Kayla we all hope you enjoy your card, letters and gifts! You are sorely missed, but will never, ever be forgotten!!! We know in our hearts that one day God will bring you back to us. Happy 12th!!!!

with heartfuls of love always,
Dad, E, C, N, J and lil J

some inspiring details...


a beautiful moment:

grass cloth paired with beaded board/board and batten:
(whatever we go with here will be continued into the mudroom/dining room/office area... also why many of the pics look so familiar)



graphic accent wall:




to dos...

1. purchase and have new front door and storm installed (swap rh for lh opening to improve traffic flow and accessibility for moving furniture in and out of the house)
2. paint doors & trim
3. hang key box/rack left of door above light switches
4. prime and paint ceiling
5. install grass cloth wallpaper
6. install beaded board/ board and batten wall treatment in a stepped design to mimic the stairs
7. paint and install chair rail & crown moulding
8. find frames and print blk&wht photos of kids to fill the stepped wall treatment space
9. remove spindles and install brackets to simplify stair wall
10. assemble collection of mirrors on opposite side of stairs
11. install light fixtures (entry & top of stairs)

some inspiration...

great laundry inspired wall art:

smart drying racks:






appliance art:



wordy dressers:

Some inspiration...

grasscloth & beadedboard/ board & batten walls:

graphic accent wall/ painted furniture pieces:




picture ledges:



luxe curtain panels:



temp storage solutions to blend into decor:

1. move/enlarge doorway between entry & dining room
2. scrape and prime ceiling and transition
3. prime walls
4. install wallpaper, beaded board/board and batten, crown and chair rail
5. order/install new window treatments
6. install light fixtures (chandie, lantern, pendant)
7. paint table top (greige), chairs (black)
8. stripe dining zone rug
9. paint buffet(s)
10. paint dresser for mudroom zone (silver leaf/black/chalkboard paint)
11. upholster top of bench for mudroom zone
12. paint office cabinetry (blk/brn)
13. install command central in office zone

it's been one of those times... I'm hanging on to a little bit of hope like a life line.

Our year was off to a very bright and hopeful start. As is typical, "anything worth having is worth fighting/working for" comes to mind these days. Amazing how a week can drastically change one's outlook. I'm struggling to maintain my positive hopeful outlook already this year. I know life has made me/us stronger, but I'm having a weak moment or some weak moments... we'll see how long this lasts.

Potential for our bright future has dimmed somewhat. Seems at every turn, we have been met with new challenges and they all feel very tough right about now. The "to do" list seems to keep growing, our timelines for different projects seems to keep shrinking, the budget seems to keep shrinking, I'm starting to feel overwhelmed (and that's not good, cuz all I wanna do then is go into hibernation/paralyzed mode), school changeover isn't going as smoothly as advertised, teen drama unfolds yet again (I know I'll look back on these years completely differently than I feel ATM, probably very wistful and with a great measure of calm... yeah so not the reality right NOW).

-Does the teen roller coaster get easier before they are out on their own... or do I just need to accept this is the reality for us until at least the eldest gets her wings & leaves the nest?

-Can't decided what's real & what's just a test with her. Honesty hasn't been her strong suit, story-telling has. That's hard.

-Poor teen choices are rough on everyone, but the possible future consequences I'm fearing greatly for her and for us as parents.

-Struggling with how to get the point across, of how lasting and how hard, poor choices are to live with in reality.

-Talk about tough decisions! Hubs was very mad, disappointed and adamant last night, not a fun discussion to have had with him.

-Honestly, it was really scary. made me wanna run away like a child.

-Everyone thinks having a new little human to take care of is the scary phase. It's honestly a walk in the park compared with the teen years. These are truly the years you need a "For Dummies" version of an owner's manual/parenting guide more than any others!


OK feeling a little better just getting that out there. We'll see what happens tonight at counseling. A bit glad DH is working most of the weekend. Don't think I can take that level of tension in the house right now... I'm still digesting it all myself. I think he needs his time to let it all sink in too.

Some inspiration...

Moody wall color (helps disguise tv and create cozy feel for the space):

Pops of color (in an otherwise neutral space):

1. Scrape & prime ceiling and transition.
2. Install wallpaper, beadboard, crown & trim.
3. Paint it out. (wht)
4. Paint walls (MSL ?Monk's Cloth and Molasses)
5. Paint trim work (blk/brn)
6. New sheer @ window.
7. Pillow covers to continue pops of color.
8. Wall gallery w flatscreen TV.
9. Install ceiling fan.
10. Find a floor lamp (corner of sectional)... OK this one is a maybe, cuz I can't decide if we really need the additional lighting or not. There are times I'm sitting on that side of the room itching for some decent light to read by, but hubs thinks it's just more wasteful spending.
11. Paint side table & media cabinet (blue-ish/aqua-ish/teal-ish/green-ish)... yeah haven't quite got the color pinned down yet.