{Kitchen Makeover}

We are finally getting settled in from our vacation to Texas.  We have been swamped with frame orders & trying to stay on top has been a chore with a sick toddler!  She has another ear infection.  I am so ready for some warmer weather so our sweet girl can get & stay well!

Since getting back we've been compiling a list of things that we want to do to our house.  When we purchased this house 7 years ago we never intended to stay in it this long.  It was supposed to just be our starter house & it's turned into a home that we love.  It is where we started our lives over after burying our first daughter Parker.  I never imagined that I would truly fall in love with our home.  For me it has so much sentimental value & memories.  It's where we brought home our 2nd daughter Landry.  It's amazing the affect a home can have on a person.

Totally rambling.

I do that a lot.

We decided to start with the kitchen.  We totally gutted it when we bought the house.  It was fit with new cabinets, countertops, flooring, appliances & lighting.  Literally everything.  Because we didn't think this would be our permanent home we didn't pick things we LOVED just things that we liked & that we knew would help us sale the house and make a profit.

Here's what our kitchen looks like now.  Please excuse the fact that I took these pictures while in the process of making dinner.  That's just how we roll folks.

The kitchen is small but I love it.   It's perfect for our family of 3.  I have never had a real problem with storage since our pantry is pretty big although I wouldn't mind adding a cabinet where the chalkboard wall is now.  

I know this picture isn't the best.  My good camera is having some difficulties & is at Nikon getting diagnosed so hopefully soon she'll be better & back where she belongs!  Until then I'm using a cheap camera that works great sometimes & sometimes I want to throw it against the wall.  

The dining space is small too.  It's been a challenge for us to find a table to that fits well in the space.  We've been through 3 table & I think  we finally found a winner!  My husband actually found this table at our favorite used furniture store.  He there picking up some pieces that I had bought the day before & loved this table when he saw it.  It needed some love but nothing I couldn't handle. That's a post for another day though. 

Our plans for our small kitchen are big.  

Here are a few things we'll be adding to our space.  We will be documenting each project as we go & we are beyond excited! 

The first big project was refinishing our table.  I will tell y'all more about that tomorrow.  

But for now a teaser....

The next project will be painting our bottom cabinets.  For now we are settled on ASCP in Chateau Grey.  It's a beautiful grey green color!  It's one of my favorites from the ASCP line.  We are only painting the bottom because we love the look.  It might be trendy but we both love it so we are going for it! 

There are a few other things we'll be doing along the way but I don't want to spoil the surprises! 

We are both excited about the changes that will be taking place in our home.   There's a lot of work ahead of us but we are totally up for the challenge! 

Happy Hump Day!

{Vacation in Texas}

Each year we drive 18 hours to visit my family in Texas.  It's a beautiful drive and although long it lets us see some of God's most beautiful work.  We always stay at least 3 weeks since February is the only down time my husband has from farming.  We had a great time & while away I took a break from blogging to spend quality time with my family!

I've missed checking in on my favorite blogs & doing some much needed DIYing around our house!  We got back late Friday night & spent all day Saturday just being lazy.  It was so needed after being on the road for two days pulling a trailer full of furniture my grandparents sent back with us.  

We are happy to be home & ready to get back into a routine.  We have tons of plans for our home this year & we can't wait to share them step by step with each of y'all.  We are working on potty training our beautiful 20 month old & cannot believe that we will soon be celebrating her 2nd birthday.  

Here's just a few highlights from our trip.  My favorite was probably visiting Southfork Ranch.  It was so awesome to learn the history of the ranch & show.  

{1.Texas line 2.Southfork Ranch 3. Ft. Worth Stockshow & Rodeo 4. Ft. Worth Zoo}

We have tons of frame orders that we will start working on tomorrow! 

Never did I imagine that our frame business would be what it is today! 

We are super blessed & excited about all that 2013 has to offer us!

Happy Sunday!

{Happy Birthday, Teagen & Prayers}

Teagen is our youngest female GSP {German Shorthaired Pointer}.  We bought her when she only 3 weeks old & brought her home when she was 8 weeks old.  She's been such a joy & a much needed addition to our family.  Today is her birthday.  She turned 4.

This afternoon we noticed she wasn't acting right.  When we finally got her to come to us we saw blood & puss coming out of her mouth.  We immediately called our vet who referred us to another vet who is open on Sundays.  We drove an hour {which seemed like a lifetime} to get Teagen to the vet.  The vet came in & after examining her asked if she could have been poisoned.  My heart sunk.  Upon further examination she said it was one of three things; poison, bone marrow cancer or an auto immune disease.  Again my heart sunk.  The vet said that she is very sick and needed treatment immediately.  She was admitted & has to stay overnight.  She is on IV's & antibiotics & as I  type this I am waiting on a call from the vet to get the lab results.  

Our oldest GSP, Pep, as an auto immune disease that we have been treating for almost 2 years.  She's doing good but has to see a vet at NC State Veterinary School.  We are praying that Teagen isn't struggling with the same disease as it takes a toll on their precious bodies.

Please say a prayer for Teagen.  She is a very special part of our family.  I cannot imagine what our family with do without her sweet face.  She is the most loving of all our dogs.  She has a gentle heart & the softest kisses.

Our house seems a little empty tonight without her.  We appreciate any prayers this beautiful girl can get!

{I'm back...}

So it's been a while since I last posted & for good reason.  Christmas came & went in our house.  It was as wonderful as we thought it would be.  Landry loved all her gifts but especially those left by Santa! The tree & all the decorations came down the day after Christmas.  As much as I love Christmas I am always ready to see it go too.

Our new year started with our sweet girl running a fever that wouldn't go away no matter what we did. She ended up developing a horrible couch, tons of congestion & runny nose.  The final diagnosis was a severe double ear infection.  She took her last dose of antibiotic today & seems to be feeling so much better!  Now my husband is sick.... That's the way it seems to go in our house though.  

I've been super busy painting furniture trying to restock my booth since it was pretty wiped out after the holidays.  Keeping up with a sick baby & a business isn't for the weak at heart.  I'm learning so much on this journey & although some of it is extremely challenging it's all rewarding in the end.  

It's hard to believe that 2013 is already here.  I can't believe that this year I'll be married for 7 years, turn 36, celebrate our oldest daughter's 7th birthday in Heaven and celebrate our youngest daughter's 2nd birthday.  It's surreal at how fast life goes by.  This year we are taking time to slow down & enjoy the small moments as a family.  Losing a child can help ground you.  Our journey with our daughter Parker has always led us back to our faith that God has chose a path for our family that we should embrace during the good & bad moments.  

Over the next few weeks I'm going to get real with our plans for our relationship with God, our family, our businesses & this blog.  I've never made this blog a priority.  It was started as a form of therapy for me when we found out our daughter was sick & eventually just turned into a forum for my small DIY projects around our old new to us home.  I'm hoping to change that this year.  Share more of our projects, our farm, our family.  

We really do live a life we don't deserve and I hope that in all I do I make my God proud.  

Hope all of you have an amazing weekend!  Stay warm if you are in the middle of the snow that is slowly making its way to us!

{Heavy Heart}

I am at such a loss for words about the senseless tragedy in Connecticut.  

Our prayers are with everyone affected. 

"But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for

of such is the kingdom of Heaven."

Matthew 19:14

{Meeting Miss Mustard Seed}

Saturday I had the amazing opportunity of meeting Miss Mustard Seed.  

She was doing a book signing at SuzAnna's Antiques in Raleigh, NC & I wasn't missing it no matter what!

My awesome husband accompanied me on the 2.5 hour drive & even chatted Marian up about farming cotton! 

MMS is the reason I started my business.  I have followed her blog for years & even tried a few of her DIYs like her German glass glitter letters & ornaments.  She is a constant inspiration & her words of wisdom & truth gave me the push I needed to open Raised In Cotton Interiors.  

Marian is a real genuine person.

Her accent is adorable!

And that new short haircut is totally her!

My husband actually asked me when I was going to cut mine like that.  What? 

He was as smitten with her as I was.  

She wasn't in a rush as she signed our books.

She talked with us.  Asked us questions. 

It's what I love most about her.

She is a real person.  Just like you & I.

I could sit & talk to her for hours.  

I am so thankful she shared her talents with so many of us through her blog, paint & book!

If you get the chance to attend a book signing please do!

You won't be disappointed!

I look horrible in this picture mainly because I was so nervous.

I mean I'm standing next to Miss Mustard Seed!

She said to me, "Anything is possible." 

She is so right!

What a great day it was!

I am seriously still pinching myself & re-reading what she wrote to me in my copy of her book. 

What an honor to meet someone like her....

{Happy Thanksgiving}

We have so much to be thankful for this year!

Our Savior, our health, our home, our jobs but most importantly this beautiful little girl who is so full of life, a big smile & the best laugh ever!

We are so blessed & so thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

{World Prematurity Day}

Today is World Prematurity Day!

We have two preemies in our family.

Parker, born at 33 weeks weighing 3 pounds & 12 ounces & 

Landry, born at 32 weeks weighing 3 pounds 9 ounces.

Parker spent 20 hours in the NICU before she passed away.

Landry spent 32 days in the NICU before she came home.

Did you know that 500,000 babies are born premature every year?

Did you know that every 30 seconds a premature baby dies?

As the mother of two preemies I encourage you to please find your local March of Dimes & get involved by donating financially or by volunteering your time.

No parent should ever know the feeling of delivering a baby too soon. 

To all the NICU doctors & nurses THANK YOU for doing what you do!

{Prayers for my father-in-law}

Friday my father-in-law was taken to the hospital & has been there since.  He was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis a few years ago.  It has attacked his lungs & now his nervous system.  He is in constant pain & on tons of medication.  He came down with pneumonia Friday.  They are having trouble controlling his fever & shakes.  Please take a minute to say a prayer for him as he is very sick.  I know I serve a healing God & I find peace & comfort in that.  

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

{What's the Right Age?}

Our daughter, Landry, is 16 months old.  

She's still in a crib & right now I think she needs to be.
She's busy.  Really busy.

I've been talking with several other moms about what's the right age to move her to a big girl bed.  In Landry's case it will be a twin.  My grandparents are bringing down the twin beds my sister & I used as children.  I'm excited to be using them in Landry's room.

I'm nervous about moving her into a big bed.  I've read & heard so many different opinions that I'm quite confused.  I know each baby is different so there isn't a set age but I want to hear your opinions.

What age did you move your toddler to a big girl/boy bed?
Is there an age that's too young?

I am having some difficulty planning the space too.
Her room is small.
It's a 10x11with two great windows & gorgeous maple hardwoods!
The wall space is limited on two walls.

I had 5 pieces of furniture in her nursery.

I eventually took out the rocking chair & side table because she doesn't let anyone rock her anymore.
I guess she's too grown.
It was easy to configure the room because the crib was horizontal against the wall but I don't want her twin beds to be up against the wall.  I hope that makes sense.

I am trying to decide if I want to use both beds too.
I don't want her room to be all furniture & no play space.

For some reason I'm just lost on putting the space together this time.

I do have some must for the room.

She has to have her TV.
I need to keep the chest & hutch.
I don't want her bed in front of window.

Other than that anything goes.

I do know that I am changing the wall color.
We are keeping the curtains because I love them!
The ceiling is staying the same color because I love it too.
I've got a stencil all ready to go.  I just need to decide what color & where it's going.

We've decided on the Savannah bedding from PB Kids.
I'm leaning more towards the blue.  It has tons of green in it which would justify the curtains & ceiling color.

So once I figure out the space planning everything else will fall into place. 

Please share your thoughts with me!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

{Bookcase Turned Buffet}

My sister & her family moved into a new home in April.  They gained about 1200 square feet so they've been slowly adding more pieces of furniture.  One of the pieces they needed was a buffet in their formal dining room.  I had a piece that I purchased a long time ago that I was using for paint storage but was willing to give up once I found the perfect hutch for a steal! 

The piece was originally a bookcase.

It's solid wood & extremely heavy!  Like it took 3 people to carry it.

It wasn't exactly gorgeous or ugly.  It was kind of in between the two & I knew I could make it pretty.  I had originally thought about using it as a TV media cabinet but realized it was way too narrow.  That's when we moved it to the laundry room to store my paints.  

Anyway, long story short she is gorgeous now. 

I painted the top in ASCP Graphite with a clear & dark wax.  

The bottom is painted in ASCP Chateau Gray with clear wax & lighting distressed.

My sister loved it.  

And to be honest I was sad to see her leave.  

I'm working on some chairs for their formal dining now.  

Things have been busy here lately as I'm working on painting the front door & working on a new gallery wall in the living room.  

If you follow me on Instagram than you are getting to see the sneak peaks of all the projects I'm working on.  If you aren't following me please do!  I mean you get a first look at all the fun projects & you get to see daily pictures of our beautiful daughter Landry!  

Happy Tuesday!

{A New {To Us} Dining Table}

We've been making some changes in our home & one of those changes is our dining table.  We have an extremely small dining area.  It's really just a nook not an actual room.

We had a rectangular table there before but in order to get to one side of it you had to pull the table out. We always made our niece & nephew sit in certain spots because they are so little.  

I knew we needed a round table but convincing my husband was another thing.  Or so I thought.  

He went to our favorite used furniture store the other day to pick up a hutch & some chairs I bought & came home to tell me about this gorgeous table he saw that would be perfect for our space.  I knew I married him for a reason! 

I had actually looked at the table a few days before for my sister-in-law.  It wasn't the style she was looking for as it is hexagon versus round or oval.  I loved the base of the piece.

It's what stood out to me when I first saw it.  

I have plans on painting it but not sure what color yet.  I'm thinking ASCP Louis Blue.  

It came with two leafs & 4 chairs that need to be reupholstered.

It's perfect for our space. 

Right now I have our old chairs with it but we picked these up that I think I'm going to use for now after they get a fresh coat of paint & some new fabric.

We have a lot of projects going on right now that I'm trying to prioritize so we can actually get rooms done versus projects.  Hope that makes sense.

Anyway, I've been running a fever the last few days so I've been a little down in the dumps.  My energy level is extremely low which means I am able to get little done.

Hope I'm back to normal tomorrow because this mom doesn't have time to be sick. 

Happy Friday!

{What Was I Thinking?}

We purchased this amazing chest that is solid wood & in perfect condition minus the 5 coats of paint it had.    I knew I could make him handsome again with some work.  Little did I know how much work until late last night.

I decided it would be a great idea to start stripping it late last night because there were a few places that had paint that was chipping.  I normally don't strip pieces because I almost always use ASCP & there's no need for sanding, priming or stripping.  This is where I am now....

I seriously want to pull my hair out.  I don't know what I was thinking stripping this piece.  There are so many layers of paint & most of it won't come off no matter what I do!

I tried painting it & it's so obvious that the piece isn't smooth.

It looks horrible!

So I am going to try stripping some more & see what happens.  

I was so excited about this piece but now I'm a little disheartened.  

But I'm going to keep trying & see where I get.

The top actually looks good which gives me hope.

I am excited about the potential this piece has & I had a vision for it the day I saw it so I'm going to keep on trucking on.  

Have y'all tackled any projects lately that got the best of you?

Hope everyone has a great Thursday!  

It's almost the weekend!

{Small Desk Makeover}

We were lucky enough to grab two of these desk for literally nearly nothing.  They are solid wood with dovetailed drawers.  They were an ugly honey color & I knew that I would have to invest a little time prettying them up! The original hardware was gorgeous & I even loved the uneven patina on them.  

I've only finished one but this is what he looked like before

{Sorry for the bad iPhone pic}

This is what he looks like now

I painted the top in ASCP Graphite.

The bottom got a got of ASCP Old White with the drawers in ASCP Duck Egg.

The whole piece was sealed with a clear wax & distressed.  

He turned out gorgeous! 

Or since it's a he I should say handsome!

My husband said this is his absolute favorite piece I've done.  

I love it too.

The colors are so amazing together!

Last night we delivered this gorgeous piece to a dear friend of ours. 

I snapped these with my phone as we were getting ready to leave but I'm hoping to go back & get some good pictures with the camera. 

 I really wanted to keep this piece because it turned out so gorgeous!

I'm getting ready to work on this piece & I have amazing plans for it.

It will actually need to be stripped because it has several layers of chipped paint.  

And while loading it into the car we noticed that at one time it sat upon casters so I will be on the hunt to find some to add to the character of the piece. 

Well I have a beautiful little girl who refuses to go to bed so I'm off to play with her!

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day!

Happy Tuesday!

{Knocking them out...}

We've had a lot going on in our house lately.  We are getting rid of a lot of stuff to prepare for a yard sale & my mom who will be moving in on September 9th.  We are meeting my brother half way which is Tuscaloosa, AL to pick her up.  She was laid off from her job two months ago & we decided it was best for her to be here with us.  She is excited & I think a little nervous too.  She's never lived outside of Texas so it will be a huge change for her.  We are excited because it means Landry will get so spend quality time with one of her grandparents & it will help Ashley & I out tremendously.  We will actually be able to have a few date nights together & I can actually get organized with my business.  With all that said I've been getting quite a bit done lately with the crazy schedule I have.  

I finished up three more pieces since I last blogged.  I love all of them & one of them actually already sold before I even finished it.  That's pretty awesome! 

This beautiful bookcase got a coat of ASCP Louis Blue & Old White.

It was a beast to paint but it turned out gorgeous. 

It has legs that we took off so we could fit in our SUV & I'm trying to decide if I want to put them back on or add some old casters.  Decisions, decisions....

The original hardware was just some plain old brass knobs.  This piece was calling out for some a little fancier so she got these gorgeous glass knobs that we picked up from Lowe's.  It truly is amazing how you can drastically change the look and feel of a piece by changing the hardware.

This beautiful french provincial was steal off of CL.  It definitely needed a makeover though so she got a coat of ASCP Coco & French Linen on the bottom & Coco & Graphite with dark wax on the top.  

 I did a crackle finish using this from Faux Studio Designs.  I love the way it turned out.  It was kind of trial and error though to be honest. Next time I will most likely experiment on a piece of wood to get the desired texture I want rather than just jumping in feet first.  

The original hardware was gorgeous but need a fresh coat of ASCP in Old Ochre.  This piece is for sale & I'm hoping it will be gone soon so I don't find a space for it in our home!

This next piece is seriously one of my favorites!  

She sold before I was finished.  

Check out her legs!

Those are definitely whistle worthy!

 I am finishing up this piece today.  All it needs is the new hardware & to be buffed.  I seriously want to keep this one but she'll be moving on to her new home tomorrow.  

I will take pics once I'm completely done.  

This is the piece I'm working on now.  I love these tables are making a come back!

Well that's what I've been up to lately.  We are busy working on putting frames together too.  I am hoping to start painting those this week.  

I have to find a happy medium between the furniture & frames! 

I'm open to any suggestions!

Happy Monday!

{Dog Attack & Sick Dog}

It's been a busy last few weeks for us.  A week ago I received one of the most horrifying phone calls of my life.  I was doing laundry while Landry was playing.  Our oldest niece called to tell us that our nephew had been attacked by a German Shepard while playing at his friends house.  He was being rushed to the ER an hour away from our house.  I called my husband who was on a tractor in the middle of a field spraying peanuts.  He said he couldn't understand what I was saying he just knew it was serious & so he rushed home.  We got to the hospital as fast as we could.  Long story short he was okay.  No broken bones just a TON of bites!  Some pretty deep.  

These are just a few of the pics. 

He was such a trooper during the whole thing. 

The dog was taken away & put in quarantine for 10 days.  The owners want him to be put down after the 10 days because they fear he will do it again.  

He is so blessed to have been able to get away when he did.  I cannot imagine what would have happened if he didn't know to protect his face & neck.  He said the dog immediately went for his neck.  His friend was able to get a shirt around the dog's neck & choke him long enough for our nephew to run out the door.  

He will carry a fear of dogs for a long time.  

I see the fear in his eyes when he comes to our house & sees our dogs.  

He has nightmares.

All of it breaks my heart.  

I am so thankful that there will only be a few scars physically.  

As if that wasn't enough the next day we woke up to a very sick dog! 

Pep, our oldest GSP had swollen legs, wouldn't eat & just wasn't herself.  

We rushed her to the vet where she spent the next 4 days on meds.  Pep has been sick for a while but never to this extent.  The vet can't tell us what's wrong with her so she referred us to the NC State.  We are waiting on their call & until then Pep is on more medication to control her low red blood cell count & the swelling in her legs.  

She's a super important part of our family & we can't imagine life without her sweet face.  Please say a prayer for her & the doctors that will be treating her.  

With all the dog drama I put business on hold for a few weeks but I'm back at it now.  We are working on a custom piece for a client this week along with a wholesale order for our frames!  Lots of exciting stuff going on around here!  We've been working on some home projects as well & I hope to get organized enough this weekend to actually share those with you soon. 

We have a busy weekend full of paint, frames, sanding, distressing, etc.... 

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

{Simply Gorgeous}

I purchased this piece a few weeks ago & finally got around to painting it.  

It's a solid piece. 

Made by Thomasville. 

It didn't have dovetailed drawers but I bought it anyways.  

I loved the lines and it sort of looked like some of the popular bamboo pieces I've seen lately. 

This is what she started out as

She was a dirty ugly cream color with pink highlights. 

 The hardware is amazing!  It just needed some sprucing up so I gave it a fresh coat of white spray paint. It's as good as new now.

Here she is all dressed up....

This piece turned out beautiful. 

I'm going to hate letting it go but it's going to be for sale. 

I'm finishing up another piece today.  

It's been a beast to paint but has turned out absolutely beautiful! 

Hopefully I will be able to share photos of it completed tomorrow!

Happy Sunday!

{Landry's 1 Year Photos}

These are just a few of the amazing images captured by Carrie Small Photography!