Tuesday, April 29, 2014

The Sound of Music

The classic song "The sound of music" keeps playing in my head when I think of this amazing time of year.
It really feels like the earth is singing a beautiful new song,
along with my heart.


"The hills are alive


with the sound of music


With songs they have sung 


for a thousand years.




The hills thrill my heart


with the sound of music


My heart wants to sing


every song it hears."


// The song of friendship //
My friend, Aud & her little sweetie, Abigail
were in PA for a wedding and we got to spend a few short, special hours together!
It's rare we get to see each other since she lives in Kentucky and I live in VA.


We've been best of friends for years,
so it's been a dream come true to have our girls [who are only 3 months apart] get a chance to play together and become friends too!


// The song of enduring love //
My handsome date & I at a friend's wedding


// The song of life //
This little blue-eyed cutie turned one, and we celebrated her birthday at the park!


My talented friend made this adorable smash cake,
and my sister-in-law made the delicious lemon cupcakes with raspberries.


They were the perfect blend of tart and sweet.
I want one right now.


Little man rockin' the baseball cap!


The kiddos loved hanging out with Aunt Edie :)


The cupcakes were a hit with everyone.
[Sorry about the nose...I can't seem to stay on top of that!]


// The song of motherhood //
I treasure hugs from my little people and the joy that being a mother brings,
in the middle of the busyness and chaos.


// The song of springtime //
This is Hadassah's version of "sniffing" the flowers! Too cute.


A friend & I went to the JMU Arboretum while the tulips were in bloom.
I've driven by every spring and wanted to stop and take pictures
but that never happened
until now!


The brilliant colors of springtime are so refreshing after the gray tones of winter.


This peaceful place makes me think of that beautiful verse in Psalm 23:2, 
"He leads me beside the still waters; He restores my soul."

// The song of triumph //
This gorgeous sunset took place on Good Friday.


 It felt to me like a perfect picture of the glory of a Saviour Who died for our sins,
and then arose in triumph!


// The song of the Saviour //
There have been days when my heart has overflowed in song,
when the joy of springtime and the wonder of a risen Saviour filled my soul!
But there have also been days when the constant demands of motherhood threatened to overwhelm me;
when there were potty accidents, fussy babies, interrupted naps
and more work on the to-do list than I could get accomplished.
Through it all, I lost my song.
In desperation, I cried to the Lord for something, anything, to restore my spirit.
And He gave me a precious gift;
He sang His song over me!
That, by far, is the most beautiful music of all.

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."

I hope you hear His song to you today! Blessings, Ruby


Wednesday, April 2, 2014

An Ikea Makeover

There are definite advantages to spending a majority of time indoors in the winter;
My house gets some much-needed TLC!
Let's face it: when the weather is as gorgeous as it's been the last few days,
the last place I want to be is in my house.
[I am quite efficient at concocting excuses to be outdoors, let me tell ya.]
But when it's cold and dreary outside, Ikea is the place to be.
I did something this time that I highly recommend:
I shopped online first, and prepared my list of the things I wanted/needed.
Ikea is amazing...but it can also be totally overwhelming!
This saved me so much headache,
and my shopping buddies still loved me when we were ready to head home. Win!


I got this fabulous new floor lamp for the corner of our living room.


I love the industrial style of this lamp. And the shiny chrome isn't too bad either!
It cozies up the end of the sofa,
and makes me want to sit down and read a book. 


The nursery needed some serious attention.
When you spend a majority of your time in a space, you want to enjoy being there, right?
Well, I didn't....until I made a few minor major changes.
Like the lamp that stuck out like a sore thumb because there was no other black in that space.


See what I mean?
A new lamp transformed the area!
I also added some artificial greens in a white pot, also from Ikea.


I didn't find this lamp online but I was sold as soon as I saw it in the store!
I love the classic design and how it blends into the room.


I got a pendant for the nursery for the whopping price of $5.
That's some bang for your bucks!
I'm working on a canvas for the wall behind the crib
and still plan to get some sheer curtains to soften the windows.
It's made a huge difference in how I feel about this room!


Then I found some smaller items that I just couldn't pass up,
like this pitcher and the runner underneath it.

I'm learning that a few small changes can make a dramatic change in a space
and it's wonderful to be able to do that without breaking the bank!
What's your favorite Ikea purchase?