Updating your centerpiece for spring

So, I've been thinking a lot about updating my centerpiece for my table.  BUT, I always have a couple of dilemas.  First of all, I love Pottery Barn.  It's one of my favorite stores ever.  I just love walking in there and taking in the sights and smells.  I love their clean, somewhat farm, somewhat modern style.  So, what's the dilema, you might say?  Well, I like their stuff, but I'm way too cheap to purchase it;  I feel it's way over priced.  That would be one dilema.  Next dilema is I still like it, so then what?  Well, I'm pretty persistent, so I usually find a way.  And, I do admit that I have a secret weapon, my woodworking hubbie!  He amazes me with how he can look at something and recreate it so easily. 

Well, Saturday, I went to Little Rock to meet some girlfriends for lunch and we just so happened to be right across the road from my favorite store, Pottery Barn.  Yep, I had to go in.  I walked around, looking, but also taking pics with my phone this time.  I wanted to recreate one of their centerpieces, but for a fraction of the cost.  So, this is what me and the hubby came up with. 

This was lots of fun to do.  First of all, the tray is pretty amazing.  It literally took Lance a few hours, I know, sickening, but great for me!  :)...The pots were purchased at Hobby Lobby for $1.50 each and the fern inside was a stem from Hobby Lobby for $3.50 that I took apart and put in each pot.  I added some spanish moss and voila!  The candles were also purchased at Hobby Lobby for half price.  They were my most expensive purchase.  For all the candles, $18, but I figure they'll last a long time and you just can't have too many candles in my book.  The tray was free, thanks to the hubby.  He used some old wood he already had and we keep stain around b/c we do so many projects.  I toyed around with the idea of painting and distressing it, but the wood was so pretty, I just couldn't do it.  I already had the table runner, it's actually my one and only purchase from Pottery Barn and was clearanced out after Christmas.  So, all in all, it turned out pretty cool.  If I didn't have small children, I would add some filler around the candles, like rocks or moss or something, but that would not be a good idea for me.  I could just envision the boys having a rock fight at dinner and it's not worth it!  :)

Here are some more close-ups of the tray: 

I think comparably, it all went pretty well.  I spent around $30 for all and still felt uneasy about spending that much, but considering just one of those little pots at Pottery Barn is $20-$40 and they're PLASTIC!  Seriously?!  I'm not doing that.  Some of their trays are hundreds of dollars too.  So, I was pretty excited about our little recreation for way less.  Hmm...now what???  :)

 

What's your spring style?  Have you started cleaning and updating yet?  :)

Love! It's a powerful word.

I believe in the power of words.  The bible tells us that words can bring life or death.  Words can pierce the heart leaving a stinch of bitterness or lift the heart up like never before.  Words can give life. 

I want to pour life and goodness into my children's souls.  I have had this thought etched in my mind and heart this year.  Pour life into your kids!  Pour life into them!  What an easy word to say, but so difficult to do.  How many times do I lose my patience and instead show them harshness and essentially, death.  My unkind words do not speak life into them.  So, I will again and again choose to speak life into them.  When I mess up, I will ask for their forgiveness because they know Mommy isn't perfect.  Oh, how they know that! 

This year for Valentine's Day, I wanted to do something for each of our children that will let them know with our words how we love them.  They need to hear specific things that we love about them, not to puff them up, but to encourage their souls.  This wasn't fancy.  I cut out a heart from construction paper.  On one side, I wrote a few of the things that I love about them.  And, I tried to make it short and sweet, and understandable for them.  On the other side, their daddy wrote things that he loves about them.  Tonight, we were writing these and Lance said, "I forgot to tell Ella that she's beautiful."  I reminded him that I had written that, had it covered..."No, she needs to hear it from her daddy", he said.  So, he found a way to squeeze that on there. :)...Words can give life.  Our 20 month old, Ella Kate, will hear that she's beautiful. 

We will also share with them who is the giver of love, God our Heavenly Father.  We love only because He first loved us. 

John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son.  Whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life."