Small Spaces That Speak To Me

Hi Friends,

It's been such a long time since I blogged, but my sister Leslie started back up with a lovely site: Inventive Hospitality (you should go check it out), and it reminded me of just how much I do enjoy writing down my thoughts & sharing them from time to time...so here we go again!

This last year we moved into a new home that has brought us so much joy as well as a few challenges (hello giant crack in the wall)!  But over the course of the year I have relished the opportunity to make this new place our own.  I've always been a fan of interior decorating, and with the inspiration of my mother and her elbow-grease to boot...I've loved tackling house projects since I was young.

What I'm discovering with this new project, is that I want this home to be right for us.  I want it to be beautiful, fun, practical, and interesting.  I want it to reflect the people who live here!  I think this is in line with where I am in my life as well...because I've come to the place where I'm no longer trying to be like someone else or dress like someone else or now decorate like someone else. 

I LOVE Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper (even visited her Magnolia Market recently), but I need some color in my life.  I swoon when I see sweet pictures in home decor magazines, but I know the practicality is not for my family.  I still pin lots of ideas on Pinterest, but I've given up any illusion that I can copy them.  So I'm having fun mixing and matching random things and creating an environment where my family can thrive!

One thing I've discovered that I love: random groupings of items that speak a story to me.  For example: this is the corner of my bathroom sink. 

Here is why this speaks to me:

1. The Bust: I've wanted a bust since I started reading The Nesting Place, my favorite decorating blog a couple of years ago.  From time to time I would see busts in her pictures from around her home and I decided that I needed my very own serious looking bust.  Also, I LOVE Pride and Prejudice and one of my favorite moments from the latest movie is when Elizabeth is walking through the sculptures at Pemberly.  There is something so regal about a bust...but then to layer it with my necklaces reminds me that you can be elegant...but you've also got to shine your personality.
2. Several pieces of jewelry that I keep out are from Noonday Collection.  Can I just tell y'all how much I LOVE Noonday?!  I enjoy jewelry, but I really love jewelry that is helping women around the globe.  And FYI - Noonday is having a huge sale right now, in fact the gold and black cuff is on sale...go check it out & read about their vision.
3. The picture in the pink frame is of myself as a 1 year-old with my Mema.  My Mema went to heaven last year, and I still miss her.  She was one of the toughest ladies I've ever known...and recently someone told me, "Paige, you are tough."  They went on to explain that those words were a compliment, but I took them that way...because I want to be tough like my Mema.  Her picture reminds me each morning that great women do hard things.
4. The quote is pretty self explanatory, because like you, I often spend more time than necessary in front of that mirror wishing a blemish away...or trying on a 3rd outfit for the day...and sometimes you need to be reminded to just slap on a smile & not worry about it.
5. Lastly, these books are all favorites.  Let me tell you why: 

1. Beyond Our Selves by Catherine Marshall - Growing up I read Christy & Julie several times by Marshall and I LOVED those books.  I would envision myself as a school teacher in the old west (too much Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables too), and I would have some sort of love triangle.  I loved the purity in these books and yet also the stories of strong men and women trusting God in the midst of truly hard circumstances.
2. Fresh Brewed Life by Nichole Johnson - this book changed me when I was in college.  I think this was the first book where I felt like the author was brutally honest about her struggles and wrestling with God.  I read it in a season where I was learning it was okay to wrestle.  Everything didn't have a 3-step solution, and this book taught me to breathe in the midst of the uncertainty.
3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - I read this every year.
4. Scouting the Divine by Margaret Feinberg - this book caused me to see God in nature in a new way.  I loved Feinberg's discoveries and the fact that she didn't just settle for nice truths...but that she continued to dig - both in Scripture and in nature.
5. Here's to Hindsight by Tara Leigh Cobble - this book wasn't my favorite, but I love the title.  I like being remembered each morning that at the end of the day I'll have a bit more hindsight into all that has transpired in my life, and to remember that things that don't make sense now...may make sense later.

 Who knew that a small space could speak so much?  Do you have happy/meaningful places in your home? 

What I'm Into This Fall

There is finally a briskness in the air here in West Texas and I am most definitely happy about it.  I've been ready for the fall for the last month because the fall means boots, sweaters, warm drinks, baking, visits from international friends and crafts with my girls.  I LOVE fall - can you feel my joy?

I want you to love the fall too!  And I thought that maybe just maybe you would like to hear about 5 things that I'm really into this fall.  I know that I'd love to hear about what you are loving right now!  So here we go:

1.  My New Lace Up Boots
I have long had a love affair with boots.  It goes back to my bright yellow cowboy boots that I got in the fourth grade - they were awesome!  So every fall I look at what is new and fashionable in the boot world, and then I try to invest in a good pair.

I've been eyeing lace up boots for sometime but just wasn't too sure that I could pull them off.  However, I was in TJ Maxx last week and found these beauties.  The price was right, and I got brave and decided that if I had confidence I could pull them off!

I also feel like I'm a woman from the 1800's

2.  Healthier Yet More Delicious Food
I went on a fast last month, and before you think that means I'm super spiritual or a health fanatic, let me be honest...I'm not.  I'm 34 years old and a pastor, and this is the FIRST time I think I have truly fasted.  And it was HARD!!!  I didn't like it, and yet I'm also so glad I did it.  It was something just between myself and God, and He did some needed things in my heart and life during those 21 days.  It was a time good for the soul, but it also ended up being good for my body as I discovered in those 21 days that I eat a lot of crap.  I did the Daniel fast, which basically eliminated my four favorite food groups: bread (really most carbs),  sugar, caffeine, and pretty much anything processed.

In some ways I had to relearn to eat, and I discovered that REAL food actually tastes better than so much of the processed food out there (now, I still love me some pasta and the occasional Oreos), but I left those 21 days with a desire to try to cook more and eat more real food.  I tried out new recipes, and discovered that although there is work involved in eating healthier, it paid off because I've felt better and like knowing what is going onto our family plates.

These are my 3 favorite discoveries that I keep making (the recipes will be at the end of this blog):

Roasted Broccoli (or any veggie for that matter)- The first time I made this broccoli I proclaimed it a game changer on Facebook & I'm still singing it's praises!  I simply tossed bite size pieces in olive oil and sprinkled some sea salt over it and cooked it at 350 for 10-15 minutes (my oven is hot so I usually cook things shorter).  I seriously felt like I was eating french fries - DELICIOUS!

I don't have a picture of my broccoli, but here are sweet potatoes that I also roasted.

Banana, Oat, & Chocolate Chip Muffins - I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to give it a try one day when I was REALLY missing anything that resembled bread.  And OH MY GOODNESS - I was shocked!  It was actually one of the best muffins ever - and it was so nice that it wasn't too sweet.  I didn't feel like I was just eating cake (which is honestly what most muffins are - morning cake ;)).  Please get the recipe below & try it out!

Please ignore my muffin pan...

Homemade Granola - I have ALWAYS loved homemade granola.  My mom makes it often but this was my first time to try it out for myself.  I used Barefoot Contessa's recipe off of Food Network with a few tweaks.  You can find the original recipe here & I'll write out my version down below.

And the BEST thing is that all three of these recipes were easy.  I was under the impression that to eat healthier I would need more prowess in the kitchen, but these three recipes have given me confidence...and if I can do this anyone can.

3.  Shauna Niequist's Writing - I just discovered Shauna Niequist, but once I did I've made her my crush and promply went out and purchased all of her books.  Maybe because she's a pastor's daughter or maybe because she is brutally honest or maybe because she sometimes lives on the water (and I'm insanely jealous of that scenario) or maybe because I get glimpses of myself when I read her words - for all these reasons and more - I want to be like her when I grow up!

If you haven't read any of her writing, you can start here: http://www.shaunaniequist.com/

And then you should run out and buy her books.  Her latest, Bread & Wine is my favorite.

4.  My Dining Room
I wrote a couple months ago about transforming my living room and dining room with a coat of white paint, and I showed off a few changes in my living room.  My dining room, however, has had a difficult time emerging.  I had different ideas, but I was hesitant to pull the trigger on any purchases.  I finally remembered some great advice about decorating - find one thing you LOVE and use that as the starting place.  So I started looking at art and I finally found a picture of the world that is in bold colors and I just knew that it was for me.

We are passionate about exposing our family to the nations - we travel when we can and tell stories about friends and strangers all over the world.  I love how colorful the world is and how it expands my heart every time I meet people from other nations - so this piece of art is fitting.

The room continues to emerge, but I'm excited that as fall has come and we gather around our table to eat; we will literally have the nations near to remind us of friends and those for whom we pray!

5.  My Favorite Apps
I'm not very app savvy, but when I find an app that I like I tend to use it A LOT!  Here are my current favorites:

Feedly - This is a well known app if you read many blogs, but if you don't know about it and wish you had access on the go to your favorite reads, this is a great option!

IHOPKC- I'm a fan of the prayer room at IHOP in Kansas City & I often turn it on when I'm home alone with the girls.  I am so excited that you can now listen on your phone and you can even listen to archives based on type of set or worship leader.

VSCOcam - This is my new favorite photo app and after a couple weeks of use I LOVE it!  It allows you to control the filters and make slight changes to your phone pics.  In fact, every picture on this blog was edited with VSCOcam.  Below you can see another example of this fun app - before & after:

Before VSCOcam

After VSCOcam

 So that's what I'm into this fall!  What about you?  Anything that is making you feel fallish?  Any new things that you'd like to share with me or those who visit the blog?  Would love to hear from you!


Banana, Oat, & Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 3 mashed bananas (the more ripe the better!)
• 1 cup vanilla Almond milk (any milk should work)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp Baking powder
• 3 cups Old Fashion or Rolled Oats
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips together, and let sit while you prepare the muffin pans.

Spray a muffin pan and/or liners with with non-stick spray.

Stir the chocolate chips into the oatmeal batter.

Bake 20-30 minutes, you’ll see the edges just starting to brown and they will be firm to the touch.

Homemade Granola

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup good honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Toss the oats, coconut, almonds, and cherries together in a large bowl. Pour the vegetable oil and honey over the oat mixture. Add the cinnamon, and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated with the liquids. Pour onto a sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

What I've Learned While I've Been on a Blog Break - Paint Is Your Friend

Well hello, Becoming Paige!  I've been gone for far too long...unsure of why exactly - just busy with the ordinary and allowing writing to slip a place of priority in my life.  But I'm back, and I thought I'd share a few things I've learned over the last 3 months!

I was going to make this one post, but it has become so long (apparently I've learned a lot over the last 3 months) that I've decided to make this a 5 part series...and I've actually written all 5 parts so come back later this week for more that I've learned.

Now, to the first thing I've learned: 

1.  Paint Can Totally Transform a Space
If you have ever visited my house you know that it is covered (wall to wall and ceilings too) with wood paneling.  When I first moved in I loved the wood - it was beautiful real wood (not cheap paneling) and the house had the ambiance of a lodge or cabin.  I would welcome people to "The Lodge" when anyone came to visit and I was happy and cozy in my cabin-like atmosphere...

UNTIL...

I had Haven.  I'm not sure what happened with the second baby.  Maybe it was the hormones or maybe it was that we now had another person in The Lodge...but for whatever reason, the wood no longer felt homey - it felt clausterphobic.  Some days I felt like the walls were closing in on me and so I began dreaming of painting everything white.

My dream became a reality - thanks in large part to a wonderful couple - Gayle & Kay Whitten, and I AM IN LOVE!  I love my home again.  It now feels like a beach bungalow.  It is white and bright and feels LARGE!  I think the pictures speak for themselves.

BEFORE
(PLEASE NOTE I DID NOT TAKE TRUE BEFORE PICTURES...SO THIS IS THE BEST OVERALL PICTURE I COULD FIND)

AFTER

 

BEFORE

(AGAIN...JUST FINDING OLD PICS)

AFTER

(OH, AND I'M KEEPING IT REAL & TAKING QUICK SNAPSHOTS WITH MY KIDS' TOYS OUT) 

Mr. Whitten in the midst of sanding (for over 8 hours)!!!!

Can you see why I'm giddy?!  So, before I move to the next thing I've learned I want to say a GIGANTIC thank you to Gayle & Kay Whitten.  It ended up becoming a difficult project even for these professional painters & you should come feel my walls - they are perfection - like butter!

If you need a true transformation in your home, perhaps you should consider paint!  I've kept all my decor & furniture in the living room, but the pain has inspired me to rearrange, purge and redecorate - it's been fun!

That is my first lesson while I was away!  Next up....the secrets to a phenomenal garage sale!  Have a great weekend

Need Some Inspiration for Back to School? Try a Party!

Loved the colorful decor!

I've always loved Kathleen Kelley in "You've Got Mail" when she talks about the joy of freshly sharpened pencils and the smell of fall in the air!

I don't know about you, but I'm realizing that fall is in deed in the air and with that comes back to school!  Josh's family has a long line of teachers and so back to school season has special meaning.

In order to get the kids excited about jumping back into school mode, Josh's aunt Clarice planned our first ever back to school party!  She had heard how much Selah loves a good party and Selah counted down the hours to this really fun shindig!

If you are looking for a way to get your kids excited about school as they wave good-bye to slow summer days then you should look into throwing your own back to school party!  Here is what ours looked like:

First, go to your local school supply store and create decorations like Aunt Clarice - she had a garland made out of flash cards, apples and name cards at every one's plate!  And each kid had their own special bin filled with markers, colored pencils, composition books and more!

Not only did she have thoughtful decor and gifts, she also planned out fun activities for our party!  First off, we had some school riddles to solve.  Josh read out the riddle and the kids did a great job of getting the right answers!  One example was, "Why was the math book so sad?"  The answer "It has a lot of problems!"  I found out kids LOVE these silly questions!

Josh reading the questions

Levi is first to answer the question: "How does the bumble bee get to school?" The answer: "He rides the BUZZ!"

Selah tried answering a couple of the riddles too!

 After our fun time of solving riddles, Uncle Dwight read The Kissing Hand to everyone.  Selah liked the pictures and I loved them having the opportunity to hear this precious story.

Oh, and then we sat down to some delicious treats!  Brownies, peach crisp, ice cream and colorful straws made this a party Selah will never forget!

Can you tell that this is a happy kid?

Here is Aunt Clarice serving up sweet watermelon!

I loved the attention to detail!

 And then the kids played - here is Selah and Levi diving into their colored pencils and puzzle books!  After this special day I think everyone is ready to get back to school!

Thank you Aunt Clarice!

Coloring with cousin Levi

Little Nugget Gets a Name & a Room!

My Little Nugget is only two weeks away from her due date, so I guess it is time to give her a name and let the world know what we have chosen!  After much debate and thumbing through baby name books we've decided to name Little Nugget - Haven Joy Allen.

I just love this name!  Haven was the name that first came to me, and Josh wasn't sure about it at first, but it grew on him.  He mentioned it to his mom & tears immediately came to her eyes so that was the clincher in his mind (thank you Marcy)!

It is my prayer that little nugget will be a haven - a safe place - for people throughout her days.  And in my heart I also feel like our family is about to enter into a season of living in a haven of hiding.  Not sure if that makes sense, but after 12 years of marriage in which we've run at full speed, Josh and I are in agreement that we need to take more time to breath and listen.

Our sweet Selah has the middle name Hope, and therefore, Joy seemed to be a fitting connection for this little one & with her big sister.  Also, Josh's sister is named Joy, and we've both always loved claiming JOY over our child.

So, little Miss Haven Joy - you are welcome to come at ANY time!

Onto Haven's Room!
We have had a back bedroom that has been the catch all for the last 3 years.  As of a month ago, this room included:

• 2 office spaces (one for Josh and one for me)
• A guest bed with side table
• A treadmill (can I admit that I haven't used it in over a year?)
• And our extra television with a comfy chair

Seriously, it was a random room in which we stuffed all of our "extras" in one space.

So, we cleaned everything out & simply started with brown walls, a guest bed, and ONE office that is in the closet.

You can read a previous blog about how I transformed my closet into an office here.

With the brown walls & the idea of JOY in my mind, my mother and I picked out some vibrant fabrics for Haven's room!  I walked into the fabric store without a plan, and I was inspired by a bright fabric with giraffes.  It is completely different from the soft hues and romantic feel of Selah's room, which perhaps is why it felt perfect.

With the choice of some random fabrics I didn't fully know what to expect, but as usual, my mother's talent and creative eye created beautiful bedding for Haven!  And what I love even more than the beauty is the simple knowledge that where my baby will lay her head has been created with love - each stitch covered in prayer and the thoughts of her Gigi.

Lovely soft quilt with colors of coral, brown, off white, and green

I just LOVE every detail - the bright bows and colorful sheet...

And the trim is truly JOYFUL!

Thank you, Mom!  Can't wait for my girl to lay her head here.

With the bedding as our inspiration, my mom and I decided to add a bit of flare to the room with 3 paper lanterns above the crib. 

I also decided to keep the guest bed in the room - We live in a old house and are blessed with huge rooms - so, this room will still serve multiple purposes.  I decided to keep the bedding simple on this guest bed - a simple white down comforter & striped pillows with the same color as the baby bedding.

We also decided that because the baby bedding was so colorful to keep the curtains simple - they are white ruffles - so girly...yet simple.

And then we focused on finishing touches.  Like this changing table area.

I found this giraffe print for just $13 - I'm now in love with giraffes!

In fact, I'm so enamored with giraffes that I also included one on the dresser that houses Haven's clothes and blankets!

Our guest bed & this dresser were my great-grandmother's.  I had this furniture when I was a kid, so I love that it is being passed on to my girls.

Here is the giraffe!  Hello, my friend!

This was Selah's favorite book when she was under 1...I read it to her everyday and hope to continue that tradition with Haven.  You can't hear how much you are loved enough!

As I mentioned, we are keeping this room as a multi-purpose room, so I"m keeping my in closet office!  It is now OUR place for writing, business docs, and storing a multitude of books.

It was a fun transformation, and I'd like to say another thank you to my mom who helped with every step along the way!  Oh, and also a big thanks to the soon-to-be BIG Sister...

She was a big help & she loves Haven's room so much, that she wants to make it her own...uh oh!

Hallway Transformation for CHEAP - My March Pinterest Challenge

Addicted to Pinterest?  Oh, me neither...I only glance at it on my phone at least once a day - just hoping I don't miss that idea that is going to change my life.

I have gotten more selective about what I post on my boards though - I try to limit to those images or links that I might actually use one day...and let's be honest those days don't come around too often.

So, this weekend I decided to take up the Pinterest Challenge (something that I hope to do monthly) and actually follow through on an idea that I saw on this addictive site.

I've posted a few images of black & white picture collages with the hopes that I would somewhat replicate this in my little nook of a hallway.  Here are the images I had posted:

Source: google.com via Paige on Pinterest

Source: emilyaclark.blogspot.com via Paige on Pinterest

And I especially liked the first image...but I had a few issues:

1.  I didn't want to spend much money
2.  I wanted to keep it simple since it is a small area
3.  I wanted it to flow well into my girls' rooms (they both have a somewhat vintage feel)

So, I went through boxes of old frames and found a shelf that I had used a few years ago and was saving just because a shelf is always something nice to save.  I then chose a few of my favorite pictures and photoshopped them all with the same finishing.  I then sent them off for printing & here is the final result!

And the best part...it cost me a grand total of $12.  Yep, a little transformation for $12 definitely makes this girl happy!

And I also get to daily see some of my favorite snapshots of our little family.

Like this one of Selah last Easter so happy and taking the stage in front of all the family!

As you can tell, I used all sorts of frames, some with mats and others without.  I tried to keep everything black and white with the exception of the desk and an antique clock from Josh's family.

Do you have any cheap transformations in your house?  It's amazing how a new look just makes you feel excited all over about where you live!