simple.happy.life.NOT

It's been a VERY long time since I wrote in my blog but I think I'm ready to come out of hibernation now.

Yesterday I was reading an article that talked about Instagram, the actual life we lead, and the appearance of the life we lead. Our Instagram photos tend to show only the very best: the events that make us look well rounded, our new dress or favorite designer purse, our happy carefree moments. Many or all of those photos are staged.

It's like me right now. I could paint a beautiful picture of my surroundings right now. I have my favorite coffeecup in one hand, with a picture of Ella when she was just a few months old. Speaking of Ella, the world is all calm and quiet while she is still sleeping peacefully in her crib. I'm comfy and warm in my pink robe watching the beautiful sunshine stream through the windows. It's a mom's paradise! Don't you want to be me? And all of these things are true, but so are these: my comfy pink robe is hot! Especially while I'm drinking coffee. I'm about to go change before I start sweating. Ella is still sleeping but keeps interrupting herself by coughing. Poor child is sick. I haven't showered yet so I feel gross. I just got done pricking my finger so I could test my blood sugar levels now that that's what I have to do 4x a day for this whole gestational diabetes thing. The baby is kicking my ribs, so I'm sitting in a contorted "S" shape. And as I look out the window I'm not sure how I can even see the sun through the field of grass that hasn't been mowed in forever. That's the true reality of my life right now.

Sometimes the title of my blog seems to mock me, especially in these last few months. Wes hasn't found a job and we're about to have a baby. It's a struggle. It's been hard, not simple. Very hard. We've had happy times and we choose to be happy, but it's not easy to have a happy life right now. It's easy to feel sad and sorry for ourselves. But here's the truth - God will take care of us. He's been by our side the whole time and He will see us through. That's why I can still have a simple happy life. That's why even in the midst of the storms of this life, I can still enjoy the Instagram worthy moments of my life. It's about trusting God and choosing to be happy.

very.merry.christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Atkinsons!







This Christmas was our first year as parents. Even though Ella is too little to understand or remember any of it, Wes and I wanted to make this Christmas special and decide what our family traditions would be.

We stayed home this year. So on Christmas morning, when Ella woke up, we had all her toys from Christmas Eve from Mimi and all the wrapped presents under the tree. She was so happy!




While Ella played with her new toys from Christmas Eve, I made some Christmas breakfast. We had hot chocolate, chocolate croissants, bacon, and fried red potatoes.




After breakfast, we all sat together on the couch while Wes read the Christmas story from the Bible.

Then we opened the gifts we got for each other and Ella had even more to play with!

I loved our little Christmas morning with just the three of us. It was simple and fun. It was special. I'm sure each year from now on, our family will keep growing. But that will just add to the joy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

candy.corn.&.ella

It's Fall! I'm so excited and so happy for my favorite season of the year! The evenings are just beginning to cool off and I so look forward to sweaters and boots, pumpkins and lattes.

We've been sick in the Atkinson house for awhile now. Why is Wes a teacher?! At least while I rest I can think about everything crafty that I want to do. I'm thinking about starting an Etsy shop. I definitely have plenty of ideas. This morning while I watched Ella play on the floor, I grabbed some yarn and made a little candy corn hat for my baby girl.




I kept putting it on her while I was making it to be sure it was the right size, but she fell asleep before it was all done. I can't wait for her to wake up and try it on! Now all she needs is a cute sweater to go with it. Hmm...

I've been busy with life [of course] and I haven't posted in quite a while. Here's what's been going on:


Ella is pretty much a musical genius. She can play Chopin. Or at least she likes looking at the music.



She turned 6 months old! How in the world did that happen so fast?!



She's eating solid foods now. She loves avocado and carrots!

I love being a mom and I love my baby girl! It's so much fun and so rewarding. God has truly blessed me.

Ella's.nursery

I love to decorate. Everyone knows that. When I found out we were having a girl I was so excited! I couldn't wait to decorate the nursery for my little princess! I started out on Pinterest of course to get some ideas.


It was obvious I kept going back to that light blue/green aqua color so I knew I had to start there. I went to Babies R Us to register, and I searched the entire back wall for the right crib bedding...and I didn't like any of them! To me they were just too matchy-matchy and busy. I don't really like "cute" animals or things dancing around on everything. Butterflies, flowers, Winnie-the-Pooh, just not my style. I considered making my own everything but after the carseat, I really didn't need another huge project. I was very discouraged and a little upset until I walked down the last aisle...and there it was! The perfect bedding set! It was all different bright colors, and looked perfect with the wall color.

Once the walls and bedding were in place, furniture was pretty simple. I bought a white couch cover to go over the hideous couch. Now it looks great! My mom brought my old-fashioned white dresser with a big mirror when they came to visit from PA. We found the changing table at a garage sale for $25 - not bad and it's solid wood. Thanks to some awesome friends, we got the crib for free from a church that was upgrading theirs.

And for the final touches, Hobby Lobby came to the rescue. They had the cutest artwork! I bought tissue paper there, too for the masterpiece in the corner. I covered letters that spell 'Ella' with yarn and put those on a white shelf from Target. And ta-da! A perfect little nursery for my pretty little princess.

special.sunday.events

Yesterday was a very special and beautiful day. It was my 1st Mother's Day and the Baby Dedications at our church. I loved sharing my special day with Ella.


God is so good. Just one year ago, Mother's Day was so hard for me. I had just gone through the miscarriage and wanted more than anything to be a mom. And look at our little family now! Our precious little Ella is the light of my life.

Wes made my first Mother's Day so special. He took me out for breakfast and Ella gave me a little present. It's a necklace with a letter 'E' and her birthdate engraved on the side. It's precious and I love it so much! I put it on the same chain with the diamond Wes gave me the day before our wedding. They complete each other and I love it!

Then we went to church for Ella's baby dedication. She looked so cute in a brand new dress and huge pink flower headband, of course. But it wasn't just a fashion show. It was the commitment Wes and I made as her parents to raise her in the Lord that really mattered. We wrote Ella a letter an read it aloud:

Dear Ella,

You are the most beautiful blessing that God has given us. We have been praying for you since the moment we found out you were coming and we will continue to pray for you throughout your life.

In front of our friends, our church, and God, we dedicate you to the Lord. We promise to raise you in a home full of love, respect, and integrity where you will learn to honor us, but more importantly, to honor God. We promise to be Godly examples through our actions, our words, our relationships with others, and our relationships with Christ. We promise to actively teach you to follow God's word and pursue Him above everything else.

We can't wait to see the person that you will become - your personality, your talents, and your interests. We will help you find God's will for life. We love you and promise to love you through everything - when it's difficult, when it's tiring, when it's awkward, and when it's embarrassing. We are honored to be your parents and with God's help we will raise you the best way we can.

We love you,
Mommy and Daddy


It was the most beautiful perfect Mother's Day! I am so blessed.

the.carseat.project

I promised awhile ago to share Ella's car seat project. It only took me just about all 9 months to complete. But I am so happy with how it turned out and she sure looks cute in it!

Before:



After:



For anyone who wants to ever take it upon themselves to recover a car seat let me just say - you're crazy! It took a lot longer than I ever dreamed to finish this project. But it was worth it in the end.

First I ripped up the old seams so I could use the pieces as a pattern. I made sure to take lots of pictures so I would know how to piece everything together again. That part was the most tedious and time consuming.

Then, I cut out the new fabric pieces and reassembled them. The sewing part went pretty fast overall and was a lot more fun. I guess I just don't have a whole lot of patience for huge projects.

But it turned out so well in the end. And Ella loves it!

i.am.back...finally

Even though it has been forever since my last post, I will not make excuses because I have good reason - our little baby girl was born on February 28, 2013! A gift from God and so so so precious!

Introducing Ella Joy Atkinson:


She weighed 6lbs.10oz. and was 19.5 inches long. My labor was relatively painless and I was so thankful that I was able to have her naturally. I loved her so much during my pregnancy and even more the moment I saw her for the first time. She is beautiful!


And 2 months old already! I have no idea where the time has gone! It's crazy how fast she is growing up. Pretty soon it will be time for Atkinson baby #2. But for now I'll enjoy every moment with my beautiful girl. It won't last forever.

fall.is.here

Fall is here! My favorite time of the year! Cold evenings, hot chocolate, butternut squash soup, orange colors, falling leaves, pumpkin pie, sweaters and mittens. I love it.

A few weeks ago for our Life Group, we had a "soups and chili" night since it was rainy and cold. Perfect weather for our meal. I made butternut squash soup and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. Yummy! I'm mad now that I didn't think to take a picture. Oh well. It was delicious though!

With the whole pregnancy, I've been feeling so out of the loop. Normally, I would have been thinking fall in September, but somehow it just slipped by me until it started getting cooler outside. Then it just hit me, and I got really excited. So to go with our soups and chili and the colder weather, I finally got around to decorating for Fall.

Last year, I didn't really decorate the front entryway since we lived in an apartment. This year, though, I decided to buy a few mums and a pumpkin to put on my front porch. And it looks so cozy.

My sister, Jess, and her boyfriend, Leo, on my front porch.

I'm still debating on how I should decorate the mantle. I've been looking for ideas on Pinterest and found a few that I like. We'll see....I'm not set on anything right now....maybe I'll start thinking Christmas.

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On a side note, I'm at 24 weeks this Friday. Over halfway to seeing our little girl! I cannot wait to meet her! She's been so active lately, kicking and moving all around! It weird to watch my whole stomach shift as she moves. I can usually see exactly where her head and feet are. So exciting! I registered last weekend and found the perfect bedding set! I finally know what color I'm going to paint the nursery, so now it's just a matter of getting the paint. And if I think of it this way....there's only 8 weeks til Christmas, then only 8 weeks after that until my due date!!! She'll be here before I know it!

21 weeks

baby.prep

There is so much to think about when you're getting ready for a baby. It's almost overwhelming. I guess the trick is to just take it one day at a time. Baby names, nursery ideas, pregnancy symptoms, nauseousness (still...sometimes), registries - there's so much to be done! But now that I'm in the second trimester, things have gotten so much easier. I have more energy (I say that while I yawn, HA!), I'm not nearly as sick, and I actually want to start planning and preparing. I definitely couldn't say that just a few weeks ago.

So here's what I've done so far:

Garage sales: Wes and I spent one recent Saturday morning garage saling specifically for Baby. :) It was so much fun! We spent about $25 and came home with a baby carrier/car seat in great condition, a monkey bouncer - also looking brand new, and several onesies and cute tiny baby girl clothes. Yay!

Window Shopping: I've been to Babies R Us, Target, and Buy Buy Baby. There's just too much to take in. I still haven't figured out just exactly where I'm going to register. But we still have time for that.

Nursery: Since I had a whole day off on Monday for Labor Day and we decided to stay home this year, I took some time to gather my thoughts and ideas for the nursery. I'm trying to be as frugal as I can and still make it adorable! After all, diapers are NOT cheap!
So here's my nursery in box:

And the best part? Everything you see in the picture cost me under $15. Here's the breakdown:

Crib quilt: My mom had it at home. Maybe it was mine when I was little. I don't remember it, but
yep, it was free.

Curtains: $1 At a garage sale awhile ago, I found these pink flowery curtains. There are 4 large panels, and we only have one window in the nursery, so I'm going to take the extra fabric and make a crib skirt. It matches so perfectly!

Tissue Paper Pom-Poms: I already had these ones lying around the house, but I'll make a bunch more to hang in the corner somewhere (and use some brighter colors). Each pom-pom will cost about $2.

Cardboard Letters: Once we pick a name, I'll buy some letters from Hobby Lobby ($2.50 each) and wrap them with yarn or something like that. I'll decorate them somehow.

Bunny: Bunny was mine when I was little. Just a little something sentimental.

Half-circle Banner: I bought a package of assorted scrap fabric from Hobby Lobby for $10 and sewed it up. It's not quite finished yet. I'm going to use some bright yellow bias tape to sew them all together. I'll probably hang it from the dresser. And I think I'll take it to the hospital to decorate her bassinet. Hospitals need some cheering up for sure.

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In just 2 weeks, I'll be at the halfway point of my pregnancy. What?! It took so long.....but it went so fast! I think I'm just confused. We got to see our little girl a couple days ago, and it's amazing how much she changes from one appointment to the next. She has a spine now! I'm really excited for next month's appointment. We'll really get to see her up close. It'll be the level 2 ultrasound where they check all the organs and all that. How fun!

happy.news

Waiting 3 months to write a post is kinda like starting all over. But in a way, I feel like I am starting all over. There have been so many changes in the past few months, my life is completely different now.

Change #1:
After I finished up at ORU in May, I had the opportunity to began working at Foundation Church as their Communications and Marketing Director. That began in July and I've really been enjoying it.

Change #2:
Summer is over, Wes is back at school, and all the activities have begun again. So it's that time of the year when life gets hectic for us.

Change #3:
I've been really slacking in the decorating and interior design projects around the house. I've been too lazy and honestly haven't really cared about it much. All I do is sleep and the hallway is only halfway painted...because...

Change #4:
I'm pregnant! This Friday marks 15 weeks that Baby Atkinson has been baking in my belly. We're so excited! Last week we found out what we're having, so on Saturday we had a little gender reveal party for some of our family and friends. Hillary and Trina helped to plan and decorate, and it looked just precious. We played a few games before we cut the cake and one of them was a game to try to figure out the gender. Trina and Hillary asked me a bunch of questions based on old wives tales and according on my answers, we could try to determine whether it would be a girl or boy. And the funny thing was, all my answers pointed to it being a girl. Of course, those were just wives tales, the real proof was in the pudding...well, the cake. So when the time came, Trina cut the cake and everyone found out that in February 2013 the Atkinson's will be welcoming a little baby GIRL into the world! How weird that every single one of the wives tales was correct. Either way, we're very very happy. And I'm especially excited that I can dress her up with little pink bows and ribbons, dresses, and shoes!

recovery.and.healing

I mentioned in a previous post how April was just a really bad month for me. At the time, I wasn't ready to share, so I haven't blogged much in the past month or two. But I kept a journal and wrote in there often and now I feel ready to share.

Towards the end of March, Wes and I found out we were pregnant. It was wonderful. It was the best feeling in the world. I was so excited, so nervous. April 11 was our first doctor's appointment. It didn't go well. We were told it looked like a molar pregnancy. I didn't know what that was and I was scared. April 19 I had a D&C surgery to remove everything and determine whether is was a molar pregnancy or not. Thankfully, it wasn't. It was just a normal miscarriage.

Throughout the month of April and into May, I journaled my thoughts, my feelings, and my emotions.

April 13, 2012

Maybe later I'll understand, but for now, I'll just cry. Why? Why me? Why now? Two days ago I went to the doctors to see my little baby and hear its little heartbeat. I eagerly waited as they set up the ultrasound. Then nothing. There was no baby. There was no heartbeat. Only tissue, tissue that at one point had been my baby. Wes just held my hand as the doctor told us what was going on.

How can such a happy, exciting moment turn so quickly into something so terrible, so heart wrenching? Now I'm stuck in this in-between phase, deciding whether I should have the D&C or wait for my body to naturally miscarry. It has to be that way. Why?

God seems so far away. How can a loving Father watch his child go through this and suffer? It seems so cruel. But I know He has a plan and that all things work for good to those who love Him. I don't see it though. How could anything good come out of this? This may be the hardest thing I've ever been through. It'll get better. It has to get better.


May 2, 2012

It's May. It's a new month and hopefully new beginnings. I had my doctor's appointment yesterday to check up on everything and get results from the surgery. It was good news. Thankfully, I did not have a molar pregnancy, just a normal miscarriage. The baby made it to about 7-8 weeks. The good news is none of this should affect our chances of getting pregnant again and having a normal healthy pregnancy.

I'm really glad for some good news. It's still been really tough at times. A few days ago, I just couldn't stop crying. All I could think was that in only 6 more weeks, I would've known if it was a boy or girl. And now that we know how far along we were, the due date would've been the same week as my sister's birthday. It's just overwhelming, challenging, and very sad at times.

But in that hour and a half that I cried the other day, God gave me a few Bible passages to get me through. First, He pointed out my all-time favorite verse(s) Proverbs 3: 5-6.

     "Trust in the Lord with all you heart
     And do not lean on your own understanding.
     In all your ways acknowledge Him,
     And He will make your paths straight."

Then he brought back to me Psalm 23. I must have read it twenty times over and over.

     The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
     He makes me lie down in green pastures;
     He leads me beside quiet waters.
     He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness
     For His name's sake.
     Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
     I fear no evil, for You are with me;
     Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
     You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
     You have anointed my head with oil;
     My cup overflows.
     Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
     And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Things are getting a lot better. With the good news yesterday, we are once again getting excited to start a family.


May 16, 2012

It's been a month since I found out I was having a miscarriage. And in two days, it'll be a month since my surgery. Each day, I feel so much better. Even as I mourn over the loss of our 8 week old baby, I can now look to the future. I'm getting excited. Each day brings me closer and closer to being able to try again.

Everything feels so different, too. I've learned so much through this experience. Through those weeks when I was pregnant, I was constantly worried. I had this horrible nagging feeling that something wasn't right. I joined a community board for November mothers online, which only made it worse. But even through that, I didn't want to give it over to God. I wanted a baby so bad. I thought as long as I did everything right, everything would be okay. I didn't want God messing up my plan. But even as I went to my first ultrasound, I wasn't surprised. It had never felt quite right all along.

I was devastated and I knew I was wrong. I did need God; I do need Him. I let go of the reigns of my life, my plans, my goals...and I gave them back to Him, where they belong. And everything turned around. He comforted me and helped me move on. He showed me how much I need Him in EVERY area of my life. My life has become so good, so easy once again. I'm not scared or concerned about the future, and I'm only excited and ready for the family God has for us in His timing.

sneak.peek

This week has been a crazy, tiring, and fun week.We kicked it off last weekend with a bunch of DIY projects. We sanded, stained, and painted the TV console/credenza and a small end table. Of course we also got our new hutch for the kitchen which looks amazing! Wes fixed up some broken and loose chair legs from our dining table set and we spent hours making the yard look good. But why the sudden inspiration? My parents came to visit! This is the first time they have seen our house since we've moved in, so I wanted to be sure it looked perfect!

With family, work, church, getting sick (boo), and all the other things we somehow accomplished this week, I haven't had time to put together pictures of our nearly completed kitchen and living room. But here's a sneak peek or two:

I am so in love with our new hutch!

TV console/credenza in the garage right after I finished staining and painting

Only a few more things to do before the kitchen and living room are complete! Can't wait to show it off!

project.kitchen

As much as I love blogging, and as much as I keep reminding myself to do it, it's not always as easy as it sounds. It's especially hard when the whole month of April has seemed like one never-ending bad dream and I just don't want to talk about it. But things are beginning to brighten up and it's getting easier to move on. There's one thing I've been constantly reminding myself:

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28

And in the meantime, I have been working on a few projects here and there. Project Kitchen is nearing an end. The walls are finally painted a cheery yellow and with time the intensity has started to fade. Thank goodness. I would still like to re-upholster the chairs, but I'm almost finished making/hanging curtains and decorating in general. After searching for months for the perfect hutch for the right price, I finally found one on Craigslist just a few days ago. Wes and I are going tonight to pick it up. I'm so excited! It's like Christmas! There's a perfect space for it on the wall behind the table. I think it's really going to make the kitchen. It's white right now, and I think I'll leave it that way, but I'm thinking of pulling some lavender from the living room and painting the back panel a light purple. Here's my inspiration:

Two-toned painted hutch

Two-toned painted bookcase

 And here's the picture from Craigslist of my hutch:

Be on the lookout for the completed Project Kitchen. I'll be sure to post before and after pictures and track the progress from the whole experience. It's so much fun!

refocusing.priorities

I really love to think. Lots of times I give myself free time just to think. Usually, it'll be at times when I'm just thinking that great ideas and inspiration just pop into my head. But sometimes I become too scatterbrained to focus on just one thing. I get too busy, or am too excited about too many things at once. That's kinda how it's been with my blog for awhile. I often think of all these topics I really want to write about, then I forget or get too carried away with another idea that I don't give myself time to just sit down, concentrate, research, and write about just one thing.

So this post is an experiment, an exercise really to see if I can just get my focus straight. In my brain, my thoughts are all jumbled, I have a hard time remembering anything, even if I just thought it a split second ago. And my mind races, stopping here and there to dwell on something, but not long enough to form an opinion or really understand it. Often, the best way for me to spit out what I'm actually thinking and organize it in a reasonable manner is to write.

That's what this experiment is all about...sorting through my thoughts from the last month or so. I probably sound crazy. I'll be the first to admit I am nothing like a normal ordinary person. And I've finally accepted it and am now trying to figure out how I can be as efficient as possible using the gifts and talents God has given me in fulfilling the desires God has placed on my heart (which are many).

There are many areas of my life. My personal relationship with God, my husband, my family, my church, my job(s), and me. It's the first time in my life that I really have had to think about and prioritize everything in my life. I'm just too busy to do it all. One thing has always remained constant. If I talk to God before I begin anything else in my day, life is easier. Not physically easier necessarily, but He gives me strength to complete everything that needs to be done. I don't stress out. Anyone who knows me well knows that I hate to be in charge. I will do whatever you ask me to do. Simple. Done. But don't ever ask me to lead. I am a follow the leader type girl. If there's nothing to follow, I freak out, I stress out, and I panic all at the same time. It's not pretty. But when I give it to God, He's my leader, and even if I am technically the leader, He is still in control and leading me. It just makes life so much easier.

So in order to focus on what's important to me, I wrote a list of the things that I want to do, some new, and some that I am already doing but want to improve on:


God
*devotion time
*prayer
*journal
*boldness

Wes
*respect
*encourage
*keep my word

Family
*call
*write letters/cards

Church
*step back - worship
*others

Home
*organization
*diligence
*finances

Job
*preparation for lessons
*advertising

Me
*paint
*garden

I feel like my life is finally organized! It's great to have goals or a target point to work towards. It makes life so much less complicated. You should try it, too.

baby.fever

I think I have baby fever. No, I don't even think....I know....and especially after hanging out with this little cutie:

Baby Oliver Photo Shoot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can you resist?

i'm.so.spoiled

Valentine's Day was very special this year. It's hard to believe Wes and I have celebrated Valentine's Day together for 4 years now. Last year, Wes went all out, surprising me with a shopping spree to get a new dress for our outrageously elaborate and expensive dinner date. This year, we did the opposite - saved money and spent the evening at home. And I loved it! When I got home, Wes was standing in the doorway with beautiful pink roses and delicious chocolates. So cute. For dinner, we made chili together and a red velvet cake for dessert. Then we got all comfy cozy in some nice warm flannel pj's, and cuddled up on the couch and watched a cute movie. So romantic.

But that's not all. On Saturday, Wes took me to get a NEW CAR! We bid farewell to our super unreliable and altogether unwelcome Jeep and hello to my new (new to me) bright yellow Chevy Aveo! It's super cute and fits me well. I'm so spoiled. Thanks Wes!

painting.our.house

This week our house has been a work in progress. I feel like we should have caution tape all around to designate the 'wet paint' areas. That's right, we finally started painting our house! Last week, for my birthday, Wes took me to Lowe's to pick out paint, stain, and other supplies for our big project. I was so overwhelmed and so excited all at the same time. We picked out paint for the kitchen, living room, and music room, and some more paint and stain for the furniture in the living room. Wes and I are both pretty new at all this, so we weren't sure exactly how everything was going to turn out. But thankfully, our friend Andi is a painting pro and he came over to help.

Project #1 - The Kitchen
The kitchen was the hardest room for me to pick a color. I didn't know if I wanted to go with a minty green or light aqua blue, a darker greenish color, or yellow. Too many decisions. I finally decided on yellow. I really wanted a butter yellow color, but it turned out more like a banana yellow. It's bright, but I like it. It's starting to grow on me for sure.

Before:

 

In Progress:

Still needs one more coat of paint.

Project #2 - The Living Room

I chose a very light lavender for this room. It's actually almost white, but I really wanted to brighten up the room and make it nice and cheery. Of course, the whole wall of windows helps, too.

Our ceilings are super high, and Wes and I really weren't sure how we were going to manage, even with a ladder. But it was no problem for Andi. He just set up his little rig and got to work. Thanks Andi! It looks awesome!

In Progress:

This is how it all looked the next morning: [sorry for the blurry picture]

Now it's time to make all those fun curtains and pillows! I'm so excited to decorate my house!

Project #3 - The Music Room

At the moment, the music room is going to stay a surprise. I'm not even going to tell you what color(s) we painted. I'll just say this: The theme is jazz, and I'm going big and bold. I have so many ideas and I can't wait to start decorating! It's going to look so good! But y'all have to wait for the grand reveal. Sorry, no sneak previews.

new.journey.part.2

I feel like these fast few months have been the start of a transition period in my life. I talked about it recently in my new.journey post. It's time for me to move on and do what God is leading me to do. I'm still in the process of discovering what all that entails, but it's starting to become clearer to me. There are two areas where God is guiding me right now. The first is music. My little private lesson studio is growing; I now have 6 students! Wes and I made a deal, too. If I can get just 7 more students, we can start trying for a baby! BEST MOTIVATION EVER! I'm probably more excited about that than anything! I'm determined now. I even made myself a business card:

I had to make the back cute, too!

So if you know anyone in the Tulsa area who would like piano or violin lessons, give me a call!

The second area is with church. In the past few months, I have been greatly involved with Foundation Church. Wes is a Creative Arts Associate in the instrumental department and recently I have taken over the Visual Arts area of the Creative Arts department. I know God is calling me to this area in the church and I'm really enjoying it. Not only am I involved with the day to day graphic design, I am also building and working with the stage design team, construction crew, drama team, computer team, and video filming/editing team.

Recently, the church went through a name change. What used to be Ridgeway Baptist Church is now Foundation Church. And with that came many changes.. New logo, new color scheme, new stage design, new signs, new bulletins, new EVERYTHING! Visually, the biggest change was the stage. Together with Wes, Monte, Andi and a group of construction team helpers, we spent a solid weekend reconstructing the stage. This is what the stage looked like originally:

 Monte asked me what I thought we should do to change it up. This is what I came up with:

And this is the final result:

Definitely a huge change from what it was. We painted the walls, doors, and trim black. We constructed trusses from PVC pipe and spray painted them silver. We constructed back panels with chloroplast and screen door mesh, and hung spandex in the middle and on the sides. Then we rewired and reprogrammed the lighting system. Not too bad for a bunch of people who have NEVER done anything like this before! We really didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. But it was so much fun! I can't wait to do it again!

That was definitely the biggest change so far, but we've also been experimenting with video. We'd like to get back into doing video announcements, too. So far, we've completed a 2 minute video testimonial and are in the process of another one. I've never had the opportunity to be a part of anything like this and I'm loving it!

fabric.frenzy

It's been awhile, not surprising really. Life has kept me pretty busy, but not busy enough to keep me from thinking and planning my summer. Yeah, I know it seems like a long way away, but I'm so looking forward to it! I should start a countdown. Today I was looking at fabrics for pillows and curtains. I guess I got all antsy since we got a new couch this week. Amazingly, we got it for FREE from some friends at church. It's a slightly odd color, kind of gold, but really big, comfy, and in great condition. It looks brand new. The gold color looks pretty bad with our beige/tan house, but lucky for the couch, I want to change all that anyway. Picture this: a gorgeous brightly colored Monet painting above the fireplace, light lavender almost white walls, a large comfy goldish couch and a mix match of pillows with the fabrics below. Dream home love.