Up and Coming Color Trends

Purple is the hottest "new again" color in home decorating. You don't have to look very far to see it even in the fashion industry. With the onslaught of purple in several different shades we will begin to see more grays and charcoal's making a comeback as well.
Green is still a very hot color but you will see the hue move from sage(which is passe) to greens with more yellowish undertones
Blues are continuing to make a comeback. We will see soft tones such a a robin's egg blue, as well as deeper shades of ocean blues.
Everything I have read states that yellow is the new orange and is also making a huge presence in home decor items. Use it in soft hues and than pop more color in the room with your accessories. The right shades of purple and yellow can really make a statement in a bath or bedroom too.
Brown has become the new black over the last few years and continues to have a strong presence in paint and home furnishings.
Coral is coming back as well, a softer version of the oranges and rusts.
Many restful softer colors are making a comeback such as beige, taupe's, soft grays, pale blues, and greens. Colors I often associate with spa colors. I see this as a chance to create a more restful place at home to escape from the busy lives we all lead.
All in all, I hold to my belief that whatever the trend is, you need to surround yourself with the things you love.

Bathroom Before and After

Finally, the bathroom project is finished! I have some "sort of" before pictures. I didn't think to take a picture prior to stripping down the bathroom. I think you will still see the improvement over plain white walls. Hopefully you will be inspired to tackle a project yourself.










As you can see from this last one, we still need to replace the flooring, but what a difference just painting the brass light fixture to bronze and painting the walls has made in transforming and updating the tired old bathroom.

30YR CLASS REUNION

We had our 30 yr class reunion this weekend. It was a blast! My husband and I graduated in the same class so it makes the reunion fun for both of us. We have some great friends who we have kept a relationship with over the years and they all stayed with us. It was a wonderful time. It is amazing how everyone at the reunion looked "old" (except for us of course :) yet for the most part we could still recognize each other. It was by far the best reunion yet. I think all the walls come down and everyone realizes we are all just people trying to make a difference in the world. It was interesting to me that even people who didn't really like each other in high school were greeting each other warmly. Maturity at it's best.
The last few weeks have given me cause for reflection and I have wondered many times about "how did I get here?" I don't feel that much older and certainly not like I have been out of high school 30 yrs. Yet I wouldn't trade the person I am now for the person I was then for anything. I am so much more secure in who I am and I love my life. I like the journey the Lord has taken me on over the years to create and shape me into the person He wants me to be. Even when the road has been difficult it is always for my good.
I guess I got a bit off track here. All this to say it was a great time, I am thankful for lifelong friends who know me well and love me anyway. It is truly a blessing.

Return from mission to Mexico

Kaitlyn(center) made it home from Ensenada, Mexico late Sunday night. She has not stopped talking about her experiences there. She and the team had an incredible time. They spent their mornings finishing construction on a house. They got to hand the keys to the home over to the new owners before they left. “Bus driver…move that bus!” How exciting is that. Not only do they get to work on the house, but they’re able to be a part of the key ceremony. The team had also been holding youth rally’s every afternoon, reaching out to the teenagers in the area. They started on Monday with 20 or so who came. That number grew steadily throughout the week, and they had as many as 150 at the closing rally. The students gave their testimonies and sermons in these rallies and did an excellent job. I do not know how many of the Mexico kids accepted Christ but I know there were some.
Kaitlyn is so touched by her week there and in her words"I am so on fire for God." She was also touched with the reality that we as Americans have so much that we take for granted. My prayer for Kaitlyn is that the appreciation for all she has will continue and that the fire she came home with will last forever. Thank you every one who prayed God did do an amazing work in the lives of the team and the children of Ensenada.

50 Years

We attended a 50th anniversary party this weekend. It got me to thinking about that lifelong commitment that we make when we are young and "so in love". I doubt many of us really understand the true depth of the vows we are making on our wedding day. By that I mean in reality we have no clue what that commitment will demand of us over the long haul. I love being married and I really really love my hubby, but there are moments in every marriage where we may not always "like" each other. We may even question our sanity in thinking we could live with only one person our entire life.
Marriage goes beyond the "I DO" It takes an act of our will every day to make a marriage work. When our friends were asked their secrets of making it 50 yrs their answer was not short and to the point, it was many things. The following things are some things they shared, some are things I have learned in my 27 yrs of marriage. First and most important put God first in your marriage.
1. Affirm your spouse daily, build him up.
2. Love and accept your spouse just as God made them
3. Love even when you do not feel like it
4. Pray Together
5. Never let divorce be an option
6. Take time to just be a couple
7. Forgive
8. Bring a sense of humor to your marriage
9. Do something special for him just because
10. Always bring lots of laughter into your home

There are so many other things to build a wonderful marriage. I'm sure you can think of many. The hard part is just putting them into practice. So go this day and do one of them. May we be well on our way to 50 years too.