Hey, friends!

Well, we successfully closed on both of our homes on Friday. (That was a crazy day!  One for the record books.  I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry that day.)

We have spent two days in our new home, and we’ve already made a TON of changes to the home and property!  I cannot wait to share the progress with you next week.

In the meantime, I am still trying to unpack all the boxes and praying our neighbors do not think the Beverly Hillbillies have moved in next door!  :)  I’ve made sure the boys know not to pee in the front yard (only the back yard!)  Ya’ll think I’m kiddin’, don’t ya?

I still do not have internet service at my new home, so I am once again at MickeyD’s using their Wifi.  Thanks, Ronald!

Today, my precious blog buddy, Beth, from The Stories of A to Z is here!  I have known Beth since I started blogging two years ago, and she has become a precious friend of mine.  She is one of those friends who will always shoot straight with you, and I love that about her!  She is pure gold in my book!

 

Beth has something very exciting coming up on her blog, and she is going to share it with you today!

Take it away, Beth!…..

Hi, all you Beneath-My-Hearters!  While Traci is otherwise occupied trying to find her four boys amongst the packing materials and moving boxes, you are stuck with me today.  For those of you who don’t know me, I am Beth from The Stories of A to Z soon to be Home Stories A to Z.  I live in Pennsylvania with my hubs, two little boys, and pomeranian pup.

We live in the city in a 100 year old rehabbed “twin”.  Nearly four years ago, we purchased, gutted and completely renovated our home; however, since that time my decor taste has drastically changed.  (Those darn home decor and design blogs!)  So over the past two years, I have been redecorating each room in the house to feel more like home.  I absolutely LOVE to decorate.  It is definitely my passion, and I immensely enjoy the creative process start to finish.

So answering readers questions such as, How exactly do you decorate? Where do you begin? How do you decide on colors? How do you decide where to place everything?, should come easily….but they don’t. I fumble through these questions and never feel that I provide satisfactory answers.  Indeed, there are many tips and tricks I use to envision a space, but I rarely label them and don’t typically talk about them in my posts.  After all, How to Decorate seems like a ridiculously broad topic to conquer!

But what if we try?  What if we do a series of posts and we ask the advice, tips, and tricks of some of the best home and design bloggers available?  What if they take us step by step through their wild creative thought process and “make plain” to us the art of how they do it?  Wouldn’t that be fantastic?  Well, that’s EXACTLY what we’re going to do the entire month of June over at A2Z!  I present to you…..

Traci is of course in the line-up as well as some other names you should recognize!  If you are reading this post on a feed, hop on over to the real blog so you can see the calendar of who will be sharing.  All buttons on the calendar are live, so feel free to click on a button and be transported directly to the source of talent!  Really.  Please do. That thing was a pain in the patootie to create so please use it!

For a larger view of the calendar, please click here.

June is going to be an amazing month over at A2Z, so I hope you’ll come over and visit, take notes, and spread the word!  Thanks so much Traci for letting me visit with you and your readers today.  I can’t wait to see your post for the series :).

THANK YOU, BETH!!! for helping me out!

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I have one word for my guest poster today….”lurve”.

I LURVE Sarah!

She’s funny, she’s creative, she loves carbonated beverages like me, she’s thrifty, and she just plain cool!

I am so blessed to call her my friend!

Thank you, Sarah, for helping me during my move!

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Hello there! I am SO thrilled to be here guest posting at my friend Traci’s place. I love her so stinkin’ much, for all the reasons I’m sure you know. She is the sweetest and my blog sister from another mother.

I know she is SO BUSY right now – but I for one can’t wait to see her new digs. :) I’m here today to share one of my favorite transformations in our kitchen.

We started out with a builder basic white door on our pantry. I had this vision of a glass paneled door instead, and I love how it turned out after my Dad and I got it up and painted:

I loved it so much, I actually lived with the clear glass for a couple weeks. But then the hives started and I had to figure out a way to cover them, without covering them. Get it? :)

A few of of my readers mentioned using plain old contact paper to get the look I was going for. Brilliant!

I admit I was a teeny bit doubtful – I picked up some clear contact paper at Target, and when I got home I tore it open, I was expecting it to be perfectly clear.

But my readers were right! (I know, I should just believe.) It was exactly what I wanted! A very soft, hazy look – just enough to let light in, yet enough to block the view of the canned goods. :)

What I didn’t know is it was a pain in the booty to install. But it was worth it, so stick with me.

I started with my supplies – not much needed:

I started by cutting out a piece of contact paper, slightly larger than the window pane. When I installed it, I used a razor to trim the contact paper so it would fit perfectly in the pane.

The problem was…1.) the contact paper is supersonic and I tried four razors and not one would cut it easily 2.) when I would push hard to get through the “paper,” the knife would grab at the painted trim around the panel and little itty bitty flecks of black paint were coming off and getting stuck under the plastic:

It was driving me batty. I tried everything possible, and finally gave up. I decided to just cut a piece that was the exact size of each window pane, so I wouldn’t have to do anymore cutting with the contact paper on the window.

It was a lot of trial and error. Lots of cutting, holding it up, cutting, holding it up, cutting, realizing I had cut it too small, starting over. :)

When I would finally get the right size, I’d make sure it was perfect one more time:

Then I soaked the window with window cleaner:

You can try to do this without soaking the window but you will realize quickly it’s next to impossible. :)

When it’s wet, you can move it around and make it fit just so:

Then use a pan scraper (or any flat surface) to push out the bubbles:

You’ll want a paper towel handy to soak up the cleaner as you go. Lots of pushing, wiping, pushing, wiping.

It took a LONG time. Mostly because I would cut it the wrong size, or scratch it when peeling it off the backing. I lost my mind a little more with each window pane. :) I think it took four days of me tackling it whenever I had a few minutes to tackle it. FUN stuff.

But it was SO worth it!!

I LOVED it.

But I wasn’t done yet. :) Part of my vision was to have it “glow” – like a night light for the kitchen:

I used rope lights around the door frame inside — my Dad and I rigged up the electrical for that. I have yet to blog about it but it was easier than I thought. :)

The contact paper idea would be perfect for any smallish window where you want privacy but don’t want to block the light – for cheap! The roll was $5 and even with all of my mess ups, I barely used half of it. This would be a great solution for windows above tubs, sidelights by a front door – whatever!

And here it is all soft and purdy and lit up:

(This is a picture from last year.)

This wasn’t an easy project…but totally worth it. And only five bucks for the privacy! (Which, by the way, is WAY cheaper than the window film you can buy.)

Since I finished the door last year, I’ve made a few more changes to the area around the pantry:

I need to clean out the pantry again. Still can’t decide if it’s a good or a bad thing that I notice that through the glass. ;)

And yes, I use the lights all the time! They are on most evenings – whether we’re getting food or not. Who would have thought a pantry door could be so pretty? Love it!

Thanks for having me Traci – love you girl! And thanks to your readers for letting me share one of my favorite projects!

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Thank you, Sarah!  I love this project!

My new home has a very cheap, ugly pantry door in the kitchen.  I knew immediately that I would want to change it, and I thought of this project!

You are always full of great inspiration!

Thanks so much for helping me out during my  move!!!

Love ya!

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I was so excited when Sandy responded to my “Help!  I’m Moving!” call!  I met Sandy at Blissdom over a year ago, and I cannot wait to see her this fall at the Relevant Conference.  She is one of the fabulous speakers!

Sandy holds a special place in my heart. :)

If you know her blog, you know she is famous for her hospitality and her delicious recipes. But today, she is sharing something different with us.

Thank you, Sandy!!!!

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When Traci asked me to be her guest on Beneath my Heart, the first thing I thought of was her DIY blog and what I could offer her readers. I talk more about entertaining and food on Reluctant Entertainer, but a different idea came to mind, a simple project that I’ve wanted to do for a long time. And it only cost $4.99.

We have an outside bathroom off of our back patio area, and a pool in our backyard. We use this bathroom all the time, and in fact, one funky thing about our 1978 house is that even though it has 3 bathrooms, there really isn’t a guest bathroom.

We have the master bathroom on the main floor, a full bathroom in our upstairs for the kids, and then our outside bathroom, which I love, because we’ve never changed the original cabinetry or floor. It’s still the original 1978 oranges and yellows. We decided to paint the walls bright orange when we moved in to make it even more vibrant. In the bathroom, I’ve framed the kid’s artwork from when they were little.

I love the smell of tanning oils and sunscreen that sit in a basket of their own. The scent reminds me of when I was a child, and we’d go to other pools to swim. I did not grow up with a pool, but we had many friends who did have pools, or my mother would take us to public pools. Wherever we were, we’d be slathered in sunscreen, and to this day it’s a fond memory — the scent of summer.

You’ve heard of guest books that are signed when you have guests over. And we have one that rarely gets used. For some reason we forget to bring it out when our guests are gathered around the table. So I decided to try something new. For $4.99 I purchased a plain journal and I wrote my own titles on it.

Bathroom Journal Please Read and Sign

and …

Write something funny or inspirational

or …

If you like our food

I figured it would be fun for people to have the choice if they wanted to, while visiting our home for a party, swimming, or a dinner event. Why not? I just got back from Atlanta, from Blog Her Food conference, and I noticed that while my son was home over the weekend, he was the first to notice the journal.

I Love my MiMi. Elliot XOXOX 5/22/11

A perfect start to the book. I’m hoping it will get used. But if not, it was an inexpensive effort to create some fun memories with the guests who come in to our home. And not in the traditional “guest book” way. Do you have a guest book in your home? And if so, does it ever get used?

Written by Sandy Coughin Sandy Coughlin is a wife and mom of three teenagers, and is the voice behind Reluctant Entertainer, a hospitality blog dedicated to helping people in search of a lifestyle that says, “I can do this!”. Her book, The Reluctant Entertainer, was recently published and is in bookstores now.

 

 

 

 

Sandy Coughlin – Reluctant Entertainer

Twitter: SandyCoughlinRE

FB: Reluctant Entertainer

http://reluctantentertainer.com

 

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Hi, friends!

Well, I am still packing like a maniac!!!

I am hoping to get to the guest house today because we will start moving boxes tomorrow.  Wow!!

Today, I am so happy to have Kim, from My Domestic Bliss, as my guest poster.

She is one my very first blog friends.  She has a heart of gold and a super special knack of finding treasures on Craig’s List!

I love her post today, and I think you will too.  Thank you, Kim, for helping me while I move!  :)

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Many thanks to Traci for giving me the honor of guest posting for Beneath My Heart today during her “Help, I’m Moving” series.

I chose the topic of Craig’s List for this post because it’s become somewhat of a theme throughout my blog.  I’ve had extensive experience both buying and selling on CL as well as utilizing it to map out my yard sale route each week.  It’s an excellent tool for decorating on a budget.  In fact, I’ve come to the conclusion that with a few small exceptions, I will never pay retail prices again.  And you don’t have to either.

My husband’s wonderful parents are in the process of selling their house.  I staged their home almost entirely from Craig’s List.  Let’s take a look!

A Clayton Marcus sofa/loveseat combo in mint condition for $350.  The loveseat is to the left of this picture.  All accessories, including the area rug came from Home Goods, which is a whole other post in itself!

This photo came from the listing online, which is why it’s so blurry.

On the opposite wall is this lovely mirror and table.  I paid less than $100 for everything, including the accessories, from a moving sale I found on Craig’s List.

The Dining Room table and chairs were listed and purchased for $250.  The chairs still have the original plastic on them!  On the far wall is a gorgeous granite top console table that I got from Craig for $150.

Another pic from the listing shows the centerpiece that was purchased from the same moving sale mentioned above.  It’s hard to tell from the pic, but the arrangement is absolutely gorgeous!!

The kitchen dinette was a steal for only $125!

I had a lot of fun staging the sun porch.

The red and yellow theme ties in with the color scheme throughout the rest of the main floor.
The rattan sofa was only $60 and the coffee table was from a different listing and a great deal for only $25.  The china cabinet in the corner I got at Goodwill for $75.  Love the yellow color on her!
Upholstered parsons chairs are from Home Goods.

I’ve also had fun re-doing my own home using finds from Craig’s List on every floor, and even outside!

This adobe chiminea was purchased last year for $50.  I just love sitting on my patio and enjoying the fire, and who doesn’t love that smell!

I found this bakers rack on CL for $50, listed by someone who also used it outside.  I love how it looks with my garden goodies!

Upstairs in the master is a sweet French Country chair I found for $15.   See that sweet little footstool with the bunnies on it?  Well it could be yours!  I’m offering it in the Cottage Charm giveaway that’s going on this month.  Just click on the link in my sidebar to enter!  I should also mention that the table in this pic is from a church rummage sale that I found on Craig’s List.  I paid just $4 for it!

Now, this may sound crazy to some of you, but I have been known to travel quite a distance for something I found on CL.  Every now and then, while browsing my favorite site, I come across a piece that makes my heart go pitter patter.  And when I get that feeling, there’s almost no stopping me.

Like last year, when my hubby wanted to strangle me as I drove an hour and a half at 6 months pregnant to pick up this chandy.

I got it for just $50.  Unfortunately for my mister, it came apart during the hanging process, proving my theory that nothing is ever easy – especially things that should be!

Not to worry though, after 14 hours, several trips to Home Depot, and a crystal-stringing party my master now looks like this.

Off of my master is a sitting room that’s home to another CL find I traveled quite a distance to retrieve.
This sweet slipper chair was listed for $50 and I got it for $35.  I took a pal on a road trip to Pennsylvania to bring her home.

Next to her in the same room is a china cabinet that I found from a barn sale listed on CL.
I got this piece for just $45.

You can read about her transformation here.

Down in the basement is another good CL find from last year.  A brand new microfiber sofa for only $250, delivered for free!

Microfiber is so kid-friendly, making this find perfect for the basement.
Everything else down here came from either a yard sale or thrift store.

And back on the main floor are some of my biggest and best CL scores of all time.  Starting with the coffee table in the family room.  I found this on CL listed for $40 and when Mr. Bliss and I went into the city to pick her up, the sellers were literally holding up downtown traffic with the moving truck in the middle of the street.  They told me I could have the table for $20.  I think they just wanted to get it out of the way!
It’s wrought iron with a thick glass top.

In the kitchen is perhaps my favorite piece and an incredible deal at just $250.

Folks, I tell ya there was absolutely nothing wrong with her.   I just love how she looks and the storage she provides.  Yep, I think she’s my fave.

And this sofa is a very close second and will probably knock your socks off when I tell you how much I paid for her.
This is a Duncan Phyfe leather sofa with nailhead trim.  Now, let me preface this by saying that when I first saw her, my heart did the pitter patter thing.  Then I saw the price and the pitter patter turned into strong palpitations.

One hundred and twenty-five dollars!!!!  Now I should probably mention here that I do have a rule when it comes to buying things on Craig’s List.  It goes without saying that haggling is commonplace on CL, but if someone is practically giving something away, as was the case with this sofa, I just hand over my money, say a polite thank you, and go on my merry way.  I don’t see why it’s necessary to try to talk down a price that is already ridiculously low.  It’s kind of insulting.

I drooled on my keyboard when I saw this sofa and got on my hands and knees and prayed that it would still be available.  Craig’s List is 50% luck.  Being the first one to respond can be crucial to scoring a major find.

Like this clock.

I saw this clock listed for $50 and responded immediately.  Another lesson – don’t be disappointed if you don’t hear back right away.   Many people work during the day and won’t get back to you until the evening or next day.  The seller of this clock told me that she had several responses to this ad, but that I was the first one to email her so she got back to me first.

And here she is on my antique that.I.trashpicked……SERIOUSLY!!!!  You can read about that here.

In the same room is an old secretary that I got myself for Christmas last year on CL for $75.

If you are a regular to CL like I am, you see a lot of the same things listed for different prices.  I see tons and tons of secretaries and the exact same one can be listed by one seller for $350 and another for just $150, proving that it pays to shop around, even on Craig’s List.  Additionally, you learn what things are rare and what’s common.  While there are lots of secretaries listed at any given time on CL, I chose this one for it’s style.  It has a different design and shape than most others as well as wooden knobs.

If you want to hear more about my adventures on Craig’s List and read more of my tips, just click on my “Tips” link at the top of my blog.

I also have a regular Craig’s List series on my blog where I feature things that are available in this area that I consider to be either a great deal or a rare find.  I hope you follow along and tell me what you think!

Thanks again to Traci for the pleasure of guest posting today.  It was so much fun and I wish you much luck with your move!
xoxo,
Kim

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Oh, my goodness!  Can you believe the treasures she has found?!

After reading this, I wanted to go straight to Craig’s List and look around.  But then I remembered I was packing and moving and came to my senses. :)

I’ll have to start stalking Craig’s List after my move.  :)

Thanks again, Kim!

Now click on her button, and head on over to her blog to check it out.  There are many more treasures to be found when you get there.

Blessings!

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Hello everyone! It’s my pleasure to join forces with the other guest posters during Traci’s move. Thanks for having me over Traci. :) 

I thought I’d talk about one of my all time passions. And that’s

Creating with pallet wood

I’m a full fledged junk-aholic. And I don’t mean I like dragging chairs home that need just a fresh coat of paint. I like cool JUNK. The kind that someone may burn or throw out and love turning it into a must have for a home. :)

One of my alltime favorite things to bring home is pallet wood. I love creating things out of it and have done quite a number of projects to date.

TV stand

self made pickets for ladder shelf

Self made pickets for table runner

rustic gate

farm table style desk

pallet sawhorse ladder desk

 

My pinterest pallet collection

Although the use of pallet wood is becoming extremely hot property lately, it also comes with some controversy. Before diving into the wonderful world of working with pallet wood, please educate yourself on the dangers as well.

Here are some tips and safety information you should be armed with before carrying pallet wood home for your own DIY projects.

I am fortunate to work at a firetruck manufacturer that always has stacks of pallet wood on hand.

Many of the pallets have been built for the very purpose of shipping the firetruck cartons because of their odd size. Which means alot of the wood is in new condition and has been only used for this shipment.

While that’s no guarantee that the wood is chemically or bacterial safe, it’s far safer knowing it wasn’t carrying pesticides or the like!

Pallet crates have to be ripped open to retrieve the contents so I come across a lot of loose boards.
But no fear. Even if you don’t land loose boards, remember you can always saw the boards off the whole pallet if you can work with shorter pieces.

I rather lucked out though. While this generally holds loose pallet wood, it held all kinds of cool odds and sods from cleaning out the wood shop. 

But you WILL have to endure removing some nails eventually. It’s possible, but be prepared to work VERY hard for that wood.

Newer regulations require pallet manufacturers in Canada and the US to treat the wood before shipping. This can be by chemicals or by heat.

The HT on the above board means it’s been heat treated, or kiln dried. This is the safer kind.

If the boards are unmarked, it may be safe but there’s also a strong chance it’s been chemically treated, which makes them dangerous.

• it smells
• looks oily
• is stained
• is extra heavy
• too many twisted nails (not worth it!)
• it looks suspect period

I’ve also been emailed with a story where someone got a nasty sliver which infected them to the point of requiring hospitalization. So, just be picky. Always wear gloves and choose wisely.

• wear gloves to avoid nail punctures and splinters
• wear safety glasses and a dust mask when sanding or sawing
• store it without the nails. (dangerous!)  Pry them out ASAP.

Many places of business that utilize pallet wood actually recycle them. They may use them over again or they get picked up and  reimbursed for their return. So before you help yourself to what you think may be free could also be viewed as theft. Ask for permission before helping yourself.

This post must come across like one of those new medication commercials. “Buy me because I’m awesome but you may die if you take me.” :) You will have no need to worry about using pallet wood if you simply heed the cautions and use it for appropriate projects.

If in doubt, pass on it and head to the lumber store instead. Spending a few bucks on new wood is far smarter than bringing contaminated wood home for free.

Thank you, Donna!  I love your fabulous pallet wood creations and all of your helpful hints!

Donna does WAY more than just work with pallet wood!  If you have never been to her blog before, you seriously need to drop by and check it out.  She is a precious soul with beautiful heart, and her blog reflects that.  Plus, she’s just plain ole stinkin’ cool!

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Hey Sweet Friends!

Well…this week is the big week!

We will be starting to move our things to our new home on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.  Our last night in our home will be Thursday night.  :(

We will be closing on both homes on Friday, and then Friday night will be our first night at our new home.

I have been packing almost non-stop since last week, and I haven’t even put a dent in it!

I put out an S.O.S. to my blog friends to help me out with my blog during my move,

and they responded in full force!!!

You will not believe the amazing line up of guest posters

I am having here at Beneath My Heart the next two weeks!

I have got some of the best bloggers in blogland sharing their talents right here.

It feels so good to know that I while I am moving and settling into my new home, my blog will be well taken care of with great material each day for you to enjoy.

Look who will be stopping by (not in this order)….

Thrifty Decor Chick

Home Stories from A to Z

Centsational Girl

Miss Mustard Seed

30 Days Blog

My Domestic Bliss

Just a Girl

Funky Junk Interiors

Reluctant Entertainer

The Lettered Cottage

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Decorchick

Living with Lindsay

Tatertots and Jello

I know!!! Seriously?!

I have the best blog friends EVA!!

I’ll be stopping in from time to time to give you an update on the move.  And of course…share some pictures.  :)

Be sure to stop by each day to see which amazing guest might appear!

Blessings,

Traci

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Wow! I never thought I would hear myself saying those words.

I have thought about the reaction of my readers to the title this post.

Some of my readers  probably didn’t even click on it.

Others may have clicked on this post out of curiosity.

And then there are those of you who were shocked when you saw the title.

You are the readers who have been with me the past two years. The ones who prayed for my mom when she got sick. The ones who cried with me when you heard she died. And the ones who met me here on my blog every week for my “Wednesdays with Wanda” posts last year.   You heard the pain in my words.  You felt the sadness in my heart.  Over time, you have begun to see God heal my hurts through His love and your words of encouragement.  And you have witnessed the power of a mother’s love in her daughter’s life.

I think of Mom everyday.  But God has replaced my sadness with hope.  He has filled my heart with so much love for my family and my life.  I am determined to love my boys with the same love my mom gave me, (or as close as I can get to it.)   :)

And now I have entered a new chapter…

My dad is getting married.

I always thought that my dad remarrying would kill me.

But God in His overwhelming goodness has placed in my dad’s life an amazing Godly woman to love him.

How can I be upset about that?

My precious children’s minister at church, Joyce, lost her mom when she was in her 30′s as well.  She knew what I was going through when Mom was sick and dying.  She gave me such words of encouragement and strength during that time.  One thing she told me was that my dad would remarry.  WHAT!?  How could she say that?

Her dad had remarried too, and she knew the heartache that can come with it, and she wanted to lovingly prepare me if my dad were to remarry.

I remember telling her, “Joyce, it’s not about when or if my dad remarries, it’s WHO.”

And I meant that.

Well, let me tell you WHO he is marrying. Janet is one of the most precious women I have ever met.  Honestly, she reminds me so much of my mom in so many ways.  Which can be hard because it makes me miss my mom even more.  But then I stand in amazement of how great God is to place someone in our lives that is so much like our mom.

Janet is kind.  She is Godly.  She loves my boys!  She is always smiling.  She is fun.  She loves my dad!  She loves family.

And she knew of my mom.  She has been friends many years with my mom’s sister, Nancy.  She knew of Mom’s love for Jesus and the lives she had touched with His love.  She loves hearing stories and memories of my mom.  She wants us to talk of her often.  She wants my children to remember her.  She doesn’t want to replace my mom.  She wants to honor her.

I believe that Janet is an answer to our prayers.  And an answer to my mom’s prayers.

There is not a single doubt in my mind that Mom had prayed many prayers on this earth in her lifetime for God to take care of my dad and her children.  I know she prayed that if anything ever happened to her, that God would place a Godly woman in his life to love him.  I pray that about my own sweet husband.  If something were to happen to me now, I pray that God would someday place someone special in his life to love him and care for our boys.

But I also pray that I get to grow old with my husband, as I know that my mom did too (I saw those exact words written in one of her prayer journals.)   She wanted many more years on this earth with my dad.  They had been married 44 wonderful years, and they honored the words they spoke on their wedding day, “til death do us part.” I know that as my mom faced death, she once again prayed that God would take care of my Dad.  I remember having a conversation with her a few weeks before she passed away, and with tears in her eyes she told me that she trusted God to take care of us.  She said she wanted to watch us grow, especially her grandchildren…and then I heard her say again, “But I trust Him.” She trusted God with all her heart.  She knew that God would take care of us.

The past two years have been hard on my dad.  He has seemed lost without mom.  He has been living with my sister and her husband which was such a blessing.  But Dad was lonely.  This past winter was especially hard on him.  It was hard for us to watch him be so depressed.  My Dad has a HUGE heart, and he loves his family so much.  Family is everything to him.  He has so much love to share, and  now the Lord has given him someone to share his life with.

I wish you could be here with me to see how happy my dad is.  He is like a new person.  He smiles constantly, and I feel like I have my dad back.

How can I be sad?

Do I miss mom?

Yes, more than ever.

The first time I met Janet was at my sister’s house. We got together as a family to meet her.  The evening was wonderful, and I was so impressed with Dad’s  choice in Janet.

But the whole 30 minute drive home, I cried.  That night, I cried myself to sleep.  I wanted MY mom!!!

Yet there was a feeling that God was doing something great in my dad’s life.

The second time I saw Janet, I gave her a hug when she and Dad walked in the room.  As I hugged her, I felt something well up inside me.  It started in my stomach, came up my chest, into my throat, and was headed out my eyes.  I quietly walked to the bathroom, closed the door, and began to sob.  I cried and cried.  Oh, I missed my mom!

Dad and Janet didn’t know I had been crying.  I refreshed my makeup once I got it together.  :)

But that night when I got home, I thought about why hugging Janet made me cry?  And then I realized…it felt good to feel a mother’s hug. I’ve missed my mom’s hugs so much!

Then I felt guilty.

Would I hurt Mom’s feelings if she knew I enjoyed my hug from Janet?

I knew the answer immediately…NO.

“No,” my mom would say.

If anything, I can hear my mom saying to Janet, “Hug her real tight, Janet.  She needs to feel a mother’s love.”

Mom had that kind of selfless love.

Honestly, I kind of feel like Mom handpicked Janet for my dad.  She was probably on her knees before God’s throne saying, “Lord, Doug deserves the best.  Give him someone who loves You.  Give him someone who will make him happy and love my children. “  and…“Could I suggest Janet, Lord?” :)

That thought just makes me smile!

So in a few weeks, my Dad will be married, I will have  a step-mom, and my children will have a step-grandmother.  And there will still be sad moments to work through.  And things to get used to.

But I am praising my Father in Heaven for the love He has shown my family through all of this.

Life is so short.  I don’t want to waste my time questioning why things like this happen in our lives.

So I will choose to embrace these moments.

More than anything in this world, I want my dad to be happy.  Having him remarry may make me uncomfortable at times, but I want him to be happy more than I want to be comfortable.

Above all, I trust God.

I just had to share this news with YOU, my readers.

Thank you for walking this journey with me.

Blessings,

Traci

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Hey all you thrifty and crafty bloggers out there!

I want to spotlight a great deal for you today.

Michael’s has a coupon special going on right now!

Do you have a Michael’s in your area? If so, then you know what a great store it is (and how quickly 3 hours can pass when shopping there.) :)   I want to tell you THREE  things I love about Michael’s.

#1  The Basket Aisle!

(Centsational Girl)

Oh mama!  They have such a huge selection of baskets! And who doesn’t need baskets, right? They are already marked at a great price, but if you use the coupon, you will get an even GREATER price!

After searching high and low for the right size, I finally found the baskets for my laundry room  at Michael’s!

#2  The Dollar Items at Michael’s

The thrifty girl inside of me cannot walk past the bins of “one dollar goodness.” They have the cutest items in those bins.  Great for little thoughtful gifts without spending an arm and a leg.

(Pictures from MommySavers.com)

You can get stamps, ribbons, scrapbook items, stationary, toys, and more!  All for one buck!  Be still my frugal little heart.

#3  The Seasonal Decor!

Michael’s ROCKS the seasons!

I cannot wait to see what items they have for sale during each season and holiday.   Is it time to start thinking of Christmas?  (Darn. Not yet.)      

They have so many fun items to decorate your home with each season!  

There is so much more I love about Michael’s like their stamps, their educational and fun toys for kids, their picture frames, their floral department….   But I just do not have enough room to post about it all.

If you do not have a Michael’s near you, here is the good news!

You can shop online. I just checked out their website, and they have some great interactive programs like creating your own custom invitations…

They also have a section that shows you easy projects to make and a section with videos to watch.  I’m a visual learner, so I love that feature.  :)

And you can also view their Interactive Ad…

So are you ready to shop?!

Don’t forget your coupon!….

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