Dannette Gora

my dreamy hand-me-down summer office

I’m spending one of my last days working out here in my summer office. It’s getting cold. The leaves are starting to change ever so slowly. Before long my little space heater won’t be able to keep up with the cold that creeps thru these un-insulated walls and old single pane windows. I’m going to miss all this light and inspiration. {sigh……}

Last spring I moved my office out into our 3 seasons room. Like most things I do, it was done on a whim in the middle of doing dishes or folding clothes. It wasn’t planned. I got an idea and started dragging furniture around. And that’s what I love most about it. At that point, I had a big shaggy rug a friend had given me, an old desk from yet another friend, a broken folding chair I used as my desk chair, and my computer. And then over the summer, as I sat and dreamed and worked in this new space, the room slowly became something fabulous.

I found an old table at a resale shop that I bought thinking one day we’ll have a dining room…until then, it’s my space to sketch and pile things. Then I scored hand me down sofas. One of which now sits across my desk. It’s the perfect place for the hubby or kids to plop down and stare at me. And believe me, the kids pile on that thing regularly and beg me to stop working. {ha}

It may not be the “normal” office set up, but I think that’s what makes it so fabulous. It’s ours. It’s what works for us, and it came together thru hand-me-downs and garage sales and my quirky design on a whim ideas. The two light fixtures are both from garage sales, one $2, the other $20. The wing back chair is from Craigslist. Also only $20. I bought it planning to paint the fabric, but have since fell in love with the soft pink. I did end up painting the legs white, and it might be my most favorite piece of furniture in this whole house. The only new items in this office are the pillows and throws, and I bought those at Tuesday Morning (another cheap-o discount type store).

I share the prices of these finds just in case you look at these pictures and see $$$…like I spent a lot of money. The most I spent was on the table, it was $120…but totally worth it.

This is the 3 Seasons Room when we first moved in. I have dreams of painting the fireplace and the paneling (of course). And those drapes…they came with the house when we bought it 🙂

I’m embarrased to say that THIS is what the space looked like before it became my office. What a mess!

This is the room the day I moved my desk in and started using this space as my office. It was clearly still a work in progress at this point. My desk chair was an old broken folding chair…

My craigslist wing back chair BEFORE
**it might scream nursing home but just wait**

My craigslist wing back chair AFTER
**just painted the legs and added some pillow bling**

the dining room table I’m using as a desk. i just looooove it.

It seems pointless perhaps…to do the work of moving furniture and styling a room only to get to enjoy it for a season. But it’s refreshing for me in so many ways. I think sometimes we need to look at our work from a new angle to get new and refreshing ideas. I was actually introduced to this concept at a design seminar years ago (at Steelcase, I think). They told us that if we were stuck on an idea, that our brain could dig deeper and reach into other untapped areas for stimuli if we introduced it to a new environment while designing. The basic message was…step away from your desk, your conference table, whatever… and go draw and sketch and design in a different place altogether. Not one your brain is used to. And preferably NOT at a desk. ? It’s probably one of the best little nuggets of wisdom I’ve came across as far as designing goes. I can’t tell you how many rooms and spaces have come together while sketching in my yard on a blanket.

Switching spaces and moving rooms is like therapy for my design soul. As much as I love what this office has become out here…I’m looking forward to a new view to keep the creativity brewing.

Here are some more photos of my dreamy hand-me-down summer office 🙂

a glued together acanthus leaf. why not?
i got this at a design swap {for free}.

my favorite books, sharpies, wood chunks I drew on, and a glass cloche from a garage sale. design doesn’t have to be expensive.

my desk is never this clean, i promise.
the clock is from meijer! and the white box and bin are from target. i borrowed these items from other rooms in my house…which is a great way to re-think a room my friends. grab items from other rooms and they might just come alive in your new space. oh, and the wire bin is another garage sale find.

here is the other sofa in my make-shift office.
this is where kids climb and read and color and snack.

or where they wear one shoe and their sister’s skirt around their neck. but whatever. good times and snacks are had in this room while Momma works.

cans and twigs and stacks of books.
ALWAYS.

my table top decor consists of chunks of wood, a beer bottle with yarn glued to it and white milk vases from Goodwill.

i made 50 or so of these “trays” you see hanging here for my sister-in-laws baby shower.{we used them to serve soup on…so cute} but now I’ve added some chalk paint and use them as message boards in my office.

and finally, find a way to incorporate art. it can be art you make…and it doesn’t have to be perfect! or hung on a wall either. it adds a little whimsy and meaning to your space.

Is my office perfect? No way. But it’s coming together, slowly…just like so many of the good things in life do.

🙂

simply tuesday

We celebrated our anniversary this weekend. It’s been eight years for us now. We didn’t do what people would normally think of for an anniversary…no fancy dinner, no big gifts or surprises, no night out on the town all done up in our rock star clothes. Instead we drove 11.5 hours to North Carolina for a book release party for an author I love. {insert crickets} This is where the awkward silence happens…where crickets chirp because no one really knows how to respond to that…lol.

Sounds fun, right? I’ve heard it a few times in the voices of friends and family…”so what are you doing exactly…what is this for? Is this a work thing? Did you stop anywhere else along the way? Did you go out to dinner?”Nope. None of those things. We ate fast food for most of the trip, and I wore the same clothes home that I wore there. {gasp!} But I tell you what my dear ones, it might have been the best anniversary weekend we’ve ever had. There were no expectations. No reasons to fuss. Just us, in a car, in our comfy clothes, singing a little Poison and having the best conversations about our dreams, our God, our smallness.

That’s a big part of the reason we made the trip to North Carolina. God’s been teaching us our smallness. It’s been unfolding for us over the last year or so. You know, thru life altering, soul shattering moments of the hard and the good and the every day. I think it’s fair to say we used to chase after life. It’s like we were trying to get there. Wherever “there” was. Because that’s where real life would start. Right? That’s when we’d feel full and accomplished and like we were ENOUGH.

But that way of thinking has been blown out of the water by ventilators and hospitals and heart defects. We don’t look too far ahead, we try not to chase life. We don’t always win that battle either. But like I’ve said before, we have these new eyes now. We see differently. We look at leaves on trees and shake our heads at their glory. We wear tool belts at work even when it’s not necessary…we take pictures of hard hats and steel mills because we know we might not always get to…we savor the opportunity to work hard. We’re present in the moment in ways we never were before. We pound our fists and raise our hands and sing to our God and know in 10 minutes we could be standing there in glory with Him…hands raised…forever.

Life is short. Shorter than we realized. It’s always been. We are a mist. MIST, people. The every day is a gift and there is so much there…so so much. You just have to slow your pace, open your hearts and look for it.

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

James 4:14

And by the way, we’re not facing death. We’re not dying in 10 minutes, there’s nothing that serious going on. But that doesn’t mean we’re not living like it. It’s a small-moment perspective as Emily P. Freeman would say. One that might sound sad and dreary because it’s about being small and embracing it…but for us, it’s not like that. It’s more like the lottery. ? And guess what, we won! Yeah, we might be carrying around a bucket of the hard stuff, and it’s heavy…and more than a little annoying. But it pales in comparison to the sea of joy we experience loving the little things like trees and leaves and tool belts. Because really…life could be like it was before. Pretty. And easy. Derek could have a perfect heart and could be strong and run and push hard like he so badly wants to…but the holes would be in our souls then, not our bodies. We wouldn’t have these eyes. I choose these eyes. And I know he would too.So when I read a book like Simply Tuesday and am reminded to boast in my weaknesses and live small … it just makes sense to drive across the country to celebrate it. Emily’s words resonate with me. It’s pretty much what we’ve been living and breathing, but she connects the dots for us like we couldn’t have done on our own. One of my favorite parts of her book…

Jesus taught his disciples to pray for daily bread, the kind we can’t carry into tomorrow. Looking to the future may give meaning to my work, but I have to be careful not to look to the future to find meaning for my life. There is a daily-ness to my work, a small-moment perspective that whispers for me to connect with the work in my right-now hands, not because it’s going to become something Big and Important, but because Someone who is Big and Important is here, with me, in me, today.

Emily P. Freeman

What we’ve been learning is that the package will never be complete my friends. The nice and tidy, money having, skinny life of our dreams will never make us whole. It fills our eyes, our pride, but it will never fill our souls. Our souls were made by God and for God. And THAT is what we long for. I am enough…Derek is enough…YOU are enough…because HE is more than enough. When the Father looks at me, He sees Christ. He sees perfection. I can rest there. We all can.

The truth is…we don’t need to get “there”…we can live free and full right here. With broken heart valves and all. We don’t know how many days we have on this earth. None of us do. All of our futures are unknown. So I say right here, wherever you are…look for the good. Look for the only real Good there is…look for GOD. And you’ll start finding joy in what you have, in where you are, with what’s right in front of you.

End rant. 🙂

Here are some pictures from my two North Carolina trips to the Nester’s Barn. One was for a Cozy Minimalist event The Nester was having…and the other to celebrate the release of Emily’s new book Simply Tuesday. And these two ladies are the real deal by the way. They are genuine and kind and crazy talented. They write and create and give glory to God.

{Prepare to swoon}

[supsystic-gallery id=3 position=center]

*photos by myself, my hubby, and fellow Cozy Minimalist’s Kirsten Thompson and MJ Taylor

Project: the coziest little English feeling library/den imaginable

It’s Wednesday and the baby’s sleeping. The kids are at school. The floors are swept and things are tidy-ed up around here. There are a ba-jillion things that I should be doing. Like painting things or folding and washing things or the dreaded paying of things…but I’ve decided to chuck those ideas and do what I want. ! Which is, of course, posting about the office project I just finished. Woot!

This is the kind of day that sets my soul free, my friends. Clean floors and the final check mark in my brain marking a project complete by showing it to the world. Or to the ten people that read my blog. But whatever, let’s do this thing!!!

I have a dear friend who is always helping people out. It’s one of her many gifts…being able and willing to step in and make a list, cut thru the crap and get the job done when she sees a friend in need. Sometimes it’s a stack of laundry that needs folded, other times she’s buying plane tickets or concert tickets or helping a friend shop for a trip. But this time the friend was our Pastor. The need was his home office. And since another God given gift of hers is styling, she was all over it. I’m tellin’ ya, the girl could make a broom closet look like a spot you’d want to sit and read in…{no joke}. So how did I get involved? I got on my knees and begged her to let me help, lol. I sort of have this crazy, teary love for our Pastor after the way he loved on us and supported us when Derek got sick. So I jumped at the chance to get involved. And this little act of service sort of had my name written all over it. Home office? Yes, please 🙂

The scope of the project was basically to take our Pastor’s ordinary home office and make it a cozy and functional place for him to work. We also had the help of an amazing craftsman from our church…Jonny Roetker. Check him out on Instagram !!! He’s truly gifted in woodworking, as you’ll see in the “after” photos of this post.

Here are a few before photos:

After some discussion, we realized what we were really getting the opportunity to do. We were crafting the space where a man, our Pastor, would be living out his calling of leading and shepherding hearts. What an opportunity. Somehow we wanted it to be more than bookcases and paint and furniture. ? We wanted it to be a retreat almost. Not just a place he could sit and read and work, but a place that would take him somewhere. Where he could sink into a chair and dream a bit and breath.

So we started with his style. What Pastor Lionel loves, besides his lovely sweet wife. The man bleeds books and history and old world things. Did I mention he loves books…lol? So we came up with a plan to make the room into the coziest little English feeling library / den imaginable.

To get a better feel for the space we snuck into his office while he and his wife were out of town…and by “snuck” I totally mean we had permission {of course}. !!! But still, even with that, it’s a little weird to be tiptoeing around your Pastor’s house when he’s not there. So Lyn and I decided to make ourselves known and took a selfie and sent it to him. Ha!

Did I mention the man has a lot of books? And by a lot, I mean the man is more than well armed. He has an arsenal of history and literature and wisdom at his fingertips. We needed to get these little nuggets of wisdom within reach…but the room was small. It couldn’t handle much furniture, if any. So we came up with the idea to build in storage wherever possible. Above the windows, above the doors, along the walls, and even rework the existing shelving a bit to make it all flow.

The plan:

We were also dealing with all existing honey oak for the doors, windows, and base. And not that that’s bad in any way, but it’s just not ideal. It’s definitely not my first choice or what I start off wanting to build into a space. We talked about painting it, replacing it, re-staining it. In the end, we decided to go with a two tone wood look, leaving all the existing oak as is, and painting all the new bookcases a dark charcoal gray/black. We tied the two finishes together by using the honey oak as the back to each of the bookcases we added in.

The vision:

Lyn worked out all the details and styled the room. The desk, the curtains, the rug…all of the pretty stuff you see below. We had more than a few conversations about the deep orange chair you see below too. I hinted to it on Instagram that it was somewhat of an eyesore (mostly because it’s an older style and a bold color), and we weren’t sure it would even work in the room. And it definitely did not look right in his old office. Not one bit. The orange fabric and light wood made it disappear into the land of honey stained oak. And it’s funny to me now, because it almost looks like we designed the room around this chair, if not FOR it. It belonged to a beloved man from our church who left us for heaven not too long ago. He left behind a legacy of sorts with this orange chair. I’ve heard it’s the one he would sit and read and pray in. What a blessing that it now adorns our Pastor’s office.

The after:

Which turned out beautiful by the way. We’re still on the look out for an ottoman for the space…but we were over anxious and couldn’t wait for that piece to take the pictures.

From my instagram…

Thank you Lyn, for letting me help you serve and love on our Pastor in this way!

It was a JOY.

Oh…and these doors, right? I started this post with them because they are the existing doors into our Pastor’s home office. Not exactly exciting. They’re ordinary run of the mill, honey oak doors with brass hardware. Nothing special, right? But not anymore. It’s like they’re alive to me now. Intentional. They don’t disappear. They help create the right atmosphere because we used them in the right way.

Now they’re the doors one steps thru to write and pray and live out that calling. If I had a heart emoji, I’d insert it here.

light thru the trees

Sometimes when I’m sitting outside I catch a glimpse of the sun peeking at me thru the trees. It’s one of my most favorite things in this world, this light shining thru trees thing. The moment it catches my eye, I take a deep breath and my heart smiles full and wide. And I’m reminded that God is here. Twinkling thru the seemingly big and small that surrounds us. Offering hope and light and enough to me right where I am.

It’s been quiet around here. I haven’t been writing much. Summer has been in full force, and we’ve been busy hitting the beach and riding bikes and sometimes even just lying around in the yard staring up at the trees. Planning some days, and going and doing, but mostly just trying to keep our kids content with the small things around here.

I wish I could say that the craziness of summer is what’s kept me from writing. But of course, it’s never that simple, is it?

A month or so ago I got a call from Jennie Allen’s camp to share my anything story….to go live on a video podcast and answer a few questions about last year and all that God did for and in us when Derek fell ill. I remember being in shock when I first read the message. But I didn’t hesitate to say yes…which is surprising if you know me at all.

Writing our story is hard enough for me, but opening my mouth and talking about it? Not my thing. But this story is God’s. So I said yes. And 24 hours later, I went on camera…in front of thousands…and really had no idea what I was even going to say. I had scattered thoughts written on a notebook paper… and I rambled in circles to myself all day and the words would just not come together. But I had friends praying for God to give me those words. Believing that if I was asked to do this to encourage just one soul out there, that the words I spoke would be the ones they needed to hear.

And there I was, somehow calm and still without a real plan…waiting my turn to speak, waiting on the Holy Spirit, knowing the words would come. Crazy, right? Then something Jennie Allen said struck a chord in my heart. And one part of our story lit up within me and scripture came to mind and my mouth opened and words came out.

Did it all make sense? Was it eloquent and perfect? Nope. But I truly believe the words I said came from God… so I will own them. I will own that whole moment in fact, even though I cringe when I see myself on camera and hear my own voice. I will own it because it was God’s thing. He asked me to do something crazy and laughable (because hello…me?) and I said yes.

And then…after being inspired and awed and used by God…I shut down. I hid. I quit writing. I think I was afraid of what might come next. Lots of people starting visiting my blog. And my comfort zone was off the radar. To put it plainly, I’m my worst critic. I’m hard on myself about being out here. There are so many blogs and writers and talented people doing big things. I have hard time seeing where I fit into all that. I don’t want to “try” to do or be anything. I want to be me.

The conclusion I’ve come to is that I don’t fit. I’m not a writer. I’m not a speaker. I’m just a girl. A wife. A mom. A child of God trying to follow where my God calls me. And for some reason, it’s here. To a keyboard late at night where I put words together and attempt to make sense of what God is doing in this heart and life of mine. And that, I can do.

He fills in my empty spots, and I belong here writing because of Him. He makes me enough. I don’t need to fear the next big thing God asks me to do. Because just like the last time, He will give ALL that is needed, WHEN it is needed.

He will shine that light of His thru those trees that I love so so much…and beam glory down onto the simple, imperfect and broken girl lying on the ground below. He whispers grace and gives words when I can’t seem to find any.

He is the God that says…

“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.” Isaiah 42:16

He is the God that makes my rough places smooth. {Oh.thank.goodness}.

baby blake’s nursery

Our nursery project is finally complete! And by “complete” I mean that we had to force ourselves to STOP. Like literally. I think we could have worked on this little project forever…and not because it was complicated or drawn out…but because it was a JOY. We loved this one folks. For reals.

I think I forgot how much fun putting together a room could be until this little number came along. AND it’s a nursery. Which means we got to swoon over the cutest accessories and the sweetest little details {like “Larry” above…<3}. AND our client was awesome and let us basically do whatever we wanted!? Yep. They didn’t have a direction in mind for this nursery but they trusted us, which also means they let us MAKE stuff. Oh the joy!!!

Here’s where we started…

The existing room was a blank slate. Beige carpet, beige walls, white blinds, and a ceiling fan.

Existing Room:

We came up with a design concept for them and helped them shop, shop, shop. We started with the most expensive of furnishings (like we always do for style and design) and then found better priced options where we could. For instance, we might have been pinning Restoration Hardware cribs to begin with, but that was more for concept and to get our design juices flowing. In the end, our Client actually found the perfect crib at babys-r-us…! We just led them thru the design process and gave them some specific details to look for…like bun feet, lol. (images to follow later in the post!)

Design Concept:

Since our Client is a huge lover of animals, we thought using animals as accents in the space would be perfect. From the start we knew we didn’t want this room to be overly themed in any way (I try to avoid themed rooms if it can be helped)… so we knew we were looking for pieces that didn’t necessarily come from the same store or line, but that would ultimately pull the look together without being too matchy-matchy. We also wanted it to be a room that would grow with him. Not too baby, not too grown up. And the room had to be a little glamorous…if you could see this little guy’s parents, you’d know why. They sparkle and don’t even try to. Seriously. They’ve got it going on. So we knew Blake’s little man room needed to be “man glammed”… if that’s even a phrase.

Custom Pieces:

We also got a little crazy and decided to make a few things ourselves…eeeek! Which is always one of my favorite parts. There’s something about using drills and saws and tape measures that’s just plain old exciting. But that’s usually only when our hubby’s aren’t around to watch and unknowingly “judge” of course. 🙂 They mean well…we know that! And we love them dearly. No doubt. But it’s sort of like trying to watch your husband ice a cake. Yes, he’s capable and could totally ice a mean cake. But it’s almost too painful to watch. There are tricks and short cuts they just can’t comprehend…and well…they’re just not as good at it. That’s how it is with our hubby’s and tools. They’re the experts. We’re just NOT. At least, not YET 🙂

We made two things for Blake’s little nursery. A wood name-board for his fabulous light up letters…and a custom robe hook to hold frames and hats and cute little man stuff above his changing table. Both made of reclaimed wood, sanded and then waxed with a dark wax. See below!

Finished Nursery:

To start, let me introduce you to Baby Blake. Doesn’t he just melt your heart? He’s the sweetest, happiest little guy…as if you couldn’t tell, right? And he LOVES his room. Seriously…we took these photos the morning we finished the room. And he just sat there smiling, looking all around and grabbing at his new rug. 🙂

And now the less cute stuff, but the stuff I LIVE for…here’s the “after” shot of the room.

Here’s the before and after side by side photos. The “before” is before we painted and staged everything. I show you this because a lot of people would buy all the stuff for their room and leave it just like this “before” picture. Which is fine. But it could be SO much more with drapes and a rug and the right accessories and the right paint color.

Here’s another before and after. The ceiling fan. Changing that element changed the whole room. It defined the space, brought things down a bit for a more intimate feel, added some texture and well…just made the room look “kool”.

And here’s the custom name-board we made again.

The details…it’s all about the details my friends. You can find pieces like this dresser at Babys-r-us…you just have to dig a little. Look at those pulls, and all the detailing on drawer fronts, and the bun feet. Oh, how I love a bun foot on a dresser 🙂

And here’s our custom robe hook we made from a piece of old wood, 3 pulls from Hobby Lobby and some rope.

And seriously. This might be my most favorite part of the room. A CHEWBACCA onsie!!! {a gift I hear from Baby Blake’s Uncle Luke…nice job dude!}

Project Princess Canopy

A few months ago I was helping my daughter dream up ideas for her room. One thing she kept mentioning was a princess tent. But we had one already, and it was partly broken and awkward and ALWAYS in the way. And I have to confess that one afternoon, when no little eyes were following me around, I secretly chucked that sucker into the trash. It was one of those silent victories you get as a mom…when you sit back and relax and watch the kids search and KNOW they’ll never be able find it 🙂

I knew what I was up against. A tent. They’re fun, and I’m all about letting these little people have some of it. Really. I just prefer tent fun to be had outside. People trip over them in the middle of the night and it’s no fun landing on dolls and combs and laptops and dishes when you’re least expecting it. Seriously. They pack them full, and shortly after, abandon ship…never to return.

So we came up with the idea to make a tent out of her bed. We shopped online for canopies at Lands End and Pottery Barn and Restoration. I’d put them in my cart and could never commit. It just seemed so expensive, even with the holiday sales. And I’m picky, let’s face it. There was always something “off” about each one of them. So as usual, I came up with the bright idea that we’d make our own. That was months ago. And this poor girl of mine has kept asking and asking and asking. So yesterday I took the day off while my little gal was home sick. Which basically means I worked on something around here that I don’t get paid for. At least not in cash. And sometimes those are the best projects. The ones I do on a whim and get paid in HUGS for. 🙂

SUPPLIES:

3 rods or sticks for a sloped ceiling, or 2 for a flat ceiling
6 ceiling hooks, or 4 for a flat ceiling
burlap string
curtains, sheets or fabric (I used 4 120″ long sheets and 1 king size bed sheet)
string lights

STEP 1

You’ll need 3 rods a little longer than the width of your bed. (Or two if you’re ceiling is flat…see blue sketch above). One for the middle, and two for each end. You could buy a curtain rod or a wooden rod and cut them down.

Or if you’re cheap like me, gather STICKS. Long straight ones are best if you’re using a ringed curtain for the canopy. If you’re just draping fabric over the stick, straightness doesn’t matter so much. Either way, find some that can hold some weight. Then use your foot as a brace and grab one end and puuuull, breaking them to the length you want. It’s not perfect, but it works, let me tell ya. Especially if you’re going for the “natural” look…lol.

STEP TWO

Find some hardware. I used these little hooks and twisted them into the drywall ceiling right above where the rod/sticks will hang. I used two per stick, one on each end of the stick.

STEP THREE

Then I found some burlap string or twine I had lying around and strung it thru each ceiling hook and tied a fancy knot.

STEP FOUR

Weave the center stick (preferably the straightest one) thru the curtain rings. I used four sheer curtains and hung two at a time, alternating rings from one curtain to the other. This helped the curtains looked woven together at the top rod. I even drew you a little sketch to explain.

STEP FIVE

Stick the rods/sticks thru the knotted string holes.

STEP SIX

Drape your fabric from the center stick out to the end sticks.

STEP SEVEN

Stop and get some hugs from your happy tent lover.

STEP EIGHT

Grab a sheet or two and hang them on the front. I actually used an old king size sheet I had and cut it in half. Then cut small holes in the sheet and tie them with the burlap string to each rod/stick. I ended up folding the corners of the sheet back over the canopy since our ceiling is sloped. If you were working with a flat ceiling you wouldn’t have to do that.

STEP NINE

String up some lights if you’re feeling crazy!