Ready for the reveal?





I love this room, it is sunny, peaceful and airy.

I adore the pine furniture against the gray walls,

so serene.

We purchased the antique pine pieces at auction, over 20 years ago
and though the pine craze is past,
it seems to have found a place among traditional classics.



This is my bed, I LOVE it




I asked Steve if there was any way in the world
he could build me a white version of it.

(yes, he is amazing)




mirror and chandelier, Ikea
(fun shopping day with Chrissy)

burlap shams, diane





beautiful sticks, from our back forest





Monogram Pillow, hand towel, and black basket,
Restoration Hardware

Steve's Jr Hi bowl
filled with keepsakes from our travels




monkscloth drapes, diane






vintage photos
my great grandparents (Brazos, TX 1880's)




Little ballerina, charcoal drawing by Meema
(inspired by this wonderful photo by Marci)






Finished just in time for our first guest;

Josh Pratt arrives tonight.

Hope he doesn't mind the chandelier,

Steve says, "it's more feminine than I expected"

It's in style, Steve. deal with it.

. . . and the rest is up to me

the head boss decorator.

Palette: neutral tones of gray, tan, cream and white

Accents: silver, sparkle and crystal

Warming: antique pine furniture, family photos, and nature







I'll be busy the next few days

sewing shams and drapes,

sketching and framing,

and collecting natural features from our back forest.

Steve, the head boss carpenter,

installed crown molding





and here is a sneak peak at his other project






Can I just say how much I love it when Steve builds stuff?

It's very manly and makes me swoon

...probably the way he feels when I make his dinner

Ladies, if you are trying to choose between two men,
take the one that can swing a hammer

it will make your life wonderful,

especially if you are the creative, home improving/decorating type,

like myself

Making progess:

Steve, the head boss electrician,

installed can lights

and a ceiling fan.

I am loving gray walls lately,

soooo gray it is!

Some times of the day, the color looks blue-gray

. . . not sure how I feel about that.

Paint, especially in the cooler tones, is difficult to choose.
but I think I can work with this color
. . . in any case, it's a fresh change

. . . and let me tell ya, painting that ceiling was scary

it's 12 feet up there

I was happy to get off that ladder

Under Construction





the vacuum left by Chrissy and Zach, that is my upstairs

is getting redecorated.

a very limited budget requires tapping deep into my right brain
(for maximum creativity.)

Steve's job is to turn this pile of Home Depot inventory into

. . . .well, let's make that a surprise.



and my first job, is this:



I am really excited about this.
Creating things for our home is what Steve and I would do all day every day,
if time and money permitted.

We love it.

gotta get to work

she needs wide open spaces*







Chrissy and Zach moved out Saturday.

sniff. sniff.








I LOVED having them live here.
I tried all of my tricks to make them stay
but they need to have their independent married couple life.

whatever

I respect them for making their own way, but
I still don't like it.

if only we hadn't gotten along beautifully
or if they were noisy
or messy
or if Chrissy was a terrible cook.


If only they didn't make the house feel full and happy,

I would be glad to see them go

.... but they did

and I'm not.

*dixie chicks

DINNER AND A SHOW



for as long as I can remember

Steve and I have had a date every Friday night.




It is recommended by the Church leaders for a happy marriage.

They also encourage:
Family Home Evenings, family prayer and scripture reading
which, to be honest, I struggle with.

But, we sure don't have trouble keeping date night.





These days our date night is always, almost without exception, the same:
dinner at Texas Land and Cattle on Riverwalk.
Steve orders the large steak, I get shrimp and we share.
it is perfect.



Steve will tell you that I rarely try new places or even new menu items
why?
because if I only get out to eat once a week,
I want to make sure I love what I eat,
so I don't take chances

Well, last night, we got adventurous !
We bought a coupon for $45 for dinner and a play for two.



the dinner was at a fun Italian restaurant



there was cute vintage decor

and people stepping into our shot




We got front row/center seats to "Red White and Tuna".

Small local theater is my favorite way to see plays.





the show was hilarious

....if you like small town Texas gossip humor




We looked forward to it all week, and planned our outfits,

which was half the fun



I love date night



and I love my date

need I say more?