white house black shutters

enjoy the everyday and embrace a simple life

And Then There Were Eight

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Last week, we welcomed a new life into our family. A new little personality which made us a family of eight. Our daughter, Nora Jane was born on Thursday, December 28th at 11:30 am. She was 40 weeks and 6 days, and quite cozy. I was induced starting at 6:30am, and things picked up quickly from there. My body only needed a gentle push to start things up. Five hours later, she was born. It was ... Read More about And Then There Were Eight

When the Joy Outweighs the Struggles

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An upside down chair, smudged mirror, laundry basket full of misplaced stuff - this picture perfectly sums up our life these days. And oh yes, there's something else in this picture. :) On Friday, I'll be 38 weeks pregnant with a sweet little girl, our 6th child. This pregnancy has been rough in many ways, but through it all, the joy has far outweighed the struggles. I recently realized I ... Read More about When the Joy Outweighs the Struggles

Calming Master Bedroom Update with Planked Ceiling

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A few days ago we finished the work on our master bedroom. It's calming, has a planked ceiling, and dark walls. We have plenty of finishing details to work on, but I'm going to jump right in and show you because delaying it would be cruel. Here's our master bedroom today: I'm so happy with how it looks, the color is different than anything I've picked before. The other bedrooms are white ... Read More about Calming Master Bedroom Update with Planked Ceiling

Tips to Get Your Home Guest Ready

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With the holidays approaching, it's a great time to have your home ready for guests at a moment's notice. Today with 4 bloggers, in partnership with Bona, I'll be sharing 5 tips to get your home guest ready. We recently finished our 107 year old pine floors, they look incredible but were starting get dull with everyday use. The Bona PowerPlus system was perfect for bringing back the luster without ... Read More about Tips to Get Your Home Guest Ready

Custom Sized Corkboard Command Center

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As we settle into our new house, the new layout, we're starting to see what areas of our life need a bit of organization. Just like it's nice to live in a home before deciding what to change cosmetically - when you live in a space and see how you use it, you can better determine what systems can help your family in the new space. In this house, all the bedrooms and main bathroom are upstairs. ... Read More about Custom Sized Corkboard Command Center

Bright Office Update with Planked Ceiling

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Hi friends! Recently I shared a photo to our Facebook page of our bright office update, complete with a planked ceiling. I just couldn't take it anymore! (Keep scrolling if you want to see it.) I didn't want to wait to write the post, I was ready to share it right then. The renovations in this home are progressing quite quickly and we've (I say "we" when I really mean Doug) been hustling to get ... Read More about Bright Office Update with Planked Ceiling

Instagram

  • #fridayintroductions Hi, I’m Ann Marie! ♡ I found this sweet 1920s coat stand a few weeks ago while thrifting. The stain and shape remind me of the stair railing (swipe) in our 1910 house. Also it’s not quite level - just like our house. 😄⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ I felt so happy when Doug took this picture, yet wasn’t going to post it. It was hot out, and I am not shy about wearing shorts. He took it and said “wow, you look great!” And later that night when I looked at the picture I almost deleted it. Gulp. That’s what I look like? ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Eight years ago I had a serious autoimmune issue which resulted in deep leg wounds. I didn’t know what would happen, if my unborn son would be okay, if I’d ever move past the disease, be able to have more kids, or if I’d still have my legs.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I really thought I’d lose my legs. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Eight years later my son is awesome, my health has been relatively good, and we added four sweet children to our family. And I have my legs! They are covered in scars, bruise easily, and have cellulite.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Yet... I still have my legs.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Thanks be to God, I still have my legs.⁣⁣ ♡⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ I remember those months when I was stuck in a chair, couldn’t do basic things for my family and sat there desperately wanting to. It was a soul crushing longing to be doing something, anything. Minus the giant bandages, my legs looked pretty good and yet that was the last thing on my mind. I was the smallest I had been in 10 years while my body was *literally* attacking itself.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ This body has taken me on many adventures since then, and allowed me to enjoy the sweet mundane moments of life. These legs have let me walk, stand, make dinner, comfort babies, play with kids, and just work like legs should work.⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ I hope this inspires you to take a moment to accept and love yourself, just as you are. Despite your “imperfections,” be they physical or not.⁣ ⁣ I’m still working on accepting it. Yet I am so very thankful for this body and all it’s done for me, imperfections and all.

About Ann Marie

Ann Marie Heasley

Hello! My goal is to help you seek beauty in your everyday life. Here I’ll share my experiences and offer tips on how to simplify, seek beauty, create a home you enjoy, or declutter through my annual #40bagsin40days challenge.

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