The Write 31 Days Challenge – 31 Days,Every Day,One Topic
Day 31
(day 1 starts here)
I did it 🙂 I’ve written a blog post every single day for 31 days straight! Honestly, it’s been somewhat stressful because the writing process does not come quickly for me and it’s kept me from getting to a lot of other pressing projects.
I’ve felt led by God to share our story for a long time but I started and stopped many times when good intentions gave way to discouragement. Enter The Write 31 Days challenge, which made writing our story more doable than a whole book.
The wicked fall and are destroyed. The righteous stumble or fall, and get back up. Prov. 24:16 Share on X This! As I’ve written in my story I did a whole lot of falling, but I’m thankful that when I did God didn’t let me stay face down in the mud but picked me up, cleaned me off, and set me on my feet again.
GLORY!
If you didn’t get a chance to read the story Day 1 of My Life is Not a Hallmark Movie begins right HERE.
And now for today’s DIY project!
By wisdom a house is built, through understanding it is established, through knowledge it's rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Proverbs 24:3-4 Share on X As I said on an Instagram post where I shared this photo, our homes don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful and the rare and beautiful treasures are actually the people who fill our home.
Since we have opened the doors of our new home to many friends, both old and new, I thought it fitting that this final post of the 31 days be another DIY. A simple entry hall coat rack made with things scored from Mr. OTN’s basement stash.
With a smaller house comes a bit less storage and our guest closet immediately filled up with my husband’s coats. Coats are his thang, so not only did he fill the closet I’d designated for our guests but our master closet has a whole section of coats and he’s filled another small media closet that we added to the bedroom with even more coats.
Honestly, I have a hard time understanding the need for so many coats since we don’t wear them here in SC more than a few months out of the year, but I’ve chalked it up to trauma. The after effects of living in a very rainy location for much of his life.
And since I’ve learned that I can’t control Mr. OTN, in much the same way he’s finally learned that he can’t control me, I decided to come up with a place for our guests to hang their coats, or hats, or pretty baskets of flowers, as they come in the door. I always welcome pretty baskets of flowers coming in the door 😉
I color washed this 8′ long board with two different shades of gray that I had on hand and finished it off with a wash of Sherwin Williams Alabaster. No sealer was needed as the paint was all latex. For complete instructions on how to do a color wash I’ve created this tutorial called A Color Wash in Layered Greys
I found eight pretty hooks that I screwed into the board and voila! A good source for hooks like these is Habitat for Humanity, and if you can’t find the right color there, a can Rustoleum spray paint is your best friend. Hobby Lobby is also a good source for a large variety of inexpensive hooks.
The rest of the project was up to Mr. OTN, who found the studs in the wall and attached the board with six wood screws which I covered with some of the paint to make them blend in.
After spending this past month reliving and telling my (our) I am more grateful than ever that I have my husband by my side. We are a team through thick and thin and no matter what comes our way we always find our way through to the laughter. Eventually 🙂 🙂 🙂
A BIG thank you to every one who took the time to read this series. I will be heading off on a vacation with friends this next week but you can count on me to be back when I return to share more day-to-day life here at Old Things New.
Blessings dear friends,
If you’ve enjoyed this series, or if you think it might be of help to someone you know I would be thrilled for you to share on social media.
I’ve been known to link up to the following great parties!!!
Sunday:
SundaysAtHome, LifeOnLakeshoreDrive, SilverPenniesSundays, RusticAndRefined, Spiritual Sundays
Monday:
IShouldBeMoppingTheFloor, TheDedicatedHouse, Dwellings, ProjectInspired, InspireMeMonday, CelebrateYourStory, What Joy is Mine/Monday Musings, Darling Downs Diaries, The Art of Homemaking, MomentsOfHope, Glimpses, SittingAmongFriends, InspireMeMonday, GodSizedDreams
Tuesday:
TalkOfTheTown, HomeStoriesAtoZ, AStrollThruLife, CoastalCharm, CedarHillFarmhouse, TuesdaysAtOurHome, TheWinthropChronicles, Rich Faith Rising Unite Linky, Testimony Tuesday,Cheerleaders of Faith,Tell His Story
Wednesday:
SavvySouthernStyle, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Word Filled Wednesdays, Coffee for Your Heart, MessyMarriage, ThreeWordWednesday, WriterWednesday
Thursday:
ShareYourStyle, ImpartingGrace, EmbracingChange, HaveADailyCupOfMrsOlson, MyRepurposedLife, ADelightsomeLife, KatherinesCorner, Thought Provoking Thursday, SincerelyPaulas, ThoughtfulThursday, Tune-inThursday
Friday:
FrenchCountryCottage, TheCharmOfHome, TheDedicatedHouseAnythingBlueFriday, ShabbyliciousFriday, Faith’nFriends, Dance With Jesus FreshMarketFriday
Saturday:
FunkyJunkInteriors, SaturdaySparks, TheInspirationGallery, Make My Saturday Sweet
A job well done, many blessings and have fun while you stay safe.
Thank you my friend. Love and hugs!
I’d like to thank you for all you’ve shared. Although I wasn’t the only one reading, I assure you it helped at least one person….me. In fact, I’m going to go back, read again, and take a few notes. I’ll miss checking each evening to read the days post because it’s become a habit. Have a great vacation and Lord bless you for your transparency and effort. <3
Thank you for sharing this with me PJ. I wondered throughout the process of writing this how people were receiving it. There was a lot of hard stuff revealed and I think most people would rather read a Hallmark movie type of story than one like mine because we want to escape pain, not look it in the face. Going through the pain to the other side is where the victory is though! And the JOY! I’ve always said that if our story helped one person it would be worth sharing so again, thank you. YOU made it worth it!
Love love love reading your story! What healing and grace our Lord Jesus Christ gives to us. How blessed and filled with gratitude you are my friend Patti.❤ God gives us the best gifts doesn’t He!
Thank you so much for reading all the way through to the end Elaine. I think you knew more of my story than anyone else because you’ve always been my friend, from forever, and though our visits have been few and far between, I always felt safe in sharing things with you. I appreciate your support as I worked my way through to the end. Whew! I wish I could say I was going to Disney World to celebrate the completion but maybe that will come when I’ve created a book. Maybe?
So enjoyed reading your blog! God is soooo good. Enjoy your vacation and be safe. So blessed to call you my friend and soon to be neighbor❤️
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through to the end Jean. I know that your tender heart might have had a hard time with parts of it. I’m just praying that those that need to hear the story and receive the hope will find it and be blessed. Blessings.
I really enjoyed this series. I hope it makes it into a book! XO
Thank you SO much Jen. Your encouragement means the world to me. I’m not sure what’s next but I really need to look into how to create an eBook. Blessings friend 🙂
Such a beautiful post!
Thank you so much Amberly 🙂
Beautiful project. I am thinking of a way to make a spot to store items inside my front door. When you open the front door it opens into an open area.
This is perfect for an open area, and we are saving our coat closet (which is around a corner) for other much needed storage. I’m so glad you liked it. Thank you.
Congratulations on finishing all 31 days, Patti! I signed a big relief when October was over as well. ha. I enjoyed the challenge, but it was just that…a challenge! 🙂 Now I can return to visiting blogs again.
Love your DIY coat rack! We don’t wear many coats here in NC either…mainly wraps. Though in the mountains this time of year I keep a coat on.
I missed this, so I will go back and read your 31 day writings…
Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
Blessings,
Cindy
Thank you for the love Cindy! Have a very merry Christmas!