Easy Wine Rack and Chair Re-do.

Part of the reason I haven't been blogging is because I moved in August and we still don't have internet. Crazy. I know. We have hijacked our neighbors for now. (Don't tell her!) BUT I have also been doing a ton of projects. I am always on the hunt for something to paint or repurpose. Thrifts stores, clearance sections, craigslist, yard sales and estate sales. You name it.

On a thrift store hunt I found this little gem for $6.99. Yup. Dirt.Cheap.

It was in excellent condition and came with a perfect piece of glass on top. My roommate was like "Ummm it's kinda ugly" and I was like "Ain't nothing a little spray paint can't fix, boo."

I had the perfect spot for it in our new little place. 

That was that. In the buggy it went. -Am I the only person that says buggy?-

I chose red spray paint. I really wanted it to stand out against our white-ish, yellow walls.

I painted her, let her dry and set her up inside.

Isn't it pretty?! The whole project cost me, maybe ten bucks. Seriously. One of my favorites. I know she only has one sad little wine bottle in the picture, but we keep her pretty full now!

My roommate had a chair that she used with her vanity and it was pretty rough. The seat was coming off, it had like 37 layers of fabric on it and it was really stained. I had some extra burlap and suggested that we recover it. A couple of staples and a little bit of fabric later, we got this...

Before and after.

The chair itself was in good condition so we didn't even bother painting it. It looks super cute with her vanity! The best part of this was that it was totally free! Woot.

I have several more projects to share. Seriously. Nightstands, lamps, a dresser, no-sew curtains and a pallet wine rack that you don't want to miss!

Happy Thursday!

Dating Part 3: All About The Men.

This is the last part of my dating posts. (I'm sorry it took me so long.) You can find Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE.  Part 3 is all about the men in our lives.

I think most women forget about what men need from us. This is a HUGE deal. As women, we are notorious for getting so caught up in what we want and how we want it that we forget that men have needs too. As little girls we are taught that we are all Princesses and that the world revolves around us and that's just not the case. A relationship IS NOT all about what someone else can do for you. It's more about what you can do for someone else.  If you're single, it is NEVER too soon to start praying for your future boyfriend/husband. What are the most important things that your future/current boyfriend/husband will need from you?

• Prayer. The most important thing that you can do for the current and future men in your lives is to pray for them. Pray FOR them, not ABOUT them. Pray for his relationship with God- 2 Peter 3:18. Pray that he will be a spiritual leader for your family- 1 Corinthians 11:3.  Pray for his mind -Romans 12:2. Pray for his mouth- Ephesians 4:22. Pray for his heart- Mark 12:30-31. Pray for his feet- 2 Timothy 2:22, Hebrews 12:1 Pray for wisdom- Psalm 37:30, James 1:5.
• Respect. In my opinion, this is number one thing every man needs. (Aside from prayer.) Men need to know that you respect them and that you value them. You do not have to agree with him all the time. But you have to respect him. He needs to know that you respect his opinions, his choices even when you don't agree with them and his mother. You don't have to like her, but you have to respect her...She did raise the man of your dreams and that's worth respecting.
• Praise. It is essential to a mans every day life that you praise him. They need to know that no matter what happens, you will always be their biggest fan. So many crazy things go on in day to day life. He has to know that he gets to come home to someone that it's proud of him for working hard, and being the man that he is.
• Trust. You have to trust him. I know, so many things in your past make this so hard for you. Me too. But if you constantly treat him like he is up to no good, eventually, he will be. No man wants to fight a daily battle with an insecure women. Trust him. Take his word as his word. 
• Best Friend/Safe Place. He needs to know that he can always count on you. Count on you to listen, count on you to give him space when he needs it, count on you to be there without words sometimes.  Men are very different from women. Sometimes, they just need time to regroup. He needs to know that he can come home and be in a safe place. This means, don't nag and fuss at him. Let him come in and unwind. He will talk when he is ready.  Just be there when he needs you. 
• Reasonable Expectations. You can't expect anymore out of him than you yourself are willing to do. That's just not fair. You want him to wash your car? Really? Do you even wash your car? Didn't think so. (I learned this one the hard way) Don't expect him to hang the moon and bring you flowers daily. It just ain't gonna happen, sister.
• Judgement Free Zone. Do not judge him or constantly condemn him for mistakes he has made. Talk about it. Forgive him. Forget it. Move on. We are all human. God forgives you everyday for your mistakes and He calls us to do the same for others. Especially our spouses. He deserves forgiveness from you just as you deserve it from him.

That's the end of this little series. Finally. A year later. Procrastinate much? Ha.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me! 

Again, this is all my opinion and what I have seen work for others in my life.

Happy Wednesday, Y'all!

Jen

Living Joyfully.

In my previous post I mentioned that I didn't meet my goals for 2013. There were a lot of reasons that I didn't. Distractions, procrastination, laziness, etc. I really prayed a lot about what my goals should be for 2014. In early December I really felt like God was pushing me to work on myself, my attitude and my constant comparison of my life to others. (The two go hand in hand for me.)  But since I am being totally honest here, the MAIN reason I didn't reach my goals because of my attitude. WHAT?! That's right. I have a bad attitude. I always have. From the time I was little and could make my presence known I have had a bad attitude. I'm 26 and I can finally admit it.  I mean, I'm not a super angry person or anything. I just get frustrated easily. Especially when things aren't going the way I think they should or I don't feel happy. I let the way I feel in the moment, because of what's going on in others lives, affect what comes out of mouth and  how it comes out of my mouth. So the minute things don't go my way, I get all sassy and sulky and junk. I know. It's not cute. It's not beneficial to any of my relationships. And it happens because I didn't/don't have a joyful heart.

With that said, my main goal for 2014 is to live joyfully. And not just to live joyfully, but to choose joy. Every day. Even when I don't feel like it. When joy fills your heart, it is so evident in everything that you do.  I also decided to start a new tradition of choosing a verse for each year of my life. Naturally, I chose a verse to go along with my main goal.  

See, most people think that joy and happiness are the same thing. And they are not at all. Your happiness is based on your circumstances and joy comes from your heart, despite your circumstances. Happiness is a feeling. Joy is a condition. In our day to day lives there are so many uncertain, uncontrollable things. Those things affect our circumstances. Those circumstances affect our happiness. BUT, when you have a heart that's filled with joy, not even the uncertain or uncontrollable things can affect that. You can't control the world around you, but you can control your heart. For me, it's is very important to remember that "Comparison is thief of joy."I am constantly comparing myself to others and how far along they are in their lives compared to where I am. I have allowed the lives of others to have a direct impact on how I feel about my own. Not anymore.

I am committing to #livingjoyfully in 2014. Regardless of what's going on around me, who's getting married, who's pregnant or who got that fancy promotion. Comparing myself to others and what they have going on is no longer an option. God has a plan for my life and for that, I will be joyful. He is in complete control.  No more sassy attitude because I'm not getting my way. It's not even about me. AT ALL. Here's the thing, I don't even have to worry about those things anymore. It's not my responsibility. The Lord holds my heart in His hands. He is my joy. He protects and comforts at all times. His presence is constant. No matter what happens, or how it happens, I will praise Him for His plan and be joyful through the trials and tribulations.


Happy Thursday Y'all!