bedroom redo AND an interview with Brittany from Honeytree Home Decor

This month we finally upgraded our bedroom.  For the first year of marriage, we had a mattress and a box spring on the floor.  That was IT!  No dressers or nightstands, for us.  :)  I used a metal folding chair for my nightstand.  Then we bought a bed frame so that we were at least a few inches off the floor.  The bed frame was nice, but we still didn't have dressers and our room was bare.  Thanks to an early tax return, we decided that the time was finally right to buy a bedroom set.  We took awhile decided because we needed to find one that we both liked AND find one in our price range.  But we finally found the right one and had it delivered a couple weeks ago.  Here are a couple pictures:

My favorite part is my nightstand, where I'm sure I'll collect a pile of books in no time.  There's another dresser that I don't have a picture of, but it's much larger and has a mirror attached.

Now that we have actual furniture in our room, I started thinking about decorating it as well.  We have wedding pictures that I want to hang once I can find some cheap frames.  I scoured Pinterest for ideas that I could do myself even though I'm not really a DIY kinda girl.  Somewhere on Pinterest I saw a line from the chorus to Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros:

Home is Wherever I'm With You

I knew the moment I saw it that that was what I wanted in our bedroom!  Since we're an Air Force family, our house changes.  But I loved the idea of taking the print with us, hanging it on the wall, and being reminded that home really is wherever I'm with him.  I still needed to find a sign or a print.  Eventually I found my way to Etsy and to a shop called Honeytree Home Decor.  I fell in love with her chalkboard print of these lyrics.  I love the look of chalkboards, but I can't stand the feeling or sound of writing on them.  So this a great way to get the look (and the lyrics) without having to actually use a chalkboard myself.

I had a question for the owner, Brittany, so I messaged her and soon she messaged back.  It turns out that she is also a military spouse and our sons are pretty close in age!  My husband and I like to support the businesses of military spouses because we know how hard it is to have a steady job with military life.  So today I want to share a little about Honeytree Home Decor through an interview with Brittany, starting with this picture of her adorable family.

1. Tell me a little about yourself and your family!

Hi! I'm Brittany, and I live & grew up in Northern Virginia. I met my husband, Justin, when he was stationed here with the US Coast Guard. A few years later, we were married and our sweet boy Grayson came along. He is now 1 1/2, and most days acts like a little sour patch kid. Ya know, first they're sour and then they're sweet?? Yep. That's him. Good thing he's cute! We recently learned that we will be packing up our lives and moving all the way to Southern California. I honestly couldn't be more excited for the adventure that lays before us!

2. What's the story of your Etsy shop? Why did you start it and how did you choose the name?

I have always loved covering my home in things created by people, rather than by a factory. Those details make a home feel so much more warm and inviting, in my opinion! After receiving compliments from friends on some prints I created for my own home, the thought popped up to maybe give Etsy a try. When we learned that we would be PCSing, and I would be transitioning into stay at home mom territory for a while, I decided to take the plunge! A while back I thought about selling some wooden paintings, and asked a close friend for tree-related suggestions for the name. Thus, Honeytree was born! Even though the name was thought up for a different product, it makes me feel all giddy so I kept it.

3. Do you have any favorite prints or any that hold special meaning to you?

The print that reads "I love you to the moon and back." definitely tugs at my heart strings. It's a piece that I originally created for my son's nursery. Every night, I tell Grayson that I love him to the moon and back. Sometimes, he'll give me a big ole' open mouth baby-kiss, and I know that he loves me too.

Thanks, Brittany, for the interview and sharing about your life!  I'm so thrilled that we were able to work together on this and that I was able to write about Honeytree Home Decor!

Additionally, Brittany has graciously offered a 15% discount off anything in her shop!  So cool!  Click over to her shop to see all that she has to offer and then use the coupon code: "GLORIOUS15" when you check out! 

  

**In exchange for this post, I received a complementary print from Honeytree Home Decor.  Here's another link to the one I picked! :)

currently reading: Jesus Feminist

"exploring God's radical notion that women are people, too"

"I'll never fit in with Christian women..."

I said these hushed words to my husband as we left a small group one night.  

Looking back, I can see that it was kind of a silly statement.  The night had been discussions of children and cooking and clothing - things that I actually do enjoy, but they felt frivolous at the time.  I was missing deep conversation and connection.  During the long, lonely hours as a SAHM I was (am) mentally wrestling through all that I read on popular Christian sites.  

Why were these amazing debates taking place online and in books where Christian women spoke with strong voices and yet, when I went to Church, I felt like all the women talked about were recipes and kids and decorating and dieting?  Was the conversation only happening online?  

Reading Sarah Bessey's book, Jesus Feminist

, I'm realizing that I was wrong ( and that I should probably get used to that feeling).  I think that all over Christendom these women - strong women who want to challenge and to be challenged - do exist.  But maybe, like me, they're used to churches telling women to be "gentle and quiet", but not telling them to use leadership skills.  And they're used to churches with a "brain-check" at the front door next to the coat check.  And they're used to feminism being "the f word" in Church.  And so, like me, these women have decided to just take the easy route and keep their voices to hushed tones.

But what I'm realizing is that strong women who want more from the Church are all around me.  And I'm so excited to see where that takes me in the next year of hard conversations and growing friendships and women challenging women to do more and be better.

Whew.  All that was just an intro to my thoughts on the book.  I'll try to hurry up after this.  :)  

{I am a bit self-conscious about posting pictures of myself...and I am a Jesus feminist ;) 

 Also, if you didn't know, Sarah collected pictures of people with similar signs.

I didn't come up with this idea on my own. }

Jesus Feminist

 surprised me.  I expected Sarah Bessey's writing to be bold and scandalous and very heavy on research.  And it was, in some ways.  But what surprised me was how personal this book was.  Sarah wrote to ME.  Her words were like a thick blanket wrapped around my shoulders, cocooning and comforting.  She asks her readers to "lay down our ideas, our neatly organized Bible verses, our carefully crafted arguments" (p.1) and instead, invites us to a conversation.     

From the beginning, Sarah wrote gently and kindly and truthfully.  While many people might have negative stereotypes they associate with the word "feminist" (read: angry, bitter), Sarah's tone is completely different.  It was a bit off-setting for me at the beginning because this book was not what I expected.  If you're looking for a book goes through each verse pertaining to women and painstakingly proves (or disproves) why you should be a feminist, this is not the book you're looking for.  This book is about leaving our entrenched sides and coming together to see the Kingdom of God at work.  It was obvious that the book was well-researched, but it was not scholarly.  

I loved how Sarah used her own life stories (and those of her friends) in this book.  She writes of childhood and childbirth, marriage and ministry, hurts and happiness.  She combines stories and Scriptures and quotes and hard truth, and when it all comes together, it works.  It captured my attention and engaged both my brain and my heart.  

One part stuck out to me: "Often when a woman exhibits leadership, she's accused of having that Jezebel spirit.  I look forward to the day when women with leadership and insight, gifts and talents, callings and prophetic leanings are called out and celebrated as Deborah, instead of silenced as a Jezebel" (p. 92)  Yes.  Yes!  I wish this wasn't revolutionary in western Christianity, but it is!  And I too look forward to the day when women are celebrated as leaders, scholars and pastors in the Church.  

I've read criticism that Sarah's book didn't go far enough.  And I understand where those people are coming from.  In some ways, I do think she could have pushed further.  But I think she ended up with a gracious book that will speak to both sides and will start the conversation rolling in churches.  Rather than focusing on the minute details, Sarah looks at the bigger picture.  To her, being a feminist is being part of the Kingdom of God here on earth.

Before reading this book, I was comfortable calling myself a Christian and a feminist.  But Sarah's book helped me delve deeper into the conflation of those, which I appreciate.  This is a book I plan to read again and will recommend to friends, both male and female.  I am already looking forward to the conversations that will take place because of Jesus Feminist

.

My rating: 5 stars

{Finished book on my little red desk}

If you've read Jesus Feminist

 (or read Sarah's blog), I'd love for you to let me know what you thought! :)

**This post contains Amazon Associates links

2013 In Review (because all the cool kids are doing it)

Here's our year in review along with my favorite Instagram picture of the month. :)  There are links throughout so click away!

In January I officially became a Key Spouse for our squadron (but I didn't write about it until April) and we celebrated my husband's birthday with a date to Joe's Crab Shack.

In February we decided to create a separate blog for our family updates.

In March we started our gratitude wall.

In April we started our summer produce challenge to eat more seasonally.

In May I read my favorite book of 2013 and fell in love with Shauna Niequist's writing (I received Bittersweet for Christmas this year and can't wait to dig in).

In June I was a bridesmaid (brides-matron?) for my friend's wedding and we traveled 2,217 miles in 11 days to see family and friends all over the place.  We hope we never have to do that road trip again!  During June I also wrote about about a post about feminism and the Church.  I'm not incredible proud of the writing or the depth because I know I could do better on both of those.  But I am very proud that I overcame my 'fear of man' just a little bit by pressing "publish" on that post.

In July Hadden learned to walk and hasn't slowed down since!  I wrote a second post about our favorite baby items which was a follow up post to this one from last September.

In August we celebrated Hadden's first birthday, I was named as one of the top 10 military mom bloggers and my blog had a much needed makeover!

In September we started our first Whole30 (we'll be doing another in January!)

In October we celebrate Halloween and I reviewed our commissary's pick up system (one word: awesome!).

In November my sister's family came for Thanksgiving which was the best ever!

And finally, in December we traveled to Ohio so my husband could have corrective eye surgery (more on that in upcoming posts).


**This post contains Amazon Associates links

happy thanksgiving!

"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world."

-John Milton

happy thanksgiving from my family to yours!

We hope you are surrounded by those you love and that you fall asleep counting your blessings.

thanksgiving feast

{my mom's famous cinnamon rolls, which are technically sticky buns but we didn't know that until we were older so we call them cinnamon rolls}

My sister and her family are visiting us for Thanksgiving and I cannot wait!  It's going to be great for many reasons, but one thing I'm looking forward to is cooking together.  My entire family likes to cook and try new recipes, but Thanksgiving is about the classics.  When my sister and I talk on the phone, we've planned all of our family favorites.  I don't cook these foods normally (especially not since Whole30!) so I'm looking forward to eating my childhood favorites.

My only concern is how we're going to cook all the food in my kitchen!  Most of it needs to be in the oven at the same time, so I'm getting creative about alternate heating sources like the crockpot.  It's going to be a juggling act to get all of our dishes cooked and serve them warm, but hopefully I'm up for the challenge.  :)

I've made some things ahead of time, like the cinnamon rolls pictured above.  But I'm excited to have a full kitchen on Thanksgiving, even if it's hectic.  I love having my family around and making memories in the kitchen and around the table.  

What's your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?  I'm looking forward to Kentucky spoon bread which I haven't had in YEARS!

repost: gratitude wall

Note: I wrote about our gratitude wall back in April, but thought that re-posting it again (with a few changes) would be a good way to begin Thanksgiving week on the blog.  My apologizes about the iPhone pictures...I was too tired to grab the real camera today and fuss with getting the perfect picture.

{our gratitude wall, complete with a quote from Spurgeon who just so happens to share a name with my son}

For a few years, I kept a gratitude journal.  It was a spiritual disciple as I trained myself to see beauty in discouraging circumstances and identify God's good gifts on a daily basis.  My list lengthened.  Soon I had listed over 1000 things that I was grateful for.  Slowly I fell out of the habit of writing them down.  Life got busy and my writing time grew slimmer.

Then I started noticing how much I was bothered by negative people who couldn't find anything nice to say, but instead focused on criticisms.  Let's be honest:  it's a slippery slope before we're all there.  When I said that gratitude was a spiritual discipline for me, I really meant it.  I have to practice it or I'll never learn.

I decided to transform my gratitude journal into a gratitude wall.  This was it was visible and communal.  We set aside a little wall in our kitchen where we write down our "grateful for's" (as we call them) on sticky notes and are working on covering the wall.  As we fill the space, we are making a visible testimony to God's goodness and reminding ourselves of what He's done.  I can't wait until our son is older and he can participate too.  My husband is the one responsible for writing on the chalkboard.  He doesn't change it often, so it's a bit of a surprise to walk downstairs one morning as see a new quote, note or picture.  

As you can see from the pictures, we've added quite a few since we began.  As our son gets taller, we've had to stop adding them to the bottom because he's learned to pull them off.  Recently we've failed at writing down our thanks.  I still think them in my head and sometimes I even stop in the kitchen to read our old notes hanging there.  I'm sure we won't keep this up forever - after all, we're a military family so we'll probably be moving in the next couple of years.  But perhaps we'll pull the sticky notes out each November as a way to ground our hearts in gratitude. 

{February 2013}                                                {April 2013}

oh, happy day!

To my love,

I'm so, so happy to be celebrating our anniversary today!  Love is complicated and marriage even more so, but I'm glad we're figuring this out together.  :)  This year I hope that we continue to learn to love each other more sacrificially.  Thank you for being so kind and patient.  Thank you for encouraging me to follow my passions and enabling me to serve others (and serving alongside me).  I'm thankful for each day I get to spend with you!  I'm glad that for our wedding we decided to memorize our vows and that we still remember them and can look into each other's eyes as we recite them.  Today I'm looking forward to a wonderful day with you and also looking ahead at another adventurous year!

  Love,

    Callie

"I would do it for you, for you

Baby, I'm not moving on

I'll love you long after you're gone

For you, for you

You will never sleep alone

I'll love you long after you're gone

And long after you're gone gone gone"

Korean Beef Tacos (a crockpot recipe)

A few months ago my sister called me and told me that she made the Korean beef tacos that I'd pinned and that they were "insane".  I had no idea what recipe she was talking about, which should be a sign that I pin too many recipes!  Anyway, she ended up making them for us when we visited and my husband and I both agreed: insanely good.

In addition to being "insanely good", these tacos use my all-time favorite cooking device, the crockpot!  Last winter we used our crockpot about five days a week and I am always looking for new recipes.  I love the flexibility of putting the ingredients in at 9:00am and not having to think about it again until 5pm when dinner is ready.

You can find the recipe here at Confections of a Foodie Bride, but today I'm just sharing a few pictures from the leftovers of the meal.  Check out the recipe on that blog and their beautiful pictures! 

The recipe calls for a lot of ingredients, which looks a bit daunting at first.  But it's really not.  You'll just need to run to the store and pick up a couple things that you may not have on hand (e.g. sesame oil, rice vinegar).  But those ingredients get mixed together and poured over the beef in the crockpot, so it's very easy.

Since this recipe makes a lot of beef, we save the extras in the fridge and use them the next few days for leftovers.  It's really easy to make a fresh taco for lunch and it tastes just as good!

**please remember that I am not a photographer and definitely not a food photographer so these pictures are far from perfect.  Yesterday as I was heating up leftovers I was simply noticing how beautiful the colors were together so I grabbed my camera and snapped away**

Here are the ingredients I started with for lunch:

- Leftover beef, warmed in the microwave.  

- Fat-free sour cream (plain greek yogurt would be great too)

- Cucumber/red onion slaw (I make this fresh each time...more on that below)

- Sriracha!

- Fresh cilantro

- Tortilla

Start by warming the tortilla in the microwave for about 20 seconds.  Add your sour cream/greek yogurt then drizzle Sriracha and top with cilantro

Add the warmed beef 

Top with the cucumber/red onion slaw (and more Srarchia if you like it spicy!)

Like I said above, I make fresh slaw each day.  The first time I made this recipe, I made a lot of slaw and saved it to use for leftovers, but I really missed the crunch of the cucumbers and onions.  They were limp and it was unsatisfying.  Usually I try to make it about 30 minutes before I plan on eating so it will have time to soak in the vinegar, but sometimes I don't get the chance.  It's good either way, but I prefer giving it a lot little time it sit.

Hope that you give it a try and that you enjoy it as much as we do!

air force life: base housing at offutt afb

Edited to Add: I wrote a post in May 2013 (one year after we moved to Offutt) to give an update on what we thought of the housing after living here for a while.  Check it out!

Edit #2: I've gone through and updated a few of these pictures after almost two years of living here to give you a better picture of the size of some of the rooms.  Updated pictures have our name in the corner.  :)  ALSO, if you are PCSing here, leave a comment or shoot me an email!  I'd love to connect and answer any questions you have about Offutt!

Tour Our Home/Tour Base Housing ;)

I kept waiting for it to be perfectly decorated.

And perfectly clean.

Then I decided that those days might be far off.

So instead I am posting the pictures that show our home for what this is: not always impeccably tidy and a long way from being fully decorated.  But here are pictures nonetheless.  Base housing is different at every base, but here's an overview of our life at Offutt AFB.

This is a stock photo of the outside of our style of home (via Rising View website).  Our neighborhood is made up of duplexes.  Some of the houses are older (perhaps built in the 60s?), but have been renovated.  There are also a lot of newer homes - built in the last six or so years.  We qualified for one of the newer, three bedroom houses.  Most of the houses have nice backyards (usually about 50 feet from the back of the house) and you can rent a fence if you'd like your yard enclosed for children or pets.

We are responsible for yard work, but the housing office takes care of any maintenance issues we have and so far they have been very helpful when we've needed something done.  We're not allowed to paint - this was probably the saddest thing for me to find out when we arrived here.  Instead we are slowly working on filling our walls with pictures and art, but (as you can tell from the photos) we still have a long way to go.  I'm a little too indecisive about where to hang things, but we're working on it. 

The Kitchen

This is the view when you walk in from the garage.  Those windows overlook the backyard.  To the right you can see part of our family room.

This is opposite the picture above.  That's the door to the garage.

The skinny door to the left of our fridge is the pantry.  

This is the view of the kitchen from the family room.  The laundry room is on the other side of that wall.

Pantry

The Family Room

View of the family room from the kitchen.  The family room is technically supposed to be two room (family room and living room), but it's sort of an awkward space with the furniture we have so we just use it as a family room.

This view is from the living room into the kitchen.  We have a little coloring table for Hadden and store his high chair next to the back door.

This is the view standing in the hallway.  The door leads to our back yard.  The space behind the couch could fit a small table and a couple of chairs.

Downstairs Bathroom

This room is in the hallway off the living room and across from a huge under-the-stairs closet.

Dining Room

This room is technically supposed to be a living room, but we're using it as a dining room.  The two windows on the right look onto our front yard.  From where I am standing to take the picture, the front door is on my right and a coat closet is on the left.  The wall on the left a half wall to our stairs (see next picture).  In the back is the collection of wall hangings that have yet to hang on the walls.  We really need to buy a big dining room table for this room!

The door is to a big closet under the stairs.  Across the hallway from that closet is the downstairs bathroom.  

The landing upstairs.  From left to right: Master bedroom, Hadden's nursery, linen closet, guest bathroom.  The guest room is further to the right.  There is also a huge closet upstairs and a desk space (see picture below)

Desk on landing upstairs (directly below is the front door)

View from the desk

Hah.  Our "guest bedroom" is an empty room with an air mattress waiting to be filled for our next guest who is arriving in a couple days.  Window overlooks back yard.

Guest bathroom

Nursery.  Window overlooks back yard

Master bedroom.  The window overlooks the front yard.  This room has a small walk in closet and a linen closet (there is a third closet off the bathroom as well)

View from master bath

View from the corner closet (the door you see is the bathroom)

Master bath

The closet back there is so big!!  It wraps around on either side.  Now I just need to buy more clothes to fill it!  ;)

Overview

Overall we like our house!  If we were to build/buy a home we would definitely do a few things differently.  I dream of painting the wall, redoing the cabinets and changing out all the light fixtures/door hardware.  I would love to someday live in an older home with history and with a story.  But that's not where we're at in life.  This house is more than sufficient and we are grateful for it.  And we are slowly turning it from a house into a home.  :)