Fall Garland

Thanks to the knowledge of my friend Tahliah, I now know that these are magnolia "cones". They fall off of this magnolia tree and land on the drive in front of our garage.

And since they're so pretty, I collected a few (in the same manner that I collect pine cones) and brought them inside for a little DIY fall decor project.

I originally thought they'd get spray-painted and go in these candle sconces (and one did), but another idea prevailed; garland for the fireplace!

All I needed was ribbon and scissors.

I started by cutting one long piece of ribbon and tying a cone to each end.

I hung them by the already existing hooks on our fireplace mantel (thanks, previous renters!).

And just like that- a quick and easy fall decorating project! Since I already had the ribbon (from Asher's nursery project) and the magnolia cones came straight off of the ground, it was totally free. Can't beat zero-dollar decor!

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P.S. Thanking Jesus for the beautiful fall weather that's starting to roll into Georgia...the days are still in the 80s, but the mornings and evenings are cool and crisp.

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Musical Chairs

Finally, something that moves more than we do; our set of breakfast table chairs. Why are they not with the breakfast table, you might be wondering?

Because it's been out of commission since moving here last October. The one thing we lost in the PCS from Hawaii to Georgia was the hardware to attach the legs. So, it's been sitting in our attic for a year now, just waiting for us to finally get to Lowes and pick up some extra bolts. But despite having a very underutilized table, we've found many ways to utilize the matching chairs. Too many ways, in fact, which is why they're constantly moving. Here are just a few "arrangements" these chairs have seen in the last months;

Putting this in Asher's nursery was an upgrade from what was previously there- the black office chair that I used to nurse him in the middle of the night when he was first born. This nursery has never been big enough for a full sized rocker or glider. But I have to say, bulky and un-cute as it is, it did the job quite well.

But now I either bring the little buddy into the bed with me or nurse him on my new reading nook sofa in the next room over;

So, this chair holds the spot for now. It's small enough to fit in the space, and works really nicely for the occasional need to pop a squat in this room. (I borrowed some items from Asher's crib to dress it up a little.)

And this is where chair #2 sat for a little while- in our office/guest/reading nook room, right next to the computer so that I could sit down with Thane.

But this became unnecessary when the sofa moved in, so it went on a little journey to a different spot of the house- our top landing;

Remember that espresso bowl that I found at a Goodwill for $2?

 

Now it's the perfect container for Thane's keys and wallet. And (sometimes) he even tucks his army boots under the chair! Maybe I'm the only one who finds a little delight in something like that. I guess I just like order in the court house.

As always, I love finding good uses for things we already own. What about you guys? Re-purpose any household items lately? Find any new or interesting uses for something you had laying around?

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Tending the Back Door

After almost a year of gently nudging the man of the house, honey-do list item #2 can get a big fat check! Our back door has officially been moved and we now have an open walkway between our kitchen and attic rooms. (Note: if you're not interested in how to move a door, skip down to the bottom where the real meat of the post is!)

This is where the door was before the move;

And this is the hallway space between the kitchen and the stairwell that leads up to the attic;

I've been wanting this door moved so that I could use the extra hallway space as a kitchen extension to hang our pots and pans. It would also allow us to walk straight upstairs to our two attic rooms without going through a locked door. Let me explain; this door acts as our back door- on the other side of it is the stairwell that goes not only up to our attic, but down to the first floor (which leads outside) and then to the basement. The door that actually leads outside is down on the first floor, and we share that with our neighbor.

So, Thane moved our locking back door to the top of the stairwell instead, directly to the right of the opening you see in the first pic. So, we still have a secure, functioning "back door", but it's no longer blocking our direct access to our two attic rooms. And if that wasn't complicated enough, just watch me try to show how incredibly easy (yet hard via photos) moving a door really is.

Here's the all too-unwilling man of the house, getting ready to knock this baby out without so much as a power drill or- by the grace of God- a single curse word.

See the little pin at the top of this hinge? It has to be lifted up and out, which can be done using a hammer and flat head screwdriver. Just wedge the flat head in the seam, and give it a few taps with the hammer to get it moving.

 

And out comes the pin!

Give that treatment to both hinges, and it's off with the door!

Now it's as simple as removing the existing hardware;

As well as re-moving the hinge plates;

And then re-installing all of it in the threshold of the new spot (if you plan on putting the door back up in another location).

This is the dead-bolt. We were fortunate that somebody else had already done this exact door-spot-switcheroo before, so hollowing out the hole for the dead-bolt was very easy (it was filled with caulk). Otherwise, we would have needed a drill to hollow it out.

 

Re-installing the hinge plates;

Then came the trickiest part, for which there is no photo; lining the door back up with the hinge plates so that the big hinge-nail can slide back in to secure the door. This took both of us (hence no photo). But once we were all lined up, it was as easy as just sliding the hinge-nails back in.

And now we have a full, unencumbered view of our not-so-fancy (army house) kitchen and then dining room. Notice the new-ish microwave cart to the right- my latest attempt at better kitchen organization.

And now for the meat. Right around the time I was coercing Thane to complete this honey-do task for me, I came to a sermon preached out of the gospel of Luke titled "Jesus and Demons" (I'm going through the entire series, and it's excellent). And this particular sermon on "doors" came in a timely fashion- just as we were moving our back door. Here's a quick synopsis; 

Sin is the opening of a "door". We either belong to God or Satan. If we are Christians, Satan does not own us, but we are still able to "open our doors" and invite demonic influence into our lives. And this is a checklist of common ways that we do this;

Doors of Demonic Influence

-Sexual sin (1 Corinthians 7:5)

-Marriage between Christians and non-Christians (2 Corinthians 6:15)

-False religion, false teaching, false Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:14-22; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4)

-Bitterness (Ephesians 4:17-5:2)

-Foolishness and drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18-21)

-Idle gossip and busybodying (1 Timothy 5:11-15)

-Lies (John 8:44)

-Idolatry (1 John 5:18-21)

I'm guilty of a good number of these things, and by the grace of God I have to constantly strive for obedience so that I'm tending my own doors. Not only for the sake of living within God's will (the most important thing), but for the sake of my family. They're affected by what I do every single day.

So I hope this list is just as helpful to you guys as it is to me. I need these constant reminders and warnings from the Word, to continually strive to put off the things of the world and be conformed to the image of Christ. Praise Jesus for His amazing provision- for His Spirit that allows us to live the lives He meant for us all along.

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When Two Tables Conspire...

Remember my new reading nook? It's been a great new addition to the guest room, and I'm glad to inform you that I have, as a matter of fact, gotten some good use out it! It's definitely taken a big leap from what it was before...

And, always looking to improve upon what we already have with what we already have, here's the next tweak;

Two end tables pushed together and the rug from Asher's nursery (sorry Asher) to pull it all together. And might I add that this has been the best use I've found for them so far. They're sort of odd. They're too high to be good nightstands (their previous job), and they're too small to be good sofa end-tables (their very first job). So, what in the heck they're meant for, I haven't the slightest. But this has been their best use yet, despite the fact that it's unconventional and there's a "seam" where they join together.

But anyway, we started with this;

 

And went to this;

 

Hmmm. Well, as much as I like the functionality of the end tables- it's a great place to set my bible, colored pencils, and cup of coffee- I'm not so crazy about the fact that they're black. They're too dark and they take away from the nice light, soft look of the sofa. So, I might just have to "open up a can of whoop spray-paint" on these guys. Which will be- get this- their fourth round with a new color. Yep, they started out with hideous cherry legs topped with pine green and white swirly marble. (We got them for free from a neighbor who was about to kick them to the curb.) And since I've always loved an opportunity to get fixer-uppers for great deals, they soon became off-white. Then they were champagne. Then they were black. And now I'm thinking they need to be ivory, to blend with the sofa.

As much as I don't like the black on the tables, I do like the way the long vertical brown and cream rug draws your eye into room. This guy has also had quite the journey around the house. He started in our kitchen in Hawaii, then moved to Asher's nursery, and now enjoys his new spot here. At first I felt bad for taking it out of the nursery... But on second thought, I'm pretty sure the baby won't notice.

But back to the tables- color suggestions? Bronze was a thought (to match the bronze floor lamp that sits to the right of the sofa), as well as something funky like avocado green or creamy orange. But I'm thinking ivory will do a great job of "blending" into the spot and not taking away from the nice sofa or frames that you see peaking out in the hallway. What do you think?

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Jesus is Not Confined to My Couch

Jesus and I used to have a morning "appointment" on my couch, during Asher's first nap of the day when I could sit down with my bible and a cup of coffee. But my, how the tides have turned. Long gone are the days when my daily tasks fit together like pieces of a puzzle. This multi-tasking mamma is officially a has-been. 

I knew that Asher's "perfect schedule" wouldn't last forever, nontheless I couldn't help but hope it would! And alas, it met its demise at our last move. I just haven't been able to get him back into a consistent routine. Sleeping through the night, regular naps, and regular meal times are a thing of the past for this little guy. And thus the end of other things, like a time slot for daily exercise and (most importantly) time with Jesus.

Meanwhile, certain parts of the house have been in a state of disarray. For example;

This is our second bedroom, which sits at the end of our long, narrow hallway. It's visible from the living room, and we (as well as guests) see it every time we walk down the hall.

In comes a task from the good old honey-do list; move one of the love seats (being stored in the attic) so that I can create a reading nook.

Check! Now we've got a much nicer sight to behold from the rest of the house (we see this room opening a lot; every time we walk back to the bathroom, master bedroom, nursery, laundry room, and office). And since Asher naps in his crib which is in the room directly to the right of the reading nook, I can easily put him down and hop on over to the love seat for some reading with minimal distraction- no dirty dishes, toys on the floor, unmade beds, or laundry in sight.

One side note, this is actually where our guest bed used to sit before it came a corner for piled up books and other odds and ends. It was centered on the odd frame-out that used to be a door opening.

On another side note, see the art? My Grandaddy did both of them. If only you could see his whole collection! The painting to the right (in the picture above) was centered over the guest bed that used to sit where the pile of books were. But after moving the bed, I moved the painting as well so that the set would be a "pair" over the sofa.

And the pillows were "recycled" from our living room. They got kicked off of the main sofas when these came into the picture.

But more important than how it all looks is whether it gets me sitting down with the Word of God more consistently. Again, Asher's departure from a schedule has made it a real challenge. But that's life! As great as it is to have a perfectly planned chunk of time each day to count on for reading, the absence of that luxury is no excuse for a distant relationship with Christ. I've got to keep in the Word. But not not just for the sake of another check on a list, but because it's a joy and a pleasure! Not to mention I need the constant guidance and correction it supplies.

But whether I fit structured reading into my day or not, it really all boils down to this; Jesus desires for me to love, follow, and be in relationship with him all day, not just when I get time to plop down on the couch with my bible. And that's my deepest desire, too. So perhaps this more chaotic time is a blessing in disguise; an opportunity to get myself out of that rigid "thirty-minute couch appointment with God" and focus on practicing His presence continually, in everything I do. After all, He'll be faithful to provide me with the time I need for reading, assuming I'm faithful in taking advantage of those times. I have to admit that often I let too many other chores and distractions get in the way. But praise Jesus for His patience! I have to continually strive to be more diligent and disciplined.

Well- I can't exactly say "not a sermon, just a thought" at this point. Haha, sorry! I'll just sneak one more thing in, if you're still reading- One great way I've started to enjoy His presence throughout my whole day is this (something I've mentioned before); playing a sermon two or three times as I'm about the house- and playing it more than once so that I catch whatever I might have missed when out of the room to change a diaper/swap a load of laundry/etc. But as great as this is, I'm still hoping for plenty of time in the Word! There's just nothing else quite like it, this is where all joy, peace, and truth is. Where I'm constantly reminded of the goodness of God in contrast to this fallen world. Praise Jesus for His immense, amazing love and truth.

So here's to hoping this new little reading nook gets plenty of use!



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P.S. See my bible studying method here.

P.S.S. Asher started sitting up yesterday! It was a total shock!

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"Honey-Do" List; Featuring The Boot of Doom

Aren't husbands wonderful?!

Mine had a little honey-do list waiting for him when he got back to Georgia;

1. Give our washer & dryer the old switcheroo. The Lowes deliverers installed our washer on the right and the dryer on the left, which means the doors hit each other when they're both opened. That makes getting the wet clothes out of the washer and into the dryer a little difficult, especially when holding the baby. As Thane likes to remind me, it's possible that this is the only option due the hook-up arrangement in the back. If that's the case, that's totally fine. It's not an ideal set-up, but it's a temporary one, and I'm really just happy to be co-habiting with our own laundry room again! Four months of hauling our dirty clothes and diapers to a shared basement laundry room at Hotel K has taught me how to appreciate what we have here in Georgia. (So much so that I was led to give it a little low-cost makeover when we got back.)

2. Move our back door so that our kitchen opens up into the stairwell leading to the attic. This will expand our kitchen space and give me more room for storage. It'll also make the two attic rooms feel like a real part of our house if I don't have to go through a locked door to get to them. (The entire back stairwell spans four stories, from the basement to the attic.) We share it with our neighbors below, so until the door is moved it's all entirely open. Not that we don't trust our neighbors- they did a huge favor to us by watching our place when we were away- it'll just be nice to feel like we can go upstairs without going "out" of our personal apartment space.

The door will need to be re-installed directly to the right, in order to close off the back stairwell that leads down to the door that goes to the outside. (Our apartment is on the second story.) I'm thinking about hanging our pots on the wooden boards that are already nailed up.

3. Get my attic room that doubles as an art/storage/junk room cleaned up. So that I can use it for painting when the temps cool down! (There's no AC in the attic rooms.)

4. This one sort of hinges on #3- Move one of our new love seats downstairs. We found these for a great deal at a clearance center in Columbus. We don't need them here, but they'll be great for the ranch house. We've got plans... By the way, see that red bag peaking out of the bottom right corner of the photo? I've got a scary story about that below...

5. Create a reading nook. I'd like one of the two love seats to go in this empty spot in our second bedroom. It's kind of the catch-all room for the time being, it doubles as an office and guest room. So why not make it a little cozier for ourselves and for our guests? All it'll take is a little muscle to get the sofa downstairs and then a little womanly touch to get it looking inviting.

6. Kill the huge-silver-dollar-size spider with a marble sized black butt that I came across in the big red bag in the attic so that it doesn't get our baby; check!

Yes, this is what went scurrying dangerously close to my hand when I started to look into the red bag you see in the photo above (honey-do item #4). I'm not usually super skiddish when it comes to bugs. I don't like them, but they don't petrify me. This one's a whole new ball-game; it had chills and bumps and every kind of heeby-jeeby you can imagine running through my body. And after a friend suggested that it might be poisonous, I sent Thane upstairs a day later to try to find this crawly guy. I honestly never imagined he would, but to my astonishment he had the job done in about 30 seconds flat. This is how it went down;

Me- "Thane, I think we need to find that spider and get rid of it so it doesn't come down here and bite Asher."

Thane- "That spider's not coming down here."

Me- "Ok, well whatever, but it might be poisonous."

Silent pause for about five seconds.

Thane- "I'm going to go find that spider."

And this is what I heard from below- Clop, clop, clop (up the stairs)... Thud (items falling out of a bag and hitting the floor)...STOMP STOMP STOMP. Clop, clop, clop (down the stairs).

Thane- "I got him."

Me- "What?! Already? How'd you find him so fast?!"

Thane- "It was easy. I turned the bag upside down, he scurried out, he met the boot of doom." (I'll clarify; The combat-boot-of-doom. He was still in his work clothes.)

Praise God for husbands. They have nerves made of steel!

While we're on the topic of good husbands, I'm so thankful for Thane. He is a blessing from God. Yes, his dashing good looks and great personality are what hooked me in the beginning, but it's his relationship with Christ that truly makes him the wonderful man that he is. I'm beyond blessed to have a godly husband to take care of me and lead our home. And now that we're a family of three, I hope and pray that I'm the godly wife and mother that Christ would have me to be. I treasure these blessings and opportunities!

So what do you gals have on your honey-do lists this month?

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P.S. For another post on the best husband (plus a peak at one of my paintings), go here.

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