Warming up to Fall Decor

Hey Loves!

Well, it’s Autumn and the weather is cooling down. It feels lovely outside –but what about inside? While it is colder outside, you still want the inside of your home to be warm and welcoming. I know Martha Stewart and the crafting-geniuses on Pintrest may be a bit intimidating, but I am here with some easy and inexpensive tips.

Use Fall Fruit- Yes, you read correctly, decorate with fall fruit. Apples, pears, pumpkins and grapes go a long way AND they promote you to eat healthier snacks. You can have a full fruit bowl on your kitchen table or counter and use apples instead of votives in candle holders. (Hint: for cleaning and preservation use this vegetable wash)

Burlap- Go Burlap crazy! Make a new table cloth, a runner for your coffee table, placemats, napkin rings, bows for the banister… the possibilities are endless. The plus, burlap is super cheap! I got mine for $2.97/yard at Wally World and 3 yards goes a long way. (Hint: iron the wrong side with heavy starch to avoid fraying) You can also get burlap in ribbon form which leads me to…

Mason Jars- I know they are normally used for preservation but they can be used for household décor. You can wrap then in different size burlap ribbon and place a tea light candle inside. For a different touch, you fill the jars half way with coffee beans before adding the tea light candle. Oh! Different size jars also add a great element to centerpieces.

Bring out the Blankets- What makes you feel warmer than a blanket? You can bring out comfortable throws that are complimentary to your décor with accent colors on the ends of couches and ottomans.

Hope this helps!

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Amending Your Wedding Vows

Hey Loves!

So scrolling through facebook, I came across this news story which shares the choice one man made when faced with death-He walked his two unmarried daughters down the aisle because he knew he wouldn’t live long enough to see their actual wedding day. Through my tears, I was in awe of this man’s foresight, courage and love for his family. This also made me beyond thankful that my dad, 4 years in remission at the time, was able to be there on my wedding day. He wiped my tears and got me to the alter.

What caught my ear in the video of this story was a great love song by Shane and Shane. Honestly, I had never heard of them until a few minutes before I started writing this blog post. The chorus is what really drew me.

“I wish that I could be your everything
Be the one to give you all the things you need
Sometimes I’m gonna let you down
But there’s Someone if you just believe
Be your hero like He’s always been for me
Darling, Jesus is the one you need”

Now the songs intent was father to daughter however, I believe every married couple can relate on some level to those words. With that, I propose a vow amendment. I’m not sure what your vows included-maybe you wrote your own and captured the uniqueness of your relationship. Maybe you went the traditional ‘sickness and health, for richer and poorer till death do us part’ route. Our vows were a combination of the two and we exhausted each clause by about 6 months in. What our vows ( and many of the vows taken in the last 2,000 years) didn’t include was I’m going to mess up. I’m going to hurt you. I’m going to make you cry. They didn’t say Jesus is the hero of my life and he should be the hero of yours, so, when I hurt or anger you or lead you to tears, Jesus is the one you need. He wipes tears, heals hearts and knows everything about forgiveness.

For those wives or husbands that have ever felt alone or abandoned for even the shortest amount of time, Jesus is the one you need.

For those husbands or wives, that are getting what you need from your spouse, Jesus has it.

I know in most weddings love of the Lord and making him your priority, is stressed. There is also the famous letter from Paul in 1Corinithians describing all of the great things love is. I am not disregarding any of that, for it is the truth. But through hurt, anger and sadness, that letter may be a bit too much to comprehend and calm you; but the words above say so much in so little.

So, ladies and gents, amend your vows where you see fit- you and your spouse are madly in love and, even if it is not your intent- you mess up, because you are human- but Jesus, He is not and He is the one you need, through sickness and health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse until death takes you from this earth into His arms.

Here is the youtube video of the song for your listening and reflecting pleasure.

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