Tag: Nickle Home Tour (Page 2 of 2)

Perfect Mix Match

January 10, 2010 / Jennifer Coleman / 2 Comments

We’ve been collecting furniture for quite a while now.

My bedroom furniture is a rainbow of colors.

My sweet mother-in-love gave me this hope chest that belonged to her mother.

We bought the set of chest of drawers when Judi was a baby.

We found the bookshelves for a deal at Pier 1 Imports.

The sewing machine cabinet belonged to my Mamalene.

We replaced our waterbed with this cast iron bed when we moved to Texas.

Each piece bears battle scars from the many moves.

I never owned a nightstand until today.

I am very excited because not only does it blend in perfectly with my rainbow

of battle scared furniture but it has a twin!

Don’t they match perfectly with my bed spread? I love the birds.

We went to several furniture stores.

Have you seen how much furniture cost new?

I was just about ready to buy some Wall Mart build-it-yourself furniture

when I decided to check Craig’s List and found this set of nightstands

at an antique store down the road.

They’re made of REAL wood.

They came assembled and a little distressed to match the rest of my room.

And they were less than half the price of new.

(Big smile.) Yay! And Thank You Jesus.

What’s in Your Bible?

January 9, 2010 / Jennifer Coleman / 1 Comment

I spent the week unpacking books.

It was difficult because I haven’t settled where they are all going to go yet. I am short one nice big closet for keeping scrapbooks and the books I am saving for grandchildren.

I noticed Thursday that I’ve collected quite a few Bibles.

Two were given to me last year on my birthday.

I grew up reading and loving the King James Bible my parents gave me.

Then when I started reading passages to the kids,

I felt like I needed a dictionary to explain almost every other word.

I wanted God easily accessible for them with out Mr. Webster or me in between.

So I bought my first non-King James Bible.

Now I love the easier to read versions and I am unfortunately

developing a growing resentment towards people who talk in “thee’s and thou’s.”

Jesus didn’t speak in a antiquitified language.

The Bible was written in the most modern, accessible language of its day.

We recently went to see the Blood and Ink exhibit.

It’s amazing to learn about the sacrifices made

for the Bible to be translated and distributed in everyday language.

The stories of the thousands of people killed in the name of the church

for possessing and reading the Bible are horrific.

In houses past I’d strategically put a Bible in each room.

This time I am toying with the idea of putting most of them in one spot

so I can just go to that spot and pick witch one I want.

I called to ask my Mom what she thought about the idea.

She wasn’t home.. so in a moment of weakness I asked my dad.

Ergo the explanation of the King James version above.

My dad would be happy to know that our church here reads

the New King James version of the Bible.

This is where I put them for now. My favorite version (The Message) is on top.

The King James my parents gave me is on bottom.

Oh, boy! Maybe I should get a shelf.

I have two New King James versions.

And another King James that belonged to my Mamalene.

Missing from the stack is a parallel Bible that I will probably keep in my room.

And the NIRV that I keep with our school books to read with the kids during school.

Honestly, most of the non-King James versions were gifts.

Don’t Bibles make good gifts?

I have the confess that The Message was a gift to myself.

I found it at the Unclaimed Baggage store.

The Bible I read most is on http://www.biblegateway.com/.

I love it because I can read my favorite versions side by side.

I love to find a verse or a chapter and chew on it from different points of view.

I’ve been known to use the different versions

to write my own version and call it “Jenny’s version.”

Sacrilege. Right?

Not only that but I’ll use my version for art work or the kids memory work.

I am probably scaring them for life.. don’t tell my dad.

It’s just that one version will express one part so well then

I don’t want them to miss the meaning of the other part in the other version.

I rarely read more than a chapter at a time.

I don’t think reading a Bible should be a race, but a time to pray and meditate.

The Holy Spirit loves to show me new things in His Word.

My favorite version on Bible Gateway is the New Living Translation.

Maybe I’ll find a hard copy at a garage sale sometime.

The thing only thing I don’t like about the online version

is that you can’t write notes in the margin.

I should look into finding one of those ministries that collect

old Bibles to give to people who don’t have one.

I could probably part with a few.

But to get to my title,

I could never part with the ones with notes in the margins.

I love to go back and read the King James version

that my parents gave me for that very reason.

My favorite, favorite Bible is a small new testament that I carried with me

through High School and the beginning of my married life.

There is so much good stuff in there.. so much revelation written in the margins.

I’d kinda stopped writing in the margins ..

since I started reading the one online and write my own versions.

I have a collection notebooks of notes and prayers that I started years ago.

None of which I’d want my kids to read now, but one day.

My Mamalene’s King James Bible has notes and red check marks and underlines by her favorite passages. It’s a treasure.

I feel a connection with her when I read it and

SOOO blessed to have a heritage of faith.

When I read her notes I remember how she loved God

and strove to become like Him.

My favorite memory of her and Granddad was that

every night before bed they would read a chapter of the Bible.

No discussion. Just a short prayer and time to go to bed.

I always wanted to carry on that tradition with my kids.

It didn’t translate quite that way but I hope the kids will fondly remember

“Jenny’s version” of the verses we memorized and our morning prayers

and the Bible studies and discussions we did through the years.

Here’s one of my favorite passages from my Mamalene’s Bible.

In the front cover of her Bible she has a newspaper clipping that quotes WM. A. Ward, “Difficulties are never designed to discourage, dominate or destroy us, but to deepen us.”

A few more notes from Mamalene’s Bible

To be used of God

1) Much time in secret prayer

2) Complete disregard of self

3) Life filled with doing good things

We must come to the place where we can live the sacrificial life

then we can go out and witness.

The only thing that will solve problems of individual, country

or the world is for man to have a right relationship with God!

Thou will keep him in perfect peace who trusteh in Him

because his mind is stayed on Me.

How to Study the Bible

1) Is there a lesson to learn?

2) Is there a blessing to enjoy?

3) Is there a command to obey?

4) Is there a sin to avoid?

5) Is there a new truth to carry with me?

Love,

Keeping Room Mantle

December 30, 2009 / Jennifer Coleman / 2 Comments

How do you like my mantle decorations?

It took me three days to decide what to put on it.

It turned out to be a collection of trees with a dove in the middle.

The cross was a gift from our realtor in Montgomery. 🙂

Every house that we’ve visited in AL has one.

The framed photo was a gift from my dad.

It used to hang in our music room.

I found the ceramic dove and the Hallmark photo tree (only $8) at GW.

Can you find your picture on the tree?

Our house is feeling much more homey now that I have our pictures hanging on the wall.

🙂

Unpacking Pictures For Mom

December 21, 2009 / Jennifer Coleman / 0 Comments

This week I rearranged my plastic containers two more times.

I usually have one cabinet that holds all my plastic, but this time I didn’t have one that big. I am pretty sure I have more cabinet space than before it’s just more spread out.

I think they have finally found their home because I love having the lids so easily accessible and organized in the drawer. I brought all the kids in and showed them my wonderful accomplishment one by one. Partly because I was so proud and partly because I knew soon enough they’d be asking me where it all went this time.

I stowed all my party plastic and paper goods under my island cabinet.

I thought that keeping them there would make them easy to get out and put on the island for guest. Want to come visit and try it out?

These are my mixing bowels and towels. They are between the oven and sink for easy reach when baking. I spent a couple of hours on line this week trying to find some kitchen towels that actually dry things. The ones I bought at Costco 3 years ago are driving me crazy because they push around more water than they absorb. My sister, Courtney, says she uses cloth diapers. I may be buying some this week.

I unpacked my kitchen rugs. I bought these to help sell our house in Montgomery. Joel says they don’t match this kitchen.

Mike helped me organized our office center. It’s not real pretty.. but it’s organized and easy to access. I can watch Joseph Prince pod cast while I work in the kitchen. And I can see the lake from there. 🙂

I worked a whole day hanging these curtains. Curtains are so much harder than they look. I couldn’t get one of the screws to go in all the way. I am planning to iron the package creases out while they are hanging.

See our new discounted, discontinued chair from Macy’s that I bought over the phone last week? Mike loves it and says he’s never going to sit anywhere else. I am glad he’s happy because I picked it out.

Our whole neighborhood in Montgomery hung up Christmas wreaths every year. The house there came with ready with nails to hang the wreaths, so Mike and I found some wreaths 75% off after Christmas our first year there. We only got to use them the one Christmas before we moved.

Here I was baffled at how to hang up our wreaths. There was no place to put a nail. Then I noticed that a neighbor used suction cups. I went to Lowes, Home Depot, and Walmart before finding them at Michael’s.

I’ve been to the store way too many times this week. I finally broke down and bought my 7th set of curtain rings because I couldn’t find any of my other sets and I was tired of the kids taking showers in my bathroom. If we move again, remind me to pack a set or two with my suit case. Ok?

I worked on my closet, too. We put everything from the apartment in our closets the night before the movers came so it wouldn’t get lost.

So I had to move all that stuff out first. Then I had to donate a large garbage bag of clothes because not only is this the smallest closet I think I’ve ever had but also I have no coat closet.

It’s built in the corner of the bathroom. If it was 3″ deeper I could open the door all the way.

See how the clothes stick out too far?

I hung my short sleeve shirts behind the door. I’ll switch them out with my sweaters in the summer.

I made this rug for my bathroom in Montgomery. It covered most my bathroom floor.

This is my bathroom floor now.

To be fair. My vanity in Montgomery was in the carpeted part of my bedroom.

I found a place for my linens.

I got creative with where to store these extra large bedspreads that Mamalene crocheted.

I actually have 3 of them. One I use on my bed to keep warm. Hope that I remember where I put the other two when that one gets ratty.

When Mike and I were putting together my bed we discovered that we could raise the bed up higher. I was so happy because it’s always been about an inch too low to store anything under it. Only problem is that now my head board and foot boards are floating.

I had some extra finials left over from my curtain rods and I used them as pretty little feet.

James helped me raise the bed so I could get my drill under the feet to make a hole for the finial feet. Lovely.

Some Photos from Around Our Lake

October 12, 2009 / Jennifer Coleman / 3 Comments

Mike and I have been hanging out at the house/lake quite a bit lately.

Here we are at the gazebo. The lot next to us sold and I guess we’ll be getting a new neighbor soon.

Pretty sun set.

These kids were having a ball catching little perch.

Most were about 3″ long. One caught a “big”one that was about 8” long.

Sun set/moon rise.

These guys worked through a thunderstorm/tornado warning on our roof until the last possible minute. I was praying that none of them would die so I wouldn’t have to run over and raise them from the dead. Most of the storm went North, but at the last we heard the rain coming and quickly went for the car while our roofers jumped off the roof to find shelter in our window sills.

These ducks are very friendly.

They hang out at the lake most days.

Pretty sure these geese are on their way South.

It’s starting to look like fall.

I love this pict.

I love these water lilies.

Think I can get some to grow on our side of the lake?

Here’s the lake from our bathroom window…

When they put the block window in we won’t be able to see it any more.

Here it is from our back porch.

See the L shaped plot of mud. That’s basically our back yard.

Not a lot of grass to mow.. especially after they put in the 10×25 ft. back patio.

Happy Columbus Day!

Jenny

Happy Birthday to Me

January 10, 2009 / Jennifer Coleman / 3 Comments

Moving this past year caused me to discover all kinds of stuff about myself.. for instance when I looked back at my FL house and saw all the different colors I used to paint it I realized that I am a very colorful person.

Once we settled in a little, I started worrying that I was going to have a very lonely birthday. I was turning 40 and had to choose between keeping it a secret so that I wouldn’t have to share it with well meaning strangers and arranging something so I could celebrate it big with people I know and love.. who lived very far away.

My birthday is in mid-September.. and although I think it’s the perfect time of year and love that I was born on my Dad’s birthday, it’s turned out to be a bad time of year for celebrating…

In Mike’s field of work, fiscal close out is Oct. 1 which often means from mid-September on he is working long hours trying to spend millions of dollars so that his budget doesn’t get cut the following year. He is usually not a lot of fun during that time of year .

The very first year he was able to work it out to take me for a date on my birthday was the year the twin towers were hit by terrorist.. ever since then the week of my birthday has been a national week of mourning the anniversary of 9/11.

So this year when Mike agreed to take me to see the cherry blossoms for his birthday I decided that I needed more time than just a night or a weekend to celebrate my birthday and that I would celebrate all year. So every trip we took, every time we went on a date, in my heart we were celebrating my birthday.

One night, in July, we drove the kids to a concert near Birmingham and went into Birmingham for dinner. I shared with Mike my silly idea of celebrating my birthday all year. And guess what was waiting for me in the bushes out side the restaurant? This birthday balloon. I took it as a sign that my Heavenly Father was celebrating with me.

I will have to keep it in a scrapbook to remind me of His tender love for me.

My generous mom and mil sent me money for my birthday and I bought myself these candle pillars to light when it’s too warm to light the fire place. We enjoy the atmosphere. I looked all over town and on line for candle pillars and couldn’t find any… until I heard the Lord tell me to wait one more week and found that the next week Hobby Lobby had hundreds of candle pillars on sale 50% off.

They turned out even more beautiful than I imagined.

I found this leather jacket at Kohl’s. It was a little more money than I wanted to spend so Mike took me all over town to see if we could find a better deal. None of them were as nice as this one. I waited to see if it would be cheeper on Black Friday.. it wasn’t and they had run out of my size. I looked for it on line on the following Monday and discovered they were having 15% off everything Cyber Monday. I forgot all about Cyber Monday.

I also got to buy several winter tops on sale. I didn’t have many after all those years in FL. I bought three for less than $10 with tax at one sale.

God planned a birthday surprise for me on my actual birthday weekend. A friend from Huntsville invited me to go on a field trip with her. We got to go on a tour of the Capital building with a man that was a member of Martin Luther King’s church and actually marched in the Bloody Sunday march from Selma to Montgomery. He is considered the AL Historian and has his masters in history. He was fascinating to listen to.

We got to look at some beautiful art. I love art.

Here is my friend Lee Ann and her son with our docent, Aroine Irby.

Here our our kids hanging outside the governors mansion.

Isn’t this charming?

And I love this arrangement with the angel.

This is a prayer garden in the back yard of the mansion. It’s cool to know that they have a place to pray.

This is a sculpture of Jesus that was donated to the Department of Archives and History. I love it. It looks very much like my visions of Jesus.

So the other thing that I learned about myself is that I am big on birthdays and think that they should be celebrated big. I was so blessed by all the trips I got to take this year to celebrate my birthday, for the great sales I found, and for the time I got to spend with my friend Lee Ann and her son.

Bath Tada!

August 12, 2008 / Jennifer Coleman / 3 Comments

So how do you like it?

I love the hight of the new counter. It makes my bathroom counter seem so low, though.

I had to add in the decorative mint green tiles to make up for tub being half an inch shorter than my old tub. Thanks, Dad, for the suggestion. They match my towels perfectly.

Courtney asked what color floor tiles we used. We got them at Lowes.

New light fixture, a place to hang our hand towels, and drawer space for the kids. The new paper holder wasn’t the exact one in the set but it cost $10 less and I liked it more. No bleach products are allowed on the solid surface counter top. If it gets a stain, you’re supposed to sand it out. I am a little nervous about that.

Finally enough places to hang the kids’ towels. I used scrapbook paper for the art.

I tiled and painted the hall, too. It’s laminate wood floors were water damaged earlier this year. Everyone says it looks wider now (in person). The walls needed repainting. I used left over paint from the kitchen/music room. Blank wall to the right is where my family and friends colleges are going after our trip to MoRanch.

Our front entry way is brick. A lot of the older entry ways here have it. New tile goes down the hall and laminate wood floor goes into my living room. We’re versatile.