31 days... Of getting settled.

Well, 31 more or less... We'll see if I  actually post each of the 31 days in October... Wait! Can it really be October already??? What an adventure the past couple of months has been!!

We are moved into an apartment! That in and of itself has been a journey. I won't give you the long version, but the short version is that God provided a very nice apartment in the complex that Mark and I lived our first year of marriage. 

That's the good part... The hard part has been trying to fit from a three bedroom house with two living areas, into a two bedroom apartment. It is a very daunting task. 

However, I thought if I brought you all along with me this month as I make some effort in getting us settled, that it would inspire me to just keep plodding! And it will be fun to look back on what we have accomplished. And, hey, maybe you even have some tips for me! I'll take any help I can get!! 

First off, I wanted to start with a pretty picture:

The welcome mat I bought before we even moved out of our home, and I saved it for our apartment. The burlap wreath is the same one from last year. That has been one of my most used projects, I do believe! 

Not pictured above: the beautiful mum from my parents to really cheer up my front door! But here it is... It's really starting to bloom out! 

That's the fun part... The NOT so fun part is what it still going on inside... 

(And will you believe it when I say, that is an AFTER shot from Saturday??? Yipes! Inspiration needed ASAP!) 

So it may be baby steps at times, but I will try to post a progress photo every day... Except probably Sundays, that IS a day of rest, after all. ;) 

Finished Object Friday: A Place to Sit

Hard to believe it is the second Friday in September already! We will be moving into our apartment very soon. Mark and I are so thankful to have parents that have shared their home with us for these interim weeks while we waited for it to open up! While we have been here, we have, of course, done a bit to help around the house - normal things like dishes, cleaning and yard work. However, last Saturday, Mom and I snuck this little project in.

My mom teaches piano lessons (and has for over twenty years!) She loves her little "teaching chair." (isn't it darling?? It's called a "Hepplewhite" chair - one term I DO remember from my interior design class...) ;) After quite a while of continual use, it needed a little TLC... as well as a bit more padding...

 

Ah... much better!!! And so much more comfy too!! There is a slight flaw that we have discovered, however... the chair looks so much better, that Mom doesn't want to sit on it! ;)

 

Here is part of her studio, complete with recovered "Hepplewhite" chair!

This was a pretty quick project. We didn't take the seat down to bare bones... just took off that nasty vinyl. (which we discovered did actually have some pretty(?) gold swirls on it.) And thanks to the sweet lady at Hobby Lobby who cut a generous sized piece (to make up for the test swatch that was hacked out of the end), the whole project cost less than $15.00. Not too bad! And so pretty too!

What little projects have you snuck in lately? I know we aren't the only ones with a hectic schedule around here! :)

Chari Tree Chat: Birthday Celebrations!

Many of you may remember that this time of year is very busy for my family. My sister, dad and myself all have birthdays within one week's time! (She has said that it is a bit harder than Christmas in some ways... Everyone wants their own celebration!) :)

Angie starts us off at the end of August. Of course, with her back at Bible college, we celebrated a bit early.

For my birthday, I kind of invited us over to visit some friends in the DFW area... Ok, so maybe "kinda" isn't the word... I DID invite us over... Isn't it wonderful to have the kind of friends that let you do that? We visited the Perot museum and really enjoyed touring that!

Loved the bird section and the gem and mineral section!

One of my favorite parts was the musical staircase! (I would love to return some day when we have kids old enough to enjoy it... Preferably not on Labor Day weekend...)

Then we had a lovely lasagna dinner with baked Alaska for dessert! Yummy!! 

Sunday, my actual birthday - the 1st - we had dinner at another dear friend's home! 

And Sunday night, mom surprised me by inviting yet more friends over! So much fun to celebrate with so many close friends and family!

The next Tuesday was my dad's birthday. We surprised him by arranging for several friends to meet us at a local barbecue place! Fun times! 

So yes, busy times!! But very fun!!! Thanks to all of you who made my birthday special!!! And a big shoot out to my Mom for making sure each of us has a special birthday. Every. Year!! 

We have found a bit of time to sneak in a little project.... Come back Friday! (And yes, FOF WILL be on time... The post is already written and scheduled!! ;) 

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Last but certainly not least, please pray for my friend Erin. She had brain surgery Wednesday to remove a tumor. Thankfully the doctor is "99%" sure it isn't cancer! She is having some difficulty after such an intense surgery. I know she will appreciate your prayers! 

Book Review: Sherlock Holms and the Needle's Eye

Yep, another book review... Now that our house is sold (less upkeep - especially keeping it "show ready") and we are put in our temporary location, I have a bit more time to read and catch up. (I don't even have a whole house to care for! Just doing my share in cooking and cleaning here at my parent's home.) :) Most of my reading has been minimal and usually just fun and relaxing with all the craziness that is life right now... :) Sooo... you get another reveiw!

Growing up I read a lot of mysteries. Inhaled them, really! I also listened to a lot of stories - including some Sherlock Holmes (I can't remember if they were old time radio, audio drama or just an audio book - I think I got them at our local library.) Anyway. I cultivated a love for Sherlock Holmes - his deductions and humor. In Sherlock Holmes and the Needle's Eye, Holmes has acquired an invention created by Moriarty that allows him to travel back in time. Holmes, usually accompanied by Dr. Watson, travels back into Bible times and with each trip finds a question to be answered about the story. 

This book was so neat in that it combined the iconic "Holmes" with researching the mysteries of Scripture. Each chapter was dedicated to a different "mystery" in Scripture. Some of them were familiar to me (the question along with the solution.) Then some of them completely blew me away - I had never made that connection! Several times I found myself laughing out loud. Definitely a fun and thought provoking read!

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Thanks to Booksneeze for the review copy. My opinions are my own.

Book Review: Into the Whirlwind (Plus a small life update!)

Yes, I have thought several times that the title of this books is quite appropriate for this season of our lives! It does feel as though we are living in a whirlwind, but we are hanging in there!! We closed on our home and are living temporarily with my parents until our apartment is ready for us in just a few more weeks. :) We are so happy for answered prayer in selling our house. It does seem very strange not to be living there, but we do sense God's leadership and working through the process. Below is a picture collage I made up that chronicles our move.

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Note: Per Bethany House Book Reviewer guidelines, the book review can be found in it's own post here.