I can't believe it's been a YEAR since we moved! I remember seeing the Houston skyline in my rearview mirror as we drove out of town a year ago...and feeling suffocated by every emotion under the sun. {I'm pretty sure I cried oceans of tears.}
There's a lot I could say about the last year, but for now, I want to share the place where new friendships are growing:
Our farmhouse dining room.
We love feasting with friends, even if it's just sharing leftovers. Something magical happens when people sit at a table together and share a good meal. {And WOW does my husband know how to prepare a good meal! He focuses on the food; I focus on the beauty making. What a team!}
{Before I hung the curtains.}
When you're new to town, you don't exactly know who to invite to dinner. But before we moved, I prayed that God would make room in people's hearts for us. {Finding true friendship was my biggest fear.} In only one year's time, God has answered in a BIG way. We've met the most
amazing people. A few feel like old friends already. It's as if our souls have known each other a long time.
{I love the way curtains cozy up a room. Wanting to trim down
This room was once a living room. And would've made a great living room for us, too. But we needed a room long enough for my beloved dining table. {Remember all that table drama? There was no way I was giving up my
custom designed table after all that drama!}
This is the only room in our house with a fireplace. The upside: we enjoyed some awesome meals with a crackling fire. The downside: it's not the best spot for curling up with a good book and a cup of tea. {When I find the inspiration and motivation, I'd love to whitewash the orange brick and replace the mantle with a chunky piece of reclaimed wood.}
Here's a look at a few of the details...
because we beauty hunters always appreciate the little things!
Designed by moi...after looking at every table in the city of Houston.
{Built by a table angel. Painted by Tamara Moore in Houston.}
Bought this piece at
Marburger before I even knew if the farmhouse dream
would come true. Didn't have a spot for it in Houston, so it was risky!
You already know about my crown fetish.
{A constant reminder that I'm a daughter of the King.}
And my small pot fetish.
Oh, and my basket/organization fetish.
{Turns out I have a lot of fetishes!}
Bought these napkins in Provence 8 years ago...
and they were already monogramed perfectly for me!
Made in France; purchased at Sur la Table.
My husband picked this as my birthday wine back in January. So good!
Another great use for my
Warrenton olive harvesting buckets.
I thought some of you would appreciate the way to fake a pleat: ring clips!
No sewing required. Just pinch and clip.
{Linen curtains from Ikea; rods from Target. Very budget friendly!}
I was 37 when we chased our dream and moved here.
A year of courage, hope, fear, adventure, prayer, heartache...the whole spectrum!
{From City Farmhouse, my favorite antique shop in downtown Franklin.}
Oh, and the paint color:
Wickham Gray by Benjamin Moore. Half formula on the ceiling.
Our farmhouse dining room isn't like the one in my dreams, but the more we feast with friends here, the more dreamy it becomes! And as I sweep away the mess from this weekend's feasting, I'm feeling thankful that after only one year here, we have the sweetest friends gathering around our table.
Thankful for food and friends today!
P.S. Forgot to tell you about the light fixture. {I've developed a lighting fetish since most of the rooms in the house needed new lighting.} The dining room was lightless, so we added the
Eldridge Chandelier from Ballard Designs. Different for me! At first, I was going to hang a chandelier, but it made the room feel too French in the heart of Franklin. {I like to take cues from the surrounding environment, and we're surrounded by rolling hills and farm land, not the upscale urban area that we left in Houston.} The farmhouse has provided me with a fun challenge of giving my French-inspired decor a simpler, more relaxed, sometimes industrial, sometimes country feel. Most of the things in my house aren't new; just arranged in a different way. Amazing what that can do!