BEFORE AND AFTER: Anna Gray's room

Anna Gray has the smallest room (and the most furniture).
It had a chair rail, which I liked, but was also painted the same neutralish/rosey color.

I didn't really have a PLAN for her room, per se. I had been picking up random things here and there that I liked although none of it really went together.

I went back and forth on whether or not to paint. I ultimately decided that the pink looked pinker in her room because of it's size and I didn't want a pink room. I ended up using the left-over paint from the big girls' room (Almost Aqua) and I love it.

It is a lot of furniture in a small space, but it's not terrible (I don't think?). In time, the glider and changing table will be removed and open up a lot more floor space.

I got the window forever ago and actually planned to make a side table/coffee table out of it. I just picked the fabric because I liked it. My great grandmother's quilt stays on the back of her crib.

After we moved in, and were unpacking boxes that had been in storage for years, I found this elephant that was in MY nursery when I was a baby and this pillow that my grandmother made who knows when (before I existed, I'm pretty sure. Love that it has a little S.C. in the corner). Nonie and Pap gave her the sweet little handmade baby from Amish country for Christmas.

Her changing table was originally white, I painted it yellow. I love having her own little laundry basket right there underneath where I change her and her Diaper Genie is hiding in the corner. The elephants hanging from the ceiling are Indian and bring good luck ;)  That mirror... ha... It was on the side of the road out with someone's trash and I picked it up lol. It's a perfectly acceptable mirror! I cleaned it up, painted it green, and voila! Now Cale thinks we can just take anything we want from people's yards and make it our's. He also wants to "shop the sales" when people have larger items out with their trash. Oops :)

I made the banner using left-over fabrics (including the one used in the window over her bed). I bought the end table and a matching dresser (not in her room) for cheap. Santa made her stool with her name on it. I framed the world map Ge gave her for Christmas and used thread to track our journey to her and back.

Anna Gray, Nathan, and I each have a different color thread because we each had a different journey!

On the last wall, the dresser that used to be in her sisters' room. Between the closet and the changing table, she really doesn't need it right now. It's basically holding extra linens and odds and ends: hats, gloves, scarfs, etc for now. The blue and white striped shelves came from a consignment sale.

The little vintage suitcase was a gift from a friend of a friend who thought my girls would enjoy it. It's holding up books- some were mine when I was little and some are Russian fairytales that we got in Ukraine.

Other little pieces: her Ukrainian Madame Alexander doll, the first picture we had of her, the piggy bank we got her in NYC, a cross-stitch picture my mom made for me when I was born, and a "You are my sunshine" find from Goodwill.

The finishing touch was replacing the ceiling fan with this Tiffany light Poppy found for us:

It's perfect! Love her sweet little room :)

BEFORE AND AFTER: Dining Room

We are slowly but surely getting rooms together. At least, for now.  I'm sure by the time I finish the last one, I'll just start all over again (don't tell my husband).

I should probably mention that the house was built in 1961. Although certain parts of it were updated last year, it still holds the soul of the 60s and I don't necessarily want to take that away.

The dining room isn't very exciting, but I'll start there anyway.
It is, admittedly, a little plain.  I think once we finish the kitchen and living room that attach to it, I'll have a better idea for what it needs.

Simple and sweet for now :)

By the way... no Photoshop on this computer, so what you see is what you get.


Before:

Yes, carpet.

In the dining room.

Brand new carpet.

 

The wall color has a pink/rose tone to it, though you can't tell it here.

 

And After:

(from the living room)

We kept the carpet, the wall color, and the light for now.

The carpet doesn't look bad really, it's just not super convenient to have shag carpet in a dining room. Especially with four kids (and me) and a toddler who is learning to feed herself... and me.

But I do LOVE to vacuum, so it's not so bad so far. I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune when someone spills something that stains. We are told there is likely hardwood underneath.

 

I don't love the paint color, but it's not terrible. It also goes into the living room, all the way down the hall, AND down the staircase- which would have been an absolute pain to paint. After painting seven other rooms (by myself), I was willing to deal with this.

 

I need to get a better pic, but the highchair on the right is vintage wood, repainted and refinished by my dad. Unfortunately, AG hates it. It's not as comfy and doesn't recline so she bangs her head incessantly in frustration. It's so cute though, we're hoping it grows on her. 

 

And the pallet on the wall (right), Nathan made out of wood from our old swingset :) It's holding all my cookbooks and I love it.

 

(From the kitchen)

Super blurry and not the same angle. Sorry?

We will change the light fixture at some point, and we are still trying to decide if we want to replace our white IKEA chairs with farm chairs. I will admit, in hindsight, that white chairs were not the most practical choice. I do like them, and the slipcovers clean really well, I just get tired of cleaning them.

 

 

Another weird angle... all because I didn't want my reflection in the mirror ;)

 

 

 The plates are vintage glass dinnerware I found at Goodwill, and the frames are our grandmother's recipes, in their own handwriting. Love.

On the other side, my green stool :)

 

This stool was in my grandparents' house my entire life. I have had so many grilled cheeses and the sweetest sun tea you've ever tasted while perched on that stool. I sat on that stool to play chinese checkers and reach the cookie jar full of bubble gum.

 

My dad gave it to me for Christmas this year and it makes me warm and fuzzy every day.

 

 

Between the dining room and living room rests our bakers rack.

 

 

 

It's slightly random... who says you can't have a Christmas tree made of twigs and a conch shell side by side? Not I. I like the tree and I got that conch off the ocean floor all on my own. Spray painted and glittered pinecones from our old house are held on bottom. The bakers rack also holds all our nieces and nephews :)

 

 

(Camilla, Carter, Jansen, Isaac, Evan, Olivia, Cheyenne, Ellie, and Catalina!)

 

 

I haven't done a great job of showing the details, but that's mostly because they keep changing! We moved in October and (sort of) decorated for fall right away, from there to Christmas. So I'm just now starting to think about what I want where on a just a regular day.

 

More to come!

2013 is gonna be a big year.

Layla's goals for 2013:

1. Get an A+ in spelling.
2. Read 1,000,000 books.
3. Be able to say "superkalafragalisticexpialodoshas" (her spelling OR as Brynn says... "supercalafragilisticlotsofselfishlotion").
4. Win the lottery.
5. Get a pool.
6. Get a guinea pig.
7. Get a koala.
8. Get a panda.
9. Get an owl.
9. Have the best year ever.
10. Finish school on Jan.2, 2013
11. Read snake books.
12. Snow more.
14. Learn more.
15. Read more.
16. Write more.
17. Catch a king cobra.
18. Be a good sister.
19. Be a good friend.
20. Be myself.

I LOVE them.

A TIME TO DANCE!

If you know me, or have been reading this blog for any length of time, there are a few things you know to be true....

1) I love to dance.
2) My heart is in missions (of all sorts).
3) We are not wealthy.


Put all those together and you get my next awesome fundraiser ;)

I AM GOING BACK TO JAMAICA!!

So, so excited. Jamaica is my second (third? fourth?) home. I'm not talking about any resort or beach... I'm talking about the heart of Jamaica. Part of my heart is there. My Jamaican friends are part of my family. Jamaica was not my first mission trip by any stretch of the imagination, but it was the first time I didn't walk away feeling like I had served someone else. Who am I to think I had something to give to them?! No. We just happen to be in the same place together.

As a reminder, HERE is the post I wrote when I got home last time.

If you'll remember, that was the week that God told me (LOUDLY!) to go get Anna Gray :)
I hate I couldn't be there on the last trip, but we had just gotten home from Ukraine and I couldn't leave my babies again so soon. Plus, we were spiritually and financially drained.  Oh yeah, and God hadn't told me to go.

Now, it's time for me to go back.
I don't know why yet and I don't need to. I just need to obey.

I am mushing those three things at the top together to get myself there... get excited.

I will be offering line dance lessons to pay for my trip!

A lot of you have expressed interest in taking classes from me and this is your chance! 100% of the money will help pay my mission expenses. Bam. Two birds, one stone. This is going to be so.much.fun.

I knew I'd find a way to turn dance into a ministry some day ;)
For those that don't know, I dance/teach professionally on a regular basis, so you will be learning actual line dances... not the Chicken Dance or anything. Unless you want to learn the Chicken Dance. I will teach you whatever you want me to if it means I am on this mission trip!

Deets:
The cost is $10 per person for ONE one-hour line dance class. (So, you will pay another $10 if you come a second, third time, etc. Edited for clarity.) You will be learning two new and current dances each class. Great fun, great excercise, great cause.  No official committment needed but will have an unofficial sign up, just so I have an idea of how many to expect. Pay at the door and bring everyone you know! Men, women, children, old people, young people, stinky people, smart people, coordinated/uncoordinated people  ... everyone is welcome! It's all in good fun with the added bonus of building worship space in Jamaica and ministering to (or being ministered by) Jamaican children.

The classes will be at:
Revolution Church
3644 Hwy 31-W
White House, TN 37188

The first two dates are:
Saturday, Feb 2nd at 10:00 AM
and
Thursday, Feb 21st at 6:00 PM


We have plans to add more dates for March and April, depending on response.
I will teach different dances each time, so you can attend once or you can attend them all! Lots of opportunities to participate.



For now,
Mark you calendars.
Spread the word/Word.
Let me know if/when you plan to attend.
Get ready to get your groove on.


ETA: If you would like to schedule a private dance lesson for your group or a separate class at your church/business, a birthday party, bachelorette party, etc.- LET ME KNOW! We can work something out!