our down comforter under it to give the rounded look.
It looks a little white in these pictures but it's a soft cream color.
These are the chairs from our living room.  They won't be staying in here but I brought them up to see what I wanted here. I like the neutral color and the style and will be keeping my eyes open for something similar to put in here.

I made the draperies out of a faux silk in Bluestone that I purchased at Warehousefabrics.com.  I lined them with a cream polyester and was surprised how light (as in not weighty) the finished draperies were. I made them long enough to puddle even when they're pulled back.  I wanted them to feel like a ball gown.

I still need to hang the mirror above our dresser.  I'm waiting until we get our 'beams' put up.  I've stained a dozen 8' long 2x4's and we're putting them up where you'd usually put crown moulding. They'll follow the slope of the ceiling and go all around the room at the top of the walls.
I found a fabric that I loved to make an abundance of throw pillows for the bed.  I ordered two yards and then received an email saying I had to order a minimum of five yards, so I'm deciding what to do.
I'm disappointed because I loved the color and pattern and thought it tied everything together nicely and brought the blue onto the bed. I've also ordered lots and lots of trim.
This is the same fringe that I trimmed out our pillows in the living room with.

Here's a picture of our bedroom before. I liked it but it wasn't as French as I would like. One of these chairs is now in our guest room and I'm planning on putting the other one in the basement. The color works perfectly in those rooms and I don't want to make new slipcovers for them.  I've given the rug and the draperies that were in here to our daughter.
This is also an old picture.  We're planning on putting double doors on this doorway to the bathroom, using a barn-door system.
I'm planning on painting the doors a distressed blue, similar to this picture.
This will add to the rustic romantic feel that I want in here.

So except for making a lot of throw pillows, my part is done. I've order the barn door system from Amazon and it's on its way. I'll buy the doors this week and get them painted. All the boards for the moulding are stained and ready for when my husband gets a chance to put them up.

We haven't done anything on our bathroom yet but now that winter is leaving, I'm going to try again to get some estimates.  

I've been working on some other small projects and will be back with those soon!

love and blessings~
"Behold, I will set your stones in turquoise, and your foundations I will lay in sapphires. I will make your summits of rubies and your gates of crystal, and your entire wall of precious stones."
Isaiah 54:11,12
Sources:
Bedspread and shams - Overstock.com
curtain fabric and trim - warehousefabrics.com
rug - QVC, Royal Palace about 12 years ago
chairs - second hand
blue damask fabric for pillows - decorativefabricsdirect.com

I'm joining these parties:

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Home & Garden, Tips & How To

New Lamps and a Little Blue and White

When I first refinished this cabinet in our entry a few months ago, I wanted some beautiful French candlestick lamps that I found on line.  They were on sale but by the time I was ready to order them, they were full price.  I figured I would wait until they went on sale again.
At Christmas, my husband and I made a shopping run down to Grand Rapids and stopped in at our favorite used furniture store.

I was amazed to spot a set of lamps - exactly like the ones I had wished for!  And they were $20 a piece!
They were a tarnished gold brass and they had creepy shades but for $40 I was happy!
I used two colors of chalk paint right over the brass to get an uneven finish.  Then I lightly sanded them to let a little of the gold shine through.  I bought these lamp shades at Lowe's here in town.

I mentioned in my last post that I had added to my blue and white collection.  I found this ginger jar at HomeGoods along with the little garden stool.

I added a silver footed tray on top of the dresser to drop keys or set your coffee on as you're going out the door.


It won't be spring in Michigan for a long time yet but this room feels fresh and bright and I love that.

I also want you to know that as I'm editing these pics, I can hear my 6'4" son in this room practicing his dribbling and watching himself shoot in this mirror. *sigh*  So if anything's missing the next time I show you this room, it might have been 'killed' by a basketball!

Have a great day!

love and blessings~


"Behold, I will set your stones in turquoise, and your foundations I will lay in sapphires. I will make your summits of rubies and your gates of crystal, and your entire wall of precious stones."
Isaiah 54:11,12

I'm joining these linky parties:
share-it-one-more-time
thoughts-of-home-on-thursday
.dwellings
thededicatedhouse
oursouthernhomesc
coastalcharm
betweennapsontheporch
.stonegableblog/
astrollthrulife
myuncommonsliceofsuburbia
.oursouthernhomesc
thoughtsfromalice


Standard
Home & Garden, Tips & How To

New Lamps and a Little Blue and White

When I first refinished this cabinet in our entry a few months ago, I wanted some beautiful French candlestick lamps that I found on line.  They were on sale but by the time I was ready to order them, they were full price.  I figured I would wait until they went on sale again.
At Christmas, my husband and I made a shopping run down to Grand Rapids and stopped in at our favorite used furniture store.

I was amazed to spot a set of lamps - exactly like the ones I had wished for!  And they were $20 a piece!
They were a tarnished gold brass and they had creepy shades but for $40 I was happy!
I used two colors of chalk paint right over the brass to get an uneven finish.  Then I lightly sanded them to let a little of the gold shine through.  I bought these lamp shades at Lowe's here in town.

I mentioned in my last post that I had added to my blue and white collection.  I found this ginger jar at HomeGoods along with the little garden stool.

I added a silver footed tray on top of the dresser to drop keys or set your coffee on as you're going out the door.


It won't be spring in Michigan for a long time yet but this room feels fresh and bright and I love that.

I also want you to know that as I'm editing these pics, I can hear my 6'4" son in this room practicing his dribbling and watching himself shoot in this mirror. *sigh*  So if anything's missing the next time I show you this room, it might have been 'killed' by a basketball!

Have a great day!

love and blessings~


"Behold, I will set your stones in turquoise, and your foundations I will lay in sapphires. I will make your summits of rubies and your gates of crystal, and your entire wall of precious stones."
Isaiah 54:11,12

I'm joining these linky parties:
share-it-one-more-time
thoughts-of-home-on-thursday
.dwellings
thededicatedhouse
oursouthernhomesc
coastalcharm
betweennapsontheporch
.stonegableblog/
astrollthrulife
myuncommonsliceofsuburbia
.oursouthernhomesc
thoughtsfromalice


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Home & Garden, Tips & How To

Faux Rustic Wood in our Living Room and Dining Room

Hi All!

Sorry to be gone for so long!  I have been writing a lot lately as well as working on our master bedroom.

I've scraped the popcorn off our ceilings in the master bedroom and I have the walls painted.  I'll give you all the details of that when the bedroom is done.  I still have several things to do and was held up waiting for a tool I needed.

So while I waited, I worked on a few small projects. I repainted the shutters in our living room and dining room.  If you remember, they were a French blue.
I also painted the trim above the windows and this support beam that goes across this room, making them look like old rustic wood.  I used two color of brown paint - a tan and a chocolate - and a nifty roller I got from Amazon that creates a wood grain.
I hadn't planned on taking pictures today but the sun came out for the first time in weeks and so I ran around quickly and got a few shots.  I didn't notice until I was done that I have some boards sitting in the window.  I'm planning on cutting some pieces and covering up the wide, white moulding between the windows.  They can't be painted. 


Here's a close-up of the paint treatment on the board over the dining room patio door.  It had been a white semi-gloss.

I first gave it a coat of tan with a brush, then brushed a chocolate brown over that going all in one direction giving it the look of wood grain.  I adjusted the amount of dark brown to get the color I wanted.  When it was dry, I rolled the wood grain paint roller in the dark brown and rolled it down the length of the board. You can see where the roller lifted the paint off in place and exposed the white underneath.  That actually caused it to look more realistic - like the board was salvage.

I did the same process with the overhead "beam."  This support beam is covered in dry wall.

I did the same two tones of paint on the shutters, leaving the blue to show in some areas.
I have always wanted rustic beams in our family room and living room.  For now, we have just one!
I'm in love with all my blue and white again and picked up a few new pieces at HomeGoods.  My daughter has decided she likes turquoise better than the blue and white so we've been trading some pieces.

I love the little bit of rustic feel this gives to our living room now.
That's my favorite thing about French Country - the mix between the elegant and the rustic.



Well, the wind and snow are howling outside.  I'm going to go work on my bedroom ceiling some more.  I hope you're having a wonderful day!

love and blessings~


"He makes the winds His messengers, Flaming fire His ministers." Psalm 104:4

I'm joining these linky parties:frenchcountrycottage
thoughts-of-home-on-thursday
.dwellings
thededicatedhouse
.oursouthernhomesc
coastalcharm
betweennapsontheporch
stonegableblog
astrollthrulife
myuncommonsliceofsuburbia
.oursouthernhomesc
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Home & Garden, Tips & How To

Faux Rustic Wood in our Living Room and Dining Room

Hi All!

Sorry to be gone for so long!  I have been writing a lot lately as well as working on our master bedroom.

I've scraped the popcorn off our ceilings in the master bedroom and I have the walls painted.  I'll give you all the details of that when the bedroom is done.  I still have several things to do and was held up waiting for a tool I needed.

So while I waited, I worked on a few small projects. I repainted the shutters in our living room and dining room.  If you remember, they were a French blue.
I also painted the trim above the windows and this support beam that goes across this room, making them look like old rustic wood.  I used two color of brown paint - a tan and a chocolate - and a nifty roller I got from Amazon that creates a wood grain.
I hadn't planned on taking pictures today but the sun came out for the first time in weeks and so I ran around quickly and got a few shots.  I didn't notice until I was done that I have some boards sitting in the window.  I'm planning on cutting some pieces and covering up the wide, white moulding between the windows.  They can't be painted. 


Here's a close-up of the paint treatment on the board over the dining room patio door.  It had been a white semi-gloss.

I first gave it a coat of tan with a brush, then brushed a chocolate brown over that going all in one direction giving it the look of wood grain.  I adjusted the amount of dark brown to get the color I wanted.  When it was dry, I rolled the wood grain paint roller in the dark brown and rolled it down the length of the board. You can see where the roller lifted the paint off in place and exposed the white underneath.  That actually caused it to look more realistic - like the board was salvage.

I did the same process with the overhead "beam."  This support beam is covered in dry wall.

I did the same two tones of paint on the shutters, leaving the blue to show in some areas.
I have always wanted rustic beams in our family room and living room.  For now, we have just one!
I'm in love with all my blue and white again and picked up a few new pieces at HomeGoods.  My daughter has decided she likes turquoise better than the blue and white so we've been trading some pieces.

I love the little bit of rustic feel this gives to our living room now.
That's my favorite thing about French Country - the mix between the elegant and the rustic.



Well, the wind and snow are howling outside.  I'm going to go work on my bedroom ceiling some more.  I hope you're having a wonderful day!

love and blessings~


"He makes the winds His messengers, Flaming fire His ministers." Psalm 104:4

I'm joining these linky parties:frenchcountrycottage
thoughts-of-home-on-thursday
.dwellings
thededicatedhouse
.oursouthernhomesc
coastalcharm
betweennapsontheporch
stonegableblog
astrollthrulife
myuncommonsliceofsuburbia
.oursouthernhomesc
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Home & Garden, Tips & How To

Changes to the Master Bedroom

Hi All!

Hope you're all having a wonderful new year!  Winter has come roaring into Michigan and we are now living in a winter wonderland.  It's beautiful!  And cold.

And I just try to stay indoors!  lol

I'm taking advantage of being snowed-in and have been working on a new project!

Our master bedroom and bathroom are both upstairs.  I had mentioned during the summer that we were wanting to re-do our bathroom.  Well, we've made no progress at all.

Not even an estimate.

Not that we haven't tried. *sigh*  I still have hope!

But in the meantime, I decided I would like to change our bedroom.  I redecorated it a few years ago when I was transitioning out of my reds and golds but I went too 'contemporary' and not enough French Country and I haven't liked it.

I made the drapes and the dust ruffle in this room and they are going to my daughter.  She and her husband bought a house last year so she's been a great person to 'donate' to! I will repurpose the dust ruffle into a matching valance and she's planning on using these in her home school/play room.

We've also given her this rug and put another in our room since this photo.  I am hoping to find some new chairs for our bedroom and give her these since I slipcovered them to match.

 But here's the awful truth...
 We've lived in our house for twelve years now and all of our bedrooms have popcorn ceilings.
 If you look closely at these pictures, you can tell.  I'm just embarrassed to confess this.
 And I decided that before I did another thing, I was going to remove them.

If you read my other blog, Summits of Rubies, you know that I have been on a 40 day Word fast.  So when my mind starts to overflow with all the reading I'm doing, I'm scraping my ceilings!

I don't want to say it's the worst job I've ever done, but I honestly think it's the messiest!  But I have a goal.

These are my inspiration pictures.
Babs Watkins
I've bought new bedding in a neutral instead of pure white and some beautiful faux silk in 'Bluestone' to make new drapes. The color and texture is very similar to the above picture. The walls are also going to a neutral and then....

Eleanor Cummings/Cote de Texas

...my husband said we can some rustic 'boards to emphasize the slope of the ceiling.  That's the part I'm really excited about!
Cote de Texas
I've cleared about two-thirds of the ceiling and will try to get it finished tomorrow.  Then I plan on painting the ceiling and walls and sewing the drapes.  Then I need my sweet husband to help me with the boards.

So, stay tuned and stay warm!  I'll keep you updated as I go!

love and blessings~

 "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades,Or loose the cords of Orion? "Can you lead forth a constellation in its season,And guide the Bear with her satellites ? "Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,Or fix their rule over the earth? "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,So that an abundance of water will cover you? "Can you send forth lightnings that they may goAnd say to you, 'Here we are'? "Who has put wisdom in the innermost beingOr given understanding to the mind ? "Who can count the clouds by wisdom,Or tip the water jars of the heavens..." Job 38:31-17
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Home & Garden, Tips & How To

Changes to the Master Bedroom

Hi All!

Hope you're all having a wonderful new year!  Winter has come roaring into Michigan and we are now living in a winter wonderland.  It's beautiful!  And cold.

And I just try to stay indoors!  lol

I'm taking advantage of being snowed-in and have been working on a new project!

Our master bedroom and bathroom are both upstairs.  I had mentioned during the summer that we were wanting to re-do our bathroom.  Well, we've made no progress at all.

Not even an estimate.

Not that we haven't tried. *sigh*  I still have hope!

But in the meantime, I decided I would like to change our bedroom.  I redecorated it a few years ago when I was transitioning out of my reds and golds but I went too 'contemporary' and not enough French Country and I haven't liked it.

I made the drapes and the dust ruffle in this room and they are going to my daughter.  She and her husband bought a house last year so she's been a great person to 'donate' to! I will repurpose the dust ruffle into a matching valance and she's planning on using these in her home school/play room.

We've also given her this rug and put another in our room since this photo.  I am hoping to find some new chairs for our bedroom and give her these since I slipcovered them to match.

 But here's the awful truth...
 We've lived in our house for twelve years now and all of our bedrooms have popcorn ceilings.
 If you look closely at these pictures, you can tell.  I'm just embarrassed to confess this.
 And I decided that before I did another thing, I was going to remove them.

If you read my other blog, Summits of Rubies, you know that I have been on a 40 day Word fast.  So when my mind starts to overflow with all the reading I'm doing, I'm scraping my ceilings!

I don't want to say it's the worst job I've ever done, but I honestly think it's the messiest!  But I have a goal.

These are my inspiration pictures.
Babs Watkins
I've bought new bedding in a neutral instead of pure white and some beautiful faux silk in 'Bluestone' to make new drapes. The color and texture is very similar to the above picture. The walls are also going to a neutral and then....

Eleanor Cummings/Cote de Texas

...my husband said we can some rustic 'boards to emphasize the slope of the ceiling.  That's the part I'm really excited about!
Cote de Texas
I've cleared about two-thirds of the ceiling and will try to get it finished tomorrow.  Then I plan on painting the ceiling and walls and sewing the drapes.  Then I need my sweet husband to help me with the boards.

So, stay tuned and stay warm!  I'll keep you updated as I go!

love and blessings~

 "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades,Or loose the cords of Orion? "Can you lead forth a constellation in its season,And guide the Bear with her satellites ? "Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,Or fix their rule over the earth? "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,So that an abundance of water will cover you? "Can you send forth lightnings that they may goAnd say to you, 'Here we are'? "Who has put wisdom in the innermost beingOr given understanding to the mind ? "Who can count the clouds by wisdom,Or tip the water jars of the heavens..." Job 38:31-17
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Home & Garden, Tips & How To

Christmas Home Tour 2015

 I hope your holiday season has been filled with a new awareness of God's blessings in your life!  We have so very much to be thankful for as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ!

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.   And everyone went to their own town to register.





 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 


 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.


 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.








An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  




But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”



 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”





 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 




When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,  and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.









The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
 The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Christ is born! Merry Christmas from our family to yours!


I know for many the holidays are hard because of loved ones we've lost. May the Holy Spirit comfort us this year as we cherish memories of our loved ones that are no longer with us.

"I will never leave you nor forsake you."  Hebrews 13:5


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