Great Reminder...

I was reading a friend of mine's blog and loved what she passed along- from a book called Can You Drink the Cup. Sounds like a book I want to get... such truth! I feel like there are so many little things in life that cause us to compare ourselves to others and it really is nothing but destructive after a while. After a while, comparison becomes a stronghold and a way of seeing the next reason why we don't measure up. I know I am guilty of this, so this is a great reminder to live life as God truly intended- drinking the cup He gave me and rejoicing in every bit of it. Ivy, if you are reading this, thank you for this sweet reminder of truth!

"Just as there are countless varieties of wine, there are countless varieties of lives. No two lives are the same. We often compare our lives with those of others, trying to decide whether we are better or worse off, but such comparisons do not help us much. We have to live our life, not someone else's. We have to hold our own cup. We have to dare to say: "This is my life, the life that is given to me, and it is this life that I have to live, as well as I can. My life is unique. Nobody else will ever live it. I have my own history, my own family, my own body, my own character, my own friends, my own way of thinking, speaking, and acting- yes, I have my own life to live. No one else has the same challenge. I am alone, because I am unique. Many people can help me to live my life, but after all is said and done, I have to make my own choices about how to live."

Lost the Appetite

My aunt sent this picture- something they actually saw while eating lunch- look closely- you'll know exactly what I am talking about...

New Roommate

We took a trip to the farm a couple of weekends ago and came back with this little guy...  

Meet Jackson.

Will got Jackson when he turned 21, but he has been living at the farm so that he would have a place to run around.  Now that we have a yard, he is living with us and we are loving it.  We like to think he is loving it too... 

He loves sticks/the longest branches he can find...  

And baths...

And sleeping, and chasing balls, and everything else dogs like... so I guess that means it is working out!

Then, my mom and Lucas came in town and we recovered the dining chairs.  They went from this...

                                                                      To this...

                              

And I added the rest of the silver trays so the "dining room" now looks like this...

                                            

And if anyone cares, my Heels.com purchase from my previous post has been another success!  The shoes came the NEXT day and they are really comfortable!  It seems the way the straps fit, they "hug" the foot and make it more comfortable to wear, so if anyone wants a good pair of neutral wedges, I recommend those!

Website Love

I have two websites that I am highly fond of- and after making two successful purchases on each, I figured I would share. Folica.com is a great resource for beauty supplies. I have bought a hairdryer and straightener- two essentials that I am willing to spend a little money on and have gotten great deals on both. Not only do they seem to have the largest assortment and best prices, this website has very thorough customer and product reviews, so I always feel well informed when making my product decision. They also always have deals on shipping so it is either cheap or free and it gets to you fast! I had mine on my doorstep two days after I ordered online!

My latest purchase is the straightener pictured above. My CHI finally died after about 8 years, so after reading reviews and comparing a new CHI to this Solia, I followed everyone's advice on the website and got the Solia... the added bonus- it is pink and came with a free travel pouch! I have had it for about a month now and like it a lot better than the CHI, which I didn't think was possible.

Heels.com is my other favorite. They have come through two different times in providing the shoe I am looking for at a better price than anywhere else. My first time I was searching EVERYWHERE for a shoe for our honeymoon- a fun sandal. I couldn't find the exact one anywhere, but heels.com stepped up to the plate. Currently, I have been looking for a new wedge that can become my "go with anything" shoe and found the above for $50 less than Zappos price... really Zappos? AND shipping with them is free 2day! whoo hoo. Now I am just crossing my fingers that these are comfortable... and that the husband approves since I am making this purchase while he is out of town... sometime's you just can't hesitate on a great deal on a great find!

For those of you in Atlanta...

Restaurant.com has gift cards to restaurants that are all on sale! Some of them have minimum limit purchase restrictions, but they seem to be a great deal- one example- Flying Biscuit is a $25 gift card for $10- you have to spend $35 on your visit, but it still saves some! I think my husband might get addicted to this...

Update by Pictures...

*flowers from the yard*

Since we moved in things have been really busy but really fun!  My middle brother graduated from high school...

                                Brittan, Stephen, and Channing came to visit...

And we made some progress on the house!  I'll post some "befores" (the previous owners furnishings) and afters to give you a better idea.  There are still plenty of things to do and things we are waiting on to come in... draperies, a pair of chairs for the den, light fixtures, hanging stuff on the walls, etc. but it will just continue to be a work in progress for a while. Here are a couple of pictures of the den/dining room, kitchen, and living room (room off the kitchen).

Den/Dining Before:

     

Den/Dining After:

The colorful chair will be replaced as soon as our pair of chairs come in... i. can't. wait!  I am waiting on some draperies to come in, we need a light fixture above the table, blah, blah, blah. 

       

I was so excited to get to use the gray chest as my buffet- my find at Angel's that I posted about here.  The table and concrete brackets were my grandmother's, the monogrammed linen chairs are antiques that mom had upholstered and were a wedding present from my parents as was the mirror, and the silver pieces I have collected over the years.  We haven't really eaten at the table yet, so please come for dinner so I can set the table!

 

The maps above the sofa became a collection before Will and I were dating and he asked me to help him "decorate" his bachelor pad.  I jumped at the opportunity seeing it as a prime flirting opportunity ;) and suggested he do a wall of maps above his sofa.  I didn't know at the time that he was a history major and loved maps, or that they would one day end up in my home too, so I am glad it was an idea with some longevity.  He had two of the maps already, then I gave him the world map as a gift, and later we bought a Georgia and Alabama map being they are our home states... is that cheesy?  I just loved that they meant something.  To complete this wall, I would love to get more small maps, and maybe something else with a round shape (maybe bullet mirrors)- I really just want to fill up the wall.  I feel like "go big or go home" applies here :).  I also need some pillows for the sofa.  I haven't fallen in love with anything yet and love the neutrals going on in the room, but could enjoy a fun pop of color too- y'all let me know if you have any ideas.  The chairs we are getting are a cream and brown print, so they will stay with the neutral theme.

       

Kitchen Before:

     

Kitchen After:

We haven't done any "work" on the kitchen... Just replaced two appliances and the light fixture, tore down wallpaper and repainted.  We also added the "island" (an old table that was glossy black and I repainted) and the china cabinet (another repaint project- it was from my aunt and uncle's lake house and no one wanted it... score!).  Please ignore the cardboard box and trash can in picture #2.  

      

Decorating our first home has been really fun and really challenging so far.  It took me 25 trips to the paint store, 10 paint sample pots (none of which were used), 2 purchased fan decks, and 15 conversations with friends and mom to finally pick out paint colors- that just about killed me, but in the process I realized how much I love paint colors and how much I learned, so I secretly loved the process.  BTW, the final paint color for the den/dining room is Benjamin Moore Dry Sage in case you are wondering. (i love when people share their paint colors)  I have seen it used in many different places and always love it, so I figured I couldn't go wrong after I tried every other color made and didn't fall in love.  It just works really well in this room and in general is one of my favorite paint colors.  

Finding things while on a budget has also been fun and challenging.  I have always loved the search for "hidden treasures", so that has somewhat helped me stay in budget.  In most cases, it really is a lot more thrilling, for me, to find things that are great deals that I can make "better" or breathe new life into.  I also love things with a story and coziness is my goal.  A lot of our furniture is from family, and that is something I consider a huge blessing!  It means so much to us to have furniture that is given with love- we treasure those pieces.  I also love having them in our house as it is a reminder of those precious people in our lives every time we look at them.  I know I have said this before, but it is just such a blessing to have a home that we can enjoy and share together.  God has been so good and I only hope to glorify His name in the way he so desires throughout everything this new home involves.  

I will have to post more pictures later, because this post is already too long, my husband is home from his softball game, and I feel like I am developing carpal tunnel...