The Dining Room

Ah, the dining room. How far it has come...and how far I want it to go. For a while we had our computer desk and dinette set in there. (That computer desk has been moved around more times than I'd like to count.) The dinette set was a newlywed gift and very appreciated but definitely temporary. You can't expect to have a $100 dining table/chairs long term. Perhaps if we had chosen better in the first place, it would not have become an issue as soon as it did. I loved the iron, and that is why we chose it. But a glass top smudges anytime you touch it -- and kids make it worse. Iron also wobbles quite badly when you barely knock it which is both embarassing and mess-making. Iron/glass also can create a more cluttery feel as it doesn't weight the room down. It doesn't serve as a very solid focal point for a dining room. It would be better used in a breakfast nook or sunroom where it is not the main function of the room. And when you want to have people over, four chairs around a small table doesn't really allow for many guests. But, like I've said before, if it is a gift or freebie...use the heart out of it while you save up for your long-term purchase.

We were blessed to be able to purchase our "lifetime" dining room set back in January. Then came the debate -- do we get all 8 chairs or just 6 for now? We had the money and the more you buy the better a deal you can get. We knew we'd have this table for a LONG time because it is quality and a classic style. So we got all 8 chairs. If you can swing it, do it in order to avoid "intermediate" purchases.

Notice, we also reinvented uses for some gifted furniture. We were using some of my dad's old bookshelves as a "buffet" (used for holding entertaining pieces in a dining room, placed at the far end of the room), but knew that when children came it'd be impractical. So, we put Matt's old dresser in place of the shelves because drawers conceal breakables and offers more practical storage. We shortened the shelves and now use them as a shoe rack in our closet.

Bookcases are the bane of my interior decorating existance. I can't stand them. Books look so cluttery no matter how you organize them. I can't wait to have a spot to put them out of sight -- they'd be ok in a real office because they are expected there. Or even bookshelves with doors on the front would be superb. But for now, open air books they remain.

Note the odd groupings in the room as it is now (third picture):
~3 main pieces of furniture along the wall: bookshelf, dresser, bookshelf
~3 wall hangings: spoon, portrait, fork
~5 family pictures: notice how we turned the frames so that they are not all hanging the exact same, and the middle one is larger than the rest. Creates intrest and symmetry. The horizontal line also goes with the flow of the large dining room table. The wood tone also matches the table (which I would love for the bookshelves and dresser, but you can't do everything all at once!).

Before the movers arrived with our stuff...



The "intermediate" dining room with bookshelves as the buffet.



What our dining room is today (only we now have all 8 chairs out). To finish off this room, I'd Move the bookshelves OUT -- who has a library in a dining room anyway? Then I would replace the bookshelf buffet with the buffet that matches our dining set. I'd probably leave the 5 pictures on the current wall because it would be too bare without them since it is such a big wall. That would leave the spoon/fork and portrait above the buffet. If the room were bigger, I'd shove the table over a little and put the matching buffet under the 5 pictures. And we can't forget about paint -- though I'm not sure what color I'd use since we're planning to get a new set of dinnerware in the next year or two. :-)

For Alicia: Master Bedroom

The Master Bedroom -- a safe haven of relaxation, rest, and romance. I truly believe that for young couples starting to make their house a home, the master bedroom should be first on the list. What is the marriage after all but the very core of the home's existence?

Here is the before.



This is after we dared to put golden yellow on the walls. It was tough to choose a color because the colors of our bedding are all dark. But I had a hunch that if we picked up the gold embroidery, it would look nice. And we still love it to this day! I grew up in a yellow room, so it is nice to continue with that. It really helps you wake up in the morning too -- especially if the sunrise hits the yellow walls and makes your room what we like to call "The Room of the Rising Sun."



This picture also shows our bedroom before we were blessed with the finances to get a bedroom furniture set. The mattresses were still on the floor, and we were using Matt's dresser that he grew up with (which was busting at the seams with clothes). Enter my "intermediate furniture" discussion. Notice the basket cubes we were using as nightstands. We bought those in Jackson for $40 total. They also served as storage for blankets. Their purpose was served, but when we could afford the bed frame...the nightstands suddenly became pitiful and inconvenient. Did we honestly NEED nightstands before we could afford the real thing? I bet not. We could have put the lamps on the dresser. So that was $40 we didn't really have to spend at that time that could have gone towarsd purchasing a real furniture set. We sold the baskets at a garage sale because they don't go anywhere else in our house. These basket nightstands are just one of many examples of "intermediate furniture" I think couples making a new home can wait on. Sometimes we get in such a rush to have it all and make it all look nice, that we start sacrificing patience and financial wisdom for immediate gratification. (Now, if something is gifted to you, obviously use it until you can afford exactly what you want.) Note how in the picture below, the nightstands were dwarfed and made obsolete because of how small they were compared to our new bed/dresser.



The following two pictures are of our dresser. The first shows what it was before I "simplified." We were hanging onto that tear-drop lamp because it was a wedding gift and because of its unique beading. But it was a hassle of a lamp that really didn't offer much light. I can't even remember if we sold it or packed it away.

Some examples of using on-hand sentimental items for decor:

~The picture frames are actually from our wedding reception (Matt growing up, me growing up, and pics from our dating/engaged time). I used acrylic paint to do a dark green wash over the wooden frames and then painted a clear coat on top for shine. They look superb with the dark green in our bedding . They also contrast well with the yellow walls whereas their natural tone would have been lost in the yellow.

~The green bottle with the note in it was a Valentine's card from Matt. The green goes well with our bedding and the frames. The bottle also lends to the romance in the room. I draped a shell necklace from Hawaii around it to add interest to its plain sides, but it is a necklace that has dark wooden beads on it so it's not so stark against the green.

~The red beaded box beside the bottle was also a Valentine's gift from Matt. It goes with the Moroccan Romance theme of our room but serves a practical purpose by holding all my bracelets.

Again, notice how groupings of three please the eye. There are three groups on the dresser to mirror the three picture frames. And in the second picture, you can see how using items that are similar in height is much cleaner than having a tall lamp and short bottle on either side of the dresser. It is much more balanced (and easier to dust). I also took away the picture frames that were sitting on the dresser. They were only adding a cluttery look and took away from the three hanging picture frames.



This last picture shows how waiting paid off -- we were able to finally get the nightstands that matched our bedroom set. (Notice how much better they look than the wimpy baskets? The lamps sit much more stable on a flat surface than a weave and we can actually reach them now!) We waited until we knew we could afford them as well as a new couch/comfy chair. If you can wait until you have enough money to get several pieces of furniture, you can usually negotiate a better deal with the salesperson. Having the full amount at purchase time also can get you a better deal. Never buy anything without first leaving the store for a few hours if not overnight. It's amazing how clear your mind is when you return a second time to look at what you want.

Also, notice how the color of our walls also goes with the quilt we got from Matt's grandma? If you do have two bedding sets that you can use in the master bedroom, pick a wall color that will allow you to switch the look on a whim. It keeps interest without having to spend a dime! Anytime you can move a piece of furniture, a knick knack, or play with fabric, it'll take the edge off of wanting something new/different without taking an edge off of your budget!

And to your sewing machine comment, it does increase your options. After we got the quilt, I went through my chest of fabric and made the two orange pillow cases and the green sash for our existing purple pillow. Then, with the recent FIND OF THE CENTURY $27 king sheet set, we now have a completed second bedding set. I love that the dust ruffle of the Moroccan set happens to be dark purple...but then I think almost anything would go with this wild, fun quilt!

For Alicia: Living Room

Leesh, I'll go a room at a time, otherwise this post would be mega long and take too big a chunk of my time. We'll start with the living room. I hope this inspires and encourages you!

Remember above all: it takes time, a watchful eye for sales, patience to wait for exactly what you want to come along within your price range, an open mind, and a stick-to-it spirit when it comes to saving for something. One of our biggest lessons has been buying "intermediate" stuff. I'll talk more about this when I do our master bedroom post.

Our living room started with white walls. We lived with white walls in Jackson -- and we had to have color now! It adds such a warm feeling and makes a place feel much more like a home. Matt chose a peachy orange color, and we chose two shades darker for the fireplace wall for depth and interest. Our gifted couch was a cream leather and the end tables and coffee table we had been able to purchase over time were black to match the black entertainment center I brought to the marraige. Black and white furniture was another reason we felt it necessary to paint the walls. Look at the difference a can of paint can make!

White walls (before the movers arrived with our stuff -- which was a month after we got here...but it did give us time to paint without furniture around).



Painting in process and then finished. Amazing difference, huh?



Our mantle has had two different looks. I use some of the decor from our wedding throughout our apartment because it goes with the colors we like. For a while we had an orange/red theme in the living room to try and bring more color to the black/white furniture. Then Matt's mom gifted us with a clock that went superbly with our Asian-feeling furniture. So I changed up the mantle to make it cleaner, simpler, but still stylish. I like both looks, but having less on the mantle wall goes better with the room as a whole since we have more furniture in it now.



We got rid of TV/cable because we can watch almost all the shows we like online and it's free to not have cable. ;-) Exit huge black entertainment center which opened up the room a TON! It also got rid of multiple focal points -- the entertainment center and fireplace. A room should really only have one focal point if it is a smaller room (which apartments don't have huge rooms!). While our fireplace still isn't the "hey look at me" point in the room, it's no longer competing with anything. It flows with the room now.

We waited and watched for a good sale on a couch and comfy chair (thank you Ashley's) and were able to purchase a dark sage set which will go with many different colors/styles should we decide to change it later. You'd think sage wouldn't go with peachy orange walls, but it looks superb (thanks for wearing the right color pants, Jaclyn!). The dark sage also goes with the black Asian style coffe table, end tables, lamps, and larger end table (which we got over time using the "remember above all" advice I said at the beginning of the post). The key really is patience, searching for exactly what you want in store and online, watching for sales, and waiting until you know you can afford it.

I have quite a few candles, so I use some of them in my decor. The simple wall boxes are from Target. Not hanging things in a straight line adds interest and keeps the eye moving.



Though the living room isn't huge, we measured before we moved furniture and figured out that the couch, chair, tables, and desk could all fit. It has a very coffee house-ish feel and is quite pleasant. And it's better than having an offersy or dinoffice room. So don't be afraid to get creative when thinking about furniture placement. It's an apartment not a house -- rules are made to be bent.

Don't put all your furniture flush against the wall. We angled our chair, and our couch and desk are about 2" off the wall (called floating). It keeps things from feeling cramped and grounded. It really does make a difference. Also, though the desk isn't black to match the other tables (it'd be overpowering if it was black, so I'm thankful it's not), it does blend with the walls enough to where it looks nice. The black technology also helps fuse it with the room.

Don't know how you feel about curtains, but I really find that they clutter up a room. Now, if it was a huge open room with big windows, sure I'd say something should be hung. But really, the simplicity and clean lines of a window can be decor in itself. It showcases architecture, geometry, and nature as you look through it or allow the sunshine in. That is why I have done nothing to the three square windows -- which you'll noticed are mirrored by the three black boxes on the opposite wall and the three items on the mantle wall. That brings balance to the room. And curtains on the sliding door/window would just make the room way too heavy.

Rule of thumb when decorating: groups of odd numbers are more appealing to the senses than groups of even numbers. Just some examples:

~Three boxes: 2 contain one candle each and the middle contains three candles.
~Mantle: 3 groupings total; one with 3 items (wall), one with 3 items (left side of mantle has candle lamp, statue, candle), and the other with 5 (right side has picture, candle, tiara, and two crystal figurines)
~Desk: group of three wooden holders (seen better in above picture)
~Chair's end table: only one plant and nothing



Any questions on the Living Room Post? :-)

New Easter Tradition & Excellent Easter Message

Yesterday, instead of hunting for traditional Easter eggs, Judah hunted for Resurrection Eggs. They are 12 plastic eggs numbered 1-12 that each contain a Scripture reference and trinket. By the time all the Scriptures are read, you will have been through the Easter story. It was alot of fun teaching him how to look for the eggs, put them in the carton, and then sit as a family while Judah opened each egg and we remembered what Christ did for us. No boiling, no dye mess, no worry over lost eggs that might rot or eggs being crushed. And a great way to start Easter Day - with the original Easter story! Here is a list of what is in each egg and the reference that goes with it. We may alter the references for ourselves so they will flow better for us as a family. (The ladies made these at Titus Tuesday last year; click on the pics to see detail of what's in the eggs.)

• Egg 1 - , a fake leaf
• Egg 2 - , a piece of cloth sprayed with perfume
• Egg 3 - , a pretzel
• Egg 4 - , a coin
• Egg 5 - , a small cross
• Egg 6 - , a thorny stick
• Egg 7 - , a dice
• Egg 8 - , a nail
• Egg 9 - , a piece of sponge
• Egg 10 - , whole cloves
• Egg 11 - , a stone
• Egg 12 - , EMPTY!

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Jim's message was incredible! He spoke on the 6 marks of true faith. It was very reassuring to my own heart with recent events in my life. It was also superb to receive a concise list describing what true faith looks like. The message was based on Romans 4:16-25 and titled "The Unbelievable Thing About Faith."

INTRODUCTION:

What is the hardest thing to believe? That someone could heal the sick? That someone would die on behalf of another? Or that someone could be raised from the dead? Speaking in practical terms, one of the hardest things for a person to believe is this: that God saves ungodly people through faith alone. Man's pride refuses to accept that human nature is unspeakably wicked, that righteous deeds have no value for buying eternal life, and that no person has the ability to earn salvation. So accepting faith as the only way to approach God is hard to do. It goes against our nature.

Here's the beautiful thing: Jesus healed the sick and died for us and rose again in order to (among other things) prove that faith alone will bring us to salvation in Him. The Apostle Paul speaks of this in Romans 4. By studying his words, we gain great assurance of salvation and a clear understanding of all that faith involves.

DEFINITION of TERMS:

• Justification - legal; we are declared not guilty and righteous through Jesus Christ
• Imputation - financial; we are given the righteousness of Christ when our debt is cancelled by His blood
• Substitution - Christ took our sin and gave us His righteousness

Declared, given, took. All things we can't do for ourselves. God will not allow anything to take away from Christ's glory: works, tradition, heritage, etc.

SIX SIDES of TRUE FAITH:

1. I admit my weakness (4:19) - Abraham knew it was impossible apart from God for he and Sarah to have a baby in their hold age.
2. I seek God's glory, not my own (4:20) - Abraham recognized it was about God and what God was doing, not himself and what he could do.
3. I bank on God's promises (4:20-21) - Abraham believed God's promises and lived his life accordingly though the promises seemed ludicrous, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
4. I depend upon God's power, not my own (4:21) - Abraham took things into his own hands and had a child by Hagar, but no matter how he begged, God reminded him He had chosen the son Sarah would have to be the true heir. Abraham's efforts to procreate only caused problems; but God's effort produced Isaac, the rightful heir. What does your heart depend on?
5. I place my hope in God (4:18) - Though it occasionally wavered, Abraham had hope that God would fulfill His promises. Do you always look ahead to temporal goals or to eternal expectations. If someone asked you what you expect out of life, do you say "Home, car, 3.5 kids, doctorate..." or do you say "To eventually be with Christ and be like Him, eternally worshipping with the saints in heaven..." (Matthew 6:33) Ouch!
6. Do you expect your life to change? - Abraham was uprooted from all he had known to go where he did not know on the basis of future promises...some that he never even saw fulfilled with his own eyes. Trust God with where He will take you. If you put your faith in Him and follow where He leads, your life WILL change. Trust Him with where He will take you, as Catherine trusts Jim when he pushes her wheel chair. She can't see Jim because he is behind her giving the power. He doesn't audibly tell her which way they will turn; he just does it. But she trusts him that he won't let go of her chair, leave her, or let her run into anything. She is fully secure in her daddy's leading and enjoys the ride -- a beautiful picture!