Rustic Porch Pillow

At the new house we have a small front porch. I wanted a cute pillow to set on the bench I'm going to put out there. I had seen this phrase, "Welcome to our neck of the woods" on a pillow on Pinterest and thought it would be perfect for a our new little place!

My friend Jordan told me how to do this first step and it worked great. Create your phrase in a word processor on the computer. Print it out and  since burlap is see through, just lay it under the fabric and trace the letters with paint. I pinned the fabric to the paper to make sure it was secure while painting.

After you've got your painting done, let it dry (use a hair dryer if you're really excited about this project and impatient like me) and then finish sewing and stuffing your pillow.

I had gotten several bags of this twinkle fluff after Christmas for under $1.00 a bag! Much cheaper than poly-fil and works great for stuffing pillows.

It's definitely not perfect, but I love how it turned out! And since I already had all the materials at home, it cost me nothing to make!

I can't wait until we are able to start moving our stuff over in a few weeks so I can set this little guy out!

Our New Home - The Story

Proverbs 16:9 - The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

We always knew we wanted to move out to the country, but thought it would still be several years down the road after a couple kids and having saved up a lot more. On Easter, my father- in -law took Derrick and I to see some land he and my mother- in- law were interested in building on. After seeing it, We FELL IN LOVE! 16 acres with a 6 acre pond... it's gorgeous!

There happened to be a two bedroom house already on the 16 acre property. Since my in laws wanted to build a new home anyway, we decided we could share the land with them and the little house would be perfect for us! After much prayer and talking it over we decided to put an offer in and they accepted! 

There is ALOT of work that needs done on the house both inside and outside, but there are so many things we love about it too! It has a huge double sided fireplace that faces both the living room and soon to be kitchen/dining area. This is probably our favorite part of the house. :)

 And, we of course love the 6 acre pond!!  We also found a line of blackberry bushes along the dam the other day. I can't wait until they are ready to pick!

 

Looking back over the past year it is so clear now that God was preparing us for this. From finances to trying to start a family and not yet being able to, to everything seeming to just fall into place with purchasing and renovating this house, it's so obvious that God's hand has been in all of this. When we delight in him and TOTALLY trusted his timing and his will for our lives, we received this perfect, unexpected blessing. I am so thankful he loves us and knows the desires of our heart.

We closed on our new home today and I absolutely can't wait to start working! Almost the entire inside is going to be renovated including adding a third bedroom, second bath and laundry room! The next month or two until the house is ready to move in are going to be full of updates and DIY projects...so stay tuned! 

World Travel Date Night: France

I am loving these dates we have planned for each month! It's so fun planning them and of course, actually getting to have some fun quality time with my hubby!

We got a little behind and missed last month's date, so we're having two this month! First we went on a French picnic!

  Picnic Food: French bread, dipping oil, cheese, crackers, summer sausage, fresh fruit and sparkling grape juice. 

It would be fun to try a bunch of fancy cheeses or wine, but I just used what I already had at home. Here is a yummy looking recipe for a French dessert too. Might have to try these next time! :)

We took our picnic dinner to a nearby lake, it was a beautiful view! After eating, we went for a swim. It was a perfect summer date night!

For more Travel the World Date Nights, check the "Date Ideas" page at the top of the blog.

Be sure to stay tuned for our next date to the Caribbean!

My Best Friend Got Hitched!

About three years ago this cute couple started attending our church small group.We instantly began hanging out during church activities such as Trunk or Treat.

 Emily and I then joined an accountability group with a couple other girls and got to know each other even better.

Soon we started hanging out a lot more.We had crafty days and spent lots of time hanging out with our guys on the weekends having bonfires and game nights.

After spending a short time getting to know Emily & Josh, they quickly became some of our best friends! We were so excited when they asked us to be a bridesmaid and groomsman in their wedding! 

This past weekend we had the privilege of standing beside them as they declared their love to each other in front of family and friends.

Emily, I am so blessed to call you a best friend. You are one of the most caring, giving and fun people I know. Your love for life and others is something I greatly admire. Derrick and I have truly enjoyed getting to watch both of you grow in your love for Jesus and each other the past couple of years we have known you. Thank you for allowing us to take part in your wedding and in your lives. We love you!!

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As well as being a bridesmaid, I also go to help decorate with some of my Thrifty 31 Rentals pieces.

Here is a photo booth I set up using our 6ft ladders, burlap and lace backdrop and chalkboards.

We used our wood slices as part of the centerpieces. 

Shepherd hooks lined the aisle with flowers and ribbon. This is my favorite picture of them so far. Don't they look so happy?! :)

Our vintage bed frame , burlap runner  and various other crates and baskets filled with flowers made the perfect alter backdrop.

I am so excited to see the photos the photographer took of our rentals and of the rest of their day!

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A shout out to Jordan at LilyWhite.Designs  who made the bride's dress from her mom's original wedding dress and also the bridesmaid dresses! They all turned out so cute!