Redecorating, Recent Finds, and Sewing Projects...

I used to be a little obsessed with decorating (and redecorating) my house. It was something that the Holy Spirit convicted me about several years ago. My home had become an idol in my life. Then some things (aka panic/anxiety disorder) sent me reeling, bringing me to the realization of just how distorted my priorities had become.

One thing I learned was that I MUST spend time daily in God's Word. That was the only way I could stay focused. Not being able to leave my home due to agoraphobia led me to this conclusion out of necessity When you have no strength left in your mental bones, you either go crazy or you go to the Word.

Fast forward a little over two years later... I still occasionally wrestle with discontentment. I have learned that I have to consciously guard my heart. I have to be careful of the time I spend perusing blogs that focus on "the home", we no longer have HGTV (that was a big discontentment source), and I constantly find myself having to remind myself that I am totally blessed beyond measure (there are so many people in this world that live in poverty or worse; how dare I complain about my green kitchen counter tops!)

However, I still do enjoy decorating. I just have to do it differently now. I want for our home to be pleasing to the eye and cozy for my family and all who enter our doors. And I don't believe that God minds if I spend a little time and a few dollars on decorating the walls in which we live and breathe most of our days as long as I keep things in perspective and guard against discontentment and covetousness.

Most of my decorating takes place with thrift store or yard sale finds. And I guard how often I redecorate.

I found this old kitchen scale a few weekends ago. I love the nostalgic look it has! I actually have used it to weigh food a couple of times. I bought it solely for the looks of it, so I love that I've actually used it for the purpose it was built. $3.00 was all I paid for it!


I had a dark, primitive country shower curtain hanging in our hall bathroom. My style has shifted to a lighter, more airy look over the last couple of years. I found a set of long lined window panels (these are at least 84") at the thrift store in the early spring. I took one of the panels and am now using it for a shower curtain. It doesn't pull the whole way close, but we only ever pull the vinyl liner shut the whole way when showering anyway, so it doesn't matter. The pair of panels cost me $5.00 total. I have the other panel set aside for some other future use. Maybe pillows for my sofa?

And while we were on vacation, I found a couple of cute shops. I found this reproduction turquoise pitcher that I really just fell in love with...

And I also found these baskets at one of the shops. This came as a set of two (one large, one smaller.) They're painted a light, beachy yellow color, kind of "chippy" and distressed, just as I prefer things!

I'm also planning on painting my hutch in my dining area white. I discovered half a gallon of white paint in the basement last night, so I'll use that for a completely free makeover.

And when I get brave enough, I plan on attacking my kitchen cupboards with paint of some sort. Probably a white or off-white. This is something I've been wanting to do for years, but haven't worked up the gall to do it yet. It's a big project, an unnecessary project, and I really need to make sure I have the time to devote to it before I dive in!

Yesterday, Lily and I did a little sewing. I've been wanting some new, summery pillows for my sofas. The pillows that we have were purchased 11 years ago with the sofa, and they're threadbare in some places.

(When I sew, Lily always wants to participate. What I do is cut out two small squares, put them right-sides together, pin them and draw sewing lines for her to sew along. It's always far from perfect, and most times she doesn't even complete the project, but it gives her practice and helps to establish fine hand-eye coordination.)

I made this pillow cover from a thrift-store find sheet and trim. I measured the dimensions of our sofa pillows and made the cover to fit the pillows we already have.

Then I made this pillow for Lily's bedroom from an old sheet and trim I got on clearance at WalMart a while ago. It turned out simple, cute, and goes perfect with her bedding.

Oh, and completely unrelated to sewing, I'm so excited to finally have hydrangeas on my hydrangea bush that I can dry. I cut these two blossoms off yesterday and I started them in the drying process using the water-drying process. There are several more blooms on the bush that I will cut off and dry once they are ready.

So, the important thing is to have our priorities straight. It's fun to decorate and rearrange things in our home to make things look fresh and new. There's nothing wrong with that. When we start to err is when our homes become an idol in our lives. And there's a very fine line between the two, as I know personally.

So have fun decorating your God-given home, but ask for God's blessings and discernment as you pursue it so that you continue to honor Him through it.

Have a blessed Tuesday!