:: help me to know

You gift me with all the good gifts that make me the person you created me to be. Help me to know and find your will and to trust that you will help me to understand the path you call me to journey in life. Where there is doubt give me courage. Give me a heart open to your quiet voice so I can hear your call to me. Help me to know your faithfulness and help me to be faithful to that which you call to me. Amen.

Happy Weekend

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

Pin It

:: leaving our nest

The Wren's Nest...a HOME tour...

Well, it's official we are leaving our nest soon....see my little perch hanging under there. I'm excited for the change, but also a little sad to leave my home of 10 years. I can hardly believe it's been that long, my children were just little little's when we moved in, now they are teenagers. We've had so many good times in this home...it's bittersweet leaving it all behind.

Many meals with friends & family have been enjoyed in this kitchen. I can just see my kids propped on the bar building gingerbread houses, making cookies for Santa & dying easter eggs.

Cozy fires, Christmas morning, and beautiful sunrises have been the highlight of this living room.

The dining room like most sees action only on special occasions such as holidays & parties.

The kid zone....hodge podge furnishings, cartoons & movies, drums & guitar, games & sleepovers...many many memories.

One of my favorite spaces to create has been my sweet Punky's apartment

I put in the bookcases & gate to create a little playhouse area when she was little & also to hide all the mess/toys from the door , now it's her personal sleeping space & hideaway & she has a little living room instead. Time is marching on, and toys are giving way to boys {uh oh... well not quite yet} clothes is more like it.

My little mister has gone from a giant playroom bedroom to his personal pad including private bath. Gaming system & computer station required.

Our oldest chick is off to college and this has become a landing zone & dumping ground for her more & more infrequent visits as she enjoys her new found freedom.

Movie central, family hangout & guest quarters complete with private bath & workout room.

My fun studio with it's amazing vaulted ceiling, I'll miss you too...at least when you're clean

{ Our Dreamy Master Bed & Bath }

Many talks & cozy sundays have been spent in front of this fireplace in our Master bedroom.

Kids sleeping on the sofa at the foot of the bed, and snuggled in with us too. Those days too are fading away as everyone grows up and into their own...ready for change & a new move.

Proof that things are what you make them, those are simple wire shelves. A little organization makes things much nicer. Though it is a big closet,  it doesn't have to be big to be tidy & pretty.

Just a simple laundry room, but I sure will miss my little window. 

In my personal opinion this could have very well sold our house all on it's own...

{ THE PANTRY }

Is it crazy that this is probably one of the things I'll miss most about this house....my new pantry.  I just had it custom designed to my specifications not even a year ago now. The best part is that my family finally keeps it neat & clean too. What more can a mother ask for?

Hmmm did I leave anything out? Besides bathrooms? 

A Foyer? A lovely staircase, what, did you say two staircases? Done.

Front Staircase

Back Staircase from keeping room.

Goodbye my lovely home with 2 tons of new rock borders installed just last fall by yours truly. I can't believe we are actually moving. I hope the new owners will enjoy all of the hard work & love that have gone into making this house a home...it's been good to us for 10 years.

Mostly we'll miss all of our friends & wonderful neighbors.

WELCOME HOME

{tears, sniffle sniffle}

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

P.S.  stay tuned for our adventures in moving & our new home.

Pin It

:: today...

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

Image my own of the Pieta at St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City Rome

Pin It

:: knitting

I've just been knitting....drinking tea & coffee....and knitting some more.

Here's a little knitting inspiration for you & me.

Image Sources can be found on my PINTEREST board here.

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

Pin It

:: paper mâché fun

via

via 

via

via

via 

Some creative eye candy created with paper.  I'm fascinated with paper mache and all of the wonderful fun whimsical things that can be made with it.  I love the idea of being able to create art & reuse all of the excess paper in my life...newspaper...paper boxes...old books. I'm dying over the Angelina Ballerina sculptures...such talent.

{peace, love & hugs}

Pin It

:: snow day

We finally had our first snow of 2013 last Thursday. It was so exciting when the first flakes started to fall. We all gathered around the window doing our snow dances while watching the huge flakes fall to the ground. The kids were super happy to finally have their first snow day, and a Friday at that...even better.

The only downside was that it put us a day behind in our weekend plans of taking a trip up to the cabin. The upside was that when the power was back on & the roads cleared we were able to extend our snow day to a whole weekend because there was still quite a bit of snow in the mountains.

This is the view out of one of the old cabins tiny windows. I love how my mother has her aqua ball jars lined up in the windowsill framed by her sweet handmade curtains.

There are few things I love more in this world than a good ol' wood fire, and this woodpile kept us nice & toasty all weekend. Thankfully Papa kept us stocked up with freshly split wood...and I think he really enjoyed it too. It was so nice to enjoy the crackle & pop of a real wood fire while knitting, reading, playing games & drinking coffee.

We did venture out of the cabin for several meals at the local cafe. We also took a little road trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway to one of our favorite scenic destinations Mabry's Mill. The roads along the parkway are never scraped, so you definitely need four wheel drive to travel safely along these slippery roads. It was worth it though to see the Mill with snow for the first time.

What a beautiful sight it was. My family has now decided that the next time they call for snow we are hopping in the truck and high tailing it to the mountains so we can enjoy the snow falling while nestled into a toasty warm cabin.

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

Pin It

:: fe fi faux fur

Well hello, and Happy New Year! Boy what a crazy holiday this was for our family.  I'm sad to say that I'm so glad it's over. Above is a photo I snapped while I still had a few holiday decorations out. I went very easy this holiday on decor. After a round of the flu for everyone in the house, I just didn't have the energy...which is also why I haven't checked in here in forever.

Sometime during the holidays as I was sitting in my comfy chair I realized I kind of liked this view so I took a snapshot.  It's nothing earth shattering in the decor world, but it's my world & I'm kind of fond of it. For a little change for the winter I took the slipcover off of my sofa & though I'm no longer crazy about the faded olive green fabric, it felt appropriate for the winter months and the corduroy is oh so comfy. I am however loving faux fur this year, especially in pillow form...in fact I've added several faux fur pillows to my decor as of late. I also adore my cute bunny pillow I found at Tuesday Morning. It adds just a hint of the blues that I have splashed around the room.

I hope this post finds you all well. I'm off to take my son to the orthodontist, I'm excited....he is not. What can I say, I love pretty straight pearly whites, and at 13 he could really care less.

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

Pin It