Cover Me

"Remember to cover me that I might go in peace..." Cover Me by 21:03

I am thinking about two types of covering today. The first is wallcoverings. I am in the process of putting hand to hammer on creating a teen bedroom for my babygirl. But in the meantime, my mind is still spinning with ideas. I am really thinking a lot about my boutique walk-in closet. I decided that will be the next project after her room is complete.

I love the idea of having a boutique closet, Carrie Bradshaw style... or even better. Better is GOOD! As I was browsing Pinterest the other day, I came across a few photos of closets with wallcovering and I knew immediately that this is how I wanted my closet to be. Just look at these cool ideas:

Pretty right? Now these colorful and frilly coverings are not my jam but I am digging the way it changes the closet and makes it look much more like a boutique! So I am on the hunt for some bombtastic removable wallpaper for my fancy schmancy new boutique closet. Stay tuned on more this subject at a later date.

Next up is covering in prayer. To cover in prayer is to pray protection over yourself, your loved ones, for your life's journey, your business, your world and your current and future endeavors. I have been thinking about being covered in prayer more than usual because there have been so many disasters in the world as of late, both locally and globally. One minute a person is healthy, walking around, going to work, hugging their loved ones, singing their favorite songs, cooking dinner, watching their favorite TV shows, laughing at funny jokes....living the life they were given. And the next minute life is gone. 

What if you didn't make it home from work, or wake up in the morning? What if the kiss you gave your loved one was the last one you gave? Life is soooo fleeting. And I know we all know this. But more importantly, we should diligently cover the lives and things we hold dear in prayer by the blood of Jesus. His protection is there for you, if you only just ask. 

If God asks us to pray for our enemies, how much more should we pray for our loved ones.We must cover ourselves and our loved ones and our communities and our world and world leaders in prayer. If we do not stand united, surely we will fall. 

"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation and every city or house divided against itself will not stand."  - Matthew 12:25

Today, ask God to teach you how to pray a covering over your life and the lives of those you love. My prayer is that each of you who read this will grow stronger in your walk everyday.

xoxo, tami

I'm Not a Girl

"I'm not a girl, not yet a woman. All I need is time, a moment that is mine. While I'm in between..." I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman by Brittany Spears

My baby is turning 13 tomorrow! GAH! She is elated.. I am crying. This means the years I have left with her are limited and will be so precious to me. We are moving into our new home at the end of the month and for all of my dreams of designing my own room, my gift to her is to begin designing her teenage room.

She is at that age where she no longer wants a little girl room filled with dolls and toys and pink ballerinas. So I decided to trust her taste and task her with the job of sourcing Pinterest for the type of room she would love. My daughter loves to skateboard and play hard core video games and wear Vans and beanies. This is a girl who loathes the clothes at Justice and refuses to wear pink or lace or ruffles. Therefore, I was quite surprised at the color palette she presented me.  It was SOOOO girly! And I was super happy! FINALLY a daughter who wants a girly room. She informed me that her favorite color these days is mint green. She created an electronic vision board and from there we began shopping around for her dream bedroom design.

Once we paint her walls mint green, we decided we will add a white stencil design on the wall behind her bed. We are placing a textured peach comforter on the bed and adorning it with white and mint green pillows in varying textures. Feathers are important to her. She said they remind her of a delicate bird who has the ability to soar to heights. So we will be adding feather prints and recreating the feather mobile you see above. I plan to smock a set of peach curtains for her window and create a little stool for her to sit on when she is putting on her shoes made out of a utility bucket. Being the florist that I am, her room won't be complete without a weekly flower arrangement on her dresser and nightstands.

She is so excited to get started and I am too!

Have any of you had to turn your little girl's room into a teen room! I would love to hear all about it the joys, the pains, the fails and the successes you had along the way!

xoxo, tami

This is Heaven to Me

"I won't ever stray 'cause this is heaven to me." - This is Heaven to Me by Madeleine Peyroux

You might recall my post a couple of weeks back where I mulled over the idea of putting together a master bedroom design inspired by both speakeasies and Old Hollywood Glam with a nod to African-American bombshell actresses of a by-gone era. If not, you can totally catch up on the buzz right HERE.

Well, after much pondering and internet scouring, this is what I have settled on. And I am SO THRILLED! I decided to begin saving for the ultra sexy tufted Devyn daybed by Restoration Hardware in a queen size. Because queen-sized daybeds have never looked so good. And because I want my room to have a speakeasy look about it. A big couch to cuddle up on that just so happens to be a daybed and that will take up a lot less floorspace because it will fit in the room against the wall lengthwise, leaving me a little more room to do yoga in the morning time!

Unfortunately, that luscious wine colored Rivulets duvet cover is no longer available at Anthropologie so I have to figure something out, even if I have to break out the sewing machine and make my own. I found a great DIY tutorial HERE. Ambitious? Gosh, yes. But I am always up for the challenge so I may just give it a go.

Complete with a little whiskey bar, a chinchilla throw, gold and crystal elements and fresh Black Bacarra roses, this design makes me super happy and will provide me with a room that makes me feel all grown and sexy. My room is my retreat. A place where I go to relax, to work on my laptop late at night, to dance in my underwear, to recover when I am sick and to dream a little dream. I want to be surrounded with luxe items and texture.

So now that I have my room all figured out, it's time to help Babygirl with her room inspiration and color story.

{inspiration board item sources: RH Baby & Child | Z Gallerie | Art.com | Amazon.com | PB Teen | Touch of Class}

xoxo, tami

Believe and Receive It

"The sky is the limit to what I can have. Just believe and receive it. God will perform it today." - Miracle by The Clark Sisters

Friends, if you are friends with me on Facebook, you may have noticed my current avatar asks "What are you manifesting?" 

I'm a huge believer in the power of manifestation. So much so that the tag line for my coaching biz is Envision. Believe. Manifest. If you set your intention, pray, believe with no doubt and envision it in your life, you can have it. Most everything you could ever desire is already here. God a god of abundance and possibilities. You are surrounded by abundance and infused with power as His glorious child. 

How do I know this to be true? 

It is alive and working in my life on a daily basis. For example, my Facebook friends have seen my posts stating I would love a boutique closet. I've posted about this desire, I've shared photos, I've discussed this with babygirl, she and I created an electronic vision board and then I put it into action by purchasing clothing and accessories that I want in my closet (just a few things here and there). I saw myself in my boutique closet, browsing through my items, selecting the perfect accessories, twirling in front of my mirror. I became excited because I knew deep inside that somehow, some way it would happen.  

In addition, I recently blogged about finding a new home. What I didn't share was I had selected an ideal neighborhood and that I wanted a huge bedroom and a swimming pool like my ex and I used to have pre-recession. And that I also wanted a dream bathroom that was large enough for a vanity, a soaking tub and a separate, large glass-enclosed shower. I had no idea how or when this would happen. I just set my intention out there. Envisioned it. Believed in it. And continued on with my happy little life. 

Yesterday I had an appointment to see a new home that I might consider moving into. I had no idea what to expect. In fact, someone from my church actually took me to the home and when I got into her car she said "You don't even know where we are going do you?" And then it dawned on me. NO I HAD NO CLUE! I was doing something I'd never done before... I went in blind faith. I was so filled with excited anticipation and trust in God's process that I hadn't bothered to ask where it was or what size it was or what amenities it had. I just jumped into her car, ready to go. 

Next thing you know we pull up into the EXACT neighborhood I wanted to move into. The home is huge. And guess what else? It has a swimming pool, a gigantic master bed room and equally large master bathroom with a soaking tub, room for a vanity and a large separate glass-enclosed shower. It also has a walk in closet in the master bedroom that is about the size of the bedroom I currently occupy. I could literally put a dresser and twin size bed in that closet with room to spare. Each and everything I envisioned and believed in, now manifest into my reality. 

I share this testimony to tell you that the power of God is real. His Holy Spirit resides inside of you and is there to guide you through life and into your desires if you understand this divine power. The Bible clearly states:

"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4

What does it mean to delight yourself in the Lord?

To delight yourself in the Lord means to enjoy or be happy in the Lord. If you want to enjoy God you have to submit to him by putting him first not second or last place in your life. Many find it hard to be happy in the Lord because they don`t like their life. I know from personal experience how challenging this can be. I imagined that once I got what my heart desired I could begin to be happy or truly enjoy the Lord. However, I had it so backwards. That is contrary to spiritual laws. In Psalm 37 vs 4 the word of God clearly states that if you delight yourself in God he will give you the desires of your heart. 

You may be wondering is that possible? 

Can I really have the job, man/woman or life I have always dreamed of? Yes you can. You can have all that your heart desires as long as it is not evil or against God`s will. No matter how grand what you are longing for is, God is able to provide, for nothing is impossible for God. 

Being a Christian does not mean we are called to a life of pain and suffering. No wonder some who are in sorrow and hopelessness detest their faith. Indeed suffering is a part of our calling and a part of life but God did not call us to a life of sorrow. God truly wants you to be happy. 

Isn`t it awesome that God who made us for his own pleasure, says to you and I in Ephesians 3:19, that if you know the depth of his love you will be filled with all his fullness. In vs 20, the word says "Now, unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us." Now why would God give us more than we ask or think? Vs 21 answers this question. He will do it for his glory. So if you please God, God will please you!!! Like John 15:7 says "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you." So there is no need to worry, it is such a waste of time. Instead, enjoy your life in the Lord. Allow him to perfect you, his work in progress so that you want for nothing.

This is not a magic pill. 

It's not intended for you to live out your selfish desires. You can't trick or fool the Creator. You must have a sincere and clean heart and a true love for God as well as truly delighting yourself in Him. Then He will happily bless you. He takes great delight in blessing his children. 

I'm living proof that this word is alive and true. Now, no doubt there are those who may not believe. And there are those with questions. And then there are those who also know this awesome truth. I like to hear from anyone of you. What are your doubts or disbeliefs and why? I you've experienced manifestation in your life, please share! Your testimony could serve to lift up another. 

xoxo, tami

Expect The Great

"This is just the beginning. The year of refreshing. His plan now unfolding. The time of your great blessing." - Expect the Great by Jonathan Nelson

Today, I am expecting the great and I want to encourage you to do the same. For quite a while I would get down on myself and I undervalued the tremendous potential that is within me. I was spending way too much time focusing on my current circumstances.

It’s so easy to get caught up in our current circumstances, especially if we are not happy with where we currently are in life. However, focusing on our circumstances will always rob us of the greatness that is already within us. It took me a while to get out of my own way and realize this.

When we focus on where we are and how much we are unsatisfied, we run into the trap of dwelling on the negative. We can't see past the trees to the forest around us.

As I dwelled on the negative, I started writing the wrong stories about myself. Instead of looking at all the opportunities in front of me, I was reminded of all the problems that consumed me. At the time, it was difficult to see how negatively this impacted me. It was robbing me of my power and it took away my ability to move forward in life.

ACTIVATE FAITH!

Faith is believing and seeing into the future even if your current circumstances are not so great. Faith pulls you into the direction of hope. Hope provides us with the strength to take action and develop a self-belief to conquer our minor frustrations and road blocks.

I chose to expect the great! And I challenge you to choose today to expect the absolute best for your life. Focus on all the good that surrounds your life. I don’t care who you are or what you are experiencing, if you look long and hard enough you will eventually find some good that’s taking place in your life right this moment.

On this beautiful April day, activate your faith and hope. Put an end to your negative thoughts and start reminding yourself how special you truly are. As you begin to focus on how amazing and powerful you are, your current circumstances will never be able to hold you back.

Today, confidently move forward in the direction of your dreams. I’m extremely excited for you, because I know what this mind shift has done for me. I know that once you see past your current circumstances, wonderful and amazing things begin to happen. Breakthroughs come knocking.

xoxo, tami