I'm So Glad You're Here! Welcome!

Isn't this going to be loads of fun?  I L-O-V-E home tours.  The little town in which I life hosts a tour of homes every Christmas and every year I have a standing date with a couple of girlfriends.  It is so fun to nose around in other people's homes, looking at how they decorate, how they organize, how they LIVE!    So, without further ado...

WELCOME TO MY HOME!

Well, before you get to my house, you'll have to drive through the little hamlet of a town that I've learned to call home for the last four years.  When you pull into town, the first major thing you'll see is this:

That's our County CourthouseDrive a little further down the highway, turn right into my neighborhood and you'll see my house!  Isn't it beautiful??Just kidding.  The house pictured above is on the national historical register and I just adore it.Here's a REAL picture of my house...
Oh, I'm so glad you're here!  Come on in!  The first room you would see if you were walking through my homewould be my living room...Have a seat!  Make yourself comfortable!Well, maybe in a little bit. Let's keep moving throughthe adjacent dining room...I got the idea for painting the stripes off of Trading Spaces.  I told my husband that I wanted the wider strips to be light green and the the skinny stripes to be darker and that I wanted all 4 corners of the room to be in the "middle" of a skinny stripe.  (In other words, I didn't want 2 different colors meeting in a corner.)  Cole did the math and I did the painting.  Doesn't it look like real wallpaper??

Next, come on through the kitchen.

This is the tiniest kitchen I've had since seminary days. My house is a church-owned parsonage, and we're the first family with more than one or two children to ever live in it. Still, I spend a lot of time here and I've learned to make it mine.  The last pastor's wife had a fetish for country blue which I absolutely hate, and so you don't get to see it.  I hope to replace it this year.

We've moved around a lot throughout our ministry and marriage--but whenever I finally hang this plate up in my kitchen, I know we're "home."

Here is where I sit when I blog to you everyday: If I turn around, this is what I see: And this: Oh, alright--we're all so nosy, aren't we? I know you want to see the dishes. (Fransecan Apple, my favorite vintage southern pattern.) My motto is: "A girl can never have too many dishes!"

Moving right along down the hallway, I'll take you to the boys' room. They have fun collecting Coke memoribilia...

Next, teen-ager Emma's room. We plan on painting and doing curtains for her birthday this fall. She sort of has a pink and black theme going...

Ava is asleep--so you don't get to see her room. Ah well, it's probably a mess anyway. ;) OK, are you still with me? Downstairs we go... The church finished the basement for us to give us 2 more bedrooms, another bathroom and another little living area. I actually got to help design this part of the house. Decorating it was a lot of fun.

My husband often prays for our family in this big red chair.  He loves this room--he picked out all of the portraits of Reformers that you see on the wall there.  Do you recognize any of them?  Let me help you: Luther, Edwards, Bunyan, Calvin, and Spurgeon.   

Here is baby Julianna's room.  When we found out that baby #5 was going to be a girl,  I decided to go pink all the way.  The other kids shared a more generic nursery decor.  I had a blast with this nursery.

What? Your baby doesn't wake-up with a matching hair-bow in her hair?? NEITHER DOES MINE--This is a home tour, remember? This whole thing is staged. My house is never all clean at the same time. (Just a little reality check there...)

Next, my bathroom...this is where I got the inspiration for my toile' blog header...

And last, but not least, the master bedroom:

Whew!  I'm tired from all of that "walking."  I hope you've enjoyed your time in my home.  If you're ever in my neck of the woods again, please stop by.   It may not look this good next time--but you'll enjoy the company!Thanks so much, Boomama, for hosting this!  It's been a lot of fun.

Comments

[Trisha]

You have wonderful home and beautigul children. I especially like the bathroom and master bedroom!

[PastorMac's Ann]

I love your house. So warm and inviting. So classy. (not a word I would use to describe myself, but I can live vicariously) And I really enjoyed your descriptions - too funny. Thanks for the tour!

[Mrs Blythe]

What a beautiful home! Lovely pictures, I love your furniture. Thanks for sharing. Blessings.

[Janice]

what a great home - you tricked me though with that first picture - i was like Oh my word!

love your front porch - and your baby is sooooo sweet!

[Jane]

Thanks for the tour, what a beautiful home, each room is so unique!

[Horizon]

I think you have a wonderful home, full of colour and life. Love the stripes- you have a very clever and patient 'hubby'. Five children, how do you manage? :)
Bests

[Rebecca]

Your house is so beautiful! When I first opened your page, I saw the unbelievably beautiful building in the first picture and thought that it was YOUR house! I really love those handpainted stripes. My husband painted a pink plaid pattern in our daughter's room, and it took FOREVER!

[Katrina]

Beautiful! And I have to say, you are a fantastic decorator. Thanks for the tour!

[Sherri W]

Love your house- it is so YOU style-wise. Like I really know you, but in a sense I do, ya know? I was about to ask you "who the heck is Julianna?" but then I read the previous post!!

[udandi]

I love the pink and black room! I can't wait to go back to having color in my place!

[the "other" Sarah]

Beautiful, graceful, charming. I Looooove your master bed. The picture on 'Juliana's' wall of the two of you is just precious. Thanks for the great tour.

[Shannon @ Rocks in my Dryer]

Michelle, your home is adorable, just like you...so many comments. LOVE that toile wallpaper and have actually been trying to convince Hubs that we need some too (I will be showing him this!). The nursery is adorably (mine is pink and frou-frou too!), and you know my Presbyterian heart is loving the pictures of the Reformers on the walls! LOVELY, Michelle.

[Jennifer, Snapshot]

It's great. Not just a home tour, but a hometown tour--cool. I love it--staged reality and all.

[Katherine]

I WANT TO MOVE THERE! I love the old houses, the "hamlet" - everything. Thanks for showing off. The day my little one wears a hair bow, I'll take a picture, too!

[Susan]

Oh what a beautiful home.

[Robin]

Love the toile!!! Too cute.

[Tammy S.]

Mmmm...everything looks so beautiful and cozy and homey! I love the idea for the living room in a solid color, the stripes in the dining room. My living room opens up to the dining room too, and is separated by a large open doorway. I just might copy your idea, since I need to paint anyhow!

I love what you said about your baby waking up with a bow in her hair! LOL My house got straightened up for pictures too! :)

[Monica]

I love how you did your tour! So inviting! The stripes you painted turned out awesome and I LOVE the toile bathroom! :)

[Stephanie]

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your home!!! I have to say my FAVORITE is the bathroom. So pretty! I have a thing for toile.

You have excellent taste. Your house is beautiful!

[Rachel B.]

Is that Leslie's planter on your front porch??? That cracks me up. You have done wonders for that place - glad you are making it your own!

[Clairebell]

Gorgeous. I like the bedroom best. So many colors and textures.

[Addie]

Gorgeous Michelle! Love your home! I'm not sure which room I like best, they're all beautiful!

[Kim from Hiraeth]

Oh, your entire home is beautiful and welcoming but I absolutely LOVE your bathroom! My bedroom is done in black toile. I'd love to have your bath adjoining it, but alas, I live in a tiny bungalow and I am just lucky to have a small closet! But I can dream, can't I?

Lovely home. Thanks for having us!

[Michelle-This One's for the Girls]

Well, Rachel, I thought about going out and buying some flowers for my own planter (which is tucked away in the garage) but I just couldn't justify spending money on flowers that I knew I would kill in 2 weeks flat. Hey--it's a TOUR. People showing their homes on tours do stuff like that all of the time!!!! :)

[Clarice]

I love your home. I really adore you bathroom. I also live in an old home. Clarice