The place we've called home for the last 7 years was put on the market and 14 days later it sold.
New beginnings are never easy...mostly because of the letting go we are forced to do.

I think you guys know I didn't want to say goodbye...there are so many things we are going to miss.

But I think what tugs at my heartstrings the most are the memories we leave behind.
For me I feel like the memories become embedded in the walls, windows, doors, and foundation of our homes. As much as we carry memories with us in our hearts and minds...I feel like there are so many "memory treasures" left behind. As if they are held prisoner within the walls and can only be unlocked by those who had to leave them behind. Does that even make sense? Or is that just too deep? lol

Although, truth be told, I do have to say there are some painful parenting memories I will be glad to leave behind. Watching children struggle and battle the ugly things this world tries to destroy them with (aka teenage years) has certainly left me feeling helpless at times.

Not going to lie. There were some rough, rough seasons; Parts of parenting I just quietly battled behind the fun projects and happy blog posts I was sharing here at the same time. And friends, that's just keeping it real.

You have no idea how many times I wanted to pour my heart out here on the blog about specific struggles we were going through but my desire to honor and respect the privacy of my family kept me quiet. (and will continue to keep me quiet).

And honestly, I'm a pretty private person...believe it or not. (ironic, considering I'm a blogger).
Wait a minute.
Actually, truth be told, if there weren't other people's feelings and character involved I would gladly spill the beans about everything in my life. (most everything anyway). *wink*

I have to say there are still ongoing battles that rip this mama's heart out.
So...as much as I will miss our beautiful home on Oak Cluster...
I am also looking forward to MOVING FORWARD.

I have felt stuck for some time and didn't even realize it.
I think making new memories...
creating a new home...
in a new area...
will offer me a chance to regroup, recharge and rekindle so many things that have fallen by the wayside. It's just what sort of happens when we are distracted (or buried) under the thick of adversity.

And friends, let me tell you...
no matter how pretty the Instagram squares are...we all struggle.
There isn't a person on the planet right this second that isn't dealing with something hard.
Our "hards" will all look very different, because we are very different people experiencing life in sometimes dramatically different ways.

So, no matter what your "hard" might be...
it's my hope that you will find strength in knowing you, (we) are not alone.
Sometimes, just knowing that or hearing those words can bring the greatest of comfort.
I know personally how true that is.

xoxo
Jess

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Geez...maneez!
I'm obviously in a very reflective, contemplative mood today.
But whatever....I'm just going with it.

Looking forward to sharing all about the new house + community soon!

OUR HOUSE | Exterior Paint Color Selection :: Decisions! Decisions!

Our house last Spring

Quite a bit on the orange side...right?

Say hello to the "Pumpkin House".
That's what the neighborhood has nicknamed our house...and rightly so.
Of course this name was bestowed on the original owners and then kindly passed along to us when we purchased it some years back.

Anyway, back in 2014 we experienced a rainstorm that produced hail which resulted in roof damage to a lot of homes in our neighborhood - including ours.

Now, when I say roof damage...

LIFE | Our Farmhouse Table

Yesterday, I posted this photo on Instagram as part of the #100happydays challenge I have started and shared with you last week. It's a photo of Ema and Ella sitting at our kitchen table after school, playing "Go Fish" together.

I ended up receiving a lot of comments about the Farmhouse Table and I was going to direct people to my the blog post I did nearly 4 years ago about it…BUT…

LIFE | My search for the elusive Tendregris

I've just started the early steps towards making over our Master Bedroom.
It's been something I've been thinking about and putting off for a long-time.

My process for transforming this room started with selecting the wall color.
I pulled out the "Country French" magazine I've been keeping for years as a reference for a color
I've been searching for ever since I saw it mentioned in the pages.

"In France, the ubiquitous color called tendregris (soft grey) is everywhere. It morphs to a green or blue depending on the light and the season."

I decided THIS would be the color for the Master Bedroom.
The fact that it morphs into different colors depending on the light/season is perfect for my personality...I'm that person who tires of things quickly and is always rearranging furniture for a new look.

With about five different paint samples...

Ella and I began the process of elimination last week by putting up some swatches of color on all four of the existing "Viva Gold" walls in the Master Bedroom.

The paint colors I gravitate towards are typically very neutral.

So you can imagine the shock to my system when we walked into this home for the first time as potential buyers.

Not only was the outside of the home painted a "pumpkin" color...

almost every single wall in the interior of the home matched the exterior! *gasp*

Want proof?

Here are some of  the "before and after" photos I shared with you awhile back...

I much prefer the various "creamy white" colors I chose to paint over the gold, don't you?

So with the rest of the interior walls of the house painted...

our master bedroom has been the only room left to officially banish the viva gold from our home forever! It's been a painful wait, trust me!

After a few days of looking at the color swatches on all four of my walls...

I have made a decision!!

It's clean, fresh, soft, pretty and something different than my standard "creamy white".

Colors Swatches from Top to Bottom:

Sherwin Williams - Blue Hubbard - perfect - I'll take this one!!

Behr Ultra - Lime Light - really like this one too - a little less color than Blue Hubbard!

Behr Ultra - Pensive Sky - too blah!

Behr Ultra - Contemplation - too dark!

Behr Ultra - Light French Gray - too grey!

I almost went with the Lime Light until I remembered I had a paint sample in the garage from a previous paint project.  It was meant to be! It turned out to be just enough added color to bump the "Lime Light" out of the limelight! *wink*

The Blue Hubbard is a discontinued color by Sherwin Williams.

I'll be having Behr match the color and mix me up some Ultra!

My hopes are to get the room completely painted this weekend!!

I'm not sure that's going to happen though since my sweet Ella has been sick this week with the cold she caught from me.  I'm still not even 100% with a super annoying cough I can't seem to get rid of!!

Stay tuned for more details about the pillows I have found for my bed!!

KEEPiNG iT REAL

Although I don't recommend getting a terrible cold and being confined to bed for 3-4 days as a way to really put thought into the color swatches on your walls before making your decision...

I do have to say it worked out pretty good for me. Ha!!

family night | Family Wishes Jar • 2012

Good Monday Morning everyone!! (and Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Day)

I'm feelin' fired up from a productive weekend...
and I'm looking forward to a great week ahead.

It's the 3rd week of January...can you believe it?
almost the end of the first month of a brand-new year!?
Some of us may still be creating resolutions...
and setting goals.

With that said...
I wanted to share with you something we did for Family Night a couple of weeks ago.
Since I'm always looking for ways to strengthen our family...
by actively keeping our connections alive and well...
I came up with the idea of creating a "Family Wishes" Jar!

(My inspiration came from this post/photo from Green Wedding Shoes).


We sat down as a family...
I gave everyone 4 slips of paper...
and we each came up with activities we'd like to do together at some point over the course of 2012.
The activities were not meant to cost money, necessarily...
but to promote engaging family activities - in some form or fashion.

Some of the ideas were as simple as:
• getting outside and playing together...(game of volleyball, football)

• heading to a location for some fun...(park, beach)

• staying inside for a game of cards/dice.

With our ideas gathered, I stuck them in an ordinary, random jar I had and set them to the side.


It wasn't until this past week...
I took some time to transform a jar I already had into what is now our official
"FAMiLY WiSHES JAR".
It's something we can keep on display...
Selecting items one-by-one until we've accomplished them all.
(All I need to do is change out the tag every year).

I started out with this look...

But I really wanted it to match my creamy white home decor so I changed out the blue ribbon for creamy tulle...

Here's how I created the jar...
(all of these items I already had on hand - no need to purchase anything new)

SUPPLiES:
• jar from Target
• Armour Etching Cream
• Paintbrush
• Scotch Tape
• Vinyl Stickers from Office Depot
• Pink Felt Sticker from Martha Stewart



STEP ONE
Apply stickers to jar using scotch tape as a guide for keeping them aligned
AND...to create a frame around the letters.


STEP TWO
Apply Etching Cream and wait 90 seconds


STEP THREE
Rinse under running water to remove etching cream


STEP FOUR
Wipe off excess water and peel stickers off. Done!

You've seen me use this process before.

It's a fast...

simple way...

 to personalize any glass or mirrored item.

Want more specifics on this technique?

See this post...

Don't let the jar distract you...

If it inspires you...GREAT!

My real goal today was to inspire you to create your own FAMiLY WiSHES.

They could be in the form of a list instead of a jar.

It's not about the container...

It's about sitting down together and coming up with ideas...

and then following through on those ideas.

THAT'S what's important!

Presentation is just the icing on the cake! *wink*

KEEPiNG iT REAL

So excited to have checked off some things on my "promise ME" list this weekend.

(I'll share details with you this week).

Feelin' good and motivated...

How are YOU doing?

holiday | 2011 Holiday Recap

Since my Christmas tree is still up...(no laughing anyone)
I figured I could still get away with sharing with you my recap of our holidays...

• LOTS OF HOLIDAY BAKING • 

I'm so glad I caught these photos of Ella helping me sift powdered sugar one day...

She got a  little carried away with spinning the handle...
making it an adorable photo to capture after she unexpectedly dusted herself...*wink*

• ANNUAL COOKIE BAKING •
Our annual cookie baking was a HUGE success.
While the adults focused on making traditional cookies...
The kids had fun with their annual task of decorating the sugar cookies.
They are getting quite creative as they get older...
We had everything from a "baby elf", several melted snowmen and even a bearded gingerbread man...

Things got even better when I broke out the "Disco Dust"...
Next thing I knew the girls were using it as eye shadow and lip gloss...
(I LOVED the look so much, I just may consider doing it for my next "GLAM" outing). *wink*

• ELF ON THE SHELF TRADITION BEGINS • 
This year, our family welcomed our sweet little adopted Elf named Stuart.
He surprised us each morning with a new,  precarious hiding place...

• MINI ELF DONUTS •
Because he was such a funny little elf and added an extra element of magic to our holidays...
We decided to make him some mini Elf Donuts and left them with Santa's cookies and milk...
He must've loved them because they were all gobbled up when we awoke Christmas morning... *wink*


I know the Christmas holidays have passed...
but I hope you've taken a minute to recap/document your own festivities of 2011.

Stay tuned for our:
"Family Wishes" Project

KEEPiNG iT REAL

I. am. soooooo behind...

on absolutely every aspect of my life right now!

Stay focused Jessica!

Just. stay. focused!  *wink*

building family ties | Dear Daughter

It's official...

The "Dear Daughter" journey 

has officially begun in my home!!

(Go here to see where I got the inspiration from and what this is all about exactly)

 I strategically purchased spiral-bound journals to fit perfectly in the mailboxes I created for the girls.
(I love it that I'm able to combine the two projects together).

I'm very excited to begin this journey with my girls.

I expect our relationships to blossom in ways I never even imagined!!

What are you doing to strengthen relationships in your home...

with your children...

with your family?

I'd love for you to share some traditions or projects you've embarked on with your own family.

Inspire me!!!

KEEPiNG iT REAL

Off to whip up some cupcakes for a fabulous ceremony I'm attending today!

My 17 year old cousin - senior in high school...

is having an official "signing" ceremony for being recruited by The Citadel.

He's got some MAD Baseball Skills...among other amazing athletic talent...

PLUS...

he's super smart...

handsome...

and humble.

He is SUCH a gem!!

LOVE him and I'm so very proud of him!!

Congrats Nate!!!

home | one of life's little pleasures

Did you know I have a peach tree in my yard?
(If you saw the peach crisp I made for Memorial Day than you already knew that).

I know nothing about fruit trees.
I never even knew peach trees grew here in Florida.
The tree was here when we bought the house a little over a year ago.
And it was a pretty small tree at the time.
But the idea of it producing fruit sounded pretty cool.

Admittedly...I'm completely ignorant as to how to properly care for them - Martha would be so disappointed. *wink*
Despite my ignorance though...
and without any special doing on my part...
Nature took things into it's own hands...
and gave me my first sample of a homegrown peach last year.
We were excited to have the tree produce a handful of delicious peaches.


Completely different story this year.
With the tree having tripled in size...
I'm guessing our "crop" consisted of 50+ delicious...
beautiful...
homegrown peaches.
(Even though I STiLL had not done a single thing to the tree).
They were SO very good.
And there was SUCH an abundance of them.
There were so many in fact...
we were offering them up to neighbors and giving them to anyone who would take them.

And now...
Well, now I'm sad.
I guess the peach season has ended because there's not a single peach left in sight. *sniffle*

But I've got the pictures to prove they really did exist.
And I feel SO extraordinarily lucky to have the good fortune...
of having one of life's little pleasures growing right here in my own yard.
I can only imagine what next year's crop will hold for us.
I'd better start collecting some delicious recipes now...*wink*


Don't forget the Father's Day giveaway ends today!!
I'll be picking FOUR winners...
Each winner will receive one of Compendium's fabulous inspirational Father's Day gifts to give to that special someone in your life.



KEEPiNG iT REAL
With Ella at 2 1/2 years old now, it's nearly impossible to get ANYTHiNG work-related done these days.
One nap a day just isn't enough time to put a dent into my "to-do" list.
Mixed emotions have settled in though...
We received news that she's been accepted into the preschool we were hoping for...
starting in the Fall.
I'm completely excited for HER.
She'll make some new little friends...
and have some real educational structure.
I'm excited for ME to have some extra free-time 3 days a week to
stay on top of my design work and projects.
However...
I know all too well how quickly children grow.
(It was just yesterday my 15 year old and 12 year old were born).
Knowing she'll be starting school means the start of an entirely new phase in our lives...
her life...
my life...
and sadly...
the ending of the sweet time I've enjoyed having her home with me everyday. *sniffle*

life | tradeoffs

I wasn't really going to post today because I'm just completely swamped with orders, deadlines, projects...you name it.

But it's because I'm so busy...
I'm actually inspired to post a few photos.
Some REAL photos.
Photos I took yesterday depicting "tradeoffs"...
The tradeoffs of being so completely busy...
my two year old decided to keep herself really busy with some projects of her own.

Ella + black permanent marker =

 • couch art •

• carpet art •

• ottoman art •

I guess the fingernail polish art she created a couple of months ago - under the supervision of her two olders sisters, mind you,

needed another design element added to complete the work of art??

• dog art •

yep...not even our dog, hamilton, could escape being a blank canvas for this budding artist...

 • the art of having a "time out" •

Finding the balance is never easy...

I'd say things were certainly "out-of-balance" yesterday. *wink*

Enjoy your Wednesday everyone...

KEEPING IT REAL

I'm seriously thinking I need an assistant...

or at least someone to help with Ella a few times a week?