May 24, 2013

what to consider when remodeling your home or kitchen - guest post by Isabelle

Whew...has it been a month since I blogged?! 
Well, I'm back {sort of} and 
I have a slew of guest posts to publish. 
After that I'm taking a break from 
accepting guest posts and will be back with my weekly posts - hooray! 

I hope you are all doing well and stay tuned...

For now please enjoy a few guest posts! 


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What to Consider When Remodeling Your Home or Kitchen:

The home is the center of a person's life, and the kitchen is the center of the modern home.

We really want to enjoy being at home in our kitchens. Updating your kitchen to make it more comfortable and livable is the best way to make your home feel new and fresh and prevent the feeling of  it being outdated.  A warm, welcoming feeling can be achieved in a kitchen more easily than you think, with a couple of replacements and clever tricks of remodeling.
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I've seen some remodels that make the interior unrecognizable  Before you make your place, look at different interior examples from design firms like Unique Design's kitchens and bathrooms. Look at photos and inspiration to help you get ideas.

When remodeling your home, or drawing up plans, create a reasonable budget and then make sure that you stick to it. Don't overstretch yourself  on your plans, you probably  won't  know how much work it will be until you begin. Remember, building requires permits! Make sure that you have all of your permits sorted out, done and dusted and ready to go before you start to build. Building without a permit is illegal. You want to build a beautiful home, not break the law.
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Be prepared for your remodel to take longer than you had anticipated. This isn't always the case, but it often is. You might be pleasantly surprised. Enjoy the new space that you will create!

Apr 28, 2013

my Grandma's legacy of love

When I think of my grandmother, I think of a woman who was not only beautiful inside and out, but I think of her inner beauty that radiated to everyone she came in contact with throughout her lifetime. I still can't believe she's gone, because her light was so bright I never thought it would fade. The good news is, even though my grandma is now gone, her light still shines and will continue to gleam brightly. She left four beautiful daughters, including my mama, who are here to spread my grandma's legacy of love. These beautiful daughters have children and grandchildren who will never forget my grandma's love and will continue to spread God's love. As a granddaughter, I don't take this legacy of love lightly. This legacy means spreading God's love and never forgetting how much my grandma's faith meant to her and those around her...
I grew up as a little girl who always looked up to and admired my grandma. She was so polite, elegant, and shy, but she made such an impact by saying only a little but always meaning what she said when the timing was right. She wasn't afraid to tell others what she thought, but she did so always in a kind and loving way. Her God was her rock and after my grandpa died when he was only 66 I was amazed at just how much her strength in God carried her through. I admired her faith in God and aspired to be just like her when I grew up.

Being raised as a Christian, I knew how much my family's faith in God meant to not only to me and my family, but to my grandma as well. I felt connected to my grandma not only because of her enduring love and faithfulness to those around her, but because of her faith in God. I always loved talking to her about God and discovering what her latest favorite Bible verse was. We were also always swapping Christian books, especially the historical romance novels. My favorites that we loved to read and talk about were Christy, Julie, and the Love Comes Softly Series by Janette Oak. I loved that later we were able to watch the Christy books by Catherine Marshall come to life on television and then years later also watch the Love Comes Softly series as well.
Even though we lived far a part I never felt less close to my grandma. Because of our deep love and connection with God, I always felt an even more intense love and appreciation for my grandma. Whenever I spent time with her I felt closer to my Savior just because my grandma was near. She had the ability to bring the presence of God with her wherever she was. She was always aware of God and His presence and invited Him to be wherever she was. I always thought that was such a beautiful gift and today I too make an effort to think of God's presence wherever I am. She had such a deep faith that radiated from the inside out that touched my soul and everyone around her.
Even months before her passing my Uncle Scott would read the Bible to her, reminding her of God's love. Even though my grandma had Parkinson's I knew that He was taking care of her, and He never left her out of His sight and loving embrace. My grandma knew this as well and often spoke of God's love even though she was nearing the end of her life. I have no doubt that my grandma made an impact on the nurses and caretakers surrounding her in the facility and after she passed away my mama so lovingly told them that my Grandma had Jesus in her heart and accepted God's grace. My grandma never let a moment pass her by without letting someone know about God's love and grace.
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I will never forget my grandma and I will never forget her legacy of love. I will continue this legacy by spreading God's love, because that's what she would want me to do. I imagine my grandma now in heaven, with my grandpa and Jesus by her side. They are no doubt enjoying a beautiful day in the meadow talking about all about some of God's great mysteries that we don't yet know on this earth. She's walking the streets of gold and sending her love from heaven to her beautiful daughters who will always remember her lively spirit and journey of love.
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Thank you for your legacy of love grandma - I will never forget you and I will love you forever.

Apr 24, 2013

taking a break & she'll always be in my heart

Hi Ocean Dreamers,

I'm going to be taking a bit of a break from
blogging this upcoming week.
My grandma passed away a few days ago and
I'm going to be spending time with family
and my BK and just cherishing life.
I'll be dedicating a post to my
grandma soon, but wanted to say hi and let you know that
you can keep up with me on Twitter or my personal Facebook
{friend me if you want} in the mean time.
Feel free to catch up with me there
if you want to know what's going on.
Thank you to those of you who have
reached out with thoughtful wishes. xoxo.

Guest posters - please bare with me while I take a bit of a break.
I can still publish your post later on in a few weeks
or feel free to pitch your post to someone else.
Thanks so much for understanding.

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