Consider Willow House!

When it comes to buying Christmas gifts, please consider Willow House and me, as your Willow House Design Consultant!  Willow House is currently having the Very Merry Markdown, 23 items on sale for 23 days!  

Visit my webpage today to order!  It will be shipped straight to you!  

www.melissaspell.willowhouse.com

Click on:  Shop My Online Store

Did I mention we also have a Brand New Outlet Store??   

Order by December 2nd and you'll be entered in my Christmas giveaway for a $30 Willow House gift certificate!  Every $20 you spend gets you one entry! 

An Update

*Uncle Gary (my dad's brother) passed away on September 22.  I was already planning on leaving on Wednesday morning to be there to see him one last time and attend the funeral that was to come; he passed away early that morning.  I spent the weekend with my family and that was much needed for all of us.

Uncle Gary suffered greatly, but his spirits were always high.  My family was exhausted physically from being by his side for months and emotionally from seeing him suffer.  Praise the Lord that he is no longer suffering!

*Jonathan and I joined my married family for Fall adventures at The Rock Ranch, which is owned by ChicK-Fil-A founder, Truett Cathy!  We had such a wonderful time roaming around the ranch.  I had never been to this sort of thing and I was ready to have fun!  I was especially excited about the corn maze, but my camera battery died before we got started in it.  :(

*Jonathan and  celebrated our TWO year anniversary.  I am overcome with emotion when I think of how the Lord has blessed me with a great marriage.  I definitely married by best friend.

Since our anniversary was on a Monday, we celebrated our marriage the weekend we were out-of-town at The Rock Ranch by spending the night in a beautiful hotel and going out for dinner.  The next morning, we went to outlet stores and spent the day shopping together!  I love shopping with Jonathan because he shows me what he likes for me and I'll try it on and show him.  I love buying some that we BOTH love!  Every woman loves for her husband to say, "You look cute!"  Of course, I do the same for him and it's so fun!

On Monday, November 1 (the actual day of our anniversary)  Jonathan took me to one of my favorite restaurants around here, Steeplechase.  It was a wonderful anniversary!

I learned a lesson from a child today

I saw a little boy from church at the grocery store. 

 

Our eyes met and he said, "Don't you go to Southside? Will you be there tonight?"

 

So many times I'll see someone in the store that I know, but I look the other way because "I don't have time." It really doesn't take that much time to speak to someone and even ask them about church. I love God's little lessons!

Update on Uncle Gary!

Uncle Gary got to come home today.  He was hardly able to talk, but I got to talk to him a little bit.  My dad said Uncle Gary was grinning the entire time!  Oh I love it!

Today is my Mamaw's birthday, on 9-11.  A bittersweet day in my opinion.  Mamaw is my uncle's primary caregiver.  As his mother, it has been hard on her to see him suffer as of late.  What a wonderful birthday present it was for Uncle Gary to come home!  The Lord knew she needed that today!

I had to work today so we can meet a deadline on Tuesday.  I was afraid the day was spent, but as soon I got home I worked in the yard.  Rain interrupted my work, so I came in and cooked supper.  Afterward, I washed FIVE loads of clothes/bedding! 

I feel accomplished.  Thank you, Lord!  Lastly, I'm praying for those still suffering from 9-11-01.  I cannot imagine the hurt they experience day after day. 

Please Pray!

Please pray for my uncle, Gary.  He is battling cancer right now and it's really taking it's toll.  After a week in the hospital for a blood clot, he had to be taken back by ambulance early the following morning.  He was vomiting blood and was gasping for breath.  I talked with my dad on the phone and he said Uncle Gary is stable right now, but still critical. 

My heart is torn.  I want to be there so bad but have entered a very busy season at work and if it got worse after I went and came back, I would have to travel back again.  It's a nine hour drive to Kentucky.   My dad has advised that I wait....I trust him.

Please pray for my uncle and our family during this time.  It breaks my heart.  I love my uncle so much.

I Can Be THAT Godly Woman!

Before I got married, I was blessed to get to see the godly woman in my life (the one I was the most closest to and had learned so much from) at least a couple times a week.  When I got married and moved away I began feeling sorry for myself because my godly friend was too far away to see as often I as I would like.

What would I do without her?  I needed her!  But then God spoke to my heart, "You know, YOU can be that godly woman!"  All along, here I was reaping the blessings of having a godly woman in my life, that I never thought about being that very thing to someone else.  

Listen to this recording by Nancy Leigh DeMoss of Revive Our Hearts as she talks about being a mature Christian woman and training younger women.  It really spoke to me and I'd like to share with you more about this subject in the near future.

http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=10595#

Under Construction

I'm about at my wits end when it comes to the look of my blog.  Therefore, please over look it for now!  I know it looks crazy!  hehe!

My Clean Sink! Before and After!

When we first moved into our "new-to-us" home, I wasn't so thrilled about the sink.  It is white porcelain and shows stains BADLY.  I was really afraid that I would have to replace it or deal with it!  The later most likely going to happen.

Then I remember Flylady!  This is how she recommends we clean our sinks:

Make sure you rinse well in between each step!

1.) Take all the dishes out of the sink.

2.) Run some very hot water into the sink. Fill to the rim. Only do one side at a time. Then, pour a cup of household bleach into the hot water. Let it sit for 1 hour. Now, pull the plug with a pair of tongs. If you don't have tongs, then scoop some of the water out of the sink into the other sink and use your hand to pull the plug (wear gloves and don't get the bleach-water on your clothes).

3.) Rinse your sink well.

4.) Use some cleanser (Comet, Ajax, or Baking Soda) and scrub your sink. Ensure you rinse ALL of the cleanser from the sink.

5.) Take a sharp edge and clean around the rim of the sink, just like you would clean dirt out from under your fingernails.

6.) Clean around the faucets too. You may need an old toothbrush or dental floss.

7.) Now, get out your window cleaner, I use Windex, and give it a good shine.

8.) If you still don't like the way it looks, then you could try some car wax. Just know in your heart that you have cleaned it very well now and it doesn't have to be perfect. Our perfectionism is what got us in this situation in the first place.

*Flylady goes on to encourage us to wipe out the sink with a clean cloth each time it is used.  I don't do this because I don't want to go crazy when someone else doesn't do it!  hehe!
 
Before: 

After:

Now I LOVE my sink!

Your Rugs Will Thank Me!

I have a confession.  Jonathan and I have been married for over 18 months and I have NEVER washed the rugs in our home!  I have shaken them out and swept them, but never washed them.  My real life friend, Mrs. U is having a heart attack as she reads this!  

See, here's the thing, I didn't remember seeing my mom wash rugs.  It doesn't mean she didn't, I just never saw her.  Here I am, in my mid-twenties (that sounds weird) and have never washed my own rugs.  I knew I was suppose to because of people like my friend, Mrs. U and Martha Stewart, but I was always afraid they would get destroyed in the washing machine!  Not only that, most of my rugs are chocolate brown and I just knew they would fade in the wash.  I just couldn't afford to go out and buy new ones if that were to happen.

Finally though, I came to my senses....they needed to be washed, plain and simple.  Do you know what I found?  Not only did they survive the wash, but they even dried nice and fluffy.  When I walk across my accent rugs, they feel so silky.  Oh, and the color?  Even more brillant than the day they were put down! 

Moral to the story?  Wash your rugs, TODAY!  Play it safe if you are concerned like I was and wash them on a shorter, more gentle cycle in cold water....let me know how they turn out!

What I'm Craving...

Is it Fall yet?

You Know You Are Becoming a Southern Lady When...........

....you can't wait for your monthly Southern Living magazine to arrive and you proceed to read it cover to cover!

One of my favorite pastimes is reading Southern Living magazine.  I love everything southern including gardening, dishes and southern homes! 

What magazine suits your fancy? 

Beanie Babies in the Attic

The other day while working at our new home, I found a trash bag full of Beanie Babies in the attic.  Later that evening I told my husband and he joked that we could sell them on Ebay or something like that.

Today while at work, I had a visitor.  Let me catch you up, The man who lived in our home before we bought it had divorced from his second wife.  His first wife died of Ovarian Cancer at 28.  Left behind in the home was some photos and toys that belonged to the son of the man and the young woman who had passed.  I had already planned on packing up those treasures and giving them to her family, some were even photos of the young woman before she passed away at Disney World, possibly her last trip.  

Today the woman's mother came to me at work and sweetly asked if the man (her former son-in-law) had left anything behind that might have belonged to her daughter. I proceeded to tell her everything I could think of, however, it only belonged to the son (he was five or six when his mother passed).  

Then it hit me, "There are some Beanie Babies in the attic.  Do they belong to the little boy?"

She smiled and said, "Those were his mothers, she collected one every place she visited....for him."  

___________________________________________________

You know the saying, "Your trash, is someone's treasure."  This gave new meaning to that phrase, this is one of the few treasures she has to hang onto that came out of that home....where her daughter drew her last breath.  That might weird some people out, but it makes me want to feel my home with as much love as we can stand.

Great News!

Remember this post about the house we liked? 

We bought it!  It's OURS!  Come back for updates as we make it our home! 

Easter Pictures

Happy Resurrection Day!

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia! Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!

Free Monthly SLAH Newsletter!

Hey Y'all!  Some have asked and now I'm making it happen!  If you would like to receive Southern Living at Home's monthly newsletter, the Insider, please e-mail me your e-mail address to stilldesiring@gmail.com.

The Insider contains the current month's Customer Specials and Hostess Specials.  Also, included are Easy Recipes and Product Ideas!  I am sure that you will LOVE our monthly newsletter!  

southernlivingathome.com/melissaspell

My Laundry Schedule

One of the things that I look forward to on Mondays is beginning my weekly laundry routine.  I haven't always enjoyed this, until I came up with a schedule.  Here it is:

Monday:       Towels/Kitchen Linens

Tuesday:      Lights (socks, undershirts)

                    Gentle Lights (Usually our dress clothes)

Wednesday:  Handwashables (Washed in sink)

                     Brights

Thursday:     Gentle Darks (Dress clothes)

                    Darks (jeans, casuals)

                 

Friday:          Bed Linens

Some days I may only have a couple articles of a certain load to wash, so I skip it until the next week to save on water and energy.  If I have anything leftover that didn't get washed due to time restraints, I wash it the next day, or on Saturday.  I do not wash on Sunday as I try to rest more on that day (although I do like to organize on Sundays).  

Do you have a laundry schedule?  Do you wash all in one day, or certain days?

Belated Birthday Celebration

Today we celebrated mine and my brother-in-law's birthday.  Our birthdays were February 10th, and we married twins, isn't that neat?  

I absolutely love the gifts that were given to me by my family!  My sister-in-law is a Thirty-One Gifts consultant and this was one of my gifts:

I just love it!  It's a Skirt Purse.  The Patten, Mod Dot, actually comes off and I can switch it out with another "skirt!"  All weekend I've been threatening to "steal" my sister-in-law's purse....boy did they surprise me with my very own! 

Update on My Uncle

I just got an e-mail from my Uncle Bill on my Uncle Gary.  

Here is what he wrote:

"He had mini-stroke this morning, found spot on one lung, doing bone scan tomorrow as they think cancer in bones.  Looking bad Melissa."

Please Pray, y'all! 

Praise and Prayer Request

Praise:  My friend that had a miscarriage is expecting again.  She just went in for a check-up and the baby is doing great!  She is over 8 weeks along and the baby's heart beat is so strong!  Thank you for praying for my friend.  Please continue praying for her, as I am sure her worries are not over.

Prayer request:  Please pray for my Uncle Gary (my dad's brother).  It looks as though he may have Pancreatic Cancer; they are still unsure.  They will have results from a biopsy on Monday as well as having more MRI's ran.  This afternoon my uncle was taken by ambulance to the ER because he could not move his left leg, or grip with his left hand.  They have ruled out a stroke.  

Please, please pray for my uncle.  I love him very much and I just wish I could be there during this (he is in Kentucky). 

When Your Youngest Sister Goes to College....

it's a true reality check!  Yes, my youngest sister is to begin her college career this coming Fall.  This evening she is signing to play college softball in Alabama.  While I am very proud of her hard work in school and in a sport she loves, my baby sister is growing up!  

I clearly remember when she was born.  I was seven and had no idea what I was going to say to this tiny little person.  Now, there are a ton of things I wish I could say...and very little I've actually said (in light of it all).  I just pray God's wisdom and protection over her every step.   I pray that she would put God's will first in her life and let Him guide her.

I love you, Michelle! 

Southern Living at Home

Recently, I became a Southern Living at Home consultant.  I absolutely LOVE Southern Living at Home products.  It is my dream to quit my public job and stay at home with my children, to raise them and train them, and make homemaking a top priority.

However, our income needs to grow a little more before that dream can become a reality.  Enter:  Southern Living at Home.  I instantly fell in love with SLAH while admiring a beautiful casserole dish at my in-law's.  While no one was looking, I flipped it over to see what company produced it (it was empty, no worries) and there it was "Southern Living at Home."  November of the next year, I decided after talking it over with my husband, to become a consultant.  

I LOVE IT!  I love selling great products that I love and others love as well.  I feel at ease and very comfortable talking about and sharing such a great, quality product that lives up to it's beauty.

If you would like to know more about what I do, or would be interested in being a hostess and earning free product for your home....please let me know.  I'd love to share it with you!  


Please visit my webpage!


Hostess Specials for March


Customer Specials for March

What Happened on Monday.

As you read in the previous post, I had a visit scheduled with the doctor on Monday to read the results from my blood work and my Xrays.

My blood work came back just fine.  Other than having high BAD cholesterol, I'm in good shape.  My Xrays came back fine as well.  I know this is a blessing, but I really struggled with this good news.  I still didn't have an answer for what was causing the pain in my back.  My doctor suggested physical therapy.

My first appointment was yesterday, followed by another appointment today.  The PT found my back to have many spasms and knots all over.  All those are going to be worked out.  The PTs are also working along with a massage therapist to work the muscle that is causing me pain, most likely the subscapularis muscle.  I will be going to the doctor three times a week, for four weeks. 

There is one thing that I have learned through all of this:  Do not judge for yourself how much pain someone else is in.  Or how unbearable it becomes to them emotionally.  If you've ever dealt with this, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. 

Anxious for Monday!

Anxious for Monday?  Who says that in  real life?  I'm ready for Monday to come because Monday morning I will get results from a blood test and Xrays to see what is going on with this crazy body of mine.  For at least a year and a half I've had pain in my back.  It's been hard to locate, but it's near my top, right ribs.  It's been putting physical and emotional distress on me.  Physical because it hurts, and emotionally because I don't know what is going on, and I'm too young for this! 

Other than that, Jonathan and I started "looking" at a house we both love.  Every day I would drive past it going into town and think, "I love that house."  Then it came up for sale.  I was excited, but I knew we could never afford it.  Recently, we actually looked at the realtor's website and found the price was reasonable, it was a foreclosure.  However, it's STILL out of our price-range.  {Sigh}.  As the saying goes, if it's meant to be, it'll be there when you're ready.

A friend and I were talking several years ago about one day becoming mommies.  Don't most women do that at some point in their early years?  My friend said that she would never want to be pregnant at the same time as her close friend, or her sister.  She pointed out that if one of them lost their baby, how hard it would be to see her friend continue through pregnancy and have a healthy baby.

Today, my friend had a miscarriage.  My heart aches for her.  How quickly joy can turn into sorrow.  Though I am not currently pregnant, what do I do the day I have a big announcement to make?  I have wondered lately what the best way would be to share good news when someone else's heart is broken.

Please pray for my friend and her husband.  It doesn't seem real to me, and I'm sure not to them either.  They are trusting the Lord and that amazes me to see.

"As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things." ~ Ecclesiastes 11:5

New Year's Resolutions

Here are my top New Year's Resolutions:

1)  Drink more water
2)  Get in the Word DAILY
3)  Pray throughout the day
4)  Eat better/exercise more
5)  Brush teeth for TWO whole minutes each time
6)  Take vitamins regulary, again...
7)  Be in bed by eleven PM on weeknights!  


Did you make any New Year's Resolutions?