by Andrea | Aug 2, 2015 | DIY, Home Decor, Interior Design
Imagine going to Lowes with a $30,000 gift card……..You pick out all the things in the store you like and bring them home. Cabinets, countertops, various fans, pendant lights that strike your fancy, random favorite paint colors…I mean you just go to town.
When you get home and put it all up what is it going to look like? Will it create the look you want? Will it feel like home? Will it work for your family? Did they have everything you needed to create a cohesive space? Did those Octopus shaped cabinet pulls really go with your seeded glass pendants?
This is why you need a Design Board. Most women and men know what they want in a home, but getting there may be a challenging process. That’s why I make a design board for myself and my clients. We can visualize what everything is going to “do” together. We can see if you really want the “Farmhouse” kitchen or the “Mid Century Modern” living room before we spend all your money and you hate it. You can make your own. It’s as simple as searching the internet and stores for various items, then cutting and pasting or dragging and dropping them into a visual display. It’s a “google spreadsheet for interior design nerds” if you will.
To give you an example, here is a recent series of design boards I made for a client. They are helping this (sweet) family to formulate a plan with-in their budget to create the home they need for their family and friends, their job and ministry. It was such an honor and delight to help them and I enjoyed it swatch by swatch!
I also included a detailed shopping list of resources and service providers for their job. It was a win – win. They get what they want in their budget without having to hire someone to manage the entire process. Although I can do that for you if prefer:)
Happy Designing! -Andrea
by Andrea | Jul 18, 2015 | Faith, Home Decor
Everyone has cares….anxiety, problems they can’t solve. Families are broken, hearts are hurting. Souls are always looking for an escape or a fulfillment…My cares are not your cares and vice versa. If you want to discuss them just send me an email 🙂 My problems are real and pressing. No perfect life here. But if we are in Christ, He is using all these to draw us to Him. Yes, affliction people. It’s not pretty. It’s also not fair. Key word “affliction”……When my heart was especially anxious and distraught, a friend gave me this verse printed on a piece of paper to hang in my room.
“I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.” Psalm 119:75
What do you think about that? Do you believe God’s Word? In faithfulness, HE HAS AFFLICTED YOU? WHAT? Can we take a minute to grasp what this implies? That he actually sees good in the trials He has allowed into your life? That the money in your bank account or lack there of is ON PURPOSE. The pain in your joints and the cries of your children are for YOUR GOOD. The hurt in your heart and the betrayal you are experiencing IS THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD to YOU for your future good? The great thing about God is that when You are His, He cares for you. There is nothing that can separate you from the love that He has for you and He is actively working all the things of your life together for your good and His glory.
Why? It’s called sanctification.
“because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Hebrew 12:6
“They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.” Hebrews 12:10
So yeah. Things happen everyday. But they are no accident. We have idols in our hearts. We need change and repentance and more faith and trust and a fully surrendered life to God. He sees this before we do. What are we to do about this? Do we lie awake at night making spreadsheets and problem solving and replaying offense and wrestling with God? Well you can, but night girl always ruins morning girl….and it probably won’t get you anywhere but more exhausted.
Instead, decide to train your mind to put all that on God, and go to sleep. HE will get you through the unbearable. HE is our peace.
For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. Ephesians 2:14
People might not change or apologize or want reconciliation, circumstances may never get better, things may not make sense.
“Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you.” Psalm 4:8
Friends, I can only say this because I was and am being afflicted. May your soul be filled with peace and may you find rest in the One who satisfies.
by Andrea | Jun 26, 2015 | DIY, Home Decor
I made this cute little front door decor for the Fourth of July, but the thing that gave me the idea was making my friend a birthday present, so of course I have to tell you all about the rabbit trail to how I got here…. I have this friend, and she’s VERY patriotic. Her house is totally fun and her decorating style involves a lot of red, white, and blue. She loves her Marine, Jesus and her Country too. She’s a really special lady and I knew I needed to make these cute mason jars for her, ’cause they’ve been calling my name (or rather her name) on Pinterest for two years….
Naturally after those cute things were done and out of my system, I then decided that my freshly painted front door needed something patriotic too. I had bought this multi surface paint for the jars, and I had two pieces of square corrugated steel from the bunny barn (that’s a whole ‘nother post). So I made this:
It was pretty easy and I felt all “repurposy” after it was done. But really I was just happy to be part of the “I made something out of corrugated steel” crowd. And I was happy those sharp little pieces of metal could be rescued out of our pile of post-construction materials we seem to accumulate around here.
If you’d like to win the one that isn’t hanging on my door, just share this post with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest and be sure to tag me in it! Then comment and let me know you did! I’ll give it away Monday June 29th at 9am!
IF YOU DONT WIN….*sigh, Here’s how to make it your self:
SUPPLIES:
corrugated steel square
red, white, blue multi-surface craft paint
craft sponge or 1.5 inch paint brush
small detail paint brush
drill, 5/8″ bit
twine {16″}
burlap ribbon {about 12″}
sandpaper
STEP 1:Paint your stripes with your wide sponge or brush… red, blue, red. Let dry an hour.
STEP 2: Paint your white star with your detail brush, use a pencil to draw your star first…
STEP 3; Drill two holes at the top corners against a block of wood.
STEP 4: Thread a 8″ loop of twine through each hole grabbing the two loose ends of your 12″ piece of burlap ribbon.
Tie the twin tightly on the back of the steel then, tie the two loos ends together in the middle of the back of your steel.
STEP 4: Sand it to distress the front. Hang it up.
