Project: Remodel

I bought this house in March of 08. It was outdated, but it was cozy, close to home and I liked it! I envisioned painting the walls and getting new furniture. Never in a million years did I think it would turn out to look like it does today! I love it.

When Chad & I started dating our first great amount of quality time together was spent painting kitchen cabinets. That should have been a sign of what was to come-ha! (Kitchen remodel pics coming soon) A little later on, I was gone one weekend and he surprised me & completely re-modeled both bathrooms. Most everything has been remodeled at least twice in this house. So therefore, there are some "before", "after" and "after-after" pics. :)

I am THRILLED to say that our home remodel is completely finished!!! Until Chad thinks of something else to do...

There are several pics, so I'm planning on splitting them between different blog posts. Here's the first batch.

The day I moved in:
Here's a pic of the living room:

And a pic of the dining area:

The fireplace had one of those stove inserts that burns the wood chips. It didn't fit quite right. And only worked for a short while. Chad would want me to point out the fan. (I've never been one to notice light fixtures or ceiling fans.... he does.)

Here I am! All moved in! Perfectly content. It looks funny to me now.

My mother-in-law helped me get stuff up on the walls. Improvement.

 Decorations. Is it funny that I had an 8-point rack above my fireplace UNTIL my husband moved in and moved it to the garage? I don't even know where it's at now.

One of the first things we (ok.. Chad) did was get rid of the popcorn ceiling. What.a.mess!

Texture followed.

See the wires hanging from the ceiling?

Chad put that assortment together at midnight the night before

I had Mary's personal shower at our house. Still embarrassed about that.

I think I took this picture because

I was proud that the tv was above the mantle.

Wires are still in place. New ceiling fan though! :)

My awesome dad did all of the woodwork in our house.

Chad helped too. I love my dad & he's incredible when it comes to

woodwork and making the most out of the space you have.

(wait until I get to the kitchen!)

 Dad created this china hutch! It added so much more room for kitchen things!

The mantle! Coming together.

The dining area with stained china hutch, textured ceilings & walls,

white baseboards, crown molding.... not finished yet though!

Stained mantle.

Dogs are exhausted.

We now have curtains! And paint on the walls.

New fireplace!!!

And marble tile around it.

Still not finished.

Cozy!

Ta-da!

Wood floor.

Tile wood floor to be specific.

And a new backdoor that lets more light in.

 Chad just put the glass shelves and lighting

in the china hutch this week, so I don't have

pictures of it yet, but you get the idea!

How about a quick recap:

Before:

 After:

Before:

After!:

If you're interested in coming to see it, we'd love to have you!

I'm having an open house Sunday, July 10 from 2-4

for a Renovation Reveal + Scentsy Open House.

Direction

A year ago today I woke up and got ready for work. Put on my favorite [most comfy] scrubs. It was Sunday morning, which usually meant a more quiet day at work.

Little did I know my life would be changed dramatically. In so many different ways.

Life can changes fast.

If you are going through a struggle or difficulty, be it big or small-anything! I feel so compelled to tell you-it is not for nothing. Sometimes it takes a difficult, painful or unbearable time for us to pay attention to what God has planned for us. It is those times that God uses to make us [turn on our heels] in a totally different direction that we were headed before.

So know this-God is finishing the good work that he started in you. And he's not finished with you yet. On this side of heaven, there is always something to learn, something to change, something to strive for.

And know that pretty soon, this will pass. That God is using this crisis to pick you up and turn you in a different direction. It is God who works in you. And He works out everything according to His will.

All things new!

Hebrews 12:27

God promised, "Once more I will shake not only the
earth but also the heavens."

The words "once more" indicate the removing 

of what can be shaken-that is, created things-

so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

How comforting to know that when our worlds are shaken, it is not for nothing! It's to show us/remind us/refocus us on the fact that created things can be shaken, but don't focus on the created but on the Creator. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. Don't get caught up in trivial, earthly things-set your mind on things above! 

Our light & momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory

that FAR outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes, not on what is seen,

but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary,

but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

I love Spring! Because it's a time when you can physically see how God makes all things new. It's a beautiful thing. And it reminds me of what He is able to do inside of each and everyone one of us. I love and sometimes need the physical reminders. 

And I can't lie. Spring gets me excited about these little guys too:

Thank you God for the reminder that you will make

all things new.

Snow!

It's snowing!

Great day to curl up & read a book...

(or fall asleep)

Happy Winter!

Quilt + Christmas + Remodel

I have a few pics that don't have anything to do with anything, but I feel the need to blog about 'em! 

So here we go.

My next quilt.... in the making! It's an adorable pattern & I love it. Blue & Brown. The pattern is from Thimble Blossoms. By the way, if you're interested in learning how to sew you have the opportunity to learn the same way I did. Mrs Gateley called lastnight and told me they have started a new sewing class at St Ann's on Tuesdays from 10-11. Let me know if you want more info. You might think it's crazy, but those lil old ladies are hilarious and so fun! And they will love you.

 

Santa came and visited Scout & Hagen!

Scout finding her stocking:

Mom & Dad trying to figure out how to use

their new iPad. Love them.

Chad surprised me with a Wii! I am pretty excited about it. Here are a few pics of Chad trying it out...

Bowling:

I just love him!

 Giving his opponent the right hook!

Hilarious.

Sweet Molly! Cheesing for the camera.

She's doing so great and growing! We are going

to halter break her this week...ahh!

And finally... the pics of the home remodel.

Chad & my dad have been working for quite a while building us some new cabinets. They've made new cabinets for every place there's a cabinet in this house: kitchen, laundry room, hallway linen, bathroom vanities and even added a few to the kitchen & bathrooms! I am sooo excited! I'm amazed by my dad's talent in his ability to build cabinets and make great use of space (which we NEED!). Chad has learned a lot from him and they have both worked really hard.

The demolition

Messy kitchen

 And where are all the things that were in the cabinets, you say?

Oh!

(This is only 1/3 of it... the rest is piled in the spare bedroom)

 This part is stressful to me, but it will be well worth it!

From this pic it looks like we could be on an episode of Hoarders!

Scout thinks it's exhausting...

Working until late in the night to install the new cabinets!

 Looks awesome! And cabinets go all the way to the top now, so

lots more space! I also like how they thought to place

the cabinets at different depths.

Probably one of the most exciting parts, a pantry

beside the fridge! Ahh!! I can't wait!

To be continued....

Resolve

New Years Resolutions:

In black & white

1. Become a better listener

Self explanatory. Stop thinking about what I need to say next. Listen, do not multi task.

2. Read a book a month

Chad got me a Kindle for Christmas!!! I'm so excited about it. I want to read a new book every month. All kinds of books. Fiction & nonfiction. Suggestions are welcome.

3. Read through the entire Bible this year

This year I wanted to make resolutions that would do more than just affect my waistline.

In 2009 I read the Bible through in chronological order. I have never learned more in my life and gained a much clearer picture of the story of Jesus, by reading the loads of history that came before him. I won't lie-reading through Leviticus wasn't my favorite. But there is something to gain from every single page. I have heard my friends say several times that they"can't get into" the Old Testament. Or that they don't read because the Bible just doesn't make sense to them. Try reading it through in chronological order. There are several ways to do that. The one I read in 2009 was called The Daily Bible. Looks like this, if you're interested:

YouVersion.com also has several reading plans to help you read through the Bible in a year. They have the Bible app for smart phones so you can read anywhere. But even if you don't have a smart phone, they have a great website.

I'm pretty passionate about this and really hope others decide to read it through this year as well. Let me know if you decide to do it so I can pray for you and check in on your status!

"I've never seen someone read the Bible and not grow,

& I've never seen someone not read the Bible and grow."

Happy New Year!

May 2011 hold many blessings for you

and may you not let them pass you by!

Forget the former things.

do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

Isaiah 43:18-19