Transformation Tuesday ~ The Wall

I'm pretty sure my friends are better than yours!

 

 

 

Haha, I'm totally kidding but I do have some pretty AMAZING friends!

One of my sweet friends called me one day and said, "I have some extra fence boards sitting in my garage, do you want them?"

 

Um, is the sky blue?

 

Yes, yes and yes!!!

But wait!  It gets even better...

 

My friend Patti and her husband Kevin knew that I wanted a planked wall and so she asked me if I needed help putting it up?

 

Yes people!  They not only gave me FREE fence boards, but they also installed them for me!!!

 

 

Pretty amazing, hugh?!

 

Here's the before...

 

 

pretty boring!

 

 

And now....

 

 

I'm in LOVE!! (insert heart eyes)

 

I'm not savvy enough to give you the directions on how to do it but the Internet is full of tutorials.

Kevin basically used a level and a nail gun to install the planked wall.

 

 

He also had his table saw to cut the pieces to fit.  I chose to have the fence boards go vertically to add height to the room.

 

 

They installed the wall in a couple of hours.

 

 

A wonderful and simple project with lots of

bang for the buck!

In my case ZERO bucks!

 

I love all the character of the wood!  It's just delicious!

When my amazing friends offered to install the wood I asked them if they worked for food lol~ I fed them dinner!  :)

Thanks again Kevin and Patti!!  Love you guys!

Have a wonderful and blessed day! 

 

Linking up to:

Making it in the Mountains 

Worthing Court

French Country Cottage

Little Farmstead

 

xoxo

Delilah

 

 

 

Motivational Monday ~ When things don't go as planned

I love being a mom.

 

 
 

I feel like it has always come easy for me.

Breastfeeding was a breeze...
My kids slept through the night early on...

They were always pretty well behaved as young children.

They both excel in school and their teachers almost always have positive things to say about them.

They're kind-hearted and compassionate towards others, yada, yada, yada...

 

 

 

 

Don't get me wrong we have our moments but for the most part, I've been pretty blessed.

 

Until now...

Now, my daughter is 15.  She's a freshman in high school.  She's still a good girl but parenting has gotten HARD!

 

 

 

 

Last week my daughter received a letter from the Leadership teacher at her high school informing her that she didn't make it into the Leadership program.  She had decided to not try out for cheer this upcoming school year and focus on leadership instead.  We knew that would be a gamble since not everyone makes it into leadership.  As you can imagine, the news was heartbreaking.

 

She was devastated.

 

 

Many of her friends made it into the program and that made it even harder for her. 

 

I got home from work and found her eating Ben and Jerry's ice cream out of the carton with a bag of Doritos sitting next to her.  Um, yes, it was that kind of bad.

 

I tried to console her and give her my best pep talk possible.

 

"Sometimes things don't work out how we'd like them to but we have to trust that God is still in control.  He has something better for us.  It doesn't make sense right now but someday it will." I said.

 

I'm pretty sure she wanted to throw something at me!  And I don't blame her.

She didn't need me to try and explain why it happened.
She just needed me to be present.
She needed me to feel sorry for her.
She needed me to comfort her.
She needed me to tell her that life sucks sometimes... I know I'm being mellow dramatic but to a teenager these things are very important!

 

 

 

And I failed.
  At saying or doing any of those things.
And that is why being a mother is now hard!

I need a manual!!!



So the next day I thought about her all day and prayed about it and really, honestly felt sad and sorry for her.  I wanted to email the Leadership teacher and tell her how dumb she was for not accepting probably the best leadership student on the planet, but I didn't.  (Big pat on the back to me!)



Instead, I texted my daughter while I was at work.  I flooded her phone with all these cute little motivational quotes that I've posted here and said, "I think a day of shopping and ice cream needs to happen ASAP!"
To which she responded,
YEEEEEESSSSSS!!



It's just a win-win the way I see it.  We needed to go summer shopping anyway and well, who needs an excuse for ice cream?

I don't know what kind of day/week/month or even year you're having but if it has been filled with disappointments or closed doors, hang in there.  We don't always understand why we get to walk through the challenges or hardships in life....
Is there a lesson to be learned from them?
Perhaps there is.

Whatever the case may be I hope you find something to bring you a little sunshine on this journey.




In other news, I know I've been MIA on this blog the last couple of months, but after losing my grandmother earlier this year, I just really needed a break from all the pressures of life.
Life is too short.
I'm trying to focus on the things that really matter.
My life is crazy busy but I do love this blog thing and have a whole bunch of posts ready to go!  I've been taking care of ME and I can't wait to share how I'm doing that!

Thanks for your patience!

xoxo
Delilah


Inspire Me Tuesday ~ 2.23.16

I had a beautiful dream a couple of nights ago.  My mom and my grandmother were in it.  Both are in heaven now and have been for quite some time so whenever I dream of them I wake up really happy.  It's as if I'm able to spend some time with them in my dreams.

This dream wasn't really about them.

When I dream about my mom it usually isn't about her.

It's usually about some message I'm subconsciously supposed to receive.

 

In my dream I was housesitting.  I had been housesitting for a few weeks.  My grandmother came back from her trip (it was her house that I was taking care of) and she was excited to see the puppies that her dog had in her absence.  I was surprised to see the puppies.  They were a few days old but I had completely overlooked them.  Yes I was feeding the dog and taking care of what needed to be taken care of in my grandmother's home but I was just going through the motions and was sort of in a fog.

So much so that I failed to see the puppies.

I remember feeling sad in my dream.

I was sad because I had missed out on spending time with these newborn puppies and now it was time for me to go.

 

 

I woke up wondering how my life related to that dream.

Do I need to slow down?

Smell the roses?

I truly have been working hard at slowing down...

I feel like the dream was about so much more.

I want to be purposeful in EVERYTHING that I do.

I don't want to do something just to do it.

I don't want to miss out on an opportunity because I overlook it because of my everyday chores.

I want to live every moment to the fullest.

 

Maybe I need a break from social media?

Do I need to stop playing candy crush?

Do I need to quit my job? 

Haha, just kidding Frank!  lol

 

 

I love when dreams inspire me.  My own personal "sermon!"  I'm going to let this one marinate for a little while.

So grateful for my little dream...

 

and now here's a little inspiration for you.

 

I'm loving the color Navy these days...

City Farmhouse has a great post about this "now trending" color!

 

I was seriously walking through my house yesterday and thinking that I needed to de-clutter. And then I read this article and well, yes, that sealed that deal!

 

Grab a tissue folks!  Christy had me wanting to run out to the nearest shelter and bring home my very on Sunny!

 

 

I LOVE white walls too, French Country Cottage!

 

And yes Jillian, I NEED these shoes.

 

I'm going to do this.  I love decorating with books and this is a great way to keep them neutral.

 

 

I'm in LOVE Marian!!  I want this sofa!

 

 

 I didn't get to share my Valentines Day decor because of my blogging hiatus... but here's a little peek at my Love-ly mantle. :)

 

 

It's going away....

On the agenda this week:

SPRING decorating!

 

I know we're still in February but Easter is in March this year!!!  I've got to get moving!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!  I hope you're inspired!

 

xoxo

Delilah

 

 

 

 

 

 



My Lita

It's been almost a month since I've shared anything on the blog..

 

 

 

 

I've tried writing this multiple times but my heart wasn't ready.

 

 

On January 15th my paternal grandmother who we affectionately refer to as "Lita" passed away.

I was blessed to be by her side when she was called home.

I sang to her and prayed for her as she took her last breath. 

 

 

And then we wept.

 

She was a few months shy of turning 90 years old.

She was the most beautiful human being I have ever met in all of my life.

She loved so intently and in return was deeply loved.

 

 

She is the person that I've always aspired to be like.

 

She was my last living grandparent.

 

 

I'm still sad.  And it will take time to get used to the idea that she is no longer here.

 

Thank you for your patience....

 

Delilah

A Special Car Ride

 

Last Sunday, my husband and I and our two kids jumped in the car on a beautiful, overcast winter day in California.

There was nothing special about that morning.

It wasn't a special "wear your heels and red lipstick" kind of day.

We were just getting in the car to drive to my son's baseball tournament that was about an hour away.

 

We were rushing to get settled in the car and get going because we were leaving about ten minutes later than our targeted time.

 

Dad got in the drivers seat, I sat in the passenger seat, both kids were in the back seat, Brayden was behind the driver's seat and Karissa was sitting behind me in our Honda pilot.

 

I got the GPS ready, not because we didn't know where we were going but because we wanted to see what our eta was.  We passed the Montessori school in Brentwood and that's when it happened.

 

The magic of a little moment that I know will go down as a special memory in my mind.

 

Frank said, "Karissa I can remember it like it were yesterday, your first day of school at that Montessori when you were just 2 years old!"  (We celebrated her 15th birthday yesterday)

 

Frank proceeded to recount what he remembered of that special day.  I interjected because he had gotten that memory all wrong!  I corrected him with the specific details of our daughter's first day of preschool, which of course, according to him, I got all wrong!

 

We laughed and smiled and rolled our eyes all at the same time.

 

 

 

Who knows how the story actually goes but we reminisced and smiled about that day when our beautiful first born daughter started preschool.

 

That memory sparked other conversations in the car that morning.

We told the kids the stories of when each of them were born.  We talked about how we came up with their names.

 

We laughed and smiled and rolled our eyes at the exaggerations and inconsistencies of our stories!

 

 

The radio wasn't on and the kids weren't on their phones or watching a movie or playing video games...

 

Nope!

It was just the four of us sitting in the car having a special moment.

A moment in which I know those two kids felt the immense love that we have for them.

 

 

 

A special little car ride that I will never forget.  I'll never forget it because life is so uncertain and so precious.  Just last week Hospice was called in for my grandmother.  She's simply the most beautiful person I've ever known in my life.  She suffered 2 brain aneurysms in 2009 and has been bed ridden ever since.  At 89 years of age, her frail body is now shutting down.  My "Lita", as we so affectionately refer to her, is ready to go to heaven.  Tears are streaming down my face as I say those words.  Not because I'm not at peace with her passing, but because I will so terribly miss her.

 

I think that might be why that little car ride was so special to me...

we don't know what tomorrow holds for us.

I'm loving and holding on to these special little moments.

 

 

xoxo

Delilah

 

 



 

 

 

 

YOU get to decide who you are

Happy New Year!!!

 

 

 

 

I'm excited about 2016.

I read this quote the other day and it really inspired me.

 

"You decide every moment of every day:

who you are

&

what you believe in.

You get a second chance every second.

 

There are many things I love about that quote.

 

What I want to focus on today is the part that says that you get to decide who you are.

 

It doesn't matter what the preconceived ideas or stereotypes are that have attached themselves to your persona...

You at any moment can redefine yourself.

You get to choose!

Not your mother or your spouse or your job title...

How powerful is that?

 

 

 

How do you do that?

 

1. Look at yourself in the mirror.

Not like when your doing your makeup or doing your hair.  You need to be purposeful.

Sit there without any distractions and focus on that reflection in the mirror and decide what it is that you #1 love/like about yourself and then #2 what needs to change or be worked on.

It won't be easy but if your serious about taking control of your life than it is necessary.

Don't just focus on your outer appearance, be sure to look at your inner being also.

Nobody knows YOU better than YOU.

 

I have a friend that is known for being late to everything.  The other day her daughter posted this on Facebook and said it was going to be her Mother's day gift.

 

 

It was done in fun and we all laughed about it...

the reality is she's been working hard on being on time and changing that false truth about her.

 

When I look in the mirror one of the things I'm frustrated with is my weight.  My mother passed away in 2009 and I gained 20 pounds that year.  That weight is hanging on and I need to lose it!

I've always been known as a "thick" girl.  I'm ready to shed that false truth about me!

2016 is going to be the year that I get healthy!

 

 2. Set realistic and ambitious goals.

Only you can know the difference between what is a realistic and ambitious goal in your life.

Losing 5 pounds a month is a realistic goal for me.

Running in the Reebok Spartan Race in May is an ambitious goal for me.

I'm setting both goals! 

 

 

3. Make a plan.

How am I going to lose the weight?

How am I going to train for the Spartan Race in May?

 

 

There needs to be a plan.

Achieving a goal is only half the reward...

The journey to that goal is the other half!

Take it one day at a time.  Chip away at it a little every day.

 

I love candy crush...OK I'm a little addicted to candy crush...

and sometimes I get stuck on a level that I can't pass.  The mindset I have is this: I just have to keep working at it and eventually I'll pass this darn level!  It works every time!  I'm currently on level 1356!!

 

Once you make a plan, write it down, share it with someone for accountability and make changes or adjustments as needed.

 

4. Surround yourself with POSITIVITY!

For me that means staying connected to God.  It's His will for me to succeed.  I stay connected to him by being in prayer, going to church, listening to worship music and reading the Bible.

 

 

Surround yourself with positive and encouraging people.  It even helps if they are trying to achieve some of the same goals you are.  You can bounce ideas off of each other.  Motivate each other.  Be accountable to each other.  I love this quote that I posted on Instagram the other day.

 

 

 

It's extremely important to eliminate the negative voices and energy in your space.  Now I'm not saying divorce your husband or anything like that...what I'm saying is the new year is a great opportunity to do some deep cleaning!  If social media is more negative than it is positive for you than eliminate it.  If that television show you're watching isn't inspiring or motivating you then stop watching it!  You have the power!

 

 5. Don't give up

Did you know that 1 in 4 people fail to accomplish their New year's resolutions every year?  That's a 24% success rate.  Don't give up!  Set up a reward system!

I plan on rewarding myself with a new outfit (head to toe) for every 5 pounds I lose.

I know that isn't realistic for everyone but keep yourself motivated!

Google motivational quotes, print them and place them where you can see them daily.

 

 

You can do it!!!

I believe in you.

 

I'm praying you have a blessed and prosperous 2016!!

 

xoxo

Delilah