FOLLOW YOUR ARROW

I am taking a little time while sipping my second or third cup of coffee to check in with blog (myself).  HA!  Recently I finished a gallery wall in our new house and I am really happy with how it turned out.  It consists of a collection of our key from our rental where it all began, pictures of my baby love and other neat stuff from my shop.  I did have some inspiration from Pinterest but once I started hanging stuff, I got my flow.  I think that is really how a gallery wall happens, just find your flow.  Sounds corny and a little weird...lol, but its true.  

Here are a few amateur pics of our gallery wall in our new house.  

LOVE!

The Follow your Arrow sign can be purchased from my shop HERE and the wooden Arrow was made by me and I should be adding that to my shop sometime next month. 

~Steph

DICE FOR FATHER'S DAY!

So we have been busy since our big move.  Our Dice sets have been a big hit this year for Father's day!  I always love seeing new trends take height and apparently this was one of them. 

Each dice is done by hand by me from the cutting to the smooth sanding.  It definitely takes it toll on my hands when I am finally finished but the outcome is always worth it.  

I wonder what July's big trend will be?  Also for July we will be closing for 2 weeks at the end of the month to prepare for the Fall items and take a much needed break.  Thanks for stopping by!

~Steph

THE UNEXPECTED GIFT

We have recently moved into our new home that I will be sharing more of on each room and the design and decor that follows, but first wanted to share my "unexpected gift".  

This move has been difficult, plain and simple.  But probably not in the way you would think.  Sure my feet hurt and I have that spot of paint on my arm that refused to go away no matter how many times I scrub it with soap.  Sure I have a bruise on each knee from the moving truck tow ball thingy that apparently is just my height...SWEET JESUS that hurt.  But it has been hard because of my attachment to my small now run down rental home.  It was the house that holds so many memories and if I could I would buy it so no one else could have it! I had the best neighbors that a person could ever ask for and it so hard to say goodbye.  

So it doesn't help that on the way home late last night from visiting family that is down for my brother's wedding, my son cried that he wanted to go home to his "old home".  It was difficult to find the words to try and explain to a 3 yr old that its not our home anymore that we have a new home, especially when in some way I wanted to pull in that driveway instead myself. 

Its all a process that we go through, the battle between feeling so overwhelmed with this blessing of a new home and having to say goodbye to the other that was also the blessing that we needed at that time.  

So on this ride home when my son finally fell asleep I drove by our old house and in the dark of night it looked so lonely and as if it could talk, maybe missed us as well.  

I pulled into our new home driveway, scooped up my son out of his car seat and made that dark walk to my new door. I unlocked it with my one free hand and as I went to walk in, there it was. A small package in the little light that my porch allows , waiting for me.  I can't even be sure when it arrived because where it was placed it could have been there for a day or so, but tonight, it was in just the right amount of light to be noticed.  I bent down child in arms and brought it inside and set it down while I put the boy down in his bed. I walked back and opened it right up to find The Sweetest Gift. 

A book from one of my favorite blogs I follow on making a house a home and this beautiful hand made needle work of my State and button for my hometown in the colors of my new office.  You see the person that sent this I don't think knew this blog was one of my favorites and I am not sure she even knew that these were going to be my new office colors but somehow manage to make it the sweetest gift and so amazingly at the right time.  If you have not read this book you might want to pick it up or even follow the blog thenester.com because she is spot on about making your home into something that you share with the people you love. 

For the wonderful person that sent this, Sabrina from Neverlandnook.com .  You have become such a beautiful friend and I am so thankful.  

~Steph

NEW TABLE

I have a confession.  I finished a table today that has been in the works for almost 3 months!  Ugh...  But with a side of "ahhhhhh".    I have so many visions for tables and I just don't have space or time to complete them so when one gets finished it is such a relief I almost take a nap afterwards.  When I finished this table today I went inside, got a chair, tea, and phone and sat with feet propped up.  As to say "job well done body, job well done.".  LOL.   I am so sore.  I have to give mad props to my husband for helping me because when I took on this project I did not take into account how heavy it would be and that I would not be able to complete it by myself.  So happy with my choice in a strong husband today.  ha!  

Anyways, enough talk, here is the table. 

I love the look of it and get so excited about furniture! I will admit I did sit and stare for awhile after it was done.  There is something so beautiful about turning stacks of a wood pile into what you see here. 

The stain on this table is the vinegar, steel wool mixture.  

Awww...I am in love with the finish.  Even if it did take a 5 step process. Yes, those are 6x6 legs!  

So there she is and now listed on our Etsy shop page HERE. Of course it is only for local pickup or delivery. I am going back to resting as tomorrow is complete orders day!  Thank you to all who have supported Rustic, it means so much to me and my family!!! 

~Steph

FEELING FAMOUS

WAY TO GO RUSTIC HOMEMADE!!!

For the full article visit HGTV GARDENS

At first I read it and thought...."a DIY project?!!!?"  Come on HGTV! LOL. But I can't help but feel proud and positive when I read my business name on a blog post.  It drives my passion even further and gives me the boost of positive reinforcement that I probably need more then the people around me think I do.  

This is the reason for the post, to remind myself to see the positive and not the negative, which has been my motto lately.  I am happy where I am with Rustic and very happy about where it is going.  I am so lucky to be able to do something I am so passionate about especially after the long 2 year journey that got me where I am today.  

The dice that we sell in our shop can be found HERE

~Steph

NEWEST OBSESSION

My new house. 

I can't sleep and I am having a very hard time focusing.  I am so excited and nervous I can barely stand it!  The hubby and I randomly drive by the new expected house just to get a glimpse to ease the wait time before closing.   Pinterest can not even stand me anymore with all the pins and steady searching for the "perfect look".  

I think until we finally get the keys this will not seem real.  Can I finally decorate a house that is my very own? Ahhhh! YES!  

But on to our REAL life.  Our son has his first sleep over this weekend!  I wish I had taken some cute pictures of them playing or even snuggled up sleeping, but I don't think that fast.  I did manage to snap a few of them fishing the following day at a local farm.  It was one of those beautiful spring days here in Florida where the sky was so blue you found yourself staring and admiring the very beauty it all is...

One OTHER thing that is helping keep me busy are the sudden surge of "likes" and purchases for our Easter Sack bags found HERE.  We will stop selling these on April 14th, so get yours now!  

~ Steph

UNDER CONTRACT, 3 YEARS IN THE MAKING

The title can tell most of the story.  About 3 years ago hubby and I set out to fix our credit, get some things paid off and try to buy a home.  Where it may just come easy to most people proved to be harder for us.  With the upset of changing jobs (both of us) and the state of the economy we started to believe that it would never happen for us.

WELL today, we are just a little closer to moving out of our rented, small 2 bed home (with no backyard).  I am almost speechless on how it all came about, and since I am a moderately private person I will leave out most details, but this is nothing short of a miracle.  We are so blessed beyond words and are in a state of disbelief that all that hard work and prayer has finally been seen and heard.  

This may also seem a little to deep to most and might have one saying "geez its just a house", but for us its 3 years of hard work and came at a time when we had given up.  So NO, its not JUST a house, its a blessing.  And blessings are a BIG DEAL!  

We are still under contract and have a few more processes to overcome, but I had to share and could not hold this in any longer.  

So please continue to pray, celebrate and cry with us as we finish the process.  And for our friends who have been there for us encouraging us to stay strong, thank you.

~Steph