Hanging Closet Dividers

I have been in desperate need of some organization in the girls closet.
I feel like everything has been jumbled together and before we moved I wanted to figure
a way to organize their new closet (which looks exactly like their old closet)
So, I found plain wood door hangers (under $1.00 each w/ 40% off coupon at Joann's)
painted them Apple Pink

and then Mod Podge'd some scrapbook paper and stickers on the front

If you had a closet with a rod, you could just slide these over the rod

but since we don't I just used decorative ribbon to hang them

I am going to use baskets for the rest of the closets

for shoes/tights/hair bows/play clothes etc. More on that to come!

Linking to the Weekend Wrap Up

A Sign

well..if there was ever any doubt that we are supposed to be living here..
it was erased when I saw this in front of Trader Joe's today..

A Tale of Tails

I have been waiting for this day.....

and just that fast it was over...

Paint Shopping

No person should have to pick out an entire house of paint colors! 

Its just too much..

But, what really is too much is moving everything into your house

then covering and moving it all to paint

so we are painting our entire house the week before we move it..

It really did make sense at some point..ha ha..

So, after much deliberation and advice from people we decided to get a few paint samples

for the colors we were having a hard time deciding on.

Which totally kills my dutch soul to spend an extra $2-3 on each tiny sample

when we  are going to buy an entire gallon..but now I am SO glad that I did

The first purple that we got looked like a teenagers bedroom

and since its for our bathroom the tween look was not what we were going for.

We ended up choosing Benjamin Moore Angelina as seen here in Apartment Therapy

The second color we were having a hard time deciding on was what shade of blue to do our kitchen

After finding the perfect back splash at HOBO (more on the tile colors and instillation to come)

we wanted a blue that would really stand out

So, I got two samples of paint (while wrangling two babies) 

and painted them on the wall last night..

Russ and I looked and looked and felt they were very similar

I kept telling him that one was MUCH darker and when they dried he would really see the difference

except this morning there was really no difference

So, I looked at the paint samples again

HMM! They are the same color!!!!!!

Which we do love and are going to use..

HA.

The paint is Nantucket Fog by Benjamin Moore and matches our tile perfectly

We are doing our final walk through of the house on Monday 

and close on Friday! 

WHOO HOOO! 

Past..Present..Future

I am reading a great book right now that could not have come along at a better time in my life

Its called "Loving God with All Your Mind" by Elizabeth George.

This book was recommended by my MOMS leader as a book that really

helped her take control of her thought life.

The part I am reading right now is about Training Your Thoughts

and is based on Phil 4:8

Whatever things are true,

whatever things are noble,

whatever things are just,

whatever things are pure,

whatever things are lovely,

whatever things are of good report,

if there is any virtue and

if there is anything praiseworthy-

meditate on these things.

The future:

"Do you frequently find yourself asking, "What if...?" That question can generate all kinds of fear about the future...God commands us to think on what is true and real. And its a fact-events in the future of neither...the future is in God's hands-His loving, capable, merciful, powerful hands! He can enable us to deal with what is real, what is now. And, the truth is, He will also be with us whatever the future holds. He is "with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20) These truths mean we experience peace instead of worry when we choose to believe the Bible's promises regarding future events."

So..

Nothing will ever happen to you that God does not already know about (Psalm 139:1-4)

Nothing will ever happen to you that is a mistake (Psalm 139:4,16)

Nothing will ever happen to you that you cannot handle by God's power and grace (2 Cor 12:9-10)

Nothing will ever happen to you that will not eventually be used by God for some good purpose in your life (Romans 8:28)

Nothing will ever happen to you without God's presence (Matt 28:20)

The past:

"Like our "what if" thoughts about the future, "if only" thoughts can rob us of our peace and joy in the present. And the exhortation in Phil 4:8-to think on "whatever things are true (real)-comes to our rescue concerning thoughts about our past. That's because the past is no more real than the future. "If only" thinking is counterproductive because it does not address what is real. The past is gone. It is beyond repair, beyond restructuring. 

What is real is what is happening today. And God calls us to deal with what is now, what is true, and what is real. The backward gaze can produce regret and sorrow because it is impossible to return to the past or change the past. It is good to remember what we have learned from our mistakes how God enabled us in times of our need. He was with us then..just as He is with us today..and will be with us tomorrow (Psalm 73:23-24) If we look back with out remembering that God was there with us we sentence ourselves to a life of regret. God also uses our past, by His transforming power, God will redeem even the worst, most painful, and the most perplexing aspects of your past. "

The present: 

"We need to think on what is true and real in the present..this is not always easy to do! Too often we are tempted to say, "But this is not the way it was supposed to be. We need to accept what is real and acknowledge that God has overseen every detail of your life. This knowledge will help you act on what is true and real today..rather than resent reality and idly wait for fantasies to magically materialize. With God by your side, and by His great grace, you can love Him..even more, no matter what has-or is-happening to you."

This book as been such an encouragement to me as I struggle to take "every thought captive" 

As I reflect on mistakes I have made in the past, and stress out about the future there is only one thing that I can take hold of to find peace in the present. I know that God loves me, that I am His Child, and that one day all of the things of this earth won't mean anything when I meet Him face to face! 

I really wish I could sleep like this!

Supercuts

Just in case my sweet little girl could not look any more like Justin Bieber

Russ cut her bangs..

yes..I said Russ..

It was all very professional

she sat so still

perhaps out of sheer terror

don't you just want to kiss that little face!

Lilly was not to be left out and wanted "up" in the chair too

So, Russ cut all four of her little stray hairs

Sneak Peek

T-16 days until we close on our new house

the anxiety is setting in....

moving with two toddlers seems so overwhelming

knowing that we are not moving back to our families

our home town

our life long friends...

But we have been so blessed in Wisconsin

We have amazing friends through our jobs and church

people offering to make meals, help paint, organize, pack

watch the girls

It is what has been keeping me sane!

So, with our further ado..

a few pictures of what is our soon to be house

A few things about the house
1.  there is no yard or driveway under all of that snow..the building company
will be coming back when the snow melts to do both of those things

2. the landscaping is totally on us we know nothing about plants/trees ha ha!
our goal over the next few months is to do some research on what grows best where

3. right now we only have one close neighbor but there are a total of six lots
on our little cul de  sac so four more will be going up when the lots sell

4. our house backs up to a wooded lot and a storm water drain off
the back yard slopes down right before the wooded area
this is going to make a great sledding hill in the winter! 

Alright..I just love the red front door

If our new house had not had a red door this would have been

on the top of my to do list! 

This is the kitchen

and we have some major plans for it! 

Starting with appliances which we ordered to match the microwave

and dishwasher the builders put in. We are painting and adding a tile back splash

before we actually move in and then will decide what else it needs

disregard the weird staging furniture and decorations

this is the living room with great vaulted ceilings

our only plans for the living room is to paint

I have not gotten a good picture of the dining room

but we also planning on painting and changing out the light fixture

The dining room has a slider door to the back yard

(and non existent patio :)

The bedrooms are bedrooms

We are planning on painting all of them

One will be ours

One will be the girls

and one will be a guest bedroom/office

bathrooms (2)

like the rest of the house..needs a little 

Heather and Russell personality thrown in the mix 

and a little color

I have plans for a VERY purple bathroom..

We also have an unfinished basement that we hope to

convert to another bedroom (someday)

a play room and a fun hang out room

We will be posting pictures of our projects and updates

Stay tuned!