Been There, Done That, Got The Tee Shirt!

Last week I had the honor of being one of the many Blue Shirts to work on the Extreme Makeover Home Edition in Mineola Texas!

What an experience of a lifetime, to be a part of such a massive undertaking.  It's truly amazing to see strangers come together with such a spirit of giving.  Wouldn't the world be a better place if Matthew 22:37-39 that were the norm?

The Carr family is a beautiful family and well deserving of the love their community gave to them.

The home is absolutly beautiful!!  I wish I could tell you about it, but you'll have to wait till the show airs on May 9th.

But I do have some sneek pics I can share of how it all started........

Lumber waiting to be a home.

The beginnings of a dream come true.

Can't wait for you to see this!

She is air brushing the bedding to go into the room I got to help with!

Fantabulous Food!  Workers resting and recharging.

Ta-Da!!  Isn't it beautiful!

And now to answer the question I'm sure you have all been wondering about. 

 YES!!!  I got to see Ty!!!!

And no, I didn't get his autograph. *sniff sniff*

And YES he is more gorgous in person!  

 All the cast was extremly kind. Paige said 'Hi' to me as she walked by me.

If you ever get a chance to volunteer on any community project, I promice you will blessed beyond measure.

Warmly,

gail

Photography credit for Extreme Home Makeover - http://www.alexmphotography.com/

Lighten Up!

It's March already?!  It's one of my favorite months of the year.  Why?  It means spring is just around the corner.

Spring always reminds me of rebirth. The newness of the season inspires me to 'lighten up'.

It's time to clean out and get out all the clutter. Clutter holds us down and by simply purging and removing it can give us the feeling of freshness that says, 'Spring'!

We can get so emotionally attached to our things, we can't move forward.
Do you find it as hard to breathe as I do just looking at this room?

Replace your heavy drapes with lighter frabric and let in the sunshine!   The first thing I do every morning is open all my blinds in the house.  I love how my house looks and feels in natural light.

New pillows and throws in softer hues will lighten your space. Doesn't this just scream 'Spring'!?  They're from PB.

Try a new furniture arrangement that focuses on the outdoors.  Nobody says that once you have placed your furniture in your room it has to stay that way.  So experiment!   

Fresh flowers. Treat yourself once a week. When I have them in my home, I can't resist touching and smelling them several times a day.  They make me feel 'pretty'!  Is that wierd?

Take time to take a good look around your home. Do you have 'things' weighing you down? Lighten up!

What does Spring remind you of?

Warmly,
gail

Candles and Tulle and Lace

Today, nine years ago, I married my friend, the lover of my soul.

God has been good to us and we are blessed.   We have had our ups and downs as all couples do, but the ups far out weigh the downs.

My husband 'gets' me like no one else does.  He makes me feel safe and loved.  He still gives me a wink everytime I pass through the room. 

This year we decided to 'make' cards for each other.    His is much better than mine.  What can I say, I'm a decorator not a crafter!

What do you do for your anniversary?

Warmly

gail

The House is Finished!!

A few weeks ago amid the births of my granddaughter and my niece, I had started decorating my niece's house.  Not the daughter of my baby sister who is only 3 weeks old, but the daughter of my older sister who we won't tell her age (she's 40).  Everybody got that so far!

The living room was the last room to do.  We made it just under the wire for the Super Bowl Party!

Here are her beautiful before and after pictures!

Old arrangement with old furniture.

New arrangement with new furniture!  The armoire was relocated from the bedroom to the living room.  The lighter wood finish helps to brighten up the room.

There was no room for the coffee table with the new arrangement and the very LARGE sofa.

But placing a tray on the ottoman gave them a place to place their drinks or whatever.

Notice how the sofa is arranged on a diagonal?  Gives lots of interest to the room

How cute is this idea!  The moss was put inside because I thought I was going to put greenery in it.  Then I thought I would try the lamp and it looks great!  I love the way the light reflects on the ceiling.  Just a little design trick for you!

See the birdcage?  Sweet!  Need to hide some wires?  Place a container with greenery in front of them as I did here under the end table.

Also, I used the end table to separate the sectional. It also gives another place for a light source. 

Enjoy PB!!

Warmly,

gail

Are You Sure This is The Same Room?

Redesigning...is something I truly love to do.  Taking the things you have had for years and recreating them to something that hopefully, you would never have thought of doing.

This is my niece's bedroom redesigned into her and hubby's retreat.

Before

The bed is relocated to the outside wall. The two windows frame the bed and help give it the focus it deserves.

Before

  We placed the dresser on the wall that once was occupied by the bed.  Don't be afraid to place objects on the floor.  It's one of those.."Oh! That's cool!" 

   Before

  By placing the mirror in the corner opposite the windows, light was allowed to reflect back into the room.  Would you believe they picked up this mirror for a steal!  It was missing a bolt and hubby was told if he could put it together, he could have it for $99!  Guess what?  He put it together!

 Before

A chair in the corner to sit and slip on your shoes, favorite pictures in a grouping, G-grandmother's cedar chest, Box of Treasures of your life together and a reminder to always kiss goodnight!  Pretty great little corner!!  This picture makes it look a little crowded, but it real life, it's not.

     Before

Isn't Redesign fun!!  You don't have to throw everything away and start over.  A fresh eye, some elbow grease and Ta Da!!  New room!!

Ok, I have to fess up.  There are a few new things in the room.  Curtains, a candle, 2 lamps and a red vase.  But that's all!!  Honest!!

Do you have a room or two that needs help?

  Leave a comment or question!!

Warmly,
gail

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Funky Junk