Justice For Children (Warning: Graphic)

This is a video about a 5 month old girl named Brianna Lopez. I just heard about her story via Facebook and it captured my heart - not in a good way. She was raped by her uncle and grandfather then tortured by her mother. Her grandmother and other uncles knew about the abuse and kept the secret. All people listed got less than 5 years in prison. The shocking part was that they didn't want to have a funeral for her so the town got together and had her buried and decorated her plot. When the family found out, they put a CAGE over her burial ground. I wanted to share this story in hopes that it will open eyes and make people think - child abuse is real, it is still around, and nobody is immune. If you think you know someone who is abusing or has been abused, tell somebody!

This has also made me think about all of those who choose to have abortions and all the babies out there who never have the opportunity to live a life. It makes me think about how although little Brianna's body may be in a cage, she is in a deeper place in the arms of Jesus and her body is the only thing left there. It also made me think about the child that I lost and how important it is to keep her alive in my heart through my works for others. I do plan to share her photo today and I have photoshopped it but it is still very hard to show. Please respect our decision for showing and keep comments moderated. Please do not share the photo or the website with anyone else. Hold your babies tight tonight - life is precious and tomorrow is not promised.

Girly Room for Reagan

She asked for a princess, girly room for her little princess... and I love the idea of the fabric draping over the bed. This is actually a very cheap project if you find discounted fabric. You can learn how to make canopy type draperies at http://www.doityourself.com/stry/sew-your-own-canopy-bed-drapes!

This room will keep you away from too much pink. All girls love love love pink, but this room would grow with your baby girl all the way through her teenage years. I recommend starting her room renovation by giving her the gift of a chandelier - and it doesn't have to be something to splurge on, it can actually be a very inexpensive gift that will last her all the way to college :) A great place online to find beautiful little girl chandeliers is at http://www.rosenberryrooms.com/cefi1.html.


These stripes MAKE this whole room. If you are doing a room on a budget, there are three things that you can do that are inexpensive and can transform a room - paint, drapery, and bedding. This room just screams little princess .. I almost want this room for myself. Stripes are very hard to paint if you are not a pro, but if this is your "forever home", the stripes will be a great addition that she will love for years to come.

For my last choice I chose something I had shown before. Again, there is the drapery that just makes the bed. Hobby Lobby is a great place to get about 90% of what is in this room (I personally know this room owner and where she shops so trust me, she worked on a budget!) This pink chair is the most expensive thing in the room and I recommend replacing it with a comfy space where baby girl can relax and call her own. Also, if she has a tv, you may want to splurge on a flat and hang. This can help keep her little hands away. Remember to make the room where it will grow with her throughout the years... or you will be renovating and asking for advice two years from now (not that I mind!)

Good luck Misty! Hope you like the ideas and I can't wait to see the room!!

The Business Of Being Born

I have been wanting to watch this movie FOREVER and I do mean like right after I found out Ricki Lake made it. For those of you who do not know what I am talking about, check it out at
http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/trailer.php. It is a movie about how society has made labor into just another medical procedure - even one father describes his ability to watch his wife have a c-section and then head home for dinner. We have to take into account that the United States is the ONLY country where hospital births outweigh home and natural births - in some countries, there is no maternity ward or hospital that cares for moms and newborns ... yet we still have some substantially high infant death rates during childbirth. God gave us the ability to naturally give birth and to work through the pain of labor yet we are all so quick to get the drugs and do whatever is the easiest. I am writing this BEFORE watching the video, but I have read the commentary and watched the trailer. I will come back with an update after I have completed the movie and would also love to have other comments from people who have feelings on this as well. Just thought I would put something else on the blog that I feel strongly about besides just my beautiful babies and my love for houses :)

Nursery Ideas For Brittani

My dear friend, Brittani, just found out she is expecting her second BOY! We are so excited, I love that she will get to experience the same life of having two boys just like me - and they are almost going to be the same age as my kids were apart so I know just how close they will be. She hasn't decided for sure what she wanted, but she did say possibly something Western which is cute and not used very often. Below are the five rooms I chose which I thought we could do on a budget and gain ideas from - Hope you like them and congratulations on your bundle of joy! :)

Just A Quick Update... (Design related!)

Because so many of you have asked for some FREE design ideas, I will be doing 2-4 posts a week for those who have requested me to help them find some design ideas. These are NOT my designs, but I could do something similiar, just not for free. I am still trying to decide on pricing, but for now while I do not have a degree and need the experience, I will take one room a month for free with the person providing all supplies. In the future, I promise to stay very affordable and work around any budget, not just the high budgets you see on things like HGTV. If you have a design idea request, the best way to get them to me is via Facebook or email me at momwifedesigner@gmail.com.