Bedroom Inspiration

Two years ago we moved into our current home the very day we brought our son home from the hospital.
It was our very first house we'd live in together and we became a family here.
Through our years in apartments, I never made where I lived mine always knowing I'd have to leave--until we came here. We put paint on the walls and started to shape our style.
HOWEVER
the one room that never got touched with any sort of love was our bedroom.

Despite picking out paint chips and the dreams of making it a romantic place,
we never had time, we never invested, we just made do with what we had.
It never felt relaxing, it was just a place to get to the next day.
All of that over share being said--
Our new Master Bedroom WILL BE TRANQUIL & A WISH come true! ;)Our bedroom's colors are Benjamin Moore: WISH + 1 accent wall of TRANQUILITY
Our bedding is already very similar to the bedding above only now our room will have the well loved (aka: vintage) touches and sunshine accents of yellow throughout.
I found some gorgeous lamps like the one pictured above at Marshalls for $40 each (the one above was from Target and $219!)
Our current entry table will be re*purposed to become our bedroom dresser and is actually more beautiful than the one above (a flea market find for $110).
I found a gorgeous armless vintage chair on craigslist for $50 and scored an upholstery fabric very similar to the Pottery Barn swatch above for $6 a yard!

I am counting down the days to having our very own bathroom, walk in closet, and space that is just about US!

Wishful Restroom

I've been busy.
One of those busy things has been a little overwhelming and just today, got fun!
We get our KEYS next week and I'm finally starting to play.
We have our wall colors picked
(kinda scary considering we won't know what it looks like until we move in)
and now it's down to the details!
Our palette is all considerably soft and natural.
Just thought I'd start sharing my inspiration boards.

The Guest Bathroom:

Our wall color for the guest bathroom is Benjamin Moore: WISH.
The hallway wall and our son's room which will also have an influence as they surround the bathroom are Benjamin Moore: HUSH & AGAVE.
With that palette in mind, I became incredibly inspired by the idea or romance & retreat.
All of these pieces are my ultimate restroom inspiration but would require a massive splurge on the shower curtain--which I swore I'd never do again--so, we'll see!

Shower Curtain: Anthropologie, $80
Zinc Letters: Anthropologie, $14 each
Apothecary Jars: Crate & Barrel, $54 for the set
Flower Box: Urban Outfitters, $12

28

Today, I am 28.
I kinda like that number.
It's round and pretty and...well, I think that's it.
Life has been FULL of chaos but the sort that is good.
The only way I have been able to describe what it all feels like though is this:
the IDEA of eating an entire chocolate cake seems divine
actually doing it will make you throw up.

So many amazing, God given blessings have "suddenly" appeared that I am personally spinning.
All of these amazing things mean BIG change and, as I've said before, while I love change in my pocket, it's a bit harder to deal with in my lived out life.
We are preparing to move, working weekends, and now I'm changing positions at work.
I am absolutely in awe and find myself overwhelmed with emotion.

So, today I'm 28 and I am thinking back on some of the biggest moments in my life
(in no particular order)
1. Trying without the fear of failure.
2. Learning when to say no.
3. Forgiving.
4. Learning what LOVE really is.
5. Discovering my spiritual gifts.
6. Obedience, even when it hurts.
7. Being Willing to answer a call.
8. Seeing complacency and striving to abandon it.
9. Pursuing the art of intention.
10. Relationships, they come and go and take work to remain.
11. Realizing words don't last, but actions do.
12. Defining my character.
13. Prayer and the power of it.
14. Mom. To become one, to love one, to see we're all just so painfully human.
15. Dreams are meant to be chased and meant to change.
16. Giving. It gives back ten fold.
17. Mercy. It has been given to me.
18. HEALING
19. Humility
20. Surviving.
21. Victory.
22. Marriage.
23. Commitment.
24. Dedication.
25. Worship.
26. Learning to live by who God says I am, not by those in my small world.
27. Praise. Learning to give it all back to where it came from because this life is His.
28. Seeing my imperfection and realizing, I can't be anything but imperfect.

Amazing what one person can see, accomplish, do, feel, experience, lose, love, grow in, excel at, achieve, accomplish in just one life.
For the years to come, may I see it all and know....

Faith is when you don't have the answers...

Lately I have been challenged to GIVE.

GIVE what I don't feel I have. GIVE what God has actually given me first. GIVE because He asks me to. GIVE to receive. I mean--GIVE.

This is an area that is hard for me.

In my mind I think: I work hard for this. I make little and have life to pay for. I want things. I need things.

In my heart I know: I have much, so how can I release what I have been given to bless others.

A few weeks ago I was reminded by my dear, dear, dear friend what GIVING means.

She is a woman who has stories that would knock your faith's socks off with how God gave to her through her obedience to give to others when He asked.

She made ME want to stretch my faith.

She reminded me--just today even--that faith is not about having the answers. Having the answers means you have knowledge, having faith means moving forward without them.

So, during that time when God was using her to speak to my heart, I listened.

As I drove home from work, KLOVE radio was hosting their Spring Pledge Drive and I felt God tell me to GIVE.

The station was asking for people to give $20. I felt like He said, "Give $30."

I pulled over on the side of the road and I gave $30.

Now, here's a funny part.

I ended up finding that I had been double charged.

I called my friend and told her, "Can you believe it? It was so hard for me to give and then I got charged twice! Hahaha. Am I learning a lesson or what?"

She said, "You've got two options, call and ask for the money back and be blessed regardless or let it stay and be blessed double."

I loved that response.

Today I am BLESSED.

Today I got to see what that $30 was all about and hear Him tell me, "I will never ask you to give what you can't afford to" along with "You can NEVER out-give me."

These lessons in giving have grown my heart exponentially!!

Now, all I can say is

WHEN CAN I GIVE NEXT!?

Tracing A Miracle

Today I am celebrating the announcement of something HUGE.

Today I am looking back at the tantrums I threw when I misinterpreted God's "not yet" answers as "no."

Today I feel silly & humbled but also victorious & thankful!

I am tracing the steps that brought us to a miracle:

WE ARE IN ESCROW ON OUR 1ST HOME!
For four years my husband and I have looked at homes.
We have felt discouraged and defeated in the process.
I admit, there was a sense of entitlement along the road, a questioning of "why not me when everyone else..."
and it was ugly and hard.
For four years we have committed to a life style of living on little to pay off our student debt.
We agreed, sacrifice NOW to gain later.
It has been amazing and it has been hard.
We have always been content--but there were the moments we'd look out (those greener pastures moments)
but this house
this house we're in escrow on is our miracle.

So I am retracing how we got here.
I am tracing the outline of the picture of this miracle.
It came from prayer but above all,
it came from His goodness and not because I deserve it.
I am so ready to love this unexpected dream home whole again.
I'm ready to clean up its past and paint it's future with love.
REJOICE!
I trace and praise this beautiful blessing, Lord, and I proclaim:

"...But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
~ Joshua 24:15

Fists & Fat

Sometimes parenting can really kick me in the arse

I mean REALLY!

But mostly, when I surrender the control issue and really step back, it's mostly just a kick in the pants - as in funny (sorta).

At the very least, it's humbling.

Like, as my "Evil Spawn" took a break from his spawn-ity and cuddled I found myself in awe of his tenderness. He quietly rested on my chest and just rested saying

Ma-me, Ma-me, Ma-me

over and over.

TO.DIE.FOR.

but suddenly, his little hand just started to move

and next thing I knew

a fist full of my stomach rolls were in his hand and he just squeezed, released. squeezed, released.

Somehow, I did not throw him across the room in shock

I laughed

"Baby! No! {giggles} Don't play with mommy's fat!"

Seriously.

The amount of imperfections I find in myself through this one role - PARENTING - is daunting.

May as well laugh (when I release the grip I have on my own hair) along the way.