A Roadside Find Redone {a dresser before and after}

Back in December, I shared this picture on Instagram. We found this dresser on the side of the road, just a couple minutes from home. It was in pretty good condition, but the finish was worn out so it seemed like a good candidate for a new coat of paint. I had actually been searching craigslist for a few weeks looking for a used dresser to refinish, so seeing this guy on the side of the road was a very nice surprise. 

From what I can remember, I think this is the first piece of furniture I've painted. In my Instagram post, I mentioned that I was planning to paint it white and replace the wooden drawer pulls with pretty glass knobs. I completed most of the dresser-redo back in December. I quickly cleaned it off, primed it (with this product), then applied two coats of Dover White paint. I used a regular paintbrush to prime and a small foam roller to paint the two coats (using the brush for areas that the roller couldn't reach). I didn't add a topcoat, because I didn't expect this to get a ton of wear and tear and because it was a good way to save some time and money. The paint job isn't perfect but I'm really happy with how it all turned out.

Our room is pretty small but it's a refreshing little place. As soon as the dresser was put in place it felt so much more peaceful in there - it was becoming a collecting place for things without a real place to go. The extra storage space has been amazing. I like the clean lines and how sweet and bright the white paint makes our cozy gray room feel. There's a crack in the top of the dresser that adds character and makes it feel a little rustic or something. Obviously I've thought a lot about this piece of furniture. :)

 

Just this morning, the project got all wrapped up as I reattached the hardware.  I'm still on the look out for those pretty glass knobs but I'd be very happy to just keep the dresser as is. 

Thanks for reading about this little redo! What projects do you have going on around the house? I'd love to hear about them.

Love,

Bonnie

** By the way, I was a little intimated to paint furniture at first. Virginia, who blogs at LiveLoveDIY, has some really great posts about redoing thrifted furniture. She made it all seem very approachable and her posts are so funny. If you want to read more about this kind of thing, I'd definitely recommend visiting her blog. 

Planning My Office Space {inspiration board & the 'before'}

Back in May, I shared these plans for Bekah's room. At the time, I was a little over 7 months pregnant. I had no idea how we'd actually use her room. Would we play in there a lot? Would we use the guest bed much? We made some plans and put a bunch of them in place. Bekah is 7 months old now (it's hard to believe!) and we've learned a lot about that space. We put a twin guest bed in there around the time she was born, but we barely used it after the first couple weeks.

A few weeks ago, Luke mentioned that, for not being used much, the guest bed was taking up a lot of space. He got the wheels in my head spinning when he suggested that we turn that space into an office for me instead. I had some funny emotional connection to having a guest bed in our apartment, but once I moved on from that, I was excited! The bed is moved out now (thanks Mom and Dad!) and the space is ready to turn into something pretty and practical.

You can see in the picture that there's a lot of clutter right now. I think some of the possible updates, like putting a kallax shelf on the left wall, will solve that. The desk will probably stay in that spot, and the remaining space, that is currently filled with stuff, will become a pretty area for storage and play time. Want to take a look at my inspiration board for my new office? Here you go!


1. This picture is a big inspiration! I love how fun and creative the office space is, but the white and blue keep it so peaceful and happy feeling. Source
2. I saw this acrylic magazine holder at Target the other day. I like acrylic and glass pieces because they don't take up a lot of visual space... they just have a nice airy feel. Source (Target online doesn't seem to have these - but I found them in store in the office accessories section)
3. This picture melts my heart. I want this to be a baby friendly space where Bekah and I can play together, as well as a space where I can get some work done. Also, aren't those colors pretty? Source
4. This photograph is beautiful, peaceful, soft, and refreshing. Those are such inspiring words for creating a new space. Source 
5. Oh these colors. They are my favorites. Source
6. Infarrantly Creative did the coolest tutorial on making a huge cork board out of IKEA placemats. I don't think I'll do this exact project, but I'm definitely inspired and might pick up a few cork placemats on our next IKEA trip. Source

The budget for my office makeover is $100. Thanks to my very sweet husband for setting aside that money as a gift to me. We have a few of the pieces already and I'm excited to repurpose those things. I think I'll tackle the office part of this makeover first, then work on adding some finishing touches to make it a good play area. So how do I plan to use the $100?

Desk: $0 free from my parents - It was my mom's desk growing up - I plan to refinish it
Lamp: $0 thrifted last summer for around $2
Lamp Shade: $10?
Kallax Shelving: $65 Source - These shelves would be great storage for Bekah stuff and my stuff
Chair: $0 found last summer after it was thrown away, it needs a little work (pictured above)
Acrylic Magazine Bin: $9
Planner: $8 Source - I like this planner so far!
Something to make the chair comfier:  $3 maybe a blanket or little quilt

Estimated Total: about $95 (the extra five dollars might be used for ice cream)

I'm really excited to get working on this project. First up is painting the desk. How do you like to plan for projects? I love gathering inspiration from pinterest, making a budget, and thinking of things I already own that can be repurposed. Hope you're having a great start to the week!

Love,
Bonnie

p.s. The exercise is still going well! If you missed the post where I shared about the health journey I've been on lately, you can read that here. I'd love to hear your story, too. I'll have an update on week two up in the new couple days. 

It's Christmas Time! {inexpensive decor inspiration}

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Last weekend we flew out to Arkansas for my sister's wedding. It was a great trip and the wedding day was really beautiful. It was the coolest thing to see our family grow on the wedding day. Bekah did great on all four flights - thank you for your prayers and advice! She became buddies with many a flight attendant and passenger. Late Monday evening, we arrived home after stopping at our favorite place for cheesesteaks. We were tired from a day of travel but it was so good to be back in our cozy apartment. 

The three of us didn't stay put for long, though. On Wednesday morning, we braved the Pennsylvania snow and traveled to visit with both sides of our family. The past few days we've been going back and forth between our family's homes to celebrate Thanksgiving. It's been so good and very restful. Just this afternoon we got settled in at home again. What a good holiday Thanksgiving is.

Now that Christmas is approaching I am feeling so ready to decorate. I have a goal to decorate our apartment for $10, using inexpensive finds and repurposing things we already have. I took some time to make a Christmas decor inspiration board last night. Take a look at the pictures that inspired me:

1. I love this kind of silly take on falling snow. From what I can tell, it's just cotton balls and string. Maybe I'll need to add glue to hold each puff in place? So simple but very cute! to buy: $1 cotton balls from the dollar tree

2. This tutorial from P.S. I made this has been on my holiday Pinterest board for a long time. I love the way the knotted fabric and ribbon adds texture and color to a plain string of lights. I have two strings of lights and a bunch of fabric and ribbons to use. to buy: I think I'm set for this one!

3. Have you ever made snowflakes from paper or coffee filters? I love these oversized ones leading up the stairs. If you're good at making these, give me some advice... I don't remember too many of my past snowflakes actually looking like snowflakes. ;) to buy: maybe bigger coffee filters... but I think ours will work.

4. My parents have a really fun collection of christmas ornaments. I have a lot of sweet memories, decorating the tree and rediscovering our favorite ornaments each year. These scrabble name ornaments from Etsy are so cute. I linked to the shop where they can be bought. to buy: scrabble tiles... maybe at a thrift store? I'd like to try a more simple version inspired by these pretty ones.

5. This bed looks so cozy!! The fabrics, bright white, and garland are all things that remind me of Christmas. This picture inspires me to add some soft layers to our living room and bedroom.

6. There are so many cute mason jar projects out there, but I love the simple look of a mason jar with a glowing candle inside. to buy: a $1 bag of tea lights from the dollar tree

7. We have a bunch of old books that we got for free from the school library. Some are falling apart so the pages are great for craft projects. This was originally an anthropologie product, but there's a great diy tutorial online to make something similar. to buy: nothing! I'll just be cutting out a whole lot of squares... :)

8. I love the soft look of this paper doily garland. The doilies sort of resemble snowflakes and the garland itself would be easy to make. to buy: a couple packs of paper doilies from the dollar tree for $2 or $3.

Have you been pinning holiday decor inspiration, too? I'd love to see what's inspiring you!

Love,

Bonnie

Busy, Happy, and Blogging {a life lately post}

Hey friends!

So life's been sorta crazy lately. Not crazy in a super busy, packed way... just normal life crazy. Days are kind of blurring together, but we've been enjoying a great fall so far. Last week I meant to share like four or five fall themed blog posts but that just didn't happen. My hands, head, and heart are all feeling pretty full right now. I love blogging but it's just been tough to get to lately.  So I'm learning to just let myself take a step back know it will be okay if things don't go as planned. It's always so good to type here and connect with you.

But, yeah, we are doing really good. I was texting my friend Kirsten the other day, telling her I feel like I've found a little bit of a rhythm with some of this momma hood stuff. I joked that that probably means everything is about to change. :) Bekah is a sweetie, a great sleeper, and I am loving my time with her. Today I'm feeling sort of beat, to be honest. Just sleepy and impatient but still very thankful. Luke is still a phenomenal partner in parenting, always serving us so kindly. There's always so much to be thankful for and sometimes just writing or talking it out, like this, helps me get the right perspective again.

Phew. How are you doing?

I just wanted to share a few things that have been really meaningful to me this past week or so... maybe they'll encourage you too.

1. I recently joined The Influence Network - a community for women committed to using their online (and offline) influence for good and for the Gospel. Part of my membership includes a free monthly class, so last month I purchased one by Ellen Parker called "Minister to Women right where you are". It was excellent... watched it for the second time while catching up on a sink full of dishes yesterday. I'll link you to her blog here. She's a sweetheart and her love for the Bible gets me fired up.

2. Speaking of the Bible - I finished the Open Your Bibles SheReadsTruth plan yesterday. It was fantastic. The ladies of SRT took 14 days to restore the way we look at the Bible and perceive our ability to approach it/make it a part of our daily lives. Great stuff. Here's the link to that plan if you want to read it! Let me know what you think.

3. Luke surprised me with a new dining set a few weeks ago. We had been planning to buy it from IKEA for a while, but we just hadn't gotten around to it. He picked it up and assembled it while I was out of town. It's meant so much to me to have family dinners sitting around this table - even now I'm blogging here while Bek naps. Last night Bekah joined us at the table in her little highchair for the first time. I told Luke, in a silly voice, that I had "been waiting for this moment for my whole life". Haha! Family dinners are the best. I really am enjoying cooking lately and it's so special so share that time with my husband and daughter.

By the way, if you're looking for an easy dinner... last night I made a modified version of this meal, switching out regular potatoes for sweet potatoes, and adding in onions, fresh green beans, and sliced green pepper. So easy and really yummy. There were no leftovers. :)

Alright. So after you tell me how you're doing... do you have a link to share with me? :)
Hope you're having a good week, friends. Whether it's been crazy or fun or boring or whatever... I'm glad you're here and would love to hear about it.

Love,
Bonnie

Happy Home Wednesday: A Beautiful Workspace

Happy Wednesday, friends! How's your week going? Today I'm sharing another Happy Home Wednesday post. This is where I combine two things I love - home design and loving people.

A few weeks ago I was browsing around the internet when I came across this post, a photo tour of the Southern Weddings home office. (Check it out!) I love the bright and airy blue walls, white furniture, and all the sweet feminine details. It seems like this would be such a refreshing and fun atmosphere to work in. I would love to work with a small group of women like that some day!

source: LaraCasey.com

source: LaraCasey.com

Hmm hmm hmm :) Love dreaming about the future! But what I love even more is taking steps today to make those dreams happen. You see that beautiful workspace up there? That workspace didn't just show up - Lara Casey and her team had to create it. Now it's a space where they can work together to craft Southern Weddings Magazine.

Once upon a time, that shared office and the magazine would have been just a dream - but now they're a reality!

love chalkboards for pretty note taking // source: Karson Butler Events

So here's my question for you...
What are you dreaming about? What project, what career, what ministry, what art… what would you like to do or create?

I was praying about Strong+Sweet this week, asking God to show me His heart for the blog and its purpose. During a quick prayer time, I felt a little nudge/reminder that the only thing that will keep this blog from fulfilling its purpose in encouraging people, is my own lack of faith about what it will be. God is fully on board but I need to be too.

That's why it's worth thinking about our workspaces. I don't want to write my dreams off as something small that might happen someday anymore. I want to invest my whole heart, soul, mind, and all of my strength into loving God and I know a huge part of that is by working hard at this blog and at encouraging people. Having a designated workspace can help us stay encouraged, organized, and productive in our work. Putting thought into our workspaces means putting thought into the work itself.

so much storage! love the green // source: TheInspiredRoom via BHG

I think it's worth building a beautiful, functional, and enjoyable workspace because we've got a lot of good work to do! We have an awesome harvest out there - a world full of people who will benefit greatly from us using our gifts and working faithfully at what God's called us to do. We are blessed with the opportunity to be on God's team as He brings people from death to life - we each have a unique and important role.

So let's get onto that workspace-creating! We've got things to do! :) I think a good place to start is gathering inspiration. Throughout this post, you'll find a few workspaces that I am inspired by.

You don't need a big empty room or a new building for your workspace, maybe you have a closet to work with (like me) or your kitchen table. It doesn't have to be perfect, expensive, or fancy - just some dedicated space you can use to do your thing. Developing your workspace could be as simple as getting a few folders together to stay organized and inspired for your work! It may help if they're pretty folders. :)

what a fun desk chair! //source: littlejunkshop on flickr

As always, I would love to hear from you! Tell me about your dream and about what you would love in an ideal workspace. Do you already have a workspace that works well for you?

Standing with you in faith today, friends. That dream is going to become a reality and the world will be blessed through your gift and your faithfulness in using it.

Love,
Bonnie

You can read my past two happy home wednesday posts here and here

My Workspace Inspiration Pinterest Board

Happy Home Wednesday: inspired by you!

It's hard to believe it's been a week already since the first Happy Home Wednesday post. This is a new series I hope to update weekly. Happy Home posts are all about home design and using the things and spaces you have to love the people around you. I had so much fun reading your responses last week! Thank you for taking the time to read and for sharing with me and other Strong+Sweet readers what a happy home means to you. You guys are awesome. :)

Today I want to keep that new conversation going and tell you a few of the ways your responses inspired me to keep on loving people with my home and favorite hobby. 

Source: A Rosy Note - beautiful site!

Let's get started! Andrew and Betsy both shared about using their love of cooking to love others...

• Andrew wrote, "...I decided a few years ago, if I can not entertain people easily (I love to cook), I would offer to cook at other peoples homes, or get togethers..."
• Betsy added, "...my mom is the ultimate hostess…she loves feeding people and hospitality is definitely one of her spiritual gifts! so i aspire to be that, but until i have a place of my own, i just enjoy helping my mom out when we have people over or cooking for my boyfriend's family with him!"

What I loved so much about these responses was that they are both using their hospitality gifts to love people even though their current space might not be completely ideal. Andrew shared that he and his wife have a small apartment that makes entertaining tough (we understand! we have spent a lot of time eating dinner on the couch ;)) and Betsy is living with family - which can be so wonderful but also tough when you're excited to have your own space! Despite all that, both of them are just plowing ahead, using what they have to serve others and  enjoying using the hospitality gift that is so evident in them. That is so cool and so inspiring to me. Thanks for sharing, you two! 

Source: Country Living via Decorology 

My sweet friends Ann and Hannah both shared a beautiful perspective about the items they have in their homes. 

• Ann explained, "Putting away our wedding gifts was so enjoyable to me, because it let me reflect on the blessing that each person has been in my life." 
• Hannah shared, "As you know, I really love old stuff. Just about everything of mine has a story. That is my favorite part of decorating. Even though I had never met my great grandmother, its such an honor to have a piece of her furniture in my home, making her a bigger part of my life. I just love the feeling of being able to look around and know that I'm surrounded by generations, memories, laughter, and history."

Isn't that such a refreshing way to look at the things we own? Ann and Hannah both view their things from such a beautiful point of view. It's a nice perspective change for me to be challenged to value the people that my things remind me of over the value I place on just having "the things".

Source: House Beautiful

Finally, I loved Leah's funny and sweet description of her "open door mentality".

• Leah said, "...I love to share the space we've been blessed with. That sometimes may mean I'm sharing that space while folding laundry or cooking. I'm thinking that by the second time someone comes to our house someone would either feel awkward or part of the family. I'm hoping for more of the latter. I guess for me it's more of an open door mentality and enjoying life with others in spite of whatever they may walk into when coming through our doors :)"

There's a ton of freedom in remembering that your space doesn't have to be perfect to be shared with others or enjoyed by you, isn't there? This was an awesome reminder for me. 

So what do you guys think? Did this get the wheels turning in your head about using your home or hobbies to love people? What could you add to this conversation? :) I'd love to hear what you love about your space and how you like to share it with others. 

Love,

Bonnie

** Disclaimer: The photos shared above include source links under each image. If the photo belongs to you and you would like it removed, just let me know in the comments below!

Happy Home Wednesday: A New Conversation

Happy mid-week, friends! What have you been up to this week?

This afternoon I've been hanging out on the couch doing some brain storming for future Strong+Sweet posts and series. Do you ever have people ask you what your hobbies are? I think I went years and years of being asked that question with absolutely no idea how to respond. Isn't that funny? Sure, I had stuff I like to do but I had a tough time identifying my "hobbies".  Within the past year or so I finally found something to say as I found myself falling in love with interior home design. I would guess Pinterest played some role in that infatuation ;). I can spend a lot of time watching HGTV, scrolling through home design pin boards, and reading blogs like Young House Love (those Petersiks are awesome). So now when people ask me what my hobbies are, I'll usually say something about home design.

I've found that what I love most about home design isn't acquiring "stuff". What I love about home design is that I get to share it with other people. It's so easy to take the physical blessings God has given us in our furniture, kitchen ware, and space and use it all to love people.

Source: City Farmhouse via Jennifer Rizzo

You see, I'm thankful for our apartment, but without Luke, Bekah, family and friends to share it with - it would really just be a bunch of meaningless rooms. I'm thankful for the bright, sunny kitchen we just settled into, but nothing makes me love that little kitchen more than when I use it to make something yummy for my sister and husband to eat after they get off work. (I mentioned in this post that my sister is currently living in the area and we are loving having her around!)

I think using my home to build relationships is what makes it a happy home. It doesn't have to be a big party or loud get-together - some of the best times that this little home is used to foster relationships are when it's just Luke and I at home enjoying each other's company or just me, home alone, growing in my relationship with God.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

I'm going to try something new here on Wednesdays. I want to explore this happy home idea with you through a series of posts.They'll mix together related scripture, pretty images found on Pinterest, and maybe even some thoughts and stories from you about how you've used your space (whether one room, or a whole house) to care for people and share God's love. I think this is going to be fun. :)

So, let me ask you a few questions to get our little home-y conversation going. What could you share about creating a happy home? Do you love being the party-throwing hostess or treasure the moments of private family time lounging in the living room? Do you shop for table settings while thinking about the friends you'll host for lunch? How do you use your space and your physical blessings to love people?

Can't wait to hear from you!
Love,
Bonnie

** Disclaimer: The photos shared above include source links under each image. If the photo belongs to you and you would like it removed, just let me know in the comments below!

Move In Fears + Faith

It's been a busy and wonderful week around here. On Tuesday our good friend Nick helped us move into our new apartment and it is good to be home.

Want to know something funny? After all the time I spent dreaming about our new apartment and waiting in excited anticipation for it to be our home, on move in day, I still had to fight a bunch of sadness and fear.

My sister Annie came to visit us on our last night in the old apartment. She has an amazingly kind heart and from the time she entered the door she was complimenting our little space and encouraging me. She reminded me of the things I really loved about apartment 105. It was such a cozy little space, one we had worked hard to make feel like home, and I really did love it. More than the space itself, I loved what God had done there - all the memories Luke and I had built there together. Annie's kind words were such a blessing to me - but I found myself using them as a reason to be afraid.

I thought, "What if our new apartment doesn't feel like home? What if the extra space makes us spend less time together?" Silly, right? But it's true. Sometimes even in the midst of blessings and God working in our lives we can loose focus when we fix our eyes on fear and doubt instead.

I carried that fear around for several hours and by the end of the evening I knew I had to take an official stand against it. Giving into fear was causing me to miss out on the joy of the new apartment and a really exciting time for our little family.

I took a walk down the hall from our new apartment back to apartment 105. I stood in the kitchen and prayed for just a minute. I made a simple statement, turning my worry over to God and then I said these two verses:

Philippians 4:6-7: 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Notice the simple, effective steps God lays out here to beating worry. And the promise!

+

Ephesians 3:20-21: 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

In any situation where we see lack, we can stand against that defeating mindset and imagine a better future with God - that's what I'm believing over how God will use this new space! He'll get glory from our family and our new family home and it's going to be better than anything I could ask for or imagine! (So I should definitely start asking for and imagining some big things ;))

These verses have healed my heart and brought me out of the dark places of fear so many times. God is good and His Word changes everything. That night a fresh adoration of God grew in my heart again. He is always willing to lift those deceiving, fear-filled thoughts off of us (if we'll just trust them to Him) and help us put on faith. Since that night in the kitchen of apartment 105, my fear and worry about this transition have totally been lifted. 

So here's a challenge for all of us this afternoon, whatever you're facing this weekend and whatever fears are causing you to be filled with dread, start speaking verses like these over your situation and trust Him at his Word. Tell Him the things that are burdening you. Whatever you have to say isn't silly or meaningless, He's happy to listen and ready to partner with you to strengthen that beautiful, world-changing faith that lives inside of you all over again. 

Love you, friends! Happy Memorial Day!

Bonnie

*Do you have a verse you say or write when you're replacing fear with faith? I'd love for you to share that or a related testimony here -- let's build one another up! I love reading what you have to say!

Happy Home: Planning Bekah's Room

About three months ago I shared a collection of drawings I had put together in an attempt to get all the jumbled ideas I had for our new living room down in one place. I was really surprised by just how helpful that drawing was for me in planning! It took out some of the guess work about what we needed to buy and all of a sudden I felt much more organized. The drawing part was pretty fun, too, so that didn't hurt. :)  This week we are getting ready to make the official move into our new apartment. We have really grown to love the tiny apartment we've lived in this year. It really feels like home. With Bekah's due date only about seven weeks away, it is time for us to start getting settled in down the hall, making the move from 105 to 111. We're looking forward to making 111 home, too. :)

Last night, while Luke was at work I finished drawing up some plans for the nursery. I did not expect to finish last night and I may have been drawing for several hours longer than I'd like to admit… but I think, for now, the planning of her room is done. Here's a little guided tour!

Just as a refresher, the view into Bekah's room looks like this when you're coming from the living room…

When you walk into the room, turn to the left, and take a few steps back this is what you'll see…

Like the random paint samples? :) The closet is nice and big but our lil' Rebekah's clothes are super tiny. Since the room itself isn't very big, we needed to find a way to use that space in a more practical way. We'll get to that in a minute!

Turn a little to your right and this is the next view of the nursery…

Keep turning to the right and you'll see the window wall (opposite to the closet wall we saw)…

Then keep on turnin' a little further to your right and you'll see this last view… (Sorry the camera angles are a little funny - I crunched myself down in a corner to get more wall space in view)

 On the right is the door we came in to tour the room. Ready to see the illustrated pictures? :) 

Here's the updated version of the closet…

If everything fits like we think it should, we'll place our yellow dresser in the closet to serve as storage and a changing table (with a changing pad on top, of course ;)). The mirror that goes with the dresser is actually be too big to fit below that little closet rod holder in the middle, so we'll hang up a lightweight mirror I found at a thrift store. There will still be a decent amount of room to hang some of Bekah's fancier outfits on the closet rod and the rest will fit in the large dresser drawers. I'd like to put a few wicker baskets on the top shelf to hold her extra bedding and whatever else we need a place for. 

We were gifted a beautiful dark wood crib from my parents and Luke's parents (thank you, you four! we love you!). Over the crib I think it would be sweet to hang a homemade mobile (maybe little birds and clouds made out of felt and fabric scraps?) and on the wall I plan to string a fabric strip garland to soften up the space a little. We'd love to incorporate some family pictures around the room so Bekah can regularly see some of her family she might not get to see in person as often as we'd like. 

On to the next view before I start crying about how I want all our family nearby… :) 

Remember the second view I showed you of the wall that the crib will be on? I didn't do a drawing for that one for two reasons: first, I reallllllllly didn't want to redraw the crib from another angle (cribs are hard to draw! haha) and second, for safety purposes, the wall above her crib will probably remain pretty empty other than the fabric garland that will be out of her reach. So we'll move on to the updated window wall view instead. ;)

We'd like to put a twin bed in this space to use for out of town guests (Bekah can just bunk in our room during those times :)) and baby-snuggle time during the day. My parents are kindly lending us an extra bed they have in storage right now and we'll cover it with a pretty quilt they bought me when I went off to Master's Commission. Like the big puppy stuffed animal? Luke bought him for Bekah immediately after we found out we were expecting a girl at our twenty-week appointment. We affectionately call him "dat puppy" and we're guessing he'll just hang out like that. He doesn't really do anything else. But he is super cute and we think Bekah is going to like him a lot. :)

The fabric strip garland will extend to this corner of the room. We'll add a floor lamp somewhere in here and find a long curtain to use for the window. 

Time for the last view! Turn to the right once again and you'll see something like this…

Here's the rest of the twin bed with a mirror we already own hanging above it. I think the mirror will reflect some nice natural light and open up the small room a little more. The basket could be used as book or toy storage. Over Christmas break, my family gathered around the kitchen table and we all drew pictures of ourselves for Bekah's room. It was so much fun laughing together as we all gave our best efforts in drawing self portraits. I absolutely love how each one turned out and we really treasure these little drawings. I'd like to find frames for all of them and arrange them in a way similar to this with the two columns and ribbon. Family is so precious to us and it will be really special to have them represented in our girl's room like this. :) 

Well friends, I think that's it! I hope you enjoyed looking through the illustrations. I love sharing them with you… it's such a good motivator for me to get moving on the things we need to finish up for her arrival. Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll be able to share new pictures with you of our progress.

Praying you all have a great week and that you know how much you encourage me just by reading these posts and sharing in this strong+sweet journey. I'm hoping to be back here a little later this week to reflect on some scripture and life-stuff with you. I'll talk to you soon. :)

Love,

Bonnie

Happy Home: Planning Our New Living Room

Hey Friends!

Hope you're having a great weekend so far. Ours started with date night yesterday, tons of sleep, a speedy grocery shopping trip together today, and homemade BBQ Bacon Burgers… it's been good. :) What have you been up to? 

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that Luke and I are getting ready to move into a new apartment down the hall. Today I'd love to start sharing some of our planning with you through pictures! Earlier this week I ran down the hall and took photos of the space as it currently is. After uploading the photos onto my computer, I took out my trusty wacom bamboo tablet and started drawing. The illustrated images you'll see below include some of our current furniture and decor and also a few other pieces we're still searching for to complete the space. 

When you walk in the front door of the apartment, you're actually in the kitchen. But if you turn to your left, and walk through a big entry way, this is your view into the living room. The door straight ahead is the door to our baby's soon-to-be nursery. Yep! I smile every time I say that! :) 

 If you take a few steps into the living room and turn to the left, you'll see this closet space. We're guessing this apartment used to be split into two smaller apartments and that this closet was part of the bedroom. Notice my Peter-Pan like appearance in this one… :)



























Then, if you walk right over to the baby's room and stand in the doorway, looking back at where you started, this is your view.

You'll notice you can see the kitchen and the door to our bedroom through there, too. The kitchen may be going through some changes in the next couple months, so we're not quite sure what that will actually look like when we move in. Are you ready for the illustrated "after" pictures? :) Let's start back with our first view into the living room from the kitchen.

The couch, rug, ottoman bench, and some of the smaller decor pieces are already present in our current apartment. We're searching thrift stores and craigslist for a big comfy reading chair, a little end table, and a lamp. And of course, in a few months here we'll need to go pick out a crib. :) The framed letter on the right will hopefully be an engineer print of Luke's handwritten wedding vows (they are beautiful! I married an incredible writer!) and we're hoping to hang some of our favorite black and white photos around the room, as you can see above the chair.

Next, if you take a few steps into the room again and turn to your left… you'll see the updated closet space turned into an efficient little office.

We're still on the look out for a good sturdy desk that we can update with paint and new hardware if needed and also a few of those decor details. The metal envelope, hanging vintage mirror, and the white cabinet are all pieces that were previously gifted or thrifted. I think we'd also like to put an end table and lamp beside the couch there, but we're undecided about that. We've asked my sister, Annie, to do a painting for above the couch! She is amazing! :) 

One last view to go! Now, when standing in the doorway to the baby's room you'll see something like this…

In that far corner we would like to place a small dining table for two to four people. Eventually we'd also like to save up for a TV that could be mounted (these are very old, military hospital walls so we'll see about that… :)) and watched from the rest of the room. For the time being, maybe we'll put a painting there. We might use a shelf we already own or find a more rustic-looking one with some leafy garland to go under the TV. I think white teacups are pretty much the cutest thing ever so I'd also like to hang a few of those from under the shelf. I think the cups help that area feel more like an eating space, too. The built in shelves will be great for storing most of our books… maybe even some baby books (I can't stop relating everything to baby!). My mom gave us that big basket that we currently store blankets in, but I think it will be a good place to quickly throw the toys that were scattered throughout the room. :)

Before we move in we'll give the walls a fresh coat of paint and some bright white trim. :)

That's about it for now. :) Thanks for reading along! On Monday we have our twenty week ultrasound where we should be able to find out the baby's gender. So, maybe next I'll share the nursery plans. ;) Keep the baby and our appointment in prayer if you think of it? 

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Love, 

Bonnie

Weekend Recap + Goals

Hope you had a great Monday, friends!

Luke and I both caught a little cold over the weekend which pretty much kept us in our apartment watching movies, eating warm food, and resting (while using a lot of tissues). Since we weren't feeling well there isn't too much excitement to report on from Saturday or Sunday, but I thought I'd share some pictures with you from today. :) Oh! And at the end I'm sharing a few of my goals for the week.

Sitting Down for lunch at home before going out // The Chili is my Mom's Recipe and is a happy taste of home. :)

Have I mentioned here that Luke and I are moving into a new apartment soon? With our baby on it's way, we'll need an extra bedroom and some more living space. Thankfully one has opened up for us down the hall so we will have a very easy move. :) One of our errands today was to HomeGoods where I spent some of my Christmas gift cards and picked up a few things for our new little home. 

This plate was only a few dollars + reminds me of the movie 'Enchanted'.. 
HomeGoods has such fun stuff!

When I came back to take a picture of this blanket I bought today, Luke was already enjoying it. I think that's a sign that it was a good purchase. ;) So I just borrowed it from him for a minute to get that second shot… :)

That last picture is a little creamer (or gravy boat? :)) and some fun dish towels. And of course, to the right are a few of my goals for the week. :) 

1. My sweet friend Alyson and I are hoping to grow together in how we study the Bible. Beth Moore has some awesome books out there… we just need to choose one and get started. ;) 

2. Kelly is a good friend of mine who is also expecting her first baby! Our due dates are only a few days apart. :) This semester we're hoping to do a pregnancy exercise DVD a few days a week together. 

3. Finally, my schedule is a lot different than last semester because I am taking a few less credits. I want to make the most of the extra time I have to grow in different areas, like schoolwork, blogging, my faith, relationships, and housework. I'm hoping to create a "weekly schedule" that will help me understand how I spend my time and give me a little extra structure for each week. 

It helps me accomplish so much more when I share my goals with other people and pray over them. I'd really love to hear about your weekend and your goals for the week ahead, if you have a minute to share! Praying for you all this week… it's going to be a good one!

Love, 

Bonnie 

Washing Dishes

Happy Tuesday, friends!

What a week it's been so far! Luke and I arrived back on campus on Sunday night after a month long break back in Gettysburg. Our winter break was so refreshing and we are very excited to be back in the swing of things here at school. We had a baby appointment on Monday and at 16 weeks, the baby is healthy and active! :) I could listen to that strong heartbeat for hours. Thank you for your prayers for Baby Stoltzfoos and your constant encouragement to us. Classes are off to a great start and it's looking like this will be an excellent semester. :)

My favorite guy on his 1st day of classes

Today I only have one class and chapel on my school schedule, so I have had plenty of time to do some blogging and house work. I actually want to share with you about something that happened to me today while I was doing dishes.

There's this beautiful song called "When the Saints"(by Sara Groves). The lyrics share the accounts of people throughout history who have courageously "lived the faithful life" out of love for God and the people He created. Sara sings about all sorts of people, from Paul and Silas who still praised God in prison, to Mother Teresa, an amazing woman who sacrificed her life to care for the poor and needy, and then all the brave people who rescue hurting women from the horrors of brothels. Listening to this song inspires me to follow Jesus unconditionally and love people fiercely. All I'm saying is... you've got to listen to this song. I can't do it justice by explaining it. :) Click here for the youtube link.

So what does that have to do with me doing dishes? Well to be honest I've been thinking a lot about doing dishes lately. Haha, I realize how strange that sounds but stay with me. Last semester I had a really tough time keeping up with housework as my body worked hard to adjust to the first trimester of pregnancy. I was pretty discouraged about that but I started dreaming over break about allowing a passion to develop in me for serving my husband by growing in my cooking and housekeeping abilities. I wondered if silly to be excited about these tasks… I mean it's just housework and cooking, right?

But today I had the neatest experience when I listened to this song and prepared to wash the dishes. I stepped in front of the sink, pumped some soap on the kitchen sponge, and as I reached for my husband's favorite travel mug a very familiar feeling swept over me. I've had this feeling before when I stepped up to preach a message that helped others experience the practical power of God's word. I've also experienced this same feeling when I've been in the middle of a conversation with a friend and we started to see the Holy Spirit give solutions to things they had been struggling with. It's this confident feeling that God is behind what I am doing and that people will see more of Him through it.

And I got that feeling when I was doing dishes today. When I speak God's word or when I counsel a friend through a discouraging time, I feel alive and I feel so purposeful. I feel like other people are getting to see God's heart… and I love that. He is so good and generous in revealing Himself to us!

You want to know what I decided from all this? I don't think it's a silly thing at all to be excited about doing dishes or dream about taking care of your family and house. Today God reminded me that even the small jobs I'll do as a wife, mom, student, counselor, etc. are so precious to Him.  God loves my husband and my future babies and all the people I come in contact with so much. The cool thing is that it really does glorify Him when, as His child, I show them love, because He loved them first.

Today I felt alive, purposeful, and like I was doing something significant when I washed the dishes, as funny as that sounds. It's such a small task but all our small tasks have eternal value when we do them faithfully in love. Wherever God has you serving right now, whether it's an a church building or in an office chair, whether it's in your high school classes or you're a stay at home mom… you can live a well-lived life now. You don't have to wait for the opportunity to move across the ocean or for your pastoral credentials to come in… just start by doing whatever God has you doing faithfully and out of love for Him and people. 

So thankful for Jesus' grace that makes it possible to live a joyful life… even in the everyday tasks. I think these tasks that can seem mundane are beautiful preparation for the bigger things we'll be entrusted with later on. Just like Mother Teresa, Paul and Silas, and the others mentioned in the song today, I want to be like the Saints who have gone before me… being faithful with the tasks at hand and faithful in deeply loving God and loving people along the way.

Have a great week, everyone! As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Excited to share a great contributor post from my friend Melissa with you a little later this week.

Love,
Bonnie