Between You and Me Signs

Have you ever had that moment happen when all of a sudden its like God answers your prayers and you think....this is it, this is the answer I have been waiting for.  Thats what happened to me a few months back while riding in my car on my way to meet an out of town client. I had recently returned from my trip to NY and I was still heavy with grief and trying desperately to understand everything that had happened. Trying to cope and understand. I think back on what a powerful moment it was for me and how I knew right then it was the words I had been praying for. 

I was driving along searching for a radio station that would actually come in because I was in the middle of nowhere with not much reception. I just happened upon a radio station and for no particular reason I just started listening. I honestly can't even tell you what made me stop searching. I was also alone this particular morning. This never happens! I am never alone in my car! Which thinking back now on all of this and the songs title, those words seem quite ironic. 

Well, I did start listening and it actually happened to be a sermon I had stopped on. It was Lysa Terkerst. She was speaking at the K love fan awards and let me just say that this is what I needed to hear exactly when I needed to hear it. She is such an incredible speaker. If you haven't had the opportunity to hear her speak I highly recommend it. Well, this particular morning she was telling the story of how her and her husband had taken their children diving and how in a moment of panic when she thought that her children were in danger, instead of watching for the dive masters instructions she grabbed her kids and they quickly swam to the surface. When the dive master reached to the top he reminded them that they had all forgotten the first and foremost rule in diving...they took their eyes off the master. Instead of watching his command, she panicked and made a hasty decision which was the wrong one at the time. Her point was that in life how crucial it is that we always keep our eyes on the master. He will lead us if we allow him to. What a reminder. 

She spoke more that morning about the olive tree and how it is located in an area that experiences extreme temperatures but needs those to survive. How the harsh heat blows across the land but its followed by a cooling breeze and how the olive tree needs this balance to thrive. 

But the one thing that stuck with me that morning more then anything else is when she spoke about the olive's themselves. How the most valuable part of the olive is the olive oil and how to get to the oil the olive must be crushed. Not to destroy the olive but to produce the very best from it. We humans are the same. This is what I needed to hear and it wasn't until this moment did I realize that this is what I had been feeling. Completely crushed. But that it wouldn't destroy me but instead pull the best out of me and my friends, I can honestly say without a doubt that is what it has done! 

I had my answer. 

It was that thing that you hear and you want to tell everyone all about it. I did. I am. I returned home that day and I couldn't wait to tell Brian! It was like everything I had been carrying around weighing me down had been lifted right off of me and I wanted to share it with him. Thats when this  happened. I was searching on my laptop hoping that maybe I could find her sermon from that morning and instead I came across the live streaming of the K love awards. They were still on. I didn't find the sermon but what I did hear was this song. I had never heard it before but as we watched the awards on my laptop in our kitchen making dinner that night, Kari Jobe came out and sang I Am Not Alone. Oh my heart. How those tears fell and I thanked God because it was feelings overload. It was like he was speaking directly to me saying, "Now you know and you get it so I'm going to send you this song as a gift and a reminder". It was overwhelming and amazing all at the same time. 

Around this same time , Tara from Between You and Me Signs and I had been exchanging emails about a new sign.  I knew I really wanted them to create 4 signs for this wall. I had originally had a different song in mind and its funny how things work out because we were both so busy that it never happened. But then after things had slowed down a little we started emailing again about the signs and I knew this was the song I wanted hanging on our wall. Reminding us we are never alone no matter what life may throw at us. 

They arrived and again I was completely overwhelmed by how perfect they were. Tara and her husband Andy are such gracious and kind people. They are truly a blessing. 

They fit perfectly in our space. All Between You and Me Signs are handmade and not only are they extremely well constructed, they are beautiful. So many different ones to choose from and you can customize your own sign or signs just like I was able to. I own quite a few signs from them and I love all of them so much. Filling our home with meaningful pieces is so important to me. 

Because Tara and Andy are so stinking wonderful and know how much I love their work and how much I love sharing it with all of you, they want to not only give you all 15% off any sign in the shop using code HOUSESEVEN15 but they also want to give away a sign of your choice!! 

Head over to my Instagram and look for this image below for a chance to enter to win!! 

{Contest applies to US residents only}

English Rolled Arm Sofas...I love you!

So I've been thinking lately a lot about this family room of ours and possibly changing things up a bit.   Like with a new sofa!! 

I'm pretty much obsessed with the English Roll Arm, they make me all giddy!

I keep thinking about what I could do with this beauty in my own living room and I admit, Im becoming a little obsessive about it! My style is a bit more relaxed and I love how this sofa makes you want to just fall right in and snuggle. 

 It has clean lines but it is still plush and welcoming. Its got its act together but isn't stuck up about it. The qualities I also admire in a friend so why not my sofa too!

 Now its not like I want to go around speaking poorly of my sectional because she has served us well but it was also a compromise purchase of sorts and now I think we may have to move her on to a new place in our home where she will still be loved but won't hinder my urge for changing it up every now and again. Because honestly its making me a little crazy not to have options for furniture arrangement in there!

I'm still in the dreaming stage and who knows how this will all shake out but its definitely on my mind. 

We shall see......

Big Girl Bed and Natti Natti

My little's room. I feel like it won't be long before its no longer a nursery but her big girl bedroom. I am holding on to this "baby" stage for dear life and even though she is still sleeping in her crib every night, I know that the day is coming when she will no longer want to be in there. She frequently climbs out during nap and I can hear her little feet pitter pattering across the floor upstairs while she is supposed to be asleep. My first clue was when I walked in to her room last week to find her sitting all sweetly in her crib filled with all her shoes and she was just having the greatest time trying them all on.....the girl loves her shoes! 

So yesterday, I made the long walk to the basement and pulled out the old toddler bed. 

Sniff. Sniff. 

I hoped that she would turn up her nose and say, NO WAY Mama, I'm never giving up my crib but unfortunately that was not the case. I can't say that she wants to necessarily sleep in it but climbing and jumping on it....oh yes! 

In fact, that is exactly what she did while I tried to pull the rest of her room together. Straitening up with her around is almost impossible. 

Once its all in its place you turn around and BAM its tossed across the room again!! Toddler life. 

For me the best part about bringing up the bed was the opportunity to use her new Natti Natti bedding. 

Oh, I am so serious when I say its probably the softest bedding I have ever felt. Its like butter! No lie. I had read how soft it was but seriously I was shocked when I opened up the package and had the chance to feel it for the first time. I want need them to make a giant one for my bed!

After all the fun of jumping on the bed I decided that tonight was not the night to try out the bed for real and I moved everything to her crib...I just can't do it. 

Her room is so minimal so I love the little deer and tree motif on the bedding to bring in a little quirkiness and fun to the space. If you are not already familiar with Natti Natti, which means Nighty Night (so cute) I highly recommend them after receiving this bedding for Ev's room. And because she is a blankie addict, she also has a new little twigs blanket to snuggle, how could I resist, its the cutest! One of the things that really made me fall in love with this company is that they are a husband and wife team out of Brooklyn who have children of their own. They had a vision to create something truly special for their children that would help them sleep better. All the designs are swedish inspired and they only use the highest quality organic cotton. 

Because I truly believe in choosing wisely and and buying far less then I ever have, I want the items I do invest my money in to be quality and to last. 

But I also want them to be pretty. Natti Natti fits this perfectly!

Epiphany's Corner and Something New to Love

I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to meet wonderful people who have decided to make that leap of faith, follow their dreams and pursue a life full of purpose.
Krystal is one of those people....

She made the life changing decision to leave her career in engineering and stay at home with her family. Living a life that fills her soul and allows her to be the creative that she was meant to be. I love meeting women like Krystal. They give me hope that I have chosen the right path too...the one that allows my soul to sing and my dreams to soar. 

She soon opened her shop Epiphany's Corner and it's filled to the brim with her beautiful work! I am so lucky to own a piece of her artwork and after much debate around our home (we all wanted it) my oldest daughter won out and she now has it displayed in her room. 

I love every single thing about this canvas! First of all it is one of my favorite quotes.
I Believe In Christ Like I Believe In The Sun.....Yes, Yes, Yes. Those words, they fill my heart and because I want my daughters to know this feeling too, this canvas will always be on display in our home. The way the canvas was created with the flowers surrounding the words only makes the meaning that much more beautiful.

 When it arrived in the mail and after we all decided that it should be in here, it was go time! I swear, all it takes is a new piece of art and my creative brain starts working over time. Her room got a complete face lift because I needed to have that perfect spot for it!

Now it rests here on her night stand. 

Those words greeting her first thing in the morning and the last thing she will read at night.

 So much beauty created around these powerful words. 

Such an amazing gift to know and to believe.

I could go on and on about how much this artwork means to me but I can't end this post without sharing a few other pieces that are in her shop that have me all....sigh....

s

I don't have enough walls!! 

But you might?!? Head over to Epiphany's Corner and fall in love with something for your own home! Use the coupon code HOUSESEVEN and all your orders will receive 30% off through the end of the month!! 

Buffalo Check and Ikea

I have been seeing buffalo check everywhere lately and I'm completely smitten. Maybe it goes back to my teen years in the 90's when all I wore wear plaid flannel shirts and pleated skirts. But this check is so much more than all that! So you can imagine my heart skipped a tiny beat when I ran in to Ikea last week and noticed they had this buffalo check for $8.99 a yard. Yes please! 

I discovered awhile back that I can get three 18 inch pillow covers out of one yard of fabric. Which is pretty much perfect when you own a sectional. I prefer my sofa pillows in 3's.

Disclaimer: Now I will say that even though this fabric is labeled as black and it looks black here....I fully believe it is Navy. 

{You can decide for yourself}

 Now some of you may know that I used to make clothing....I actually made quit a lot of it and I was pretty meticulous about my craft. I no longer make clothing but if I do or if I am sewing for someone else, I still am very careful that the end product is perfect. But when I am sewing just for me these days, time is of the essence so I tend to "wing" it. This pretty much means no measuring except for the old lay the pillow on the fabric and cut around it method! EEK!

I will admit that basic pillow cover making is so easy. If you can sew a straight line...you can make your own pillow covers. 

Because this tutorial on Scout and Nimble is so great and totally worth reading...I am attaching the link HERE so you can make some pillow covers of your own!

I swear its Navy!