{praying for oklahoma}

image from www.beyondthescreendoor.com 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=xytQj6QFuhY

{my boy}

My boy.

He really is the sweetest thing on earth.  I hope y'all don't mind, but I'm taking time to document all his little quirks today.  I don't want to forget any of this precious time.

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He always says "paaaahhhlleeeeesseee" and "gank you" mommy. He's also pretty good about saying "sorry" and is seriously is the best toy-sharer ever (knock on wood...this could be just a phase.) He calls me "momma" and dad is still "daddy". :) 

He loves his "teddy"and his "snuggie".  Rides on his scooter bike all day long, and insists on taking his race cars (hot wheels) everywhere he goes. He picks a favorite one (every week it changes..) We spend hours at the "jesus" (church) park-- his favorite is the slide.  He also loves pretending to skateboard at the park...dragging one leg after him-- he's watches the big kids! 

He loves marshmallows, m&ms, and will do just about anything for a dum-dum or pack-o-chewies (fruit snacks).  

He asks to go to the "cars section" (toys) as we enter stores (my fault for taking him there a time or two)...kid is obsessed with cars. He stills insists on "rockie" & "toonies" (cartoons) every morning, I'm happy to oblige to his wishes. 

He likes to tell people when people ask him his name, "I'm a kid, I'm Cash!"  :) Around strangers he is usually bashful at first...it always takes him a while to warm up.  When asked about his uncle Cole, he says "he's in Ganistan." (Afghanistan)...sweet thing sure misses his uncle! He absolutely adores being with his grandmas & grandpas and cousins. 

He has taken a liking to wearing his "baseball shirts" (anything with a sports logo...Lord help me!) and usually insists on dressing himself "all by myself..." he says. He also pretends he is a magician "ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...." and has a tendency to talk out of the corner of his mouth when he asks questions.  I get "wazzz that mommmy?" about 100 times a day from my little inquisitive one. Whenever we see a small animal or baby at the park he goes "ohhhhhh, it's so cute" "that baby so cute!". He just recently started talking to himself while he plays..."I'm just tending momma." (pretending) and he loves wearing "evie shoes" (his cousin's old hand-me-down shoes.)

He adores his "quiet time" (story time) in the evenings.  We snuggle on the bed. He always folds his hands together at nighttime to pray...we thank Jesus for our race cars, snacks, teddy, scooter, and our friends and family. We always end our prayers with a big "AMMMEEEN".  

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At the end of everyday I always thank God for this child he has given me. Aren't kids just the best?

 Y'all have a great weekend!

{design questions answered!}

In my opinion the best part of being primarily a "online" interior designer is that I can make my design services affordable for anyone and everyone.  However, most people still have reservations about asking for "help" in their home and/or thinking interior design is only for a certain kind of "upper class" folks.  I've noticed these "fears" are predominant here in the modest Midwest and I am bound and determined to break any and all stereotypes that might come with the old school residential interior design mentality.  

The benefit of working online with a designer is that you only have to pay for exactly what you want and it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.  My online consults start at only $35! I am able to offer my services so afford-ably because a) I work from home and b) I work on my own time constraints.  You are not having to pay any overhead expenses and/or my weekly salary! You are simply paying for my help and knowledge in directing you however big or small that may be. Perfect right? 

If you are on a modest budget, and have a simple design question regarding something in your home. My single design question service might be right up your alley.  I can't tell you how many times I run into people asking me for advice or guidance over little things in their home.... paint colors, drapery selection, picking out accent pillows, ect ect. I've found that some people actually need a lot help with little things just as much as if not more than, designing entire rooms.  Thus, my single design question service is perfect for people that have a lot of little questions (you know those questions that haunt you in your sleep at night...) .  All you have to do is simply email me your question (whatever it may be...) and I will get back to you giving you my professional opinion and some solutions/sources to help get you going in the right direction!  

Here is how my single question design boards look...obviously these boards vary greatly on the type of question asked.  The two boards below where direct questions regarding rug & lighting selection. However, these boards may include simple photoshop mock ups/renders as well depending on what is specifically needed. 

I really hope that clears the air for anyone that may be on the fence about online interior design.  It doesn't have to be scary or intimidating and it certainly doesn't have to cost a fortune! Paying for professional guidance in the long run always saves you $$$$...how many times have you bought an entire gallon of paint only to find out it was totally the wrong shade, or purchased a piece of furniture only to find out once you got it home it wasn't going to fit.  These are things that designers figure out from the get-go saving you both time & money! 

{ikea jennylund hack}

I told y'all I was going to do an Ikea hack on my jennylund chair a few weeks ago (or was it months ago...I can't remember)-- transforming it into a rocker/swivel chair.  I had my parents pick me up the chair when they were in Chicago a while ago.  And I absolutely love it.  It's definitely on the smaller scale, made more for a woman than a man.  But its just perfect for me and the price is hard to beat!

I figured I'd do the hacking part when I had time down the road and I'd just live with the chair legs as is for now.  Well much to my surprise-- the chair we purchased had one leg that would not screw in.  I realized it was totally stripped (this is about the same time I'm kicking myself for buying a cheap chair...).  Which would have upset most people, but I figured maybe it was just a "sign" this particular chair was made for hacking (haha...lucky me!!) I didn't need the legs anyway...so after calling ikea customer service with my problem they refunded me half the chair price (score!!) and I got my chair for a bargain!

Now came time for the hacking-- as the chair was rather useless without a base.  I considered buying a rocker-swivel base off ebay like all the tutorials recommended, but then I got the crazy thrifty idea that maybe I could just re-purpose a base from an old rocker/swivel chair.  (This is when my husband thought I was really off my rocker...no pun intended! ;)) We just happened to be on a walk and I spied a good condition upholstered rocking/swivel chair on a garage sale for $20.  Hubs said if the chair was still for sale at the end of the day he would go back and offer them $5 for the chair and explain to them we were just going to use the base....  Sure enough at 3pm the old but still working chair was still there and so he went up and snagged that sucker for $5.  Still can't believe he did that..but the people were happy to have it gone as they were planning on hauling it to the dump if it didn't sell and we were happy with our cheap-o base.

Our handyman/friend Andy did all the labor. He's kind of awesome like that. So here's what he did.  It took him a half hour.

Of course, you will need to unscrew the legs and peel off the white fabric on the bottom.

Andy then constructed the base with two 2x4's.  He screwed them directly into the edge of the frame.

Then he screwed the re-purposed base into the 2x4's.

Then simply flip the chair and it's totally done. 

SO easy.   Thinking I will put this chair in Roverboy's room once we move.  It really is more of an accent chair perfect for a bedroom! 

{design board:: eclectic southern master bedroom}

I just finished up working on this eclectic southern master suite design board. This board is for a young energetic couple in their first home.  The couple wanted their master bedroom to be fairly timeless.  So, we created the board using very traditional furniture pieces (since their home is in the deep south...) but threw in some unexpected modern accents to keep things lively and youthful.  The ombre curtains, abstract artwork, and funky accessories give this room a unique twist all its own! 

{happy mother's day!!}

So blessed that this boy made me a momma 2 1/2 years ago.  I really can't even remember what my life was like before him. Mr.Cattlebuyer snapped this picture after church today...so happy he did. It will forever remind me of how wildly wonderful life is with a two year old boy! :) 

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her."

Proverbs 31:28

Happy Mother's Day!!!

{so god made a mother}

I know I've shared this link with y'all before...but I figured with Mother's Day this weekend, it was worth sharing again.  I highly encourage you to read Ann's entire post which I linked below.

This was written by Ann Voskamp, the author of One Thousand Gifts. 

She also blogs at www.aholyexperience.com

Click here to go to the original post.

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 God had said –

I need someone to get up at midnight and scoop the most fragile of humanity close to her warmth and rock though she can hardly stand and nourish though she’s mostly sleep-starved and change the diaper and the sheets and the leaked on, leaked through, and leaked down clothes though she’ll have to change them in the morning and next week and that won’t change for years.

So God made a Mother.

That God had said I need somebody with a strong heart.

Strong enough for toddler tantrums and teenage testing, yet broken enough to fall on her knees and pray, pray, pray.

Someone who knows that in every hard place is exactly where you extend grace, who looks a hopeful child in the eye and says yes, even though she knows every yes means a mess but this is how you bless, who has the courage to keep letting go because she’s holding on to Me.

So God made a mother.

God said I need somebody who can shape a soul and find shoes on Sunday mornings and get grass stains out of Levis.

And make dinner out of nothing and do it again 79, 678 times, and keep kids off the road and out of the toilet and in clean underwear and mainly alive though she’s mainly losing her mind and will put in an 80 hour week by Wednesday night and just do one more load of laundry.

And one more sink of crusted burnt pots.

And keep on going another eighty hours because raising generations matters and weaving families matters and tying heart strings matters and these people here matter.

So God made a mother…

It had to be somebody who could comb back pigtails and tie up skates just-right tight.

Who could pretend she remembered algebra and how to get home from here and that really, she was just fine, that it must just be the silly onions.

Somebody who would run for the catch, jump on a trampoline and play one fierce game of soccer and not give a thought to all those labors and her weak pelvic floor. Somebody who’d stay up late with a science project that never ends, who’d get up early for the game in the rain, somebody who’d wave at the door until the taillights were out of sight and still be smiling brave.

So God made a mother.

It had to be somebody willing to keep loving when it made no sense because that’s what love does.

Somebody who knew that patience is a willingness to suffer.

That joy is always possible because there is always, always something to be thankful for.

And that life is not an emergency but a gift — so just. slow. down. There are children at play here and we don’t want anyone to get hurt and the hurry makes us hurt.

Somebody willing to feed and lead, lay down her life and pick up her cross, give of her time because they have her heart. Someone who knows that we all blow it — and what matters is what we then do after.

Someone who could humble herself into the tender sorry that covers a multitude of sins.

And who’d bow her head at night over the girl asleep with the doll in the crook of her arm — and thank her Father for this hidden life that’s the turning gear for the a whole spinning world.

So God made a mother.

So incredibly thankful God made ME a mother...there really is nothing better in the world than being a momma to my sweet boy! 

Wishing you all a wonderful Mother's Day this weekend!