Project Reveal: New Old Table

There are certain times when an item strikes my fancy to the point I stop and remain fixated upon it like a deer in headlights. In moments like this all life ceases to exist. RT, my husband, knows this look all too well. Sometimes when my interest is sparked he can distract me and I'll soon forget about the object. He then walks away feeling victorious. Then there are other times he knows it is a lost cause. There is no distracting me. The conversation goes like this: "RT, isn't this the most glorious thing you've ever seen?" "NO!" "Well, sure it is." "Surely, it is not." "Oh, honey, I can do x-y-z with this piece and then it'll be..." And if I ever tell him "Shh! I'm thinking..." he just casually strolls away knowing this is one battle he will not win. Yeah, my man knows me all too well. Saturday was such a time. This story actually begins two weeks ago with a private conversation I had with God.

What used to be our school room evolved into a sitting area:

Not a bad place for the family to sit for a chat or to read but it just wasn't suiting the need I now have. So I said, aloud to God, "Father, I need a table, please. I need a place to spread out my study material and be able to leave it for days upon end without being in the way. You know the size and shape I need. I now ask for You to provide it." This convo stayed private between just the two of us. 

Then Saturday RT and I walked into a thrift store and I laid eyes on this:

My eyes glazed over, RT did his best to distract me and he ended up walking away in defeat. See, he didn't have any knowledge of the convo about this with God and thought I was just up to my crazy ideas again. As you can see, one side of the leaf is missing and this has been a well loved table. Not sure how old it really is. "1983" is written on the underside and there were three different layers of paint on it. The previous owner stripped the top and leaf but for whatever reason gave up and am I sure glad they did!

The first thing was to remove the remaining leaf...to be used in another project on down the road...then, after two afternoons and many hours of stripping paint later, that became this:

And, for once I did not *ruin* it with paint, as my family would say, much to their suprise. Instead, I chose to seal with with a wood wax and enjoy the old, well-loved, rustic quality.

Then came the fun part. Time to put it into place. Yeah, into the place that was already full of furniture. So the furniture shuffle began...and an official office is born:

I did have to swipe one of my dining room chairs until I find the perfect chair to go in here. But now I can spread out, reach the books I want on the two middle shelves on the bookcase (these are filled with the commentaries, dicitionaries and different Bible translations, etc. that I use) and for those chilly days I have a foot warmer! Only "problem" is that the rocking chair looks too good sitting next to the table. I'm thinking it needs to be roughed up some. ;)

And just what became of the other chair, you ask? Well, let's say this started a small chain reaction. It began with moving the computer desk down the wall from where it sat while cleaning off the top so that the other chair can temporarily sit next to it. I say temporarily because I'm not married to the idea of liking it where it now is. If I had my druthers I'd head out to Pier 1 and buy a set of the most fabulously perfect chairs for my new office. But this is the real world and those chairs would hit me for quite a few hundred dollars and these rockers are already bought and paid for. Plus they are super comfy. So staying put they are. Before I show y'all pics of this furniture shuffle, I've said all this to say this: everything in my home is a process and in that process things aren't necessarily *perfect* right from the start. For several months I've been working on this area in my home.

So, before yesterday the computer area looked like this:

And here's the "after" from the shuffle:

Lastly, so y'all can see how both areas work together, here's a shot of the entire room:

There is still work to be done....and the next two orders of business with be distressing the computer desk and then doing something creative with the snake tank in the background. I've also still got to work on decorating the table and computer desk but that will come after I've used them for a little while so I can see exactly what accessories I'll actually need. Oh, and the flamingo needs to find a permanent home somewhere in the room, too. But those are the fun little tweaks that'll happen with time. And that fun just never seems to end.

Thank you, dear reader, for bearing with me on this long post today. I almost didn't put up all the pics because to me the room isn't *perfect* yet. But, at the end of the day, I would rather you see me as a real person who does not have her act all together.

Happily Feathering ~Betsy



Better Late Than Never - Bathroom Project Reveal

Yeah, so I know I said I'd do this on Friday but life got in the way...several times a year we really stock our freezer and this past Friday was that day. We always take our time while doing this and a lunch date with my honey usually happens the same day. If we time it right and hit a buffet for a later lunch we aren't ready for a real supper so I'm off the hook with cooking that night. YAY! Oh, back to Friday...by the time shopping was done and all was packaged and put away I was d-o-n-e. So I'm bringing this reveal first thing this week. Before I do so, I have to admit that this is the way this wall looked for about a year:

Never meant for it to stay this way so long. Inspiration would hit and flee almost as quickly. Last week I made up my mind for it to be "The" week for this terribly long overdue project to get done.

So here's where I began to play:

After hanging the ladder, embroidering the crab on the towel and snapping the teaser pic to post I stood back and took a good look. It didn't thrill me the way I thought it would. Had to pinpoint what I did and did not like about the vignette. Played around a little more and that became this (minus the mini suitcase):

(Be a good reader and over look the chipped wall paint, please. When my bathroom grows up it will have beadboard walls. Until then I refuse to waste my time repainting.)

Here's a few more shots:

Now it's on to the rest of the room this week. It is easier to get inspired now that I named the look I'm after..."Bay Side Cottage"

Well, I guess I should say it'll be back to the bathroom once the other new project I'm working on is done. Saturday my honey and I went to a new thrift store in town and I found a treasure. As soon as I'm through stripping the paint off I'll post pics...

In the meantime I hope this all inspires Y-O-U to do something creative this week to add another feather to your own nest!

Happily Feathering ~Betsy

Next Project

Can you guess what this is? Why, it's the latest project in the Richardson household! One that has sat undone for a year. Yeah, I'm publically admitting to it. Even though an organized home is the most comfortable I do procrastinate on certain things. There. I said it. My secret is out. Well, this project will have gone from "to-do" to "ta-da!" in a couple more days...and then I'll reveal all.

How about you? What have you been putting off way too long in your own nest? Don't delay another day. Get started, sister!

Happily feathering ~Betsy

The Trunk Reveal

"A" trunk has undergone a transformation to being "The" trunk in our house..week before last our neighbor was throwing away this treasure:

I mean, seriously, y'all! Who would throw such a beauty away? It was all I could do to not trip all over myself getting next door to grab it before someone else did. The coolest part is that is was F-R-E-E! And I have been wanting a trunk for quite some time. When we find them at yard sales they're either more than I want to pay or in such poor condition that they shouldn't be for sale. This one is solid wood and has been well-loved in all the right ways. Plus, it is extra storage space. Yipee! A double plus in my world! Can you tell I am still so excited over this thing?

So the transformation began by peeling the contact paper off and scraping the remains of an old sticker off the front. Then it was on to a light sanding and some painting, more sanding, more painting, more sanding so that it looked like this:

Okay, so now the secret of my super-fancy workshop is out...complete with dirty frying pan on the stove! Don't y'all just love the freedom we have to be real? Really, like who is gonna make sure their kitchen is clean when the creative bug bites? However, y'all can totally believe I'll be paying more attention next time I snap a pick like this and at least move the dirties to outside the picture frame. ;) Anyhoo, I digress...

It was then on to one more round of painting and finally the last time of sanding before that became this:

I wanted it to still be rough:

Knowing I wanted to put a number on top but being unsure of which number I wanted, I made the logical choice...and picked a font I liked and then chose the *prettiest* of the numbers in that font. Thus, No. 7 won! As soon as the paint dried it also got a light sanding:

Lastly...just to get the total effect of this transformation, here are before and after pictures side-by-side:

Now the only problem is that the table I set it on now needs a transformation of it's own. It just never ends, does it? Especially now that I am entering into the *junky* phase of home decor...oh, just what can I sand down next?

~Betsy

Time for a Name Change

In ancient times more emphasis was put on names than it is today but the fact that it gives a quickly noted meaning, in regards to movies, books, websites, and, yes, blogs, remains the same. As I have prayed over what to do with this blog during this new year I also asked myself what the focus of this blog is. Answer: making a house a home. This comes in many shapes and sizes...from allowing God to work on us so we are better women/wives/mothers/daughters/sisters/friends, etc., to trying new recipes to wow our family's taste buds to home decor that suites our family uniquely and even personalized sewing/craft projects that tell our family and friends "I love you." 

So as I began thinking about the name "All About Home" it just seemed, well, homely. Not bad, not overly interesting. Didn't repulse me, didn't necessarily exite me, either. That's when I knew a change was in order...thus, the new name "Feather in My Nest." Let me explain...

As women we are naturally nesters. For me this started the day I became a mom twenty-one years ago. Ever since that time period whatever house we've lived in has been in a constant state of evolvement to suite our needs/likes. Some changes lasted awhile while others have been short lived. But with each change I see it as adding another feather to the nest...meaning another thing to make our four walls with a roof a home...which is a process that never stops.

With all this being said, I want to share with you the latest feather to be added in our home. As many of you know, my husband's father passed away recently. Before he left us he told RT (my husband) he wanted him to have some of his tools when he was gone. What more awesome material item(s)  can a man inherit from his father than that? My husband has fond memories of his dad teaching him to tinker with engines from early on in his life. We had hoped that one day Dad would have been well enough to travel down here and get under the hood of our Mustang with RT. What a day that would have been! Okay, back on track, Betsy...when RT went to his stepmom's house to look through Dad's tools he found an old fishing rod and reel in Dad's shed. It was stuck up in the rafters and why my man looked up, who knows? (I think it was a God-thang!) When he pulled it down he remembered his granddaddy having it years and years ago. It was right then and there that we became the only family I know who has a fishing rod and reel as a family heirloom. Fitting, though. I do believe RT was born with gills. The first time he asked me on a date was to go to the pier and fish. Yeah, I knew what I was getting from the beginning. Anyhoo, today became the day I committed to getting it up on a wall:

Honestly, I almost didn't post this pic since this vignette is not complete. But then I thought that I really want everyone to see me as a real person and not somebody who instantly has it all together. So I snapped the pic and here it is! Before all is said and done the lantern holder and picture frame will end up with new coats of paint.

When my husband gets home this weekend I think he'll really be pleased by this. The picture reminds us of the place we used to fish in our hometown and coupled with the fishing pole it has deep sentimental meaning. This little "feather" will make him feel even more at home. But what will please him more is knowing that his wife desires to build a nest where he feels welcomed and that she loves him enough to make what is important to him important to her. This, in the end, is what our homes are all about. We need to carve out spaces that welcome our family...welcome ourselves, too...into a safe haven where we know we're loved.

So as you are finishing reading this post I encourage you to look around as you get up from your computer to see what little feather you can add to your own nest to make it more comfortable. It might be something as small as a scented candle by your favorite reading chair or as grand as making plans to repaint an entire room. Whatever your project may look like, don't delay another moment...make your plans, commit to the project and then get started!

My Princess...Wait on Me

For all of us who are either just coming out of, or are currently still in, a season of waiting...our God says:

"Wait on Me, My princess. My timing is always perfect. I know you're anxious about many things and I see your passion for all the plans I have put in your heart. I know that you long to fly, and I see your enthusiasm. However, just as a vinedresser nurtures the vine and waits patiently for the right moment to harvest the grapes, so too am I working tirelessly to prepare you to bear much fruit. Don't run ahead of Me or try to fly before My plans are complete. Your strength will fail you, and your dreams will wither away. Trust Me that My dreams for you are far greater than you can dream on your own. You will run farther and soar higher if you will patiently wait for the season of My blessing. Draw close to Me now, and I promise that this season of waiting will bring you the sweetest of rewards.

Love,

Your Kind and Lord of perfect timings"

Is 40:31 "But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."

The above love letter is taken from "His Princess: Love Letters from Your King" by Sheri Rose Shepherd.

Waiting patiently on our God to release us into the plans He has for us can be one of the most difficult seasons of our lives! This season can seem to drag on, especially when He gives us a glimmer of those plans. I love how Sheri writes "I see your passion for all the plans I have put in your heart. I know that you long to fly, and I see your enthusiasm." When we are filled with that passion that only comes from Him and are chomping at the bit to get started in walking out those plans but are being told to wait it is so comforting to know that He sees and knows this. He knows how impatient we can be to get started...or keep moving forward in those plans. Praise Him that He loves us enough to make us wait, prune out what needs to be pruned from our lives so that the end result is "to bear much fruit." Not just a little fruit. Not just good fruit. MUCH fruit. A bumper crop. One that keeps on and on. When much fruit is produced, many others benefit.  And when this happens many are pointed to the One who loves us most, our precious Jesus! So, dear sister, keep strong in your season of waiting on God to release you. Give yourself to His gentle pruning process...knowing that flying is in your near future!