finding the source…

Do you have a photo saved on your computer but can’t remember the original source?  Did you find a pin on Pinterest that you love, but the pin doesn’t take you back to the original blog post?  Have a pre-Pinterest inspiration folder on your computer that you’d love to pin but have the foggiest idea of where you found the photos?

In my 12 in 12 post, I posted a photo that I loved and am using for inspiration for Grayson’s playroom – but I couldn’t find the original source.  Well, I got a fabulous tip from a reader, Jennifer of Sweet Pea Stitches blog.

How awesome is that?

Here is a little visual “tutorial” for you…start off by going to www.google.com.

 

Many thanks to Jennifer and her awesome tip!

12 in 12

I recently saw this idea on the London Reid blog and thought it was such a twist on New Year’s resolutions.

Amber explained the 12 in 12 idea like this:

“…this year instead of making 1 New Year's resolution, I will be making 12.  One for each month in 2012.  On the first of each month, I'll post about that month's resolution and also share how I did with the previous month.”

Don’t you love that idea?! 

January’s project for my 12 in 12 is going to be to update and organize the playroom.  It’s one of the first rooms that you see when you enter our home and I’d love for it to be a place that Grayson loves to play (which he already does!) but also be organized and avoid looking like the room threw up toys.  Anyone else have a playroom like that?



Here is what the room looked like before we bought the house.  We removed the wallpaper, painted, replaced the carpet, and took down the spindly half-walls which opened the doorway up a lot more.  It’s a great room with great potential.



This is what that same wall looked like last month – before we sold the couch and book shelves. 



I made some “alphabet flash card art” last year for this wall.  I still love how it looks, so it’s staying!
The plans right now are to build a 9 foot long book shelf unit for the wall that the couch and shelves were previously on. This is my inspiration:



Sadly, I do not have the source for this picture!  I came across it on a blog and e-mailed it to my husband without saving the address.  If this is your picture, please let me know!


Thanks to an awesome blog reader, Jennifer of Sweet Pea Stitches, who pointed me to the source:
http://nineandsixteen.blogspot.com/2010/10/our-house-playroom.html

I love that the shelves will hold lots of toys and books, but is definitely useful after we are out of the playroom stage of our lives. 

I’ll be back in the next few days with more inspiration for the play room!

find joy in the journey…

I wanted to share a little printable that I designed for my friend, Erin.  She blogs over at Worthy of the Prize and is a fellow pastor’s wife.  Our husbands were on staff together for a few years and they are dear friends of ours.  Erin is an amazing writer so I wanted to share an excerpt of the words she posted along with the printable:

Sometimes it is incredibly easy to find joy in the journey, isn't it?

Love. Engagements. Weddings. New jobs. Healthy babies. The list goes on.

But what about when the journey gets tough? When you just cannot take it anymore and you want to quit.

Anger. Break-ups. Divorce. Lost jobs. Miscarriages. Sickness Death.

It is during these times that you must "choose joy." And believe me, sometimes you have to search for it. And sometimes the holidays can be the hardest. Find God in the little things. Count those blessings that you usually take for granted.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. {James 1:2-4}

May you find joy in your journey in 2012.