2013: Excellence

I'm striving for Excellence. Lofty? Ya, you bet. Difficult? So.

January proved impossible, and still most excellent. An awareness crept in like a soft awakening. Some where in me, a re-membering to my spirit. A re-newing of my 'me'. And that aware-ness, of whose I am. Again. Always again. This word, excellence, can be overwhelming, almost perfectionist. It's defined as: excellence = the quality of being excellent. excellent = superior; very good of its kind, eminently good. Ya. But that's not the one I'm after. I'm after the Spirit of Excellence.

2 Cor 3:8 AMP: And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit. mmmmm. That's good.

But get this: How does God see you? When God sees you, he sees you:
* conforming to the Word.
* washed in the Blood
* not as a defeated one, but as a conqueror
* not as barely making it, but living an abundant life
* He sees you walking in the glory of the Lord, as we walk in the fullness of God

… constantly being transfigured into His very own image…
transfigured = to give a new and typically exalted or spiritual appearance to; transform outwardly and usually for the better
.
This article, from New Life Church wowed....wowed my spirit. Said everything I needed to hear and wanted to say. I can't say it better. Excellence in the spirit is that important.
Excellence starts when we learn to examine ourselves, it is an attitude of self-examination or self-judgement.

Excellence is a judgement of comparison.
Comparison of the way we are doing it, to the way we COULD be doing it.
Comparison of your present standard to your potential
Striving for excellence helps us fulfill the potential that God already has on the inside. God already has a plan for us, but most of the time, we don’t fulfill the plan because we never reach the true potential that we have inside.

Go here and read it. The whole of it and let the excellence in you, settle into your Spirit. It takes along time to turn a ship. Give it time. 

New Beginnings for 2013

I don't know about you, but I love a fresh start. I've loved reading so many amazing posts this year and took some much needed time to drop the pressure of posting myself. I realize now isn't the time for me to avidly become a blogger. I'm great with that. So to whoever is reading, be blessed this year, enjoy what's coming. We're to count it all Joy. Even the tough stuff....sounds hard to do, but I bet we can. Happy New Years.

It's been so long. Hi. I'm not far, reading blogs more than writing lately. That's my life. So entirely full. I'm excited to enjoy reading this summer and unwinding and reconnecting with being still. So. Ready. I found this great post this morning and thot it was worth repeating and keeping. So please do enjoy reading Jones Design Company's 
5 Books Worth Reading.   Enjoy.

My Word for 2012

Top Home Projects in our Home for 2012

After an extended leave, here I am. Back from Nutcrackery! I had the dream of a life time, in that I was able to preform in the Nutcracker with my daughter THE Sugar Plum Fairy!

Source: oregonlive.com via Melanie on Pinterest  

Our dance company preformed it and while I've only been dancing for 2 years, now in my third, my daughter has been dancing for 14 years and is fabulous. She was such a stunner. I was just stunned, no really.... I totally forgot my dance almost every time! We preformed it 7 times. The training was so fun filled and the actual performances just rocked my world! I dont' have pictures yet from our performance, but soon, soon.

Source: roh.org.uk via Rebecca on Pinterest

I'm awed at the work involved and so grateful to be apart of it. I was the Gardener, which if you know the story, would have been the Bumblebee. It's right smack in the middle of the Waltz of the Flowers. So ahhh, fresh off a run like that and I'm feeling like Christmas came and went so quickly. I'm almost ready to start it again :)

Source: adventuresofabettycrockerwannabe.blogspot.com via Barbara on Pinterest

Now it's a New Year with new starts and fresh plans!

Source: picturesandquotes.net via Tap on Pinterest

This week I've been purging and organizing thanks to my Pintrest addiction. I've emptied my storage room, refilled it and de-christmuficated our home. Now I'm into the laundry room and the mini van is full to the roof with stuff to go to the Thrift store. Amazing how much is going. My kids are at the ages where they no longer want the little kid stuff but parting with it was still a bit tough. Now that they see how tidy things are without all the clutter, everyone is happier. Especially mom!

Source: imperfecthomemaking.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

Loving this blog right now, and so many more! Smart ladies out there!


So, my big projects this year are to paint the bathroom cabinets, finish painting my daughters room, which we did a faux board and batten finish, repaint one sons room and stylize the oldests room. Operations Sanctuary begins this year, where we reclaim the Master Bedroom as mom and dads only zone! And a few fun projects will likely pop up here and there.

Source: hgtv.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I'm excited. What projects do you have planned?

Parsimony at it's finest and where I've been

I think I had bloggy burn out after that 30 days thing so I immersed myself in projects. No pics yet, but coming. The living room floor turned out stellar and that of course turned one thing into another and now I'm looking for furniture. Crazy me, I'm trying to find THE piece at thrift stores. Parsimony. It can really be a hassle sometimes. But...yesterday I hit it!
My friend who is really my angel of decorating finds, called me from the thrift store saying there was a chair. Well. The story behind the chair is that there have been 2 other chairs as well. I'm looking for that perfect 'wing' chair so I can slip cover it all Miss Mustard Seed and Nester style. Before the covers tho, there has to be structure. So I found a very pink, very velvet wanna be, wing chair for $25.00 and brought the thing home. It looks very much like this one. It's not this one, but looks like it. Alot actually. They could be related.

Source: delaware.craigslist.org via Mary on Pinterest  

It's got the shape but the pink, oh my name. To quote my friend Donna, I feel like I'm in a lung! It's just that pink. Not to diss pink, it's just not for me. So the hunt began for the slip cover of my dreams. Found it on esty for $500.00. That's not parsimonious. Thot for a milli second about making one. No. Then my angel friend found a chair. She bought it, site unseen by me. It was wrong.

Source: Uploaded by user via Susan on Pinterest

So so wrong. The idea was good, but the execution just didn't work. Picture the above with brown flecks, a slightly lower back and a bit more boxy....it could have worked but it was too short. Tried to take it back. No. Stuck with it or redonate. Yep, that's what happened. That chair was $35.00...we split the loss.

Source: thecreativemaven.net via Lisa on Pinterest

So this brings us to yesterdays chair. It's green not floral print like the one above, but it pretty much has that shape. A little different arm, but for the most part, similar. It's just the lines I'm looking for. Really the color is more blue green, but it reads green. Which isn't me either but it will work. I already have a green striped wing chair that I actually really like. It's a well made piece and will look fantastic with the proper slip cover. So will my new beauty...but wow...was it a beast first. In the store, I actually looked at it and left it there. It was very dirty, cat hair covered and just gross. And for $40.00 I didn't feel like doing the work. Wouldn't you know that it was 50% off furniture day. But even at $20.00 I walked away. Well that chair dogged me all day and I went back just before closing and it was still there. But the tag was gone so they gave it to me for $10.00!!!!! So last night after
de- furrifying it and after a good vacuum (which produced 5 puzzle pieces and a water bottle and a quarter) I began the shampooing. This morning, it looks a whole lot better but I think one more shampoo will do it. The colour is crisper and a bit more vibrant. The shape is perfect. And my mom and I will try and tackle the slip cover after Christmas.

Source: thenester.com via Nola on Pinterest

It's gonna be work, but I think we can do it. If not, I'm on the hunt. One day at a time.

Pintrest Learning Curve

Well, I'm learning again and learning that I need to do a better job when using Pintrest photo's. If your visiting here and I've pinned a photo without giving proper credit, my bad. I'm working to fix that. I am determined that from now on, anything I Pin will be properly researched and credited. I learned a huge lesson, hopefully not at anyone's expense, and if I've overstepped, please do let me know and I'll correct it. Check out this awesome and heartfelt article at Allisons Blog  from House of Hepworths. She's had a horrible experience and shares it well. So important to credit original sources. What a lesson. Thanks Allison for sharing this story. It's an important one to read and understand.