No Idea of the Impact

I've heard this.

And I think it's true.

My words.

Will either build up.

Or tear down.

Which will they do?

Have you ever been a bit desperate?

That's not such an attractive word, is it?

Okay.

Have you ever just been a little in need?

Of encouragement?

I've found.

A little......can go a very long way.

Some was given to me last week.

And I didn't even see it coming.

It was said to me.

Most eloquently.

And genuinely.

By someone who probably had no idea.

Of the impact or the meaning.

It had for me.

I needed it.....and it was timely.

I've thought about it since.

And realized.

How many times I've let opportunities pass by.

To encourage someone else.

But I didn't.

I paused.

The moment passed.

And for one reason or another.

I didn't say it out loud.

To someone.

That might have needed it just as much.

As I did last week.

So I'm working on this.

Encouragement.

And it's true what they say.

Words are powerful.

They can build up.

Or they can tear down.

And how I choose to use them.

Can either encourage.

Or discourage.

Who's on my path today?

In my line of sight?

Right in front of me....today?

That might could use a word of encouragement?

I need to speak it.

And be intentional.

About offering it more often.

It's given or provided at no cost.

But many times.

As it was for me.

It's invaluable to receive.

Better Equipped

I know.

 And I've seen the difference that prayer can make in my own life.

And in the lives of the people I love most.

And I just want to encourage anyone that's reading my blog today.

If you're facing a difficult time.

Reach out to your friends and ask for prayer.

You don't have to tell everybody.

But if you have a group of trusted people that care about you.

Tell them specifically what you need them to pray for.

Especially in your community of family at church.

There's been a couple of key times in my life.

When I had the choice of struggling with a tough issue alone.

Or reaching out and asking people I love to pray for me.

To pray specifically for what I'm facing.

Is it hard to be specific?

Sometimes.

You're putting yourself out there.

And being vulnerable.

But, I believe God wants me to be specific.

And I can tell you without exception.

Asking for prayer.

In those times when I was desperate for answers or relief.

Became a turning point.

Each and every time.

The enemy will try to discourage it.

Oh, you shouldn't share that.

What will people think?

They'll think you're weak.

Or, they'll think you're a mess.

The truth of the matter is.

We are weak.   We're all a mess.

And we do need each other.

But prayer.

I truly believe.

Can absolutely alter an outcome.

I love what Sarah Young wrote in "Jesus Calling"

When you pray, you're actually....

"participating in battles going on within spiritual realms.
You are waging war -- not with the weapons of the world,
but with heavenly weapons..."

Prayer is a heavenly weapon.

Don't hesitate to use it.

And the more people I specifically ask to pray with me.

The better equipped  I become.

For the battle.

Decorating by Pinterest

I know it sounds ridiculous.

But, there's some truth to it.

Pinterest has changed my life.

Okay.

Pinterest has at least.....made me a more creative person.

I rarely have completely original ideas.

Few, in fact.

But.

If I can see something.

I can often recreate it.

And for that reason.

I'm totally hooked on Pinterest.

Yep.

My secret is out.

Pinterest gets the credit.

For 99.9% of my best ideas.

Especially when it comes to decorating.

After you see these photos.

You'll be amazed.

At just how many ideas.

I took from Pinterest.

Pinterest Photo

Before Pinterest, I always hung a single piece of art on a wall......never considered hanging two.
Especially a larger one on top of a small one.

Until now.

Found both these art pieces at consignment shops -- and hung them one over the other
in our living room.

Pinterest Photo

I liked the idea of an accent color on a door.   The Simplify sign (I already had
a similar one.)

So I paired them together on my own backdoor.

Took the same paint color as the mudroom walls --
and painted the back door.    Added the "Keep it Simple" wooden sign I already had.

Pinterest Photo

I owned two bar stools and planned to sell them in a yard sale until I saw them used
on Pinterest as end tables.

Now, they sit on each side of my sofa in our living room.

Our bar stools were already painted a nice pumpkin color.
All we had to do was put a lamp on them.

Pinterest photo

None of our bathrooms have closets, so we needed bathroom storage.
The idea of using a vintage cabinet was the perfect solution.

We found this narrow cabinet at Granny K Antiques on Hwy 25 N in Greenwood.
It fits this small space & provides just enough storage for towels & bathroom stuff!

Pinterest Photo

I have no idea why the vintage scales appeal to me, but they do.

And as I started scouting around for interesting pieces for our house, they weren't too hard to find.

I used them in my kitchen and my dining room.

This set of vintage scales sits on our re-purposed china hutch in the dining room.

Pinterest Photo

As soon as I saw this bird bath on Pinterest, I knew I wanted to use one by the claw foot tub.

I found one in pretty rough shape at Home Consignment in Greenwood.

Not quite the finish I was first looking for when I spotted it.


But, a little cleaning & sanding and a little white spray paint goes a long way.

I piled our bird bath with small soaps & bath products right beside the claw foot bath tub.

Pinterest Photo

Little did I know that there's such a thing as book shelf art.

I started studying  book shelf photos on Pinterest.

I looked closely at  what well put together book shelves had in common.

Grouping like book binders colors.

Adding interesting pieces......and lots of different textures.

Wood.    Glass.     Rope.      Pottery.

Stacking books.......in small groups.......horizontally & vertically.

Really not that hard.

So I took a lot of similar things and set them up the very same way I saw
them done on the inspiration photo.    Not hard at all to duplicate.

Pinterest Photo

Before I saw this very picture on Pinterest.

I only planned to have a brick back splash in my kitchen.

Just under the cabinets or under the windows in the kitchen.

But when I saw this picture.

I said......why not all the way to the ceiling.

And we did.
Best decision we made in the kitchen.   The old bricks were found stashed away inside
a plastered up fireplace upstairs.   The nearly hundred year old bricks were washed,
sliced by my sweet husband and then glued directly onto the kitchen wall using liquid nails
and a rope & wood dowel to keep the brick evenly spaced.    Thank you Pinterest!

Pinterest Photo

I knew I wanted an old vintage piece converted to a bathroom vanity.

This was my inspiration photo.

We added drop in sinks and vintage hardware.

It made an unusual feature in our claw foot tub bathroom.

I like it.

Our contractor installed the sinks so carefully, we still have full use of all the drawer
space & doors in this piece.

Pinterest Photo

I'll paint anything.

And when I saw this inspiration photo on Pinterest, I went on a search for a china
hutch I could refinish.

And  I found one.

At Home Consignment in Greenwood.  (See Below)

This is how it looked when we brought it home.

A great piece.  Solid.  Well made.

Just dated.

I waited until it went on sale and snagged it for just $160.

A coat of paint later.

And some sanding for a distressed look.

This is how we finished up.

Scott replaced the back of the original piece with old bead board for added character.

(It was salvaged from the original back porch ceiling.)

And if you look closely,  we took down some of the country style trim & spindles.
I added some white enamel ware I've been picking up here and there.
P.S. the round flat baskets leaning against the back were souvenirs we bought
in Charleston on our honeymoon 32 years ago.

Pinterest Photo

Sometimes you just find a picture that appeals.

This one was my inspiration.

When I saw it, I knew I had to find a claw foot tub.

I liked the combination of the old wood furniture, the tub & the wood floors.

And it helped me create ours.

Pinterest Photo

I don't collect many things.

But I do have a few vintage alarm clocks.

When I saw this Pinterest photo of clocks displayed on a shelf.

It gave me an idea for wall art in our house.

I found the galvanized wall shelf at Hobby Lobby for half off.
All of my clocks fit nicely inside.

Pinterest Photo

This was also one of my first inspiration photos on Pinterest.

I decided not to do the free standing sinks, but I stuck with the double mirror idea
with three walls sconces dividing them.

And the result was pretty close.

Pinterest Photo

Coffee bars are a stroke of genius.

I don't know where the idea came from, but I love them.

I knew I wanted to include one in our house, so I pinned tons of coffee bar pictures for ideas.

And this is the one we ended up with.

We painted a thin board with chalk board paint & attached it to the wall
above an old buffet we found in Ridge Springs.

Scott added simple wood shelves to hold an assortment of old coffee pots
we've picked up over the last nine months.

This Pinterest photo below also gave me some chalkboard  ideas.

Pinterest Photo

Which was easy enough to create on ours.

Pinterest Photo

I love all things rustic.

As I ran across these old mill carts on Pinterest.

I knew they would make a really interesting coffee table.

But, they were very hard to find.

After months and weekends of looking.

Scott & I stumbled on an antique store on the way home from Columbia one Saturday.

Best find of the year and now a cool piece in our living room.

Pinterest Photo

I love everything about this vintage crib bulletin board.

And they're pretty easy to find.

Now hung on a wall in my studio.

I even took the idea of the old typewriter!
Found in it's original case at "Just Off Main" in Abbeville.

Pinterest Photo

I think I copied about everything in this picture.

From the color & style of the cabinets.

To the two sided wall clock we picked up from Hobby Lobby.

(During a 50% off sale, of course.)

Pinterst Photo

The idea of converting an entertainment center into a bench appealed to me.

We had a nice one....that I didn't  really need to for our TV any longer.

Since I was using black furniture in Kate & Josh's room.

I moved it there.

Now.

They can put their suit cases on the top when they visit.

The drawers and shelves can be used for linens, magazines, baskets or books.

Pinterest Photo

We have 8 fireplaces in our house.

The four upstairs are closed off.

And just for looks.

I put plants in a couple.

And liked this Pinterest idea for another.

Firewood in a basket.

Pinterest Photo

This was the very picture from Pinterest that we provided to the guy that made our
front door.

I would say.

He completely nailed it.

A perfect match.

Pinterest Photo

This Pinterest picture was my inspiration photo for the stair way.

I love the mix of art and finishes.

Clocks.   Mirrors.   Paintings.

Just.....interesting.

And very similar to how ours turned out.

Pinterest Photo

This was my inspiration picture for Kate & Josh's bedroom.

The mountain art.

White coverlet.

Black Bed.

Pale green accents.

Seriously!    Total replication.

Pinterest Photo

I didn't know where I would find such a piece.

But the idea of a simple wood table with vessel sinks.

For our bathroom.

Was exactly what we wanted.

So we took this picture to Dale Sherwood of Abbeville.

And that's exactly what we got.

Dale built this 6' vanity from very old reclaimed lumber.

Pinterest Photo

This photo was our inspiration picture for the walk in shower.

I loved that band of mosaic tile and the neutral colors.

And after pouring over options at Lowe's in Greenwood for a very long time.

We pulled together something pretty similar.

For our master bath.

Pinterest Photo

I really like the look of grouping wall mirrors.

I've started on a small display in a bathroom.

But, my favorite are these mirrors hung by a strap.

I found them at Hobby Lobby at a half off sale.

Pinterest Photo

When I saw this picture on Pinterest.

I could see it in Scott's study.

Ours is a much more simple design.

But the layout is pretty much identical.

I saw this picture of an old ladder used as a towel rack months ago.

About the time we were cleaning out a shed on the property.

We ran across a really old wood ladder.

And I put it aside.

Score!

Pinterest has lots of great ideas for old ladders, but this is my favorite.
Now  I have my own.

Pinterest Photo

I googled transom windows from the early 1900's.

And pinned this design.

I used it to create a stained glass mosaic transom.

Using one of the original dining room windows.

A personal touch that was my gift to this house.

Maybe it will hang here for another hundred years.

Pinterest Photo

I love vintage suit cases.

And they're pretty easy to find.

I stack mine.

And display them on top of furniture pieces.

On top of cabinets & on this primitive piece in the second floor landing.

Pinterest Photo

I never saw a screen door used on a pantry until I saw this picture on Pinterest.

I had to have it.

Our contractor built ours from scrap lumber.

The serving utensil as the door handle was also a Pinterest idea!

Certainly, not mine.

One of my favorite ideas in the whole house.

Plus.

The door swings both ways.

(Also not my idea....but genius!)

Pinterest Photo

You can't beat an over sized wall clock.

Pinterest has lots of them.

I love them!    And we've included them in a couple places in our house.

Pinterest Photo

We found about four of these heavy cement urns on the front porch of this old house.

That run-of-the-mill light cement color.

When I saw this idea on Pinterest.

They got the same painting as our front porch.

And look?

100% better.

Pinterest Photo

I love the simplicity of white cotton coverlets.

And this picture on Pinterest spurred my memory.

I had one stuck away in my linen closet.

Out it came.

And it looks just right for an old house.

Pinterest Photo

Windows as wall art?

You see this idea a lot on Pinterest.

I had an old window frame.

With just the right fading, shabby paint.

Perfect choice for my mud room wall.

Just above the washer and dryer.

Pinterest Photo

I've also developed quite a fancy for vintage wire baskets.

And even though I'm not a cook.

I do own a few cookbooks.

And I liked the idea of displaying them in the wire baskets.

On our kitchen counter top.

Pinterest Photo

Egg baskets are very much the same.

These are a little harder to find.

My grandpa Wister used them in his chicken houses.

And I found these in someone's shed in Travelers Rest.

(They invited me to come and plunder through.)

Now these are on display on top of our cabinets in the kitchen.

Pinterest Photo

And lastly.

I would never have thought of making a house number.

Out of the tons of stained glass I have on hand.

But, with a scrap piece of shelving board.

And a number "8" I bought from Lowe's.

This one is now a personal touch at the front door.

If you're short on ideas.

Or don't consider yourself creative.

Pull up Pinterest.

And pin what you like.

That's what I did.

And in the end.

Pinterest ideas are all over our house.