And Riley begat Zuri

Remember Riley?
We adopted him in July 2011--
so happy to bring him into the family
and hoped he'd be a fun playmate for our black lab, Dakota--
aka "Oprah" or "Miss-I-don't-know-you-people-when-I'm-outside".

He had superb manners,
but man alive,
we couldn't keep him in the yard--
he ate through several wooden fence slats
trying to get out in the world to meet up with some gals.

He was definitely a "rover"--
we worried that he was going to get run over by a car
after finding him roaming the neighborhood
more than once.

Last May I made the executive decision--
which I shared in this post--
to find Riley a safer home out in the country.--
and Riley has been happily living out his dreams
at his new home.

We made the deal with the new owner, Bailey,
at the time,
that we'd give Riley to her in exchange for a pup
he would sire with her AKC British cream female, Duchess.

I got a text in early Fall that Duchess was pregnant.
Then in January when the pups were born,
she sent a picture to my email...
the litter of 3 males and 1 female were little cream puffs--
Bailey let us know that the other pups in the litter
sold for $1200 each.
Never, ever would I pay that much for a dog--
the kids bought Riley for $80 with their allowance money.

Finally on Friday, March 1st
we all piled in the car and took the 2 hour road trip
to pick up our puppy--
we let the yahoos take the day off of school
so they could go with us:

Reunited with Riley:

Giving mama Duchess the gift of a pig's ear for being so sweet:

Daisie and Ari lovin' on the new girl:

At home after the long car ride:

 So this is Zuri--our $1200-valued dog
we got for 80 bucks!

She is already crate-trained, teases Dakota 24/7, growing like a weed, and has stolen our hearts.

p.s. Bailey expressed how much Riley is her "main man" and constant companion. He sleeps in the bed with her and her husband when he is not "doin' his business" with the females in heat. They are so breeding him with a standard poodle to create "Goldendoodles".

They Make Me Laugh

This past week our family got to host a couple of comedians
from BYU's Humor U--
Aaron Woodall and Pete Kern.

We know Aaron from when we lived in Idaho--
our son David Scott introduced him to us.
They hung out alot before Aaron left for his mission to Italy.

I actually worked with his mom at the elementary school
and so when she posted on her facebook that Aaron had won
a place in a comedy competition called
"The World Series of Comedy"
taking place here in Colorado Springs,
we offered to have him stay here.

He brought Pete with him,
who had also been invited to compete.

These guys are super polite and we enjoyed having them in our home this week.

For your entertainment:

Aaron Woodall:


Pete Kern:


  

Keep an eye out for these guys!

The Burn of Divorce & Heavenly Healing

This pretty much symbolizes
what it's like
when my children have gone to visit
their mostly-estranged birth father
and come home...
fiery intense.

They don't see him hardly ever--
in 15 years,
I think the total comes close to maybe 8 times
for the youngest,
less for our special needs son,
who I think is around 3 times total.

The reason isn't as complex--
simply put,
the man isn't interested in having
relationships with five other human beings
whom he has fathered.

The older children don't bother him anymore--
they're busy living their adult lives
and let that part of their past lie dormant;
they discovered
that while normal relationships with those you do love
take much effort,
it is impossible to have one with someone
who consistently makes himself
unavailable.

But Dara was just 20 months old when her dad left
and she's been curious about him
for a few years now.
She would very much like him to be part of her life.
She graduates this year from high school
and, like her four other siblings,
invited him to her graduation ceremony.
He declined.
Not only did he decline that,
but told her not to expect him to show up
for any important days in her life--
as has been evident for the other children.
He doesn't come to baptisms,
graduations,
mission farewells or homecomings,
weddings,
or baby blessings.
(And for the record,
I have written him notes and invited him personally too,
those go unanswered.)

Now this is not out-of-character for him.
It is totally how he was when I was married to him.
In fact,
just before we divorced, we saw a marriage counsellor
who asked me,
"If there was one thing Dave could do to make you reconsider
this divorce, what would that be?"
I said,
"Invest more in the children."
The counselor looked to Dave for a response,
to which he replied,
"The children are irrelevant to me."
Shock swept over the counselor's face;
he turned back to me and he knew what I knew:
I had nothing to lose by divorcing this man.

That was 17 years ago.
Despite Dave's opinion that noone would ever want to marry
me, a thirty-four year old woman with five children,
he was wrong.
He was easily replaced.
God had a plan for me and my children
and we were blessed to have Mr. W come into our lives.

It took awhile for my own emotional wounds to heal,
but they did.
It has taken longer for my children's hearts to heal,
though each of them can see and understand
why we cut Dave loose so many years ago.
He has proven to be exactly the man I knew he was--
there has been no repentance or improvement
in his life's journey.
He didn't learn a doggone thing from losing an entire family.

So, Dara, who just turned 18 this week,
decided spend her own money
and go see her dad and his girlfriend and her half-sister
for Spring Break.
Her siblings' response to her plan
was not a positive one--
"Why does she do this to herself?"
"She needs to let go already."
they voiced.
They're anxious for her to come to the same
resolution they each have come to;
they want her to move forward past him,
and be happy.

But I knew she had to do this.
As she and I discussed her motives for wanting to go down
she explained that this would be her last effort
to get him to want to be part of her life.

She has an optimist's heart.

I've seen this before in all of the other children...
they try so hard to hang onto him
just like I did,
and they each get to the same place emotionally
that I finally got to--
after 14 years of marriage
I had to move on and let him go.
He was damaged beyond my ability to heal.
I felt like a failure.
In my naivete,
I thought if I could just be a better wife
it would be enough for him to be
kind and true to me.
Then, I grew up
and realized that just wasn't going to happen.

Knowing this truth about my self,
I totally get the process my children have to also
experience.
So, when Dara made her plans,
I held my breath and braced for the impact
that was sure to follow
when she came home.

Just as in the past when the kids had gone down to visit
their dad,
their return was akin to a Space Shuttle rocket
re-entering the earth's atmosphere--
it's gonna burn.
Their hearts will be inflamed with pain
and hurt and unrequited love.
Rejection written on their faces
like a fiery angry sadness.
I used to get caught up in their emotions too--
but these many years later,
I think I handle it more objectively...
realizing that the best thing I can do
is to be a sounding board,
a safe place to vent their frustrations,
and not add my own to theirs.
My goal is to help them move forward
in a healthy way--
to get past the burn of helplessness to change him,
and help them have the truer perspective
that none of us can make another person
want to love us or be a part of our lives.
That's just not possible.

So Dara's re-entry was early yesterday morning--
I listened to her grieving for most of the day
and into last night.
She detailed all the many ways
he shut her down, shut her out--
from having no pictures of her and the rest of the kids
in his house or office,
to his rants about why he can't be there for her,
and his ugly opinions of me, her mother,
to the final day where he had his girlfriend
drive Dara to the airport so he could be done
with the visit sooner.

My girl cried sad, sad tears.

It's hard to watch.
It's hard to bear the realization of what
my very poor, ignorant choice of a husband
when I was just 20 years old--
what the fall-out of that choice has done
to five innocents.

The re-entry fire is simmering down
this morning...
at least on the outside.
I suspect her heart is still hot-to-the-touch
today as she goes through the motions
of a day back at school.
How could it not be, right?

For her birthday,
we bought her a pair of
white temple slippers and a white handkerchief--
to remind her of whose daughter she really, truly IS--
and that her path now,
as rocky as it feels,
will lead her to Him.
I sat with her alone while she opened the gifts,
telling her that if she'll ask for divine help
to get through these hard times in her life,
Jesus will be there for her.

And that's the best I could do--
wrap her in my arms,
point her to Christ,
encourage her to let the Atonement lift
her pain and give her peace.
I know this,
because I had to do the same thing--
ask my Savior to help me get through
the chaos of divorce and come out on the other side of it
the person I wanted to be...
it took alot of time,
repentance and prayers of my own,
and a willingness to let the Savior lead me along
in trust and hope.

Just the other day,
my good friends and I went to the temple.
Upon reflection of my prayers in there,
I realized that most of the prayer I offered
was one of gratitude for the blessings I have been given,
and the joys I have in my daily life.
I have loving, faithful children and
an eternal companion in Kent.
These have come through heavenly healing.

*art by Simon Dewey

Dara's Birth on her Birthday

Her due date: 01 April 1995

Being pregnant with numero cinco

proved to be less easy than

say numero quatro.

For one thing,

it had been four years between

and I was older and tired.

But I was still very much excited to have another sweet baby 

in my arms again.

I had been wanting another baby for some time.

Just the previous year,

in exactly the same month,

I had a miscarriage at sixteen weeks.

So that I became pregnant again so soon

after the miscarriage,

was an absolute joy for me.

We decided to have a home birth

with Pamela White in Phoenix, Arizona.

She is a wonderful midwife and was just perfect for me.

So, because of a spiritual experience I had had

several years earlier,

I was expecting a Boy.

But Pam suggested it might be a girl

based on the faster heartbeat at one of our prenatal visits.

My heart though,

was set on a boy.

I even had his name chosen:

Drew Kellen.

As March 31st drew close,

I was bent on having this baby on his due date

April 1st.

So I did everything I could to bring on labor--

ate mexican food,

chinese food,

drank my raspberry leaf tea,

used evening primrose oil,

and kept busy!

I walked and walked and walked

most of the day

on April Fool's Day

and finally, exhausted,

plopped my big baby tummy into bed

for the night at 9pm

convinced that a baby was not coming

any time soon.

I put a towel on top of my sheets

just in case though...

I was in a deep sleep

when I felt a "pop" down below

with a warm flow of water

following.

I sat upright in the bed,

knowing my water broke

and looked at the clock across the room:

11:59pm!

April Fools! 

The baby was coming!

I noticed my husband wasn't in bed next to me,

and as usual,

he was out in the familyroom watching TV

or had fallen asleep on the sofa--

I called to him for help

but he couldn't hear me.

For fear of waking the other sleeping children,

I took the towel with me,

and headed towards the hallway

so I could, albeit, quietly, yell

for him to get his attention.

That worked, thankfully

and he made the call to Pam

so she could make her way to the house.

She contacted her assistant, Kelli,

and they both showed up at the house

around the same time.

But, the bad thing was that I wasn't contracting.

So Pam told me to go back to bed

and try to rest up for a long day ahead.

I did go back to bed,

but I really couldn't sleep--

I was excited to the MAX!

My adrenalin was pumping and I was so stinkin' happy

to be having this baby!

A few hours later,

we all got up,

had some breakfast--

husband made us homemade waffles and strawberries--

and the weather was so nice,

I walked around the backyard 

as the contraction waves began to come along.

I will always always remember the fragrance of

orange blossoms in the backyard that day.

Such a sunny happy day.

The other kids had been taken over to the MIL's house

for the duration of labor

with the hope that they could return in time to see

the birth.

So I labored alllllllll dayyyyyy long

and wasn't in alot of pain really.

But I was getting tired.

And Pam saw that and decided to give some herbal extracts

to kick my labor into a higher gear--

remember my water had broken at midnight,

so she was concerned about that--

well the extracts worked...

my body reacted perfectly to them.

The kids came home after dinner with the granparents,

and I thought it was pretty good timing...

still not totally dilated,

but close.

There was lavendar oil burning,

Enya playing (perfect labor music for me!)

and I sat on the sofa quietly breathing away the contractions

until they were getting really tough to just "breathe away"--

I voiced this to Pam

who said, 

"Just dance with the next one."

I answered, a wee bit curtly:

"I do not feel like dancing."

She smiled at Kelli and the husband

and suggested that as soon as the next wave was over,

I walk into the shower

to help me relax.

I was afraid to move from my seat on the sofa--

I knew

that once I stood,

it was going to hurt!

But she was so good,

she talked me into it--

the husband got the shower water nice n' warm

and as soon as the next contraction washed over me,

I stood,

peeled off my robe

and walked straight into the warm shower

wearing my socks!

The water was a sweet release--

exactly what I needed!

The next contraction came quickly,

and I felt the baby's head ready to crown

in the shower!

Perfect!

As soon as that contraction was over,

my team led me to the birthing stool 

all set up in my bedroom

and I sat down with a warm towel over my shoulders

on the birthing stool.

The MIL got the oldest kids out of bed,

and the husband fetched the sleepy 4 year old,

and they all came in to watch the birth!

Two contractions and there was a baby!

I looked down at that beautiful face

and then down at the bottom

and asked,

"Is this a GIRL?"

"YES!" said Pam.

"Oh my. What are we going to do with a girl? What are we gonna name her?"

Lots of names were thrown out--

"Darlene"

"Dana"

"Darla"

"Dena"

"Deanna"--

and then a name surfaced that I had seen in a baby book ten years earlier:

"Dara." I said.

"Her name is Dara. It means "compassion" in Hebrew."

I got a few shakes of the head, but I stuck to it.

I don't know how long after the birth we chose her middle name,

but it wasn't too much later that we decided on 

"Cristine"--

without the "h" like it is traditionally spelled because her dad is dyslexic

and he'd never remember the "h" anyway.

So that's how we got Dara Cristine into this world.

She came in alert, wide-eyed, and happy.

Of all of my children,

she is the most creative,

the most adventurous,

the least inhibited and self-conscious.

She is not timid or shy--

but is an all out there kinda young woman.

She received her Young Women's Recognition award

earlier this year, as was her goal, to receive it before she graduated 

high school.

She recently applied and was accepted to Brigham Young University-Idaho

in Rexburg, Idaho.

She has a full, rich life ahead of her

and I am proud to be her Momza.

Pics from her Life:

 Dara aka "Daisie" with her BFF, Nana

"Guhl Powah"

 Dressed for the youth trek to Wyoming

 Playing "Monkey on the Ground" @ St. James Royal Park

in London, UK.

 She didn't like clothes in 1998--

Nottingham, UK

 She did LOVE sheep though!

Wales, UK

 Her baptism day with Dad

Colorado Springs, CO

2003

 She has probably 100's of this same self-taken photo face

 Flyfishing? Oh yeah.

The Platte River, Deckers, CO.

2011

 Daisie is probably Dean's best friend.

He loves playing with her.

 In  Spring Creek, 

Choteau, MT.

Ready for church,

Meridian, ID.

2008

 Senior Pic 2013

Senior Pic 2013

Likes:

Sushi, "Buffy: the Vampire slayer",

sleeping in, Dakota--our black lab,

manis and pedis, hair and makeup,

giving makeovers to her friends,

parties, road trips, inspirational quotes,

total romantic.

~~~

Interests:

History--specifically The Holocaust,

Creative Writing, Drama, Choir,

travelling, service, hanging out with friends,

~~

Goals:

A college degree (not sure what, yet)

serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2014.

Wife and mother someday,

and a career.  Girlfriend wants to work!

Happy 18th Birthday, Daisie!

Come See The Light by Mark Mabry

For Today and Always:

A Heart Like Hannah's

As the sun set against the outline of the rocky mountains
outside my window last night
my thoughts were stirring in an emotional compote
made up of tender feelings regarding my missionary daughter--
I miss her.
I miss our quick morning chats at the breakfast table,
our afternoon "let's grab a bite to eat",
and the "how long have we been talking?" late night discussions
that took paths undiscovered until that hour.

A song comes on the radio,
and immediately my heart goes to her.
I'm not the only family member that does that--
just yesterday as the Caboose and I were in the car,
a song came on by Colbie Caillat
and from the backseat
a small voice exhales,
"I miss Nana."

"Yeah, me too."

The road took us to our destination,
dance class--
the Caboose flitted out of the car
and I was left alone with my thoughts again.

Funny how it is the little things that remind me
with a small sting,
that we have a missionary out in the field.

Here is a small snippet from her personal blog:

"Heavenly Father is continually blessing us and somewhere between, work, school, relationships and the tasks of daily living we often forget to be thankful for the opportunity we have to do those ordinary, every day things; to be surrounded by those we love, and to attened those dreaded, life-sucking days at work and school. But I know that if we show even an ounce of gratitude for the small means that we have Heavenly Father will return to us and bless us more than we ever deserve. He's good at keeping promises like that."

I came upon her companion's blog
where she shared an experience:

"On Tuesday, we helped Crystal again with her home. We organized a lot of her bills, and helped her get rid of things she really needed. I wanted to give you an update on her closing prayer, because last week’s was just as good. This time, it was, “Please bless Sister Hawkes and Sister Johnson ... And thank you to their families who love them enough to share them with me.” 

It's a comfort when I get a peek inside of Nana's missionary world.


I was thinking about motherhood and sacrifice...and then I thought of Hannah...you know, the prophet Samuel's mother.
She petitioned the Lord for a son in the temple with all the energy of her soul--

"And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, 'O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head" (1 Samuel 1:10-11)

Overhearing her prayer, the priest Eli said to her:

"Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him." (I Samuel 1:17)

Her prayers were answered with Samuel. When he was weaned from her, she then kept her promise and took him to the temple doors, handing him over to the priest, Eli. She wouldn't see her son but for one time a year after that.  She relinquished the very son for whom she prayed.  

She entered into motherhood with a purpose.  
Her heart was set on returning to God what He had given her
and perhaps alot sooner than she was ready to--
can you imagine her the night before she took her baby to the temple doors?
Can you see her washing his clothes--
water and tears mixed together in a basin;
tenderly hanging them to dry,
then folding them as neatly as she could,
tucking in little sleeves,
holding them to her cheeks and breathing in
whatever baby smell left lingering there?
Can you imagine her watching him sleep that night?
You know she didn't leave his side--
watching his chest rise and fall,
caressing his little hair locks
tracing his ears with her fingers...
what were her prayers that night?

Such complete faith and trust in Father.

Her sacrifice went on to bless multitudes as Samuel the gift,
became Samuel the Prophet.
Two books in the Old Testament are named for him.
He made a difference!
I love that--to me that is Hannah's legacy!

I want a heart like Hannah's.
I want to remember that the gift of children that Father has blessed me
is going to be my legacy.
I want to raise children up in a way that they 
make a difference in the part of the world they live in,
that when others see them coming
arms are open, hearts are gladdened.

My goal is to remember to teach my children
how to serve.
Not how to be served.
I want them to know the grace that comes
on one's hands and knees
when they're lifting someone else's burdens
that day.
I want them to know how to 
leave people and places
better and more beautiful than when they got there.

That's what Hannah taught.
By her example,
Samuel learned about sacrifice and service.
He was the result of her covenants to God.
There was no mistaking the priorities of his mother...
he knew what she believed in
because of how she lived.
Hannah continued to be blessed 
as she was given five more children
after Samuel.
I love that part.

I want a heart like Hannah's...
full of faith and conviction.

The best part of being a missionary mom
is knowing that our girl is blessing others' lives.
Is there anything sweeter to hear than our children
are looking beyond the end of their own noses
to lift and buoy others on the way?

How careful we, as parents must be,
to teach our children 
by example 
how to look for opportunities to serve,
how to accept a call for help when it comes to us,
how to be a gracious receiver and a mindful servant.

Hannah showed us how to do that.
Thanks, Hannah.

Mormon Missionaries: Full Joy & Disclosure

You're poking around your house;

going about your daily life--

washing dishes

folding laundry

tending to a child

paying bills

sweeping the porch

preparing a meal

you know, 

just-getting-through-the-day stuff,

when suddenly there's a knock at the door.

You weren't expecting anyone right then--

"Who's there?" you wonder.

You go to the door,

eye to the peephole,

and see two young people there--

standing tall,

smiling,

well-groomed,

and then scanning them on the other side of your door,

you see "it"--

the familiar black name tag.

Mormon missionaries.

Why are they standing at your door?

What are they selling? (fyi: nothing)

Will you answer the door?

Will you return their smile?

Will you invite them in?

It could be the best part of your day if you do.

Even if you don't want to know more about
what they're sharing

with folks on your street today;

mingling with lovely young people

even for a moment
is worthwhile.

I could tell you the answers to all of their questions--

but I think, I know you'd rather hear it from

a couple of actual missionaries

who are currently serving in the 

New York Rochester Mission!

They have begun a blog about their experiences

as sister missionaries--

it is as forthright as you would hope

about the daily-ness of life

as a Mormon Missionary.

They openly share what it's like to leave their "real lives" behind

and what all is involved in being able to wear

that black nametag

and invite questions about their experiences.

The name of their blog is called,

"Taking on Cumorah's Hill".

Go and visit these beautiful young women.

So the next time there's a knock on your front door,

and you peep through your door,

your heart will smile and feel warm

when you see two fresh-faced young people standing in front of you,

you'll know why they're there

smiling back at you.

Today you can get your own personal peek into their very unique world-
that of being a black-name-tag-wearing Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Here is the invitation: Taking On Cumorah's Hill.

For more general information about LDS Missionaries, click here.

Tryin' a lil' Rustic Luxe

So, at Shades of Amber
I went in today to stage the showroom.

Their niche in home decor is "rustic luxe"--
 a style that is new to me.

I worked on a couple of rooms today;
the front entrance room
and the Dash and Albert rug room.

Here's the Befores and Afters:

Lots going on here, as you can surely see:

They have a ton of goodies--

but it was a little overwhelming.

So I just pulled things out, cleared things off, rearranged some stuff,

replaced others.

n' the vintage jewelry holder and chalk board signs, to name a few things.

AFTERS:

I basically tried to thin it out and stage it as a real living room.
What do you think?

Oh and here's the mantel...that is being taken down as soon as another furniture peice is finished being painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint:

I'm not crazy about this, but again, tried to thin it out.

(and it's blurry too, sorry ' bout that)

And the Rug Room:

It's still a WIP but we've got some ideas that we're workin' on...

Anyway,
I have enjoyed this alot and am looking forward to our next project:
a dining room!

I Prayed, He Answered

Three Sundays ago,
I knelt beside my bed
and prayed.

In my prayer,
I told Heavenly Father that I was ready to go back to work.
But it needed to be a job
where I could do something I am already familiar with,
because, with the memory loss I experience,
I don't have the confidence that I could go in cold turkey
and learn something new.

I didn't know what that would look like
or where that might be.

The decorating store I used to work at,
has changed how it is run,
is only open to the public by appointment
most days.

I offered my prayer and put my hope out there.

Wednesday,
Amber called from
"Shades of Amber":

"Hey, are you interested in a job?"

Yes. Yes, I am.

I'm thrilled to get to learn how to use "Annie Sloan Chalk Paint",
and to work with Amber and Brad, the owners.
They've expanded their business to include home accessories,
bedding and Dash and Albert Rugs.
I can do this!
Plus, it's 10 minutes from the house.
I started last week.

Prayers are answered.

UpStaged! Home Staging Colorado BEFORE & AFTERS

Not only do we at UpStaged! Home Staging help homeowners prepare their homes for the sales market,
we also work with home owners to re-design their homes,
using, in general, with what they already own.
Recently,
I have had a blast working with a great gal in our ward as we've been updating her house
just for the fun of it!
We started last week in her Master bedroom:

BEFORE:


What She Wanted:
New floors
New paint

Notice the built-in TV shelf--that was removed in our remodel, 

to make way for a flat-screen TV to be mounted on the wall.

What we've done so far:

 Teak floors!

How beautiful is that?!

 Paint color:

Okay this was tricky...what we wanted was Benjamin Moore's HAWTHORNE YELLOW--

we had that mixed up at our local SherwinWilliams' store ( BM's store was further than we wanted to drive) but it came out like banana yellow--screamin' banana yellow...yikes! (* I didn't get take a picture of that color. The color you see in all of these pics is the same.)
And did ya notice the missing TV shelf?  Yup, it's gone.

 So we took our bucket o' paint back to the SW store

and the gal there actually gave us a mix of hues to "play with" until we got the color just how we wanted it--

a nice buttery-slightly-golden-yellow. 

It worked and we got it exactly as we wanted!

It's a custom color, but we have enough of a sample that we can take it back to SW if we need to do touch-ups or whatever in the future.  We were tryin' to give our new color a name--I call it "Bisquick" because that's what it looked like when we were stirring it up in the bucket.  But the homeowner calls it "Dawn's color".  We began putting her room back together today
and she loves it!  YEA! I knew she would! Here's a peek of our progress:

We took out the bookcase. And the floor lamp. And that picture above the bed.  Although she'll be getting a larger metal artwork this week for over the bed--the one hanging is just something she already had and it's good for now, yeah?

 Now, remember, she had 99% of this stuff tucked away in her house...the silver trays, the crystal, the pottery, all of it.  We just poked around until we found stuff we loved...the tall crystal vase was from her bridal shower 3 decades ago--we found it, washed it and put some ranuculus and clear marbles in it.

 That  darling corner chair with the woven bottom

 was sitting in her garage!  

 We fetched this warm chocolate brown chair out of her great room that is hardly ever used, and fetched the table out of another bedroom. 

 This is not the best picture but another angle.  

And this was what we accomplished this week!  She has a list of things to get that will complete the look--lamps, a rug, a few more things for the high ledges above the walls...we'll get to that next week!

I really enjoyed this project so much.  The floors and painting were done by Doni Long @ Myles High Restoration, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Next week he is pulling up the carpet in the master bathroom and replacing it with travertine tiles we've chosen!  It's going to be gorgeous!

Tips for re-designing your space:
*For the most dramatic difference, put your money into the foundation of the room--
the floors.  If you like what you  have or don't have it in the budget to change it,
the next best change is PAINT!  Get the best quality paint you can afford.  Try some samples first,
on all of the walls to be sure it looks great on all the walls in the different times of day.
*Get a friend or family member that doesn't live in the house with you to give you ideas on what you might be able to re-purpose in your home.  Wash the crystal, shine the silver things you already own, bring out the things you once loved and see if they will work again.  *Note: this does not include broken things, worn out things, tole painted ducks, eucalyptus floral arrangements from the '80's.  Use classic items and you'll be fine.

Take Before and After pics--you'll be so glad you did!  And I'd love to see them!

Spring Sprucing Up--some new projects

Our family room the day we moved in...dontcha love the outdated brown splotchy paint?

The main floor bathroom

with vinyl flooring.

'Nother view of the main floor bathroom with the builder grade sink, cabinet and mirror.  And my bright n' shiny Caboose.

AFTER main floor bathroom/laundry room

Details: Paint color: Benjamin Moore's Wasabi! I love it!  It's got blue undertones, not yellow.  Just a great green!
Flooring: Porcelain tiles in a grooved wood pattern from Home Depot.
Pedestal Sink: American Standard from Lowe's.
Faucet: rubbed oil bronze from Pfister @ Home Depot
Mirror: Hobby Lobby
Light Fixture: Home Depot Online
floral bucket: Southern Living at Home
hand towel & paper holder stand: TJ Maxx Home Goods
birds: Real Deals

I made the valance outta scrap fabric I already had, but I'm wanting to put a black and white buffalo check up there.

And now onto our familyroom:

Paint color: Sherwin Williams Wheat Grass
Curtain Panels: "Kenda" from IKEA

That ficus tree comes and goes with staging jobs. Right now it's standing there taking up space.
I really want to mount the TV on the wall and get a different console under it.

Just a FYI: Those snowshoes are from WWII. They belonged to Kent's father and were government issue. I happen to love them! I'm really wanting a big honkin' rustic mirror in place of the Ogle painting there, but it works for now.

My eat-in kitchen with my awesome Craigslist find: the french-flavored dining set! Have yet to decide on what kind of fabric I want to recover the chairs. They came the way pictured--clear plastic over the fabric--and will stay that way until I figure out what to do with them.  But I love the bench. It's just so different than anything I have n' I like that. the wall color is continued through the rest of the kitchen, but I'm not done with that yet. It's called "Toffee" by Kwal--but I just had it made at Home Depot from BEHR paint.

Our missionary board...we tuck in all the letters/cards/ pics Diana sends home.  

Our very small front living room.  It's so small I can't even put the matching coffee table in there. I mean, it would fit, but it'd be super tight. I happen to like empty spaces, tho. 

Ok so what's new in here are the lamps and the pic above the sofa which used to be above the fireplace.

Got the lamps at TJMaxx Home Goods.

I'm aching to paint the frame too.

And the 108" panels I ordered online from Home Depot.  I'm still going to paint in here, so that's on my TO DO list for Spring. Don't mind the white tool box on the piano bench--it's a rigged up therapy thing my husband is using as he recuperates from his total knee replacement--using that neon green rubber band and the piano.  Weirdo.

Bought the poppies and the container at Hobby Lobby.

So that's it.

What're you doing to spruce up your house this Spring?