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

Hello February & Other Random Chitter Chatter

I've been 42 for 6 days.

I think I'll toast to that.

|| That & it's already February.

Are you even kidding me?! ||

Ever had bananas sliced up in a drink?

Me either.

Must be a 42-year-old thing to do ;)

I love my sugar-free drinks & this one is a fave.

I usually top off a glass with fresh or frozen berries, but today for some odd reason, 

I thought of using a banana instead.

WOW -- I love it!

Feels all tropical ... all coco-cabana.

Seems like my spring fever officially starts in February.

I'm sure the drink is a clear indication.

{I don't decorate much for Valentine's Day ... I'd like to, but I don't.}

About mid-month, I get down my totes that are filled with spring decor & I get started.

I generally use tulips, birds, moss, greens, & yellows.

My green curtains in the living room really pop when the spring items are all out.

Lastly & a bit random, I started something at the end of last year 

expressly to be a blessing to my sweet husband.

Every week, I iron 10-15 of his shirts.

I hang them in his closet, all ready for him to wear.

To keep them separate from the shirts that haven't been ironed,

I use 2 clothes pins.

I clip one to the clothes rack on either side of the ironed shirts.

You know what's great?

What I'm doing to be a blessing to him

is really a blessing to me!

He is so grateful for all the ironed shirts & he tells me quite often.

I know that this act of service, that takes only a little time & effort on my part,

makes his day easier.

What {good} wife doesn't want to be a help to her husband?

Mine works hard, puts in long hours, deals with lots of clients, customers,

employees & on top of all that, he pastors our church.

In addition, he's a wonderful, attentive husband & the best dad from here to Texas.

Anything that I can do to make his load lighter, I'm very glad to do it.

I read once that oftentimes, a husband just wants a wife that's nice.

That's pretty simple & straightforward.  

They just want a wife that's nice.

Since it's February, the month of love, I challenge you to just be nice.

That can be expressed in a variety of ways.

Pick a few & put them into practice.

Today til February 14 {til forever, really}, ROCK THEIR WORLD!

Are you with me?!

taken in Gatlinburg, TN  \\   January 2015

taken in Gatlinburg, TN  \\   January 2014

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.

Proverbs 18:22

...let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

1 John 3:18

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.  

Ephesians 4:32

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:4

Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday           C.R.A.F.T    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         Adorned From Above
                    The Thrifty Home   A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch   Serving Joyfully     Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop  Best of the Nest
               French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things  Sew Many Ways

Making My Own Bagged Salad

Some convenience products are fantastic and I take take full advantage of many of them.

I usually buy cheese already shredded verses shredding it myself.
I like cheese best when I shred it myself, but I just don't take time to do it very often.

Another favorite: break 'n bake cookies.
I have to say, those handy dandy Nestle cookies can be 'breaked & baked' in no time flat ;)

However, there are many things that although they are convenient, they don't taste that great.
No matter how quick & easy they are, I pass them up for a better taste, value, or health benefit.

Today, I'm going to show you my favorite greens for a salad.
And it doesn't take that much time or effort to have them washed, chopped, & on a plate.
See there?!

This is the box of lettuce that I like to buy.
It's called Artisan Lettuce & it's usually $1.99 {at Aldi}.


Artisan lettuce is four fully mature, baby heads of specialty red and green lettuce.
There are two red and two green lettuce heads chosen from the best varieties available
in the field at the time.
There will be a combo of red or green baby Gem, Oak leaf, or Frillice {Tango} lettuce.

Gem lettuce is crunchy, dense & compact, & has a sweet mild flavor.
The Oak leaf lettuce has a ruffly leaf with a soft, full flavor.
This reminds me of a butter lettuce & is my very favorite.
Lastly, Tango is a curly leaf lettuce with a sharp, intense flavor, similar to endive or arugula.
Put these all together, you have a mix that makes a delicious salad.

credit

Now, opening a bag of spring mix or salad greens is definitely the quickest way to get salad on the table.
There's no question there.
My biggest aversion to bagged lettuce, however, is the smell & taste.
I'm not sure if it's the air in the packaging to keep it from getting smashed & bruised during shipping ...
OR if it's the chemicals & preservatives used to keep it fresh.
I just can't put my finger on it, but it's a chemical taste & smell that gets me every time.
It also seems to go bad so quickly.
If there's just a piece or two that's gone bad, the whole bag seems to take on that smell/taste.
I can eat it, I just don't prefer to buy it myself.
Funny thing, I buy bagged baby spinach, mustard greens, & kale.
I don't notice the smell & taste with any of these like I do with the lettuce.
Who knows.
It's a mystery.

Here's how I use the box of Artisan lettuce to make my own 'bagged lettuce.'
This method works perfectly.

After opening the box, I wash each head of baby lettuce, gently pulling apart the leaves a bit
to insure the water gets down inside.
I then turn the head upside down on a kitchen towel to drip dry.

I'm totally in love with chopped salads lately, so next, I chop each head of lettuce,
stopping about an inch from the core.
If there any dirt, that's where it settles.
Truthfully though, I rarely see any dirt on this lettuce.

If the lettuce seems a bit wet still, I use a paper towel to pat it dry as it's laying on the cutting board.

As each lettuce is chopped, I add it to a gallon size zipper bag.

With each addition of a different lettuce, I toss it around to mix it together.

And really, in just a few minutes, I have a full bag of fresh lettuce.
It's ready for a salad or to be added to a sandwich or a burger.
This keeps for about a week in the fridge.
{It'll keep a little longer if you tear the leaves instead of chopping them.}

I also like to use romaine lettuce & will often wash, chop, & store it in a bag just like this.
Another thing I often do is add a handful or two of baby spinach to whatever lettuce I am bagging up.
That way, I don't have to get into the bag of spinach each time I want to add to my salad.

For this particular salad, I used my chopped lettuce as a base, added heirloom baby tomatoes,
mini salad cucumbers, celery, cracked black pepper & feta cheese.
It was so vibrant & fresh ... it almost felt like summertime!

For the finale, I drizzled on California French with bacon dressing & I called it lunch!

Now, if bagged lettuce works well for your family, by all means, stick with it!
If you are looking to mix things up a bit, however, this is one to try.
And sometimes salad gets boring, but it doesn't have to with so many varieties of lettuces,
fresh veggies, dressings, & toppings.
Here's to keeping it fresh & healthy this year!

Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday           C.R.A.F.T    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         Adorned From Above
                    The Thrifty Home   A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch   Serving Joyfully     Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop  Best of the Nest
               French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things  Sew Many Ways

Powdered Laundry Soap

I've been making my own liquid laundry soap for several years now & I'm a big fan!

I decided today though, as I was grating up the Fels Naptha bar, to give the powdered version a try.

I have many friends who prefer it over the liquid.

I'll have to say, the liquid is simple to make, but the powdered soap ... even easier!

Had it completed, start to finish, in a couple of minutes ... the longest part was grating the soap.

{I usually do it in my mini-food chopper but I wanted the arm exercise ;) ha! }

It's one bar of Fels Naptha {grated}, 1 cup of Borax, 

1 cup of Arm & Hammer super washing soda, & 1 cup of color-safe powder bleach.

There are a hundred million recipes for this in blogland & many of them say to add

Downy Unstoppables or Purex crystals, completely optional.

I didn't have any, so I left them out.

The instructions say to use 1-2 tablespoons per load ... I'll go for the 2.

Course, storing the soap in a cute jar will make the laundry a little more fun.

{I decided to keep, fancy up, & reuse this jar after the hot peppers were all gone.}

So, we'll give it a try & see how it works!

Any of you make your own powdered laundry soap?

      4 Easy Steps!

1. Grate one bar of Fels Naptha 
2.  Mix in 1 cup of Borax
3. 1 cup of Arm & Hammer super washing soda
4. 1 cup of color-safe powder bleach. 

     Store in a container with a lid so it stays dry.

**UPDATE**
I super loved this dry laundry soap! 
It works just as well as the liquid & is quicker & easier!

 

 Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday          C.R.A.F.T      The Dedicated House  I Should Be Mopping the Floor
                  Between Naps on the Porch  The Modest Mom
Tuesday     A Delightsome Life   A Bowl Full of Lemons    Titus Tuesday      A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style         Adorned From Above
                    The Thrifty Home  The Dedicated House    A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch   Serving Joyfully     Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop  Best of the Nest
               French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things    Suburbsmama    Sew Many Ways

Busy Morning in the Kitchen

It's a rainy & dreary day here & truthfully,
working in the kitchen today felt like therapy.
Seemed like the perfect way to spend time,
watching out the window at the pouring rain as I was cooking.

I had a bit of a kitchen 'to-do' list today, so to get started, I got the ham & beans on to cook.
Fine comfort food.

Next, I marinated the pork chops that will go on the grill this evening.
And washed the BIG bag of mustard greens from my brother's garden.
Now, you know what we are having for dinner =)

I kept out a few thick slices of the ham steak & fried those up, along with a few eggs.
Topped with American cheese & sandwiched between English muffins,
these will be an easy & quick breakfast for the boys for the next couple days.

I had a leftover boneless, skinless chicken breast from Monday's dinner,
a really HUGE one, so I turned that into chicken salad.
Yum!
I chopped it fine, added diced onion, chopped dill pickle, whole grain mustard,
mayo, salt, pepper, & dill.
Made a one pound container packed full.

Next, I made a big bowl of chocolate pudding ...
& then started on the pineapple ... the 3 pineapples, that is.

We got a brand new Earth Fare store & part of their grand opening special
is spend $5 & get a free pineapple.
Well, between Gunnar, Garrett, & us, we have 3 pineapples!

First order of business:  make Pineapple Fluff!
This is our go-to summertime dessert.
It's lo-cal, lo-fat, & is the easiest thing ever.

You use one tub of cool whip {8 oz}, 1 small box of sugar-free instant vanilla pudding,
& 1 can of crushed pineapple {20 oz}, juice & all.
Mix those 3 things together & voila:  pineapple fluff!
Since I was using fresh pineapple, I blended some of it so I'd have plenty of juice,
about the equivalent of what would be in a regular can of crushed pineapple.
Course, I never make just one batch ... it's always a double around here.

I learned how to make this dessert at Weight Watchers years & years ago ...
& have made it more times than I can count.
It's a big hit around here.
We like it just like this ... served like a pudding or a mousse.
You can also serve it as an 'icing' on angel food cake or over any regular cake {yellow, lemon, etc}.
Or you can put it in a graham cracker pie crust.
It's yummy any which way.

After I got all the pineapple chopped, I ended up with 4 quart jars of fresh pineapple!

So, all in all, a very productive morning in the kitchen.
Makes me feel all farm-housy.
Is that a word?

Hope your week has been good thus far ... & will end up even better.

 Here's my motto.

 

And always remember to...

Love & hugs <3


PS)  Got a bridal shower post coming tomorrow ... you will love how pretty is was!!

Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday          C.R.A.F.T      The Dedicated House  I Should Be Mopping the Floor
                  Between Naps on the Porch  The Modest Mom
Tuesday     A Delightsome Life   A Bowl Full of Lemons    Titus Tuesday      A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style         Adorned From Above
                    The Thrifty Home  The Dedicated House    A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch   Serving Joyfully     Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop  Best of the Nest
               French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things    Suburbsmama    Sew Many Ways