Bamboo Blinds

Hello there.  It has been more than two months since I have been here.  I have thought to myself many times since then how I would like to find a moment to post about this or that, and yet life has just felt so full and crazy.  Lest there be anybody out there thinking I'm tackling some fun house projects in my spare time these days, let me just set the record straight--it's much more along the lines of "struggling to stay afloat!" or "this ship is sinking" kind of thing!

These two (not sure why it's so blurry?) + this one…

I sure do love them, but my, I never knew how exhausting motherhood would be, in so many ways...  I realize I'm not alone in this--many, if not all, mamas of young families probably feel this way, but it's still important to me that when you come to my blog, you get a sense of my real life!

Many days, I feel just like this little love who wasn't too thrilled about waking up from her nap. (Except this look is not nearly so cute on me!)

Now, moving on to bamboo blinds... (made even more lovely by this precious girl!)

I've had several friends ask me about the bamboo blinds I've used in my home.  Truth is, I have them throughout my house, on just about every window come to think of it.

Find this style HERE

I used them on a couple windows in our home in Richmond (I happened to find these at Target.com marked way down on Clearance!).

Bamboo blinds are great for lots of reasons--they bring warmth to a room, they are a great source of texture, and they are easily found at very affordable price points.

My favorite source is Overstock.com.  The shade in the nursery (above) is THIS style.  (Note:  The two shades I have linked at Overstock are available in three different lengths and in any width.)

I like bamboo blinds all by themselves.

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Or layered with drapes.

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On their own, they filter the light, so if you want something for complete privacy, you may want to consider having yours black-out lined.

The shade in Wade and Holland's room (above) is from Lowes.  They have a number of different colors, and they will cut yours to fit your measurements in the store.  I still favor the tones in the ones from Overstock myself, but depending on the look you are after, Lowes is a great option too.  (Plus, you can't beat the instant gratification of walking in the store and getting what you need right away!) Also! Check out Little Green Notebook's recent post on some great shade options at Lowes currently on major sale!

Here's a close up of the Lowes shade.  I lined this one with blackout lining fabric I purchased at Jo Ann's.  It's fairly simple to do this; a quick search on Pinterest or Google will turn up a handful of tutorials.

Painted Interior Doors

There are some design elements in a room that I think strike you right away.  Fabric choices on furniture.  Statement art on the walls.  A really interesting rug.  Kitchen countertops.  Fabulous Lighting.  Deciding on these things is important and definitely shapes the feel of your home.

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I also think there are some elements in a room that deliver a big impact in a more subtle way.  It's not secret that I love to paint things, and what I'm thinking about today are painted interior doors.  Maybe not the first thing you'd think to address in your home, but I love the way they warm up a space and create a good dose of contrast.  

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In our home in Richmond, I painted the inside of our front door black.

I also painted the inside of our back door and an interior bathroom door gray (Benjamin Moore's Gunmetal to be exact).  This small change did so much for the kitchen I thought!

Our current home has lots of options for painted interior doors.  There's the back of the front door, several doors in our dining room and the hallway, which in its current state is not interesting in the least.  It's lined with cheapo, hollow core doors that are just begging for some love.

My apologies for all the junk laying around…these photos were not styled :)

{I feel the need to explain the water dispenser you can see here…I have always been a tap water kinda girl.  Well, not in California.  According to the city's water quality report, Davis water may contain boron and hexavalent chromium (Erin Brokovich anyone?), so we aren't too keen on drinking it.  The trade off is this beauty in my dining room.  Philip's parents thoughtfully gifted us with water delivered to us for the year!  I'll happy take a water dispenser over toxins in my drinking water, thank you very much :) }

Baskets of laundry, always.  Also, a ceiling light fixture that I am so not friends with.

I could, however be friends with a blue door.

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Gray is nice…

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I think yellow is really pretty in this particular space.

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Maybe I'm just a wimp, but I'm inclined to go more neutral in our wee little house with 8' ceilings.

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Rachel Halvorson is uber talented and wrote a great blog post about dark doors.  One of her color recommendations is Sherwin Williams' Urbane Bronze, which is actually the color I painted the walls of our master in our Illinois house.  

Black is a classic choice, and you know what they say about it--every room needs a dose.  If you're looking around your room and noticing that you are lacking in the black department, why not grab a paint brush and give a door a quick makeover?

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We already have black countertops or else black would be a given for our front door.  I'm wondering if it might just be too much in our little place, and I should go with a gray or a brownish-black.  Hhhhmmm.  Too much or just right?  

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The thing I love about a project like this is you can knock it out pretty quickly without too much hassle.    So long as there aren't any tiny people running amuck (cue the nap time chorus!), you can paint a door without much fuss.  

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So, have I convinced you?  Who else is with me and is ready to paint some doors?!

On Being, "Almost Home"

When I chose the name for this little blog of mine, "Almost Home," there were a number of reasons I felt this phrase resonated with me.  The most obvious of course, being that my adult life has consisted of a series of moves, most of which I knew to expect.  There's a unique challenge inherent in knowing that you are going to move in x number of years from each home where you live.  Of course, that kind of foreknowledge can also help you make smart decisions (you hope) when it comes to where and how you live, but it still creates a unique dynamic.

The backyard of my parent's home back in the good 'ol Commonwealth.

As we prepare to move into this new home of ours out here in California (the farthest we've ever been from family!), I've found myself reflecting on how all of these different "homes" have felt for me.  I can honestly say that up until this point, each place where we have lived has truly become home.  I credit this to a gracious God who has dealt gently with me as we have moved from place to place over our 8 1/2 years of marriage.

Visiting with dear friends in one of our very favorite places (Charlottesville Va's Downtown Mall) just before we moved this past summer.

Our first year of marriage in Philadelphia was a really hard year for a lot of reasons.  Philly was tough for me, but we had a wonderful church, full of people I still think about with fondness.  I am convinced God provided for us through those friends and that church.  And because of that, it was home.

Halloween fun with friends in our loft apartment in Old City, Philadelphia.  

We lived in the guest cottage of my parent's house in my hometown of Lynchburg, VA for two years after that.  We had just made the decision for Philip to pursue dental school, and while the six years that that would entail seemed a bit daunting, we were energized (maybe slightly naive?) for the journey ahead.  We quickly made that little home our own, and it was a sweet time of being near my parents and my brother, Graham.  {Sitting in a coffee shop listening to instrumental music as I type this, I'm feeling a bit choked up at the thought of it all!}  It was a unique time too, as I was the one working {outside the home} every day.  I am so grateful for that season.  I really loved my job as a pharmaceutical sales representative.

A bit of Christmas cheer in the guest cottage we were so blessed to call home for two years :)

Next, we lived in Richmond VA, and even though we knew we'd be moving after four years, it really didn't feel like a temporary place.  We bought our first house there, Wade and Holland were both born there, and Richmond still feels the most like our adult home.  I feel great nostalgia for that time in our lives, and I miss it.  I sometimes wonder if we end up there again, would it be the same?

Hard at work on our first home in Richmond, VA!

Four years later, we celebrated Philip's graduation from dental school with dear friends.

We started out in Richmond newly pregnant for the first time.  Fast forward four years later and we were a family of four!

Leaving Richmond to follow where the Air Force was leading felt like a big step.  (Our six year plan through dental school had now become a total of 11, once Philip took a scholarship through the military...)  When we found out we were Illinois bound, it was a little intimidating to think of moving half way across the country to a place completely unknown to us.  But, we knew it was only a year, so how hard could that be?  Now, more than a year later, would you believe me if I told you I actually feel homesick for that little town in southwest Illinois?  Who would have guessed it would leave such an imprint on our hearts?  Let me assure you the year had its share of hard times, but I wouldn't trade it.  We quickly plugged into a wonderful church and built relationships with some really amazing people, and it was home.

Boxes, boxes, and more boxes as we settled into life in Illinois.  The look on my face should give you a sense of how I feel about the task in front of me.

This little dude, on the other hand, was quite pleased with what unpacking boxes meant for him!

My kitchen window in Illinois

So blessed to have sweet friends to miss when we left!

Now, we find ourselves out here on the west coast, and for the first time, I'm feeling weary from what has started to feel like a pretty nomadic existence.  This leads me to wonder why?  The house we bought is in a lovely little town, and we've already met countless new people who have been welcoming and kind.  We are so grateful for that.  Maybe my weariness has something to do with the fact that I'm about to have a third baby in less than two months (and I just miss familiar friends and family and the help they could provide!)?  Perhaps being so far away and living in a place that feels really different from all that is familiar is at the root of it?  Maybe its simply a product of knowing that we are kind of in the home stretch of this whole moving around business (at least as far as we can tell!), so my energy is waning?

Bedtime reading in our temporary house at Travis Air Force Base in CA.

I'm sure all of these factors are playing a part, but there's something else that's been different about this move:  we have been in a temporary house on the Air Force base for more than seven weeks, and while we have everything we truly need, it's really tough for a furnished place that lacks most of your own things to feel like home.  There's a part of me that wants to dismiss that thought--heck, I even have someone who will come by and make my bed and bring new towels every day if I like (#firstworldproblems).  Sometimes it seems just a bit foolish, superficial even, to grant so much weight to my material possessions.  Isn't it really all about the people with whom you're doing life?  Aren't my chairs and my picture frames and my dishes just a bunch of stuff?

Our bedroom in Illinois

Most of y'all know how much I like to decorate, how much a new paint color can make my heart sing.  I'm tempted from time to time to think I should focus my efforts more on things "that really matter," but I have to tell you, I'm feeling more and more convinced of the contrary.  Sure, my children and my husband are the foundation of what makes a place home, but the things we've acquired, or been given, or made-over with that new coat of paint, I think those things matter too.  If these seven weeks in a temporary home have taught me anything it's that my stuff reminds me of the story my family has woven as we've trekked around the country together.   Somehow it seems to help me plug along and engage with the next chapter of life.

Bookshelves filled with bits of our life

Our moving truck is set to deliver all of our stuff that's been sitting in storage for the past three months next Tuesday.  I'm expecting Monday night to feel a bit like Christmas Eve for me :)  I'm so excited to uncover all of the things that will hopefully help me feel like my story can continue out here in California and it too can begin to be home.