The Perfect Patio

My husband and I live in a town home community nestled in the beautiful hills of Washington. The scenery is breathtaking. With the warm weather quickly approaching we are itching to spend more time outside. The sun sets around 9pm so we are lucky to have tons of daylight to enjoy. There is absolutely nothing more enjoyable than a cool summer night under the stars. Cannot wait for summer!! 

Our outdoor living space isn't much...we have a small patio that is in dire need of help...it is completely empty. I really want to create an outdoor living space but I am overwhelmed as to where I should start. Since we are renting I don't want to spend a ton of money on the furniture and decor. I am in serious need of inspiration and direction. I know I would like a place to sit and kick our feet up as well as a place to eat when we barbecue. I found a few spaces that caught my eye...

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These are just a handful of the wonderful ideas I found. Whether your outdoor space is big or small, the possibilities are endless. When tackling any outdoor space the most important thing to determine is the overall function of the space. For us it will primarily be for entertaining, cooking, and relaxing. Understand I won't be able to throw a lavish dinner party but I can create a comfy seating area for our guests to enjoy while keeping the space functional as well. So my first hurdle will be to find the perfect seating for the space. With summer just around the corner I am sure I will be able to find some great pieces. Stay tuned...Genelle

Please do share any fabulous outdoor ideas you may have. Our patio is small and square....thoughts??

Another Fabulous Craigslist Find

Well hi there! It's been a while. I was down in Arizona for five days visiting my family. Some of the cousins I saw, I hadn't seen in over 3 years! I made great memories and cannot wait till we can meet again. It was nice to soak up the sun, however, I was ready to come home. I could only take the 100 degree weather for so long. It feels good to be back and good to be writing.

As you all know I am a sucker for Craigslist. I surf the site daily...all day...everyday. You never know what you will find. I came across this dresser a few months back. She was listed for $30 bucks! A dresser? $30 bucks? Yes please!! When my husband and I went to pick it up it looked nothing like the picture. It had been sitting on the side of a house and was covered from top to bottom in cobwebs and all sorts of other critters. For a second I had to take a step back and decide if I wanted to take this monstrosity home. Then I remembered that I was getting a dresser for $30 bucks. We loaded it up and home we went.

I immediately went to work and started cleaning this baby up. I removed all the drawers and all the hardware. Then came the sanding, priming, and painting. I chose to brush paint this piece. It took several coats of primer and paint...and tons of patience.

I painted the hardware black using an oil based latex paint.

For the final step I used a wipe on polycrylic. It protects the piece from everyday use and leaves a wonderful sheen. And here she is all dressed up and looking fabulous. She sits in our bedroom and looks so pretty. What do ya'll think?

I just love all the detail...

Isn't she a beauty!...Genelle

Get Your Home Spring Ready

Hello everyone. Every time this year I get this huge urge to clean my home and add a touch of spring color. With Spring comes the need for fresh and airy. Living in the PNW comes with tons of rain which makes it hard to keep sun-needed plants happy and alive. Therefore my only option is to bring spring indoors. Today I will share 10 fabulous ways I get my home Spring ready..without breaking the bank.

1) Closet de-clutter!! Open up those closets and toss out the old. This past weekend I am happy to report that both me and my husbands closets have been completely cleaned and organized. I cannot believe how many things we accumulate. I swear our drawers were overflowing with clothes, half of which we don't wear anymore. Thankfully my car is loaded with 4 bags of clothes ready for their trip to the Goodwill.

2) Change your Bedding You would be surprised what a difference this makes. We get chilly weather here so I tend to have heavier bedding in the fall and winter months. As spring approaches I like to change it up a bit, however, I am not about to buy new bedding and re-do my room just for spring. I take my white down comforter and pair it with white sheets for a fresh new look. How easy is that!!

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3) Wash/Remove Drapery  I haven't hung any drapery yet but I used to have some in our old place. Come spring the curtains would be removed and sent away for dry cleaning. Depending on the type of drapery you may have, all or some may be removed for the spring season. For spring I would remove the panel and leave only the sheer.

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4) Add Life There is nothing like fresh flowers in your home and spring offers a wonderful variety to choose from. A small vase on your kitchen table or in your bedroom will make all the difference. I usually keep my table set at all times. I took off all the extras and left a small vase of lilies for a simpler look.

5) Add Color  This simplest way to do so is with pillows, throw blankets, flowers, etc. To give my living room more life I added some extra throw pillows on my sofa. I love the happy colors in the picture below. What a difference!

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6) Re-Arrange After a while the layout and design of our home looks boring. I like to move furniture and rearrange my accessories. Pull decor from other rooms and introduce a new home for them. Switching out the towels in your bathroom for bright spring colors can make all the difference. If items in your home are starting to look dark and dingy you can always spray paint for a fresh new look. Check out Nate's cool tips for rearranging!! Click here

7) Open your windows Nothing says spring like fresh air and sunshine. While I clean I love to open all my window and draw the shades to let the light in. Not only does my house look bright and cheery but the sun reveals all the dust and cobwebs that like to hide in dark corners (not that I have any in my home)...

8) Freshen the Air I don't know about you but I love for my home to smell good. Since I am crazy about Scentsy I always make sure to change my scent to something fresh and springy. Sunkissed Citrus or Havana Cabana really freshen my home making it smell wonderful! If you haven't heard about Scentsy, you can do so here  Scentsy

9) Organize cupboards I tend to keep my home very clean, however, my closets and cupboards are another story. Don't ask me why. Maybe it is because I know I can close the door and hide the mess? Any how I decided if I was going to organize the whole house it had to include the linen closets and kitchen cupboards as well. I found this fabulous idea over at The Painted Hive. I fell in love and headed to Ikea that day. I have to say it almost makes cooking fun when things are organized and especially when they are in cute jars like these!! They look oh-so-cute on my kitchen counters!

10) Spring Clean Yes you have to actually "clean" your home too!! Who wants to add fresh towels and a vase of flowers to a dusty home. Deep clean your home from top to bottom.

Besides daily cleaning I include:
windows
blinds
baseboards
vacuum your couches
Shampoo carpets
Dry clean/wash all area rugs
Sweep out fireplace
Wash all bedding/blankets
Clean stove
Clean behind Appliances
Paint and touch up walls

I am sure there are many more but I am getting tired just thinking about it. I am only halfway there but steadily moving forward. Hopefully by fall I will be done :)

Now go get a heads start (if you haven't already) Hmm maybe we will do a Spring Link-up Party soon. I'd love to see how you bring spring into your home!!...Genelle

Finding a New Home?

Happy Sunday AND Happy April Fools Day! I am still deciding if I am going to pull a prank on my husband. (Hopefully he isn't reading this if I do)

This morning I am continuing my quest to find a new church (hubby works Sunday mornings). I had been attending my church in California for quite sometime so it was sad to have to say goodbye when we moved to the Pacific Northwest. I have been "shopping" for a church since we moved here...7 months ago. This one too small and that one too big. This morning I will be venturing off to north Vancouver to try a church that appears to be similar to my home church in CA...We shall see.

I found it ironic as I was writing this mornings blog that my morning devotional talked about remembering God in ALL that I do. To not remember and rejoice in only the good but also the bad. It got me thinking about my church shopping and if I had been looking for perfection. Was I trying to find a cookie cutter church with the a worship band that had perfect voices and a pastor that was both deep and humorous...oh and you can't forget the coffee bar. Maybe I was looking to these churches to "entertain" me instead of opening my heart and listening to what God had to say. I mean, after all, isn't the whole point of church to learn and grow closer to God? It's for his glory, not ours.

What do you look for in a church? How do you know when you are home?

...Genelle

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6

Simply Saturday: Empty Arms?

Welcome to Simply Saturday!! Every Saturday I will post on real life…the good- the bad- and the ugly.  This will be an open forum to reflect on the previous week, share life’s struggles, thoughts, and learn to savor the simple moments.

Let's go back a few months...Valentine’s Day is was my favorite holiday. Every year my husband and I (then boyfriend) would eat at our favorite Italian hotspot downtown... a 12 year tradition! This particular restaurant was a little pricey so it was a treat to eat there and we looked forward to it all year long. But this Valentine’s Day was different…we were in our new home thousands of miles away AND we had a much unexpected surprise.

We decided to dine in this V-day and catch up on American Idol…who wants to fight the crazy crowds anyway right? As we enjoyed our delicious heart shaped Papa Murphy Pizza (quit laughing) something suddenly crossed my mind…I was late!! I decided to sneak out for “ice cream”, as my husband thought, when in reality I was off to the pharmacy for an HPT…I did get the ice cream too, cookies and cream to be exact,  after all it WAS Valentine’s Day.  After arriving home I snuck upstairs and took the test…anxiously awaiting the results especially since my husband and I were trying for our first baby.  It was POSITIVE…a faint positive but nevertheless a pink line!! The next day a blood test confirmed…I was pregnant.

From the moment I found out I was excited yet uncertain. There was something inside me that wouldn’t let me wrap my head around the whole thing. Even after all the congratulations I wouldn’t let myself believe it. What was wrong with me? This is what I had wanted for so long…a dream come true. I would repeatedly tell myself, “Genelle…You.Are.Pregnant!”

Where was this unannounced anxiety and fear coming from? Did all new moms feel this way? Was there something wrong? Will I feel like this the whole time? Was this mother’s intuition?

Per my doctor, I had to go in for daily blood tests to monitor my HCG levels. Though the doctor didn’t say much I could sense her apprehension and concern.  I would pray every night for a safe pregnancy. I will never forget what my doctor told me at one of my visits, “Your body will do what is going to do”. And she was right. After a 2 week whirlwind of emotion…a miscarriage was confirmed.  

I suddenly realized that scary things could happen to me. I was not exempt from the heartache and reality of this world.  It seemed as though the floodgates of emotion started pouring out. I had so many unanswered questions…but the biggest one of all, 
“Why did this happen to me?!”

I understand now that miscarriage is more common than not. Regardless, it is a devastating thing for a woman to go through. My heart goes out to those who have experienced loss, at any stage. Unfortunately, women do not openly share their stories. Is it embarrassment, shame, or something else?  After the loss of a child, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, etc. a woman can’t help but question, “Is there something wrong with me?”

The answer is NO. Of course there are always exceptions. For those of you who have known me and my husband, it is no surprise that our life seems to come with plenty of struggle and endless tests from God. The beauty of it all is that we have become stronger people because of it.  Was the loss of our baby another test? If so, what was the lesson to be learned? Or is it just one of the many mishaps of life that we will face together. 

Some may ask what the relevance of my story is on a blog that specializes in painted tables and chicken soup recipes? The answer is simple. This blog has been my outlet for healing and process through my circumstance.  I hope that my readers can relate to my story somehow...both men and women. We all have struggles in life that come in all shapes and sizes.  We all have a story…Genelle

March 31, 2012 “I am The Living One who sees you and longs to participate in your life. I am training you to find ME in each moment and to be a channel of My loving Presence. Sometimes My blessings come to you in mysterious ways: through PAIN and TROUBLE. At such times you can know My goodness only through your trust in Me.

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

Genelle Loyd

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