God is Funny

Let me first apologize for being a LOSER blogger lately.  Have not posted in forever.  Did I mention that I am 36 weeks pregnant & have a toddler?  Not to mention the other thing I'm blogging about today:

So, since we are pregnant with baby #2 and have no extra bedroom to put him in, we started thinking about moving to a new house.  Recently my husband had talked to the loan department at the bank he works for and they gave us the bad news on house prices right now (for the seller).  We would be lucky to pay off our loan if we sold our house.  So, I started to settle into the idea of feeling content and making it work in our tiny little house.  Thus:

I was coming up with all these great ideas for getting rid of things and making smarter storage in our home.  I was really starting to feel like, this could work--for now.  Apparently that is the place where God wanted me to get before He moved us on to something more.  Someone wants to buy our home and we have been given a GREAT down payment from our families!!!  We had no idea this was going to happen and are overwhelmed with their love, and God's provision.  

Right now, we are looking at houses and working on finalizing the sale of our house.  Most likely I will be packing up our whole house with a toddler and a newborn, but you know what?  I don't care at all because I am so thankful for His work on our behalf and for our lovely family.

We appreciate your prayers for us while we try to decide where to live and just go through the whole process.  If you've been there, then you know what all is involved : )

Thanks for hanging in there with our blog through the next two months while we have a lot going on around here!

Have a lovely weekend!!! xoxxo

Ten Blogs You Should Check Out

1)  If you like to decorate with teal, robin's egg blue, aqua, sky blue, seafoam green & ocean blue, you'll LOVE House of Turquoise.

Sneak peek: 

2)  If your design style is more "beachy,"  you should check out A Beach Cottage-Life by the Sea.

Sneak peek:

3)  The blog of Interior Designer,  Janell Beals, Isabella & Max Rooms.

Sneak peek:

4)  The blog of interior designer, Marianne Strong, Haven & Home.

Sneak peek:

5)  Blog of Nicole Balch, Making it Lovely.  She's amazing!  Her blog was named one of the 50 World's Best Design Blogs by the London Times Online.  She also has a stationery biz called, Pink Loves Brown.  You can find all sorts of goodies on her blog.  Interior design, fashion, precious kiddo photos, & whatever renovation project she is currently working on in her home.  Check her out : )

Sneak peek:

6)  Moth Design.  Inspiration!

This picture makes me excited for Spring!!

7)  Blog for Rachel Halvorson Designs, Nest Egg.  She's an interior design in Nashville, TN.  She says that her blog, "is a way of sharing pretty (and practical) ideas for your home."  

Sneak peek:

8)  Tatertots & Jello.  Blog of Jennifer Hadfield.  Her projects have been featured in Romantic Homes, Apartment Therapy, & Tip Junkie (to name a few).  You will get so many great ideas!

tip

Sneak peek:

9)  Good Times Never Seem Sew Good.  Blog of Caroline Hughes.    She also the crafty chica behind the Etsy store, Cotton Lane.  She is very fun & is always coming up with new ideas.  She makes me smile & think she has yet to beat me at Words with Friends.  ; )

Sneak peek:

10)  Sand & Sisal.  Kim is the sister to Beth at The Stories of A to Z.  These ladies really know how to inspire and actually follow through with their inspirations and create.  They are big DIYers.  Watch them for ideas!

Sneak peek:

She also has lots of great recipes on her blog too!

Well, I hope you thoroughly enjoy getting to know these ladies & their blogs.  Leave them a comment when you visit & let them know Jacqueline with Creative Outpour sent ya!

HAPPY MONDAY!!!! 

x o x o x o

Before/After Painted Brick Fireplace

As some of you may have read, I have been dreaming of painting my ugly fireplace for about a year now and have done tons of research on what I wanted it to look like. I found something that I thought I was going to copy, but when it came down to it, I preferred the clean white look instead of a faux finish. I did actually faux a little on the brick but after seeing it I decided I wanted white. I'm not always a fan of painting brick, only when it's especially ugly do I think it's a great idea. Also, before you decided to paint yours, really think about what you are doing. It's permanent. :)

Here is the BEFORE, in case you don't remember or are new to the blog:



We used a thick roller to put the coats of paint on, brick soaks in paint so several layers are necessary. Since the grout was pretty far back, we had to use paint brushes to really get the paint in there. We bought a pack of cheap paint brushes because the roughness of the grout will ruin any type of brush. We underestimated the time it took by almost a day so be sure you set aside enough time if you choose to do this!! ha ha!




I wasn't really ready to post after pictures, but I figure I can do another follow up post on the mantle once it's really decorated. I can't decide what it needs and want to do some more searching until I find the perfect decorations for us. I'm also going to be sewing some cushions (perhaps burlap?) to give additional seating at the fireplace and some matching pillows for my couch. I'm such a plain Jane so I'm going to try and branch out some with bright, vivid colors for spring and summer! So, here it is, the AFTER: