Goodnight Sweetheart

Which bedroom do you like best?

Bedroom #1) Elegant, traditional  yet contemporary and sumptuous.

Love the blend of styles, gray walls, art and chandelier. And of course that swanky bed.

 

Bedroom #2) French flair, 100% organic nestled in some lavender fields forever.

Love the linen, rough, distressed woods and those monogrammed pillows.

Bedroom #3) A stylish bedroom in some hip Grandma’s old house filled with memories.

Love the mix of colors and styles. Orange and pink: one of my fav combos. Plus the monograms.

Bedroom #4) Clean,crisp (no bedbugs) and pure comfort.

Love the black and white with green accents. The polka dot bedskirt adds a relaxed touch.

Bedroom #5) Homemade goodness, heirloom warmth on a featherbed in a country home.

Love the simplicity, mix of patterns and down to earthiness.

Which bedroom would give you the best zzz’s?

Actually, this might be a good way to design any room.

Take elements from rooms you like and mix them all together to create one room of your dreams :)

 

Rainy Day and Mondays

It has been raining all day…

a gray day fulfilling the promise that…

April showers will bring May flowers.

I have been busy Spring cleaning.

Pretending that I am moving so I don’t keep anything that I don’t really need anymore.

Now that I am done for the day…

Which celebrity do you think gets to enjoy this dream room of mine?

a) Kate Hudson

b) Diane Keaton

c) Sheryl Crowe

Answer: c

I think it is so pretty.

Simple, hip, comfy and gorgeous just like Sheryl.

 

Wonder if that is one of Lance’s bikes above her fireplace :)

 

Interesting how these walls are white like Sheryls but the room is missing some of the same warmth.

What do you think would warm it up?

This rug looks like it is soft but I bet it isn’t which is a bummer because it’s texture & casualness is the sweetest look these days.

This room is warmer. The stone fireplace, zebra rug and draperies add a cozier feel.

I am simply loving the gray trend these days

but just not in the Ohio skies :)

Why Remember This One

My friend, Jane is in the process of redecorating her family room.

I went over this week to take some “Before” pictures before the total transformation begins.

Jane would like to join the “Gray Revolution”.

Trade in her red walls for gray ones and lighten up her space.

 

Her red rug will be replaced with a lighter neutral color.

She loves the look of seagrass but it isn’t very comfortable on your feet or a little grandson’s knees.

So…we will see what she chooses??

The new gray wall paint will move up to her ceiling as well.

A lot of changes are going to happen to this space…

I just wanted to give you a sneak peek

Outside those French doors…

is her beautiful patio that I featured here:

http://lisaslovinit.blogspot.com/2010/09/why-birthdays-are-happy.html

Thank you, Jane…for letting us share this transformation with you.

It is going to be gorgeous.

I can hardly wait for the

happily ever “After” reveal :)

Why I Don’t Ski

Skiing in Steamboat Springs.

Father & Son.

Joe had so much fun spending Parker’s Spring Break in Colorado.

Joe was so happy when Parker chose skiing with him instead of doing something with his friends.

I told him to take lots of good pictures.

This one is beautiful so high on the mountaintop.

Steamboat’s natural hot springs.

Awesome picture, Joe!

Looks like a hippie compound.

Joe took these of the church steeple in the background for me.

How cute.

Do you see it? Off in the left.

They spent part of their trip with Joe’s Colorado State University friend and his wife. They both still live in Fort Collins.

Such beautiful pictures…

I am filled with gratitude that God gave us a son. Parker has given us all the pleasures that come with having a boy. Joe has had someone special to share all the things he loves like hunting, hiking, camping, golfing, soccer and skiing. Anything related to the Great Outdoors.

Parker told me that he had a “blast” in Steamboat and I know Joe had a blast too just being with his boy.

It probably explains why I have never gotten over my fear of heights to go up in a chairlift…

Father & Son just need time alone :)

 

You Had Me At Hello

It all starts with an image.

For me, it started with this kitchen.

and this view…

This is South African designer;

John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt Zwiegelaar.

(Sorry thought he was from Australia.)

Hi John!

Is it ok if I use your kitchen as my inspiration for my own kitchen remodel?

Here is his dining room that shares that gorgeous checkerboard floor. Finding the right flooring is critical.

Think I’ll find what I am looking for??

Stay posted.

My wannabe kitchen is John’s kitchen in South Africa and I’m not going to chicken out

Why Is It

It has been quite a long time since I have blogged.

First I was busy…

then I was in Texas…

then this computer had problems…(grateful all wasn’t lost)

then there was the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan that makes blogging, decorating and other pleasures non-pleasurable amidst such a crisis.

Even today…

it is difficult to blog when the fallout of Japan is so alive and real.

However, knowing we could all use a smile…

I am posting some “sweet things” to enjoy with the dreadful daily news

Little Landry turned 5 months old yesterday.

He has the biggest, bluest eyes

like his Mommy.

I gave him baths while I was there

and trickled warm water on his belly from the faucet.

He absolutely loved his “spa” treatments.

He was warm and cuddly to hold.

I felt the sheer joy of these Japanese rescue workers when they found a 4 month old baby girl alive…crying in the rubble.

She lived for 3 days without her Earthly parents…

there is no question that her Heavenly Father was holding her in His loving arms.

What a Miracle! Thank you, Lord!

What is even more miraculous is…

she was reunited with her daddy!!!

He found her just as another Tsunami warning siren was going off.

Apparently, the waves tore her from her daddy’s grasp as he was trying to out run the tsunami.

Everyone is wondering how she did not drown in the tsunami??

Amazing Grace!! God always sprinkles helplessness with hopefulness.

I am grateful when He does that.

And on a side note: Why does Tsunami start with the letter “T”?

 

If you are looking for a wonderful feel-good distraction from all the bad news,

I highly recommend this book.

It is a true love story based on blogger Ree Drummond’s; “The Pioneer Woman”

love affair with her husband.

Lovingly referred to as her “Marlboro Man”.

I confess that I am not much of a reader therefore, this recommendation holds a lot more weight then you may think.

This is a photo of Ree’s Oklahoma ranching husband.

The book paints an even a prettier portrait of him.

Their love story was so sweet.

It made me think how we, too, could write our own Love Stories.

In fact, I am seriously planning to do that…

before my memory becomes totally obsolete.

Although Joe wasn’t a true Cowboy…he wore some killer cowboy boots in our early years that only compounded his sheer gloriousness.

Seriously, he was (and still is/I can say that because he is in Colorado skiing and “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”) a total Dreamboat.

Ree’s endearing term “Marlboro Man” reminded me of all

the hot cowboys who were in those Marlboro cigarette advertisements.

(When cigarette companies were allowed to run ads)

They made this Midwestern girl long for a guy in chaps and a hat

and one who didn’t smoke, spit or chew!

I loved those commercials…

I loved those cowboys.

Yeehaw!!

Actually, Marlboro ran those ad campaigns to attract male smokers.

Guess Marlboro cigarettes were originally smoked mostly by women.

Who knew?

And who also knew that actor Tom Sellack never appeared in those ads.

I thought he did too…until I just researched it.

Although, he played Cowboys in many movies.

So many in fact, that last year he was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in OKC.

Wonder if Parker drove in from Norman??

Who knew?? And who knew there is such a thing as a Cowboy Hall of Fame??

I didn’t. I live such a sheltered life.

Now…on to something completely different….

While glued to Fox News 24/7

I found this kitchen…

that whisked me away to another place and time…

where disasters didn’t happen

and stocks had value.

and redoing a kitchen actually mattered.

I have always loved black and white floors.

This is the first picture I found of this gorgeous kitchen

on the Adventures of Tartan Scott blog.

I was smitten!

I printed it off and stared at it in bed.

After Goggling the designer behind the dream;

John Jacob Interiors

(not to be confused with John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt)

I found this picture of him sitting at the kitchen table…

obviously, waiting for me. He has my plate ready.

He must think I am a vegetarian

I was sorry I kept him waiting but actually

I was just thrilled to obtain another view of this kitchen

to print off and drool over and dissect inch by inch.

I am still trying to determine the type of countertop and backsplash he used.

(Please help me…if your eyes can decipher it. I am thinking stainless backsplash and black something?? counters)

And whether or not I could seriously pull this off in my own house??

Or if I just have to wait for my gold dream kitchen in Heaven??

Now…it is back to reality…

and matters that matter…

where babies, Cowboys, non-Cowboys, husbands, non-husbands, Japanese, non-Japanese, pretty kitchens and outdated kitchens all need to be Loved :)

Why I Pray

Having the Lord with me is a daily necessity.

I start my day with Him and coffee.

Some mornings my coffee gets cold

because there is so much to pray about.

Recently…I was encouraged to customize the

“Lord’s Prayer” after listening to

Andy Stanley’s sermon on television

(Charles Stanley’s son).

Hope you like my personalized version so much

you decide to make up one yourself.

Our Father, Who art in heaven.

Dear Heavenly Dad,

Hallowed be Thy Name.

I love you.

 

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Thank you that Your plans are always better than mine.

 

Give us this day our daily bread.

Please equip me with all I need this day.

 

Forgive us our trespasses

Help me not to fall short too many times today.

Thank you that when I do,

You promise;

“As far as the east is from the west’

You separate me from my mistakes and remember them no more.

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

Help me to quickly extend the same courtesy

You do

when others fall short and disappoint me.

 

And lead us not into temptation

Protect me from the wrong things.

 

but deliver us from evil.

Remove the junk from my life.

For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and Glory for ever and ever

You are all I need today, tomorrow and always.

Thank you for spending this day with me.

Amen.

Amen :)