Love, really, is all you need.

There have been several factors in my life frequently leading to migraines, eye twitches and an overall sour attitude (and more than a few tears) lately. In the midst of all of these things, I have also not been able to see my boyfriend nearly as much as I would like/need to due to our work schedules. Luckily, he had the day off yesterday and I didn't have to go into work until the evening and we both have today off. So we got to spend a relaxing morning and productive afternoon together and we get all day today.
This was a lovely reminder that amongst all the bologna and drama and stress, all we really need to get through it is each other and our love for one another. We are learning to appreciate the precious time we have, and instead of arguing about trivial things, we focus on laughing, holding and just being together.
I didn't realize this alone- I had some help and guidance, as I always do. I have quite the support system. With the love of my life, my beautifully strong best friend, my more than amazing family and God behind me, there truly is not anything I cannot get through.

{Images via my Pinterest}

I needed this reminder and it came just in time. 

And I thought I'd share it with y'all. 

Hope you're having an amazing week. 

Happy Hump Day!

Pallets

I'm finding that making your own furniture, decorations, wall art, etc. is can be waaay cheaper than paying someone else to do it. And it's much more satisfying. Being that the season at the lake is winding down and the weather is turning colder, I have a few larger projects that might have to be finished outside done as soon as possible. The majority of them involve pallets.
This is where dating a farmers son comes in handy. (This actually comes in handy a lot- we went creeping around the barn and found amazing old windows to use for a table or just to hang on the wall. Gorg.). We were driving down the dirt lane the other day and stopped to get some branches for my newest addition to the living room (pics soon-promise) and went exploring into their graveyard of old fence posts, retired farm equipment and leftover pallets. Sooo many pallets. I'm beyond excited to get the boyfriend to help me with some of these projects, especially the headboard! I'm thinking we (and by we, I mean the boyfriend, who is way better at using power tools and a saw than me) could easily make a footboard too and finally have a real, beautiful bed. (And now I have to find something to use those old fence posts for! I'll have to look to my Picker Sisters for inspiration.)

 

This is a more obvious use of pallets. We don't really have room for anything like this now, but I still love it.

This could be altered to make a coffee or dining room table. And it supposedly only cost $2. Can't beat it!

Love this island in the kitchen. Perfect height and more than enough room to utilize as a table as well, not just an additional counter top. Could be painted to match any room.

I just adore this. Anything with mason jars and weathered wood. Not to mention that amazing sunset in the background. *Sigh*

Great idea for a more organized coffee table. What a neat table top too! Endless possibilities!

And my most favorit-ist piece of all! I've looked at hundreds of headboards and none of them made my heart skip a beat like this one. So easy, but so simply beautiful.

{All images via the home section of my Pinterest}

What we've been up to...

So the best friend's visit was amazing. It was wonderful to get to spend some much needed time with her. We had a blast, laughed a lot, and ate just about as much. She reminded me of who I really am, which I cannot thank her enough for.
After she left, I realized I had to fill my new free time with something so I've been getting some little projects done around the house. And have about a million more planned to shop for in a couple days. I'm super excited. But I thought I'd give y'all a glimpse at what I was able to accomplish this week.
Get excited for bigger projects! PS- This is my 100th post (!)

I got these darling things from a junk store in a neighboring town- this big one was $1.25, the small one $0.65. And the bottle is from SOB's antiques in New Mexico- it says my last name and was a quarter. Love.

(Ooh, and peek at out new wall color! I can't get enough of it)

Made a fall arrangement, got the bottles for $0.25 each and the basket was a whopping $2 at the same junk store around here. I have no idea what to put in it but I couldn't pass up that deal.

The sea grass basket was $1. That's my grandpa in the picture, and the vase had flowers in it that my boyfriend got my for Valentine's day.

This one might be my favorite. The chairs were on clearance for $10 a piece, the barrel was $10 and the lantern was in a dollar bin at another great store in that neighboring town. 

And best of all, all of these thing were purchased with my best friend and I am pleasantly reminded of her and our visit when I see them. :)

Best Friend

So I'll begin by apologizing for once again, leaving you hanging. But I do have a pretty good excuses. I've been using my free time (which is very precious these days) to get things done around the house in preperation for my best friend's visit next week (!). We finished the porch railing, and actually extended it, got some outdoor chairs so we can enjoy what's left of this cool weather, painted both bathrooms, fixed the hole in the laundry room ceiling from the leak, cut our box spring in half in order to get it into the bedroom and put it back together so we have a semi-real bed now, which is more or less the box spring and the mattress on the floor. But now Best Friend will have an air mattress for her stay. There's about a gazillion other things I'd like to get done before she gets here, but I know it won't. And that's okay! I'd much rather forget about all those things, and a lot of other things, and focus on spending time with her, who I cannot believe I haven't seen in 3 years. WAY too long. I'm sure we won't let that happen again. So if I don't post much of anything the rest of the week, and most of next week, it is simply because I'll be enjoying her company and that is all. And I can't wait. <3

Have a great weekend!