Melissa (Mike) Moren

See this beautiful woman? She is my grandma (mom's mother). She died when mom was 12, so I never had the privilege of knowing her- but I like to think this picture tells so much of who she was. She's in a boat reading a book. She's giving us a smirk over her shoulder as if to say golly this is the life. 

Grandma Mike had a rough go of it. She lost her house to a fire, she lost her husband to an aneurysm when mom was 2, she lost her son to an auto accident when he was 16. She was left to raise her 6 surviving children on her own in an era when working women were not anyone's ideal. She fought hard and gave my mom some pretty colorful memories- like potato chip/mayo sandwiches and swimming in flooded alleys. Mom was the youngest, with her next sister being a couple years older, so it was just the 3 of them for a while. Though Mom doesn't talk about her growing up years much, when she does it's with a surprised grin over the life they lived. Surviving and making the most of every situation- just like grandma in this picture improving a day on the lake with a book. 

My circumstances don't compare to Grandma's, but I pray that with every bit of bad news I hear, every crisis I face I would face it with tenacity- and a determined smirk to carry on her loving legacy.

Master bedroom one year later...

It has literally been over a year since I used the internet for blogging. I've had blogger's block, okay? Well usually my head is filled with so much jumbled up content, I get overwhelmed and just mentally hit the 'delete' button in my brain, followed by 'yes, delete all'. I've been living in the easier realm of Instagram with quick blurbs about my kids and house. But I recently became inspired to write.  Like really write.  About my kids and house. ;)

While reminiscing over Moxie, I saw my bedroom from last year. OMGoodgrief. It wasn't the worst, but it has changed a. lot. Andrew finished the bed (that we've talked about since buying the house 7 years ago!) and wired new sconces from this Etsy shop. I painted the walls and wardrobe BM Moonshine and picked a few new textiles for the room.

Hand- painted drop cloth curtain is standing in as a summertime coverlet for the bed.

The bed and built ins are BM Simply White.

Killer handmade sconces from SazarecStitches

Andrew has a collection of pipes, so I included the most ornate ones in the shelf styling. Classy?..can't tell..

I picked up this giant oil painting for my sister at an antique sale, and somehow it jumped up onto my bedroom wall. Sneaky art..

If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen this little painting sitting in the TV cabinet. The only time we really need (yes need) a TV in our bedroom is at Christmastime, when we want to end each day with a nostalgic movie. So hopefully we'll get a telly in the next 6 mos.- though I'd love to fall asleep to the summer Olympics in A FEW WEEKS!

We changed out the hardware on the wardrobe for these glass beauties.

I ordered these West Elm curtains for Winston's bedroom, but they looked so cozy in my bedroom... I think I might be klepto when it comes to housewares/my bedroom.

Settle in for a pillow story. I had gotten this fabric remnant a long time ago when looking for upholstery to use on a different project- there was only a small scrap of it, but it was so pretty I had to have it. After stashing it a while, I brought it out to use on a 'make your own Roman shade with a mini blind' tutorial, but that ended up being a little hoky with my burgundy mini blind (fresh out of the free box at a garage sale) being visible from outside so I took it down shortly after its debut. Then when I wanted to add depth to the the bedding color scheme, I searched it out and found it folded up in the cabinet, still attached to its burgundy friend. *pause* I bought an awkwardly ugly, long decorative pillow for 25 cents at a garage sale a couple years ago, just to reuse the stuffing. I had that gem in my hands last week, ready to rip it apart to marry it to my dear old fabric scrap, when I thought it'd be nice to have some piping for this new pillow. I was going to set it aside until I'd gone to Walmart to get some, but the heavens parted and I noticed the gold velvet piping on that doggone awkward thing I was holding and thought, "I'm 'bout to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse." It worked. 

Most of old pillow= most of new pillow. And trip to Walmart avoided. 

I guess sometimes it's worth buying and hoarding garbage. Sometimes.