8 years!

Today I am remembering this day...

It's a simple snapshot of us 8 years ago on our wedding day.

I've said it before and I'll say it again... I love that man!

As usual... we kept things pretty simple for our anniversary which we celebrated on Saturday. We sent the two older kids to Grandma Lane's for the evening and took the baby with us for a dinner date. After dinner, we got a little crazy and went shopping at Goodwill :)

The hubs bought this t-shirt...

"University of Lehigh... est. 1981... River Days"

He just liked the color... apparently after 8 years of being married my love of pastel colors has rubbed off on him.

I bought these beauties...

two antique pressed back chairs.

Love them and will love them even more once they're painted.

More than anything... I still just love being able to spend time with Brett. He makes me laugh, he holds me when I cry, he listens to me and encourages me to dream. As our years together continue to grow, I still find myself amazed at how well we fit together. The Lord has blended our strengths and weaknesses in a beautiful way. By God's grace our marriage is something that I draw strength from and I believe the Lord knew I needed exactly that, "beauty from ashes" as the saying goes.

Our promise is simply one that comes from God.

It is a promise that we have extended forward to each other and that is...

"never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

{Hebrews 13:5 b}

 So, after 8 years my heart is filled with love and gratefulness.

I consider myself to be "blessed beyond measure" and this is my reasoning...

Now, if this girl is really lucky... that wonderful husband of mine will finish our kitchen for my birthday present { Oct. 2nd }.

So, if you see him between now and then feel free to ask him...

"How's that kitchen coming along for that lovely wife of yours?"



my french blue vintage desk

I bought this vanity at an auction... $12 dollars. She was sitting outside in the rain and in pretty rough shape but I saw potential. I thought she would be perfect as a desk in our home. She's little so she doesn't need much space and she has lots of character with the turned legs and decorative drawers. My name was written all over this piece of this furniture.

I decided that this was the perfect project to try some "chalk paint" (not to be confused with chalkboard paint) as I have been looking into Annie Sloan's chalk paint for sometime now. Wish I could tell you that I bought it for this project but I didn't. Hopefully another time. I've done my homework and am convinced that I will love it. However, I did make my own "chalk paint". My reasoning: one, I had a custom made color on hand from Sherwin Williams that I wanted to use up and two,  I couldn't justify spending the money on Annie's paint at this stage in my life. {3 kids... 2 of them in diapers!}

The custom color I stumbled upon at Sherwin Williams is my version of the perfect french blue. I bought the color "Quicksilver" and started brushing it on these chairs but it wasn't what I had in mind. So, I took my gallon of paint back to them and said "I need it a little darker please" and they gladly helped this girl out. It was the perfect color for this desk as well, take a look for yourself...

For those interested... there are all sorts of "chalk paint" recipes out there. Through Pinterest, I was able to find and read some blog posts and tutorials regarding "chalk paint".

The recipe I used...
1 1/2 cups FLAT paint
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup Plaster of Paris

Helpful Tips...
Dissolve the Plaster of Paris in the hot water.  Dissolving the POP in hot water helps against the "grittiness" that people complained about. For a protective finish apply a coat of paste wax.

My conclusion...
I LOVED painting with the "chalk paint" and the look it gives the furniture. It's like I've been given a beautiful piece of furniture with a wonderful patina from my grandmother. Only in my dreams :)
Can't wait to try the good stuff!

Linking to:
The Farmhouse Porch
Knick of Time
Savvy Southern Style
Primp
The Vintage Farmhouse
Primitive & Proper
Restore Interiors
French Country Cottage
Miss Mustard Seed
Rooted in Thyme
The Shabby Nest
The Dedicated House