Making A House A Home

Our house has really started to feel like home, which is a wonderful thing!  We've added several personal touches and I figure it's time for a Pinterest edition of the blog.  For those of you who don't know, Pinterest is a website that allows me to take other people's clever ideas and replicate them at my house.  It has helped immensely with decorating our new home.  I have been able to incorporate things that have meaning, are functional, and look good!  So, not much to say, but lots to show this time around.

One of the first things we did after semi-finishing the kitchen floor was have an Olympic party, of course!  We celebrated the opening ceremonies with some of our married friends- each couple got to choose a country to represent. Can you tell where we were "from"?

If you have been in my home in the last three years, no matter where I was living at the time, you have probably seen these frames.  I found them at an antique store and bought them for a dollar a piece.  They were empty.  And for quite some time, remained empty on my wall.  I received much grief over this.   But I finally decided what to do with them.  I put burlap on the back and a clothespin on the burlap.  This way, I can easily change out what is in the frame.  This was  what decorated the wall throughout the Olympics.  

First Pinterest project- card board letter from Hobby Lobby, drew design on with pencil, then made design with hot glue and painted.  Ta da!

Obviously, my projects do not go off without a hitch.  This next project was really simple, but in the process I splatter painted my dining table, and yes, that's my computer up in the top left corner.  Oh dear.

This is the date night jar I made during the splatter paint episode above.  Another Pinterest idea... the jar, not the splatter paint.  The stick are color coded with dates based on money, planning required, and where.  It is a fun way for us to be spontaneous, which I love!

This was actually a gift.  Tim's best man, Max, currently lives in Abu Dhabi and got to come home for a visit over the summer.  He brought us this impressive sand are that we now proudly display in the living room.  It also helps me remember to pray for them while they are so far from us. 

Thank you, Pinterest!  I had been trying to figure out what to do with my mess of jewelry and finally saw this beauty.  The best part about this project was that it was so simple I started and finished in the same day!  Plus, we have a fun owl friend in our bedroom now.  :)

We got a grill!  Tim's parents passed their grill down to us.  This happened several weeks ago, but we just recently used it for the first time.  Naturally, I'm taking the picture through the blinds to avoid West Nile.  It's no joke around here and the mosquitos love me, but always leave Tim alone.  

I got brave because I wanted a better picture.  This was actually Tim's first time as grill master.  I'm happy to report that he has quite a future ahead of him.  Dinner was great!

The current use of our frames in the living room.  I took down the British flags and now we have this lovely display.

This was our first official housewarming gift.  It was a bit of a joke from one of my coworkers, but how could I not hang that up in my kitchen?!  

We still have a long way to go, but it's nice to call this place ours now.  Glad you were curious enough to read.