Featuring Grace

Today Grace Interior Design (graceinteriordesign.blogspot.com) has the awesome honor of being featured on Kevin's sister's blog, natyouraveragegirl.blogspot.com! Be sure to check her out- she has awesome posts about her baby, home, fashion,and great wisdom!!

Saving Grace

I know I was incredibly secretive in my last post. For good reason, I promise!

I wanted to wait until Kevin and I had a name, logo and DBA (like a business license- kinda) before revealing anything about our business.

But I am now pleased to present:

Grace Interior Organizing!!! :)

Read about how it all came to be through a text message:

http://graceinteriororganizing.blogspot.com/

TMI

It has been way too long since writing a post on our blog. I will never claim to be a consistent blogger, but letting a couple months go by is a little ridiculous. My deepest apologies!

I want to keep you updated on what has happened in our lives since my last entry- so very much has happened! The last few months in a few words run-on sentence.

Interviewed with the family in Manhattan Beach, got the job, Natalie delivered Blair Olivia Bushman, she was premature and in NICU for 10 days, we prayed, she is home, healthy, and beautiful, went to San Diego with high school friends, reminded how much I love them, had two free weeks before work, hung out with my mom, Cat came home from South America, hugged her, talked for hours, started my job, felt humbled, questioned why I was there, celebrated Easter, thankful for salvation, applied for a home loan, no responses, struggled to find time to see my husband, thought I was pregnant, started coming up with baby names, pregnancy test- negative, can't stop coming up with baby names, humbled but faithfully sticking out my job, dear friends had their baby, her name is Holland Mercy, she's beautiful, everyone we know is pregnant, sometimes it drives me crazy, had a sleepover with my college roomies, minus Megsie, my husband was on the couch, we all woke up and went to work the next day, growing up is weird, decided to start a business, on weekends only right now, early stages, hoping it grows, and now accepting grace for a new day and seeking purpose in what's in front of me.

Whew. It has been a time of transitions. Transitioning into both working full-time on schedules that are really off from one another. Kevin leaves at 6:30 am and I don't get back from work until 7:30 pm at the earliest. Then we make dinner and it's time for bed since Kev has to be up so early. On top of that there are Bible studies and other church events, family events, and get-togethers with friends that are total blessings, but having around 2 hours a day with my husband is wearing on me. Sometimes I just cry about it.

Transitioning into my job has been interesting as well. I'm working from 11am to 7pm as a Personal Assistant/Nanny. From 11 to 3 I do anything the family needs, from cooking, cleaning, laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, random errands, and helping with the new home they're renovating. From 3 to 7 I'm with the kids- homework, resolving conflict, playtime, dinner, resolving conflict, bathtime, reading, more conflict. The hardest part of this job has been how humbling it is. In college towns, many young, educated women work as nannies, but in Manhattan Beach, it is almost exclusively older non-citizen women, who aren't treated fairly or given many rights. Though I am a citizen and have a college degree (in Psychology and Child Development- which I feel like I use daily), I still feel a bit treated like "the help" and there are days where I wonder why I went to school to be essentially a part time house keeper. I am humbled, and I'm convinced that is not a bad thing.

Jesus, the Son of God was a carpenter until he began his ministry in his early thirties. If I feel that my life's ministry is to be a mom, and I have to spend 5 years being a surrogate mom to another family, it is no where near the humbling fact that Jesus' ministry was to save His people from eternal suffering with His life and spent decades working with wood. That's not to say that my ministry has not started. I do believe that there is a purpose in being placed with this family, and daily remind myself that my life's purpose does not begin the day I find out I'm expecting. It begins now. But I am at least encouraged to remember that Jesus understands my situation in an ever more intense way than I even do.

As for my business Idea, Kevin and I are really enthusiastic about it, and I'll be describing it in more detail later, but it's just wonderful when skills and experience seem to be pointing toward something that you need to do. I feel like the idea came to us organically and we're both able to use our current jobs as experience to put in our portfolio. More on that later.

My sweet, cuddly, beautiful niece, Blair Olivia.

Easter with my sister and her husband at my parents' house.

Hope March and April have been wonderful months for you as well. Excited to see what May has in store!

Whatever You Do

A few years ago, I heard for the first time a friend of mine use the term "funemployed". I've never experienced it. 


The last 6 months have been difficult geographically for my work life. I graduated in June, moved from San Luis Obispo to South Orange Country from June to August before we got married. After the wedding, we lived in Atascadero from September to early December before moving to Redondo Beach. That's three moves in just under 6 months.


I was so blessed to find a job teaching a Pre-Kindergarten class as just a summer gig, and found work this fall as a preschool teacher and nanny while we were in Atascadero. My experience in LA has been more frustrating. 


Everything I want to do requires a Masters, and Kevin and I have done the math, prayed, and both mutually agree this is just not a wise decision right now. What I desire even more than my masters is to be a stay at home mother in about 5 years, and the cost of grad school for just a couple years of work doesn't pay off in this short time before motherhood. 


I'm allowing myself to be picky in finding a job, and have even turned one down. I'm really looking for something I can keep for the next 5 years until we start having children, and I want it to be the right job.

Today, I hit my breaking point. Boredom, purposelessness, loneliness, and guilt of not contributing financially weighed heavily on me. I felt compelled to start journaling about it, and began by reading these verses, each one a huge encouragement to me in similar past times:

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.


Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.


Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.


I began soaking up the truth that the exercising, cleaning, baking, cooking, and decorating that I'm filling my time with should be viewed as service to the Lord. I remembered to be encouraged that it is the Lord's work to prepare good works for me to do, and He will make it clear how to walk in them, and I was reminded that there is nothing I can do to take the Lord's purpose for this time away.

This is not just a purposeless waiting period for motherhood. There is a purpose in the next 5 years that I don't yet see, and if I just fast forward through this time to get to being a mommy, I'll miss something the Lord desires to be done in my life. I need to continue to be patient.

Just as I was letting all this settle in my mind, the phone rang. It was a local professional nanny agency that I have recently become a member of. They called to inform me that not only do I have an interview this week with a family that sounds perfect, and is looking for someone just like me, but there's a family with a temporary need, and I start tomorrow.

The Lord is so good. In just a short time of being patient and waiting upon him, I've become so hopeless, but His purpose never left.

I'll keep you posted on how everything goes, and in the meantime, enjoy this encouraging song about finding God's purpose in whatever you do.

Prepare for Blair!

It's been a while since I've posted and I have a few good excuses, but I'll spare you. You're welcome.

This weekend I helped my awesome mother-in-law "Mama Pope" with a baby shower for my sister-in-law Natalie, who is 32 weeks pregant! It was so much fun, and so evident that Baby Blair will have a lot of people loving on her, especially her Aunt Tiffany!

Here are the few details I contributed:

The clash of soft pastels and a Mexican restaurant.

The baby shower was held at El Torito Grill, so Mama Pope and I had quite a challenge of transforming a bright orange Mexican theme room into a sweet, angelic, pastel celebration for a sweet bundle of joy.

Mason jars wrapped in lace and spray painted.

I saw this idea on pinterest.com, and had to try it. I first tried it on round vases, but the lace didn't lay perfectly flat, and obviously the paint didn't stencil the lace crisply. The mason jars worked great because the sides of the jar are relatively flat, and the wrapped lace was flush against the glass. I'm going to try this with white spray paint for our home soon!

Another pinterest idea...

I found a template for this on pinterest.com, but it was "Wishes for Baby". I replaced the word "wish" with "pray", which worked beautifully considering "Prayer" just so happens to rhyme with "Blair". I've loved reading the responses, and am binding it to give back to Mama.

I bought a Martha Stewart pom kit at Michael's, and while I was there, found some green paper lanterns, which I sprayed pink. It's hard to tell in this picture, but it's also covered in glitter.

The head table filled with goodies and gorgeous pictures of Natalie.

Ugh, this was hard to photograph for short little me, but I used an old book from a thrift store (The Divine Comedy..ha!) to make a banner that said, "Welcoming Blair"

Of course, the letters are coated in glitter.

Another pinterest idea that I stole.

 I really can't come up with anything on my own, can I?  They're popcorn bags that say, "Ready to POP!". Without a cricut, I was left to trace and cut each pregnant silhouette individually. My hand is still cramping.

Pink Kettle Corn. So easy to make!

Natalie got some really precious gifts, and was seriously glowing! What a beautiful mom-to-be!

Have a wonderfully romantic Valentine's Day!

To my precious sons and daughters...

Recently, while job searching, I was thinking about what I consider to be my calling, and hopefully someday my full-time career: Motherhood. 

I decided it would be great to start sharing my thoughts, lessons learned, recipes found, and mistakes made with my future children as they are happening. So I started a journal written to them, my unborn sons and daughters. 

As I was reading it the other day, my own words reminded me of Truth I needed. I hope it does the same for you.

Here's my first journal entry to my beloveds:

Monday, January 16, 2012

My Precious Sons and Daughters,

Though I do not yet know you, I know for sure that I deeply love you. I can already say this because I know a few things about you. 
           First, I know that you are not only made in the likeness of Kevin and me, though that is true. On a grander and much more significant level, you are made in the likeness of our Almighty God. I love Him, and I so love the way you reflect Him.
           Second, the Father, His Son Jesus, and His Holy Spirit love you more than I ever can or will. Please never forget this. Cling to it daily, remind yourself moment by moment that you are luxuriously cherished by your Creator, by your Savior, and by the Helper sent to guide and lead you on this earth. Remind yourself consistently that there is nothing you can ever do to earn this love, or win favor with the Lord. You are loved by no merit of your own (we ALL are). We must choose to follow the Lord’s commands as a response to being so loved, not because we must do what is good to earn this love. There is nothing we can do, but trust in what Jesus already DID.

Because of this Truth, I know I already love you, and True Love means leading someone more toward Christ.

You are loved. I love this Truth. I struggle to believe it. I yearn to know it more, to let it sink deep into my heart and affect my every thought, word and action. I hope by the time you come along, I believe it more solidly than I do now.

This is why this is my favorite worship song; I must remind myself that Jesus paid it all.

Jesus Paid it All

By Elvina Hall

I hear the Savior say,
 “Thy strength indeed is small;
 Child of weakness, watch and pray,
 Find in Me thine all in all.”

Jesus paid it all, 
All to Him I owe;
 Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I, 
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
 I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

Jesus paid it all,
 All to Him I owe;
 Sin had left a crimson stain,
 He washed it white as snow.

And now complete in Him, 
My robe, His righteousness,
 Close sheltered ’neath His side,
 I am divinely blest.

Jesus paid it all, 
All to Him I owe;
 Sin had left a crimson stain, 
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
 Can change the leper’s spots 
And melt the heart of stone.

Jesus paid it all,
 All to Him I owe;
 Sin had left a crimson stain,
 He washed it white as snow.

When from my dying bed
, My ransomed soul shall rise,
 “Jesus died my soul to save, ”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.

Jesus paid it all, 
All to Him I owe;
 Sin had left a crimson stain,
 He washed it white as snow.

And when before the throne, 
I stand in Him complete, 
I’ll lay my trophies down, 
All down at Jesus’ feet.

*Other versions add this wonderful section:

Oh Praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!

You can build your life upon the Truth of Jesus’ love for you, and you will see everything change. This is my greatest prayer for you.

I love you so much,

Mommy

P.S. I pray I live long through out all of your lives, but when my time comes, please remember to play this song at my funeral. 

One Flu Over the Cuckoo's Nest

I'll be taking the rest of the week off as I've been sick with the stomach flu. Hope to return soon!

While we're on the topic of pie...

Since my last Blog Post was about the awesome pie place we visited, I thought I would keep the theme going by highlighting a great pie-related garage sale find.

$10 Pie Safe.

This item isn't a recent find, but it is one of my favorites, and something we hope to keep the rest of our lives. We bought this at a ranch garage sale right after getting married when we were settling into our Atascadero home. All the lady we bought it from told us was that it was old and used for cooling pies.

Today I did some research and found out that they are called "Pie Safes". They are handmade by the Amish and retail for anywhere from $500 to $1,000. Wow. That's a purely lucky find.

Every Pie Safe that I found had that same exact tin face on the door. 

On top of our pie safe, I've been growing desperately trying to keep alive my Basil.

Remember this bird cage from this post? It served as our card holder at our wedding. 

Next to my Basil I placed some trinkets kevin made for me when we were dating. I love them.

Big pirate joke fans.

This was a Christmas present. Too good.

So, have you jumped on the Craigslist/Garage Sale bandwagon yet? :)

Home is where the art is

Before Kevin had graduated from Cal Poly, we used to throw around the idea of where we would like to live as post-grads. I don't know how many times we said the phrase, "We'll live anywhere from San Luis Obispo to San Diego...EXCEPT FOR LOS ANGELES!"

Then the Lord was very clear in calling us to LA, and I can say with out hesitation that I'm glad He is in control and that nothing is a surprise to Him. Kevin's job is so perfectly suited to his talents AND preferences, and we have actually been loving all the big city has to offer.

This weekend we ventured to Downtown La, specifically to the Arts District with my college roommate Colby, (who, get this, by chance ended up taking a job in Torrance and living less than 4 miles away from our place. What are the odds!) Anyway, the Arts District seemed like something you would see in a movie, and you probably have. There were "Notice of Filming" Postings all over the street and photo shoots happening at every corner.

We ate lunch at a pie place...sweet or savory, this place makes them all, and fabulously. I highly recommend it if you are ever in the area and in the mood for pie. If you're like me, you're probably in the mood for pie 100% of the time. Check out The Pie Hole and beware of mouth watering.

Here's some photos I snapped on our walk from the car, and some inside The Pie Hole:

Who invited you, telephone pole? 

Seemingly the one place in LA where graffiti is not painted over.

Man Beast. Naturally.

Insert philosophical caption about industrialization at odds with nature.

Seems welcoming enough.

Notice the little hearts. Adorb a schmorb.

Colby- more adorb than little hearts.

I am so in love with their logo!

Kevin and I split a bomb.com Chicken Pot Pie and a Macaroni and Cheese Pie. As you can see, there wasn't much any left.

Like I said- adorable. 

Succulents and scrumptious pie. Timeless.

All dreamy eyed over my Mexican Chocolate Pie. Seriously so good.

Sorry, Kevin, we're not sharing.

Fighting over the last few bites. Just kidding.

The wolf pack. It's shocking how many pictures we have like this.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend, and learning (like we are) to always be open to what the Lord has for you, even if it's on your "Will never do" list.

Don't be such a square

Now that Kevin is at work, I've been busying myself with decorating projects at home. I've wanted to try something similar to this since I saw it on pinterest.

Idea and photo via The New England Southerner

While at a local art gallery, Kevin mentioned that he loved the look of small square canvases in different colors or prints on a wall, so I pulled this fabric idea out to execute something he would love.

From Michael's, I bought square cardboard boxes.

I bought 5 of them at about $1.50 each.

I wanted to make a 9x9 tile square, but I didn't want to buy 9 boxes to only use the lids and throw the boxes away. Instead, I bought 5 boxes and used a bread knife to cut the bottom of 4 of the boxes to the exact height of the lids.

When deciding on colors and picking out fabric, I remembered a recent project that Kevin helped me with. Our apartment complex has a Trade Table, where residents place items they no longer want, and anyone is free to take something off the table. We found a beautifully almost-broken 4 pane frame, and I laid out my scrapbook paper and had Kevin choose which four pieces of paper to put in the frame. This is how it turned out:

These colors became my inspiration for picking out this fabric:

Fabric is so expensive! But I have leftovers for other projects, so it'll feel free then :)

I cut the fabric into squares that were 2 to 3 inches longer on each side than the square lids so the fabric could wrap around the sides. Then, I pulled the fabric tight so there was no excess fabric or wrinkles, and used an ordinary stapler. Probably not the best tool to use, but I made sure to staple it from the inside, so the staples are essentially invisible on the sides.

First one done!

After repeating this for all 9 lids (or sliced off bottoms of boxes), I decided what arrangement to put them in.

This was a fun puzzle to keep similar colors and patterns away from each other.

I hung them with two pushpins each, and worked hard to measure out the space between each square and get each square perfectly level. But here's the final product!

Sit and stay a while

I am so happy to say that Craigslist did not fail us. We found a great couch for an amazing price. There were a few disappointments along the way, like rearranging our weekend schedule to be in Orange County for an appointment to find out the couch we were looking at had sold before the appointment. That's just how it goes.

We saw this beauty on CL and decided it was worth the 45 minute drive to Eaglerock, LA to pick up.

Our $200 leather couch. What a steal.

Kev is starting to think the leather is too red. What do you think?

This purchase has turned out to be quite dangerous, though! Two nights this week we've accidentally fallen asleep on the couch cuddling instead of going to bed. We've woken up around midnight in a panic realizing we had no alarms set and Kev could have totally been late for work.

We should have gotten a less comfortable couch!

In other home improvement news, my sweet husband came home from his first day of work and still had enough energy left to hang my new curtains, a much needed addition.

Ugh, so dull! 

A more completed look for $10 each.

The scroll fabric.

Plain window...with my reflection in it. Oopsie :)

Same print as the blue, but in rust, with a scalloped edge and a second layer for $20 total.  (P.S. in between the before and after picture, one of our neighbors brought us an orchid. See how beautiful it is!?)

Rust scroll fabric.

Our place is slowly coming together. More photos to come as it all falls into place!

And thank you for your prayers for Kevin's first day. Work has been going well, and I just can tell he's going to love this new job, and of course they are going to love him.

How adorable was he on his very first day!?