Monthly Archives: February 2012

Feb28

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

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The Sound of Music was one of my favorite movies as a little girl.  Especially, the song that goes something like,  ”Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…..These are a few of my favorite things….When the dog bites, when the bee stings and I’m feeling sad I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel so bad.”  Isn’t it so true, when we are needing a little comfort we turn to our favorite things?  I know I do.

The things I like and reasons I like them is partly a result of growing up in a slow-paced, no fuss, Texas Hill Country town.  Part of it is because I come from a long line of creative, out of the box, thinkin’ women.  Part of it is a result of growing up with a mom who taught me how to stretch my dollar in every way possible and how to find beautiful things for the home in nature.  Part of it is the calm I feel when I look at warm environments like a Tuscan villa or an African safari.  And part of it comes from the excitement I get from rescuing something old and forgotten and making it the focal point in a room.  Ok, I’m going to stop trying to explain it and just show you pictures so you can get the picture.

Here are a few of my favorite things.

rusty metal boxes

unique chairs

painted ship lap walls and tin ceilings

flowy skirts

chippy green paint on furniture

bedrooms with masonry

mercury glass lamps

decorating with grapevine

wire baskets

Tuscany!

steamer trunks

furniture in the bathroom

vintage inspired lights

rich fabrics

wooden crates

parties in old wooden buildings

and chippy paint, plastered walls.

What are a few of your favorite things? Leave a comment, I would love to know.

With love,
Lauren

Feb22

A New Look and The Life Of A Home Remodeler and Decorator

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Did you notice anything new?  The Rescued Home blog got a new look!  I even figured out how to get a picture of me on the home page.  I have wanted something new for a while but haven’t taken much time to work on it.  It kind of frustrates me, I’m definitely not web savvy and I would much rather be painting or rearranging something.  So when I’m in a good mood I search through tutorials on WordPress and try to figure it all out.

I started writing about our home last April after realizing people wanted to hear about this hilarious journey we are on, learning how to be home remodelers.  I have wrestled with what kind of blog I want to write.  For a while I wanted it to be a DIY blog and wanted to grow it really big and be known for my blog.  I would stress out when I hadn’t written in a few days and feel like I was failing at writing a blog.  But then I realized I would much rather do the DIY project instead of tell others how to do it.  So I settled on the realization that my blog will be a place to share life as a home remodeler and interior decorator.  And along the way I may share DIY tips and some life lessons God is teaching me.  It fits me.  I can rest in that, instead of beat myself up by trying to be like all those other great DIY blogs out there.  And let me say there are some women out there that write some amazing blogs. I tip my hat to them and am so inspired by their creativity.

What does the life of a home remodeler and interior decorator like?  Well, for the past three years we have lived our lives looking to the next project, planning for it, saving for it, and searching the internet and magazines for ideas.  We drive to small towns and look at the architecture on old houses and buildings.  We often laugh at ourselves and say its amazing we have any friends our own age because we act like we’re 50!  We are intentional in how we spend our money since we have paid cash for everything.  We are always changing our minds on what we want and often ask ourselves if we are crazy.   Most of the time our house is covered in a thin layer of dust.  Our laundry room is where we store over 4o buckets of paint and our power tools.  Our garage is full of saw dust and building supplies.  There is always some sort of project going on whether it is a house project or something I’m working on for a customer.  We are always looking for inspiration.   As a couple our communication has been sharpened and refined as we have learned our own limits and each other’s.  We dream big together.  We believe anything is possible.  We look at a project and with great confidence say “we can do that!”  We love every minute of it, even when we think we don’t.  It has become part of us, it is part of our love story.

I was looking through old pictures of the journey and wanted to share them.

Our families have been an amazing source of encouragement.

We have done hilarious things like planting trees in the middle of a drought

and refinishing our front door in the office because it was too hot outside and one of the few places in our house with A/C.

We have broken a few windows

and have had to overcome any fear of heights or small spaces. Well, Joel has, we are still working on me!

We have left love notes in and all over the walls.

I have learned how to use power tools!

We have even had snow.

We spend a lot of time covered in dirt and grime.

Our weekends and vacation time are filled with painting

and great contentment once a project is completed.

It is a crazy life!

With love,
Lauren

Feb13

More Guest Room Reveal

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Hi ya there!  I hope your week is off to a great start.  Mine is going great, nothing too exciting.  We had a wonderful weekend that included celebrating our friends’ engagement, finding some new antique shops in the area and knocking out some sanding on the outside of our house.  We started working on the outside in October 2010 and we still have one side that needs work and we are hoping it will be done by the end of March.  I do want to share a picture with you.  On Saturday, we came in for a break, Joel sat down on one of our chairs and when he stood up this is what he left…

True artwork!

I have been chipping away at finishing out the guest room.  I’m working on a tight budget so it is taking me time to find all the pieces but I think it is coming together fabulously.  I bought an antique hand-woven rug on Saturday for $20! It needs to be scrubbed, I will share pictures once it’s cleaned.  I am still in the process of framing some art and making window coverings so I’m only going to share part of the room with you today.

I also wanted to share a little bit of what Rescued Home Interior offers.  Part of what I love doing is faux finishing.  I love to take a piece of furniture and through paint give it a new look or take a builder grade cabinet and make it look like custom cabinetry.  I applied a finish to this builder grade cabinet and transformed it from a light honey color to dark walnut.

You can click here to see all the services Rescued Home Interiors offers.  If you have builder grade cabinets or a piece of furniture that needs a transformation, send me a message, laurenlowry04@gmail.com.
I would love to help you get a new look for the fraction of the cost of installing new cabinets or buying a new piece of furniture.

Ok, now for the guest room.

Here is a picture I snapped before I re-finished the bed and side table that were both painted flat black.

Here is the after.

I painted the headboard in Beeswax by Sherwin Williams and distressed it.

I painted the side table to look like wood.

This picture was a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law.  I saw it at Goodwill but walked away from it because it was $12.  Goes to show how I only settle for a deeeep bargain!  $10 is usually my limit for a single item.  Joel told her I wanted it so she went back and got it for me.
I was so excited when I opened it!

The frame needed some help but it was nothing I couldn’t fix.

I found this chenille blanket at Wimberley Market Days for $10 and the pillow shams for $5 at a thrift store.

I bought this easel from an estate sale for $5 and the print “Dancers At Rest” from Goodwill for $7.

  

I will post pictures of the rest of the space as it comes together.

I also want to thank all my readers and all of you who are so encouraging through your comments.  I love sharing this journey with you.

With love,
Lauren

Feb8

Heart Bunting Tutorial

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Heart Bunting Tutorial

Valentine’s Day is six days away and I love the fact that it is a day dedicated to celebrating love.  The definition of love is a strong feeling of affection, loyalty, and concern for someone.  In the bible in 1 John 4:8 it says that “God is love” and then it goes on to tell us what real love is.
This means that
God is affection.
God is loyalty.
God is concern for someone.
Wow! How cool.  Yep, sign me up! If Valentine’s Day is a day of celebrating love then I’m in.
So in celebration of love I’m going to share my Heart Bunting tutorial with you.

Bunting are strings of colorful triangular flags.  I learned about bunting last summer while in England.  From what I understand, it is common to have bunting at british weddings.  I love how charming and playful they are.  I made my Heart Bunting last year at a craft night I hosted

We had so much fun making it!  This is an easy craft that can be easily created at a craft night.  You can have all the ladies bring scrapbook paper and fabric and everyone can make their own bunting.  Writing this post also reminds me of when I spent a day last summer, with my friend Casey, sewing yards and yards of it for an event I decorated! Read about that adventure here.

You will need:

large heart stencil
small heart stencil
scrapbook paper, cardstock, scraps of fabric
scissors
ribbon
glue sticks
hole punch

First, trace your large heart onto a piece of paper or cardstock.

Then trace the small heart onto paper, cardstock or fabric.  For some of my small hearts I used scraps of fabric but you want to use large cardstock hearts behind the small fabric hearts so they can hold the weight of the fabric.

Once you have traced both hearts cut them out.

Repeat with different paper and fabric.
Once you have cut out all the hearts, glue the small hearts on top of the large hearts and arrange them in a line.

Next punch two holes in your hearts. One on each top side of the heart.

Then tie the hearts together with five inch strips of ribbon.

Now hang across a door way or a window where it can be seen.

After Christmas I didn’t have much in me to do it up for Valentines so here are some simple things I did around my house.

I made a LOVE bunting.  I created a triangle stencil.  Took pages from an old book and cut out four triangles.  Then I stenciled the letters onto the triangles.  Punched holes and strung them together.


I leave you with this,
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud.  Love is not rude, is not selfish and does not get upset with others.  Love does not count up wrongs that have been done.  Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth.  Love patiently accepts all things.  It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures.  Love never ends. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

With love,
Lauren

Feb6

The Plunge

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I was thinking about life and the framework from which I view it.  I am in a season where all of it is being shaken, broken apart and remade.  I’m not a risk taker.  I’m a play it safe girl.  I didn’t climb a tree until I was 20!!!   On an emotional level, I cling to security, I fear the unknown but God is showing his faithfulness as he frees me from these things that bind me.  As I thought about these things I concluded that the person who has helped me grow the most in my risk taking is my husband, Joel.

Let me tell you one story of how I was quickly broken of my play it safe mentality.  It was 4 months into marriage and we were at Horsetail Falls, a resort outside of Monterrey, Mexico.   It was beautifully positioned on the edge of a mountain.  I was so grateful to be there, with my hubby, taking in all the beauty.  Then we came around a corner and there was a bungee jump set up over the edge of the mountain.  Joel looked at me and said he wanted to do it.  I thought OH MY GOD, he’s not serious!  Here we are 4 months into marriage and he wants to throw himself over a cliff, does he not want to live to see our one year anniversary???  I was definitely not fond of the idea but I knew I couldn’t allow my fear to keep my husband from his drive for adventure.  I knew in that moment I could allow my need for security to squelch my husband’s fire or I could trust him and God with our lives.  So I held back my tears and said ok I trust your decision. As he suited up I stood there shaking and praying, begging God not to let me become at widow at 22.  I watched him walk to the edge, I told God I trusted him, then my husband threw himself over the edge of the mountain.  He plunged up and down, over the tree tops screaming with exhilaration and excitement.  I was praising God as I saw my husband, like a little boy full of contentment, swing there, still alive.  I was so proud of him!  In my mind he wasn’t afraid of anything, he was my hero!  And God was my Good Father who I could trust with our lives.  That day forever changed me.

I still shake when God asks me to trust and take the plunge.  I find my self crawling back to security, clinging to the things I know.  But I know he has so much more for me.  He wants me to grow in confidence.  He longs to show me how strong and safe he is.  He extends his hand and says “Will you trust me.”

With love,
Lauren