We Bought a House!

Merry Christmas!

Instead of unpacking Christmas decorations this year, I'll be packing boxes…moving boxes! 

We are moving this month!!

There aren't any Christmas decorations decking the halls around here so I thought I'd share a few photos from last year. 

I can't wait to share pictures of our new space with you. We are so thrilled to be moving to our own home. The home is lovely and the views are breathtaking. 

Rainy Days

Hail, Rain, Floods, and Tons of MUD!

The past few days have been crazy in southern California.

My old hometown, Tehachapi, made the news because of mudslides trapping a couple hundred motorists in their cars. People were unable to steer or control their cars because they were floating on a freeway turned into a muddy river. I can only imagine how frightening that must have been. 

Our new hometown had about 3.5" of rain in an hour that created lots of havoc.  I couldn't believe the amount of water coming through our property.  We have a small drainage ditch running through the front pasture that wasn't even visible at one point. The WHOLE front pasture turned into a river carrying water and trees and mud and random yard items with it as it rushed along. 

In the midst of the chaos (road closures, mudslides, homes flooded, etc), I have witnessed such wonderful people working hard to serve their community.  Neighbors with their tractors working diligently to clear the debris off of the roads, helping one another with errands and trips to town, providing updates and information on road closures and conditions.

We aren't in control of the weather, but we are in control of our response. 

I'm so proud and thankful for how my community responded. 

Prepping for Fall

It's almost sweatshirt weather!  Woohoo! 

We even picked and dehydrated apples from trees in our yard!

We are getting used to our new setting and routines.  

I even found time to add a few new designs to my etsy shop. 

Are you ready for fall? 

Simple Party Decorations

I knew throwing a birthday party in the middle of moving into a new home would be a challenge. 

I also knew it would be motivation to unpack, clean, and decorate. 

Unpacking and Adjusting

After what seemed to be a never ending move, we are settling in to our new home.  We moved to a town that is a little over an hour from our old home.  We are planning to enjoy our temporary stop here in this house as we plan and prepare to buy a home in this area...even if that means packing and moving again.

Here's a peek at my new surroundings. 

 I love the outdoor spaces. 

View from the porch :)

 Chickens!

Packing Supplies Found in the Kitchen

This season of my life is devoted to moving! The days of designing/painting signs and decorating my house will return, but right now it's all about purging, packing, and planning! 

Summer is for Relaxing…I Mean Packing!

It's finally summertime! School is officially out for our family of two students and two teachers.

We are trying to recover from the busyness of the last couple weeks of school & relax for a brief moment before all of the packing begins for our move.

This Lemonade sign I made cheers me up and reminds me of summer. In the stressful times ahead of us with moving, I'm hoping to slow down and enjoy a little bit of summer too…maybe with a glass of lemonade!

This sign is now available in my shop! ;)

Just Paint It!

Do you like to paint? 

I like painting because of the instant satisfaction…once all the prep is done! 

I took some pictures of the house this week and was reminded of all the things that I've painted over the years like my front door...

 and walls, fireplace surround, and the signs on the fireplace…

and my kitchen cabinets, more signs, and the pantry door…

and baseboards (I've actually painted them 3 different colors then back to white!)…

and more walls, ceiling, cabinets, and a sign…

 and exterior trim on the extra garage (aka "Carriage House"), and stain on the play set.

Don't be afraid to make some changes at your house with a little bit of paint! 

Reflecting on the Before, Pursuing the After

I don't know about you, but sometimes I can get stuck thinking about the "to do" list and forget about all that has been "done".  I came across a photo I snapped when we first bought our home and stopped to be grateful for all that we have accomplished.  

I need to try to recreate this exact photo so you can see that the new ceiling fans are so much more attractive. (I hope you're not a ceiling fan hater...we love them and use them...we just like them to not have brass and a woven wicker look!)

These photos remind me of walls & cabinets that have been painted, curtains that have been sewn, light fixtures that have been updated, blinds that have been removed.... 

It is encouraging to think about what has been done when feeling overwhelmed about what's left to do. This doesn't just apply to making your house a home, but in life! 

I love to reflect on the growth and maturity in my kids or to see how God has been faithful in situations or relationships.  It is easy to get overwhelmed with difficult circumstances in life (parenting, work, relationships, finances), but God is not done with us! Try reflecting back on that "before" picture in your life to remind yourself of what God has brought you through or imagine what that "after" picture might look.  Pray for it and pursue it.  "Direction, not intention determines your destination." - Andy Stanley.

I'm WHEELY glad we're friends

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you are taking some time to do something special for the ones you love and not just getting caught up in the craziness of getting all the supplies ready for the kids' school party. :)

I tried to keep it simple this year, but I still felt like throwing in the towel half way through the Valentine card making/signing madness!  But we finished without tears (me and them) and enjoyed most of the process.

More Feed & Seed

I had a cream colored board just waiting to be painted for a while. 

I designed this FEED AND SEED sign for it a couple of weeks ago and just loved it. 

Then I wondered if I'd love it in black and white… Yes! I do! 

If you fall in love with them, you can find them in my Etsy shop.   :)

House Updates: Yard Sales, Deals, and Family Treasures

Over the last couple of years, I've been making changes to our living area. We have a somewhat open concept living room, dining room, and kitchen.  My goal is to have pleasant but neutral background in these spaces that can be enhanced with accessories and colors as the seasons change. My main color palette of white, gray, and black seems to be simple and sophisticated at the same time and easily enhanced.

Recently I decided I'd had enough of my old dining table and worn out chairs with no padding left. I'd been wanting to get the Ikea Henriksdal chairs with long white slipcovers for a while…even with two messy boys. Crazy. I know. (But you can wash them!!) 

In order to make these changes, with *zero* budget for new furniture, I decided to sell my old dining table, chairs, and a sofa table to get the needed cash. I posted pictures on a local yard sale site and happily sold my items fairly quickly. The Greyson table came from World Market. I absolutely love the color, texture, shape…everything!

We sat on folding chairs for a few weeks. Then we were able to get our Ikea chairs. All the buzz and excitement around here about the new chairs have actually helped the kids to not be so messy. I also drape a white hand towel on their chair cushions so that can be washed easily and catch the crumbs and spills. So far so good!

I've been having fun changing out the pillow covers on my couch lately for some quick changes. My neutral background is working out great for these updates.  H&M Home has adorable covers for as low as $5.95. I have this one and this one! The gray/white plaid checked covers are from Ikea.

One of my favorite recent additions is this butcher block table my grandpa made years ago.

I've had the pleasure of keeping it at my house since my parent's moved to a smaller house. The galley shape of my kitchen doesn't allow for me to use it properly as an island, but I finally found a good home for it as an end table. It is a little unconventional, but I actually wanted a large scale table for this location. I have vaulted ceilings and large scale furniture so it fits in perfectly.

It also reminds me of my grandparents. :)  (Hi, Grandma!)

Valentine's Day

I haven't made anything new (yet) to share with you for Valentine's, but I did want to share my two favorite projects from a couple of years ago.  You can print and share these notes & bookmarks with your kids. :)

(Click the links below to see more details.)

Lunch Box Love Notes Printable

 Available in 2 colorways:

  

Valentine's Day Bookmark Printable

"Wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day write now!" or Love Scriptures

(For personal use only)

Feed and Seed Sign

I love all things farm & ranch related for some reason! How about you?

This weekend I decided to make a vintage looking "Feed and Seed" sign to represent that love.  :)

It is now available in my Etsy shop for anyone looking for a little "farm & ranch" 

to add to their home decor. 

Thank you for stopping by! 

Sporting Goods Hand-painted Wood Sign

I love the direction we are going with the addition of the towel hooks and wainscoting, but I've been wanting to add some more personality to the boy's bathroom. I thought a sporting goods theme would be a good choice for their space. I'd like to find a few vintage posters or old sports equipment to hang, but for now, I made a vintage looking "Sporting Goods" sign.

Here it is prior to the distressing. I think it looks great this way too, but it wanted it to look old and weathered for the bathroom.

Handmade Wood Signs

Here are the signs I'm adding to the shop this weekend!

I love the way they turned out.