That whole New Year thing.

I had to get glasses this month.  That was...interesting.  Now i leave them everywhere, but never where i need them.  I'm guessing it takes some getting used to.  The good thing is my headaches have eased off.  The bad news is I spend a good 10 minutes trying to find them every time i settle down to start a project.

A new year brings change - always - kind of like the glasses thing - and every year about this time I find myself thinking about what i might want to improve, or change in myself.  Don't say resolution.  I never resolve (that sounds so strong, doesn't it?) to make permanent change...ever.  I make notes on things i might want to....attempt.  My list is much shorter this year.  Not sure yet if that's good or bad.  But it's definitely an easier read.

So far on my list:

1. Slow down.  This means my laptop shuts down at 5:30 (latest) and i don't pick it up (or my droid) after dinner.  Yes...this will be hard.  Yes, i know there are going to moments where I cave. But i promise to at least be more aware, and to stop myself if the office isn't burning down.
2. Instead of dieting i'm just going to buy clothes that fit.  There. I said it. Oh yes i did.
3. And those clothes I'm buying? Less Ann Taylor and more...bohemian.  More Anthro. More Urban. More....FUN.  I'm not my mother...yet.
4. Vacuum my kitchen floor after dinner.  I started doing that this past week, and it makes such a difference in how i feel when i walk into the kitchen the next day that's clean down to it's floor.  Silly but true.
5. Buy some of that jewelry on etsy that i have been coveting for such a long time.

Told you it wasn't a long list.  Just my list.  My sanity savers for 2011.  I think i can do these.

Linking to Vanessa's Inspiration Friday

What a little time buys you.

Here are a few sneak peaks at what we've been up to at casa Kibler (aside from gorging ourselves ourselves on homemade cake, cookies, candy and developing quite the eggnog butt).

This precious thing is covering one of my front door windows - it's twin is not finished yet.  I had high hopes for using a set of roman blinds that i got from Sears at a great discount but they were too huge and it was more fight than i had in me to figure out how to modify them.  It does not escape me that i probably worked twice as hard on this thing since i did it sans pattern and i lost my cool a few times....ahem.  However, i think it's kinda cute.  I promise to show more once i get the other one up.

And here's the man-project.  What i am not showing you here is the fact that the fireplace had no surround.  No trim. No molding.  Just gross big ceramic tile that they tore off the wall yesterday.   Taking the drywall with it and leaving a gaping hole.  That the cat tried to crawl thru.  Here is the drywall back up, ALL TV CORDS HIDDEN INSIDE - YAY and a new outlet pushed to the outside for the summer kitchen we hope to have (SOMEDAY).  I'm told tomorrow brings new trim, and travertine for the inset.  Here's hoping...i think i'm drinking tonight.  

all so that it can look like this by week's end...courtesy of Centsational Girl...she had me at hello. So, for the next few days, just imagine her fireplace in my family room...

That's it for now girlies.  Anyone thinking yet about New Year's Resolutions? I am....

How many? Only one.

Follow the star to a place unexpected

Would you believe after all we’ve projected

A child in a manger

Lowly and small, the weakest of all

Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mothers shawl

Just a child

Is this who we’ve waited for?

 Cause how many kings, stepped down from their thrones?

How many lords have abandoned their homes?

How many greats have become the least for me?

How many Gods have poured out their hearts

To romance a world that has torn all apart?

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

How Many Kings is probably one of my most favorite contemporary Christmas songs.  If you have never heard it, i urge you to listen here:

It was all good until the Christmas Ninjas showed up.

Little boys.  They amuse me so.  This is what i found yesterday morning on the way through the living room.

Do you see it?  No?  Here...go in a little further...

Is that not hilarious?  Those poor villagers have no idea what's about to happen.  Those carolers up there? Totally clueless.

Hiding in the church...no santa in this chimney!

 Hmmm....  that's one way to raid a toy store.  After visiting ToysRUs yesterday - i kind of get that approach.

Dear Florida, we have to talk.

This is totally unacceptable.  You're making me wrap pipes, cover plants, and do other 'northern' things that just.aren't.right.  ESPECIALLY since you're not even being nice and giving us something like....SNOW.   Do you know how nuts you're making me my kids right now??

entryway pics take 2

For whatever reason, my pictures disappeared after a few days...so here they are again :)  You'll have to take my word for it that it looks much chunkier in real life.  And it fills out the wall quite nicely.

Here she is...up closer.

  

Still working on the black door, the rug, etc..

New Entry Pictures - A Work In Progress

Is it just me? Am I the only person who looks around and finds the HARDEST way to do a project?  

It's been a pain in the youknowwhat.  

Couldn't find a ledge to fill the expanse of the wall.
Dear man tells me - "I'll build it".
Sarah paints it.
Found hooks.  Too tall.
Found new hooks.  Too big. (But ohmyword so very pretty. cry.)
Found New new hooks.  Too twisty. Yes, twisty.
Found the RIGHT hooks. Didn't come with screws.
Found screws - TOO BIG FOR HOLES AND THE WERE THE SMALLEST LOWES AND HD HAD IN BLACK.  Yes, my typing DOES indicate i lost it right.about.here.
Wonderful man bores existing holes to make them larger because wife is crazy.
Hang ledge. Top is flush.  Bottom half is surfing out into the foyer. That's not gonna work.
Wonderful, now irritated man, takes down ledge and shaves top half to be equal with bottom so entire ledge lays flush against wall.


All is well.  Until pictures fall off and smash to the floor.

    Isn't she pretty??? i heart her. 

 I need to rub a darker stain on the frames - but these were a deal so I picked them up - for $3 a piece at Sears a few weeks back.  Exactly what i wanted, just a tad too orange brown.

Also, i have picked the pictures out but they need to be printed out in black and white - i think color pics wouldn't look right...? 

He did awesome. I am so very proud of this sweet wonderful man that told me without any sighs "sure i'll build that for you." And he did.  And i absolutely love it.


Ignore that stack of boxes in the DR corner, and the broom.  I have some wrapping to do and for whatever blessed reason, the boys have not realized that some of their Christmas is right there, under their nose.  


I still need a rug.  
I would really like an antique, aged bench.  
And some roman blinds.
And the door still needs to be painted. I bought the paint - does that count?

Seas and Greetings

Let there be peace on earth

And let it begin with me.

Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.

With God as our father
Brothers all are we.

Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.

With every step i take
Let this be my solemn vow.

To take each moment
And live each moment 

With peace eternally.

Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.

Linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch and The Christmas Tree Party at TDC please visit and soak up all of that wonderful Christmas spirit.  Peace to you all. 

A Coastal Christmas

I

    Coastal Living

I was born here. 

A sunshine state baby, while my parents and all of the rest of my family hail from Virginia. 

The love the Blue Ridge mountains, while i love the blue water.  They can keep their mountains (it's a nice place to visit as the saying goes) but i will keep my beach.  And i can think of nothing prettier than a low country town decorated up for the holidays.

    Coastal Living

 I will take Savannah, Tybee, St. Simons, or Charleston.  I will use shells and sand coral while they decorate with snow and icicles.

       Completely Coastal

Thinking about a couple of different ideas.  Using my black PB lanterns from Homegoods on the front      porch, with my starfish and some evergreen.

Maybe move the pre-lit dining room tree to the lanai and put a live evergreen in a galvanized pot in it's place and decorate with some burlap and starfish and shells and i'm thinking feathers.  Is that crazy? Is burlap overdone? I'm thinking pheasant feathers - natural colors like creams, browns, sages.....not sure yet. 

Anyway, off to bed.  We're still in Tallahassee for the holiday. Heading home in the morning.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend girls :)




      

I survived - without Starbucks!

We survived :)  Back from an all boy adventure (plus a few moms) in the woods, with tents, and knives and some really big sandhill cranes. One of which wanted to fight me for a pancake.  I won. (But there was a moment when i almost let him have the darn thing).

I wanted to thank everyone that emailed me since my last post - that post really did come out of the clear blue when i was cleaning the kitchen the other day and i felt i had to write it down. Get it out.  And reading your words of encouragement in the emails i received was amazing and i thank each of you, from the bottom of my heart.  

We got home before 11am and we were still pretty wired so we started the process of christmas decorating.  The tree is up but it took awhile to get it fluffed out right from being packed away, and i can't decide what i want to do yet throughout the house - so i'm working up some inspiration....what do all of you have planned?

 Southern Living

 Southern Living

 

Reminders...a love story

This is what i look at on my kitchen counter on a daily basis. In some sort of fashion or another.  

It's not always that same pile.  Sometimes there's a quart of paint (just pick a color - right now i am my own personal Home Depot).  Other times there may be a drill or even 2 drills, just depends.

But this man-clutter is a God-sent reminder to me that years ago when my heart was breaking in a million pieces, He heard my cries.  And He rescued me. 

In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.   - 2 Samuel 22:7

Flashback 6 or 7 years.  I was sitting at the bottom of the stairs in my foyer, alone and sad, and crying over yet another fight between my ex and me - when my MIL showed up at my door.  


I cannot explain the extent of my sadness, but to say, i have lived ALONE -  and not been as lonely as i was during the time I was married. 


My husband didn't want to be married but didn't want to divorce because of the kids, and he encouraged me to find someone to be my companion so that he didn't have to travel with me, or do outings like other married couples.  He said he was bored to death by me.  That is why i was sitting there crying that day. Total rejection.


My MIL, i'm sure with all good intentions, sat down beside me and said something i will never forget.  She said "sheri, no one, NO ONE, will ever love you the way you expect to be loved.  That's not reality." and then she went on to say that she remembered feeling the same way once but she got past it, and moved on. She found girlfriends to travel with, made a life that didn't involve her husband.

My friends, i cannot tell you how her words, which were meant to help me, just broke my heart even more.  I wanted someone that loved me. wanted to spend time with me.  not someone that wanted to be as far away from me as possible - and was telling me to go elsewhere for that relationship i so desperately sought.  I wanted to be married.  That's why i got married in the first place.  I didn't want to spend my life living alone.  But that's what i was doing.  I was also praying a lot.  Praying and crying.  


Sometimes God says no though - and He said no to my marriage.  He wouldn't heal it, no matter how hard i prayed.  So i gave it over and said, ok, if this isn't meant to be, at least not now or maybe ever, i need You to provide income.  I need You to provide an affordable house.  And i prayed that He would provide someone for me - i was so lonely.


One by one He did provide.  Months after I started the divorce process - a brand new house was built down the street in my price range.  I got financing with no hiccups.  and then not even 3 months later, i was offered a new job making 30K more than i was making before.  I remember sitting on my new living room floor (because i didn't have furniture yet)  crying because He did everything I asked of Him.  They were the happiest tears i had cried in a very long time.


And then, He provided Vance.  (which, in true Sheri fashion, i pushed away from at first) 

But from the very first date - i knew.  I used to hate it when i would hear people say that, but i knew.  If you saw us together you would totally say we are like puzzle pieces.  He starts where i stop and vice versa.  I know how lame i sound - it's ok - i don't care.  It's true.  And he loves me beyond comprehension. He gets me.  He laughs at my jokes.  He has let me cry and started crying because I was crying and he hates to see me sad.  I cannot imagine my life without him.

And when i think back to that day when I was told that no one would ever love me the way i thought i should be loved - i now know she was right.  Vance loves me beyond that.  And every day when i look at those piles of hammers, screws, duct tape, i let that serve as God's reminder to me of how faithful He is when we trust Him to meet the desires of our heart.  And I am forever thankful.


"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.  He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. - 2 Samuel 22:17-19

The entry's not quite there yet

But close.  So close it's making me nuts.  It's the rug thing that i just can't get right.   But V built the Heather Chadduck shelf ledge.  Sarah painted the ledge.   We attempted to put the hooks on but realized they were too tall for the piece - so it's back to finding vintage hooks that go more out than up.


My VF Megan over there on the sidebar is telling me i must go to HL - so hopefully next week i can get there.  If i don't get eaten by mosquitoes and sand hill cranes at the scouts campout this weekend.  If i don't post by Monday - someone please send a search party (with a Starbucks in hand).


I also got some great roman shades for a steal. They were probably a steal because they are abnormally HUGE.  Which means i have to perform surgery on them to make them fit. 


So, while i can't get my act together quickly enough to product pictures of my OWN house - i'll post some favorites i've saved.  


Oh...and it's pure randomness.  Obviously.  No tie in whatsoever to this post.  Don't you love me sometimes?  The closest tie in is the middle one is Heather Chadduck again i think.


I think all images are from www.myhomeideas.com but don't quote me. 

 Have a great night y'all :) Off to finish watching Parenthood...
 

It's like Christmas, only better!

My steppie is home!!!!!!!!  And i think if i hug her one more time she's going to slug me.  And i'm pretty sure she hates that word.  I need a new word, definitely.  Work on that y'all, while i'm out, k? 

She's home and we are going on a shopping expedition (If i can get her butt out of bed this morning - what IS it with staying up until 2????  I never got it.  Oh wait, yea, i was young once.  In a land far, far away where time stood still)

BUT once she's up - we're going here...

and then straight to here....



and then skipping 2 doors down to here...

and then across the street to here!!!!!!!

and my wallet will be lighter, and my soul will be filled.  And yes, i do get out more than you would think from the sound of this post.

DID I SAY I'M GOING TO ANTHRO TODAY????

i did?  Ok then.   Off to rouse sleeping beauty....

Have a great start to your weekend!!!

Painted Door Inspiration

                      Home and Harmony

    sigh...Cote de Texas.

Yep. Convinced.

Linking to Vanessa's Inspiration Friday!

Coming along

It's funny.  I had this idea in my head about what i wanted my house to be.  In my mind it was very clear....i even played in this blog party about posting a pic that totally captured my style.  This was it.

I even had this same color in my master bath at my old house.  LOVE this color btw - my version was SW Ancient Marble and i think i'm putting it in my master bath again.

But i was finding it so hard to make so much of what we already had work with this.  Let me re-phrase that.  This room couldn't take all of our junk.  That's closer to the truth.  We have a lot of stuff. This room,...not so much.  And I can't see my son getting his markers and paper out in here and settling in.  I wouldn't be able to settle in and relax watching him do it. 

And this stuff is stuff that we can't part with.  So when we moved it got relegated to the garage because i had that stupid picture up there on the brain.  


And then i decided - out with that idea.  It doesn't work for us.  And i focused on inspiration that used old, or vintage, stuff.  Heather Chadduck.  Sarah Richardson (some times).  The blogosphere's own Holly Mathis. (Sidenote on Holly.  I actually contacted her for a consult and that very same day we found out that we were laying off people where i worked and i had to push away from that idea.  She's not expensive - i'm just trying to be frugal in case of who knows what. BUT I HEART HOLLY.  and this isn't turning into HM post - but i've been  stalking her style for a very long time).

OK - back to this.  

So, Sunday, with an extra hour on our hands -  Vance and i grabbed a cup of coffee and wandered into the jungle of the garage and took inventory of what needed to be brought back into the house. 


This is what found it's way back inside, in addition to 3 rugs.  I had no idea Vance had that telephone - which had to be hung up immediately since we both work in telecom.  Too appropriate NOT to display.  I love those prints on the left - they are so freakin dusty - still. haven't decided what to do with them yet.    The phrenological chart is in a vintage burlewood (sp?)  frame.  I wasn't going to hang it up and then i saw it in Country Living the other day and was like "hey - we have that!".   The pencil sketch is actually of the library at FSU that is name for Vance's dad.  He was published professor there that passed away when Vance was in high school. I think Vance said another faculty member did it - i'm not sure.  The pub mirror also came from Vance's mom and the chippy white frame came from a junk run that sarah and I did over the summer.  Not sure what to do with that.

We also put down those rugs - the blue one here came from Vance's mom's house.  Oh, and see those silver trays - have a great plan for those - they came from a couple of different places.

And we threw the green one that came from my old house in here for now.  Obviously, the cats like them.   I hung the pub mirror for now in the entry and i think i can talk V into making that coat rack ledge this weekend while Sarah's home (big hooray! on that - miss her around here) and we can hang that up under the mirror.  I want it to be big and chunky and allow for some leaning pics overlapping that mirror.

There is one more ginormous rug that we brought into the family room.  but i can't even think about that room until this one is done.  Yes, that's laundry on the couch. What? You don't ignore folding laundry in favor of decorating?

 

Now i need a rug (3x5) and i'm getting overwhelmed. Nothing seems right for the space.  I had a couple of ideas but it has to coordinate with that blue rug up there because you'll see all 3 rugs (entry, DR, LR) from the front door.  So it has to be cohesive, yet eclectic.  I don't know if i can pull it off.

It's hard enough with all these items being brought back in. I feel like i'm walking a fine line between "home" and living in Bennigans.

If you have ANY thoughts about the rugs - i'd love to hear them :)  Send pics please :):)

Stuck in the middle of Heather, Sarah and Ralph. I wish they would stop fighting already. It's exhausting.

Somewhere between here...

   Heather Chadduck.

and here...

    Sarah Richardson

...is my idea of the perfect entry. 

Unfortunately, this is what i have to work with:

Here is shot i took earlier in the day.  What i'm sure of staying is the furniture...what i'm undecided on are the prints.  They are V's, and while i really kind of like them, and am leaning toward a 'collected look' - i'm not sure i can make it all work.  He had a RL traditional man-cave/den look going on in his house which i liked but I want to add a little more rustic character, and de-formalize a little.
  

The entry space is small. Probably too small for an entry table - as the door swings all the way to that outlet you see in the wall.  And as much i would love a small entry table that i could pretty up during the holidays, i'm afraid it will look forced.


So, i'm thinking i could do something like the coat rack - ledge that Heather Chadduck did in the first pic.  Is it too casual, you think?  I am also really really considering painting the inside of those doors.  I know this, it can't make it worse.  Good grief, how boring can doors be already?But what color?  

I don't need inspiration, i think i need to make a decision - but i need help! Feel free to chime in.  Linking to my girl Vanessa for her Inspiration Fridays Party - come join us :)