Our Peaceful Place

Welcome to our home!  I am so glad you came!  :)  We are blessed to be renting this house from another missionary family who will not need it for the next five plus years.  It’s incomprehensible, in the most wonderful way, to think about not having to move for that long!  

When you walk through the front door (which is to the right of my purse), you enter the dining room.  The table remains my favorite piece of furniture!   

Still to do: The curtains are going to get a little lengthening treatment so I can get away from the high water look (and also hopefully raise the curtain rods a bit so that the ring clips are not competing with the window trim).  Stay tuned!

The dining room and living room are actually one long, skinny room.  This is the furniture I had to work with for this small living space but I was not happy with the lack of color, pattern, varied wood tones or scale (the sofa is much too bulky)!  Alas, that is life when you buy furniture for one rental and have to find a way for it to work in the next.  :)

 

So first, my super talented friend (and now sewing teacher) Brenda made the chair slipcovers and I used a painters drop cloth to cover the coffee table. 

 

Even though it didn’t feel right, it stayed this way until the weather got cold and we moved the couch right in front of the fireplace for staying warm! 

Then it dawned on me: putting the arrangement on the diagonal took away the improper balance of weight in the room!  It felt so much better!  Eventually, I hope to get 2 side chairs (with my Christmas money??) so that we aren’t sitting on hard dining room chairs for visiting with our friends!  :)  But for now, it works and all it cost was less than $15 for the chair slips. 

Still to do: Sew some little pillows to put on the chairs for color and verve .  It’s all a bit predictable right now!  :)  Also, hang some family pictures!  It’s driving me crazy that we only have one picture of family hanging on the walls! 

Across from living room on the left is the entrance to the TV room.  We’ll skip the toy mess and move on.  :)

Next you come to the main bathroom on the right.  The brown shower curtain was one I had on hand.  It was ok, but it just felt like it went a little too well with the 70’s tile, so I used some of my birthday money (thanks Dad and Mom) to buy this fabric.  After a couple of sewing lessons, I completed my first big project!  I’m happy with it. 

Because the ceiling is low, I wanted the shower curtain to go to the ceiling to make the room look bigger, as well as hide the shower head, etc.  Unfortunately, it needs to be a few inches off the floor because of the water drainage. 

I’m hoping to find a pretty burnt orange rug to warm up the space a bit and eventually I think it would look much better to have burnt orange/rust/umber walls too.  The current paint color works well in the rest of the house, but for some reason (lighting?) it doesn’t look that great in here. 

I’d also like to replace the tan towels with burnt orange (if I don’t end up painting) because that would really help the paint color to look less “off” as well (I always have so many plans for my Christmas money!!).  For now, it’s fine!

If you continue straight down the hall, you get to my kids’ room but I didn’t take photos of that either.  Hardly anything is done in there.  I still have beds to paint, hang their names, etc.  The do have their Pottery Barn Inspired Transportation Art hanging though.  :)

Then to the left at the end of the hallway is the master bedroom.  You can see I did a little rearranging since this and this.  I wasn’t happy with the headboard so this is what I came up with for now. Often in the past, I have used a window for the “headboard” but I could not get that to work for me this time because of where the windows are located!  Oh well!  Eventually, we’ll figure out a headboard, maybe even by filling in the other one with some bead board or something. 

The desk was formerly my hall table but it was a lot prettier than my other desk and fit the space better too so it got a coat of white.  I absolutely love it! 

     

The location of the bed is totally impractical for opening the windows, but I’m more “form” than a “function” so for now it stays! 

Still to do: Some sort of art or pictures! 

I’m sure you are wondering about the kitchen…I’ve got a project brewing there (hint: it has to do with the Sermon on the Mount) and I want to finish it first!  But I do have plenty of cabinet and counter space which is such a blessing! 

So, now that we have the house tour out of the way, we can sit down for a good latte and visit a bit!  You KNOW you are always welcome here!   

Pottery Barn Kids Inspired Transportation Art

photo credit

When I saw these the other cute painted canvases the other day (for $39 each – yikes!), I decided to make my own version for free using fabric and frames that I had on hand.   

Darling Little Redhead chose the truck.  And we together chose the boat for El Principito.  I was thankful that’s how it worked out because the airplane looked the most complicated! 

These will go above each boy’s bed.  I hope to make a small coordinating pillow too.  I’m not sure if that comes before or after painting their bed frames but hopefully it will all be done before too much longer!

Have a wonderful day everyone!!  May the joy of the Lord be your strength! 

Sometimes it Takes a Month

Exactly one month after we moved into our house, we finally hung window treatments!  Part of the slow down was that I didn’t find anything I loved in our little town so I was waiting to shop in the big city.  I’ll tell you more about that trip soon…but for now, I couldn’t wait to show you!  I think they were worth the wait!  Special thanks to my Dad and Mom for the birthday money!  :) 

I am also thrilled with my screen door mirror!  My former landlady generously gave me the screen door and when I was thinking about how nice it would be to have a full length mirror, this idea dawned on me.

Now, let’s just hope it doesn’t take me another month to finish this room!  And that another month doesn’t pass before my next blog post!  :)  Can’t wait to tell you all I’ve been up to! 

Sneak Peak

Hi!  I’m still working on decorating our new home, but I thought you would enjoy a few sneak peaks!  

 

Beautiful Kitchen Cabinets

The last of my birthday flowers  :)

I smile EVERY time I see this! 

Bedroom…hoping to find fabric for curtains in the capital this week!

We made the headboard out of a screen door our last landlady gave me!  I would like to put fabric in the openings.  We’ll see!  :)

 

This is what the little chalkboard usually looks like.  Ha ha!  We try to dwell peacefully, but more often we dwell with a little bit of chaos and craziness around here!  :) 

Hugs!  Hoping to show you a more finished house soon!!! 

Ribbon Weave Tutorial: Use Ribbon to Dress Up Your Table

I am always on the lookout for decorating ideas for special occasions.  My two requirements are: Does it use items which are commonly available to me living abroad?  And is it affordable?  I find many of the fabulous ideas out there don’t make the cut because they are either hard to implement without access to fully stocked craft store or are cost prohibitive. 

That’s why I absolutely love this idea.  You can find ribbon almost anywhere in the world and usually it is reasonably affordable. 

  

photo: marthastewartweddings.com

I adorned our table for Easter Brunch  in turquoise, navy blue and yellow (inspiration from here) this year.   Unfortunately, there are no pictures because it was a dark, rainy day and because I was too busy keeping my 18 month old from undoing my ribbon weave.  After the fourth time of reweaving ribbons, my husband said, “Well, dear, just remember, Martha Stewart never had a busy little boy helping her decorate.”   Indeed! 

The hardest part of this project is figuring out how much ribbon you will need in each color.  After that, it’s a breeze!

1. Put your tablecloth on the table, then decide how far you want the ribbon to fall from the edge of the table. 

2.  Measure the length of your desired look.  Multiply this number by the amount of times you plan to use the ribbon length wise.  

For instance, in the picture above, the green ribbon is used twice down the middle of the table.  Say the table is six feet long and you want a six inch drop on each side.  That’s seven feet. 

7 ft. x 2 times = 14 ft.

3.  Measure the width of your desired look.  Multiply this number by the amount of times you plan to use the ribbon width wise. 

Going back to Martha’s picture, the green ribbon is draped four times across the width of the table.  Let’s imagine the table is three feet across and you want a six inch drop on each side.   That’s four feet. 

4 ft. x 4 times = 16 ft.      

4.  Add the total length and the total width of the ribbon. 

14 ft length + 16 ft width = 30 feet of green ribbon 

5.  Determine how many times you will use each of the additional colors.  Complete steps two through four to determine the total yardage you will need for each color.  This will go quickly since you already know your width and length! 

6.  Buy, weave, make your guests feel valued and loved. 

If you are able, buying ribbon in differing widths adds more interest to the look.  If you can’t, who cares!  It still looks great!      

For the actual weaving process, I laid all the lengths first, then weaved in all the widths. 

Too complicated or expensive?  Then how about this idea from my pre-blogging days? 

 

All you need is one thick ribbon laid flat, one contrasting length of tulle twisted and one coordinating skinny ribbon twirled over it all. 

Ribbon is a great, affordable way to adorn your table!  An added benefit is that, unless you have a food fight, the majority of the ribbon will be reusable for other things after your meal! 

No matter where you live, no matter your budget, there is ALWAYS a way to make your family and friends feel loved by creating a beautiful table setting!

Beautiful Art No Matter Where You Live

Need something to fill that blank space in your living room?  Pop over to Missionary Moms for some doable and affordable ideas! 

graphic by Ana, used by permission

Christmas at My House

Merry Christmas and welcome to my home!  I’m so glad you’re here!

With my recent vision scare, I really focused on keeping things simple this year and it took me several days to get everything out.  I was surprised at how very enjoyable it was to just do it little by little.  And great news, I CAN SEE IT ALL.  My left eye is still dimmer than the right but I am seeing amazingly well!  Thank you so much for praying for me! 

My nativity from Venezuela (our former country of service) greets you as you enter the room.  Traditionally, Venezuelans do not place the baby Jesus in the manger until Christmas day, which I love the idea of, but can never quite bring myself to do. 

Every year I cover the matte of our family picture with some wrapping paper.  It takes about a minute and gives it a festive touch.  Here’s what it looked like last year. 

 

A few ornaments in the kitchen make me smile while I do the dishes!   

My tree is gold, red and cream.  This is Paraguayan Nyanduti that I thought would be beautiful as snowflakes.  They would use these to embellish a top or a dress. 

I just love my little 10 cent birdies.  I think my husband finds them mildly creepy though!  :)

My favorite ornaments (also used on the kitchen curtains) were an after Christmas clearance steal at Target last year while we were on home assignment. 

 
With cement walls, we don’t drill holes for stockings, so my ring clips came to the rescue!  I love how “limitations” make you more creative and you come up with something unique that you really love. 

Thanks for stopping by!  I only wish it was in person so I could make you a latte and share some yummy Christmas cookies over a good visit!

Dressing Your Thanksgiving Table

Are you a busy mom who needs some simple and doable ideas for making your Thanksgiving Table beautiful?  Head here to check out a few of my favorites!   

photo:mhi

Living Without Target

 

Living without Target and JoAnn's Fabric can be a good thing.  Don't believe it?  Head over to Missionary Moms and read about how it changed me. 

Photo: Pottery Barn

A Touch of Fall in the Middle of Spring

Down here in Paraguay we are in the middle of Spring.  However, I have to confess that I have been a bit of a rebel today and done some fall decorating!  :)  After spending so much of my life in northern hemisphere, it almost seems like a betrayal to not put out some sort of fall decorations during October and November!

So today I gathered up the pumpkins I have been buying whenever I find one of a good shape, along with some forgotten pot stands from the yard, and some beautiful orange berries from one of our trees.  Here's the result!

Toward a More Inspiring Work Space

My desk is a dresser/vanity that came with the house.  I didn't really enjoy looking at myself as I typed, so I set out to see what I could do about that!  This project did not cost me one cent because I challenged myself to use only items that I already had.

First I covered the mirror with some burlap.  Then I put out my birthday lamps from last year and some other odds and ends I had made.  And this is how it stayed for about a week. 

Then today, I finally got around to putting up some pictures and momentos.  Every single thing has a memory tied to it!  If you didn't already know that I'm sentimental...you're about to find out!  A plaque with my favorite verse was a recent gift from a friend, birthday card from my parents, watercolor of a store we visited on our honeymoon...everything has a story.  When something catches my eye while I am working, it brings a smile to my face!  One feature you can't see well in this photo is that I hung clothes pins and the put stacks of my favorite photos in them so I can change them regularly.   

This mirror was a steal from my birthday last year...Honey took me to Farm Chicks!  It was wonderful! 

The center of this flower is a token from the El train in Philadelphia, PA which Honey and I rode on one of our first dates.  

This thread is the most worthless stuff I have ever encountered in my life for sewing, so I figured it might as well be put to use somewhere else!  :) 

This baby necklace has a tiny mustard seed in it and was given to my grandmother, by my great great grandmother, when she was pregnant with my dad.  My great great grandmother was just sure my dad was going to be a girl!  :)  It also has this verse inscribed on it. 

I definitely enjoy sitting down to work a lot more now!  :)  Does your work space make you smile?  What could you do to make it more inspiring? 

Creating Beauty for the Glory of God

I love to curl up on the couch with a big thick stack of design magazines.  I’ll admit it.  I love decorating.  I used to feel guilty about that and wondered what use it could possibly have on the mission field.  It seemed so shallow to think about coordinating fabrics when so many have yet to hear the Gospel message.

Recently, though, I’ve come to a place of contentment and gratitude.  The guilt is gone.

To find out why, please visit Missionary Moms where I'm posting for the first time today!  


Photo: Country Living

Hall Table Makeover

We purchased this hall table used shortly after we arrived to the country. I loved the bones of it but it needed a little love.  So I had the drawer fronts replaced and bought a can of green paint.  Then I got a little worried that I was crazy. 

Until I saw this coffee table that Kimba built.  Then I felt not at all crazy and just a little happy! :) 

So somewhere in the ballpark of two months later, I actually got this lovely lady through rehab!

I learned a lot through my first refinishing project!  I'm definitely looking forward to painting something again soon.  (Honey, if you are reading this...just take a deep breath!)  

I'd love to hear what you think!  And may I just apologize ahead of time for the dizzying flooring in our rental!

Hope for the Mint Bathroom

Thanks so much to all my friends who swooped in with some great advice for the mint bathroom in our future rental in Paraguay! I really appreciate your thoughts!

I forgot to say that spa white isn't an option because we will be living in the desert with two little boys (i.e. lots of dirt). I do have a chocolate brown shower curtain already, so I'll have that as a fall back, but my dream is to use this kitchen below as my inspiration. Of course, the clincher for this plan is finding some beautiful fabric like the curtains featured here (if you have any ideas where to look...please let me know!).

The reason I love this color scheme, is that it feels like I could have planned mint tile on purpose, whereas a lot of the other ideas I have feel like I am just trying to play down the mint and make the most of it! :) So...what are your thoughts?

And now, for a sneak into the second bathroom in the house...which appears to have been painted black? We'll definitely be using a few coats of paint on that baby! *Sigh*

photo: Country Living

Makeover Magic in the Bathroom...and I Need Your Help!

We have been very blessed to be staying in a fully furnished apartment rent free while we are in Pennsylvania. One of our partnering churches has a house dedicated to housing for missionaries. What an AWESOME ministry!

Since we aren't paying rent, I've been itching to do something to follow my parent's advice...you know, "Always leave things better than you found them!" I really admire that even when my folks didn't have a lot, they always returned a borrowed car with a full tank of gas, regardless of how much was in the tank to start with.

So here's my little bathroom makeover! Sorry, I didn't get a picture of the old shower curtain...it was the same as the border on the curtains and a wee mite "tired". Before:

And After:

I just "shopped the house" for the new artwork.

And now here's my next decorating dilemma...this is the main bathroom in the house we are moving into in Paraguay in July. I plan to repaint the yellow wall and remove the big foot rug (ha) but I'm at a bit of a loss as to what kind of towels and shower curtain (color?? pattern??) to use. PLEASE, PLEASE give me your ideas about how to make the most of the mint green tile!

P.S. Sorry if I confused anyone with my last post! We haven't arrived to Paraguay yet. We will be flying mid June to the capital city where we will have a month of orientation before we move to our new home.