Tag Archives: Our Home

Home & Garden

A Teal Velvet Settee

Hi Friends!

Did you know that the word "friend" that we see in the Word of God is not the same as the way we commonly use it today in our society?  The word "friend" is a term that they used for someone they were in covenant with. When the Bible says that Abraham was a friend of God, it means that he was in covenant with God! 

When I say "friend," I am using it to say, "we are in covenant with each other as part of the Body of Christ!"  I just love that!

I wanted to share more details of my entry makeover with you, including the other side of the room. 

My husband and I bought this antique settee when we lived in Winchester, Virginia about 18 years ago. There was a beautiful little antique shop in town owned by the sweetest man. We were in there one day when I spotted this settee and 'oohed and ahhed'  and stared and sighed. lol  Not very subtle, right? Our anniversary was coming up and my husband suggested we buy it for our anniversary gift. We call it the "loooooove seat."
It was originally covered in an emerald green velvet which I'm sure, at one time,was beautiful. But time had caused it to fade and wear and you could tell it was old. I kept it that way for several years, as it went well with our decor in Virginia, but I've recovered it a couple of times in the last 16 years.

I recovered it this winter in this scrumptious teal velvet. (the actual color is a little greener. I couldn't get it to photograph as true as I wanted.)  This kind of settee is easy to reupholster. I just used an electric staple gun to attach the fabric and then covered the staples with double piping that I sewed myself. You could also use premade trim if you wanted, which would mean no sewing at all!

The art piece behind it was also purchased at a Kirkland's in Virginia. I added this fun little gold stump table for a bit of whimsy. I've toyed with the idea of adding some modern pieces to our house lately. 

Funny story about this gold stump...I was shopping online one day for something fun and whimsical to put next to the settee when I found a very similar gold stump.  I marked it to think about, and come back later to purchase, if I decided I wanted it. Just a few days later, I was in HomeGoods in Grand Rapids with our daughter and one of the first things I spotted when we walked into the store was this gold stump! I promptly put it in my cart and it rode around the store with us until we left with it. 
I ordered this teal velvet on line, which is always a risk, but when it arrived it was even more delicious than I had imagined. I had ordered all they had left and had just enough to cover the settee and make a pillow. I love the dramatic pop of color it gives to this room. I found an almost identical teal velvet home decor fabric at our nearby Joann's Fabric and am thinking about using it elsewhere in our house.

When I painted the blue buffet, I bought a sample-sized paint this same teal color and used it to deepen the color in the corners.


I'll be back soon to give you all the details about the walls. I used a fun technique that I've never done before and it was so easy! Hope you're having a great day!

love and blessings~


 "and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God." 
James 2:23


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Home & Garden

A Teal Velvet Settee

Hi Friends!

Did you know that the word "friend" that we see in the Word of God is not the same as the way we commonly use it today in our society?  The word "friend" is a term that they used for someone they were in covenant with. When the Bible says that Abraham was a friend of God, it means that he was in covenant with God! 

When I say "friend," I am using it to say, "we are in covenant with each other as part of the Body of Christ!"  I just love that!

I wanted to share more details of my entry makeover with you, including the other side of the room. 

My husband and I bought this antique settee when we lived in Winchester, Virginia about 18 years ago. There was a beautiful little antique shop in town owned by the sweetest man. We were in there one day when I spotted this settee and 'oohed and ahhed'  and stared and sighed. lol  Not very subtle, right? Our anniversary was coming up and my husband suggested we buy it for our anniversary gift. We call it the "loooooove seat."
It was originally covered in an emerald green velvet which I'm sure, at one time,was beautiful. But time had caused it to fade and wear and you could tell it was old. I kept it that way for several years, as it went well with our decor in Virginia, but I've recovered it a couple of times in the last 16 years.

I recovered it this winter in this scrumptious teal velvet. (the actual color is a little greener. I couldn't get it to photograph as true as I wanted.)  This kind of settee is easy to reupholster. I just used an electric staple gun to attach the fabric and then covered the staples with double piping that I sewed myself. You could also use premade trim if you wanted, which would mean no sewing at all!

The art piece behind it was also purchased at a Kirkland's in Virginia. I added this fun little gold stump table for a bit of whimsy. I've toyed with the idea of adding some modern pieces to our house lately. 

Funny story about this gold stump...I was shopping online one day for something fun and whimsical to put next to the settee when I found a very similar gold stump.  I marked it to think about, and come back later to purchase, if I decided I wanted it. Just a few days later, I was in HomeGoods in Grand Rapids with our daughter and one of the first things I spotted when we walked into the store was this gold stump! I promptly put it in my cart and it rode around the store with us until we left with it. 
I ordered this teal velvet on line, which is always a risk, but when it arrived it was even more delicious than I had imagined. I had ordered all they had left and had just enough to cover the settee and make a pillow. I love the dramatic pop of color it gives to this room. I found an almost identical teal velvet home decor fabric at our nearby Joann's Fabric and am thinking about using it elsewhere in our house.

When I painted the blue buffet, I bought a sample-sized paint this same teal color and used it to deepen the color in the corners.


I'll be back soon to give you all the details about the walls. I used a fun technique that I've never done before and it was so easy! Hope you're having a great day!

love and blessings~


 "and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God." 
James 2:23


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Home & Garden

Changes to our Family Room

Happy Spring, Friends!

I hope you're having a great start to your week! We're on day four of rain, freezing rain, sleet, wind, and snow. All the churches in our area canceled their services yesterday and all the schools have been closed today! So, that's Spring in Michigan!

We've made several changes to our family room in the last several months. The biggest change is the wall color. It's now 'Antique White' by Sherwin Williams. I painted the walls and ceiling the same color.


The other big change is our fireplace.  Our fireplace mantel, that my husband built many years ago, was white and we had added moulding that went to the ceiling. When the walls were blue, it set the fireplace apart, but because we were painting the walls a more neutral color, I didn't like the white going to the ceiling. So my husband built a French trumeau for each of our fireplaces on the main floor.
The whole thing is attached semi-permanently to the wall. The mirror is the same one that used to be here. I painted it to match the trumeau and we used screws to attach it. I wanted it to look like it was part of the trumeau. The mirror will be easy to remove if we want to but I think it will be there for a long time.
Here's a before~
And here's the after!
 He also built one above our fireplace in the living room that I'll show you soon.

Another new addition in this room is this coffee table. I found it on Craig's List and I love it! It looks like it was made to go with our armoire.
It's not in perfect condition but that doesn't bother me. (Then I don't have to worry about keeping it perfect!)
The 'book' on the table is actually a box and we keep our remotes in it, as well as a few other items that are nice to have handy when you're lounging on the couch. The armoire is an entertainment center and holds a tv.
I realized after I took the picture below that I forgot to remove our kleenex box that sits behind our couch. Oh well! (real life) My friends joke that it's the 'arc of the covenant' kleenex box! Ha!


The rug in here is also new and was purchased at HomeGoods several months ago. It's very thick and plush and much better for our grandbabies to play on the floor. 

Hope you're getting some warm weather where you are! I know that not many people are!

love and blessings~

 "But the land into which you are about to cross to possess it, a land of hills and valleys, drinks water from the rain of heaven."  
Deuteronomy 11:11 
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Home & Garden

Changes to our Family Room

Happy Spring, Friends!

I hope you're having a great start to your week! We're on day four of rain, freezing rain, sleet, wind, and snow. All the churches in our area canceled their services yesterday and all the schools have been closed today! So, that's Spring in Michigan!

We've made several changes to our family room in the last several months. The biggest change is the wall color. It's now 'Antique White' by Sherwin Williams. I painted the walls and ceiling the same color.


The other big change is our fireplace.  Our fireplace mantel, that my husband built many years ago, was white and we had added moulding that went to the ceiling. When the walls were blue, it set the fireplace apart, but because we were painting the walls a more neutral color, I didn't like the white going to the ceiling. So my husband built a French trumeau for each of our fireplaces on the main floor.
The whole thing is attached semi-permanently to the wall. The mirror is the same one that used to be here. I painted it to match the trumeau and we used screws to attach it. I wanted it to look like it was part of the trumeau. The mirror will be easy to remove if we want to but I think it will be there for a long time.
Here's a before~
And here's the after!
 He also built one above our fireplace in the living room that I'll show you soon.

Another new addition in this room is this coffee table. I found it on Craig's List and I love it! It looks like it was made to go with our armoire.
It's not in perfect condition but that doesn't bother me. (Then I don't have to worry about keeping it perfect!)
The 'book' on the table is actually a box and we keep our remotes in it, as well as a few other items that are nice to have handy when you're lounging on the couch. The armoire is an entertainment center and holds a tv.
I realized after I took the picture below that I forgot to remove our kleenex box that sits behind our couch. Oh well! (real life) My friends joke that it's the 'arc of the covenant' kleenex box! Ha!


The rug in here is also new and was purchased at HomeGoods several months ago. It's very thick and plush and much better for our grandbabies to play on the floor. 

Hope you're getting some warm weather where you are! I know that not many people are!

love and blessings~

 "But the land into which you are about to cross to possess it, a land of hills and valleys, drinks water from the rain of heaven."  
Deuteronomy 11:11 
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Home & Garden

Changes to Our Living Room

Hi Friends!  We've been having a cold, white winter here in Michigan. I joked with a friend recently, who was hibernating like me, that we would just have to skype until Spring, because neither one of us wanted to venture out in this weather! Ha!

The last time I posted pictures of our living room, it was filled with blue and white toile and blue and white porcelain. But recently I decided to change it up and use a lot more neutrals. The nice thing is I didn't spend any money making these changes. They're all things I already had.

Oops! Except the two tables in each corner - they're new since I've posted! (new-used)
I put the jute rug that's been in the family room in here. I like the casual feeling it gives with everything else so romantic and feminine. I also like the neutral color.
I've had this coffee table for a couple of years. I found it at an indoor flea market and chalk painted it to match the end table that's in here.
The little cabinet on the left I found at my favorite used furniture store in Grand Rapids. It had kind of a funny paint job and so I gave it an update with chalk paint. I've moved it around a couple of times but if ends up staying here, I may paint it again. 
I've had a desk in this corner of the room for several years but I've liked this change.

I found this table on Craig's list. It's a reproduction but I love all the beautiful carving and curves. I left the finish and didn't paint it but it sure would be pretty painted to show off all the detail. 

This chaise was in our bedroom for a couple of years but I recently moved it here. I've really enjoyed having it in this room and often sit here in the mornings to read my Bible and drink my coffee. 
Or to enjoy a book in the afternoon. 
I got the art above the fireplace from Joss & Main a couple of years ago but could never find a frame for it. I found this one recently at Hobby Lobby. I've really been in love with these traditional gold frames lately and have been grabbing them when I find them. 

The love seat, chairs and chaise in this room I recovered with drop cloths. They were all bought at different times and had different mismatched fabrics. I unified them with paint and washable drop cloths.






I'm really enjoying the peaceful feel of this room after the busier feeling it had with all the blue and white.

And that's what's so nice about changing a few things. It feels like a whole new room.
I'm getting ready to repaint our family room. It's been a soft blue for several years and I'm going to start painting it "Antique White" by Sherwin Williams today. I'll try to post some of my progress on Instagram.

Have a warm Wednesday!

love and blessings~


"Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8

love seat, chairs and chaise all bought second hand and recovered with drop cloth
coffee table and end table bought second hand and chalk painted
rug - HomeGoods 
fireplace screen - Amazon
pillows - home made
vase on coffee table - Joss & Main
candlestick on coffee table - Tuesday Morning
wooden bowl - HomeGoods
grandfather clock - second hand
art on fireplace - Joss & Main with HobbyLobby frame
gold candlesticks in corner - HomeGoods
mirror- Joss & Main
vase by mirror - HobbyLobby
candleabra - HomeGoods
cement angel - garden store many years ago
basket with wood - HomeGoods
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Home & Garden

Changes to Our Living Room

Hi Friends!  We've been having a cold, white winter here in Michigan. I joked with a friend recently, who was hibernating like me, that we would just have to skype until Spring, because neither one of us wanted to venture out in this weather! Ha!

The last time I posted pictures of our living room, it was filled with blue and white toile and blue and white porcelain. But recently I decided to change it up and use a lot more neutrals. The nice thing is I didn't spend any money making these changes. They're all things I already had.

Oops! Except the two tables in each corner - they're new since I've posted! (new-used)
I put the jute rug that's been in the family room in here. I like the casual feeling it gives with everything else so romantic and feminine. I also like the neutral color.
I've had this coffee table for a couple of years. I found it at an indoor flea market and chalk painted it to match the end table that's in here.
The little cabinet on the left I found at my favorite used furniture store in Grand Rapids. It had kind of a funny paint job and so I gave it an update with chalk paint. I've moved it around a couple of times but if ends up staying here, I may paint it again. 
I've had a desk in this corner of the room for several years but I've liked this change.

I found this table on Craig's list. It's a reproduction but I love all the beautiful carving and curves. I left the finish and didn't paint it but it sure would be pretty painted to show off all the detail. 

This chaise was in our bedroom for a couple of years but I recently moved it here. I've really enjoyed having it in this room and often sit here in the mornings to read my Bible and drink my coffee. 
Or to enjoy a book in the afternoon. 
I got the art above the fireplace from Joss & Main a couple of years ago but could never find a frame for it. I found this one recently at Hobby Lobby. I've really been in love with these traditional gold frames lately and have been grabbing them when I find them. 

The love seat, chairs and chaise in this room I recovered with drop cloths. They were all bought at different times and had different mismatched fabrics. I unified them with paint and washable drop cloths.






I'm really enjoying the peaceful feel of this room after the busier feeling it had with all the blue and white.

And that's what's so nice about changing a few things. It feels like a whole new room.
I'm getting ready to repaint our family room. It's been a soft blue for several years and I'm going to start painting it "Antique White" by Sherwin Williams today. I'll try to post some of my progress on Instagram.

Have a warm Wednesday!

love and blessings~


"Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8

love seat, chairs and chaise all bought second hand and recovered with drop cloth
coffee table and end table bought second hand and chalk painted
rug - HomeGoods 
fireplace screen - Amazon
pillows - home made
vase on coffee table - Joss & Main
candlestick on coffee table - Tuesday Morning
wooden bowl - HomeGoods
grandfather clock - second hand
art on fireplace - Joss & Main with HobbyLobby frame
gold candlesticks in corner - HomeGoods
mirror- Joss & Main
vase by mirror - HobbyLobby
candleabra - HomeGoods
cement angel - garden store many years ago
basket with wood - HomeGoods
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Home & Garden

A Christmas Buffet and a New Back Splash

My husband and son and I were hanging around after dinner last night when we heard a beeping from the basement. My husband went downstairs to see what it was and our carbon monoxide detector was beeping. After determining the batteries were good in both the basement detector and the main floor detector, he opened the basement patio door and the alarm soon quit.

And then the one in the family room, where we were sitting, went off. We got out of the house and called the emergency line for the company that takes care of our heating system.

When our heat guy came over, he told us the carbon monoxide levels in our basement had been dangerously high (5,000 ppm by the heater) and the detectors had saved our lives. We spent last night without any heat in the house but so thankful to God that He protected us. If you have gas logs or gas powered heat in your house, please get these detectors. The gas is odorless and we would have passed out and unless someone had found us quickly, died. 

On to more pleasant things!

One of the things we really love about our home is the open floor plan. It's especially nice for the holidays and entertaining.

Our dining room, kitchen and family room are divided by this large 'island.' This gives me tons of counter space and I use it like a buffet at the holidays.

It's also nice that I can talk to everyone while I'm cooking!

I moved my gold sled to the buffet and surrounded it with treats.  This little chalk board that I found at Tuesday Morning is always fun to change to match the season.
On Christmas day, this spot is filled with appetizers, desserts and drinks.

While I'm cooking, someone is always sitting right here - snacking.


When we redid our master bathroom this summer, our tile guy was nice enough to help me with our back splash. I already had the 4" travertine tile. He advised me how to seal them and what products to use. 
He had his wet saw set up on our drive way and when I got to the point where I needed the tile cut, he paused working on our bathroom and cut the tile for me!  But I did all the tile laying and grouting myself.
I love how it turned out and how well the tile matches the colors of the cabinets. A friend asked me how I got the pattern of the tile so perfect. I didn't do anything! I just kept grabbing the nearest tile.

I'm also really thankful for the advice and help that our tile expert gave me because I would have missed some steps without him! Thank you, Neil, at Carpet Gallery!
These are cardboard letters that I bought at HobbyLobby. I decoupaged them with blue and white napkins that I found at Tuesday Morning a couple of years ago.

Hope you've got all your shopping done! We've got a couple of Christmas parties this week and will be picking our son up at the airport tomorrow for a week long visit.

Also, our wonderful 'heat guy' is coming over today to get our heat working again! I've got both our gas logs going and I'm wearing several layers under a thick blanket. It's 59 degrees in our house.

love and blessings~
"So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them." Luke 2
Standard
Home & Garden

A Christmas Buffet and a New Back Splash

My husband and son and I were hanging around after dinner last night when we heard a beeping from the basement. My husband went downstairs to see what it was and our carbon monoxide detector was beeping. After determining the batteries were good in both the basement detector and the main floor detector, he opened the basement patio door and the alarm soon quit.

And then the one in the family room, where we were sitting, went off. We got out of the house and called the emergency line for the company that takes care of our heating system.

When our heat guy came over, he told us the carbon monoxide levels in our basement had been dangerously high (5,000 ppm by the heater) and the detectors had saved our lives. We spent last night without any heat in the house but so thankful to God that He protected us. If you have gas logs or gas powered heat in your house, please get these detectors. The gas is odorless and we would have passed out and unless someone had found us quickly, died. 

On to more pleasant things!

One of the things we really love about our home is the open floor plan. It's especially nice for the holidays and entertaining.

Our dining room, kitchen and family room are divided by this large 'island.' This gives me tons of counter space and I use it like a buffet at the holidays.

It's also nice that I can talk to everyone while I'm cooking!

I moved my gold sled to the buffet and surrounded it with treats.  This little chalk board that I found at Tuesday Morning is always fun to change to match the season.
On Christmas day, this spot is filled with appetizers, desserts and drinks.

While I'm cooking, someone is always sitting right here - snacking.


When we redid our master bathroom this summer, our tile guy was nice enough to help me with our back splash. I already had the 4" travertine tile. He advised me how to seal them and what products to use. 
He had his wet saw set up on our drive way and when I got to the point where I needed the tile cut, he paused working on our bathroom and cut the tile for me!  But I did all the tile laying and grouting myself.
I love how it turned out and how well the tile matches the colors of the cabinets. A friend asked me how I got the pattern of the tile so perfect. I didn't do anything! I just kept grabbing the nearest tile.

I'm also really thankful for the advice and help that our tile expert gave me because I would have missed some steps without him! Thank you, Neil, at Carpet Gallery!
These are cardboard letters that I bought at HobbyLobby. I decoupaged them with blue and white napkins that I found at Tuesday Morning a couple of years ago.

Hope you've got all your shopping done! We've got a couple of Christmas parties this week and will be picking our son up at the airport tomorrow for a week long visit.

Also, our wonderful 'heat guy' is coming over today to get our heat working again! I've got both our gas logs going and I'm wearing several layers under a thick blanket. It's 59 degrees in our house.

love and blessings~
"So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them." Luke 2
Standard
Home & Garden

A Christmas Buffet and a New Back Splash

My husband and son and I were hanging around after dinner last night when we heard a beeping from the basement. My husband went downstairs to see what it was and our carbon monoxide detector was beeping. After determining the batteries were good in both the basement detector and the main floor detector, he opened the basement patio door and the alarm soon quit.

And then the one in the family room, where we were sitting, went off. We got out of the house and called the emergency line for the company that takes care of our heating system.

When our heat guy came over, he told us the carbon monoxide levels in our basement had been dangerously high (5,000 ppm by the heater) and the detectors had saved our lives. We spent last night without any heat in the house but so thankful to God that He protected us. If you have gas logs or gas powered heat in your house, please get these detectors. The gas is odorless and we would have passed out and unless someone had found us quickly, died. 

On to more pleasant things!

One of the things we really love about our home is the open floor plan. It's especially nice for the holidays and entertaining.

Our dining room, kitchen and family room are divided by this large 'island.' This gives me tons of counter space and I use it like a buffet at the holidays.

It's also nice that I can talk to everyone while I'm cooking!

I moved my gold sled to the buffet and surrounded it with treats.  This little chalk board that I found at Tuesday Morning is always fun to change to match the season.
On Christmas day, this spot is filled with appetizers, desserts and drinks.

While I'm cooking, someone is always sitting right here - snacking.


When we redid our master bathroom this summer, our tile guy was nice enough to help me with our back splash. I already had the 4" travertine tile. He advised me how to seal them and what products to use. 
He had his wet saw set up on our drive way and when I got to the point where I needed the tile cut, he paused working on our bathroom and cut the tile for me!  But I did all the tile laying and grouting myself.
I love how it turned out and how well the tile matches the colors of the cabinets. A friend asked me how I got the pattern of the tile so perfect. I didn't do anything! I just kept grabbing the nearest tile.

I'm also really thankful for the advice and help that our tile expert gave me because I would have missed some steps without him! Thank you, Neil, at Carpet Gallery!
These are cardboard letters that I bought at HobbyLobby. I decoupaged them with blue and white napkins that I found at Tuesday Morning a couple of years ago.

Hope you've got all your shopping done! We've got a couple of Christmas parties this week and will be picking our son up at the airport tomorrow for a week long visit.

Also, our wonderful 'heat guy' is coming over today to get our heat working again! I've got both our gas logs going and I'm wearing several layers under a thick blanket. It's 59 degrees in our house.

love and blessings~
"So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them." Luke 2
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Home & Garden

Our Home in the January 2017 Issue of Romantic Homes!

The January 2017 issue of Romantic Homes is out and our home is featured in this special 30th anniversary issue!

There are eight page of photos and a wonderful article telling all about our home. My husband is particularly pleased about how many times he was mentioned. lol You can order a copy here.

Kristen Wheeler was the photographer that came to our home. I thought it would be fun to share with you some of her photos that didn't make it into the magazine. All the following were taken by Kristen. The styling and editing is mine.
Our Entry




as you step into our living room
our living room



our dining room




our family room

master bedroom



guest room



kitchen


I'll be back next time with more Christmas!

love and blessings~
"Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; for I trust in You. Teach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:8
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Home & Garden

Our Home in the January 2017 Issue of Romantic Homes!

The January 2017 issue of Romantic Homes is out and our home is featured in this special 30th anniversary issue!

There are eight page of photos and a wonderful article telling all about our home. My husband is particularly pleased about how many times he was mentioned. lol You can order a copy here.

Kristen Wheeler was the photographer that came to our home. I thought it would be fun to share with you some of her photos that didn't make it into the magazine. All the following were taken by Kristen. The styling and editing is mine.
Our Entry




as you step into our living room
our living room



our dining room




our family room

master bedroom



guest room



kitchen


I'll be back next time with more Christmas!

love and blessings~
"Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; for I trust in You. Teach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:8
Standard
Home & Garden

Our Home in the January 2017 Issue of Romantic Homes!

The January 2017 issue of Romantic Homes is out and our home is featured in this special 30th anniversary issue!

There are eight page of photos and a wonderful article telling all about our home. My husband is particularly pleased about how many times he was mentioned. lol You can order a copy here.

Kristen Wheeler was the photographer that came to our home. I thought it would be fun to share with you some of her photos that didn't make it into the magazine. All the following were taken by Kristen. The styling and editing is mine.
Our Entry




as you step into our living room
our living room



our dining room




our family room

master bedroom



guest room



kitchen


I'll be back next time with more Christmas!

love and blessings~
"Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; for I trust in You. Teach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:8
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Home & Garden

A Christmas Tablescape

We've always had Christmas and Thanksgiving at our house, but since our daughter and her family have moved back to Big Rapids, we've split the holidays. She has hosted Thanksgiving, and I have continued hosting Christmas.

We usually eat brunch as we're opening gifts and then snack all day while we wait for our big dinner.

A couple of years ago, we had my daughter's family over for dinner one night and I added a pretty centerpiece and battery-operated, child-safe candles to the table. Our sweet Levi was about four years old and when he sat down at the table he exclaimed, "This is pretty!!" His little face was low to the table, because he was short, and it was all lit up and sparkling. I've never forgotten it and always been surprised that a little guy would even notice.  But apparently, everyone loves a pretty table!
We don't sit down to the table until dinner time and every year I use the same dishes. My husband bought them for me when we were still on a tight budget and I've had them for about twenty years now. They bring back memories of when our children were little and all the Christmases we've shared.
This plate set has been a great neutral and has worked every year, no matter what color I was decorating with that decade! :) The last several years I've placed them on gold chargers.
I replaced my large sleigh centerpiece with this small wooden sleigh and some gold deer that echo the plate pattern. Faux evergreen boughs line the middle of the table, draped with gold ribbon and ornaments.
Every year I buy paper napkins at HomeGoods. They always have the prettiest patterns for the holidays. This year I tucked them into my gold stemmed wine glasses.
The candlesticks are from Ballard and come in a set of five. For some more bling, I added some ornaments to our chandelier.
My favorite combination this year is this dark blue and gold. 








If you're still looking for that perfect gift for someone, my dear friend, Kristin Malloy, has a beautiful Christian worship CD out. I just got it Friday and have just about worn it out. It is beautiful! You can purchase a download on her website KristinMalloy.com  If you live in the Big Rapids area, you can buy a copy at Resurrection Life Church.
I'll be back soon with our Christmas buffet and our kitchen. We finally got our back splash done this summer and I'm excited to show it to you!

love and blessings~
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. Luke 2
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Home & Garden

A Christmas Tablescape

We've always had Christmas and Thanksgiving at our house, but since our daughter and her family have moved back to Big Rapids, we've split the holidays. She has hosted Thanksgiving, and I have continued hosting Christmas.

We usually eat brunch as we're opening gifts and then snack all day while we wait for our big dinner.

A couple of years ago, we had my daughter's family over for dinner one night and I added a pretty centerpiece and battery-operated, child-safe candles to the table. Our sweet Levi was about four years old and when he sat down at the table he exclaimed, "This is pretty!!" His little face was low to the table, because he was short, and it was all lit up and sparkling. I've never forgotten it and always been surprised that a little guy would even notice.  But apparently, everyone loves a pretty table!
We don't sit down to the table until dinner time and every year I use the same dishes. My husband bought them for me when we were still on a tight budget and I've had them for about twenty years now. They bring back memories of when our children were little and all the Christmases we've shared.
This plate set has been a great neutral and has worked every year, no matter what color I was decorating with that decade! :) The last several years I've placed them on gold chargers.
I replaced my large sleigh centerpiece with this small wooden sleigh and some gold deer that echo the plate pattern. Faux evergreen boughs line the middle of the table, draped with gold ribbon and ornaments.
Every year I buy paper napkins at HomeGoods. They always have the prettiest patterns for the holidays. This year I tucked them into my gold stemmed wine glasses.
The candlesticks are from Ballard and come in a set of five. For some more bling, I added some ornaments to our chandelier.
My favorite combination this year is this dark blue and gold. 








If you're still looking for that perfect gift for someone, my dear friend, Kristin Malloy, has a beautiful Christian worship CD out. I just got it Friday and have just about worn it out. It is beautiful! You can purchase a download on her website KristinMalloy.com  If you live in the Big Rapids area, you can buy a copy at Resurrection Life Church.
I'll be back soon with our Christmas buffet and our kitchen. We finally got our back splash done this summer and I'm excited to show it to you!

love and blessings~
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. Luke 2
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