{Tour Through Blogland} Restless Arrow

Today, I am so grateful to be a part of the Tour Through Blogland along with many other bloggers!

Katie, from Little House of Four, invited me to participate and I couldn’t be more thrilled and honored!

Look at these little Dollar Tree Bins she transformed! How easy and so much cuter than before! She is also LIVING through a renovation! Bless her soul!

The blogging community has really opened my eyes to so many projects, ideas, and perspectives. There is always encouragement, friendship, and growth seen from everyone I’ve met!

I started this blog to document progress of a foreclosed home we purchased, share DIY projects, and hopefully, encourage you to find your style and potential that surrounds you. I’m slowly learning my style and the discovery as it unfolds around me has amazed me and shown me the true Master Designer and how His creation will always blow me away.

Seeing potential in every space and every item is what inspires me.

I knew this little bitty yellow and purple room had potential but knew it had to be on a budget. You can read more about our tiny office reveal here!

My almost ENTIRELY thrifted dining room taught me how it doesn’t have to expensive to be beautiful! Every item came from a thrift store, a yard sale, or the side of the road!

 This summer, Russ and I made a pallet sofa and we have loved hanging out on the deck (and turned it into a sectional but my picture isn’t uploading properly!)!

And because we love pallets, Russ made this arrow out of pallets for my tiny office! Tutorial coming soon!

Not only has my husband learned to be thrifty and has tackled some serious projects, my dad helps so much with projects (as in, he’s the reason we are able to do most of them…his tools and expert guidance!). He made this hood for us for Christmas!

(And what our kitchen looked like before we tore the wall down…chimney and all!)

My master bedroom is coming along but this update was FREE because this was an old door in our house!

And our boys’ bedrooms is also filled thrift store and roadside finds!

What am I working on?

Ha! What am I NOT working on? I’m a coach’s wife, a mom to two boys, a full time elementary school teacher and just took over a photography business which I LOVE. Sugar Snap has taught me so much about the way God sees each individual and I hope to capture that beauty for my clients!

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

This is tough because with Pinterest and so.many.blogs., it’s hard to find your own style. On the flip side, I have found my own style through these outlets because I never knew there were so many options! I repurpose EVERYTHING. I have a hard time getting rid of something that I love because I am determined not to buy something new and instead make that work somewhere else in the house. I am so cheap because we are such a tight budget that I scour thrift stores and the side of the road for most of pieces in my home.

For me, I believe that there is potential in everything and everyone (and sometimes that means I get my feelings hurt). But,  every one of us has a story as does a house and piece you pick out. It’s up to us to find that story and give that piece what it deserves whether it be a new home or finding a place in mine!

Why do I write/create what I do?

I never knew I had a love for writing. Seriously. I always had words in my head when emotions crept in and I kept a journal for a while but mainly just let them go. Now, I try to document those thoughts and share them because I have found so many feel the same way or can relate. It started as a process to document the foreclosure we purchased but has evolved into so much more (as you can see!). Now, it’s something I really love and find myself constantly doing in my spare time.

How does your writing/creating process work?

I have learned so much through those around me but more than anything, I have learned from my children and they have inspired me to think outside of the box. Because I am so frugal, it’s imperative that I make it work in the most inexpensive way as possible! Therefore, I am constantly looking at items in my home through various stages and moving them around. Finding the potential in items makes me so excited because someone else may have just thrown it away!

This new bench in our dining room? It was two picnic benches we put together! (I can’t wait to tell you more!)

Now, for two adorable blogs you’ll want to follow!

Sarah and I actually live in the same small town! You will love her chic, comfortable style and her precious little girl! Her blog, Dwell Chic, showcases her true exquisite style and her impeccable taste.

“Sarah O’Dell started designing at an early age, given the option to design her own bedroom was more than just a paint color and some carpet. Every wall had to be different color with the perfect bedding and accessories to match. The passion continued (much to the dismay of her first college roommate) when her first dorm room had to be styled and coordinated to a ‘T.'”

You may have seen my friends, Sara and Hanna on Mondays at our link party! Their blog, Stripes and Polka Dots, is FULL of unique ideas and you can even shop their precious skirts!

“We’re Sara and Hanna; two mothers with a love for learning, experimenting and making the most of everyday…did we mention we’re also twins! Since we were young girls the need to create was ever present; from re-arranging our bedroom furniture on a weekly basis, sewing a costume for an imaginary game, to building a castle out of cardboard and paper. As we’ve grown to become homemakers and mothers, our passion for learning and crafting continues to burn strong and has expanded in many different areas. While our separate lives have us living 830 miles part, this Blog is a place for us to join our creative minds together again.”

Thank you, again, Katie! Be sure to check back next Monday for the tour to continue!