A few weeks ago there was a terrible smell in my bedroom. I couldn’t tell what it was, maybe a dead animal in the wall maybe a teenager (Oh I’m kidding, they stink but not this bad). It was so strong I couldn’t sleep, so I got up around midnight and looked for something to mask the stink. I tried some essential oils, but they didn’t get rid of it completely. I went into the kitchen and found an old scented candle, so I took it into my bedroom and lit it. After about half an hour the sweet aroma was lulling me to sleep, so I blew it out and drifted off to dreamland.
The next day I lit the little candle again. After all, if it’s good at night it would be great during the day, right? Kind of a more is better philosophy. And I liked it. Everyone who came into my room would comment on the nice smell and I would reply, “Why thank you! It’s my new perfume,” basically because I enjoy telling the same joke over and over.
Sadly my little candle only lasted a couple of days because it was old and didn’t have much life expectancy. I decided I needed to find some new candles. But I had a problem because I can’t use the ones from the super center or craft store. They give me a headache. I need quality people, quality.
I made a plan one morning to go out and scour the town looking for a really good candle. Now here’s the part of this fascinating story you won’t believe. That same day I got an email from a friend that lives here in town. She told me that she and her husband recently bought a candle company! Yes, it was a sign. I need candles, she has candles. What’s more obvious than that?!
I got some of their candles and they are absolutely lovely! The company is called Circle E Candles and I am now completely obsessed with them. They are hand poured and made from the finest ingredients.
Also Circle E Candles has monthly specials that are great deals. This month one of the specials is a fragrance called Leather. I’ll bet that goes over BIG here in Texas! One of the others is called Peace, which I’m pretty sure I need a truck load of.
And then my friend, who I will now probably start stalking because, well, I liked her already and this puts it over the top, wanted to giveaway two of the 12 oz Circle E Candles to one of you! You can even choose your own fragrances. Just enter below to win:
Welcome to my home! A special hello to y’all visiting from Marianne at Songbird!
I am so, so, so glad you stopped by for my tour da casa. Life here in the Texas Hill Country is sweet and simple. Nothing fancy, but we love every bit of it!
Right inside the front door is the living room.
We built this room ourselves on a wing and a prayer since we had no idea what we were doing. Even though the room is small, I worked and worked until I found an arrangement that would give all 11 of us a place to sit comfortably.
I used to wish for an entryway, but then I decided that the porch could be my entryway. Making the most of what I have is my favorite pastime. Below you can see a chair I painted and recovered, a clock I made from an abandoned bird cage stand and some lockers I painted to use for the kids’ school books.
All of our furniture is from flea markets and hand-me-downs. I take what I find and remake it into what fits our home. I’ll paint anything….like our piano!
Many of the small details in my home are from my etsy shop, Shop 24.
Just through the living room is the dining room/school room.
The black table is for eating and the white table is where we homeschool with the added benefit of having plenty of extra table space when we have guests for dinner…which is pretty often.
The long buffet behind the black table serves two purposes. The kids can use it as a desk during the day and we can serve food from it at mealtime. I try to get as many uses out of one thing as I can.
My big chalkboard wall is constantly changing. I can draw anything on it depending on what mood I’m in….and I can be moody. So it changes often.
Even though we don’t do sports (you wouldn’t want to see me do sports, I run like a chicken) I used a sports theme for the summer. It makes us want to get outside and play!
The other side of the room is the school space.
I use the giant white board for school and to write a new Bible verse every day that we try to memorize. I also sometimes write lists or chores on the board. You can read more about how I keep my homeschool area organized!
Around the corner from the school area is our little study room.
I enclosed part of the porch to create this teeny room. But don’t measure its usefulness by its size….we couldn’t do without it! The kids can go in there to read or work on their computer or do some quiet school work. They can close the door and concentrate. Perfect!
And the letters on the wall are not supposed to be a word. I’m just slowly gathering all of the kids’ first initials as I see them at flea markets. It takes time to find nine vintage letters.
On the other side of the dining room is our kitchen. We built the kitchen all by ourselves on a shoestring budget. Two ranges, two microwaves, two fridges….it’s perfect for a large family!
In the picture below you can see my kids’ lunch area, my stained glass that came from an old church and my beige chalkboard wall (next to the electric range) where we keep a running grocery list. Gotta stay organized!
If you go out the kitchen door you step onto a deck that leads to our pool.
I love sitting out there. What we lack in expensive luxury, we make up for in peace and tranquility.
Before we go back inside let’s walk around to the front of the house where we have an outdoor eating area, the “Pavilion.” I found the old sign at a church bazaar and hung it there and the name stuck. I put the eating area in the front because that’s where the evening shade is, and I am a shade kind of girl. We eat out there as much as possible.
We had our 25th anniversary party out there a couple of years ago and it was a beautiful evening!
The rest of the house is bedrooms and bathrooms. With 9 kids in a small house I have to get creative about bedroom spaces. My 19 year old daughter sleeps in an enclosed porch area. We made it to also serve as a guest room.
This girl is a bit of a minimalist. All she wants is a cozy place to sit and some beach things around her and she’s happy.
Two of my boys share a little western themed room complete with horse in the barn that I painted myself.
And two of my teen girls live in a finished out attic.
Even though they can only stand up in the middle, they are so happy to have their own space that they don’t care one bit. And every single thing in this room was free except the wood we bought to build the shelves. We found the headboards in someone’s trash and just painted them!
Below the girls’ attic bedroom is the master bedroom. It’s my oasis on a hard day of homeschooling, laundry and painting furniture (which I am usually doing all at the same time).
I do most of my work in this room. I sit in my recliner and work online after all of the kids are in bed.
My bathroom is another place I like to hide occasionally.
For some reason the kids don’t think to look for me there, so when I need a few minutes to myself I sneak in the bathroom with a book and a Diet Dr Pepper.
That’s it for my summer home tour. It’s been great having you visit and I hope you’ll come back again soon!
Be sure to check out the other amazing home tours! Next is Angie at The Country Chic Cottage for another look at a house in the country!
So much for easy, peaceful weekends. Ever since starting my fitness challenge, I am up and at ‘em every morning. It has changed my activity level drastically. I am not sure how I feel about that yet. In theory I should be glad that I am actually using my body for more than a recliner decoration, but my legs are crying out in opposition.
On Saturday morning I decided to do a job I had been putting off for too long. My bedroom had become a waste dump for everything that didn’t have a place in the house. Books, picture frames, kids’ drawings, blankets, pillows…..anything we didn’t know where to put but wanted to keep. It was beginning to resemble an episode of Hoarders.
In addition, I had never finished cleaning up the nursery since moving Levi out about 3 months ago and I was starting to feel ashamed of myself for my laziness. Since James was out of town this weekend, I thought it would be a good time to clean out the two rooms, get rid of the junk and get ‘er done.
As usual, my ideas are too big for my energy level. The older kids all had things they needed to do (rude) and so I just had the younger boys to help me. A willing heart is nice, but it’s also nice if the person helping you isn’t more interested in his jacket zipper than he is vacuuming under the chair you are holding up. Let’s just say, it was a long morning.
After lunch I asked my older 3 girls if they could just help me for a couple of hours so we could get this job finished. I promise you I wasn’t intentionally being deceitful, which they may have wondered at 8:00 PM when we were still working.
We had to clean everything as we moved it. The amount of dust in my bedroom would have filled a king sized pillow. And I didn’t even deal with whatever is under my bed. I don’t look under there. It scares me a little.
By late Saturday night we were all completely spent with barely enough strength left to shower and get ourselves to bed. Even my high energy girls were strewn across my bedroom sofa like boneless chickens (Did you ever see that picture?…so funny!)
source: The Far Side
Yep, that’s what we looked like.
I didn’t take before pictures, but you’ve seen messy rooms, right? Here’s what my bedroom looks like this morning. CLEAN! I want to paint the faux oak cabinet in the corner. I’m thinking of painting it a gray green. What do you think?
I’m loving the panorama option on my iphone. You can see almost the whole room! The door on the right goes to a long, narrow room that used to be the nursery. I don’t know what to call it now, so we’re just calling it “the old nursery.” It is a spare room I can use however I want. Right now it’s just a quiet place for anyone to go read, get away, be alone. But I have a few ideas for this room.
On Sunday we were still tired from the day before so I just filled my shop orders and we rested. Kids played outside, girls read, we ate leftovers….nothing too strenuous.
There’s something about having a big job done that gives you permission to do nothing for about a week.
Summing up….these are the questions I have for you. 1. What would you do with an empty, long, narrow room? 2. What color should I paint the cabinet in the corner of my bedroom?
I just love my bedroom. It’s my place to getaway and relax at the end of a long, hard day. Or an easy day….either works.
The warm colors are relaxing. I made the headboard out of ceiling tiles I found at the flea market a few years ago. And I change the throw at the foot of the bed each season. The furry one on there now is perfection for the winter.
I’m not in love with the bedside tables. They function well, but I’ve always dreamed of putting mirrored bedside tables on each side. If they didn’t cost half a thousand dollars each I just might do it. I’m still searching for ways to make them myself. Then a couple of pretty lamps and I’d be in bedroom heaven.
Over the bed is a little door that went to the kitchen pantry when we bought the house. Instead of throwing it out when we remodeled the kitchen I kept it and used it here. We glued book pages to it and added a few peaceful words. I’ve thought about adding more words. It could turn into a collection of words that describe our life. Of course, that might not be relaxing at all. The bedroom is where I go to pretend my life is all good. No bad words in there.
That chair on the left….it’s my beloved recliner where I do my work. I get my computer in my lap and lean back, pull the furry throw over me and start typing away.
Usually my bedroom is a mess by Sunday. Everything from the week gets tossed in there. Then on Sunday afternoon I clean it all up and get it ready to catch everything again next week. The cycle of life.
So, how do you like your bedroom?
Head over to Life Your Way to see more winter decorating ideas.
I decided this weekend was the time to work on something that I’ve been tossing around in my head.
For EVER I have wished for some mirrored bedside tables in my bedroom. I don’t know why. I just love them. Pier 1 Imports has some I want for only $549 each.
I wondered if I couldn’t do something similar for a little less money, say maybe…..20 bucks.
I have a small dresser that I painted white a couple of years ago. It seemed perfect for my experiment.
I got a quart of Martha Stewart metallic silver paint.
It only took bout 30 minutes to paint. After it was dry, I carried it into the house and looked at it (read: I had my minions carry it in the house). It just wasn’t right. It looked more blue than silver. So I had my people take the drawers back outside and I sprayed them with some silver spray paint.
It’s a small difference, but you can see in this picture, the bottom drawer has been sprayed and the top one only has the Martha Stewart paint on it.
I didn’t want to use the old knobs, so I took two Anthropologie knobs off of a cabinet in the hall.
Here’s the bedside before:
And now:
What do you think? Keep the silver? It’s a bit shinier in person. And what do I do on the other side of the bed? Can I use the same paint on a different dresser? Does it look good to you? Or should I put the trunk back and use the dresser somewhere else?
By the way, the three books I am reading there are “etcetera” by Sibella Court, “Choosing Forgiveness” by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and “Unmarketing” by Scott Stratton. Three very different books, all really good. I am reading the last two for the second time.
OK, I need your opinions. I know how much you all like telling me what to do….so go for it!
My bedroom is my oasis. It is a relaxing place where I go when I need a moment (or 10) to myself. Last fall I did a four day marathon of redoing it. The pictures don’t really do it justice because there is a sense of peace that you just can’t photograph.
Let’s go around the room one wall at a time….
I made the headboard out of old ceiling tiles. Over the bed is an old door that we removed from the original kitchen. The fabric for the bedding was all on clearance at a local upscale fabric store. That was a huge score! A monogrammed pillow on the bed, of course! The pillows are velvet….so fancy.
Wall 2: This is the spot where James and I sit and spend time together. The chair on the right is where I sit to work on my computer. So now when you think of me, picture me there with my feet up in the recliner. Oh yes, I have a hard life.
Wall 3: This is the rest of the sitting area. The kids sit here and we talk, or watch movies.
Since I took that picture I moved the clocks and frame into the living room. Our family portrait hangs there now. I’ve also moved some of the furniture….wow. I am just realizing that I move things a lot. OK, I’m not just realizing it. I’m just now admitting it. My name is Lisa and I am a compulsive furniture mover. I need help.
The fourth wall holds the TV and bookshelves. We took an old screen that a friend gave me and made a frame for it so that we could cover the TV.
I know that the shelf is crooked. But Jacob made it for me himself, so I like it.
And yes, for those of you that have asked….I covered all of the books with brown paper. It’s the kind you get at the hardware store for painting, so it didn’t even take a whole roll. Then I wrote the titles on the bindings.
That’s the four views of my bedroom. The trunk at the foot of the bed tends to be a landing spot. I clean it off every few days, but it doesn’t stay that way for more than a few hours.
Another way I keep the bedroom as a sanctuary is that the kids can’t just walk in. Even if the door is open (which it usually is) they have to knock and wait to be invited before entering. They wouldn’t even think of just walking in. That means Mommy gets privacy.
Thanks for staying for the tour of my bedroom. Now, if you will excuse me, I need some peace and quiet.
We did it! There were lots of problems, pains and sweat. But it’s done.
Here you go……
Here’s what it used to look like when you walked in the door….
And here it is now…..
The only things I bought were paint, curtains and one clock (you’ll see that in a minute). Everything else was stuff I had around. Lots of it was leftover from other projects.
This is an old door that was in the kitchen before we re-modeled it. We tore up an old book and glued the pages to the inset and then I used my Cricut to make the words. Easy-breezy.
I moved the armoire to the corner. It looks so much better there…like a place of honor.
The new curtains. I got them at Tuesday Morning. I cut up one of the panels and sewed it into a valance to go across the top. I hung them closer to the ceiling to add height. The new curtain rods were on clearance. I assumed it was because they were this weird orangy-copper color. But a little spray paint fixed that right up!
This was what it looked like before….
Isn’t it nice and fresh?! I used the Amish quilt that DUH got me for our 20th anniversary as a tablecloth…I just couldn’t remove it from the room. I love it too much. (this is also a good look at the crown molding we added)
Now let’s turn the corner. Before…..
And after…..
I tell you I just LOVE how this area turned out. I monogrammed a pillow for the love seat and as you can see, we painted all of the furniture.
The big frame was over the crib in the nursery, I got it at a flea market several years ago. The clock on the right is the only thing I bought for the room. When I saw it I just had to have it.
But then I saw that I really needed a third clock, so I found a disk in the storage building and I painted it with left over chalkboard paint from another project. I drew the clock on with chalk and there you have it….another clock! Of course, it’s always 1:55, but that’s ok with me.
Now, just ask me where I got this hanging lamp….go ahead….ask me. Believe it or not, my oldest son and I made it! He took some bailing wire (from the hay we feed the goats) and shaped the frame. Then I used vellum that I had in my paper stash and we used some lamp parts I bought about a year ago for something else and never used it. I sewed the cord cover and he put it all together and hung it. It’s exactly what I wanted and it was completely free!
Speaking of lamps, I completely re-did the old lamps. I tore off the fabric on the shades and wrapped the frame in twine (I have no idea why I had twine). Then I added some old trims and I painted the bases. I love them. Again…free!
Now we turn to the last wall. Remember what it used to look like?
And after….
I’m still not sure what I’ll end up doing with the shelves. They are so nice and clean I hate to fill them up. It’ll be fun to flea market shop for things to put on them.
But how about the TV cover that my oldest son built? Someone gave me this old screen and we used the shelf that was over the TV before. He added the sides and bottom and the girls painted it white. I stapled burlap to the back of the screen, added hinges and hung it. It’s perfection. (Yes, I know the bottom is crooked. He worked so hard on it that I didn’t have the heart to make him fix it)
Here is it open…..
Well that’s it. That’s how I spent my Labor Day weekend.
Thanks for following me though it all. It really was fun keeping you up to date!
One thing I have learned through my decorating adventures is if you take away the color from a room, but you want to add character….you have to add texture. That can be a challenge.
I am trying to use a lot of different woods, twine, fabrics and papers to add interest. I like a vintage look, so I brought in some old doors and clocks. But I also like it neat, so I kept it fairly knick-knack free. That is hard for me, but it does make the room feel more peaceful (and less to dust).
This morning we are wrapping up the details and I will post the finished pictures tonight.
In the meantime, here are some more pictures of the work in progress….
This poor guy had to paint the room TWICE!
This girl tries. She can make a mess though! I have to keep my eye on her….
The outside workers really put their hearts into it!
I am so grateful for their help.
These kids are all getting paid in more than love and Mom’s approval. There is money involved. That’s probably why they all have such big smiles on their faces.
Stay tuned!
This will be reposted on my second blog.
I am one day away from my deadline for finishing my marathon bedroom makeover.
If you’ve been keeping up with me over the weekend, then you know it’s been full of craziness.
The worst part, by a country mile, is that I have really, really hurt my back. It is painful to move at all and I know it would be better for me to just lie still for a few days to let the inflammation go down.
Most of the time I just keep pushing through, but this time it is too painful. That has seriously slowed down the project, but I do think we will still finish by tomorrow night.
I have three little dressers in the bedroom. They were all full of various types of junk. Receipts, electronic cords, broken toys, etc. The little boys helped me go through it all and now they are all nice and tidy again and the un-necessary items have been tossed out. That feels soooo good.
Am I the only one with junk drawers that weigh on my mind until I get around to cleaning them out?
All I have left are the details. The wall art has been started and should be finished by tomorrow.
I can’t wait to show it to you!
This will be reposted on my second blog.
After yesterday I thought we might not make my Labor Day deadline. But this morning is a new day and things are looking up.
Can I stop for a minute here and tell you how wonderful my kids are? With my back out, they stepped in and have been working like little sweatshop laborers. Their attitudes have been great. They all have been at my beck and call….what a blessing to have loving children.
Last night the three younger girls helped me put the furniture back in place. So I sent my Farmboy off to the mini-mart to get them an ice cream.
Speaking of my Farmboy….he came out of his cave yesterday afternoon to help us put up the crown moulding. Being barely able to walk myself, he and Oldest Son did the ladder work while I did the cutting. I do love that man!
Here’s what I’m looking at this morning…..
The walls are finished, the crown is up, the furniture has been painted and is back in the room. The curtains are finished and hung and the re-furbished lamps are done.
Today I am going to enlist 10 and 8 year old boys to help me re-load the room. Up until now their job has basically been to stay out of the way. But Mommy can’t bend over and they’re close to the ground. So why not put them to work too?
Oldest Son is finishing up the cabinet he’s building me to cover the TV and the girls will paint it. I have some pillows to make and wall decor to work on.
But I think we’ll make that deadline…..I hope? I think it’s possible? Maybe? No?
