Monday
2011 Thanksgiving & Christmas!
So I just realized I never listed holiday pics an we had our first thanksgiving here this year! So here are the pics of turkey day and my fav season Christmas!
Spring is blooming in the E Casa
So that I have caught yall up on all the changes inside the house with moving funiture over spring break I wanted to share with you the spring decor. I tried to not make it too themey for easter this year so it would be an easier transition into summer. The first pic you can see I brought out my fav home goods pillows. I just adore the fabric on these with the green, blue, browns, whites and pink. I think they are such great pillows for the warmer months and speak HAWAII!! In addition I just added my SPRING blocks on the fireplace. In the entry which you will see down below.. I added my easter egg feather wreath, my glass cloche with knock off PB moss bunnies, and blocks that are easter themed. Also on the coffee table is a huge beautiful milk glass bowl my grandma gifted to me and I placed a candle with some eggs in it for spring. Here is the den view. 
In the kitchen I kept it simple with greenery on my turquoise stand & Spring has sprung on my chalkboard. On the table I have a turqouise stand filled with moss and eggs and surrounded by vintage cottage chic bright colored candles. The runner is actually two smaller runners that I connected. I think it adds a nice pop to the kitchen.
Not to much changed in the dining roomexcept I stole the old drum shade on the bar to put in the formal den for my grandmas light. So I just picked up this shabby chic one at Walmart.. yes walmart. I like all the print on it.. very vintage!
Here is the closer view of the entry way. I am starting to notice I gravitate towards blues and oranges.. maybe I like orange?? Hmm new concept.. maybe in small doses??
Hope you enjoyed the spring tour! Talk soon on the spring tour of the outside we have been working our tail off out there.
St Pattys decor! A month Late..lol
Here is what the house looked like for st pattys day and us out celebrating for St Pattys!
Same decor just a little different look in each room and unfortunately shortly after St Patty's Scout destroyed our clover leaf pillow :(
Sunday
Spring forward!!
Well as always I said I'd try to stay on top of this but I haven't!! Been super busy and in the next couple days I'll catch y'all up on what's been happening here! The great news is i passed my observation for my state standard teaching certificate with flying colors and I will be granted it in may! In addition to that I will be graduating in 28 days with my masters!!! But lets move on to whatI want we did over spring break..
We went to north Texas and picked up some of my great grandmothers things and here it is in all her glory in the Embley casa.. This is my grandmas old dresser, lamp, couch and her wedding china mixed with mine.. All in one special room! I adore it! I just love it. The couch is a classic French providential and the dresser and hutch are also. We still need to hang y vintage wood Chandy but otherwise this room is a stunning room to entertain in and it's so peaceful! I love that it is formal yet still plays well with the rest of the house!
I love that I can also display objects on top such as my Portland Oregon Hydreangeas and milk glass collection. Doesn't the inside look stunning with Grandmother Ebert's Gold China mixed with my silver wedding china. I just love it.. to have memories in my own house that will now have new memories associated with them.
Typically I don't have the easter bunny springy garland that's just for spring.. Ill post spring pics soon.
View from den to formal living room. In this corner is my grandmas chest drawers next to the couch with her old lamp. This is the path to the formal so you can see the leather chair from our den. I think it all works well togeather.
I thought I might want to change the handles to silver since so many details are silver in the room _Glass and silver lamps, glass and silver chandy and silver frames. But I think it works and I don't want to ruin the originality of the pieces.. even though they are vintage they are worth big bucks still today! Plus these babies are all wood unlike our previous ikea dressers and they were a pain to lug up our stairs! Previously we had a old huge TV on top of our Ikea Dressers. But I loved that the mirror brought more light into the room and made it feel so much more put togeahter so I couldn't put that huge TV back on the new dresser. Plus the new thomasville long dresser is much shorter than our previous dressers so we wouldn't be able to view it from bed any longer. I haven't missed it at all. Nate no longer falls asleep to the Tv. We actually use our room for it's purpose now. Maybe down the road we will mount a small TV but I just feel as a society we are overloaded with stimulus all day long we don't need it any longer in our bedroom.
We do have blackout drapes in brown over our bamboo blinds and I feel like I'd like to change them to a set that are white and cream to match the bedding but I due to budget it might stay the same. I am just glad that the bedroom finally got some attention. All the other items in the room stayed the same.
The bench under the window is typically in my vanity area where the chandy is but we have the extra large old TV there currently till we find it a home (ie not back in our room..lol) The bench was my mom's mother's- so my grandma bernie and I love that I have it. 
View from bed looking into the dressing vanity area. One side is a vanity the other side is our double wide deep closet and than it goes to the master bath (Thats the door you see). 
Scout sleeps right next to my bedside and as you can see the cats sleep where ever they please. Smokey prefers the bedroom while Bella prefers the formal living room.
We went to north Texas and picked up some of my great grandmothers things and here it is in all her glory in the Embley casa.. This is my grandmas old dresser, lamp, couch and her wedding china mixed with mine.. All in one special room! I adore it! I just love it. The couch is a classic French providential and the dresser and hutch are also. We still need to hang y vintage wood Chandy but otherwise this room is a stunning room to entertain in and it's so peaceful! I love that it is formal yet still plays well with the rest of the house!
I love that I can also display objects on top such as my Portland Oregon Hydreangeas and milk glass collection. Doesn't the inside look stunning with Grandmother Ebert's Gold China mixed with my silver wedding china. I just love it.. to have memories in my own house that will now have new memories associated with them.
Typically I don't have the easter bunny springy garland that's just for spring.. Ill post spring pics soon.
View from den to formal living room. In this corner is my grandmas chest drawers next to the couch with her old lamp. This is the path to the formal so you can see the leather chair from our den. I think it all works well togeather. In addition we got grown up Thomasville furniture in our master bedroom. We were in deep need of some wardrobe storage. We had laundry baskets of clothes in our bedroom because not enough space. So when we upgraded, I cleaned the closet and got rid of items I haven't worn. It really motivated me to get in shape again and to stay organized.
When we first got together we couldn't afford new bedroom furniture (like so many young couples) so we used what we had- college ikea dressers! After 8 years together I think it was high time we invested in our room! We did buy a nice bed & mattress from Star Furniture back when we bought our house but we couldn't splurge for the matching set than.
So even though the set we just inquired is antique it's new to us and we love love it now in our bedroom.. We especially love that it seamlessly goes with our modern new bed even though the thomasville bedside tables, chest and dresser are from the 70s.
Nate and I also loved the bamboo look and dark detailing because it reminded us of our thatched roof private cabana look we stayed at in Maui. Plus the finish matches our tastes. The furniture is great condition and the side tables already have glass tops to protect from damage! We are really enjoying the more grown up feel. I especially love the detail in the legs of the furniture and the vintage handles!
I thought I might want to change the handles to silver since so many details are silver in the room _Glass and silver lamps, glass and silver chandy and silver frames. But I think it works and I don't want to ruin the originality of the pieces.. even though they are vintage they are worth big bucks still today! Plus these babies are all wood unlike our previous ikea dressers and they were a pain to lug up our stairs! Previously we had a old huge TV on top of our Ikea Dressers. But I loved that the mirror brought more light into the room and made it feel so much more put togeahter so I couldn't put that huge TV back on the new dresser. Plus the new thomasville long dresser is much shorter than our previous dressers so we wouldn't be able to view it from bed any longer. I haven't missed it at all. Nate no longer falls asleep to the Tv. We actually use our room for it's purpose now. Maybe down the road we will mount a small TV but I just feel as a society we are overloaded with stimulus all day long we don't need it any longer in our bedroom.
We do have blackout drapes in brown over our bamboo blinds and I feel like I'd like to change them to a set that are white and cream to match the bedding but I due to budget it might stay the same. I am just glad that the bedroom finally got some attention. All the other items in the room stayed the same.
The bench under the window is typically in my vanity area where the chandy is but we have the extra large old TV there currently till we find it a home (ie not back in our room..lol) The bench was my mom's mother's- so my grandma bernie and I love that I have it. View from bed looking into the dressing vanity area. One side is a vanity the other side is our double wide deep closet and than it goes to the master bath (Thats the door you see). Scout sleeps right next to my bedside and as you can see the cats sleep where ever they please. Smokey prefers the bedroom while Bella prefers the formal living room. More pics on the yard progress and spring soon.
Friday
..Projects..
So I promised in 2012 I would write more posts.. hahah someone should be laughing! This has been my busiest year yet. I have started a home design business called Bless'd Nest Designs. Here is the website.. hoping to put up more pics in the portfolio section soon. Bless'd Nest Designs
I am still teaching full time with a particularly challenging class, going to school fulltime for my Masters in Education Leadership & Administration- someone cheer I am in my last two classes!!!! And I am in my probationary year of teaching with my certificate which means that I have extra classes to hold the certificate. Yet after this summer I will hold a traditional certificate.. which hopefully with my masters, two years of teaching and a traditional certification someone will want me in their district so I can get insurance and benefits!!! As you can see I have been BUSY! Oh and don't forget once a week bible study held at mi casa..Yet I have still managed to keep my head on straight somehow.
Well like I said in the last post I spent christmas eve in the hospital due to a serious concussion. It took me all thru January and some of Feb. to finally start feeling better. Head injuries are no fun- after being in the classroom all day I would come home with a migraine and clunck out.. I got behind in my masters and my teaching certification classes and on grading for work because I just had the worst headaches, eye strain and vertigo. Plus for 6-8 weeks it was light duty- no working out. Finally I am back to ME! Walking every day with Nate and Scout, catching up on school work and just feeling good! Which is prolly another reason why I am so behind in updating yall on our lives..sorry!
So with feeling good comes with some changes to the house :). Next week I go to Atlanta to help my first big client, than I pick up my furniture from my grandmother's house. Can't wait for all of that and spring break! Nate and I have some big gardening plans for spring break. This past Monday marked our delivery date of our baby.. it was a rough day for me. But we decided we were gonna plant a flowering tree in honor of the baby in the back yard. After Spring break it won't be long till we are sitting pretty on a beach in flordia and than visiting with my biological father's parents ( Grandma & Grandpa Cates) in oregon. Which Nate has never been to the west coast so it will be a blast.
In Home Decor News..lol.. I am working on my gf's house in Atlanta as well as an office of one of my bible girls! So while shopping for their rooms I came across this awesome garden stool at home goods. I love garden stools and wanted one all summer long. I looked at good will, consignment shops but because they are so trendy they were all over priced. This one was marked down due to season and it has a paint drip on one side.. my philosphy is a flaw makes it that more unique! So I brought it home and it looks great with the added white I need in the house plus the detail match my other new purchase over the fireplace.
Here's the stool with my lovely tulips from Nate..
In addition to that spectacular find, I moved the three mirrors over the fireplace the the formal living room side where my french couch and hutch will be and now have this beauty..See how the detail of the mirror and stool play off each other?
So what do you think??? I love it.. I know it isn't everyone style but hey it makes me happy. I also love things that aren't like everyone else house. Everyone has a fan with those ugly light covers on it. Why not make it a little different?
In addition to that lighting project, we also installed a chandy in my dressing room area in the master bedroom. I have a narrow hall which on one side has a vanity which I store my jewels at and the other side is our master closet with massive mirrored doors. I just wanted an added touch of sparkle. I still need to get a chandy linen cord cover but other wise she is pretty and I love seeing her when I get ready (she being the chandy people)!
The door you see closed is my master bath.. I'll give ya better pics later- as you see we've been busy! Last on the project list is changing of the hooks in the master bath.. remember I changed the knobs on the vanity to vintage glass..which makes the chandy in the hall the perfect transition to the bathroom with all it's vintage shabby chic knobs! Below are the pics I posted way back..
Well the shower hooks were just plain silver and nothing spectacular.. we have had since oh probably my college days and they were starting to rust.. If I really wanted to I could have spray painted them silver again.. but instead I found these beauties..
It was the perfect match to the pulls on the cabinets- I had to have them and they add the perfect amount of sparkle to our morning routine..
Well that's all that I have now.. we are having beautiful weather lately. Mild temps with lots of sunshine. All the plants think it is spring so I can't wait to get my hands dirty in the back yard over break.
I am still teaching full time with a particularly challenging class, going to school fulltime for my Masters in Education Leadership & Administration- someone cheer I am in my last two classes!!!! And I am in my probationary year of teaching with my certificate which means that I have extra classes to hold the certificate. Yet after this summer I will hold a traditional certificate.. which hopefully with my masters, two years of teaching and a traditional certification someone will want me in their district so I can get insurance and benefits!!! As you can see I have been BUSY! Oh and don't forget once a week bible study held at mi casa..Yet I have still managed to keep my head on straight somehow.
Well like I said in the last post I spent christmas eve in the hospital due to a serious concussion. It took me all thru January and some of Feb. to finally start feeling better. Head injuries are no fun- after being in the classroom all day I would come home with a migraine and clunck out.. I got behind in my masters and my teaching certification classes and on grading for work because I just had the worst headaches, eye strain and vertigo. Plus for 6-8 weeks it was light duty- no working out. Finally I am back to ME! Walking every day with Nate and Scout, catching up on school work and just feeling good! Which is prolly another reason why I am so behind in updating yall on our lives..sorry!
So with feeling good comes with some changes to the house :). Next week I go to Atlanta to help my first big client, than I pick up my furniture from my grandmother's house. Can't wait for all of that and spring break! Nate and I have some big gardening plans for spring break. This past Monday marked our delivery date of our baby.. it was a rough day for me. But we decided we were gonna plant a flowering tree in honor of the baby in the back yard. After Spring break it won't be long till we are sitting pretty on a beach in flordia and than visiting with my biological father's parents ( Grandma & Grandpa Cates) in oregon. Which Nate has never been to the west coast so it will be a blast.
In Home Decor News..lol.. I am working on my gf's house in Atlanta as well as an office of one of my bible girls! So while shopping for their rooms I came across this awesome garden stool at home goods. I love garden stools and wanted one all summer long. I looked at good will, consignment shops but because they are so trendy they were all over priced. This one was marked down due to season and it has a paint drip on one side.. my philosphy is a flaw makes it that more unique! So I brought it home and it looks great with the added white I need in the house plus the detail match my other new purchase over the fireplace.
In addition to that spectacular find, I moved the three mirrors over the fireplace the the formal living room side where my french couch and hutch will be and now have this beauty..See how the detail of the mirror and stool play off each other?
Oh and those candle sticks are Miranda Lamberts and Blake Sheltons wedding candles..I bought the candles at Home goods for 4 bucks and they are PB knock offs of the map ones which go for almost 30 bucks a candle.. these aren't tropical maps like PB, But of europe..suprisingly nate liked them too. So the back story on this beauty of a mirror is it is handcarved in Bali and if you look closely it has leaves as the corners which remind me of a mirror we had in our honeymoon suite which was a thatched roof cottage. Nate said it is girly but he likes it. Allison always says I need more feminine items in the house and I think this one is great. But in the reflection of the mirror is the fan.. lets be real you have to have a fan in Houston. It is hot like 80% of the year and removing it would be ridiculous especially with the tall ceilings.. we just need the extra air movement. But I hated the frosted glass boob light cover. I wanted to order a drum shade kit I saw online and researched it but they started out at 300 bucks. So while at lowes I looked at fans with drum shades.. I like light to be deflected so I thought it was the perfect solution. Fans with drumshades are ridiculously expensive.
Look at this beauty for 700 bucks-Drum Shade Fan!!Well I don't know about you but I thought it was an easy fix.. I took of the boob light and I have a rod that goes down the center of the fan with a nut that holds the old boob light cover. I just hooked a lamp shade right over.. total cost nothing!
In addition to that lighting project, we also installed a chandy in my dressing room area in the master bedroom. I have a narrow hall which on one side has a vanity which I store my jewels at and the other side is our master closet with massive mirrored doors. I just wanted an added touch of sparkle. I still need to get a chandy linen cord cover but other wise she is pretty and I love seeing her when I get ready (she being the chandy people)!
Well that's all that I have now.. we are having beautiful weather lately. Mild temps with lots of sunshine. All the plants think it is spring so I can't wait to get my hands dirty in the back yard over break.
Monday
Long time.. no talk.
Well 2011 has come and gone..with the end of the fall semester coming to an end the Embleys have been busy! I have 2 more classes in my masters till I graduate! I am attending a Beth Moore bible study once a week and another bible study once a week also which have both kept me so busy and so in touch with what I want with my life. Teaching for Nate and I is of course busy!Keeping up with family/ social committments around the holidays is enough to make anyone crazy!! I will post pics from the holidays soon. I have alot to catch up on.
We have had great things happen in 2011 and some not so fortunate things..
2011 we celebrated 7 years togeather and 1 year married by traveling to Roatan, Belize and Honduras (mexico on the way home). We got pregnant again and lost a baby again, we started the adoption process which is still just in the works.. We traveled to Illinois to see family during the summer and Christmas which we are so blessed to have time off to spend with family . We did tons of projects on our home.. which makes us feel so blessed everyday because neither of us ever imagined we would live here! This is our 3rd year in this home and we still love it! Of course if you just asked me (Tricia) I would say let's paint those maple cabinets turqouise, put in marble counters, add a farmhouse sink and subway tile glass backsplash.. but hey who's dreaming here!! Tricia updated the downstairs with a touch of beach and vintage charm. I am still loving all the beachy touches and personal moments we have added to this house. We are still amazingly blessed to be living in this home and have jobs that provide for us day in and day out!! I lost my grandmother Ebert..who inspired me to be a woman of faith, adore my family and pursue educational dreams. We meet many new people who we have become blessed to know and we have deepened many relationships we already had. We found a church (which has amazing worship).. Nate says the best part is it is literally 5 minutes away and they serve coffee during service..I like that Nate is comfortable and that the people are nice..plus we all know I love music so it helps it is has a great worship band! I also found a group of woman who invited me to their private bible study where I was privy to rediscover my roots with Christ, make deep relationships where I can be me and not judged.. that is so real and AMAZING!! But like I said we have had our string of sorry luck.. we're still a little anxious about what our family planning will be- at this point we are leaving it in larger hands! December was hard a month for us.. right before Christmas I fell down the stairs (wood stairs) and had a stint at the hospital. I am still recovering from neck/back injury and a concussion. In addition, I ran into another car after a party (no I wasn't drunk) our car is fine but the other car needs repairs! Plus, our oven broke all within one week of each other.We felt we couldn't catch a break!
Yet 2011 has been beautiful and we are blessed.. we are confident God will bring us Great things in 2012. Today while I was driving I heard the most powerful song.. it stated all I needed to hear to sum up 2011 Listen to it and I hope it speaks to your heart too.. Strong Enough- Matthew West
I promise in 2012 I'll try to blog more.. blogging is peace to my soul. It's like a journal for me and it helped me so much through the hard times but lately I have been leaning on something that is so much bigger than me and it feels good. Feels good to let go of all the weight we all carry with us everyday. I think I needed a break..
Happy New Year Here's to 2012.
what if..
We have had great things happen in 2011 and some not so fortunate things..
2011 we celebrated 7 years togeather and 1 year married by traveling to Roatan, Belize and Honduras (mexico on the way home). We got pregnant again and lost a baby again, we started the adoption process which is still just in the works.. We traveled to Illinois to see family during the summer and Christmas which we are so blessed to have time off to spend with family . We did tons of projects on our home.. which makes us feel so blessed everyday because neither of us ever imagined we would live here! This is our 3rd year in this home and we still love it! Of course if you just asked me (Tricia) I would say let's paint those maple cabinets turqouise, put in marble counters, add a farmhouse sink and subway tile glass backsplash.. but hey who's dreaming here!! Tricia updated the downstairs with a touch of beach and vintage charm. I am still loving all the beachy touches and personal moments we have added to this house. We are still amazingly blessed to be living in this home and have jobs that provide for us day in and day out!! I lost my grandmother Ebert..who inspired me to be a woman of faith, adore my family and pursue educational dreams. We meet many new people who we have become blessed to know and we have deepened many relationships we already had. We found a church (which has amazing worship).. Nate says the best part is it is literally 5 minutes away and they serve coffee during service..I like that Nate is comfortable and that the people are nice..plus we all know I love music so it helps it is has a great worship band! I also found a group of woman who invited me to their private bible study where I was privy to rediscover my roots with Christ, make deep relationships where I can be me and not judged.. that is so real and AMAZING!! But like I said we have had our string of sorry luck.. we're still a little anxious about what our family planning will be- at this point we are leaving it in larger hands! December was hard a month for us.. right before Christmas I fell down the stairs (wood stairs) and had a stint at the hospital. I am still recovering from neck/back injury and a concussion. In addition, I ran into another car after a party (no I wasn't drunk) our car is fine but the other car needs repairs! Plus, our oven broke all within one week of each other.We felt we couldn't catch a break!
Yet 2011 has been beautiful and we are blessed.. we are confident God will bring us Great things in 2012. Today while I was driving I heard the most powerful song.. it stated all I needed to hear to sum up 2011 Listen to it and I hope it speaks to your heart too.. Strong Enough- Matthew West
I promise in 2012 I'll try to blog more.. blogging is peace to my soul. It's like a journal for me and it helped me so much through the hard times but lately I have been leaning on something that is so much bigger than me and it feels good. Feels good to let go of all the weight we all carry with us everyday. I think I needed a break..
Happy New Year Here's to 2012.
what if..
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)