Giving Thanks...

I'm so excited today to dive into a flurry of family hugs, tasty food and memory making! We celebrated early with my parents, brother & sister and their families last Saturday. I so enjoyed getting to see my sweet Elle and was most thankful this year that my brother and Tamara live close by!

 Today will be spent with Michael's family...3 sisters, grandpa, great aunt & uncle, and a whole herd of nieces and nephews! 13 to be exact! 

Before I sign off I wanted to post of few pics of the entry I re-styled. I moved the dresser/buffet into the living area and the sofa table Michael made into the entry. It just fit! Hope to do a little Christmas decorating this weekend but for now I wanted a simple look for fall/Thanksgiving. 

I pray you have a blessed day! 

Gobble til' you wobble.... :) 

Home...

Have you ever been on your way home from work or headed back from vacation when you thought of home and what it means to you? I get anxious at times to get to my home and my precious little family. There's nothing like propping your feet up after dinner with a cup of coffee and listening to your kids chatter about their day or having those quiet moments with your spouse. Our homes are not just a house or structure. They are a dwelling place that reflect who we are in many ways. Often times I've walked into a home where I worried about smudging even the door handle or wondered if I was allowed to sit on certain pieces of furniture! I sure pray that when my family, friends or acquaintances step foot through my front door they feel not only comfortable, but at peace. I want my decor, the smells, and the atmosphere to make my guests feel at ease.

Don't get me wrong, with 3 rowdy boys it can be challenging at times to keep things in order, and in place. I still deal with dirty kiddo rooms, mounds of unfolded laundry and a dozen rounds or so of sibling rivalry each day. We get spots on the carpet, and dirt on the floor. As I've watched my kids grow older, I've realized I need to worry less about keeping things perfect and more about making memories. If we eat on paper plates a few nights each week that's fine,

thank God we have food to put on those plates. If we have to fold laundry 5 times a week and put it away, thank God we have clothes and strong healthy children to wear those clothes. If I've got to pick up after my sweet husband, thank God I still have one to pick up after. 

I am appreciative of this home, this family and this life The Lord has blessed me with. I'm so undeserving but forever grateful. 

My sweet Logan brought me these roses from the yard. I placed them in these simple mason jars on my special console table Michael made. 

My burlap banner sums up the way I've been feeling lately! 

Loving our crisp fall weather and savoring every moment... :)

~ Miranda 

Nightstand Redo

So after sifting through what they wanted to keep and throw away or donate, mom let me take these nightstands since she was going to put a different bed in her master. 

I regret not snapping a before pic, but imagine dark cherry wood with brassy handles and pulls. I've wanted a pair of white nightstands for our master bedroom but hadn't come across a good deal yet. So glad my patience paid off! Free is always good! 

After sanding, priming and a few coats of Behr glossy white, here they be! All I did to the handles and pulls was to give them a quick coat of Rustoleum Gold spray paint. 

(don't be hating on my wrinkled sheets) :)

I still have a few thing I'm working on in here. A few months ago I had made my dream curtains after many hours of toiling  away on my machine, but someone came along and offered me the right price so alas, they sold. 

Sorry for the dark pic, but it was the only one I had. My plans are to eventually finish adding the ruffles to my drop cloth curtains soon, paint the walls a lighter shade of griege, possibly paint my bed (thoughts?) and replace or cover the lampshades with something lighter. 

Here is my inspiration pic! 

www.thistlewoodfarms.com 

Seriously, I love this gal although she doesn't know me from Adam. She makes me laugh and has such an uplifting blog. Not to mention she's got creativity down to an art!! *sigh*

One if these maybe I'll get paid to decorate my home and others Lord willing. :)

Well, again, I shall sign off. Have a blessed evening! 

Miranda

Mom & Dad's home and the house fire..

So I mentioned in my previous post that mom & dad's home caught fire in June. The fire actually started in their travel trailer refrigerator and after burning the trailer, tractor, lawn mowers, etc, the fire spread to their home and destroyed the master bedroom, bathroom and closet.  

 My mom was heartbroken and dad was such a hero to step in and take control of all of the details. Hiring contractors, dealing with the ins company, etc. After a few months of cleaning up and sifting through their belongings construction started. 

That alone was quite a process and we are so happy it is over and moms house is back to normal. I dare say the bedroom, kitchen, living and dinig area are better than before!

After we hung the new curtains I made for her. :)

I plan to take a few more updated pics of her master bedroom and bath as well as more of the living, dining and kitchen now that we've had more time to decorate. (the fun part!) 

 

Until then...

Miranda 

Back on the radar!

So wow! Here I am again a year later...a lot has happened in that time. I gained 2 precious nieces Chloe and Elle, my sweet husband was installed pastor of our little church in May and my parents house was damaged by a fire in June. We were so thankful they were fine, but part of the home was destroyed. I will post some pics later of the remodel and some of the fire damage. On my home front I've made tons of changes in the past year as well! 

My sweet Chloe! 

My precious Ellayna Belle "Elle"! 

Fall porch decor :)

In the living area I was ecstatic to finally get the script rug from Decor Steals to match my little 3x5 one. No more scrubbing up stains, with this one I can simply sweep it away or wipe it up! I also DIY'ed an old coffee table into a huge chalkboard. I hand scripted one of my favorite verses "Hear O Isreal, The Lord Our God is One Lord". 

Well, I will sign off for now, but I hope to post more often now that I've downloaded the Blogger app. :) 

Have a blessed day! 

Miranda 

Catching Up and It's Fall Ya'll...Again!

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted on here and I figure it's been long enough. Not that I'm that special or important that someone has noticed. :) I do wish I had the time, money and energy to join the "real" blogging world...maybe one of these days! So I thought I would post my fall decor for 2012...really all I've done was drag out my stash from falls past and throw in a few new items. First up, my front door!

My sweet little sister gave me this giant "S" as a gift a few months back. I just hung it from this peice of jute webbing and added a few fall flowers. Love the simplicity of it!
Next, I printed this free "It's Fall Ya'll" printable from Chelsea at www.twotwenty-one.com, and slipped it into a pretty frame I had on hand...added a itty bitty pumpkin and a sprig of these fall poppies in my old tin flower pot on my sofa table in front of the living room window! I'm LOVING the Chevron craze lately! Maybe I'll get brave enough one of these days to add a little more here and there.

One more spot I wanted to show you was the coffee table in my living area...this little table holds very special meaning to me. My sweet husband and boys made it for me for Christmas 2010 from an old window that came out of my in-laws little home. I love old windows and I wanted a special way to display it in the house. This was definitly one of my favorite Christmas surprises that year! Here I just added some dried wheat to my galvanzied bucket and some deer anters. Of course my boys think me adding the antlers to my home decor is the "bomb-diggity"! LOL

That white MIXTURE candle in the beautiful urn was a gift from my sweet Aunt Gail. If you've never owned one of these, you've got to try them! This one is the Pineapple Cilantro scent and it smells WONDERFUL! I know that doesn't sound very "fall-ish" but it is actually a warm subtle homey smell. I will be sad when it burns out! Hmmm....maybe I shall add this to my Christmas wish list! *Hint*Hint* 
On a different note, I hope to start sewing and selling my goods again soon. BOTH of my sewing machines went on the blink a few months back and I also was SUPER busy over the summer so I guess my little side business suffered. I had a good friend ask me to add some ruffles to 2 hoodies she has, so hopefully I will get to post those soon!
Have a blessed Saturday and enjoy it...."this is the day that the Lord hath made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!"
Love, Miranda

A Vendor Party and High Hopes!

So, a few months back my sis-in-law asked if I would be interested in setting up a booth at a Vendor Party to benefit their Relay for Life team. Not only would we be helping an awesome cause, but hello publicity for us local yokel women!! I am a firm believer in putting your money back into your own community and helping out those who have a desire to create things from the heart. Why go pay outrageous prices for something "Made in China" from a Department Store when you could help out a fellow sistah and purchase something she made with her own hands. Not only does a lot of love go into what we ladies do, but we are those who might be saving for college for the kiddos, trying to make ends meet, donating to a family in need with our proceeds, or saving up for new mattresses for her little ones. If you are one of those sweet people who love enabling local artists, come out and see us this Saturday, April 14th from 4:00-8:00 PM at Salon Zaina in Anna, TX! There will be TONS of cool vendors with products ranging from Diaper Cakes to beauty products, from handmade home decor, to accessories for YOU, from Scrapbooking Supplies to weight loss products.
Here is a sneak peak at one of the items I will be creating especially for this event...