"My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest." - Isaiah 32:18

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Details

Today's post will be my second installment of "Details".

Before I get into today's post, however, I want to tell you that I changed a couple of things in my blog settings that will make it easier for you to leave a comment.

You all have been so supportive and encouraging to me so far in my blogging journey!
I really hope these few small setting changes will take the hassle out of commenting for you!

 (I should've done it sooner, but I've just been figuring this whole thing out as I go along. ;)

Onto today's post!

~~~ Details ~~~

Sometimes a broad stroke is what's needed to swoop through the house and give it a surface tidy. Other times, however, I like to hone in on a small thing and focus my attention on a detail.

These are the details I've done in my home lately...

My front room has looked like this since Fall:


             

I really love my cow hide pillows, but I've been wondering if it's too heavy of a look for spring and summer. I decided to try something different in an effort to lighten up this room. 

My front room dressed for Spring:

           

I do not consider myself a yellow person when it comes to decorating, but I kind of like how bright and fresh it looks, and how it looks against my dark blue curtains. 

I lovingly packed away my rose and pine centerpiece and replaced it with these artificial tulips. I'll be thrilled to pull the cow pillows and rose centerpiece out of storage next Fall, but for now I'm enjoying this lighter look in my sunny front room.

I believe my home should be a reflection of my family and our lives. If I strive to make it a beautiful place, then that sends a positive message to us! A message that our lives are beautiful and happy! 

The contrary is true, too. What a dreadful life we'd have if I let us live in a dark, cluttered, and dingy environment. 

This is our job, girlfriends! We are the ones who set the tone for our homes! Let's do what we can to make it a beautiful place. My decorating style may not be what you'd prefer, but you can make your home a beautiful place for you! 

The next detail I want to show you is some trim work I did on my front door blinds. 



           

The bottom edge looked like this:


          

I thought a simple strand of trim would dress it up a little, so I went to a fabric store and picked out this off-white lace.

         

(The lady at the cutting counter was waiting on me to make my selection because the store was closing. I had about six different trim options in my hands. It was harder to decide on a trim than I thought it would be! Time was running out so I put the others back and went to the counter with the lace. I could tell she was a little irritated so I plopped the lace on the counter and said, "Well, that was the hardest decision of my life!" That broke the ice and we laughed!)

I only needed a yard and a half so it cost me a whopping $3.50! A small improvement can go a long way and it doesn't have to cost much!

I sat on the floor with my hot glue gun and worked on it on my lap:


I used very small dots of glue because I didn't want it bleeding through the lace.

              


It only took several minutes to do this, and I'm happy I did it!



             

See how nice this looks?



Remember in my last post, I showed you this picture?

            

This is upstairs at the end of the hallway. What you don't know is that the planter is new. For months this poor plant had no planter and was just sitting on a plastic charger.

            

It was a really big pain because every time I would water it I would carry it down to the bathroom and place it in the tub. I know it was sitting on a plastic charger but that didn't comfort me. I was afraid if I watered it in place, the water would spill over the edge. I am very protective of my woodwork! Almost to borderline crazy. But please don't tell Micah I've admitted this to you! (I almost have him convinced it's good for the kids to learn not to slide a cardboard box across the floor because it might scratch the wood!)

Anyway, ahem...

I finally found a planter!

            

To hide the plastic rim, I like to use spanish moss. A bag at Walmart is around $3.00.

           

Ta-Da!

          

The last detail for today is in my bedroom. I bought this tiny oval picture at an antique show for $4.00.


         

I hung it above this green print, as you can see. I think they look nice together. This green print is one of my favorites. I've had it for years. I think I've told you before that my grandparents used to be antique dealers. When I was in my early twenties, I was rummaging through their piles of treasures and found this print. It wasn't framed, but I begged my grandma if I could have it. She said, "Sure, take it." But when my grandpa overheard, he told me he'd frame it for me first. He cleaned it up, framed it, and gave it to me. It hung in my little apartment bedroom during my single years, and has been with me ever since. I still madly love it. 

       

I shouldn't have tried to take a picture while the balcony door was open because the lighting in this next photo isn't great, but it shows the shapes of the two pictures together and how they relate to the room.


What a small thing... A $4.00 picture. But a detail that makes a difference! 

I hope I've got you thinking about details and how much they matter. That was the point of today's post. Small things matter!

I don't strive for magazine-worthy, or perfection. I just look at my surroundings and wonder how I can do my best with what I've been given.

Someone asked me once, "Don't you have kids?!" Yes! And they're with me and watching me as I work around the house. My dream is that when they're grown they will remember their childhood home as a place of comfort and beauty. What a gift we can give our families if we take our role as homemakers seriously.

What about you? I would encourage you to work on a detail in your home today. 

Do you have a little shelf that houses dishes? Give the dishes a hot, soapy bath, wipe the shelf down, and put the dishes back in a new way. Everything will sparkle and you will feel uplifted.

Do you have a corner with a stack of books? Pull the books out, dust them and straighten them out. It's comforting for children to see their mother working in the home. It sends a message that home is important, mama's here taking care of things, and everything will be ok.

Thanks for reading today, friends!

Lots of love to you,

~Courtney


2 comments:

  1. Attention to details! You are right, little changes can make a big difference. This week I rearranged the office, brought in lamps, hid the printer in the closet. Aaaah, finally the office is organized, clean and a welcoming place where I can do my online classes. Your oval picture looks great in the bedroom. We need to hit up some garage sales this spring. You Need to show me how to find those great bargain deals!

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    1. I would love it! Let's do it! I'd bet that you're much more productive now in your freshly organized office! Beauty inspires and motivates! I'd love to see it!

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