Let's decorate a wedding...

 It's amazing the encouragement and strength that can come from a person who knows you well and sees you through different phases of life. My college friend Melody is one of those treasured individuals. Melody and I spent countless hours studying together, taking classes together, painting signs together, praying together and sharing queso dip at Applebees. When she asked if I would be interested in helping her decorate her wedding, I was honored and thrilled to be a part of her day by doing something that I love.

We discussed her ideas, looked at pictures, painted signs, and assembled a few friends to help.

It was a breezy fall day in November. The trees were beautiful and her desire for "simple and rustic" matched the venue  perfectly.

Moss. Wood slices. Pine cones. Tree branches. Lanterns.

Gold frames. Chalkboards. Wrought iron.

 The decor items were simple on their own but made a beautiful collection together.  What a perfect picture of marriage! I pray Adam and Melody are better together!

The constant breeze from the water forced my decorating friends and I to be a little more creative - finding boxes and baskets to contain the cups, hot chocolate packets, and anything else that was blowing away.

Special friends and family members brought pies of all kinds to share at the reception.

The bread table beside the buffet lines quickly turned into one of my favorite reception details.

Bamboo skewer signs helped to label the different types of bread. And the Acts 2 verse seemed appropriate to prop up in the center of the table.  It was my gift to the couple, praying that their home would continue to be a place where friends gather and the Lord is honored.

The bride had this beautifully aged gold frame that we were able to turn into the perfect sign for her photo booth guest book instructions.

I loved watching the joy on my friend's face that day. Friends were gathered and the Lord was glorified.

Using items to decorate the wedding that reflected the bride's style kept costs low and made items reusable. Signs from the reception currently decorate her home.

Since your home should reflect who you are and what you love, wedding mementos make the best decorations.

I am so thankful for this 12 year (and counting) friendship. Thank you for letting me be a part of your special day!

A Welcoming Entry

This past summer, we decided to list our house For Sale By Owner. We didn't really need a bigger home, but I longed for two things - 1. a flat yard for the kids  2. a welcoming entry.

I loved our first home - but I was not a fan of the split-entry foyer. It felt like each time I would open our front door for guests, I was either half way up the stairs to give them room to enter. Or I was behind the door. 

The Lord brought an offer for our home less than 2 weeks after we listed it on Zillow. I had taken the pictures myself, hoping that my style might entice a buyer. We had seen this blue house had dropped closer to our price range in a fabulous neighborhood. The lots are large and flat. And the streets are quiet. We went to see the inside of this home, but I told my husband that I couldn't even think about our living there because our current home might not sell. That very night, after viewing the blue house, the phone rang...and a few days later...that interested couple put in an offer! 

After a few days of negotiations, the blue house was ours. It had quirks and issues. I wished it wasn't blue. It needed paint. But it had a big, flat yard and a welcoming entry. We could paint and fix the rest! 

In  my dream notebook, I've listed changes to make to almost every inch of this house. From the roof to the siding color. Little by little, those changes will be made. 

But first, I wanted to tackle my entry.

This hallway had great potential but it was painted 15 different shades of tan and cream.

I first tackled the walls, painting them a warm white. I wanted to try the popular all white look. And I figured that if it wasn't my favorite look, it would be easy to change later.

However, I love how clean the white walls feel.

(Source for "Toilette" sign)

I also began to search for some schoolhouse style lights. The existing yellow globed ugly lights were casting a not-so-nice yellow glow on my white walls. Here's the link to the ones we purchased. They were under $30,  and we have been super impressed with their quality. I now want schoolhouse lights everywhere.

Painting the doors black has been one of my favorite decisions recently. I purchased a gallon of pre-mixed black semi-gloss paint. (It's hard to get true black mixed at the paint counter, but there are already black gallons mixed for you on the store shelves.)

For the wood interior doors, it was just a matter of applying two coats to the door. I used my favorite trim brush for the edges, grooves and around the door knobs. I used a small sponge roller for the flatter areas.  I would put the kids to bed, start a favorite podcast and get to painting. I could usually do a few doors each evening - and the paint would be dry by the time those little fingers were awake in the morning.

The metal front door required a little extra love. I had painted it just like the interior wood doors. But the black paint peeled off in one large sheet. It was coming off in such large sheets that Hudson asked if I was holding a trash bag. (Like this) So, I grabbed my can of bonding primer. After a coat of the primer, the black paint stuck well to the older metal door.

I will eventually replace that funky runner on the stairs. But I am waiting until after I paint the walls above the staircase. I wanted my stairs to look semi-finished for my Christmas decor. So, I painted the railing and the visible side of the stairs.

And a few days after that paint was dry, the Christmas decor went up.

I attached the garland to the railing with black pipe cleaners.

Nora woke up from her nap and said, "Oh, Mom!  I looooove it!"

My kids are quick to notice new things in the house. I usually do my decorating/fixing-up while they are asleep. It's like a treasure hunt when they wake up.

We are still loving the white walls and black doors. It feels clean and fresh.

The outside of the front door will get a coat of black paint soon!

And, if you've seen my instagram, you know that I decorated my home for Christmas in the middle of November. Yes, we still celebrated Thanksgiving. I even hosted my parents and cooked with my mom at our house.

Each person decides their own time to put up their trees, but I choose to do it before all the festivities begin. With Thanksgiving, Hudson's birthday, the big Christmas tea at church and all the other Christmas activities - I have found that I am able to rest and enjoy all those Christmasy things if my house is decorated before they begin.

Twinkle lights make me happy.

And the rest of the family doesn't seem to mind either.

We are so thankful that the Lord led us to this home. We look forward to filling it with lots of love, laughter and visitors. He sold our house. He picked this new home out for us. We pray we can use it for Him.