Faux Flagstone(ish) Bathroom Floor

Okay y'all, it seems like people are wanting to know how I did this, so here's a quick rundown. After all, part of my reason for sharing is so you can go and do it too!

Here is the floor I started with:

 

 

 

Hello ugliness. I would not be at all surprised if this floor was at least 50 years old. That being said, it's in surprisingly good shape (no major gouges, holes, scratches, etc). 

 This is the floor I had planned on purchasing. It's a sheet vinyl type of thing and it would have cost about $100 to do the whole room.  Not bad for flooring. 

Then, I started working on the cupboard doors and discovered they were pretty tight with the floor. Then, my hubby pointed out to me to put in new flooring, we would need to pick up and go under the toilet. 

Ugh, that was so not going to happen anytime soon. 

I had pretty good luck with sponge painting a concrete basement floor in our old house, so I started thinking more about doing that on this one. Plus, my hubby was going to be out of town for a few days, which is always a good opportunity to spend some time on a project that will otherwise inconvenience him (i.e not being able to use the downstairs bathroom for a couple of days : ) )

First, I gave it a quick sand. I recently discovered you can use steel wool to do this. Apparently this is nothing new, just new to me. 

Then I put on a coat of primer. I always use either the Zinnser FastPrime2 or Bullseye 123 (both from Menards).

Next I added a couple coats of some Porch & Floor Paint, tinted to a sand type color. After letting that dry a day or two, I used some really skinny painter's tape to tape off the pattern. It looks complicated but it was pretty simple, I just kept adding random lines. I think it took me less than an hour to get it all taped.

 

Finally, the sponging part. The blog I read used polyurethane mixed with paint. With wanting such a dark color, that really didn't work for me, it was way too thin. Good thing I started in the closet. 

When I did this the first time in my basement, I used two lighter taupe colors of paint mixed with glaze. For either the polyurethane or the glaze, you mix 4 parts glaze with 1 part paint. So for example, for every cup of glaze you mix 1/4 cup of paint in, or for a smaller batch, use 4 T glaze with 1 T paint. I just use some sort of tubberware container to mix it in. That worked pretty well on that one.

For this floor, to get the darker color, I used the same paint I used on our bedroom floor (and living room wall) and simply sponged it on. I use a sea sponge, which can be found at Menards in the paint section with the rollers. They are a little pricey, like $8, but you can use it over and over again, and cut it into pieces so you have more than one. 

Next, while it was still wet, I sponged on two more colors of the paint mixed with glaze. I used a separate smaller sponge to put it on and only put a little bit on in various places then sponged over it with the sponge I was using for the darker color. That made it blend in quite a bit so there was only a little bit of color in the darker one. If you were doing something not quite as dark, I would mix all the paint colors with glaze rather than sponging on straight paint. The whole sponging thing is pretty forgiving, if you don't like how it looks just keep adding more or less of certain colors to get the look you want. (You can also try out your colors beforehand to make sure you like the way it looks, but I'm more the wing it type)

 

Finished floor. I still have to go back and fill in some of the lines where the paint bled onto the faux grout lines, plus put some sort of protectant like polyurethane over it to seal it. Since it's a bathroom and inevitably will get wet, that's a fairly critical step. I didn't do that in the basement and the paint peeled off in several places. 

That's it! In all, it probably took me a couple hours to do the sponging part. 

Happy painting!

Stressed Less Week 11

"We all get stuck in ruts from time to time and find ourselves in situations that we want out of."

In this week's chapter, Tracie shared 6 "action items, that if you are willing to implement in your every day life, will serve as crucial stepping stones towards achieving your goal of living a stressed-less life."

In summary, they are:

1. Realign your life to God’s word. "All too often, our Bibles are nothing more than a pretty book that sits on the coffee table collecting dust. We may carry it back and forth to church, but we don't really consider it a resource tool for living."
   
2. Recognize your need for God’s help. "Just as stress is a disease that takes its toll on our overall existence, self-sufficiency syndrome is a disease of the heart, as well. This syndrome is characterized by our desire to handle everything on our own, afraid to show any sign of weakness or neediness to anyone, including God."
   
3. Adjust your focus to God, not your circumstances. "...take our focus off of our circumstances and put it on God."
   
4. Be filled with the Holy Spirit.  "...when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to stand firm against the pulls of the world."
5. Be faithful in your prayer life. "God created us with an innate desire to be connected to him. When we fail to do so, an emptiness forms in our hearts, and our enemy is more than glad to fill it with things other than God."
   
6. Believe God is Who He says He is.  "God is always God, despite our circumstances."
   

Blessings this week:

61. We were able to quickly replace our old air conditioner with a new one when it went out on us. Thankful for this because they are not always easy to find during a heat wave!

62. Opportunity for hubby to lead small group for a week. I'm always blessed by our small group, but is always a special blessing to get to hear him teach. He did a great job!

63. B and I visited the library for the first time this week. He seemed to enjoy it, and has really been enjoying the books he checked out.

64. I have been working to have supper at a certain time each night, and much earlier than we sometimes eat, and I was able to do it fairly consistently this week. Planning and organizing are really a challenge for me especially when it comes to meals, so I'm thankful whenever I'm able to get closer to that goal and to have a plan in place.

65. New dining room table. Can't remember if I shared this before. We got this for what I would consider a steal, and were basically able to do a swap after selling our old one for close to the same price as the new one (new to us that is). The owners mentioned the chairs were a bit "rough" (they were),  but after recovering them, polishing up and oiling everything,and tightening the screws-finally after 6 years I was able to get a "new" dining room table.

It's actually a counter-height table, still trying to figure out how to incorporate the high chair.

Chapter 11 Take Aways:

-"Unbelief put our circumstances between us and God; faith puts God between us and our circumstances."

Stressed Less Week 10

So we are now in actuality on Week 12, but I am too blogs behind so this is my attempt to catch up : ) I'll just share some blessings and take away's from my journal since it's kind of hard to remember what happened yesterday....let alone 2 weeks ago.

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy."

                                                                                      1 Peter 1:3

This week's Chapter was entitled "Broken for Breakthrough." Rather than trying to rehash my personal moment of breakthrough, I'll refer back to a blog written several years ago...http://confessionsofaniowafarmgirl.blogspot.com/2009/03/lucky-7.html

Blessings this week:

56. Potty training went well...at least the first week.

57. Putting up a clothesline. I have never had one, but I love the fresh scent it leave in the clothes!

58. Finally being able to get all my flower beds mulched around the house (with help from the hubby and son).

This is the last side, all of these plants were moved out of the stuff I thinned out on the porch side of the house.

59.  Being able to start work on the bathroom (current house project, trying to be prayerful about it and not let it consume all of my time though)

60. Air Conditioning!

Chapter 10 Take Aways:

-"If you are in a pit of stress or despair, don't succumb to defeat. Don't accept that difficult place as your fate. Even though God has allowed you to be there right now, he never intended for you to live there...The only way to see past the problem is to believe that he has not forgotten or abandoned you and that, at the exact time that he has ordained, he will reach down and pick you up."

-"And even if you have not been looking for him, he has been looking for you."

-"Despite what some people tend to believe, God truly does love and shows himself to all people because he wants every person to put their faith in him....God had let me go my own way, but when I was ready to be rescued, he showed up with flying colors."

Stressed-Less Week 9

This week was all about the weapons we can employ to help us reduce the stress in our lives. By being in God's Word regularly, prayer, and choosing to acknowledge the victory we already have through Christ, the power of stress is diminished and we are no longer subject to it's control. It's not about controlling the stress, but about choosing to rely on God's power to overcome it. 

Blessings this week:

51. God showing me I can trust him through answered prayers.

52. B and I meeting my hubby for lunch.

53. A fixed truck that didn't cost us a fortune.

54. Family date night.

55. Naps. I don't take them a lot, but when I do it means I needed one!

~

Chapter 9 Take-Aways

-"Real strength results from persistent communication and fellowship with him and allowing his words to guide us through each day."

-"I had given the devil a foothold in my life because I had not fully relied on the strongest weapon of all in this war against the unseen--God's Word. As a result, I had not guarded my heart from the enemy's tactics."

-"...the devil is most happy when you disregard his tactics as nothing more than tough luck. The enemy knows that if we don't acknowledge the invisible battle we are engaged in, we will not reach for the weapons that will bring us victory."

-"If you choose only one weapon to fight off your stress, let God's Word be it."

-"Prayer is a weapon that nobody can ever take away from us, not even our worst enemy."

~

Stressed-Less Week 8

Wow, what a week! I started out this chapter thinking it really wouldn't apply to me. Boy was I wrong!

This week's chapter-Addicted to Adrenaline helped me to see that I fall into one of the four "Adrenaline Junkie" categories-what's known as "the Accomplisher." This is described as:

...the classic type of adrenaline addict, the one who has an almost innate need to stay busy and cross things off a list in order to feel productive. They like to be able to measure daily progress in terms of what they have completed, even at the expense of the bigger, long-term view. Accomplisher's are most susceptible to developing an adrenaline addiction because they are prone to take on more and more work.

Seriously, I think whoever wrote that definition has been stalking me. I literally have been making lists each day, which tend to get longer and longer and more and more "full" until what I hope to be able to check off and accomplish gets pretty much outrageous (just ask my hubby). This results in me putting a great deal of pressure on myself, getting my priorities all out of whack, and projects that I've started left unfinished b/c I just keep adding more and more without ever really finishing anything.

Whew! You mean I don't have to do that? And I SHOULDN'T do that? What a load off!

But here's the biggest take-away. When I over commit myself, when I exhaust my time and energy, something HAS to give. When I delegate my time without any added space, things are going to get left out. My priorities are going to shift as my focus becomes replaced by pressure to get it all done.

And there are days when I get a lot done. But for what? Sure, I may finally get a project finished. I might be able to check off all the boxes deeming it a "successful" day's work. But what had to give in order to provide that sense of accomplishment?

Priority # 1? : {Time with God}

 

Priority #2?: {my husband}

 Priority #3?: {my son}

Priority #4?: {managing our household}

Priority #5?: {utilizing my gifts, personal time, rest}

I think it's safe to say these things are fairly difficult to balance on their own, let alone anything we might add on. But how often do they take a backseat to whatever we might decide to place our focus on?

I actually went and crossed some things off my so-called "list" after reading this chapter. They were things that were only increasing the pressure and stress and taking the focus off the things that mattered. I have to admit, I felt like a weight was lifted the moment I committed to stop trying to accomplish so much.

Rather than blessings this week, I'm going to say that those things I just listed are my blessings this week. They are my calling. They are what and who God has entrusted to me-where my focus should be, and are the biggest reason why I need to start leading a stressed-less life.

~ 
 

Like I mentioned earlier, my biggest take-away this week was sitting down and recognizing where my priorities should be, but here are a few more:

Chapter 8 Take-Aways:

-"An addiction to adrenaline is often difficult to diagnose because it pushes us beyond what is healthy under the guise of normal life. People who are addicted will find that they make sure they are doing something...all the time. There is never room for down time because that would mean they are not needed or they may feel unproductive."

-"...if the devil can't hinder our relationship with God by making us immoral, he'll simply make us busy. If we take a good hard look around, there are a lot of godly people who are too busy for Jesus. Let's face it, if we are too busy to spend time with God, then we are absolutely too busy!"

"-God instructs us to obey in the big things of course, but also in our small, seemingly insignificant daily thoughts and actions."

-"Will we continue to assume that if we try hard enough we will have the power to change or make changes happen, or will we realize that God, and God alone, possesses the power to do so?"

 ~

Stressed-Less Week 7

 

The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.

                                                             Isaiah 58:11

Speaking of well watered gardens...

Blessings this week: 

36. I've been blessed this week with blooming flowers!  Here are the first to come inside...I'm not sure what they are, but they are from a Lilac-type bush in our backyard:

 37. In the flower beds, the Iris's are the first to bloom!  I've never had these before.

 

38. These things that I thought were just decorative grass actually bloomed as well:

39. Getting plants moved and mulch in the flower beds just in time for things to start blooming. (Not to mention my favorite helper)

 

40. My husband's most recent acquisition: That nice big vehicle to the right that he used to haul all that mulch for me. 

5 more...

41. There's nothing like a boy and his cat:

42. God's safety and protection traveling despite a rough running truck pulling a loaded trailer.

43. God's help in keeping up with this Bible Study. I've needed it these last few of weeks!

44. Summer small groups. We had a really hard time deciding which one to go to, but I'm glad we chose the one we did. I didn't know it but it went right along with things God has already been challenging me to work on and change. In fact, both this Bible Study and my Small Group this week dealt with the same verse-Philippians 4:8.

45. My birthday was last week and I to go and have breakfast with my son and hubby on Tuesday, have lunch at a coffee shop with my Mom on Wednesday, and lunch with my Mom, Gma, and Aunt at Applebees on Thursday. Lots of great food and fellowship!

~

Chapter 7 Take-Aways:

-"Once we allow ourselves to grasp how big God really is, we can learn to put aside worry and rest in knowing that he can handle our problems--leaving no need for us to destroy ourselves stressing over them."

-..."God's desire is that, with every new circumstance we face, we see not only the giant but also an opportunity to discover what he is capable of handling and just how big he really is."

-"Life just happens, but attitude doesn't. A positive attitude that is pleasing to Christ and not poisoned by stress has to be developed over time, with commitment, dedication, perseverance, and self-discipline...A Christ-like attitude...is gradually built over a lifetime of submitting to God's desires over our own."

-David (when confronting Goliath) did not look at the battle line from afar, measure the distance that he would have to run versus his own quickness and agility, contemplate specific rock throwing moves, consider where he might be able to hide if things didn't work out, weigh all the positives against the negatives, or try to determine all the what-if scenarios so the he could be proactive and come up with solutions ahead of time. David just ran."

~

Stressed-Less Week 6

I'm obviously struggling againthis week, being that it's a new week and I'm still catching up from last week. Better late than never I guess!

I decided to do something a little different for my blessings post this week. I've been doing some picture taking, so I thought I'd include a few photos this week as part of my blessings. After all,  photos always make a post more exciting.

Blessings this week:

31. My hubby. I like his rugged look. Why do you think he kept it so long?

 

32. My flower beds. Can you tell they need some work? Lots of beautiful flowers & plants but way too crowded! This is the before photo, I was able to get them thinned out and moved and they are looking so much better! I'll have an after photo in the next post.

33. Our garden. My brother came out and tilled for us and we were finally able to get some plants in!

34. My little one. He insists on wearing his hat EVERYWHERE. I was reminded this week of how much of a blessing he is.

 

35. Our new mower (or at least new to us). After dealing with the frustration of ours breaking down, we were blessed to be able to buy a friend's. 

~

Chapter 6 Take-Aways:

-Once we learn the importance of the word "abide," peace can blossom. 

-...stumbling blocks to our faith, and our peace, are not always huge dramatic circumstances. Sometimes they may be nothing more than a sink full of dirty dishes and a pile of dirty laundry. At times the little things in life can be more stressful than the big. So we must carefully guard our hearts so as not to become obsessed with the mess of life, because the thief loves making the most of a mess."

-We would never ask for a life of stress and worry, but, by ignoring the reality that the devil is lurking, we are actually throwing in the towel and surrendering to such a life. It is our choice who will have dominion over our lives--the evil one or the Holy One...We have to be ready for the war that is being waged against our hearts each and every day by staying connected to our Savior."

-But just because we stop looking for God does not mean he has taken a break from looking for us. Instead, we are simply not seeing him, because we are only seeing ourselves..."

-We ask God for something, but if he doesn't answer our prayers the way we want, we go off on our own and try to make that "something" happen, even if for "just a few minutes." But time is of no essence to God; obedience is everything."

~

Stressed-Less Week 5

 

Another stressful week? Check! I'm beginning to wonder-does it ever end? 

I think the answer is that life is always stressful, one way or another. So we might as well buckle down and learn to deal with it.

Thanks goodness for this study! 

Again, this week I'm tempted to start listing all the stressors we had to deal with. But again, I'm going to choose to stick with the blessings.

Blessings this week:

26. We found out our basement seeps. A lot. Thankfully we were able to get a sump pump installed in a matter of a couple of hours. It still seeps but there's not near as much water standing. Usually projects like that take much longer than a couple of hours to accomplish.

27. We had two more calves since my last post. They both have little white belts around their bellies like their Mommas, so cute! I love watching them run around and play out my kitchen window.

28. My husband got his tiller running today. That's exciting b/c it means we will be able to plant our garden soon...and what's even more exciting is that it will be substantially larger than the one we had at our house in town. We also found some asparagus growing in the yard, which we've never been able to grow before.

29. Meal planning. I got a book and a system to help me out rather than just winging it, because let's face it, it's fairly stressful when it comes supper time and you have no idea what you're going to make. I'm working on implementing it and it's really helping me out.

30. Okay y'all, I'd never thought I'd say this-but I am truly blessed being able to take time to do the dishes. I don't really enjoy the doing the dishes part, but it's often a time when I kind enjoy the quiet and unwind, look out my window and truly enjoy the view and all that God has blessed us with.

I'm struggling to keep up this week so hopefully next week I will have more to share.

Chapter 5 Take-Aways

-"Peace is not a matter of life or circumstances; it's a matter of the heart. God could change our circumstances at any time, if he chose to do so, but he is always more interested in changing us through our circumstances than changing our circumstances themselves."

-"But what should we do while we are waiting on God's perfect timing? What is our course of action after we place our circumstances into God's hands? The answer is not to sit idly by waiting on God to do something but to actively strive for a change of heart...We must choose to expectantly wait for God to work in our lives."

-"We could actually be at church every time the door opens and still be completely separated and disconnected from God...Going to church does not make someone a Christian; it is instead meant to be a resource for increasing our faith through worship and communion with other believers. In the same way, we can believe that every word in the Bible is flawless and still not allow it to shape our lives or impact our thoughts and behaviors (or our stress levels)."

~

.

Stressed-Less Week 4

 

Just when I think I'm making progress with this whole stressed-less thing, it seems like I get slapped upside the head with something that I cannot help but be anxious about. 

This week it was a futon. Yes, a futon. I found one on Craigslist that perfectly fit the idea I had in mind of what I wanted to put in my dining room. There is extra space for seating (however currently occupied by the contents of storage unit #2), and I found the perfect one for it, even if it's not quite ready for it yet. 

I was anxious about it all week long. First I had trouble coming up with a time to meet up with the person selling it, and I just knew it would be gone before we could get there. Then I worried and worried about how we were going to get it carried out and loaded since the hubby is out for the count when it comes to lifting. NOT the greatest time to be shopping for futons.

Regardless, I was finally able to set up a time. We got there and it was in an apartment building 2 floors up. Maybe my worrying was justified after all. 

After talking with the lady for a few minutes, she all but offered to give it to us if we would just take it off her hands. 

We ended up paying $25 for it. 

Then we mentioned needing help since the hubby couldn't lift, and she was more than happy to help carry it out. 

I say all this to say not only did God work out all the details, but there was absolutely no reason to get myself all in a tizzy. 

None. 

Not one. 

And there never is. 

Needless to say, I need to learn to trust my loving Father. I know he loves me and he's got my back.When I stress though, I live like I don't really believe it. 

There was another thing I got anxious and stressed about this week, but it's so incredibly ridiculous that I'm not even going to mention it. 

The point of course is that all this worrying and anxiety is totally unnecessary. In fact it's not only unnecessary--it's totally exhausting. 

Our chapter this week was about change. After months of change, the idea of more change makes me want to run screaming. What I realized this week though was that God isn't asking for me to undergo another big change in circumstances. What he wants to change is my heart. 

Part of what I need to change is accepting that I cannot dictate circumstances or people's reactions. I think I can, and that's what causes me to worry. There are just some things that are out of my control, and that's okay, because I know that God IS in control and I can totally trust him to take care of things when I am living in obedience to his will. God's got it so I can let go of it. 

One of the reflection questions at the end of the chapter asked, "What can I do to start trusting God with your whole heart and life and start accepting how valuable you are to him?"

I really wasn't sure how to answer that question, but, after skimming the chapter again, this is what I came up with: 

-work in obedience to his will instead of my own

-focus on what God has called you to do instead of what you have set out to do within the restrictions of your own agenda and skill set

-listen and surrender to his ways

My will vs His will. Isn't that what this is all about? I think I cannot trust his will, or I choose not to, so I go about trying to work out my own, much to my dismay. I worry and plot and strive and do my best to keep it all under control. 

News Flash: It doesn't work. 

I get frustrated and resentful. I worry and fret. I get discouraged. Exhausted. Fed up. Joyless. 

I look at my proposed changes and I see more attempts to plan & control, when what I should really see is:

Prayer.

Time in God's Word. 

Margins.

Boundaries. 

Truth spoken in love. 

As Tracie put it so aptly, "...if you are in God's unique and destined will for your life and are making your relationship with him a priority, you can keep stress at bay because real peace will take up residence in your heart."

~

Since I've already rambled on I'll just list a few blessings this week:

21. Getting a new-to-me futon for $25!

22. Snuggles and movies on a rainy day with my little boy. 

23. The greenery and flowers springing up. It's exciting to see what plants come up since we didn't move here until the fall. 

24. New baby calves. We have two so far and they are so cute!

25. This study! It really helped me to spend some time in God's Word this week that I wouldn't have otherwise.

Chapter 4 Take-Aways 

-"It had been so long since I had been less stressed, I had forgotten how it felt to be happy and at peace. And trust me, friends, it was a good, good feeling that came solely because of the powerful presence of God in my life and the fact that I was now walking in obedience to his will, instead of my own."

-"The real peace comes when you make God the center of your life, instead of the last resort, and when you begin focusing on what God has called you to do, instead of what you have set out to do within the restrictions of your own agenda or skill set."

-"I chose a life of stress instead of the sweet life God had designed for me for two reasons. The first reason was that I had failed to ever build a strong relationship with Christ...The second reason was that I was just too afraid to trust God with my life...I was unsure if he was really capable of providing and protecting or if he really had a plan for a broken woman like me. My feelings of unworthiness compounded my fears, and, as a result, I did not know how to trust God..."

-"My stress resulted from not knowing God, not trusting him with my whole heart, seeking peace and purpose from the world instead of from him, and from being so afraid of change that I would rather suffer than obey."

~

Stressed-Less Week 3

My goodness y'all, I'd be lyin' to ya if I didn't say this has been one ROUGH week. I am so tempted to start listing all of the things that came up this last week, but this Blessings post idea has really started to help me change my perspective about things. Despite all the yucky stuff (and all the struggling in the midst of it), I could absolutely see that there were indeed blessings that came from it. I'll share with you a few examples.

Blessings this week:

11. Despite my little guy getting sick, he FINALLY got back on schedule! I can't tell you how many weeks I have been relentlessly trying and trying to get him back to his regular routine to no avail. Waking up sick at 6 AM finally took care of that needing to lay down for a nap earlier.

12. Although B and I both suffered from some sort of stomach bug, it only lasted at the most 48 hours, and for me at least it really wasn't as bad as it could have been. So far the recovering hubby has yet to get it, so that is a huge blessing as well.

13. Garage Sale season is back! I just went out this morning with B and found lots of good deals and hope to go out tomorrow morning with the hubby.

14. It's supposed to be 70 degrees today and tomorrow. When it's struggling to stay in the 50's in April, you really look forward to those warmer temps!

15. My Mama bringing us some supper last night. Being sick kind of puts a damper on the whole wanting to cook or even look at food thing. She brought us some really yummy Pizza Hut pasta and cheese sticks- my favorite.

~

5 more...

16. Phone calls and emails from family & friends who care.

17. Naps. I think I took at least two this week.

18. Getting our painted bedroom floor clear coated and finished. Major accomplishment considering I have been trying to get it done for months.

19. Having a God who loves me despite my selfishness and ingratitude. When things start heading south it's amazing how quickly my attitude starts heading the same way.

20. God's Word-there's always a verse that will speak to me just where I am. This week it's this one:

{That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.}  2 Corinthians 4:16-18


Chapter 3 Take-Aways:

-"Most emotional and physical symptoms of stress and depression are not typically caused by the circumstances themselves, but instead by how our minds perceive what is going on and how our hearts hold up under the pressure."

-"Instead of allowing the stress of parenting to tempt us to throw in the towel, we need to throw ourselves on our knees every day, praying for their safety and their decision making and asking God to get a good, strong grasp on their hearts before something or someone else does."

~

Stressed-Less Week 2

Hey all! Back with my Bible Study post for the week.

I thought I was doing pretty good this week handling my stress. Bad idea. Ever heard the phrase "pride comes before the fall?"

I started thinking back to all my stressors this week. There have been many. But one of blog topics for our study this week challenges us to  begin a "blessed" post. The idea is that stress can cause us to overlook the many blessings God has poured out into our lives, so by making a list of five things God has blessed you with you can begin to focus on the positive rather than the negative. Once you have 5, add 5 more...and so on.

I love the idea of doing a blessings/take-aways post each week. i think it will help me take my focus off of the stress and put a more positive spin on things, plus, I feel like it's the kind of blog post I can actually manage to accomplish. So here goes:

Blessings this week:

1. My husband was able to get in for his procedure early. By the time the surgery was supposed to start, he was out of recovery and I was back with him in his room.

2. My son got sick while we were gone, but it was only one time, and he seemed much better within 24 hours.

3. Extra time with my hubby as he spends time at home recovering.

4. Knowing spring is coming! The cold and rainy days only further build my anticipation!

5. Getting some more Project House 'to-do's' accomplished (poly'ed floor, re-doing medicine cabinet in bathroom, painting)

~

5 more...

6. Hubby worked a 12 hour day on Tuesday, but I am very thankful this is only required of him a few times a year. Plus, with surgery on Thursday, he now gets a week and a half to recuperate.

7.  I have consistently been setting my alarm and getting up early to have some quiet time before B gets up. It has been an amazing blessing for me!

8. A house that does not have water problems when it rains. (no sump pump necessary!)

9. Coffee & I Love Lucy. It makes my morning!

10. A Devotional I found at Dollar General clearanced for a couple $'s. It was just what I needed.


Chapter 2 Take-Aways:

-"The damage that stress can have is without limitation..." {...and continuing to ignore stress not only causes an onslaught of physical problems but it also serves as proof that we have not been caring for our bodies as God intended}

-"A much better definition of peace is one that rests on the ability to rise above our circumstances, overcome our innate tendency to stress out over problems, and learn to remain calm and confident despite what is going on around us."

Stressed-Less

As a stay at home Mom/house wife, it's hard to think of myself as a person who's "stressed." I figure that's for those ladies out there in the corporate world, or those standing up speaking in front of large groups of people, or those that have seemingly bigger burdens than mine.

But let me tell you all, one chapter into this book and I've learned something eye-opening: Stress is not about your circumstances. It's about how you RESPOND to your circumstances.

I just walked through a fairly stressful circumstance, and I can say honestly, there were days I felt like I couldn't breathe I was so overwhelmed. Often times the only prayer I could utter was something like, "God, please help. Please please help us."

That circumstance may have ended for now, but there's more coming. We may have breaks here and there and some circumstances may be more difficult than others, but we can rest assured, as Jesus said himself, "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows." (John 16:33)

The key then is not trying to avoid the trials (Jesus himself said they are inevitable), but in knowing how to handle the trials and sorrows. That's where the rest of this verse comes in: "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me...take heart, because I have overcome the world."

As we learned in this first chapter, we can choose how we respond to our stress by first being willing to take responsibility for the things that cause it. When asked to make a list of the people/circumstances I have been blaming for my stress, the list became alarmingly long. It's amazing how I was excusing my stress reactions because I felt like I was entitled to such reactions based on the circumstances I was dealing with.

I like this thought from the author:

"I knew that something had to change; and through God's intervention, I gradually came to understand that what had to change...was me. Once I accepted the truth, my overall life improved. I stopped wondering what was wrong with everyone else, my circumstances, and the world and instead began pondering the hard question: 'What was wrong with me?'"

Another questioned asked us what we could do to begin assuming responsibility for our stress. A few things I came up with:

~realize my reactions are MY choice, regardless of circumstances, I can CHOOSE to respond positively to otherwise negative things.

~Seek God's wisdom, pray for his help (don't try to change in my own strength)

~ STOP blaming others.

~look at my to-do list as a guide, not a measure of success

Trials and difficulties are not meant to give us a reason to worry and be stressed to the max. They are meant to refine us, help us rely upon God and ultimately-to make us more like Christ. If we can deal with the tough things of life like he dealt with a life destined for the cross, then we can truly become more like him. And as we become more like him, we will begin to see things from his perspective.

When we begin to see things form his perspective and begin to let go of the blame that causes us to stumble. In HIS strength, whatever the circumstance, we can truly be stressed-less.

Little Things

So by now you might have noticed I've taken a bit of a hiatus from the blog. That's mostly b/c I've taken a hiatus from free time, and the little I have needs to be spent on other things.

That being said, I have managed to accomplish some smaller projects over the last couples of months that I've enjoyed being able to do. Since they're super easy and I can direct you to the blogs I used as tutorials, I thought I'd share a few of them in case it sparks anyone else's interest.

I'll start with something I did several months ago now. I had several old odds and ends coffee tables sitting around and was looking for a use for them.

I found this tutorial on how to make your own no-sew bench cushion. The no sew part was important since my sewing stuff is all still packed. I didn't have a bench, but I did have a coffee table and I'd been thinking about something for the end of our bed, particularly so I could have a place to store books.

You basically need:

-A couple of yds of fabric
-a piece of foam long enough for your "bench" (I also threw an old body pillow insert in there)
-a piece of plywood/OSB board or a thin board cut to fit the length of your bench
-staple gun

For the full tutorial, visit: http://honeywerehome.blogspot.com/2010/09/mudroom-in-progress-no-sew-bench-seat.html

Here's how mine turned out:

Notice the baskets beneath-those are the books.

The pillow in the middle goes with our bed set. The other two came from Goodwill. 

 

 

 

 

Another thing I did in our bedroom was to come up with a sort of work space for me. It basically consists of a table and a chair, but it's perfect for setting my laptop up and being able to have a place of my own to study or check my email etc. The table is from my Grandma, who got it from her Mom. I put the shelves above it and added my $1 branches from Gordmans that I got on clearance while we were still at the condo. Here's my little guy enjoying it:

 My poor floor. It's scratching to pieces. I have to go back and fix all the "scuffed" spots and then polyurethane it so it quits coming off every time someone walks on it wrong. If you're thinking about painting a floor, definitely plan on putting a clear topcoat on it!

Another project for the bedroom was a sunburst mirror. I had the wall in the middle that was wallpapered. The fireplace is on the bed side, but the other side is just the dresser and there was too much empty space on the wall. I found a round mirror I had used for an art project once and decided to repurpose it.

All you need for this one is:

-a round mirror (whatever size you want)
-wood skewers (mine were $.98 at Wal-mart in the cooking utensils section)
-spray paint
-glue gun

Tutorial: http://www.honeybeevintage.com/2011/03/diy-sunburst-mirror.html

I actually had to buy a glue gun. I'd actually never used one before, so this was a learning experience for me. The first time I used it I put glue everywhere not realizing that the whole point of heating it up is that it dries instantaneously. Duh. Anyway, here's how mine turned out:

Please ignore the mess, my husband is trying to "fix" something.

If you do this and wonder how to hang it by the way, I decided to just put a few nails around it to hold it in place. No way was I risking it falling off the wall.

The last thing I've got is pretty cool I think. I have glass cabinet doors in the kitchen that I finally got painted and put back up, but they still just were a little too boring. I did some research on etching and was just not totally comfortable with the whole permanent thing. I finally happened across an idea for using contact paper to achieve the etched look. I love the way it turned out-and the best part, I can take it off at any time.

All you need is clear contact paper (mine came from Menards, about $5 a roll) and a pattern. I used this one, tailored to fit my doors:

http://7thhouseontheleft.com/2011/08/window/#.UVXxb1eVZk0

You can see some bubbling and stuff if you look at it at the right angle, but otherwise, I think it looks pretty good considering it's just contact paper on glass:

My next thing will probably be fixing the floor, so no big excitement there. We are in progress on one of the guest bedrooms though, so will hopefully have more to post when that is finished!