The Meaning of the Snowflake...

First, let me say...from our home to yours - a very Merry Christmas.  And as we embark on a new year, I thought I'd share this poem with you that was given to me this season.  I love every... single...last... word of it. 

The Meaning of the Snowflake

 

Every new snowflake comes to the earth

 as a picture of our Savior's birth,

Because they are sent from up above

and remind us of God's care and love.

 

Each one is so intricate and small

because Christ sees the details of us all,

and just as two are never the same

the Lord knows and calls us each by name.

 

Snowflakes gently cover the world in white

and hide what's unlovely from our sight,

showing us how HE covers our sin

and gives us HIS grace when we come to HIM.

 

So may every snowflake bring Christ to mind

and in every bit of white may you find

a reason to celebrate anew and

a reminder of HIS love for you.

 

 

To me, Christmas means HOPE.  I'm so thankful and completely humbled for the forgiveness he so graciously gives.

 

Merry Christmas and A Happy and Blessed New Year!

Christmas in the Office...

Well, we made it - we were able to have the Christmas Home Tour (minus the snow & ice) on Tuesday night and we just had a lovely evening.  For all the locals that stopped by - thank you so much - it was wonderful seeing you.  And for the rest of you, I thought I'd do a little mini home tour with you over the next few days.  As I always say, our home is nothing fancy, it is just home.  A house is just a house, it is the people in it that make it a home. 

Enjoy!

Here's our office...

blues and browns with a few friendly FAKE farm animals thrown in...;-)

 

My new curtains - I love them - thank you Beverly! 

A Merry Christmas Banner made from old book pages hung below a beautiful painting that was recently given to us.  Its actually a painting of the farm belonging to my husbands great grandparents.  It was a generous gift and it means so much to us - it looks like it was painted especially for this room but it was painted many many years ago.  We will treasure it always!

There is our FAKE cow head - I love this girl!  I just think she looks so cool - I've got to give her a name.  Most all of our real cows here on the farm have names - she needs one too.  We'll have to work on that.

 

Here is a cabinet "in the works".  When I say I quickly painted it - I do mean QUICKLY.  She needs some sanding and some glazing.  I simply stenciled some numbers on the inserts.

 

On top of the cabinet - you'll find a clock, my "cow breeds" print, that sphere "thing" that I love and a little Christmas greenery filled with some feathers, pine cones and antlers.

I'm happy with where this is going.

Now, the desk is another story.  It's actually on loan from my sister - hence, that is why I haven't drilled holes for the cords.  I think I've decided I'm gonna try and build one - wish me luck on that one.

 

 

BUT, I still do love my map from IKEA.

 

 

And I love my lil' brown reindeer...

 

 

On the door is just a bunch of greenery tied up with some burlap ribbon and feathers.

 

 

You can see here that this tree is placed in an old shipping basket I got years ago. 

 

 

The tree is topped with peacock feathers and 75 cent clearance flowers from Hobby Lobby.  I'm not for sure what they are, I just call them pom-poms.

 

 

Besides a few balls, all of the ornaments on this tree are made of paper.  I made lil' pinwheels from folded book pages and topped them off with a button center. I also purchased cards from the dollar bin at Michael's (12 in a pack) and cut them into circles - I made 24 ornaments for 1.00 - I also used the envelopes that came with them to make name tags for my packages.  Yes, I love a bargain.

 

 

The tree also has a few small banners that I stamped with the words, "Peace, Hope & Joy". 

 

 

And that's it - the Christmas office tour..

 

...Hope you enjoyed it. 

 

 P.S.

 I've been married 17 years on Sat., Dec. 14th..

 

 

I. AM. BLESSED!

Trying One More Time...

Hope you can join us Tuesday night for a

Farmhouse Christmas Tour!

 

 

Christmas Home Tour Rescheduled!

Good Sunday Morning to you!  Well, the weather has been kind of icey here this morning and they have decided to cancel the Christmas Home Tour. 

 

It has been rescheduled for Tuesday evening from 5:00 - 7:30 CT, or "slow time" as we like to call it around here.

 

Hope to see you then!

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Sprucing up the Entryway...With a Wood Plank Wall

Hi friends - hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving.  We sure did and I'm so very thankful.

 

Well, as I mentioned a couple of posts back - we are on the Christmas Home Tour - this coming Sunday - AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!  O.K.  I feel better now - letting off some stress!   So nothing like knowing a "few" people are coming to make you whip things up into shape.  Soooo....  I've always wanted a wood wall and the perfect place for one was in the entryway.  Of course, I wanted one of these when we were building the house - but I suppose we ran out of money (most likely) or I forgot (also a very likely possibility) ;-) 

 

But luckily - my buddy, Andy, of Judd's Painting and Trim came through for me just in the nick of time!

 

 

We just used thin quarter inch sheets of poplar - staggering the seams.  This is a project I could have done myself and in the future I will BUT this time, I was happy to leave it to the pros.

 

 

Yesterday, Shaun and I discussed colors and stains and I bought some stain and wasted 12.00.  Oh well, it won't be the first time I've picked the wrong color.  In the end, I simply went back to some paint that I had used in another room called "Dill" from Porter paints - I watered it down - A LOT - and simply rubbed it on giving it a weathered look.  I LOVE it!

 

 

I then added a chalkboard I had made out of an old door frame.  It is painted in MMS "Kitchen Scale" milk paint.  

 

 

Then I brought in a table from my dear friend, Lisa.  Sorry for the color on this one - it is NOT that yellow green.

 

 

 I added a lamp, three big baskets...

 

 

...A Christmas wreath, some Paper white Bulbs (which was actually my son's science experiment), my globe - because I want PEACE ON EARTH!

 

 

Just across from that wall - is the stairs, with one of my planter boxes filled with a small tree and some packages.  That snow print - one of my favorites, came from the Goodwill!

 

 

You can see that even our lil' dog likes it in here!

 

 

And this is the view looking in from the office.  I plan on adding some fresh greens to the table a lil' closer to the weekend but for now...

 

 

 

I'll try and keep you posted on the decorating.  And if you come to visit - don't stand still for long - or I just might tie a ribbon on you!

 

Happy Decorating Friends!

 

I painted my Range Hood!!...

Yes, I've only been in this house 2 years...

and Yes, I did ask hubby if he minded...

and Yes, I'm really glad I did it!

 

So let me tell you WHY I painted my range hood...

 

Can you see the discoloration?  I rounded the corner of the kitchen on Saturday and there it was - staring at me like "Hey you, I'm tired of being all white - I'm gonna go all cream on you!"  Plus all the smudges that would not wash off - I'm thinking the heat from the stove might  have been playing tricks on the finish in the front.  I don't know for sure - just a guess because I. COULD. NOT. wipe off those prints!

So right then and there, I went and got my painters tape, taped it off and went to work...

I wasn't even patient enough to go out and buy paint - I just went to my stash and started mixing.  I knew I wanted a blue/green color.  I really wanted to use MMS milk paint in Kitchen Scale but it was to risky since I didn't have any bonding agent.

So.. I mixed and mixed until I liked it......."this looks good" I thought....

 

WRONG....it was to tealish...

Add in some blue... Better... but still waaaay to streaky...

 

YES.  Finally after mixing some white and blue - a much creamier finish with the weathered look I was hoping for.

 

 

Then I sanded it a bit and whitewashed it lightly.

 

And now, I can honestly say...

It really did break up all the white - which I love my white cabinets BUT I knew from the time they put up the hood - it WAS to much of a good thing.

 

And besides - it's just paint - I can change the whole look of the room with just this one splash of color!

 

Hope you are having a great week!

A 30 minute Mini Makeover...

...not on me, but a piece of furniture that is.

 

 

I've had this dresser for a while - we use it as a side table.  It was o.k. - just kinda blah or as hubby would say, "BORRRRing".  So the other day I had a few minutes - and literally that is all it took - a very few minutes. 

 

 

I yanked out those drawers - taking off the knobs took the greatest amount of my 30 minutes with this project.  I dry brushed on some "Flood Tide" blue from a Lowe's sample jar.

 

 

It was dry in a jiffy. 

 

 

And that's it - just a little paint on the drawer fronts really gave it some life that it desperately needed.  Now on my next trip to Hobby Lobby - I'll pick up some pretty knobs and I'll be content.

 

 

 

These little projects are staring at me everywhere and since we are on the Christmas Home Tour again this year - I'd better be getting busy!

 

Now, only if a 30 minute makeover would work on me - sadly, I think it'd take a lot longer for the help I need ;-)

 

Happy November!