I've never been a good decorator. That surprises me, because sometimes I think there's a creative streak in me - at least I have this sense of SOUL when painting or creating something. But decorating - it's not my thing.
So often when I visit other people's homes, I feel this sense of dread when I walk into ours. Ours is old....lots of OLD. When I go in friend's houses - the ones that have that talent of making it look like a model home.....or my son's homes - Shawn's so masculine and modern, Angie and Chase's - like a magazine....friends like Suzanne and Bob - their homes are so beautiful - NEW.....modern, current, comfy and beautiful.
But today, as I was cleaning house (that's another thing....all my friends have housekeepers - but you know what? I traveled 9,650 steps today cleaning this place and as long as I can, I LOVE doing it. Joni Mitchell and Neil Young blaring.....windows open - I LOVE it) - as I was saying.....as I was cleaning this house today, I just felt LOVE. I love this house. Even thought it's old and I don't have the newest stuff on the walls....the things I DO have on the wall mean a lot to us! I have often thought of having a decorator come in and help me, but there's too much here that means the world to us. And today I realized....it doesn't matter that it's not a magazine house....or that the rooms are filled with odds and ends - they are odds and ends that mean SO much to us and as I go through, it's like stepping back into time. I can remember things about our lives and that's SO sweet.
So, from now on, I will enjoy to the fullest the homes I visit....loving the peaceful, magazine beautiful decorating....but when I walk into the these doors....this home....I will be proud and feel ALL the love of 49+years staring back at me. Sweet gifts from those we love....memories all around....cozy to us....like the feeling you get on a winter's day when you are all wrapped up in a warm blanket. I love our home....and I love the life God has given us....the family we are a part of.
Crosses my friend's made - had them over to celebrate my birthday =). They each made a cross and that was my gift. I had all the paints and canvases and brushes. We had the best time laughing and painting. And then three are from Avery and Addy....at one of our camp Mimi's, they painted a cross for me.
These books are ancient....from my momma and daddy. Some are written in - their handwriting. So precious to me.
Oh and the bus.....that sweet bus - what Michael drove when I met him. My sister Gerry made curtains for it. Yes, we were hippies! And the stone at the top....a gift from the boys to Michael. It's a brick they had made in the new Cowboy's stadium....the picture of my Aunt Loretta.....on her basketball team when she was young....she signed it =). There's also a photo book....a gift to Papa from the boys of the trip to Lambeau field to see the Cowboys play. Sweet memories.
A faithful brother supporting his little bro when he played at UNT.....no matter how they fought when they were boys....there's love there.
We got this picture on a trip to Michigan with Shawn and Avery. It's an original. We spent way too much but I love it so much.
Pictures of our travels hangin on the walls. LOVE so much the gift we have been given in traveling. I pray they are many more trips.
Us at the beginning.....and the little gold thing at the bottom is a date keeper. It was on my daddy's desk when I was growing up. The date is set for Thursday, March 29th. Our wedding day.
Shelves filled with pics of the loves of our lives....first cruise to Alaska - the Seatle skyline....old books of my parents.....I love this bookshelf. And the painting on the left....with the soldier - Chase gifted that original print to his daddy. LOVE.
A gift from my stocking this year.....from Chase and Angie. In most everything I have like that, I write on the back of each gift the date and who it's from. I never what to forget.
So.....my daddy's matchbooks. When I was little, daddy had this huge fishbowl looking thing in his room and as he traveled....and he traveled a LOT - he collected matchbooks. That basket has them in it and the two tall vases....Shawn actually has two vases full of them too. And guess what? I have MORE....he picked them up EVERYWHERE.....not just traveling, but restaurants, hotels they stayed in when on trips. Some of the places are long gone.....but oh how I love these matchbooks. Such a dear treasure. I can remember him coming home from a trip....even the way he smelled - all dressed in his suit......he would throw his hat on the dresser and then reach into his pockets and throw the matchbooks in the fishbowl. Oh how I miss them.
Pictures of our beginnings. Cool story - on our 35th anniversary, I had a great idea to go by and take a picture of the Vanderbilt - Greenville sign. I thought Shawn could make it look really cool and I would give Michael a framed picture of it for our anniversary. So when I went by to take the picture of the street sign, there was an "open house" sign in the yard....the home where we met....where we fell in love was going to be OPEN the following Sunday from 3-5. Well, I had to tell Michael I had driven by the Vanderbilt house and that it was open on Sunday. We went with Cindy and Steve....Steve took a picture of us kissing in the exact spot we kissed for the first time - on December 16, 1972 - with our camera. We got the camera home and we couldn't get the pictures to download =(. On our anniversary, I gave Michael the picture of the street sign AND a picture of the house - framed. Fastforward to my birthday the next year....Michael figured out how to download the picture of our kiss - it's the picture at the bottom. He gave it to me....framed....to match the others - for my birthday.
Girls just wanna have fun and I love this picture SO much. A gift from Angie and Chase years ago. I can't let go of my "little" girls.
I painted this! Took a painting course at Richland college and I am just so proud of this. Loved taking that course.
Traveled to Venice and bought this for Avery. She loved stuff like this.
My grandparents 50th wedding anniversary. Oh how I miss them. A few of the pieces of furniture we have are from them.....their very first pieces of furniture they purchased at the beginning of their marriage. Mean so much to me. Looks like a cross in the picture.....so fitting. Some of the finest Christians I have ever known......I pray pieces of their love for Christ are seen in me today.
Avery gave me this bird.....for Mother's Day one year. She must of been about 5. SO precious. The vase is from Sol Korea - Michael brought it to me when he traveled their for his work. The picture....love it so much. If you could read in the corner the artist signed it and put "first visit". It was our first time to visit Sausalito. We bought two paintings from them. Sweet couple. Wonderful visit.
Gifts from friends....I love this sweet pitcher because Marsha Mason POURS Jesus into me. Just one of the meaningful gifts she's given me. And the book on the bottom? My daddy's reading book when he was little....I mean like 1st grade. See what I mean? Little love tucked everywhere in our home!
This a gift from Chase and Angie.....know what it reminds me of? All the Camp Mimi's weve had with the kids. And what happens at Mimi's STAYS at Mimi's? Not always....loose lips Addy =). Oh how I love her. (Ms. Ang.....Mimi gave Hayden donuts!)
Our first trip to Rome....on the square there, we bought this painting. It was a canvas, all rolled up in a container. Brought it home and spent 3times what it cost to have it framed. Oh that trip though, we took a road trip through Tuscany....and that's what it looked like! Ate lunch under a grape arbor at a beautiful Malbec winery. Oh the memories.
Took a trip to Victoria - with Terry and Debra Anderson.....just to see Crosby, Stills and Nash. (awesome concert). It was a wonderful trip. Those are our tickets....and the newspaper from the next morning in Victoria - Shawn had them framed for us.
Michael's cancer.....it was the biggest storm. But one day we got this package in the mail. It was from my cousin in Kansas City. The frog on the left was inside with a note that told us it was F.R.O.G. - it stands for Fully Rely on God. There was a note included. The FROG had been in the company of many that had faced cancer and beat it. He was given to Michael to keep him company as he fought the fight. To remind us....FULLY rely on GOD. So our friends Doris and Will thought it was such a great message, they saw the frogs in the middle and gifted them to us....SO SO precious to us. Love our frogs and the sweet loves in our lives that gifted them to us. We will send the little frog on the left off, with the note attached, when we have a close friend or family member that needs the comforting reminder.
Oh - see Michael with his dog? He was in the service. I think that is "Moon". And then just US. I love those pictures.
The hat rack.....long been in the family - got it from my momma and daddy. I think it belonged to my grandmother and granddaddy Beard.
This is the sweetest cross....a gift from Shawn and Avery. Those are prayers nailed to it.....prayers from me - to my Savior. Love my Shawn and Avery Grace.
And this little guy, he was a gift too. From the Frisco Corley's. The ottoman he's on a gift from Shawn....from their first house. We used to have the chair that goes with it but gave to Ron and Lee.
Bibles from our mommas....Look how worn....the WORD in their hearts. LOVE these precious bibles they held and read and loved so much.
Many more things around this house.....that just scream love to me. Love from the past, love from the now.....love from our family....love from our friends. I love this home....filled to the brim with "us".
