THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. Winners will be contacted via email.
Congratulations to Jessica and Gena!
If you’re a blog reader, love pretty decorative accents or painting furniture, it’s likely that you “know” Marian from Miss Mustard Seed. I’ve “known” Marian for years and her amazing story and inspiring talent are a reflection of the kind heart behind the Miss Mustard Seed blog.
From the moment I returned from the Haven 2012 conference, my entire summer was spent renovating a small apartment and oh, joy! It was a blast. Nearly everyday warm (my favorite time of the year) and spent doing something I love to do…DIY and decorating. And as the renovation came near to completion (there are still a few things left to do including taking “after” photos), we enjoyed a much needed vacation. No DIY, no work. All relaxation and spending time with family. And you’d think one would return all well rested and ready to jump back into routine. But when I returned to a home that had been neglected all summer with the fast approaching holidays, shorter days, colder temps, gray skies and an empty nest, I suddenly felt overwhelmed and stressed and had no idea where to even start in my cluttered unfinished surroundings.
This past week, my copy of “Inspired You” {Inspired You: Letting God Breathe New Life Into Your Heart and Home} arrived and because I’ve been moving from one little thing to the next {although with little motivation and accomplishing next to nothing}, it sat on the dust covered coffee table for a few days. Then giving into my lazy mood one day {well, honestly, most days}, I took a moment for myself and brewed a cup of tea, propped up my feet and opened my book. I.could.not.put.it.down.
So truth be told, a moment turned into a couple of hours (it’s 200+ pages) but it’s not all tutorial style. It’s Marian’s stories, her ideas and thoughts sprinkled with a few tutorials to refer back to and beautiful photos of her adorable home and inspiring vintage, thrifted, hand-made decorating style. I found myself looking up and around my home, pondering what works best for our family, what we do like, what we don’t, what’s not working, sometimes clarity, a spark of motivation. Marian’s thoughts are similar to my own but seeing them through her eyes, the gentle reminder of what is important, well, it gave me a fresh new perspective and several times, I set the book aside and walked around my home from room to room. I was inspired to grab my notebook, write down a few comments or a to-do list for a certain area, goals. And I was inspired to look at one task rather than the entire huge overwhelming picture which helps me realize that if our house is comfortable enough to mess up, we’re happy.
Basically, when I agreed to review our friend’s new book (because not only am I a Miss Mustard Seed fan, I love promoting my blog friends and share their excitement in fun opportunities and success of hard work)…I had no idea that her book would do just what the cover says. It helped me let God breathe new life into my heart and into my home. My house is not perfect. It never is perfect. It never will be and at this moment when my house is far far away from perfect, I finally found peace and motivation to start somewhere, anywhere to work towards my goal.
So, if you’re looking for a ‘decor’ book for your holiday wish list, collect home decor books like me or need a talented friend to hold your hand and encourage you to make what you already have something you love…this book is for you. It’s not one you’re going to pick up, only flip through pretty pictures or refer to for a furniture painting tutorial. It’s one that you won’t be able to put down and it will inspire you to start an enjoyable satisfying journey to making your house a haven for your family.
And the happy ending to this story: I walked away truly inspired. And motivated. And thankful. With a fresh perspective, I got my butt up off the couch and dove headfirst into “letting God breath new life into my heart and my home”.
“Inspired You” GIVEAWAY
And I have the opportunity to share “Inspired You” with two {2} lucky DIY Show Off readers in a lovely giveaway this week! How to enter:
- Leave 1 comment about what you would most like to change about your home.
- Share this giveaway via Facebook, Twitter, G+, Pinterest, etc. and leave a comment about each share. {Thank you!}
Giveaway starts today and ends Saturday November 17th at midnight EST. Winners will be chosen randomly and announced shortly after. Open to US and Canadian residents only. 
Marian, Miss Mustard Seed with me at Haven 2012…at the end of a LONG crazy day. Seeing blog friends’ dreams come true is so exciting! You can visit Marian at her inspiring blog, Miss Mustard Seed.
I don’t know what I would change in my home but I would love to just finish our bedroom :/ it seems like the one room that I don’t ever do in our previous homes! Now to go share this giveaway!!! Hugs
Toodles-Sarah
Shared on Pinterest!!!
Shared on Facebook
And shared with my friends and family via text msg :))
I would love to take out our carpeting.
Oh, I’d love to change just about everything, in some way, in my home. I’m just getting my creative, DIY juices flowing, so I have all kinds of ideas brewing…but no tools to work with. My Christmas list this year includes tools. 🙂
I’d love to redo my fireplace mantel.
I right now am focused on changing my fireplace in my living room, It’s ugly boring brick, is too big for the room and the fact i live in TX where you don’t need a lot of extra heat, lol, and i’d love to knock it out and get a small sleek electric version!
I want hardwood floors in our living room!
I can’t complain because we’re just finishing up a HUGE remodel, but our bathroom could stand a bit of attention! Thanks!
Would be so grilled to win mms book!
Several projects are looming at our house. Would love to be inspired to get jump started on one or two!
I would love to paint my cabinets in my kitchen!
The project I most want to tackle is my master bath , there isn’t anything in there that I like !
I would love to win Miss Mustard Seed’s book !
I want to redo our hall bannister. Thanks for the chance. Love her new book!!
My family room (TV room) is boring. It needs some pizzazz!
That looks like it’s right up my alley. Let’s see, one thing I’d change is my living room furniture. My taste has changed my our pocket book hasn’t. LOL! So trying to piece together the perfect living room combo has been hard to say the least.
Thanks for the chance to win.
Kim
I would really like to give the rooms of my home a more cohesive, put-together feeling. I’m a grad student, but I’d like my home to seem a bit more stylish.
I love Miss Mustard Seed! I’d love to have hardwood in our master bedroom.
Need some Ideas on painting furniture and decorating ideas.
I would change the wall colors, but we are renting and aren’t allowed to paint.
I would do my bedroom from top to bottom. make every
You know I’ve read a couple of reviews about Marian’s book, but yours really moved me. If her book can inspire an empty-nest Mom, that’s pretty incredible. I’m so glad that the book has helped you – I’ve been there and I know how hard it can be. It does get a little better, I promise you!
If I could change one thing about my home it would be that I’d be inspired change and add some things on my walls. I don’t have a lot of big wall space to add to, but many smaller areas that look a little bit bare.
Thanks so much for this opportunity to win “Inspired You” ~ I’m a big big fan of both of you.
I tweeted about your giveaway! Find it here:
https://twitter.com/JBsVintage/status/268126105867796480
I’m always striving to make my home cozy but clutter free.
I love my home so much but i love color and i would love to learn how to use it nicely …Our home is a christian home so it already is filled with lots of love…God bless you..
I would most like to change my kitchen! I painted the 80s oak, but the counters are still an awful laminate and I still don’t have enough storage space.
I would love to have darker counters. The current ones are so light that any scratch or stain will show up and never go away.
I tweeted the giveaway! @mrssterbentz
I pinned the giveaway! Thank you so much for such a great one!
We just moved in to our little desert cottage a year ago. I am dying to finish up the renovation of our kitchen. It really needs new counter tops to complete the look! 🙂
I pinned it on my Books & Inspirational Words board on Pinterest! 🙂
Shared the giveaway on my FB page! Thanks for the great opportunity to win a copy of Marian’s new book! 🙂
I have also done a shout out on Twitter!
I would love to update and redesign my kitchen of 25 yrs !
I just got some 1920’s bedroom furniture for my first guest room and I would love to re-do it.
I’d love to have new flooring in my house & I’d love to win this book. :o)
I have been thinking about this for the past few months actually. After returning home from vacation, walking into my house for the first time in over a week, I saw it with fresh eyes and realized that my rooms don’t feel finished or personal. The one thing I would like to change is that vibe – make it more vibrant and feel like we LIVE here.
I pinned the giveaway on Pinterest! Hope I win, but if not, I may have to buy it…BEFORE Christmas!!
I would make a bunch of slip covers to update my furniture and paint my walls in a more neutral shade for a more calming home atmosphere!
9 years ago my husband died of cancer. Now I have met a man and got married we are moving in my home. I need to redo everything to make it our home.
I just need a little kick to get my living room/dining room finished before I move on to the next room!
Love these very inspirational blogs!
Karen U
I shared on Pinterest!
Karen U
The one thing I want to change is the outside. That leads to more than 1 thing. I have spent the last years redoing inside that the outside has been neglected, 2013 will be the year for outside!
Just pinned! http://pinterest.com/pin/68609594294631358/
Hey, Roeshel!! Long time no talk, sorry, my bad!!! Gah, I’ve been such a big fan of Miss Mustard Seed for forever!! I love her furniture redos…in fact I’m hoping to head into Boston this week to hit up a shop that sells her new milk paint, can’t wait to try it! Thanks for the book giveaway! It’s amazing what kind of opportunities have opened up for her and you because of blogging:) Two areas in our home that are seriously lacking but are big projects to tackle are our master bedroom and our outside/landscaping/hard and soft scaping.
I’d love to finish redecorating my bedroom. I started on it when I got divorced and just haven’t completed it.
Looking forward to adding black and white accessories to my blue bedroom
I would like to shrink our fireplace. Our living room used to a garage and when the previous owners built it out they used one whole wall to build a huge fireplace. It could be a third of the size it is and still be useful. Thanks!
Shared on Pinterest.
Shared on FB>
I would change my kitchen cabinets and counters in a heartbeat. I’ve repainted them and they are still my least favorite feature in the house. Poor design/layout can not be corrected with a simple coat of paint 🙂
Shared on Pinterest
http://pinterest.com/pin/227080006182976423/
I would love to paint over the dark wood paneling! So far I haven’t been able to talk my husband into it! 😉
I would change my kitchen cabinets!! Thanks for the chance to win and for your blog inspiriations!!! Kathy at kradams54@hotmail.com
Just moved into my grandmother’s house, so we need to make it our own!
My living room most needs a make-over. I have a hard time knowing how to arrange my furniture with the traffic flow.
I would love to win a copy of MMS’s book! The room I’d love to change is my kitchen, but that’s not going to happen for a while so I’d just like to make a few changes in our guest room right now (before Christmas!) Thanks for this opportunity!
Tweeted the giveaway!
I need inspiration for my home!!! I think the only 2 rooms I don’t want to change are the masterbathroom and laundry room, because I have redone those. So, that only leaves 8 rooms that I would like to change, LOL! The biggest one I want to change first is my kitchen!
My kitchen. It is a great space but I would love for it to be more welcoming
We are moving into an old (1897) house and I have begun redo-ing everything!! On a budget, so I love these blogs! The biggest thing I would like to change is tearing out the old, ugly tiled drop ceilings in the living room and den!!
Just shared it on Twitter!
I would most like to add more layers to my home. I am a fairly new home owner (going on two years) and have yet to really accumulate stuff in general. Being on a low-ish budget, it’s not always easy to make the house a home because those little touches can be quite expensive at times. Hence my love for DIY!
We just moved into our home, and the walls are freshly painted so what I want to do most is start decorating. But I find myself terrified to get started for fear of messing it up!
I have a lot to change… the first thing after I finish my stairs is to work on my family room. Everything is just thrown together and I don’t know how to arrange it to make it look good!
Hmmm. What would I like to change the most? I guess it’s the stuff you can’t see. The “stuff” behind cabinet and closet doors. I dream of being totally organized. Luckily I’m a minimalist and don’t have a lot of “stuff” (except craft stuff) so you think it would be easy…sigh…I just need to get started!
I liked on FB
I tweeted!
I shared on google +
I pinned!
I would like to change out our old tired hodge lodge of furniture for something less tired.
I would love to have hardwood flooring in my home!!
Shared via Facebook and Twitter!
Shared on Facebook!
I would like to change my bedroom and bathroom. Want them to become more of a haven, a place to escape to, less utilitarian.
We so need a kitchen redo. Twenty years ago it was updated, but we are way overdue to make it fit into this century!
Well I would love to change out the drywall around the window to painted wood trim and I will as soon as I get a new job so I can buy the materials. Until then I’ll keep dreaming up different styles for the trim.
From Stacy @ Embracing Change: I would love to change lots of things about my home. At this point in time, perhaps converting my extra room into a craft room. I could come up with lots of ideas!
From Stacy: I have Facebooked about the giveaway on my page at Embracing Change as well!