den: before
I’m going into this project knowing I’m never going to get the “after” that I really want, because we have more important things to pay for than new flooring, custom built-ins and all new furniture....
View Articleden: new paint
My parents came up last Saturday to help us paint the den. I agonized over paint colors for months and finally landed on “au lait ole” by Valspar. The color already on the walls was fine, but the room...
View Articlethree dinners — one rotisserie chicken
I don’t go to Costco as often as some of my friends (*cough* Sarah Downs *cough*) but when I do I alwaysbuy a rotisserie chicken. It’s a no-brainer. You get three pounds of delicious meat for only $5,...
View ArticleInnsbruck and Munich
HEY-O, I’m finally re-capping the rest of my trip from two months ago! Better late than never, right? We started in Vienna, made our way to Salzburg, on to Innsbruck, and finally, Munich! I wrote about...
View ArticleDIY shelving unit for the den
When I first began dreaming about changing up our basement living space I knew one thing for sure: there had to be books. Books, and room for more books! I began online shopping for bookcases six...
View ArticleOld Bay wings with homemade blue cheese sauce
I’ve been in a bit of a cooking rut and was relieved THRILLED when Andy suggested I try making Old Bay wings. Old Bay wings make my heart go pitter-patter. It’s almost embarrassing how much I think and...
View Articlethe den slump
IT ISN’T DONE, PEOPLE. (Long, boring story.) Most of my books are piled in laundry baskets and our basement guest room looks like... well, like this:REAL LIFE HOUSES OF FREDERICK COUNTY Updating the...
View Articleon a Sunday in March
We’ve only been to church a handful of times this year (after a seven-month-long stretch of staying home). I haven’t wanted to participate in worship, so we arrive late. We hurry out after the sermon...
View Articleden: the shelves are DONE!
Today I’ll share my favorite part of our updated den — our DIY shelving unit! Please excuse all of the crazy shadows in the pictures. See, I had beautiful naturally lit photographs, but when I went to...
View Articlefilled with sorrow, or expectant joy?
I wonder what the disciples thought on the second day. They had just witnessed the wrongful accusation and brutal death of their close friend and precious Savior. He had told them He would rise again....
View Articleout and about in Frederick
It hit me last week as I was pulling flannel sheets off of our guest bed that we hadn’t had an overnight visitor since November! It felt so good to get the house ready for a guest, considering I...
View ArticleLaura’s chicken over rice and beans
There are two types of cooks: those who prefer to follow a recipe, and those who like to wing it. I prefer to wing it — which is probably why I prefer cooking over baking. (I can never keep track of...
View Articlestyling shelves: Jessica’s built-ins
contest update -- Caitlin won! thank you for entering! I’m excited to share with you the first post in a series I’ll be doing on styling shelves! To kick off the series, we’re going to peek into the...
View Articlestyling shelves: how to
This is the post several of you have asked for! Today I’m sharing five tips to get you started on styling your shelves.1. Look for inspiration and determine your vision Pinterest is an obvious (and...
View ArticleLaurel’s guest room makeover
Earlier this week I headed to Bel Air, Maryland, to visit my closest friend. Laurel and I have known each other since middle school, and she is one of my greatest cheerleaders. Most recently, she has...
View Articlethe decision to be faithful
I’m torn between two very strong feelings: that God is calling me to shine a light on my grief (however ugly it is) and that it hurts too much to sit and dwell and reflect and re-hash. A month or so...
View Articlebeach trip ‘15
I broke my two-month break from fast food with breakfast from Taco Bell on our drive to the Outer Banks. And I liked it.from Twiddy’s website Last week we headed to Corolla, N.C. to spend the week with...
View Articlearound here
While I’ve had my fair share of hard days over the past two weeks, I’ve also made some fun memories and taken every opportunity I can to breathe deep and let myself be. To push the constant stream of...
View Articlecabin weekend and homemade thyme rolls
Last Friday we met my parents at the cabin for the weekend. I made chicken tikka masala for dinner and we read, played Pinochle and watched “Big Hero 6.” The temperature dropped to the low sixties and...
View Articlewhat I buy at Costco and Trader Joe’s
I know I can’t be the only one who is curious about how other people live — whether it’s how they schedule their day, what makeup they wear, what TV shows they watch, etc. I’m sharing what I buy at...
View ArticleGod’s real love in my real suffering
our precious baby John Each night at VBS this week we’ve focused on a characteristic of God’s love: incredible, faithful, invincible, unconditional and real. Last night the 4th and 5th grade girls in...
View Articlemy first Stitch Fix
My friend Jackie received a gift card to Stitch Fix last Christmas and has been talking about the service ever since then. (She finally got a box last month.) I'm more likely to try something if...
View Articlearound here
doing - Design work! I’m planning to launch laurarennieinteriors.com in a couple of weeks, and I am bursting at the seams to share it with y’all! - House updates. We got a gorgeous four-poster bed...
View ArticleWe're adopting!
on our last date before baby — Five Guys! (We're so fancy.)Our wild adoption story: Thursday, April 7th: My mom called today with the craziest news. “J is making an adoption plan, and she’s offering...
View ArticleThe Great Big Chloe Post
How do I begin? These past seven weeks have been like living inside of a dream. I hold my baby and marvel that she is mine. This one is growing. This one is healthy. I don't have to give this one back....
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