Time to Eat

Today I bought the last 'BIG' piece of furniture for my house!

My Dining Table!!!!

(We have to order it and therefore I don't have a picture of the real thing yet~!)

 

I actually got the four side chairs and two arm chairs for the ends. Little did I know there are leaves built in that make room for four chairs on each side and two on the ends...enough for 10 people to sit comfortably!!! Who's coming over?

Here is the room is goes in:

I am going to share with you a few of my favorite things right now: 

1. Pandora 

2. American Signature Furniture

3. My days off!!!!

4.  Old navy PJ pants.

5. Country music

6. Close friends

7. Taco mac

8. Headbands

Leave me a comment and let me know what you're loving right now!  

This and That

It has been a "This and That" weekend as far as decorating is concerned. 

I made two major purchases towards move-in!!!

The first is this:

  My entertainment center!

Please excuse the dust floating in the air!

Although this looks brown in the picture it really is black.

Imagine it with two black ladder shelves on either side with red and khaki and white picture frames, etc. 

I also found fabric for curtains in the living room and dining room.

 The other day at American Signature I also found four pillows for $19.99 that will go on my red couches.

I'm super excited about everything coming together so nicely. 

Here is a sneak peak into my bathroom:

I plan on painting the walls a dark lime green and having brown accessories.

Here is the fabric I found for curtains:

Those are all the things that I bought this weekend for my house. I can hardly contain my excitement.

On a lighter note! Today, while driving around in Athens I heard Rascal Flatts new song. I came right home and looked it up. These lyrics, to me, are the epitome of the bond between family and a few friends. I feel that I am lucky to have a family and friends who will live out the lyrics of this song for me in my times of need. I also pray that God will allow me to be this person in the lives of my family and friends. Read these lyrics and look up this song for encouragement and maybe a few tears.

I Won't Let Go

Rascal Flatts

It's like a storm, 

That cuts a path, 

It breaks your will, 

It feels like that.

You think your lost

But you're not lost on your own

Your not alone

I will stand by you

I will help you through

When you've done all you can do

If you can't cope

I will dry your eyes

I will fight your fight

I will hold you tight

And I won't let go

It hurts my heart

To see you cry

I know it's dark

This part of life

Oh it finds us all

And we're too small

To stop the rain

Oh but when it rains

I will stand by you

I will help you through

When you've done all you can do

And you can't cope

I will dry your eyes

I will fight your fight

I will hold you tight

And I won't let you fall

Don't be afraid to fall

I'm right here to catch you

I won't let you down

It won't get you down

Your gonna make it

Yea I know you can make it

Cause I will stand by you

...

And I won't let go

 

The Master Bedroom

Today, after taking my dad to therapy, we went shopping in Gwinnett for more deals for my new home!

Today's room of choice turned into MY BEDROOM!!!

There are no pictures online of my bedroom and I have yet to take one! 

I will be using the furniture I've used since I started sleeping in my "Big-Girl" bed. It belonged to my great-great aunt when she was a little girl. 

Today I bought....

A new mattress and box springs!

I found a really good deal on it at American Signature Furniture! 

Quite a few months ago I purchased this bedding, which I LOVE:

Here is a close-up of the fabric:

(I think I have pretty good tastes, don't you?)

The walls will be painted khaki and somewhere in there I am going to do a collage of wrought iron crosses...I hope it turns out okay! 

Here are some lamps  I found at Marshalls, for my bedroom, with the help of my friend,  Helen.

These will go on the two nightstands that I'm searching for! 

Here are some pillows that I've collected to go on my bed:

 I found the striped one at Pottery Barn at Mall of Georgia...I actually bought two. 
The orange and brown one came from bed, bath, and beyond...I think they go well with the bedding.


The only things I lack in my bedroom are a couple things to hang on the wall and two nightstands.


I am having so much fun collecting all the cute things for my house...even if I'm spending the most money I've ever spent in my life.


The appraisal and the title are complete and in the hands of my mortgage company....only a couple more steps to close on or before Feb. 11th!

My first steps into adulthood

***WARNING***

**THIS WILL BE A LONG POST**

*:)*

So, back in August I started looking for houses in the Winder area. I have been living back at home for almost two years and am ready to take the next step to adulthood, buying a home of my own.  

I know how much I am loved because everyone I come in contact with is super excited about coming along in the process with me. I can not tell you how many people have offered to help paint, pack, move, shop, decorate, throw housewarming parties, and spend the night with me. 

I chose a home back in August and started the house buying process. It was a short sale that turned into a not-so-short sale! I was getting overly frustrated with the waiting process and decided to start looking for other options. 

The day I started looking I found a house that I loved, in a nice neighborhood, with familiar neighbors. 

I found the house, viewed the house, made an offer on the house, and got a contract on the house all in the same day. This is how house-buying is supposed to go. 

So, after a long process....I should close on my new place on or before February 11th, YAY!

Now that the time is upon me...the things I've been putting off, have to be done like buying furniture, picking out paint and fabric, and tying up all the loose ends.  

I have decided to blog my way through the buying, decorating, moving, and settling. Hopefully you will share the journey with me. I will try to blog about each room in my house as it comes together nicely.

Today my parents and I ventured to The Real Deal in Jefferson to check out furniture options for my new home! 

I have been thinking about decor for a while now....since I started looking at houses back in August to be exact. 

 I went today without the intention of buying anything but merely pricing the furniture to search out the most bang for my hard-earned buck.

Here is the room of the day:

THE LIVING ROOM

I have decided on a Red, Black, and Khaki living room and from the start knew I wanted red couches to spruce up the room.

I failed to take my camera with me today and therefore only had my phone to take actual pictures of the things that I bought. The pictures I'm posting below are from the internet. 

I found two red couches!!! 

They are made by the same company but one is a sofa bed and one is not. They have only slight differences and I'm using two couches instead of one and a love seat.

This is #1. Imagine it with black and white pillows! 

Couch #2 is the same red but the picture on the website is khaki!

The only differences are the arms and legs!

Next I found my coffee and end tables. I really, really like these!

Here are all three together:

I had already gotten a khaki chair-and-a-half and ottoman for the living room that is also made out of the same microfiber material. I am so excited and can't wait to put it all together with the black, khaki, and red decor I've already purchased. 

Now all I need is an entertainment center for my TV. This could prove a major task because I am PICKY!!! (Surprise, Surprise)

I hope these blogs will not be boring for you to keep up with. I really enjoy writing them and recapping my trek to adulthood.

The BEST "Stay-Cation" ever!

This year is already flying by! Helen, Kristen, and I were planning a vacation for this past weekend.due to our hectic schedules and inability to plan time each week to see each other we opted for a weekend away. Through a series of unfortunate events our vacation turned into the BEST stay-cation ever! 

On Friday I picked Kristen up at her apartment and drove to get Helen in Snellville. 

We drove to Atlantic Station and had dinner at:

 We then proceeded to have dessert at:

 Where I highly recommend the Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream!

After our adventure to Atlantic Station, Tom Tom guided us around the world to:

  The Westin: Peachtree Plaza
We felt like royalty the entire weekend from valet parking, to chillin' in the sundial lounge for drinks, and not having to open our own car doors.
Here are some pictures from our window on the 56 floor (Sorry about the condensation):

(The Tech Stadium)

(Looking towards home...not that we were even thinking about home)


On Saturday, after sleeping late and catching up on the latest news,

We headed here for lunch:

 
Of course we had to takethe classic pictures:

Days are better when the HOT sign is on!

I have not posted in 12 days...guess this "keeping up" with a blog thing is not as easy as it looks.

This past weekend, Friday night to be exact, I was able to spend time with two of my best friends in the entire world, Kristen and Helen! We wanted to spend time with each other but were tired of the typical hang out things such as shopping, movies, games, etc. So......

We decided to make jewelry!~!

We bought the beads

(Hobby Lobby was 15 minutes away from closing when we went in...we made a mad dash around the two aisle bead section...and got out just in time)

On the way back to K's apartment the HOT sign was on...so we did a U-turn to pick up some hot, dripping, savory, melt-in-your-mouth delights.

We made it back to the apartment and laid out our loot:

K's

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

H's

 

 

 

 

 

`

Q's

        

After the set-up was complete work began. We spent a lot of time talking and laughing and truly enjoying each others company. Below you can find the finished products.

Kristen's

 

 

Helen's

Mine

This was definitely a "pamper me" night that I'll think of each time I wear my beautiful necklace. I would encourage each of you to spend time with the friends that you hold dear. You never know when you will need them the most. 

(I promise to become more and more faithful in blogging. Hey, I'm a newbie....what can you expect?)

Kick Bad Habits....no matter how hard it might be!!!

I wasn't going to write today because I thought I was at a loss for words. But, it's funny that at just the moment you're going to give it  up, like a flash from God, something pops into your head.

 Yesterday I bought The Band Perry's Cd. I listened straight though and realized it was pretty awesome. Tonight I was listening again and a song really struck me. The song is not a slow, sappy, love song that makes you want to bawl your eyes out, it's actually a pretty upbeat song that shouldn't cause you to stop and ponder the basics of life. I don't know if it's because I have been thinking a lot about life lately or if it was spending time with the Orr family today that made me truly begin to realize some things truly are not worth wasting your time over. We should just kick bad habits to the curb instead of worrying about them day in and day out, only creating for ourselves some type of pity party with a one person guest list.

Even if you can't sympathize with me on this topic maybe you'll fall in love with The Band Perry as I have.

"Quittin' You"

I don't know what I was thinkin'

You were no good but you could do some 

Fancy talkin'

I'm not your Trixie Delight

Or a gumball machine

You can keep your quarter man

'Cause you won't get nothing sweet out of me

I'm quittin' quittin' quittin' 

I'm quittin' you

Like a girl wants her chocolate, yeah

I know that I'll miss you

But I'm quittin' quittin' quittin'

I'm not kiddin' I'm kickin' you

'Cause you're my bad habit and

I'm quittin' you

I don't know what the heck you were thinkin'

It's gonna gonna take a better man, 

I'm bettin', to win my hand 

I'm not gonna play your game

I don't like the high stakes

I'd rather sit alone at home

Playin' one more round of Old Maid 

I'm quittin' quittin' quittin'

I'm quittin' you

Like a gambler leaving Vegas, boy

I know that I'll miss you

But I'm quittin' quittin' quittin' 

I'm not kiddin' I'm kickin' you

'Cause you're my bad habit and I'm quittin' you

Cold Turkey

Giving you the cold shoulder

Off like a band-aid

One quick sting

Then it's over

I'm quittin' quittin' quittin'

I'm not kiddin' I'm kickin' you

'Cause your my bad habit

And the good Lord won't have it

You're my bad habit and I'm quittin' you 

These may not be the greatest words of wisdom you have ever heard but they sure meant the world to me!  :)

Pamper or Not to Pamper? It's not even a question.

"The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself."

Benjamin Franklin

In the craziness of this world, having to schedule yourself between work, school, kids, family, friends, and appointments, many people fail to schedule time for themselves. I, too, have been guilty of moving from one scheduled event to the next like a zombie. Although I may only work three to four days a week, it's easy to make doctor's appointments and schedule laundry and cleaning days on my days off. Leaving no time for myself. If you think long and hard I'm sure you, too, have felt the weight of going a million directions simultaneously at some point in your life.

  

Proverbs 17:22 says "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up bones."

What makes you cheerful? What makes you happy? How do you refresh from long days/months of never-ending  schedules?

Here are some things that help me to slow down and smell the flowers:

1. A Long day of shopping.

2. Getting my hair cut, colored, or washed.

3. Spending time with my friends from North Georgia.

4. Reading a GREAT book. 

5. Driving with my windows down and singing some good tunes to the top of my lungs (actually just listening to music period.)

6. Going on trips and staying in hotels.

7.Being in a quiet house, where all I have to think about is me.

8. Laughing at the top of my lungs with my sisters. 

9. Playing games with either friends or my brother-in-law.

And the list goes on...

I want to challenge each of you to take time to make a list of some of the things that make you happy. But even further...I dare you to partake of these things at least once a week, at the moment you feel the most stressed-out. If you make this vow, I promise you will learn to enjoy the hectic times because you can look forward to doing the things that excite you! 

Join me in creating for yourself "Pamper ME Moments."

You'll never feel the same again!

P.s. My "Pamper ME Moments" start today with a mani/pedi with the one and only Kristen Wells.

ON THESE SHADOWFEET

After much thought and deliberation I have decided to start blogging. Not that the things I have to say are profound or even worth reading. My goal is to use this blog as an outlet for encouragement, a diary of my thoughts, and as a link to friends and family. 

The title of my blog is "Walking on Shadowfeet." Inspired by a Brooke Fraser song, this title has come to serve as a theme for my life. According to Webster, 

Shad-ow (n) :

1. Partial darkness or obscurity within a part of space from which rays from a source of light are cut off by an interposed opaque body

2. A reflected image 

3. Shelter from danger or observation.

4. a. an imperfect and faint representation 

  b : an imitation of something 

5. An inseparable companion or follower.

6. an area near an object.

 

Therefore, in a sense, we are all shadows, or "walking on shadowfeet." We are illuminated by the ultimate light source, a reflected image of our Creator, and an imperfect representation of Christ. In order for this shadow to be cast we must not be separated from the source. The further away from Christ we become the smaller the shadow that is displayed. I love the imagery that is the title of Brooke Fraser's song. 

  

"Shadowfeet"

Brooke Fraser

 

Walking, Stumbling on these shadowfeet

Toward home, a land that I've never seen.

I am changing, less and less asleep

Made of different stuff than when I began, 

And I have sensed it all along, 

Fast approaching is the day.

 

::Chorus::

When the world has fallen out from under me, 

I'll be found in You, still standing.

When the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees,

When time and space are through,

I'll be found in You.

 

There's distraction, buzzing in my head

Saying in the shadows, it's easier to stay

BUT I'VE HEARD RUMORS OF TRUE REALITY

WHISPERS OF A WELL-LIT WAY.

You make all things new.

When the world has fallen out from under me, 

I'll be found in You, still standing.

Every fear and accusation under my feet, 

When time and space are through,

I'll be found in You!

This song has served and is serving as encouragement for this blog. Although we are shadows, there has to be a light illuminating us. We may go through trials and tribulations but we should know that the ultimate light source is still shining and leading us to a place we've never seen and only heard of. The closer we get to Christ the smaller our shadow will be. One day, our shadow will not exist because we will be walking hand in hand with our Father. 

 

We are meant for more than eternal shadow. Join me in my journey towards "The Sun."

Quinn