Sunday Verses

Happy Sunday! You probably have seen the saying, "You can do hard things." The hard things are different for all of us, but I believe the truly difficult challenges that we have to overcome always involve people and relationships. I am not sure why we make it so hard, but I know with God we can take courage and change it. With Jesus we can forgive, we can say we are sorry, we can rebuild connections, we can stand up for others, we can speak truthfully and tell others what we are feeling, we can be inclusive, we can be kind. It is not easy, do it anyway. Rise up. Take courage. Do the hard thing.

Thrifty Thursday Metal Stool Makeover

So, I went a thrift store hunt looking specifically for two 24" stools. I wanted metal, but was willing to settle for wood. I did not find any. I also looked on Craigslist with no luck. Humph...

But, when I got home from my thrifting trip, I hopped on the Facebook garage sale pages and found two 24" metal stools that had been listed a few minutes before. I snatched them up. So, this isn't a really thrift store makeover, but a garage sale upcycle.

I wanted the stools to go with the bar I recently shared (HERE). 
I know I need to rough them up, give them a more weathered, worn, and farmhouse appearance. I achieved this with paint, cinnamon, and stain.

Sunday Verses

Happy Sunday! It is spring and that means the rivers and waterfalls are raging. But, on a recent hike, rather than paying attention to the swiftly moving waters I noticed the still pools on the river. There is something about calmness and stillness that draws our attention. To be able to be still when everything around us is turbulent speaks to others. When we trust that all things will work out, when we know that God has our back and believe that He is with us always, we can rest and be still. A place of peacefulness and quietness in the middle of stress is where God wants us to be, to rest. It is where he will lead us if we let him.

Rustic Farmhouse Kitchen Island and Bar

Some (MOST!) of my projects are the ones that I have no idea what I am building when I start. I love to improvise and figure things out as I go. It seems to work best for the way my brain functions. 

So, when I found a large wood piece that was for a sign, but headed to a burn pile, I knew it would make a good, rustic table top.

Sunday Verses

Happy Sunday! I sure do appreciate a good bridge on the trail (as opposed to having to shimmy across a log). Bridges make is easier to get over things that otherwise might be too hard to cross. In life we have lots of tough things that we have to cross and go through and people (you and me) are called to be the bridges that help each other over the difficult stuff. Loving each other, taking care of others without judgement, reaching out to others-- all help to overcome the gaps that we have to cross. Too often we are so worried about our differences that we choose to build a fence rather than a bridge between us. Love people where they are at, know that everyone has hard things in their lives, and reach out to span the space between you.

Farmhouse Cabinet Made From Chippy Picket Fence

I recently picked up some chippy white picket fence pieces. These were just small scraps, the longest bit being about 24" long. I decided I wanted to make some type of shelf out of them. At first I thought I would make an open shelf with pickets in the back. But, then I decide to make a little door. From the door that I made, this fun, chippy, wall cabinet was born.

Sunday Verses

Happy Sunday! There is something about a flower pushing up and growing through a rock that makes me pause and take notice. Seeing something thrive where I do not expect it to, where it is difficult to, is inspiring. We have not been promised an easy life. We need to know that we all will face tough, hard times and through them we can choose to grow 
 if we have faith and believe that ANYTHING is possible with Jesus. Our experiences can strengthen us and we can even flourish through them when we believe that God will push us, hold us, see us through the hard times. Have faith and grow through the "rocks" in your life, thrive in the hard places.

Sunday Verses

Happy Sunday! As I was driving home the other evening, I noticed the sun setting and actually turned around to park so I could pause and appreciate the end of a hectic day. A fire broke out across the street from my home and strong winds blowing the fire and smoke straight towards my home had me concerned. I spent the earlier part of the day doing frustrating errands, not getting everything done that I had planned. I had a meal to make and deliver to a family and had to take several out of the way back roads to get there because of the fire (which thankfully was put out after a few hours). Practicing gratitude, finding the good in the bad, focusing on the positive, stopping complaining, have actually all been scientifically proven to rewire our brains to be happy. This of course is no surprise to God--he knows being thankful can be life changing. When you are faced with problems do you get angry and upset, complain and stir the pot, and only focus on the negative? Or do you remember to pause and be grateful for what is going right? Mentally or better yet, physically list five things you are grateful for EACH and EVERY day for the next month and you will start seeing the glass as half full rather than half empty. Stop the cycle of complaining and only seeing problems and start seeing the good in people and situations.

Thrifty Thursday Side Table Makeover

Today's Thrifty Thursday project is a paint makeover. I won't buy furniture at the thrift store if it isn't good. i.e. it needs to be real wood, sturdy or have the ability to be made stable easily, and it needs to have good bones. Because I am kind of picky about what I get, I don't get a lot of furniture at the thrift store. But, this little table met all of my requirements--it is solid wood (look underneath and at the edges well), and even though it was wobbly, I could see that it would tighten up easily.

I gave it a sunny yellow makeover.

Earth Day Projects

Happy Earth Day! We junkers are always celebrating earth day--keeping things out of the landfill by upcycling and repurposing them. Today I am sharing some of my favorite projects for the outdoors, all using things that otherwise would have ended up at the dump. Click on each title to go to the original post!