Our Master Bedroom

Our ever changing master bedroom.

...Sigh

Not everything changes.

Certainly not the BIG things.

But little things like pillows & wall decor.

I just can't seem to nail it.

Here are some of the past looks.

The chevron pillows were the first ones that I ever made.
And the large antique frame to the right, I added chicken wire to the back so I could clip things to it
like keepsakes, cards, pictures, etc.
I made the banner that swags from the top with strips of burlap & chevron fabric left from the pillows.

I took the frame down this spring ... wanting less of a shabby look, I suppose.

Here's what my side of the bed look like now.
I love the wall hanging filled with pictures taken in South Carolina in 2013.
I made this a few months after that vacation & I'm pretty sure I took pictures so I could blog about how to make it, however, the pictures are nowhere to be found ... thus, I never blogged about it.

The general idea:  I bought 9 frames {8x10} at the Dollar Tree & spray painted them cream.
I outlined/hot glued each frame with rope, tying a knot at one end.
I bought a piece of foam board & glued on each frame after placing the picture inside.
Lastly, I made a 'hanger' on the back with twine & hung it on the wall.
It hung on James' side of the bed til I just moved it to mine.

When we purchased our 2nd house about 18 years ago, we bought this cherry sofa table
& the matching round coffee table.
So, in place of a nightstand, I use the sofa table.
It goes perfectly with our cherry bedroom set.

I'm currently lamp shopping, but not finding what I'm looking for.

Also on my side of the room, the armoire with the TV inside & the sofa.
I always wanted a sofa in my bedroom & seeing how this room is SO huge, I got what I wanted.

We bought this sofa when we bought the cherry tables, so it's a few years old.
Guess the crooked seam that bugs me just shows that this sofa has been well-loved ;)

My mother-in-law made my cream curtains about a year after we got married,
making them about 23 years old!
Classic cream tab tops that haven't gone out of style.
In fact, I loaned Gunnar & Abigail a set of these to use at their house.

There's one more thing on my side of the room ... our treadmill  =/
I've never been a fan of it in our room, but that's where it had to be.
Now that we have 2 empty bedrooms, we'll probably move it out sometime or another.

James has a chair on his side, along with his nightstand and basket for books.
I should've hidden those cords.
Bad blogger.

I took a piece of the same chevron fabric that I used on the pillows to cover the center
on the cream wall hanging for an updated look on a piece I've had for years.

And this plant ledge, well, I've switched things out many time over, but never seem to get it right.
I love that there are two outlets up there so I can flip the switch & it's all lit up.

Right now, the plant ledge is missing this big clock that sat right above the door.
I've moved it to the living room, but I think I'm putting it back cause it's a bit too small for the space.

We replaced the flooring in our master bathroom a while back & it's a big improvement
over the vinyl that was there before.

We also painted it the lightest grey we could find.
It's just a hair from being white.

I bought these sheets last spring {I think} cause I went NUTS over the orange gingham.
And I found them just at the time I had decided that our bedroom needed some orange.
{James' favorite color and a good accent with the light aqua walls.}
I use them from spring to early fall, but I have to say, I'm always glad to have my white sheets back on.

Here's what the bed currently looks like.
The sweet bicycle/basket pillow was a recent gift from my sweet DIL, Abigail.
She know how much I love bikes & baskets.
And the fact that the bike is parked on the beach, bonus!

I replaced the smaller cream fleur-de-lis with a big dark one {it used to hang in the living room}.
{I also have a thing for fleur-de-lis.}

Across from the bed is this fun wall, complete with a new bicycle wall hanging.
All the framed pictures were taken on vacations in South Carolina.
The aqua bicycles in the oval frame were the inspiration for the master bedroom color scheme.

Live in the sunshine ~ swim in the sea~ drink the wild air.

And so although I can never get our room how I want it {maybe I'm not sure how I want it},
there is one thing I am sure of ....

This room brings us so much comfort! 

In the evening, when come upstairs to close out our busy & tiring day,
this room serves it's purpose perfectly.

With the rest of the room dark & whimsical lights twinkling in the palm tree, it kinds feels like a warm hug.

So while it may have seemed for a minute like this was a blog post about decorating ...
or it may have even seemed like a blog about being discontent with the room, the decor ...
or about how it just a hodge podge of mix-match stuff that we've had for years
& isn't nearly what I want it to be ...

It's really about NONE of those things.

It's a blog about being grateful.

At the end of the day when we crawl into our comfortable bed, with a mattress that feels amazing,
sheets that are clean, a room that's cool when it's hot outside & warm when it's cold,
I feel abundantly blessed.
More than I deserve.

I may never get each piece of decor just right.
I will definitely never have a magazine-worthy look.

I will, though, have a heart of thanks for the many blessings that have come my way.
I am thankful for a husband that provides.
I love our home & all it's imperfections ... the shelter & comfort it that our 'home sweet home' brings.
Cause it's filled with love.
Always has been, always will be.

And that, my friend, money cannot buy.




**My style has changed so much through the years that I'd love to start from scratch.
I feel like not much in our current home is representative of my style, at this point.
We will be 'down-sizing' in a year or so & are currently deciding to build or buy/remodel.
I'm biding my time with all my current furniture/decor until that time comes.
I can barely contain my excitement at the endless possibilities.

Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday           Amaze Me Monday  The Dedicated House
                     I Should Be Mopping the Floor     The Hankful House     The Modest Mom
Tuesday        A Delightsome Life    A Bowl Full of Lemons  
                                    Titus Tuesday  A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style      
                              The Thrifty Home   A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch    Katherines Corner 3D Lessons for Life
           Hope in Every Season     Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop  Missional Women  Best of the Nest
                                French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things  Sew Many Ways

I've Been in a Vacation State of Mind

You know how it is.
You go on vacation & get so good & relaxed that you just can't seem to shake it off
once you get back home.
That's exactly where I've been.

I've had no desire to blog whatsoever!
I haven't even been reading other blogs  -- pretty much cold turkey since vacation.
I've been hit & miss with other social media too.
Just haven't wanted to keep up with any of it.

Now, granted, there's been a-plenty of activities that could not be avoided.
Ya know, the little thing called laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking ...  you know how it is.

And, the biggie, as soon as we got home from vaca, we started back to school {Riley & I}.
He said he was actually ready to get back onto the school schedule & I feel the same way.
It just takes a couple weeks to get the rhythm going & everything to balance out.

And church -- there's always work & activities there that must be attended to.

BUT BEYOND ALL THAT ... 
I've tried to stay in the vacation state of mind in every other conceivable way!
Not just me, but James too.

Everyday when he's gotten home from work, he's donned his shorts, tank, & flip flops ...
and as he came down the stairs he'd announce, "I'm back on island time!" ...
& off to the patio he'd go.
Course, I'm never too far behind.
We've been spending almost every evening out enjoying the evening sun,
daydreaming that we were still sitting on the beach.

That brings me to the other activity that's been taking lots of my free time ... reading!
I took a book to the beach every day while on vaca & got back into the groove.
James even took me to the bookstore while we were there to buy a new book that he'd heard me mention.
I read about half of it before we left SC.

boomama.net

This book is sooo good.
You know the "it'll have you laughing one minute & crying the next" saying?
Well, it'll have you laughing til tears pour down your cheeks & sobbing like a baby the next.
That would be more accurate.
In any event, go buy this book.
It's excellent!
And, follow her blog -- she's an absolute hoot!

Now that the weather is changing a bit, and the leaves are too,
we are still chilling outside as much as possible.
James has traded in his tanks for long sleeves.
The fire pit keeps us nice & toasty ... & we are determined to spend as much time outside as we can
before the snow starts falling to the ground.
{And last year, Indiana's first snow was in October!  I certainly hope we do not get a repeat of that!}

We've been to the apple orchard & to the park several times.
James even surprised me by taking a day off work & we went to the Covered Bridge Festival.
It's an annual tradition that we look forward to each fall.
This is my favorite time of year & I just can't get enough of being outside in this autumn weather!

Here's my honey & me at our favorite park near our home.
I love standing on this bridge & watching the water.
It reminds me so much of all the hours I spent playing in the creek at my grandma Ely's house
in Pennington Gap, VA.
Precious memories.

These two pics are a little fuzzy, but for some reason, I just love 'em.

 Here we are at the Covered Bridge Fest ... I have more pics & info all about this trip coming soon.

And here's us at the apple orchard -- we take a pic in front of this wagon each time we visit =)

Notice a pattern?
Our boys aren't always with us like they used to be ... kinda makes me sad.
They have jobs & commitments cause they aren't little kiddos anymore.
We still have fun family time though, but we just can't wait for everyone to be available all at the same
time or we'd never go anywhere or do anything.
Sigh ...


So, there's a bit of catching up on where I've been & that's what I've been doing!
I've been hard at work editing & organizing our vacation pics too & can't wait to show you all of those.
Well, some of those ... you do know how beautiful Charleston & IOP is, right?!
You know that warrants taking a hundred & fifty billion pics ;)

Here's a couple gorgeous shots:

Gahhhhhh....I love Charleston & IOP!!

Nonetheless, I'm back in the blogging saddle.
I've got several new recipes to share & some new completed projects
around the house that I want you to see.
{I decorated the house for fall just a few days after we got home.
I almost talked myself out of it, but I'm sooo glad I did it.
Fall decor just goes really well in our house & kinda makes me feel like a big warm hug.}


Here is one of the recipes I'm sharing soon.
It's my amped up version of Ree's Drip Beef Sandwich ... & it was lip-smackin' good!!

Hope you are enjoying fall & aren't working too hard.

In the current book I'm reading, she says that being a tourist is just a state of mind.
I smiled really big when I read that ...
and I full well agree.

As much as I love traveling, especially to South Carolina, I can keep that same 'vacation' feel --
that same 'tourist' state of mind right here in my own home, my own backyard, my own hometown.
Maybe it's just to relax a little more than usual.
Or it could be visiting a park, taking a walk in a different part of town, trying a new restaurant,
or exploring the city by going to a place you've never been.
It doesn't even have to cost a lot.

I know it's good for me & my state of mind ... my vacation state of mind.

Talk to you again soon, sweet bloggy friends.

An Ocean of Memories

The wonderful thing about this picture is that it doesn't require a lot of explanation.

There's just something so serene & beautiful about it.

This was taken on Sunday of Clarise, James' 82 year-old grandmother.

She's gazing out at the ocean on Fripp Island, South Carolina.

When James showed me the picture, he said, "Wonder what Grandma's thinking?"

Is she thinking back to the many trips she's made here, he said ...

maybe thinking back on the vacations taken with his Grandpa, who's now passed on.

She may be reminiscing about their many fishing trips ... 

or walking on the beach with her children & grandchildren.

Oh the years of memories.

And the ocean is such good medicine ... therapy for the soul.

This is such a neat trip for her too.

She's on a week-long vacation with her only remaining brother {who is 86 years old}, 

his wife, & many of their children & grandchildren.

They are staying in a huge home right on the beach with no real plans for the week.

Just plans to relax, take in the awesome ocean view, play on the beach,

& make memories ... lots of memories.

“Our memories of the ocean will linger on, long after our footprints in the sand are gone.”

~Anonymous

*photo taken by Tammy Gibson of Tammy Gibson Photography

I Hope You Dance

In 2 days, we'll turn the pages of our story & start a brand new chapter ... chapter 21.

We'll begin our 21st year of wedded bliss!

We are no longer in the honeymoon phase, sadly.
In fact, we are nearing mid-life!
That feels so weird to say ... & weird to experience too, I must admit.

It's been a year of transition, the biggest being that our twin sons graduated!
A huge part of my daily life {homeschooling 3} has changed.
The twins are working full-time jobs & both are in courtships.
Even Riley has worked some this summer, leaving the house empty & oh so quiet.
My babies aren't babies anymore ... & momma is trying to adjust to these BIG changes
as best as she can & as gracefully as possible.

James job has been more demanding than ever, bringing along with it the usual stress.

Add in the other usual day-to-day busyness, & you've got yourself a roller coaster ride.

That's about the best analogy I can think of.

We have determined, however, not to let our marriage {or our family} take a back seat.

Often in the hustle & bustle of life, we take for granted the things that are constants,

the things that are familiar, the things we think will just be there, regardless ...

& sometimes that ends up being our marriage & our spouse.

We've had our ups & downs, tears, sorrow, & sadness ... no marriage is void of those,

but we've also made some deliberate choices to celebrate, have fun, laugh, 

& make memories.

Last August, I blogged {a whole month late} about being married for 20 years.

We were sad that we couldn't do something huge to celebrate ...

you know, like go to Hawaii {like we said we do by our 10th}.

Nah, that just didn't happen.

In fact, July is one of our busiest months & we've never really celebrated too big.

Our schedules just haven't allowed it.

So, we decided to celebrate being married for 20 years all.year.long.

And that is exactly what we've done.

In my blog last August, I compared marriage to a dance ...

& I think this song fits us just right.

We've kept our dance card full throughout this 20th year.
 
James planned a trip to the Benjamin Harrison House & a nice dinner to start it off.
{July 2011}

In October {2011}, we headed to our favorite place on earth ...South Carolina.
It was hard to reduce our wonderful week down to just a handful of pics, 
but here are a few of my favorites.

In February, James came home & announced that he was planning a cruise.
After going back & forth, we decided that we couldn't leave the country without
taking our children along for the experience.
We told them it was a 'senior trip' of sorts.

We started our adventure in New Orleans ... what an experience that was!

We had a wonderful time in Cozumel & Progresso ... so many new memories to treasure.

As we begin our 21st year, who even knows what it will bring.
I'm sure there will be an adventure or two along the way.
All in all, we will turn through this chapter with a grateful heart,
thanking God for His many blessings, & asking for His love to guide & keep us. 


Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder
Where those years have gone
I hope you dance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance~

Today, I'm dreaming~

If you know me at all, you know how much I love & adore South Carolina.
More specifically, I love Isle of Palms {IOP} & Charleston.

Throughout my whole life, I was always content with Indiana...
never had any desire  to live anywhere other than the good ol' Hoosier state.

Then there was South Carolina.
Need I say more.

Several years ago, we were wanting to vacation someplace new ...
someplace we'd never visited before.
After hearing a friend gush & gush about Charleston, 
it sounded like it would perfectly fit the bill.
We like visiting places that are rich in history {we are homeschoolers, you know} ...
& let me tell ya, Charleston is off the charts in the category!!
They get an A++!

We also don't mind the beach ... or the ocean ...duh?! 

And if it's a pretty place, easy on the eyes, bonus!
Again, A++!
In case you haven't been there or haven't heard,  
the beauty of Charleston, SC, is said to rival classic European cities.
Whoever said this knew what they were talking about.
Gorgeous!!
Think old money, historic homes, high class ... mixed with southern beauty & charm.
It's all that & more.

Now, can anyone guess what {or where} I'm dreaming about today?
Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding!!
Right answer ... SOUTH CAROLINA.
South Carolina dreamin' ... & truth be told, I dream of it nearly everyday!

Today, I woke up with this beautiful home on the beach on my mind.

This is on our beloved IOP, at the far end of the beach.
We walked right past this beauty ... cause right behind it, you are on the water!
Wouldn't it be tough waking up & having to choose which deck to view the ocean 
from each morning?
What a terrible problem to have.


Here's a very unflattering photo {of me...my hubs looks fab, as usual} 
with crazzzy, wind-blown hair, taken right behind the gorgeous aqua house.
See, told ya, right.on.the.water.

 And just right down the way, there's this.

This is just steps away from our week's 'home away from home.'
When we weren't on the beach, we were standing on the balcony looking at
all this beauty.

Now, are you convinced how easily it is to slip into daydream land?
See why I spend entirely too much time scheming how I can sneak off to SC?
If there weren't 13 hours separating us, I'm afraid you'd find me taking up
permanent residence.


 One man's daydreaming is another man's day.  ~Grey Livingston