Simple Ways to Update any Room (Part 5)

We are back to part five of the the "Simple Ways to Update any Room" series, inspired by House Beautiful. If you've missed any of the previous posts, check them out (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4).

  

Just a reminder again to please pin from the original source.

•  Paint the inside of your kitchen cabinets a color that sets off your dishes and glasses. Everything will look cleaner and more finished. 

I love the look of a few glass-fronted cabinets with a contrasting color paint inside. It really sets off whatever is displayed inside and is a great way to add color to a wall of monochromatic cabinets. Using chalkboard paint is a brilliant addition.

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• Take your jewelry out of the box. Put all your bracelets together in a big bowl and drape all your necklaces together over a bust. 

Are you like so many of us where out of sight means out of mind for our jewelry? What's the point of having all that gorgeous stuff if we don't wear it? Instead of keeping it all closed up in a box, it's so much more practical (and pretty) to display it out in the open! And don't worry if you don't have a pretty bowl to display your bling in, you can DIY one like the blogger below or search through pinterest for so many other great ways to display your jewelry.

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• Change your house numbers.

This one is so easy and pretty cheap. You can get some off the shelf at a big box store, DIY it, or order a custom set from etsy. It can totally change your curb appeal (for the better!) with minimal effort and there are so many creative ways to do this. So do it! :-)

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• Invest in a set of matched wooden hangers for your closet. You will feel like the most organized person in the world.

This has got to be the number one way to make any closet look more organized and put-together. The initial investment can get a little high, depending on how much clothing you own, but it's money well spent. Take a look at these super-organized closets and you'll see how the matching hangers makes a huge statement.

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• Tack nailheads on a plain, inexpensive ottoman.

Nailhead trim is big right now, and for good reason - it's gorgeous! There are so many ways to do it: headboards, chairs, ottomans, furniture, backsplashes, even a ceiling. I can't wait to incorporate something with nailhead trim into my home, and I'll definitely be sharing it with you when I do!

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So what do you think of this edition of "Simple Ways to Update any Room"? What room are you planning to update with any of these simple ideas?

Linking up:
At the Picket Fence | Serenity Now | It's Overflowing | DIY Showoff | Not Just a Housewife | A Bowl Full of Lemons | The 36th Avenue |

Update on Abby's Health

Abby is doing really well!

She still needs blood transfusions every 3-4 weeks and chelations every 2 weeks, along with chelating medicine every day.
But her body seems to be responding to all that we are doing!

We do not know what she has- the tests have been inconclusive?
The doctors are questioning her diagnosis of MDS and the second diagnosis of siderblastic anemia.
With the last bone marrow biopsy they did not see ANY dysplastic cells OR ringed siderblasts.
(it could have just been the sample they took but I happen to have other thoughts on why they did not see those cells)

They are continuing to run tests on her bone marrow and blood. They have sent samples to be studied at Boston Children's Hospital.

Right now, the doctors do not feel that a bone marrow transplant is imminent.
They think we can wait AND we may even be able to choose when we want it done- depending on the diagnosis!

Does she have Leukemia? 

No, she does not have Leukemia.

Could it change into Leukemia?

Yes, it could but there is a chance it will not.  If it does turn into Leukemia the bone marrow transplant will happen immediately.

What do I think?

I think that our GOD is at work!

I think he hears the prayers of many and I think he is moving mountains.

A month ago I talked to the Hematologist and my heart leapt inside me, I could feel the God's spirit as she spoke. At that time I felt like I was hearing good news but I really didn't know what it meant. Sometimes it take awhile for things to sink in. Today I was able to follow up with questions to better understand her situation.

Do I think she will someday possibly need a bone marrow transplant?

Yes I do, but I am thankful that right now it does not seem to be an emergency.

Now to the most important part!

PLEASE PRAY for
God to continue to heal Abby
and
for an accurate diagnosis. 

Thank you for your prayers!

Back On Course and we will never live in the land of New Normal!

We are having a wonderful fall! 

Hubby and I love to do things with the children on the weekends. 

During the week while he works, we focus on school and some activities. As the weather gets colder we hope to get a few inside home projects done but for now we are enjoying the outside, 

with the lovely fall weather and the children!

The pictures on this post are from a fall festival in our community.

Things were a bit rocky around here when I got back from Germany.

We really hadn't settled "into-a-new-normal" (snicker, snicker)!

(Yes, I read Sonja's post on No Hands BUT Ours! I loved it because I missed the bus, too.)

Although when I read it I wasn't ready to admit I had missed the bus to "new normal land"- in fact I thought there was a chance I could still hop on the next one!)

We came home from China in December 2011 and went right into medical appts for Abby and Luke (and Sam too)!

Then we had a wedding to plan and more medical appts.

Then it was 2 graduations and the wedding. Then it was a trip to Germany and sending another off to college.

Whew...

Now,

 I was home and ready!

Ready for what?

Ready for the new normal to kick in!

BUT, it didn't...

(BTW God's timing is not our timing. Why, must I learn this lesson over and over again!)

I was feeling very frustrated. 

We were out of sync... in fact we actually never got back into sync since we came home in December...

We just plowed through each day and did all that we had to do.

It worked for that moment in time. But now we have a chance to get back into a routine. 

(I think? Until the next big event that is!)

I had been praying and praying-

 for our school

for my attitude

for the children at home

for the children that will be joining us

for God's peace

for God's plan to be evident

...for a new normal...

But then I forgot to put my trust in him.

What did I want from our new normal?

happy children

organization

predictability

clean house

pretty much everything delivered on a picture perfect platter...

I think I had let the world creep into our lives once again...

it's views

it's standards

it's desires

That is not our reality. 

It will never be our reality. 

And I would never change our reality for that picture perfect world. 

I love our imperfections!

No wonder, I was frustrated! 

It is not been until recently that God has once again reminded me of our mission-

 to love and serve HIM with gladness and singleness of heart.

It pleases us to please HIM!

So where are we at now?

I am happy to say we are once again at a good place! 

It's not "new normal land"because we have come to realize that normal does NOT exist for our family.

We have too many moving parts.

My homeschooling expectations are more in line with my students capabilities.

We will never all be at the same level seamlessly moving along. Each child will have their days of "getting it" and "not getting it". Some days we will get through all the material with flying colors and other days we may stumble. Both days are to be viewed as successful. Stumbling is part of learning.

I realized I needed to trust GOD. 

He has a plan and it will all work out according to his plan.

I needed to once again let him control my heart.

I needed to be nicer to myself and I needed to get our priorities back into the RIGHT order.

For now... we are on track... until we stumble again and HE once again picks us up.

So Thankful to our DEAR LORD!

Sprucing Up Your Curb Appeal

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts Miracle-Gro. All opinions are 100% mine.
Us home bloggers often spend a lot of time sharing all the great projects we do inside our home but the exterior often gets left to the back burner. Don't get me wrong, I've shared a lot of outdoor projects we've taken on, but there's still so much we can do, especially in regard to landscaping. I recently came across a great website from Scott's - Find beauty in the Fall where you can find fall project ideas specific to the region where you live. Yes, it's not too late to plant in the fall!
For my region, Fall gardening recommened mums and pansies. How perfect! They are both inexpensive plants and come in so many beautiful colors. I found this great pin on pinterest for mums in a planter.

Plants of varying heights is always a sure way to go and I love how these two work together. I'm not sure exactly what the center plant is called, but it looks like some relative of cattails. To be sure to get the best results with mums (and any plants and flowers), I always turn to Miracle-Gro. I've used their products before and will continue to use them because it's given me great results.

Miracle Gro makes so many amazing products whether you are using them in the ground or containers. For this container project, I would use a specialized potting medium such as Miracle-Gro® Potting Mix or Miracle-Gro® Moisture Control Potting Mix. Starting two weeks after they are planted and onward, you want to maintain your beautiful flowers by using  Miracle-Gro® LiquaFeed All Purpose Plant Food or LiquaFeed® Bloom Booster® Flower Food . This will produce beautiful blooms and healthy growth. And one more tip: your flowers will produce more blooms for a longer period if you remove flowers that have faded and started turning brown.

     

Be sure to check out the Miracle-Gro Facebook page for more tips and to share your beautiful fall flowers.

Happy planting!