design

Heavenly Grounds: A DIY/Real Estate Journey

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August 2014, my husband rented a home off the coast of Northern California to celebrate our 15-year anniversary. It was probably one of the best weeks of my life. This property was among the most beautiful I had ever seen. The views were AMAZING, the sounds, the smells, the wildlife…  It literally took my breath away. The interior was beautifully decorated and furnished with every luxury to make us feel right at home. I doubt we touched a cell phone, watched TV, or tuned into anything that distracted our attention from the magic of our time together. Instead, we unplugged. We talked. We walked. We sat. We vision casted. We reminisced. (Of course we did some other stuff too, lol. But that’s for another time!!! 😊) The home gave us the means to focus our attention solely on each other. And the atmosphere set the tone for optimal enjoyment.

I took a million pictures, hoping to somehow capture, contain and even share some of the wonder of this place, but it just didn’t transfer. I wished EVERYONE I knew could just witness and experience it. I remember thinking to myself that one day I wanted to give this amazing gift to others. I wanted to somehow share the magic of my time here. I wanted people to experience a place where they could surrender all their daily worries and stresses. They could unwind and create memories with their loved ones that would add meaning and rest to their journey.

That house was over a million dollars!!! How in the heck could I own and furnish a home like that, let alone, GIVE or LOAN it to someone else??????  I mean think about it, the house was right off the ocean. The property alone was a TON of money. Now consider the decorations, furnishings, the landscaping, the upkeep… YIKES!!! After a week of sheer bliss, we returned to our normal lives at home. And as outlandish as it seemed, I kept that dream in my back pocket. Not to let it die, simply to rest for a while… And back we went to our regularly scheduled program…

If you know me, or follow my blogs, you know 5 years ago, we sold everything we owned, and built a home in the North Georgia mountains. It was a dream for us. We had vacationed there as a family for over 10 years. It was our happy place. But to actually live there was completely unplanned, yet completely miraculous.

We enjoyed every bit of watching that home being built by one of our favorite builders. It was hand crafted with so much care and detail. Upon completion, I couldn’t WAIT to furnish every square inch!!! I had a TON of ideas, but I was a stay at home mom, and we were limited to one salary. There was no way I could afford the purchases necessary to accent the gravity of this house. The walls were custom. The fireplace, showers, floors and cabinets were hand made. I could not obstruct its beauty with cheap décor. The only alternative was to birth these ideas I had in my brain with my own hands. And that is what we did.

It took almost 3 years to do it, but just about every room was embellished with colors, textures, wall hangings, and ideas that came straight from the heart. It was my goal that my family and our visitors would be submerged with a spirit of love, joy and peace each time they entered. We enjoyed countless good times, memories, laughs, and best of all, we were able to share them with our friends and family during our many gatherings.

(Swipe left to check out some of our projects here)

Our “forever” plans were recently interrupted by a job transfer for my husband and college endeavor for my son. We have successfully relocated to the Phoenix area. For several reasons, this was a bitter/sweet move. However, the sweet has been a full-circle kind of sweet.

For the past several months, we have been able to take that old dream out of our pocket and experience it in its full splendor. Our home has become the vacation rental property for families to enjoy. It has been an opportunity for us to share one of our favorite places on earth with others. Our walls are filled with meaningful accents that highlight our journey. There are pictures, window treatments, signs, walkways, landscaping all created with love, I’d dare say more meaningful than money could buy. It’s our best work. This house has become a gallery for some of our greatest DIY projects, and I am so blessed to be able to share them with others.

We simply named the home “Heavenly Grounds.” To us, that is exactly what it is. It sits on a mountaintop where views from miles away can be adored. It’s on a dead-end dirt road where deer, turtles, wild turkeys and even bears freely dwell. During the fall months, the leaves paint a new scene every day, while snow dustings cover the mountains during the winter. There are paths and trails once walked by my children and their beloved dog. My son got ready for prom there. My daughter enjoyed her cross-country party there. We hosted several gatherings there. We camped by the fireplace there. Read books, baked cookies, cooked smores, and counted stars there. And now others can do the same.

God has shown me time and time again that His ways are so much higher than mine. That He cares about the large and small desires of my heart. And that my wants are never too big for Him. I thought once I stepped away from my teaching career, I stepped away from a major opportunity to bless others and produce income using my greatest talent. I never considered all the other ways I could give of myself to still be a blessing. Though in a different location, I am so grateful to have the opportunity to share the splendor I experienced in California those years ago. It is better than any picture I could have taken.

I pray that you too take moments to dream. That you hold fast to the desires of your heart. Know that you don’t have to grind or toil to enjoy the journey of those dreams coming true. Know that His grace is sufficient. Write that book. Start that business. Pitch that idea. Apply for that job. Write that song. Know that if you make a habit or hobby of using your gifts and talents to spread love and joy to others, He will support it. May your dreams be too big for you to accomplish on your own and may you see them all come to pass…

Pics: Courtesy of Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals/Rachel Callihan-Cowart

DIY: How to Decorate a Teen Boy’s Bedroom: A Space of Inspiration

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Every child wants a place where they have ownership. A place of belonging. A place that has their distinct signature that says “ME.” It should be a place of freedom, where they can let go of their inhibitions. It should stimulate creativity and inspiration. A place where they can always feel welcomed and celebrated.

As parents, we may not be able to provide this kind of space in their classrooms, on the bus, in the locker room or even at church, but we CAN give them that space in a little corner of their world… their bedroom.

I have 2 teenagers. I recently redecorated their rooms to fit a more age appropriate palate. As they develop and evolve into the awesome young man and woman they will become, I want their décor to reflect some of the attributes I mentioned earlier; to create a place to help make their journey memorable and special for them. I was able to accomplish all of this by applying one simple rule:

CELEBRATE THEM!!! Use colors, materials, signage, posters, fabrics, bedding, rugs, pictures, initials, lights, art, trophies, medals, furniture, and ANYTHING else you can find to honor and inspire THEM!!!! THAT’S IT!!!!! I will share with you just how I did that for my daughter and my son.

Creating the perfect setting for my son was quite easy. Since he was little, we knew he loved all things logic. Including math, science, chess, robotics, technology, information, etc… The challenge was bringing this all together in a digestible and functional way, that would keep him interested, yet not distracted. This is a place where he not only does his homework, but he designs robots, plays games of chess, reads books, but also sleeps!!!

I found prints of the patents of the chess game and board right on eBay. I framed them with a rustic wood frame I got from Hobby Lobby. This served as a perfect focus point for his room above his bed. I used it as the anchor of my designs and built everything else around it.

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I think a display of their name is a staple piece to add signature to one’s room. Shoot, the average adult likes to see their name on their office door, desk etc… Kids aren’t much different. I found extra-large size wooden letters on Etsy and created a neat arrangement next to his bed.

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Above the window, I added my signature sign to reveal a message specific to him. though I “borrowed” the idea from The North Face, I find it to be super fitting for my son. 😊 I nailed the words “Never Stop Exploring” into a slab of old barn wood that I painted black, with hopes that he would be reminded of this very important message each day.

On each side of his window, I added a couple basic pieces I found in various stores. One is a simple arrow that points up, while the other is a picture of the planets in order of their arrangement. Both pictures light up. I find that most kids like the same ambient lighting we adults enjoy, just in a more age appropriate form.

Though the highlight of every room to me is the headboard or the bed itself, the owner of the room will spend a large portion of their time lying in the bed. Their focus will be on the space adjacent to the bed. So, this space is very important. Here I added a hanging solar system I found on Amazon. The planets spin in orbit similarly to the way they do in space. It is such a neat focal point and my son seems to love it. I also added a world map and a mirror and cleared an area for a spinning chair to create a place for him to read, do homework, relax, or even stargaze through the telescope that sits in front of his window. To fill the large wall across from his bed, I added a huge blackboard tapestry filled with physics and other scientific formulas. Though this language is COMPLETELY foreign to me, my son LOVES it and it gives him a little something to configure when he feels up to the challenge.

On the side wall between the door and his closet, I added a bench for extra seating and storage. I also hung a metal bin for his awards, certificates, and college letters. I love to see that he is filling this space quickly. The display of his success is a great reminder of his accomplishments. Finally, above the end table of his bed, I added a small reading lamp. Above it is a shelf for additional storage and a print of the periodic table.

Overall, I was thrilled to see this room come together. Teenagers are very complex. It can be challenging to capture all the beauty of their heart and mind. However, I took my time, and worked hand in hand with him to create depth and breadth that represented the essence of his spirit. When I see my son in his special space, it makes my heart happy that we could create a place for him to feel free and comfortable and celebrated and respected and loved. Ideally all this energy will transfer to his heart. It will follow him into the corners of his world and every place he dwells. And he will have a bit more confidence to share that beautiful heart, mind, and spirit with the rest of his world…

Whatever the age, or gender of your child, may you capitalize on their strengths and interests and showcase all the elements that celebrate them. You don’t need a huge budget, just a way to fill their room with everything that makes them sparkle and shine!!!

Check out my YouTube channel for details on this room design!

DIY #9: HOW WE MADE OUR OWN WALKWAY…

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Well here we go! If you’ve been following my blog, (which you SHOULD of course!!! 🙂 ) you know that my family and I had a home built in the North Georgia mountains about 2 years ago. We had an awesome builder, however, he did not include a walkway that led from our driveway to the front door. For a while that had been fine, however, after a very rainy season, and the grass not quite growing in yet, the water began to wash the dirt from the mountain onto our “rock” walkway. Of course, this meant that my kids, my dog and everyone else that came over were dragging mud or dirt ALL over the house!!! Uuuggghhh!!! We immediately contacted our builder who gave us a price ($3000-$3500) to complete the task. Though this seemed to be a bit steep, we set up a budget, a date and were excited to get underway.  Unfortunately, we waited, and waited and waited to no avail. DOUBLE UUUGGGGHHH!!!! Sooooo, I sat with a couple girlfriends one afternoon, and during our “girl talk” (if you could ever imagine) we discussed the idea and the “ease” of using pavers to create a beautiful walkway. “THAT’S IT!!!!!” I thought!!! I could go to Home Depot and price out some super pavers and as always… DO IT MYSELF!!!!

Though Home Depot offered an amazing variety of paver options, I counted up the cost, and it was waaaaaaaay too high. So, after searching on Amazon, I found the Quikrete Brick Walk Maker!!! It was PERFECT!!! Now this was something I could do! Use the molding to create a pathway!!! I ordered the mold for $24.99 and while waiting the couple days it took to get here, I looked on YouTube and studied the materials I needed and created a configuration that would work best for us. Simple right????? UUUMMMM…. NOT QUITE!!! Considering the area we had to cover, this was quite an adventure, and after 3 months, our walkway is finally complete. While we are certainly LOVING the results, I decided to put this blog together to help guide you through our personal process to help avoid the bumps along the way. Here are the 3 steps we took:

  1. The first step was to use the mold to create the bricks. We used a 60lb bag of quikrete. I bought an $8 mixing tub for mixing and an $8 trowel to level the mix and of course kept my hose very close to make the necessary consistency. It would seem you should over fill the mold with mix in order to create a thick/strong brick. That is not true. Fill the mold, but don’t over-stuff it. This will make the top of the brick uneven. Some people rent a concrete mixer for this part. Though that would come in SUPER handy, we did it the old-fashioned way, with a shovel. Let each mixture set for 5-10 minutes and carefully remove the mold. We proceeded to mix the next bag of concrete while the current one was setting. That helped keep the pace going smoothly. Repeat this process for each brick. Be sure to line the mold next to the prior brick in order to accomplish a patterned walk. Don’t be afraid to add curves as long as the distance isn’t too far from the adjoining brick.

This was my first row. Eventually, I redid this section because it was not as neat as I wanted… buuuut, good practice anyway. 🙂
Don’t be afraid to use your hands…
One brick at a time…
The trowel helps to level the top of the bricks.
My dog, Starbuck, was with me every step of the way…
Mixing the concrete with a shovel…
Working with the curves of the path…
ALMOST FINISHED!!!!

2.  Once you have designed your configured path or patio, you can prepare to prime and stain your bricks. I love this part of the project, because there is a super selection of colors and shades you can select from. Go to the paint/stain section of your local Home Depot to choose the color that works best for your space. Many people add dye to the bricks while mixing the concrete. I like staining afterwards because it is MUCH more cost effective and gives you a greater selection. The prime and stain manufacturers advise you to wait 30 days until your concrete has cured before starting this process. We didn’t quite wait the full 30 days, but perhaps at least 15 worked for us. We primed first and stained it a charcoal color one day later. The prime goes on easy. I used a paint brush, but you can use a roller as well. You really can’t mess this part up, so enjoy this opportunity to be creative.

3.  Finally, once the stain is the shade/tint you like, you can add the SAKRETE PermaSand for a “grout” effect. We found this item at Home Depot as well, however, it was quite costly at $20 per container. Because we had so many bricks to fill, I could have easily used 8-10 of these. However, I decided to buy Quikrete sand topping mix for the bottom portion as a filler. I poured the sand in the grooves of the bricks to about half way. And THEN added the Permasand as a sealer on the top portion. I then swept it into the cracks. The directions will tell you to use a leaf blower to remove all excess sand from the surface. We did that and lightly watered the sand and watched it harden. This was a great part of the process because you can see the contrast of the grout and the color of the bricks. It is a great signal that the project is almost complete.

Fill spaces with Permasand…
Sweep sand into the cracks…

Once the grout has dried, you can enjoy your paver patio/walkway etc… Contrary to my initial plan, this is not an overnight project. It is indeed labor intensive, but I admit that most of the job was done by me and my 14 year old daughter in 90 degree temperatures. If we can do it, surely you can. The key is making sure you take your time. Do not rush this process. Loading the quikrete concrete itself has to be done in stages (depending what car/truck you have) because you don’t want to ruin your struts. Mixing that mix is tough and doing too much in one day, can put undo strain on your back. TAKE IT SLOW. When done well, it will be a super cool project you can enjoy and reflect on for years to come!!!!

The finished product!!!
The front walk…
One side leads to the driveway, the other to the backyard
NO MORE MUD IN THE HOSUE!!!! 🙂

DIY #8 THE GREAT WALL OF WISDOM…

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Two things I have in every room in my house, a clock and a sign. 🙂 I LOVE SIGNS… and all things positive. I remember when I used to teach high school, I would cover my bulletin boards with hundreds of inspirational quotes from various influential figures to help bring love and encouragement to the classroom. It would only be fitting to create this same energy in my own home. So, for the past several months, I have shopped various stores, antique shops, boutiques, and Etsy, to collect signs of scriptures, quotes, thoughts of wisdom or simple words to reflect some of my favorite ideas. Last week, my husband helped to hang my last sign and my word wall is finally complete.

Here are pics of our completed project. Though it may take a little time, it is actually quite easy to do. Start by purchasing the signs that reflect your sentiments. You will find them at Hobby Lobby, TJ Maxx, Ross, Altrd’ State, Etsy, Marshalls, Kirkland’s, and the like. Pace yourself with the purchasing… signs can get costly. In a puzzle like manner, hang each sign in random design according to the fit of the one to follow. Continue with this process until you reach capacity. Feel free to add framed pictures, initials, clocks or whatever brings meaning to your collage. Whatever the case, there is no way to do it wrong. It is a great way to share your heart with all who dwell in or visit your home. Have fun. Spread the wisdom, inspiration and love… Lord knows we could all use it.

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When I taught high school, I used to fill my bulletin board with awesome quotes… some things never change…

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A collection of scriptures, quotes, thoughts of wisdom, or simple words from various stores, antique shops, Etsy and others to reflect some of our favorite ideas.

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So grateful to my husband for helping me hang all of my tedious wall projects!!!!

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one sign at a time…

DIY #7: Treasure your Trunk

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Looking for a great place to store toys in a playroom, blankets in a living room, games in a game room, sheets in a bedroom, or junk in a… well, not junk… 😘😘How about treasure in ANY room… Well, I have a super idea to help tuck away your treasures while adding a bit of style and function to the space. How about an old trunk? You can generally find these at any antique or thrift store, and often times, garage or estate sales. You can find them in all different sizes and conditions, but with a little bit of soap and water, paint and tape, you can restore and customize the trunk to fit your space and needs. In my last two houses, I used a different one for various functions, and did two very different looks for both with only two simple steps.

Step 1: Wash and disinfect your trunk. I used soap and water and even bleach to make sure the trunk was free of any unwanted elements. Once it is washed, put it out to dry thoroughly.

Step 2: Customize your trunk. You can get so creative with this. If it is going in a kids’ room, there are so many colors and designs you can add. Consider rustic, vintage, French, colorful, whatever fits your home/room. You can even include stencil or monograming. I used tape to add 3 different colors to one, while I used chalk paint and wax to add a vintage look to the other.

Whatever the case, you can’t mess up. If you don’t like it, simply start again. My trunk is multifunctional. We use it as a place to store blankets and coats for the winter, but we also use it for additional seating when we have company. It is a super conversation piece and has become a true treasure for our family.

 

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Clean and disinfect your trunk.

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Once it dries, begin painting.

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Painting with chalk paint.

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All white with dark wax for distressing.

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Adding tape to paint 3 different colors.

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I spray painted the metal parts black.

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Using tape for different colors.

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The finished product…

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The finished product…

A Rustic Mountain Christmas

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Whether an outfit, social media post, recipe or great DIY project, it is so much fun putting your stamp on anything you do. Holiday decorating is of no exception. For me, all things burlap, metal, wood, and evergreen; mixed with a splash of birds and bird houses, sealed with a whole lot of love, make for a rustic mountain Christmas.

This is our second Christmas in our cabin. I added a few items to décor I’ve used in the past to layer and create more depth to our spaces. This year, I made a banner to highlight the window in our living room and wrapped all flower pots and wreaths with burlap and holly. Simple, inexpensive, yet classic.

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DIY #6: The Christmas Tub: An Alternative to the Expensive Tree Skirt…

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If you are like me, you have scoured the various fabulous home stores in search of the perfect tree skirt… only to be disappointed by the hefty price tag. $59.99 (or more) is JUST NOT HAPPENING SISTER!!!! I TOTALLY get it!!! That’s like five additional gifts I could put under the tree…. HELLO!!!! Well if this is you, fear not. I have a great alternative and cure for your “Tree Skirt Blues!!!” A super simple DIY project for the whole family to bring a little extra “joy” to your experience.  It is made with a galvanized tub and is especially perfect for the freshly cut trees that will need regular watering.

The first step is purchasing your tub. You can find these at most home improvement/hardware stores, including Home Depot, Ace Hardware and Tractor Supply Co. Look for the Behrens 16” galvanized steel tub. They are usually no more than $20.34ab6ec8-71ac-4728-855d-bdd6e20aa3df_1.aec77a83eb19ed2541aabc65a91d7beb.jpeg Next, you can select a paint color that matches your décor. I would recommend chalk paint as it will adhere to the metal surface best. I find white to be a great neutral color so that it can serve as the base for any decorating you may want to do thereafter. If you put a tarp down, and grab several paint brushes, this could be a great part for the kids to join in and help.

 Once the paint dries, you can use hot glue to add any accessories to match your décor. I love burlap, so in this picture, I wrapped the center of the tub with burlap and then added metal lettering. However, you can add glitter; surround your tub with pictures, letters, ornaments or whatever creative idea works for you and your family. 

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Once your masterpiece is complete, you can carefully place your tree (and stand) inside your bucket and enjoy worry-free watering. Just another way to customize your holiday experience and make it meaningful for the entire family… You can even make changes to it and use it year after year….thus enjoying YOUR journey!!! If you decide to make the Christmas tub, be sure to stop back by and post pics of your creation. Until then, Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!

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DIY: Operation Decorate/Accessorize New House on a Budget in Full Affect!!!

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So…we have been here for little under a year; our cabin retreat in the mountains. We sold all of the furniture from our last home which means we are completely starting from scratch with furniture, accessories etc… I love the challenge of that because, not one piece of furniture from our last home would physically fit in here, but it also wouldn’t stylistically fit either. The style and size are TOTALLY different. I love that I am able to put my unique stamp on this new home and take it one room at a time. I do have a small “renovation budget” if you will, (and I do mean SMALL) so I have to make each dime of that stretch. I love that challenge as well because it forces me to get creative.  This home is a custom build. Most every square foot of it was made by one’s hands, so I must admit, I am merely accentuating the beauty that is already here. Not to mention, we are smack dab on the top of a mountain, which needs no accentuation what’s so ever…

My latest piece is a barn wood sign over my master bedroom window. I plan to create a sign with a personal phrase over each major window in all the rooms. Interestingly, they all face the mountain so therefore my goal is to put a cherry on top of each amazing ice cream sundae.

This is our master bedroom. After careful consideration, I chose the phrase right out of the bible: 1 Corinthians 13:13 … but the greatest of these is love. I toyed with other ideas, but love is a theme throughout our home and I thought what better place to reference love than directly from the scripture.

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I went to the local antique junk yard and bought an old 8ft piece of barn wood.

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I painted it white. However, I wanted the wood to show through, so I added water to the paint to thin it out a bit. wp-1460700113866.jpeg

I then ordered some rusted metal letters from Etsy (LOVE LOVE LOVE ETSY!!!). I considered the size and wording and ordered accordingly.

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Once the letters arrived, the greatest task was measuring. My husband and I measured the size of the letters against the length of the (uneven) board and glued them accordingly. I attempted to hot glue them, however that did not work, so we used industrial strength wood glue to attach the letters to the board.

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After the letters dried, we finally drilled the sign to the wall. In order to maintain the integrity of the old wood, we used the holes that were already in the wood and successfully drilled it in. And Voila!!!!… our finished product!!! 🙂

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