Fulfilling the Vision? or Swamped by Projects?

My hubby and I are currently reading a wonderful book by our pastor, Gregg Matte:

Finding God's Will: Seek Him, Know Him, Take the Next Step

In fact, our small group Bible Study that meets in our home each week is going through it together.

A few days ago, a particular passage from Chapter 11 spoke to me, and I wanted to share it with you.

The chapter's content is about leading, Matte defines two words: vision and projects.

vision: the grand direction of God's leading

projects: the short-term, incremental tasks that are done to arrive at the goal

Matte gives an example of how projects tend to get in the way of our vision.

His example is that of people who have a vision of living in a comfortable,
hospitable home which is open to frequent visitors.  

However, the homeowners get stuck in project mode &

never get around to having friends over to fellowship.

The pressure of perfection leads them to more and more projects.

"The patio furniture is seldom occupied; the china remains in the cabinet; no one comes over to the house; while the homeowners continue to scurry to finish unending projects." 

That's obviously not what they initially intended, but rather something more like this, 

where their projects point to their vision...

"...Clean the house to mess it up with a party; use the china so much that you know you'll break some; have a tremendous conversation with a loved one on the patio as spring blossoms.  Play in the yard with your kids so much that there are worn spots."

He concludes the section by saying

"allow the vision to drive the projects instead of the projects squelching the vision."

Is your vision to have a home that's welcoming, a place of fellowship,

a home where the door is always open to visitors?

That's definitely the vision for our home.

I used to get so nervous that people would judge my decorating skills 

because these two chairs  still weren't recovered, or my table wasn't refinished,

or I hadn't hung pictures, or my yard had weeds, etc. etc. etc.
Before I realized that my projects had skewed my vision, there were definitely missed
opportunities of opening our home to others. 

If I had continued to allow those imperfections to get in the way of hosting friends and family, 

I cringe at the thought of how many missed opportunities to love and fellowship we'd have missed.

How many Bible studies? Christmas brunches? Easter lunches? baby showers? or birthday parties?

would I have chosen not to host just because I was focused on completing the projects

rather than fulfilling our vision. 

Do you have projects left unfinished? Don't let them stand in your way!

Fulfill your vision this weekend! Invite the neighbors over, plan a party, make a mess, 

break some china while you're at it. 

and l.o.v.e. on people in your home, just as you intended to do from the beginning!

source: 

Finding God's Will by Gregg Matte

Chapter 11, pages 182-183

Stylish Blogger Award!

Last Friday, while the fam and i were snuggled up in our cozy home,
avoiding all the crazy icy cold weather,
I received an e-mail that warmed my heart!
Lisa wrote that she'd awarded me the stylish blogger award!
Wow! I was so humbled, surprised, and excited!
What an encouragement it was to me that day!
Lisa, thank you so, so much!  I truly appreciate it.

from :: Lisa @ Vintage Vine

As a recipient, I have some fun responsibilities...
I must share {7} things about myself and then choose {10} or so others to share the award with!

1. Before staying at home with my little guy, I taught 1st grade.
Ever since I'd been in 1st grade myself, my dream was to grow up and be a teacher!
Hubby proposed while I was student teaching... 

He wrote a book about our relationship, and brought an apple for the teacher, and of course a ring box ;)

I knew he would pop the question sometime soon, but he sure surprised me at school!


2. My favorite flavor of ice cream is Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla.
...my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

3.  Wicked is my all time, hands down, favorite musical.

4.  I always name my cars. My first car was named "lucky"...
Ironic because she was in more than a couple of accidents ;) 

We also named our first Christmas tree. Jolly was his name.




5.  I take 20-25 minute long showers.  
My college roommates thought I was crazy & secretly wanted me to pay more towards our water bill...
But I don't care what anyone thinks, they are so relaxing!

6.  I hadn't gone camping until I married Hubby... It's growing on me.
As long as there are bathrooms with showers and electricity!

7.  I used to despise Craigslist because Hubs first purchase caused me great stress...
a canoe.

and that was when we were living in an apartment...
we didn't have a garage. so he hung it from the ceiling in the guest room!
i wish i were kidding.


And the Nominees for the "Stylish Blogger Award" are...


Jones Design Company
StrictlySimpleStyle
Sweet Something Design
Beatrice Banks 
This Blessed Life
DecorChick
The Tarnished Crown
On Sutton Place
Life's Sweet Ingredients

Where You Hang Your Heart


Now here are the nominees responsibilities:

1. Thank and link back to the person that awarded them.

2. Share seven things about themselves.

3. Pay it forward to 10 (or so) recently discovered bloggers.

4. Contact those bloggers about the award!

taking care of business

After traveling nearly every weekend during the holidays,

and being gone the three weekends following Christmas

Hubby & I were worn out!

It seemed like as soon as I unpacked on Sunday, washed and folded clothes, 

cleaned one room, and grocery shopped, that I was repacking again on Thursday!

That is just a tough schedule to live by for three or more weeks in a row, 

and lots of little knick knack jobs around the house get ignored! 

So, after stealing this idea from some of our friends,

Hubby & I set a goal that throughout 2011 

we would only leave town one weekend each month.

We're hoping that this will allow us to cherish all the time we're with family/ friends out of town,

and still leave us plenty of time to invest in our relationships in town!

And also give me 3 weekends a month to tackle home projects...

So, these last few evenings have been spent playing catch-up on little projects around here.

Started on the eclectic wall... 

(are you sick of hearing me talk about it yet? 

I am. so. ready. to. check. it. off. my. list.)

Fixed the wrinkle in our breakfast room rug.

I was the one who put down the rug and moved all the furniture around...

and that table is heavy. I couldn't lift it and fix the crinkle at the same time.

The task took less than 3 minutes, it was just a matter of remembering to ask Hubs to help me.

so  much better!

Changed out dead light bulbs.

I am embarrassed at how many light bulbs were out, from ceiling fans, to our breakfast room chandelier, to bathroom fixtures. 

silly.

Touch-up painted the office.

No lie...that had been that way since we moved in ... occurred as we took off the painter's tap.

Hubs fixed my leaky faucet...

Which actually wasn't installed correctly from the beginning. 

The handle turned the wrong way.

Hubs was the one who installed it.

love him.

and caught up on e-mails, laundry, dishes, etc. etc. etc.

Here's to hoping you had a successful week around your home as well!

cheers!

I should break more rules.

The other day on The Nate Show,

 he talked about the 4 rules made to break when it comes to decorating.

The examples he gave were from decorating a bedroom, so that's where I compared my notes.

That's when I realized I just don't break enough rules, though I do break some ;) 

The RULES below are meant to be broken!

:: RULE 1 ::

"Don't mix large, small, & different prints because it won't look coordinated."

I don't know how to assess that one, but just to be safe I'll say that I don't break it.

Our dust ruffle matches that mama-jama bolster pillow. which i seriously love.

all the pillows pictured were ordered from PB but not from the same set... 

so maybe I kinda broke the rule?

but it could definitely use a few more pillows, or a coverlet, or some more pizzazz

to help me really break the rule!

:: RULE 2 ::

"You can only use matching frames on the wall."

Now, sometimes the look created from matching frames is stunning and the coordination is necessary.

However, at other times the eclectic look adds more personality.

Sadly, the walls in our master are in some serious need of attention.

But I have been dreaming of making framed botanicals to hang on either side of the mirror.

 pottery barn 

Though I must say, I would be tempted to hang them in matching frames! eek! 

:: RULE 3::

"The only piece of furniture that you can place at the end of the bed is a bench"

Alas, I don't have any furniture at the end of our bed.

That upholstered bench above would be lovely, but so would this setee.

and a setee can hold more pillows!

Nate also suggested a vanity or a desk. All a matter of personal preference.

:: RULE 4 ::

Your bed side tables should match one another.

Finally! A rule that I've broken!  Both of our end tables are family heirlooms,

and I love how they add an extra dose of character to the room.

love those curvy legs.

So, are you a RULE breaker?! 

If so, brag on how many rules you've broken!

2010 :: A Year of Learning & Experimenting in Home Decor

It's just hours away from 2011!

And so hard to believe that 2010 has already flown by.

So many wonderful memories from '10 and so much to look forward to in '11!

In the spirit of all things home, here are my favorite projects from 2010!

stripping and painting the breakfast room table.

painting the corner hutch

painting the Ikea curtains 

adding the c-list credenza

sitting back and enjoying my transformed breakfast room

beginning ::project office::

I am anxious to start new projects and finish others throughout 2011!
Stay tuned for what's to come! 

Sharing my 2010 recap with:
 Southern Hospitality, Savvy Southern Style and Shabby Chic Cottage

burlap table runner

A few weeks ago, Cottage and Vine, wrote a fabulous tutorial for how to sew a burlap table runner...

It was love at first sight,

and I immediately knew the perfect spot for mine! When Lauren came in town, we each sewed one,  mine for our credenza, and hers for their dining room table.

We had so much fun making them together and thanks to clear, easy instructions, they turned out great!

Love the runner's knotted ends, and the adorable boxwood wreaths.

l.o.v.e. it down her table,

especially with the beautiful magnolia leaves & cloche dome centerpiece.

I topped ours off with a long piece of Pottery Barn's burlap ribbon to add a festive Christmas flair.

Then, I used the remaining burlap to wrap up my topiary!

I love knowing that I can use it throughout each season with different decor!

linking up with Whatever Goes Wednesday, Blue Cricket, 

changing up the blog decor

notice anything different?

PEACE OF HOME
just had a lovely makeover! 

nearly everything about the appearance has changed, 

and I am just loving it.

bailey at b's blog boutique

created this one-of-a-kind design for me! she is so creative and beautifully captured my vision!

so click around, explore the new site, 

and look forward to some new, exciting things to come in 2011!

happy thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all have a blessed day with your loved ones!

Enter His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Psalm 100:4

 country living 

pottery barn

project::office backward books

yesterday i posted about the antique show that my mom and i visited last week,

 and how i gained so much inspiration from this display.

today i am going to show you how one display further helped me decorate the shelves

in hubby's office transformation.  

here i showed you how i initially chose to decorate them,

but the following display motivated me to try something a little reversed...

{i apologize for the glare and bad photos...they were taken with my phone}

i instantly fell in love with those backward books.

it's much more eye-catching than just the usual spine.

and of course i came home and tried it.

turning around a handful of books doesn't make the same impact,

but it does give the shelves more visual interest.

just won't be real helpful when i'm looking for a specific read...

antique show inspiration

on friday, my mom and i had a fabulous day together!

our first stop was the kappa alpha theta antique show in downtown.

antique dealers from across the country (even some from europe!) set up their booths,

and we spotted quite a few incredible pieces! the stories behind some were fascinating.

i even spotted this antique royal dalton plate for hubby's office.

it fits in perfectly with the decor and looks ship shape on the transplanted bookshelf

at the entrance to the show some local antique shops had set up displays,

and this one captured my style. exactly.

rustic french decor, fresh white flowers, a touch of animal print, natural jute rug,
gorgeous mirror, pops of orange color, bright greenery, and
the miniature lit Christmas trees on the credenza.
i gained so much inspiration from this display!

however, i'm pretty sure i don't have the $$ to pick it up tomorrow,

so i'll just keep this picture and use it as inspiration!

we spent the rest of the day Christmas shopping-'til-we-dropped & eating delicious food.

it was so refreshing to spend some quality girl time with my mom.

i am so thankful for you, mom. love you.

and while mom and i were having girl time,

this is what my two boys were up to...cruising on da-da's boat.

they just make me melt.