Rainwashed

Our walls have been Rainwashed!  Last weekend was spent painting, painting, and more painting!  At least painting is one of those things where you see immediate results..like vacuuming.  We went out on a whim and within a day finalized the color that would consume most of our wall space. 

Originally I had been planning on doing a shade of turquoise in the kitchen..but then my sister told me this blogger's house reminded her of me, and I (flattered!) decided instantly that we would do the same color this particular blogger had: Rainwashed.  So here you have it--rainwashed walls! 

The color is (obviously) Rainwashed by Sherwin Williams; however, we wanted to stick with Benjamin Moore so we took the paint chip to Benjamin Moore and had them match it! 

We also wanted a neutral color to use in our entry way so while in the store, Clay spotted a perfect shade: Revere Pewter.  It is a grayish color with tan hues.  We love the way it turned out with the Rainwashed!  I think I would prefer if it had a bit more tan to it, but depending on the lighting the gray or tan comes out more (pictures make it look more tan, in real like it looks more gray). 

If anyone is curious (which I doubt you are but it makes me feel more interesting), we used Regal Select paint in Eggshell from Benjamin Moore for all our wall paint and are very pleased with the quality and coverage!

happy easter!

"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.  Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed."
I Corinthians 15:10-11

I know that's a slightly different Easter passage than the norm, but we read from I Corinthians 15 this morning for Easter Sunday prior to the message and it stuck with me.  By the grace of God I am what I am.  I guess any message of Hope and Salvation is truly an Easter message.

We had a really nice weekend and I am dreading going back to work tomorrow!!  Here are a few snapshots of what we accomplished: the first room of the house is painted! 

This is the beginning of our new bedroom!  The color is Quiet Moments by Benjamin Moore and we absolutely love it!  It's a very faint light blue with gray hues.  In natural lighting the blue comes out more and we are just beside ourselves with how much we both like the color!  The plan is to add some tan curtains (possibly burlap if I'm allowed) and someday a small chair in the corner.  We decided the white, tan, and blue gray was a good balance between boy and girl and something we both liked.

We didn't plan on keeping the current dresser in there, but we'll see if garage sale season pulls through for us in new furniture or not.  Eventually we'll pick an accent color to provide some brighter color somewhere.

Another pic of the weekend accomplishments:

Isn't he just so handsome??  What a good homeowner!

And now for probably my most exciting purchase of the year!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I get so happy everytime I remember that we bought it..it's almost fun to forget that we have it just so I can remember again):

I have been looking and looking for a wardrobe!!!  This one is absolutely what I have been wanting..the curved accents and its already painted white!  I would love to put this in our bedroom but Husby said no..that its too girly.  Whatev.  But, since he let me have it, I have agreed to either put it in one of the extra bedrooms or even on our main floor..I'll keep you posted on where it ends up!  And, the inside is the original wood and in great shape..not at all creepy.  I will definitely be checking back at the antique flea market I got it from!  Good thing its only a mere 10 minutes away!

I just realized that we bought our house this year so I probably shouldn't say the wardrobe was the most exciting purchase of the year..although the wardrobe is payed for in one small check of $125 while the house..well thats another story..

And now, the standard Easter picture in front of the door:

Yes, we were the weird neighbors that set a step ladder up on our front walkway using self timer so we could take this picture..but its our first Easter with this door! 

We're thinking of painting the door blue..neither of us are big fans of the maroon so we'll see what happens..

Anyway, Happy Easter!  It's only by the grace of God that we are what we are..

updates

Our first round of house updates is complete!  A huge huge HUGE thank you goes out to Mom and Dad for working literally from the time they arrived up until late the evening before they left!  Sometimes I feel like our ages are reversed..they act like they have the energy of 20-somethings and we act like we have the energy of well..older people :).  Clay and I are overwhelmed with thankfulness for our family as first Patty, Stu, and Dian came up to help us move and then Doug and Nancy to do some home improvements!

Unfortunately, I didn't even think of taking pictures while the updates were actually occuring (bummer!), but we have a couple snapshots of the finished product. 

Here is a list of all that we were able to accomplish:
Gas dryer installed (had to add a gas line)
Rotted wood below deck door replaced
Furnace cleaned and fixed so it doesnt shake the house
Nine new blinds installed on various windows
Three new doors painted and installed including new hardware
Ceiling fan installed in the master bedroom (previously no overhead lighting)
Bathroom sink unclogged
Bathtub faucets caulked
Two ceiling lights replacing old ones
Flashing on the deck to protect against water damage

And now for the pictures!  Here is a picture of the bathroom door before changing it out:

And here are the other two doors along with the bathroom door (the bathroom door is on the far left):

Here are our new doors!--and new light fixture (all the light fixtures were gold and big before..you can see a tad of the old one in the first picture):

 And another view:

You may not notice the difference these doors make, but we are ecstatic over the change :)!  And yes, we will be painting..and soon!  I don't think I can handle white-ish walls much longer!!  We bought the house from a relocation company so everything was freshly painted a shade of white.

Our new ceilling fan:

And one more change..a while back Hubs and I changed the light in the dining room.  We were pretty pleased when we finally got it up!!!

Before:

New dining room light:

And now, because its Spring and Easter and just about everyone has been enjoying super nice weather, here are some pictures of our new springy mantel!  We used things we already had, and we both like the bits of color it adds until we paint!  Also, thanks Mom for my pitcher, flowers, and little egg nest!!! :)

Fabric covered Easter eggs - a project from last year:

What do you think..with or without the banner?

We hope you enjoyed seeing a handful of house updates!  We feel very blessed with what we (or others..Dad..) have been able to accomplish.  The Lord is so good! 

Happy Easter - we have such great hope in Christ!  What a special time of year!

blessed. simply put.

We are blessed. 

I know that things don't often turn out the way I picture them in my mind or in the little plan that forms in my heart, but the Lord knows better than I know.  He is so good!

Nothing monumental has happened..either good or bad..but I know the Lord has His hand on our lives, and I have so many things that remind me of His ever present love: sunshine, a garage, little black boys cheering for Clay at a volleyball game, friends over for dinner, country music on weekend afternoons full of so many good memories, multiple rooms in our house, meals turning out and tasting good, a deal on a washer and dryer, my bangs finally growing out after a recent cut, fresh flowers in a mason jar, little black boys sitting with us at church, coming home to dishes being done after a long day, dust not falling from the ceiling when the wind blows, a yard to 'have a catch' in, bright orange Syracuse t-shirts, Amy Butler fabric, birds chirping, visits from family to look forward to, snail mail cards in the mailbox, conversations about Christ with co-workers, pizza, running-start hugs from little friends.

The list could go on and on, but those are a few things that are overwhelming me with a simple attitude of thanksgiving.  My heart is full. 

Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

As Clean As It's Going to Get

Boxes are packed.  Random things have been found.  Piles have been formed.  Let's just say that life will be a bit unorganized for the next couple of weeks. 

In case you never had the opportunity to visit us on East Willow Street, below are some glimpses into our apartment decorated for Christmas.  I actually have a video tour as well, but I can't seem to get it to load (grr!).  If I ever get the video tour to work out, I'll post it in here later :).

View from the doorway walking in:

 We loved our big windows!

That door leads into the bedroom and bathroom.

Clay's office area; he is definitely a good sport about his lack of defined office space and office furniture!

I'm not sure why I took this picture with the closet doors open as opposed to closed, but there you have it..our little closet.

Christmas Cards! 

We hope you enjoyed your virtual tour from wherever you are! 

Little Trip to the Big Apple

I got the opportunity to take a little trip to the Big Apple..and I have to say it looks just like the pictures.  If you know me, you know I love cornfields and wide open spaces.  Knowing that, do you think NYC is going to be a big hit with me?  However, I appreciated the chance to go and see the little bit of the city I saw, and I would like to go back and see places other than Times Square.  But, I don't think I'll ever have the desire to move anywhere near New York City (watch that be the next place God sends us..).

Below are just a handful of pictures from the three-day trip.  I had meetings during part of the day and a couple dinners (one of which was a dance..slightly strange) during the evening. 

As soon as walking out of the hotel, this was my view:

Radio City..Kelly Clarkson was coming!

 Some giant ornaments near Rockefeller Center..I liked these :)

Ice skating and part of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center:

That's all for pictures from New York City.  And now, just to add a little smile.. Clay and I hadn't been out to eat at a sit-down resaurant in a while so we decided to head to Texas Roadhouse.  We had a few mishaps with our order but overall had a really good time (and good food!).  Our little table got really crowded when I got not one, but two steaks placed in front of me!  What is a girl to do with all that meat?!



Loveland Drive

Welllll...we're moving!  We close on January 30th.  I guess its time to say goodbye to our cute little apartment of two years!

We're pretty much doubling our living space which makes me both excited and overwhelmed.  Pinterest means that I have A LOT of good ideas but the follow through can be a bit difficult. 

I have to be honest: buying this house is bittersweet.  We are both excited to have this step in our life together..more responsibility, the opportunity to learn new skills around the house, the challenge of stretching our dollars, the fun of decorating and turning the house into a home...but we're still in Syracuse.  The Lord is so good and has clearly placed us here for the time being.  We are both being given the opportunity to share Christ with people around us, and I can't think of much else that brings God more glory.  As much as I sometimes struggle with being so far from family and close friends, I speak for both of us when I say we want to be where the Lord wants us..and we want this house to be used for God's glory and honoring Jesus Christ.

With that being said, I can't believe we are going to own this place (Lord willing!) in just a few short weeks!!  I am so so so excited to find some great deals at auctions or estate sales or thrift stores.  Clay on the other hand is thrilled at the thought that he won't bump into the wall as he tries to get his clothes out (our bedroom is teensy tiny right now).  We have also both set our hopes high for what we will be able to do ourselves!

And..if you are ever in the area, we can now offer you your own bedroom and bathroom--no more one-room sleepovers in the Lindner house :).

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's!!!  We'll revisit those holidays at a later date!