lovemydiyhome

Life After Loss – Is Closure Possible?

Is Closure Possible? Is Closure Necessary? When you’re charged with carrying out someone’s wishes, sometimes you need to throw tradition out the window. My last DIY for my mom was to throw a Pepper Party and lay her to rest in a way contrary to tradition. (See links to this series below if you’re a newbie here – it would probably be a good idea to start from the very beginning, it’s a very nice place to start…) My mom had always told me that when it was her time to go, to… dig a hole out back and bury her in a pine box. It was the family joke. I found a way, or rather, my son found a way to do just that. But you’ll have to read all the way to the end to find out how. Here is what we did and will do: December 25: … Read more

5 Ways to Survive a Loss – With No Regrets

Now What? How do we survive a loss with no regrets? The days sitting at the hospital and hospice house are past. The preparations to lay my mother to rest are done. We’ve had our friend and family get-togethers. My last child has left to go back home. We’re back to work and life goes on. When your world stops, everyone else’s keeps spinning. It’s hard to jump back on. December 23, 2014, a little over two weeks ago, My mom joined my Dad after a nearly 30 year separation. When my Dad passed I was only 26 with a husband and two children. I have so many more to care for now through this loss at age 55, with 15 children, 5 sons-in-law and 13 grandchildren. We became empty nesters just a couple of years ago…well, sort of. It’s been 33 years since my DH and I lived alone … Read more

Free Printables by Eliza Ellis

I found some really nicely desiged free printables on the Eliza Ellis blog and want to share them with you. Take a moment to visit her site. She has printables for: CALENDARS & DIARY PLANNERS TO DO LISTS NOTES CONTACTS GOALS RECIPES MENU PLANS KITCHEN LISTS KIDS CHORES HOME LISTS FINANCES BACK TO SCHOOL KNITTING & CROCHET SEWING I’m all for using what others have created if it fits our needs. Save time by benefiting from the efforts of others. Happy New Year and thanks for visiting. Permission to reprint granted by Eliza Ellis 11.18.14.

Do You DWO or DIY?

Do You DWO or DIY? We are now through the Christmas season and it’s time to think about perspective and balance with the new year just around the corner. I heard complaining – a LOT of complaining about the “cost” of Christmas and how it has become a boring/stressful/unremarkable/frustrating time of year. This set me to thinking. Why do some people dread this holiday season? They forget (or don’t care) about the reason for the season. They wait until the last minute to buy gifts and end up spending too much money. They take no delight in the music or decorations, seeing them as commercial and garish – reminders of the stress of the Christmas season. They see their family and friends as sponges, trying to suck the life out of them – they are hard to buy for or appear unthankful and selfish. Their gift giving becomes an expected … Read more

Mother-in-law Apartment Reveal

Today was graduation day for my mom. She stepped through the gates of heaven at 12:23 this morning. God is good. Can I say that again? God is good. His grace is sufficient. I thought it fitting that on this day, on this my DIY blog, that I share with you the before and after pictures of her apartment. This one is for you mom… We bought our quad level home two years ago after nearly 2 years of searching for a home in the country with a yard for our grandkids and a MIL apartment for my mom. It was in rough shape, but we knew we could make it ours (and hers). Here are the before pictures. What do you think of that black flowery wallpaper? B.L.E.C.K. The carpet had been…uh…let’s just say, the animals graced the carpet with their presence. When we first walked into the house, … Read more

No Christmas Home Tour Here

This Christmas season is different for our family this year. We are a family in crisis. There will be no chestnuts roasting on our open fire this year. Normally I would be writing a post about our Christmas Home Tour complete with staged pictures of my home in the middle of Christmas celebration. (Last year’s Christmas Home Tour) It’s what we do as DIY bloggers. We decorate and then share it. I had it all planned. I did manage to get my tree up and most of our gifts wrapped. Then crisis walked through our front door and wouldn’t leave. (The Ultimate DIY – Saying Goodbye to Your Mom) There will be no last minute holly jolly Christmas shopping running around town in the midst of all the hustle bustle that I love so much. I did manage to hang a little Christmas tree ornament my DH brought … Read more

Dresser Turned TV Stand

It is a new day. I woke at 4:45 this morning and couldn’t turn my brain off. As always my mom pops in my mind and since the stress of her dire condition is ever present, I couldn’t get back to sleep. At least it wasn’t like yesterday. I woke at 2am and didn’t go back to sleep until 6:30 and then it was only for 45 minutes. I had to go to work that morning and by the time I got to the hospital at 2:15 that afternoon, I was dragging. Fortunately they have a nice family lounge and I took a few zzz’s listening to music while Jillian and Taylor continued their vigil. Thank the Lord for power naps and music apps. So, I am delivering my Dresser Turned TV Stand I told you about. It seems so nostalgic to me to tell you about this project. Making … Read more

The Ultimate DIY – Saying Goodbye to Your Mom

While I sit here in the hospital with my mom, I thought I’d share a really great project with you that my daughter, April, did recently – a dresser turned tv stand. But then I decided to just have a chat with you. To encourage you. To let you know what’s up and that it’s all good. I’ll do the Dresser Turned TV Stand another time. At the moment of this writing, I’m doing the ultimate DIY sitting alone in a hospital room I’m tending to my mom who had a major stroke Saturday morning. Let me take a moment here and encourage you. I’ve been through losing a father (30 years ago when I was 26) and now am dealing with a part of life no one wants to – watching a mother decline and trying to figure out how to make her as comfortable as possible, manage all … Read more

Gift Bag Tutorial {To Work With My Hands}

DIY Gift Bags at To Work With My Hands

Occasionally I like to share resources that I think would be useful to my readers. Today is one of those days… My friend, Karen, over at To Work With My Hands has a tutorial today on DIY gift bags …made out of TRASH! You should hop right on over there and check it out. …and while you’re there, leave Karen a comment, letting her know you stopped by. Blessings!

Holly Jolly Christmas Word Art {Love My DIY Home}

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas Word Art – FREE Download

Decorating with FREE Christmas Word Art Don’t you just love Christmas? All the sneaking around secretive gift buying just gets me into my happy zone! Yet the gift wrapping, tree decorating, and figgy pudding making is so much fun for me that I tend to run myself ragged. Ya know, good activities, like we have during the Christmas season can be stressful too! Do you stress over Christmas Decorating? Let’s keep it simple this year. Let’s enjoy the time with family and friends and just marvel over why we get to celebrate the birth of our Savior. This truly is the best time of the year. Let’s be content, at peace, and not stressed. We have worked hard all year. We deserve a Holly Jolly Christmas! Please enjoy my FREE printable Christmas Word Art. The different download options are listed below. Just click which one suits you best! Holly Jolly … Read more